How I Tamed My Wolfish Husband Back in 80s
Chapter 286 - 288: Offering Help When There’s No Trouble - Part 1

Chapter 286: Chapter 288: Offering Help When There’s No Trouble - Part 1

Li Qiao brought out an album and sat down next to Xue Jingyi, flipping to a group photo with the sent-down youths and pointing at Wang Nannan, "It’s her."

Xue Jingyi glanced at the photo, noting her neatly trimmed hair from all sides.

A white shirt and black trousers, a tidy and standard outfit.

He looked around and said, "This girl is pretty."

Li Qiao: "Her name is Du Xinxin, the youngest of the sent-down youths, but she’s taken," she pointed at Han Ting.

"Ah, why does every girl I fancy already have someone? Are there no other girls?" Xue Jingyi flipped through the album.

Xue Lingqing followed suit, noting that most of the photos in the album were of Li Qiao and Qin Jin, looking like a perfect match.

There were photos from all four seasons.

There was also one from the senior year graduation.

He searched for a while before spotting Li Qiao, bangs covering her forehead, looking gloomy and old-fashioned, her clothes even sporting a patch, barely noticeable among the group of students.

Now she seemed transformed, standing tall with exceptional poise, always wearing something different every time he saw her.

Xue Jingyi pointed at Li Jinhua: "This girl isn’t bad either, not quite stunning but confidently holding her head high and chest out, dressed better than the other students. Is she a college student?"

Li Qiao: "She’s my stepsister, not a college student. Heartless and ruthless—if you married her, your life would be over."

Xue Jingyi spat out a mouthful of blood: "Really?"

"Why would I lie to you?" With guests at home, Qin Jin couldn’t sit still and joined the conversation: "That woman’s been married twice already. The first was to my brother—she’d scratch his face raw every few days. The second husband was poisoned by her until he couldn’t even lift a shovel. She got kicked out of high school after mistakenly hitting the principal with a brick intended for Qiaoqiao."

"So fierce?" Xue Jingyi, unable to stop laughing, found the idea of someone hurling bricks at people quite savage.

Xue Lingqing: "How is there a graduation photo if she was expelled?"

"She and I repeated our senior year," said Li Qiao. There were names on the graduation certificate; concerned she wouldn’t remember the names of old classmates she might run into on the street, she had specially sought out the original owner’s graduation photos.

"You were a repeater? Why didn’t you get into college before?" Xue Jingyi raised an objection.

Xue Lingqing was equally surprised. With her talents, exams should have been a breeze.

"Uh, it’s a long story," Li Qiao said vaguely, closing the album: "I’ve shown you all the girls I know. Did you fancy any?"

Xue Jingyi smiled slightly: "The ones I fancied either are taken or too fierce, I wouldn’t dare to choose."

Li Qiao had a sudden idea: "I know where to find a good match—praying for a partner at the temple!"

"Those gods can barely save themselves these days, how could they care about us?" Xue Jingyi said jokingly.

Li Qiao felt a bit disappointed, it seemed that no one prayed to the gods or Buddha anymore—how could she fulfill her vow then? She suddenly remembered Yu Xiu: "I have a senior sister, fair and refined, also a college graduate, twenty-three this year. We used to correspond, and she’s been assigned to teach in her hometown middle school. She’s been wanting to visit me for some time."

Xue Lingqing: "A college graduate teaching? Isn’t that a waste of her talent?"

"If one’s performance is only average and they have no connections, teaching is not a bad career choice," Xue Lingqing said. "It’s a bit far though."

Li Qiao: "True love can transcend time and space, what does distance matter?"

Qin Jin’s eyebrows raised slightly.

Was that her way of saying she truly loved him?

Xue Jingyi laughed, doubled over, "You’re an adult and still believe in that?"

Li Qiao laughed innocently.

....

As the young people chatted, Old Mrs. Qin couldn’t stay awake and went back to her room to sleep.

Xue Jingyi and Xue Lingqing showed no signs of leaving, so Li Qiao brewed a pot of tea for them.

Xue Jingyi inquired about Qin Jin’s work.

Qin Jin responded to every question and reciprocated by asking about Xue Jingyi’s job.

Xue Jingyi revealed that his work involved controlling pharmaceuticals.

The two hit it off and agreed to have drinks over the weekend.

Li Qiao, sleepy and yawning, said, "I’m going to rest now," as she got up to go to her room.

