Rebirth in 1980: The Farm Wife Makes a Comeback
Chapter 440: An Accidental Encounter

Chapter 440: Chapter 440: An Accidental Encounter

He picked up a book and started reading it on his other leg. Today he wasn’t working, so he planned to stay cozied up here with his wife the whole day. The house was quiet, Granny Lu had gone to the store, and the old master hadn’t moved over yet. In such a large Siheyuan, it was just the two of them.

When Qin Xiangnuan woke up again, it was already noon. Jian Zhiqing was still leaning against the headboard, seriously flipping through his book. His eyelashes were cast downwards, and the corners of his lips were subtly curved upwards, sometimes becoming more pronounced when he came across something amusing.

Jian Zhiqing tossed the book onto the bedside table and pulled up the quilt to bundle up his delicate wife properly. The weather had turned chilly, and although it was warm inside, they still had to be cautious to avoid catching a cold.

"What would Brother Jian like to eat?" Despite trying, Qin Xiangnuan couldn’t change the way she addressed him, but she was used to it now, so she decided not to change it. When they grew old together, she would start calling him Old Jian, she thought, which made her smile.

"Get dressed, let’s go out to eat," Jian Zhiqing stood up and took Qin Xiangnuan’s clothes from one side. It was a red down jacket, handmade by her, fitted at the waist and padded with fluffy down, very light but flattering. In the cold winter, anyone passing by would undoubtedly see her as a beautiful sight.

Jian Zhiqing changed into a black long coat, which accentuated his tall and elegant stature. The couple both had strikingly good looks, and especially their eye contact and gestures showed a kind of understanding that many long-married couples couldn’t achieve.

Jian Zhiqing took out a scarf for Qin Xiangnuan and wrapped it around her, then took out a tube of medicine from his pocket and rubbed it between his hands before wrapping Qin Xiangnuan’s hands in his. She had frostbitten her hands as a child, which they say can recur every year. Although her hands hadn’t been frostbitten in recent years, he still worried about this particularly cold winter.

Qin Xiangnuan held her hands under her nose and sniffed; it smelled good. The scent wasn’t too strong, just a faint smell of herbal medicine. She had started using it as a hand cream regularly, and looking at her hands, it really seemed to be effective.

Her hands were indeed very fair and delicate, naturally without any chilblains.

"What shall we eat today?" Qin Xiangnuan hugged Jian Zhiqing’s arm and rubbed her head against it, acting like a well-behaved Persian cat.

"What do you want to eat?" Jian Zhiqing opened the door, and the chilly air gushed in, making Qin Xiangnuan shrink back a bit; indeed, Capital City was extremely cold this year.

And she didn’t have anything particular in mind that she wanted to eat.

"Let’s have hotpot, given the weather," she rubbed her hands, and Jian Zhiqing held them tightly, then tucked them into his pocket, "Alright, let’s go have hotpot, it will warm us up."

"Hmm..." Jian Zhiqing pondered, recalling a newly opened hotpot restaurant, "It’s not far from the internet café. After eating, we can stroll there and check on your unfinished store, shall we?"

It was a habit of Qin Xiangnuan’s to visit the construction site of her yet-to-be-completed store, standing and sighing for quite some time. Eventually, it would be finished—a reality she was anxious about. Initially, she chose a half-finished building rather than a ready-made one. Had she chosen a ready-made shop, it would already be operational. But Qin Xiangnuan was particularly fond of this half-completed building.

"Of course, let’s go," Qin Xiangnuan was always keen to see the progress of her store. It was taking too long; even after the building structure was ready, it still needed interior decorations, which added more days before its opening. Every time she thought about it, she couldn’t help but sigh at how slowly time was passing.

The two of them didn’t drive, choosing to walk instead since it wasn’t too far. They chatted and admired the scenery along the way, reaching their destination quickly.

The new hotpot restaurant was indeed near the internet café in a bustling area, particularly around the food street where nearly all the shops were eateries, and new ones were constantly opening. Because of its proximity to the internet café, the café’s business thrived—whether people came to eat after surfing the net, or went online after dining, it was mutually beneficial.

Jian Zhiqing led Qin Xiangnuan into the hotpot restaurant, which was very clean with good service—the staff appeared well-trained. They were promptly guided to a clean table. Eating hotpot was typically a greasy affair, so a clean table suggested that the restaurant really paid attention to cleanliness.

Jian Zhiqing ordered the pot and some dishes. Shortly, the server brought over the spiced hotpot they requested—it was the type that used a disposable base, which reassured Qin Xiangnuan that it wasn’t recycled oil.

The taste of the hotpot was quite good, distinctively spicy but not scorching, and it left them quite satisfied. The restaurant was also heated so after a while, they both felt warm.

"So this is the place, huh? Not much to look at," just then, a snide voice made Qin Xiangnuan pause with her chopsticks in hand. What could she say—was it fate that she would run into annoying situations?

It was Qin Xiangmei. Well, even if it wasn’t impressive, it wasn’t something she could afford anyway.

Given the Qin Family’s circumstances, if it weren’t for meeting Song Wang, Qin Xiangmei herself couldn’t afford to eat at this place—the hotpot here was indeed pricey. Originally, she had insisted on living in the Siheyuan, freeloading meals and lodging, and when she ran out of money, she had the audacity to ask Granny Lu and Qin Xiangyang for money. Did they owe her something?

"It’s newly opened, decent enough," Song Wang led Qin Xiangmei to sit down, "I’m hungry now; let’s just settle here."

"But I wanted to go shopping," Qin Xiangmei pinched the bag slung over her shoulder, "I haven’t bought a bag yet."

"I’ll buy you one later," Song Wang was generous with Qin Xiangmei—a man who never felt the pinch of spending on his woman, considering it a man’s duty. He bought everything she desired, even a house; why would he care about a bag? Moreover, he was considering marrying Qin Xiangmei, so naturally, skimping was never a thought.

Just as they sat down, Song Wang quickly noticed an acquaintance.

"Go say hello," he whispered to Qin Xiangmei.

Qin Xiangmei saw Qin Xiangnuan and Jian Zhiqing too, and she pursed her lips, not wanting to approach at all.