Everyone's been reborn, so who would bother finding a wife on their own?

Chapter 57 Jiangcheng's Number One Warm-Hearted Man

"Dinner's ready."

The aroma wafting from the kitchen had captivated her for ten minutes.

From the rich aroma of stewed beef with tomatoes, to the fresh fragrance of steamed egg custard, and then to the sweet taste of brown sugar, ginger, and jujube tea, each flavor seeped into her nose layer by layer.

Her stomach had been rumbling for a while, but she pulled the blanket over her face and pretended not to hear it.

Song Huan stood at the door, looking at her.

Only a tuft of hair and half of her forehead were visible outside the blanket; her eyes were closed, but her eyelashes were trembling slightly.

He heard her innermost thoughts, like a dinner bell ringing.

[I'm so hungry, so hungry, so hungry.]

Why hasn't he come to call me yet?

[Call me again and I'll get up.]

Song Huan cleared her throat: "Xiao Yunqing, the food is ready. Please come out and eat."

His voice was as serious as a restaurant waiter's.

The blanket remained untouched.

He heard another voice from the heart.

[Not sincere enough.]

Song Huan took a deep breath: "Miss Little Cloud, I've made you tomato stewed beef, steamed shrimp and egg, millet and red date porridge, and brown sugar ginger and jujube tea. Please do me the honor of coming out and having a bite."

A very soft "plop" came from under the covers.

Then the blanket was slowly pulled down, revealing a rosy face.

She looked at him, her lips pressed together, her eyes crinkling, "That's more like it."

I threw off the covers and went outside in my pajamas.

When I got to the dining table, I froze.

The table was piled high with food.

In the center is a large bowl of tomato stewed beef, with bright red broth coating large chunks of beef. The tomatoes have melted into the broth, and it is sprinkled with bright green scallions.

Next to it was a bowl of steamed egg with shrimp, golden yellow, so tender it trembled slightly, with the pink tips of the shrimp peeking out.

The millet and red date porridge was cooked until thick, with the aroma of dates mixed with the fragrance of rice.

The brown sugar, ginger, and jujube tea was steaming in a mug.

In the corner was a box of peeled durian flesh, golden yellow, and you could smell the aroma even through the plastic wrap.

Xiao Yunqing stared at it for several seconds, then turned her head and asked, "Did you do all of this?"

Song Huan nodded. "Try it."

She sat down and scooped a spoonful of steamed egg first.

The steamed egg custard melts in your mouth, and its umami flavor spreads across your tongue.

Her eyes lit up. "Delicious!"

I picked up another piece of beef, stewed until tender and melted in my mouth, the sweet and sour flavor of the tomato infused into it.

"This is delicious too."

Song Huan pushed the brown sugar ginger and jujube tea in front of her, "Have some of this."

She took it and drank a sip. It was sweet, with a mild ginger flavor, and warmed her as it slid down her throat to her stomach.

She looked down at the glass, then at the dishes on the table. "How do you know so much?"

Song Huan paused for a moment while picking up food with her chopsticks.

A picture flashed through my mind.

In his past life, he was making brown sugar water in his rented room when a girl stood next to him, pointing at the pot and saying, "There's too much ginger, it's spicy."

The girl taught him how to pick a durian: press the thorns and smell the bottom.

He taught her what girls should eat during their period: beef to replenish iron, red dates to warm the uterus, and durian to dispel cold.

It was that girl who taught him how to transform from a boy into a man.

Although they later separated due to personality clashes and constant arguments, they eventually went their separate ways.

But he remembered those things, and he still does.

"I saw it online." He lowered his head and shoveled some rice into his mouth. "You can find anything online."

Xiao Yunqing said "Oh" and didn't ask any more questions.

She lowered her head and continued eating, but Song Huan heard her inner thoughts, which were muffled, as if something was pressing down on them.

[It's a lie.]

[This isn't as complete online.]

[She must have taken care of other girls.]

Upon hearing this, Song Huan couldn't help but admire the girl's sensitivity.

The atmosphere at the dinner table was quiet for a few seconds.

Xiao Yunqing poked at the beef in her bowl, poked it a couple of times, then looked up at him and asked, "Did Lin Yue teach you that?"

Song Huan nearly choked on her food. "What?"

Why are you spouting such obvious truths?

"It's nothing." She lowered her head, realizing she had been overthinking things, and her ears turned red.

A few seconds later, Xiao Yunqing looked up again, glaring at Song Huan with a fierce expression, "Eat your food."

Song Huan obediently lowered her head and ate her food, not daring to say another word.

After Xiao Yunqing finished eating, Song Huan pushed the durian over to him.

Her eyes lit up, she pinched a piece and put it in her mouth. It was soft, sweet and fragrant, and she squinted her eyes.

