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CHAPTER 2
PART 1
At around four in the morning, Su Xiaotong woke up to use the restroom and found that her husband and son were not beside her. She felt curious and walked to the guest bedroom, where she discovered the father and son sleeping on the bed.
Su Xiaotong woke up Gu Lei and asked, "Why are you two sleeping here?"
Gu Lei rubbed his eyes and replied, "Xiaoliang wet the bed again. I just helped him take a bath and changed into clean underwear. I carried him to this bed to sleep."
"You've worked hard."
"It's alright. You go back to sleep. Just be careful not to sleep on Xiaoliang's side with the wet spot. I'll change the sheets and covers in the morning."
Su Xiaotong nodded and returned to her room to sleep.
She slept until past 10 o'clock in the morning. When she woke up, she saw her son already playing with toys in the living room. Gu Lei had prepared breakfast as usual and called Su Xiaotong over to eat. He then went into the master bedroom and removed the soiled sheets and covers to wash. After finishing these tasks, he went to the guest bedroom, which was also used as a study, to work on designing the signage and logo for a restaurant. Working until 11 o'clock, Gu Lei walked into the kitchen and took out ingredients from the refrigerator to prepare lunch.
Observing Gu Lei's busy schedule and thinking about everything he did for her, Su Xiaotong felt guilty. After pondering for a moment, she said to Gu Lei, "Let's just do things your way."
Gu Lei was in the middle of chopping vegetables. "What do you mean?"
"Give the money to Li Xueli and eat meals at her place."
"But weren't you reluctant?"
"I don't want you to be too burdened."
Gu Lei chuckled, "Xiaotong, I'm so happy that you're considering me."
"You're my husband, so of course I have to consider you."
Gu Lei looked delighted, "With you saying that, I can do as much as I want without feeling tired. Have you made up your mind about eating at Li Xueli's place?"
"I've made up my mind." Su Xiaotong nodded. "And you're right, Xiaoliang needs more social interaction, so this is a good opportunity."
"Yes, having dinner and drinks with them yesterday really felt like a family gathering."
"Then I'll go to Li Xueli's place this afternoon and talk to her about it."
"Great!"
And so it was decided. At three o'clock in the afternoon, Su Xiaotong went to Li Xueli's house and asked if they could join the others in eating meals there. Li Xueli agreed readily and welcomed them. They exchanged WeChat contacts, and Su Xiaotong transferred 1,500 yuan to Li Xueli. Li Xueli also added her to a group called "Big Family," which consisted of the friends they had dinner with last night.
Su Xiaotong calculated the number of people for meals. "Sister Li, including our family of three, there will be 12 people eating at your place every day, and I haven't even counted Lao Tan. Can you handle cooking for so many people alone?"
Li Xueli pondered for a moment. "Before, there were eight adults and one child. Now it's ten adults and two children. And I have to cook separate dishes for the children without any spicy ingredients. It might be more tiring than before."
"Well..." Su Xiaotong felt embarrassed.
"Xiaotong, are you usually busy? How about coming with me to buy groceries and cook together?"
"But I don't know how to cook, and I have to take care of my son."
"That's not a problem. Who is naturally born knowing how to cook? I learned gradually by following recipes. You can help me with some tasks and also learn to cook a couple of dishes. It's always good to have multiple skills. As for your son, bring him along. I can help take care of him too. By the way, Fan Lin brings her daughter Fan Wenjing to my place around 5 o'clock every day. The two kids can play together, which is great. Haven't you heard Wenjing saying that she wants to teach Xiaoliang how to draw?"
That's not a bad idea. Su Xiaotong thought that her introverted and withdrawn son could use more social interaction. Besides, this way, Gu Lei could focus on his work, killing two birds with one stone. So she said, "Okay, let's start from tomorrow... no, let's start from today. I'll bring Xiaoliang over every afternoon to help you with cooking."
Li Xueli clapped happily, "That's great! Go ahead. I'm someone who loves a lively atmosphere!"
Su Xiaotong also smiled and went home to tell Gu Lei about it. Gu Lei was surprised and delighted, "I never expected that you would be willing to learn cooking. I couldn't even dream that I would get to eat dishes cooked by you in this lifetime!"
"Li Xueli said I can start as an assistant, so it might still take some time before you can taste them."
"That's okay. I can wait as long as it takes!"
"Then focus on your work, and I'll take Xiaoliang to play there."
