Chapter 19: A Partridge Pair
Besides, Sister Yameng, are you interrogating a criminal? You even asked about her height and weight, the only thing missing was asking about her criminal record. You’re only picking on An Baili because she’s easy to bully, right?
Tonight’s dinner was quite a feast. Although it couldn’t compare to the lavish spread at the Chu family’s, it had a more homely feel. A bowl of sweet glutinous rice balls, a pot of bone broth, half a grilled fish, and a few side dishes – this was the epitome of happiness in the low-rent district. An Baili came out of the kitchen carrying a few plates of side dishes, her eyes pleading for help from Lu Li. She had been through an ordeal in there. Zou Yameng’s questions were getting increasingly personal, almost uncovering all her secrets.
Lu Li could only pretend not to notice. What else could he do? As the saying goes, both palms and the back of the hand are flesh. An Baili was the precious flesh on his palm, but Sister Yameng wasn’t the back of his hand, she was the ruler in a teacher’s hand!
Outside, children were setting off firecrackers, the crackling sounds adding a festive and heartwarming touch to the dinner. In Lu Li’s opinion, this was true life: having family, a few dishes, a place to call home, the necessities of life, as well as poetry and dreams.
An Baili had been thoroughly interrogated by Sister Yameng and could only eat her food obediently. Sister Yameng was acting strangely today. She ignored Lu Li and kept picking up food for An Baili, saying that bone broth was good for her health and that sweets were beneficial. An Baili was flattered.
Lu Li tried to interject several times, but was silenced by Sister Yameng’s glare. He felt a strong killing intent in her eyes, not directed at An Baili, but at him.
What did I do? Lu Li felt a bit wronged and picked up a piece of fish belly. It was said that you could tell a person’s childhood experiences by how they ate fish. Those who liked to eat fish belly were from humble or even poor families, while those who liked to eat fish brains were from wealthy families. As soon as Lu Li’s chopsticks reached for the fish, Sister Yameng swatted them away with her own chopsticks. “You eat the chives, give the fish to Baili.”
“I want to eat fish too.” Lu Li said.
“Chives and fish taste the same.”
How could they taste the same? Lu Li, seventeen years old, was experiencing domestic violence.
Don’t stoop to a woman’s level. Lu Li pouted, but then he saw Sister Yameng picking up a bunch of chives for him. “You should eat more of this, it’s good for you.”
It’s good for Baili to eat more too. This girl has a weak constitution and is bearing a strange price. Thinking this, Lu Li didn’t resist. He then heard Sister Yameng say to An Baili, “You should eat with us from now on, don’t eat alone.”
An Baili’s eyes lit up. “…Can, can I?”
Can you at least try to hide your excitement? Lu Li complained inwardly. Wasn’t her eagerness telling his sister that they were having an affair? Forget it, expecting An Baili to keep a secret was as unrealistic as expecting Silly Goose to be a spy.
Zou Yameng smiled brightly. “Of course you can. By the way, Baili, how do you manage your daily expenses?”
An Baili said softly, “Well… Although the court seized my dad’s assets… They left me some money for living expenses after selling them. The court also sent me a notice, saying that if I encounter any financial difficulties before I turn eighteen, I can take the court certificate to the local neighborhood committee or government agencies. I receive 600 yuan every month, at least I won’t starve…”
Lu Li nodded. It was a modern society after all, there was still a basic safety net. He always doubted if those orphaned protagonists in novels who lost everything lived in a primitive society. He and Sister Yameng, although their childhood wasn’t wealthy, at least had the low-rent district to live in. They were also able to attend their ideal high school through financial aid programs. If their guardian hadn’t run away and they had legal household registration, they could even apply for student loans for university.
Oh, right, his future father-in-law had said that the compensation plan for minors in the low-rent district had been approved, and they would receive financial assistance at the end of the month. They would receive 12,000 yuan annually from now on. Lu Li couldn’t help but admire his future father-in-law’s generosity. He had directly solved the problem of food and shelter for minors in the low-rent district.
In short, everything was gradually getting better. The worst days were over. Once Lu Li’s game was released, he should be able to afford his and An Baili’s tuition fees. He still had the business plan that An Baili made. According to the plan, they could achieve their initial capital accumulation within three years at most.
After a simple and heartwarming dinner, Lu Li volunteered to wash the dishes, leaving the two girls to chat in the living room. When he finished washing his hands and returned to the living room, he saw his sister wiping the table. “Where’s An Baili?”
Sister Yameng snorted. “She went back. I’m going to take a shower, you should take one too. You didn’t shower yesterday, you stink.”
Lu Li sniffed his arm. He didn’t smell anything. He rarely sweated, so naturally he didn’t have much body odor. Zou Yameng spat and left the room. Lu Li couldn’t figure out his sister’s thoughts and decided not to bother guessing. He took a shower, and seeing that it was getting late, he lay down on his bed and turned on a movie. He had only watched for a short while when he heard someone knocking on his door stealthily, the knocks so soft that it was as if they were afraid of being heard.
Only one person would do that. Lu Li opened the door and, as expected, saw An Baili, wearing a thin nightgown, making a shushing gesture. Lu Li, afraid that she would catch a cold, let her in. An Baili darted to his bed like a squirrel. “Honey, can I sleep with you tonight? It’s a holiday.”
Lu Li thought about it and figured his sister wouldn’t be coming over tonight, so he nodded. “Behave yourself in bed.”
An Baili giggled and snuggled against Lu Li. “I was so scared today… I thought Zou Yameng was going to kick me out.”
How could that be? Lu Li smiled. But his sister’s behavior today was indeed strange. She seemed to care about An Baili, but not sincerely. She said she didn’t care, but she kept picking up food for her and asking about her well-being. It was truly confusing.
Lu Li pulled up the blanket and suddenly felt An Baili squirming around. “What are you doing?”
“Taking off my clothes.”
“?”
“It’s hot.” An Baili giggled, took off her nightgown, and hugged Lu Li naked. “This is much more comfortable.”
An Baili’s thighs wrapped around his arm, and Lu Li felt a suggestive sensation. He took a deep breath. “We can’t do that, the walls are thin.”
“I promise I won’t make any noise.” An Baili rubbed against his armpit. “It’s been a while… I promise I’ll be very, very quiet. You can even stuff my mouth with socks.”
Lu Li was tempted. After crossing the line with Sister Yameng, his body naturally craved more. He looked down and saw An Baili wriggling under the blanket. He was about to give in when he heard the sound of a key turning in the lock. A chill ran down his spine. He quickly covered An Baili with the blanket, pushing her towards the corner. The next second, Zou Yameng, with her hair still wet from the shower, pushed open the door. “Little Li, are you done showering?”
Lu Li finally understood why Sister Yameng had asked him to take a shower earlier.
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