"Delicious." He took another piece, his cheeks bulging like a hamster storing food.

After finishing the two pieces, he reached for the third, but Song Huan took the box away.

"That's enough, eating too much will cause internal heat."

Xiao Yunqing pouted, "Have another piece."

"no."

"Just a small piece."

"That won't work either."

She glared at him, withdrew her hand, and slumped back in her chair, looking dejected.

Song Huan collected the bowls and chopsticks, put them in the sink, and turned on the tap.

Xiao Yunqing followed and stood at the kitchen door, watching his back.

The pink apron was tied around his body, a little tight, accentuating his waistline.

She rolled up her sleeves to her elbows, revealing her forearms, which were quite fair, even fairer than she had imagined.

"Go lie down, I'll take care of the washing," she said.

Song Huan glanced back at her, "We don't need you for now, go to sleep."

"I'm not sleepy."

"Lie down even if you're not sleepy."

Xiao Yunqing wanted to say something more, but her stomach cramped again, and she frowned.

Song Huan wiped her hands on her apron, walked over, and pushed her aside from the kitchen doorway. "Go back to your room and lie down. I'll wash the dishes."

He pushed her forward, and she reluctantly entered the room and lay back on the bed.

Song Huan followed her in and handed her a hot water bottle, which was warm and freshly filled.

Then they pulled the blanket up to her chin, tucking it in tightly, like rolling up a spring roll.

"Take a nap."

Xiao Yunqing was wrapped in the blanket, only her face showing. She blinked and asked, "And you?"

"I'm going to lie down on the sofa for a while."

She paused for a moment, then asked, "Are you leaving?"

"I'm not leaving, I'll stay in the living room."

She pouted again, "You won't even stay with me in the living room."

Song Huan looked at her, feeling somewhat helpless.

He heard her inner voice, a jumbled mess, like dandelions scattered by the wind.

Don't go.

[Stay with me.]

[I have a stomach ache.]

What will I do if you leave?

He pulled up a chair and sat on the edge of the bed. "Fine, I'm not leaving."

Xiao Yunqing's lips curled up, then fell back down. She turned over, her back to him, and said, "Whatever."

The sound was muffled by the pillow, but the last syllable lingered.

Song Huan sat in the chair, leaning back, looking at the back of her head.

Her hair was spread out on the pillow; it was black and soft.

My breathing gradually became even, and my shoulders rose and fell.

After a while, Xiao Yunqing turned over and faced him, her eyes closed, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow on her cheek.

Holding a hot water bottle in her arms, with a slight smile on her lips, she was probably dreaming about something.

Song Huan stared at her face for a long time.

My eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and my head slumped down little by little until I closed my eyes without even realizing it.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself lying in bed.

The pillow smelled of laundry detergent, and the blanket was soft and warm.

He paused for a moment, then tried to sit up, only to find someone lying next to him.

Xiao Yunqing lay on her side, holding a hot water bottle in her arms, breathing evenly.

A brown, round plush bear stood between the two of them; it was the very one he had won in the lottery.

When did I get into the bed?

His last memory was of sitting in a chair, dozing off against the back.

He must have fallen asleep and landed on the bed. Xiao Yunqing straightened him up and covered him with a blanket.

He turned his head and glanced at her.

She was sleeping soundly, her mouth slightly open, her breathing soft.

Her face was rosy, much better than this morning.

He quietly lifted a corner of the blanket and sat up.

Xiao Yunqing stirred, rolled over, and hugged the teddy bear to her chest, mumbling indistinctly, "Don't go..."

Song Huan stood frozen in place.

After a few seconds, she stopped moving again, and her breathing became even once more.

He slowly got out of bed, his feet touching the floor without making a sound.

She turned back at the door and saw her hugging the teddy bear, her face buried in its brown fur.

He opened the door, went out, and gently closed it.

The living room darkened.

He glanced at the clock on the wall; it was six o'clock.

The sun was setting outside the window, and the light turned orange-red.

He went into the kitchen, reheated the lunch, and cooked a new pot of millet porridge.

The beef started simmering again in the pot, filling the entire kitchen with its aroma.

The door lock clicked.

Xu Wan pushed open the door and came in, carrying a briefcase, her high heels clicking on the floor.

She smelled a fragrance while changing her shoes, looked up and saw the kitchen light was on, so she went out to take a look.

Several dishes were laid out on the stove: stewed beef with tomatoes, steamed eggs with shrimp, and millet porridge.

Song Huan stood in front of the stove, carrying the heated dishes to the table.

An apron was tied around his body, and the sleeves were rolled up to his elbows.

She stood frozen in the middle of the living room.

