Rebirth Counterattack with Space
Chapter 321 - 311 Arguing

Chapter 321: Chapter 311 Arguing

Xia Yuan actually had no real talent for needlework. She had been learning for quite some time now, had the best teacher instructing her by her side, but after months had passed, she barely managed to sew pieces of fabric together with the most basic two or three stitches, and her speed was as slow as a snail.

But as they say, affection cannot be bought with money.

For her enjoyment, both the courtyard home and the villa had specially designed spacious fabric rooms, complete with various types of cloth, needles, and tools, and all of the highest quality.

Lu Aiguo felt that having spare time to accompany Xia Yuan in her handicraft class, watching her patiently thread the needle and stitch, was a pleasure in itself. From time to time, Lu Aiguo would massage Xia Yuan’s shoulders to prevent them from getting stiff from sitting in one position for too long.

Initially, Xia Yuan, afraid he might become bored, tried to send him away, but seeing that he genuinely enjoyed being by her side, she eventually let him be. After all, he was mostly busy, and it was good enough if he could join her once in three or four times, and naturally, she liked having him around as well.

--

The protective suit for underwater exploration and the accompanying Elixir that Lu Yun brought out were quickly delivered into the hands of Old Master Pei in Capital City.

Old Master Pei didn’t delay and took the goods to meet the leader immediately.

The finely crafted furniture, specially transported from Capital City, caused a small sensation in the family compound upon its arrival; quite a few people came to watch the excitement—who would have thought that a place so remote from the small county town would draw so much attention, especially since most of the spouses, with no opportunity to work, spent their days at home looking after the children.

Wasn’t any little excitement in the family compound quickly spread far and wide?

Furthermore, the family members in the compound hailed from all corners of the country. Naturally, many of them came from rural backgrounds, accustomed to seeing furniture made from wood cut by the farmers themselves, crafted by carpenters who were hired to work at their homes.

These pieces were practical but could not compare in style or the finesse of their craftsmanship.

Even in the family compound, there were a few spouses whose families were from big cities, knowledgeable and financially capable of affording such refined furniture. But there was no one else like Shitou and Lu Yun who had the ability to use the research institute’s truck to transport their furniture.

"Did you hear? This afternoon, a whole truckload of furniture was delivered to our compound. Tsk, tsk, Deputy Director Pei has just been promoted and already he’s shamelessly using public resources for personal gain."

In the evening, as soon as Yuan Zhiyu, the head of an institute, entered his home, his wife Lin Fang walked up to him, her mouth twisting in distaste as she spoke with a sour tone.

"You’ve been in the institute longer than him; why should he get promoted over you? And why can’t their family use the plain furniture provided by the family compound like ours? Are they somehow more precious?"

"Don’t you know a higher rank means everything?" Yuan Zhiyu looked at Lin Fang irritably, feeling more impatient than usual.

"Hmph, don’t take that tone with me. Deputy Director Pei hasn’t even reached thirty and he’s already ranked higher than you at your age of forty-five or six. It all comes down to your lack of ability," Lin Fang retorted, anger flaring up after being stung by his words.

"If you despise my lack of capability so much, you should have married someone capable in the first place," Yuan Zhiyu hissed back.

"You ungrateful wretch, I must have been blind to choose you in the beginning, a useless fool who only knows how to throw his weight around at home," Lin Fang snapped back in anger, but she was still rational enough to keep her voice down as the two began their verbal battle...

"Sister Lin, are you at home--"

Yuan Zhiyu and Lin Fang, a married couple, were in the middle of a heated argument when a sudden knocking at the door startled them.

Their voices ceased abruptly, and they exchanged glances. Yuan Zhiyu said, "You go open the door. I’ll go stir-fry another dish."

Lin Fang nodded, straightened her clothing, and adjusted her expression before Yuan Zhiyu entered the kitchen. She then went to open the door and greeted the guest with a beaming smile, "Zhang Ya, what brings you here?"

The knocker, Zhang Ya, was a Southerner who lived upstairs from them. Her spouse was a senior researcher, and Zhang Ya often associated closely with Lin Fang. Whenever either family cooked up something tasty, they would share it with the other.

At that moment, Zhang Ya was holding a large bowl of boiled Bianrou—a Southern specialty snack. "We made Bianrou today and thought of sending some over for you to try. I’m out of green onions; do you have any to spare?" she asked.

"Thank you. How could I possibly accept this? Sure, I have onions. Let me get them for you. Please, come in," Lin Fang quickly took the bowl of Bianrou and invited her in as she did so.

"No, it’s fine. Just a couple of onions will do; don’t bother too much," Zhang Ya said with a smile, declining the invitation.

"Alright, just wait here."

Without further ado, Lin Fang took the bowl of Bianrou into the kitchen, pouring some into her own bowl. She then washed the bowl and filled it with a good amount of red dates brought from her hometown. She plucked five or six green onions from the pot on the windowsill before returning outside.

"Sister Lin, you’re too kind. But these dates from your hometown are so sweet; my Xiaobao loves them. Anyway, I must hurry back to cook; those two men of mine can’t wait to eat," Zhang Ya said with a laugh, taking the items and not lingering any longer as she hastened away.

"If Xiaobao likes them, I’ll bring more for him when I go back next time," Lin Fang said with a smile.

"That would be lovely," Zhang Ya responded with a laugh as she climbed the stairs.

Watching Zhang Ya’s retreating figure, Lin Fang closed the door. She didn’t return to the kitchen but instead sat silently at the dining table in the living room, lost in thought until Yuan Zhiyu came out with two plates of dishes. Only then did she stand up to fetch two bowls of rice.

Yuan Zhiyu put down the dishes, returned to the kitchen to bring out the bowl of Bianrou, and handed Lin Fang a pair of chopsticks and a spoon. "Let’s eat."

Lin Fang silently took them, and the couple sat down to eat, both speechless for a while. It wasn’t until they had nearly finished their meal that Yuan Zhiyu finally spoke up, "Don’t go spouting nonsense outside. Deputy Director Pei may seem young, but he has powerful connections behind him. We’re not well-established; we can’t afford to offend him. Just because you want to satisfy your pride, don’t bring trouble upon us. I’m not young anymore and I’m not even a formal researcher. If I were to be demoted, we would have to go back to our hometown to farm and start everything from scratch. Even if you don’t consider me, think of our son."

"When have I ever caused trouble for you?" Lin Fang asked coldly after spending quite some time thinking about their son who was studying in high school back in their hometown.

Yuan Zhiyu said nothing.

In this respect, he had to admit that Lin Fang was doing quite well.

At home, she could be sharp-tongued and harsh, but the two always knew their limits. Even if they argued at home, they kept their voices down, and in front of others, they always presented themselves as a harmonious, exemplary couple.

In public, Lin Fang never put on airs or looked down on others, and she certainly didn’t say what shouldn’t be said or do what shouldn’t be done. He felt quite reassured about her. But this time—