Rebirth: My Dear Little Wife Is So Scheming

Chapter 223 - 223 223 Wicked Taste

?Chapter 223: Chapter 223: Wicked Taste Chapter 223: Chapter 223: Wicked Taste Bai Xiao opened the door and called for An Zhiyuan to come in.

The room was filled with a burst of warmth, as the heating had been turned on early. The biggest advantage of the expert buildings was their winter heating—it was the hottest here since these buildings were different from the other dormitories. When it came to heating, it was the most sufficient here and also the closest to the boiler room.

Bai Xiao breathed a sigh of relief.

She unwrapped her scarf, “It’s so warm!” The winters here are truly cold.

The winter here is over ten degrees colder than back where she comes from.

An Zhiyuan carried his stuff into the kitchen, which looked spotlessly clean—it hadn’t been used much.

Bai Xiao took off her coat, revealing a high-collared wool sweater beneath. She never scrimped on treating herself well. After all, it wasn’t easy to live her life over again, and during her youth at that—why shortchange herself? Besides, her current monthly salary wasn’t meager.

Ever since her clinic started having a steady stream of patients, she had received several tens of yuan in bonuses over the last two months.

Now, Bai Xiao’s monthly salary was around one hundred and fifty-six yuan.

For the year of 1985, this was a substantial figure. Apart from sending twenty yuan each to her two sisters every month, and saving some money for herself, including for clothes, she still had plenty to spare. After all, she didn’t need to spend money on food coupons.

Bai Xiao was very satisfied with her current life.

Therefore, she didn’t skimp on her appearance either.

Rolling up her sleeves, she entered the kitchen.

An Zhiyuan was taking items out of the bag while Bai Xiao had already washed her hands, taken out the chopping board, and the knife to start marinating the meat.

“Zhiyuan, can you help me put on the apron? I forgot it just now. Mainly because I haven’t been cooking for these past few months, even this has started to feel unfamiliar,” Bai Xiao remembered only then and pointed to the apron hanging on the wall, speaking to An Zhiyuan.

An Zhiyuan picked up the apron and stood behind her to tie it on her. The posture he assumed created a sense of happiness as if he were embracing Bai Xiao. An Zhiyuan suddenly felt cooking at home wasn’t too bad—indeed, it could enhance the connection between two people.

His fingers quickly knotted the apron behind her back.

“There we go!”

Bai Xiao nodded in satisfaction, “Zhiyuan, I know you like spicy food and I like it too. How about we make boiled beef slices and stir-fried shredded potatoes today? We have steamed buns and I’ll also cook some porridge. How’s that, isn’t it lavish?”

Bai Xiao was also craving boiled beef slices. Although the food in the cafeteria was good, eating the same few dishes every day was starting to make her feel tired of it.

An Zhiyuan took out a pot to start washing the millet and cooking porridge; they all liked drinking millet porridge here.

“Whatever you make, I’ll like it,” he said.

Bai Xiao glanced at An Zhiyuan; this man sure knew how to sweet-talk.

The satisfaction level was one hundred percent.

Seeing that An Zhiyuan had started cooking the porridge, Bai Xiao urged him to go out and sit in the living room to watch TV.

Since it was his first time visiting their house, she felt a bit awkward ordering An Zhiyuan around.

An Zhiyuan shook his head, “Let me wash the vegetables for you, you cut the meat, and I’ll wash the vegetables. Just sitting in the living room watching TV, all I would see is ‘News Broadcast.’ Didn’t they say it’s less tiring for men and women to work together? How can I sit outside and relax while you’re alone in the kitchen? It wouldn’t sit right with me.” He was quite honest.

Bai Xiao laughed, “Ah, Big Brother An, I heard from your stepmother that your dad is a high-ranking official. You don’t act like a son of an official at all; you’re more like an ordinary person, without the airs of an official’s child.” This was what puzzled her the most. She wasn’t clear on how An Zhiyuan had grown up over the years, how his upbringing could have shaped him this way.

Certainly different from what one would expect of an official’s child.

It’s not to say that official’s children are bad; but many with a comfortable family life may have good character, yet are often not adept at household chores, which is a significant weakness. After all, with parents to look after them, especially in households like An Zhiyuan’s where his dad was a high-ranking official, they must have maids. How could they possibly end up doing household chores themselves?

It was not meant to smear, it was simply the truth.

An Zhiyuan rolled up his sleeves, “Does being the son of an official mean I’m not human? I’ve been working for many years, and I’ve always been on my own since school, so I’m used to taking care of everything myself. Besides, you get the hang of these things if you do them often enough.” Unconcerned, he grabbed a basin to fill with water and began washing the cabbage.

Bai Xiao nodded in agreement, “Mainly it’s that you don’t have any of that ‘big man’ temperament. Most men would probably be reluctant to cook, and even if they can, they would not want to go into the kitchen, for fear of others saying they’re henpecked or something.” She hadn’t expected An Zhiyuan to have such good husband material.

An Zhiyuan swiftly washed the cabbage, filled the basin again, and began washing it a second time.

“What ‘big man’ temperament? That’s just being pretentious. When a couple lives together, what does it matter if one person does a bit more? As a man, since I’ve married this woman as my wife, of course, I should take good care of her. I don’t have those bad habits. A couple needs to accommodate each other more, so they can live together in harmony. If you just think everything should be done by the woman and act like a boss who doesn’t lift a finger, I have no respect for that kind of man.”

Bai Xiao turned her head to glance at An Zhiyuan, her lips twitched into a stealthy smile. It seemed she had struck gold.

“What are you laughing about over there?”

Even if An Zhiyuan wanted to pretend he didn’t know, it wouldn’t work, seeing how Bai Xiao couldn’t hide her giggles.

“I’m just laughing at how lucky I am, Big Brother An. It’s great to have met you.”

These words of affection immediately caused An Zhiyuan’s face to turn bright red.

This girl, when had she become so proactive? He hadn’t forgotten that it was this very girl who had wanted to keep her distance from him, staying miles away from any relationship with him.

“You…”

Bai Xiao had prepared all the ingredients, ready to cook as soon as the porridge was done.

“Not talking now? I bet you’re thinking how brazen I am, not the least bit shy, to say such things outright to a man.” Bai Xiao had just reached the faucet to wash the cutting board, knife, and her hands.

An Zhiyuan stopped her with one move.

She was surprised.

An Zhiyuan took a basin and filled it with some cold water, then poured hot water from the thermos into it, stirring with his hand to test the temperature. “You’re a girl, don’t always use cold water. The cold water here in winter is bone-chilling. We big men can’t stand it, let alone a girl like you. Don’t rely on your youth; if you get unwell later on, you’ll be the one suffering.”

Bai Xiao put her hands into the basin, and the water was just right. Suddenly, she turned her head and leaned in to kiss him. The turn was so swift that she caught him off guard, her lips landing on his jaw covered in a stubble of bluish beard hairs, which pricked her mouth slightly. An Zhiyuan’s body jolted, not expecting her to pull such a move.

Bai Xiao saw An Zhiyuan freeze, then burst into hearty laughter as she left.

There was a sense of triumph, as if having bullied a virtuous woman, never expecting to do such a thing in her life.

Resultingly, An Zhiyuan pinned her against the door from behind, securely holding her raised hand above her head. The space in the kitchen suddenly grew tight as a warm, soft thing explored her mouth.

When he released her, it was Bai Xiao’s face that was flushed, while An Zhiyuan appeared calm, showing no signs of being emotionally disturbed at all.