"Okay, pack some of his toys and picture books to bring along. If you need anything, just let me know. It's convenient living on the same floor."
Su Xiaotong made a sound of agreement and approached her son, asking if he wanted to go and play at Aunt Li's house. Xiaoliang, as usual, didn't express his opinion, but that was considered as a tacit agreement. So Su Xiaotong let her son bring some toys and held his hand as they went to Li Xueli's house.
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Next, Li Xueli taught Su Xiaotong how to select and chop vegetables. The two women chatted, cooked, and occasionally played with the children, making it quite enjoyable. This experience was something Su Xiaotong had never had in her previous life. It was a new experience in her transformed life in the city.
"By the way, Sister Li…"
"Oh, don't call me Sister Li. I'm only one year older than you. Just call me by my name."
"Okay, Xueli. I wanted to ask, are you currently not working?"
"No. And you want to know where my income comes from, right?"
"Um..."
"I used to buy a shop and rented it out to others for business. I receive rental income every month. It's not a lot, but it covers my basic expenses."
"I see. That's good. Among the people in the 'big family,' who else is not working?"
"Gong Yamei, she's reached retirement age and receives a monthly salary from social security. Then there's Yuan Dong and Shen Fengxia. Although Yuan Dong is no longer teaching, he still receives a basic salary from the school every month. Besides that, his parents also provide him with some subsidies. Shen Fengxia's current job is taking care of Yuan Dong full-time."
"Why don't they help you with cooking?"
"Just because they don't have jobs doesn't mean they have nothing to do. Gong Yamei is enthusiastic about charity work and often volunteers at a nursing home in the city, helping the lonely elderly. In her words, it makes her life more fulfilling and meaningful. As for Yuan Dong, he exercises every day with the assistance of Shen Fengxia. Although he can't fully recover, it can at least slow down the progression of his illness."
Su Xiaotong nodded to indicate her understanding.
At five o'clock, Fan Lin arrived at Li Xueli's house with her daughter after school. When Fan Wenjing saw that Xiaoliang was also there, she insisted on teaching him how to draw.
So she became a little teacher, taking out watercolor pens and teaching Xiaoliang how to draw the sun, clouds, and grass on the coffee table in the living room. The scene was very heartwarming and filled with love. The three women stood by, smiling knowingly.
Around six o'clock, Wang Xingxing, Gong Yamei, Xia Qi, Yuan Dong, Shen Fengxia, Han Lei, and Gu Lei arrived one after another. Li Xueli and Su Xiaotong had prepared the food.
Although Li Xueli cooked all the dishes on the table today, Su Xiaotong also helped, earning praise from everyone, especially Gu Lei, who repeatedly said, "It's delicious." He couldn't escape some teasing from the others.
After dinner, diligent Shen Fengxia volunteered to do the dishes, supposedly washing them every night.
Thoughtful Yuan Dong bought a set of picture cards for learning words and patiently taught Xiaoliang how to recognize them.
Li Xueli organized a card game for everyone. There was a mahjong machine in her guest room, and the usual players were Gong Yamei, Xia Qi, Shen Fengxia, Fan Lin, and Li Xueli. They took turns playing. Li Xueli asked Su Xiaotong if she knew how to play mahjong, and after receiving a negative answer, she brought up the theory of "how can you know if you don't learn" and insisted on teaching her.
Su Xiaotong didn't refuse and sat beside her, observing and learning. Since she had already tried many things she had never done before, why not try one more thing?
In the living room, the two children were playing. With younger children around, Xiaoliang's intellectual disability seemed less obvious. Wang Xingxing was playing a mobile game on his phone. Shen Fengxia was helping everyone peel and cut fruits into small pieces, skewering them with toothpicks. Yuan Dong was snacking on melon seeds while watching TV, occasionally chatting with Gu Lei about domestic and international news and current affairs. In another room, several women were playing mahjong, filled with laughter and joy...
Perhaps they had already adapted to this kind of life, but this harmonious scene brought a warm feeling to Su Xiaotong's heart.
It feels like Chinese New Year. In her impression, only on New Year's Eve could such warmth and liveliness be experienced.
This kind of life should be what everyone yearns for.
Moving here was indeed the right decision. By completely leaving behind her past self, she not only embraced a new life but also lived the life that most people envied.
These thoughts filled her heart. Unfortunately, just over ten days later, the situation changed.
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