To be honest, Qi Li's mother wasn't keen on eating beef that cost more than 2,000 yuan per pound.
If her family weren't truly wealthy, she might have just sent the beef to Qi Li and let her sell it instead.
But by now, she also realized that the son-in-law she once thought was only a bit honest and otherwise incapable had quietly grown. At first, she had felt a little guilty about letting her daughter marry Jiang Hai, because back then, she thought Jiang Hai wasn't worthy of Qi Li.
Thinking back, Jiang Hai really didn't seem to have any advantages a year ago. He wasn't particularly tall or impressive—just average-looking. He hadn't experienced any dramatic ups or downs, had no money, no remarkable skills, and no potential to speak of. What future could an unemployed graduate from a third-rate, fake university have?
The only advantage was that Jiang Hai was quite honest and straightforward. He had stepped up when it mattered, just to silence those who looked down on him.
Originally, Qi Li's mother thought that if Qi Li could get along with Jiang Hai, fine, but if not, they should simply get a divorce.
You could tell from her lukewarm attitude when Jiang Hai came to her house during Chinese New Year.
Usually, a mother-in-law would be delighted to see her son-in-law often—unless she really disliked him. But now, Jiang Hai seemed to be hiding his true capabilities.
According to Qi Li, just the income from selling cattle in one year alone was not less than the total value of the Qi family's assets. And that was only one year's income—what about the years to come?
It was honestly terrifying to think about. Plus, Jiang Hai was the one providing this beef, which made Qi Li's mother like him more and more.
"Hey, Mom, this beef is from my manor. If you like it, just say the word and I'll send some over," Jiang Hai said with a smile, noticing how enthusiastic Qi Li's mother had become about the beef. It seemed even she was slowly warming up to him.
After a few polite exchanges, Jiang Hai and Qi Li sat down at the dining table. Though the table was large, only three people were seated: Jiang Hai, Qi Li, and Qi Li's mother. No one else was there, yet the table was filled with dishes.
"Xiu'e, come sit and eat with us," Qi Li called to the girl who had appeared twice before—Zheng Xiu'e. The girl nodded, about to leave, but was stopped by Qi Li's mother.
"Auntie, it's still not enough. Come to the kitchen and have a bite," Qi Li's mother said, causing Zheng Xiu'e to hesitate.
As mentioned earlier, Zheng Xiu'e's father had been very close to Qi Li's father before an accident took his life. The Qi family had taken her in and raised her like their own daughter.
But perhaps because of the trauma, Zheng Xiu'e was slow to respond and stubborn. After arriving here, she decided she couldn't just live idly, so she took on the role of a servant to care for the Qi family members.
She seemed to like this job very much, although no one in the Qi family truly treated her as a servant. Even if she wore servant clothes, to Qi Li, she was more like a sister.
"Alright, let's eat together. You haven't eaten with your brother-in-law yet, right?" Seeing Zheng Xiu'e's hesitation, Qi Li stood, pulled her to sit next to her, and said gently.
"Ah, ah," the girl stammered, confused but reluctant. Jiang Hai smiled quietly at her—this girl was really interesting. "Okay, okay, eat. If you don't start soon, the food will get cold. This is Jiang Hai's beef—it's quite rare."
Qi Li's mother smiled at the happy scene and gestured for everyone to start eating.
No one was reserved. As soon as Qi Li's mother picked up her chopsticks, Jiang Hai followed suit, and Qi Li and Zheng Xiu'e ate and chatted comfortably. The meal was harmonious and pleasant.
Before they knew it, the meal was over, though many dishes remained, which the servants cleaned up.
Jiang Hai and the others gathered in the living room. Zheng Xiu'e brewed tea, and Jiang Hai and his companions drank tea, watched TV, and chatted. Gradually, night fell.
In Bingcheng, October nights come early. Actually, it's dark early all year round here. Even on the longest summer days, it only stays light until about eight in the evening—unlike central and western China, where it stays bright until nine or ten.
By October, it's dark shortly after seven.
Time slipped by unnoticed, and soon it was past nine.
"Xiao Jiang, you just got back today, right? You must be tired. I've prepared your room—you can go to bed soon," Qi Li's mother said, glancing at her watch as she stood to retire. Elderly women like her, especially those in fragile health and immense wealth, tended to avoid going out too much to stay safe.
Things like square dancing were out of the question. Qi family assets ran into tens of billions—money moved people's hearts. Who knew if strangers were really trustworthy? Kidnappings were a real concern.
So Qi Li's mother went to bed early and woke early, only walking around the yard or community accompanied—usually by Zheng Xiu'e, who went shopping with her.
"Uh, okay," Jiang Hai responded, a bit stunned because he still wanted to leave. But after Qi Li poked him in the waist, he stood up. Watching Qi Li's mother retreat to her room, he awkwardly responded. Once the door closed, Jiang Hai looked at Qi Li helplessly.
"What are you staring at? Let's go to bed," Qi Li said, blushing but firm. She took Jiang Hai's arm and led him upstairs.
The largest bedroom on the second floor was theirs—their home here—but they had never once stayed here. Today was an exception.
As soon as they entered, Jiang Hai's eyes were drawn to the huge bed.
The red bedspread was embroidered with a large heart in the center, with a double happiness symbol inside and mandarin ducks embroidered below—clearly a wedding bed.
Looking at the bed made Jiang Hai a bit embarrassed. This scene felt familiar. In the original story, Qi Li would have coldly told him, "Go to sleep," then left to sleep next door for the night.
But this time, the script had clearly changed.
Qi Li didn't leave. Instead, she walked in first and lay down on the bed casually. Jiang Hai could even see the black underlayer of her skirt.
Feeling awkward, Jiang Hai turned his face to the side and sat on a chair, turning on the TV.
Qi Li turned on the bed and looked at him.
"Aren't you going to take a shower first?" she asked with a smile.
"Oh," Jiang Hai replied and headed to the bathroom next door.
Once inside, he found no change of clothes.
The coat was fine, but what about pants? He hadn't brought extra clothes. If he washed his clothes, what would he wear afterward? But if he didn't wash, then he didn't.
After hesitating, Jiang Hai took a quick shower. For men, it was simple—wash hair, lather body, rinse.
In less than ten minutes, he emerged to find Qi Li already changed.
She had swapped her usual office outfit for pink pajamas.
The pajamas were tight—featuring a huge V-shaped neckline and a hem that barely covered her pants. Her long, slender legs were fully visible, and combined with her pretty face, Jiang Hai quickly looked away.
"You're done washing," Qi Li smiled, greeting him.
"Ah, yeah, I took a shower," Jiang Hai said, avoiding eye contact. He circled around her and sat on the sofa, not daring to sit on the bed. Qi Li chuckled at his reaction, then hummed a tune as she headed to the bathroom to shower herself.
Though Jiang Hai's eyes were glued to the TV, he heard her humming and the water running—it was a bit torturous.
Luckily, Qi Li didn't take long. About 20 minutes later, she emerged.
Jiang Hai glanced at her unconsciously, heart pounding faster.
Though still in pajamas, it was clear she had taken off the vest and pants worn underneath. The sight was a little bold.
To be continued.