Xue Lingqing followed her retreating back, then turning to Xue Jingyi, said, "Let’s go, Jingyi, it’s almost ten, we’ll talk another time."

Xue Jingyi, realizing the time, said, "Oh, it’s this late? Okay, let’s go."

Qin Jin saw the two men out.

After coming back in, he saw Li Qiao checking his test papers and said, "I’m almost done, I’ll finish it right now."

Li Qiao: "Write it tomorrow."

"Alright then!" Qin Jin exclaimed happily, "Shall I join you and Jingyi for drinks over the weekend?"

"I’m not going, but don’t get drunk, okay?"

"I promise."

"...."

.....

The following afternoon.

Li Qiao guessed that the girl meeting Xue Jingyi for the blind date must have left, and brought two large bowls of hot and sour noodles to the Xue Family’s place.

There were two strange bicycles parked in the yard.

She didn’t leave?

She turned around, preparing to go back home.

She had barely taken a few steps when Xue Lingqing called out to her, "Li Qiao, why come and then leave? Is something the matter?"

Li Qiao lifted the food container in her hand, "I made something for Sir Xue and Madam Xue to eat."

Xue Lingqing said, "Come inside."

Li Qiao responded with an ’oh’, thankful he came out just in time.

In the living room of the Xue Family, there sat a talkative middle-aged woman and a young girl in her early twenties.

The girl was pretty, her head slightly lowered, looking rather shy.

"Qiaoqiao is here," Old Mr. Xue said with a beaming smile. "What have you got there?"

Li Qiao replied, "I just made some hot and sour noodles."

"Hot and sour noodles? Let me have a taste," Old Mr. Xue said, intrigued.

Li Qiao opened the food container, and the fragrance of hot oil wafted out.

Old Mr. Xue took a bite and his eyes widened slightly; it tasted exactly like what he ate in his youth. On his sixteenth birthday, after a quarrel with his father, he stormed out and happened to meet Xiangjun.

Back then, he still had to call her ’Miss’.

She treated him to a bowl of hot and sour noodles, and he thought it was the most delicious thing in the world.

Latter on, war broke out, and he never tasted that flavor again.

"Did your grandmother make it?" Old Mr. Xue asked.

Li Qiao answered, "A classmate’s family used to sell hot and sour noodles, and they taught me how to make it. I brought some especially for you to try."

Jiang Wanqiu muttered under her breath, "Unsolicited favors arouse suspicion," picking this time to come, was she trying to sabotage her grandson’s blind date?

Old Mr. Xue said, "It’s delicious."

Li Qiao said, "If you like it, I can make it often."

Jiang Wanqiu said, "Eating too much of this isn’t good for digestion."

Old Mr. Xue shot her a look, "Eating too much rice isn’t good for digestion either."

"Who is this girl? She’s really pretty," the middle-aged woman observed closely.

Jiang Wanqiu said, "She’s a student of our youngest, often comes to visit."

Xue Lingqing frowned, again with a strange tone.

Old Mr. Xue explained, "She’s also the granddaughter-in-law of one of my sisters, and a classmate of our Sufen; she’s skipping a grade to enter her junior year in college."

"Wow, quite talented," the middle-aged woman complimented.

Li Qiao smiled, "You flatter me, aunty."

After Old Mr. Xue had a few bites of the hot and sour noodles and everyone else looked at him, he felt a bit embarrassed and called Xue Lingqing to take it to his room. "I’ll excuse myself for a bit."

Li Qiao followed him into the room.

After waiting for Old Mr. Xue to finish the noodles, she said, "Sir Xue, I’d like to ask for a favor."

Old Mr. Xue said gently, "So you specifically made hot and sour noodles to butter me up? Next time you need something, just come straight to me, no need to be polite. If I can’t do it, I’ll find someone who can."

Li Qiao chuckled and mentioned borrowing a car.

Old Mr. Xue snorted, "I thought it was something big. Sure, I’ll arrange it. What’s the date and location?"

Li Qiao took out a notebook and pen from her pants pocket and wrote down Counselor Xiang’s address.

Xue Lingqing took it, "I’ll talk to the driver when the time comes."

"Great," Li Qiao was relieved to have Xue Lingqing involved; after all, Old Mr. Xue was getting on in years. If he forgot, how embarrassing would it be if the car didn’t show up?