"Song Huan? What are you doing here? Where's Xiao Yunduo?"

Seeing Xu Wan return, Song Huan put the dishes down, turned around, and said, "Xiao Yunqing is sleeping in the room. She wasn't feeling well today, so I asked for leave for her."

Xu Wan paused for a moment, then quickly walked to the door and gently pushed it open.

Xiao Yunqing lay on the bed, covered with a quilt, sleeping soundly, her face flushed and her breathing even.

She closed the door, walked back, looked at Song Huan, and her eyes changed.

"You took care of her all day?"

Song Huan nodded. "She wasn't feeling well this morning, so I called and asked for the day off for her, and made her something to eat."

She paused for a moment, then said, "Auntie, the food is all warmed up. Just call her out to eat when she wakes up. I'm going back now; my mom is waiting for me to eat."

He untied his apron, hung it behind the kitchen door, and went to the entryway to change his shoes.

Xu Wan followed, looked at his back, opened her mouth, and said, "Song Huan."

"Um?"

"How much did you spend on groceries today? Here you go, Auntie."

Song Huan shook her head, tied her shoelaces, and said, "It's not much money, no need."

Before Xu Wan could say anything more, he had already pushed open the door.

Goodbye, Auntie.

The door closed.

Xu Wan stood in the entryway for quite a while.

I turned and walked back to the dining table, looking at the dishes. Tomato stewed beef, the broth a bright red, the beef tender and juicy.

The steamed egg with shrimp is golden yellow and so tender it trembles slightly.

The millet porridge was cooked until thick, with the sweet aroma of red dates mixed with the fragrance of rice.

There was also a cup of brown sugar ginger and jujube tea next to it, which had cooled down, but water droplets still condensed on the cup.

She sat down, picked up a spoon, and tasted a bite of the steamed egg.

Warm and fresh, the steamed egg custard melts on the tip of the tongue.

She put down her spoon, leaned back in her chair, and looked into the kitchen.

The stove was wiped clean, the cutting board was standing upright, and the dishcloth was neatly folded and hung on the hook.

The sink was spotless, and even the bowls in the drain basket were arranged by size.

She remembered that when she left home in the morning, Xiao Yunqing was still lying in bed saying, "I'm fine, just a little tired."

She was in a hurry to get to work, so she just said, "Call me if you're not feeling well," and left without even pouring her a glass of water.

There was a noise coming from the room.

Xiao Yunqing pushed open the door, came out carrying a hot water bottle, and rubbed her eyes.

"Mom? You're back?" She paused, surprised to see the dishes on the table, then glanced towards the kitchen. "Where's Song Huan?"

"They're gone." Xu Wan stood up. "They just left."

Xiao Yunqing said "Oh" and lowered her head.

He walked over and sat down at the dining table, looked at the bowl of steamed eggs, and picked up a spoon to scoop out a mouthful.

I chewed it, then scooped up another spoonful.

Xu Wan sat opposite her, watching her.

Xiao Yunqing ate very slowly, one bite at a time, without saying a word.

Halfway through the meal, he suddenly looked up.

"mom."

"Um?"

"He cooked for me, made porridge, and filled a hot water bottle for me." She paused, "He also bought me that."

"Which one?"

Xiao Yunqing blushed and pointed in the direction of the toilet.

Xu Wan paused for a moment, then walked over to take a look. There were three packs of sanitary napkins on the sink, day and night extra-long ones, neatly stacked.

There was a note stuck next to it, with crooked handwriting, that read, "Don't fill the hot water bottle with boiling water, lukewarm water is fine."

Xu Wan stood there, staring at the note for a long time.

When I walked back and sat down, Xiao Yunqing had already finished the steamed egg and was drinking porridge.

He took two sips and then looked up.

"Mom, is he coming again tomorrow?"

Xu Wan looked at her without saying anything.

Xiao Yunqing lowered her head and continued drinking her porridge, her ears turning red.

He took two sips and muttered something else.

"I was just asking casually."

Xu Wan couldn't help but laugh. "She's not a nanny, how could she possibly take care of you every day?"

After saying that, she stood up, went to the kitchen, ladled herself a bowl of porridge, and sat down next to her daughter.

The mother and daughter sat facing each other, drinking porridge. The last ray of sunlight shone in through the window, landing on the dining table, making it feel warm and cozy.

After finishing the last sip, Xiao Yunqing put down the bowl, took the hot water bottle, and went back to her room.

They found that the chair Song Huan had sat in was still crooked and hadn't been pushed back in the room.

She went over and straightened the chair.

Then I closed the door and lay back down on the bed.

The blanket still held a trace of Song Huan's warmth. She hugged the teddy bear close to her chest, buried her face in its fur, and closed her eyes.