Chapter 10 (2/2)

As she spoke, she deliberately squatted down so she was eye level with him, and Jiang Shaocheng felt a smile tugging at his lips. Perhaps he was hungry for a different kind of dish after all. If only he could…

“It’s up to you. I’m not picky.”

Tang Qiu nodded. With his illness, surely he was forced to abstain from many foods, but he must be keeping them to himself out of worry that she wouldn’t be up to the task.

Jiang Shaocheng was truly a kindhearted man. They had barely known each other for a day, yet he had made his anger on her behalf known to the Fengs in their home. No doubt, there was an image she had to maintain as part of the Jiang family now, but still she found herself grateful for everything she had gained by marrying him. “I’ll cook bone broth then; it’ll make your legs stronger.” She wasted no time in leaving to find some pork ribs.

When she saw the price of the ribs, her brow furrowed. So expensive? But she bought a pound of ribs anyway, ignoring the way her wallet cried out.

Noting her reluctance, Jiang Shaocheng reminded her with a small smile, “The money from earlier belongs to you. It’s yours to spend.”

Tang Qiu disagreed; perhaps she was simply too used to living in hardship. “Better to save for a rainy day. The money from the betrothal and dowry belongs to us both. I can’t just spend it as I please.”

Her rationale was a straightforward one: Jiang Shaocheng was ill, and his father couldn’t be counted on to care for him, which meant they needed money for his medical expenses. And if her grandmother fell sick, it wouldn’t be cheap either. For patients like them, not having enough money to cover the necessary treatment might well be a path to an early grave. Jiang Shaocheng couldn’t work; it would fall on her to support the family in the future. She was still a student now, which meant that every cent of the money had to be spent prudently.

A strange feeling settled in Jiang Shaocheng’s heart at her serious manner, and he found himself even more eager to spend the rest of his life with her.

Tang Qiu was occupied with choosing fruits when a child ran up to the wheelchair, studying it with curiosity. They caught sight of Jiang Shaocheng’s scars, and burst into frightened tears.

The child’s grandmother ran up to them in a panic. While trying to comfort the child, she took one look at Jiang Shaocheng and shouted, “What are you doing out here with a face like that? You scared my grandchild to tears!”

Attracted by her loud, shrill voice and the child’s weeping, people’s heads begin to turn. Soon enough, everyone was staring at them.

“That man looks terrifying, Emma. No wonder the child cried; even I’m scared to look at him!”

“What on earth happened to his face…”

“The poor child’s going to have nightmares. The nerve of this person, to stick his place in public instead of back home where it belongs.”

Jiang Shaocheng’s face had turned as black as thunder, his gaze swimming with something dangerous. He Lei had gone pale. He was about to speak when a woman’s voice sounded, beating him to it.

“You deserve those nightmares if you’re this blackhearted! Uncultured people like you who lack empathy would be better off just staying at home!”