Chapter 267: Chapter 267

The people who came back were Qin Zhen and Li Jianqing, both wearing army green uniforms with large backpacks on their backs.

Qin Xi went to open the door, while Li Xianglu was stunned looking at Qin Zhen. Was this still Qin Zhen? He had become so dark that he was almost unrecognizable, lost a lot of weight, and seemed to have grown taller; the most striking change was his whole demeanor, which had transformed completely.

The person was the same, the somewhat childish Qin Zhen, but now he stood straight, and even when he bent over, he did so at a specific angle. It appeared that military school was truly a great place: in just half a year, it had given a previously unremarkable person a noticeable edge.

As soon as Qin Zhen entered, he complained about being tired, and, although there was a table full of food, he wasn’t in a hurry to eat; almost immediately, he dropped his bag and ran to the living room to make a phone call.

Li Xianglu knew even with her heels that he was calling Lu Anna; she helped her brother put away his backpack and other things, told him to wash his hands and eat before discussing other matters.

Li Jianqing hadn’t changed much, only becoming far more composed, his eyes and brows cooler than before.

While eating, he asked his sister about her academic progress. He still had two and a half years until graduation, while his sister was already a junior and would graduate in a little more than a year. He asked about her thoughts on job prospects with deep concern.

Then he mentioned a piece of news: Li Erfu had moved out of Li Family Village to live in the county, where he had opened a noodle shop with someone—a private business, an idea of Chunhua.

Li Xianglu said she already knew about it. In May, Li Erfu wrote a letter saying the noodle shop was doing well, making about four or five yuan a day. He also sent her some Guanzhong specialties like millet and red dates. Although Li Xianglu had some complaints about Li Erfu, her feelings had faded after his divorce and injury. Moreover, since she now lived in the original owner’s body, she thought she might as well perform her filial duties and had sent some unusual candies, some books, school bags, and two pieces of woolen fabric.

Li Jianqing had just finished eating his bun when Qin Zhen hurried back, took a bun, and stuffed it into his mouth, eating two in quick succession and drinking a bowl of porridge. Then, grabbing two more buns from the table, he said to Qin Xi, "Big brother, give me some money. I need to step out."

Qin Xi knew his brother was going to see Lu Anna and frowned, saying, "What about your own money?" Before the holiday, Li Xianglu had sent Qin Zhen fifty yuan to buy a train ticket and food for the road. How had he run out so quickly?

Qin Zhen’s face turned red: "I bought a gift for Anna."

Qin Xi frowned and said, "Do you know how much your house cost?" Although the money was his own, it was shared with Li Xianglu, and they had spent over a hundred thousand, depleting most of their savings, not to mention another seven or eight thousand on renovations. That was also using the money Mr. Li had given to Li Xianglu. Even though Mr. Li said it was fine, it was meant for Qin Zhen to use, not for Li Xianglu herself.

Qin Zhen’s face reddened—he was already twenty, and asking for money from his married brother was embarrassing, but he needed to go out, and he couldn’t let Anna spend money.

Li Xianglu took out twenty yuan from her pocket and handed it over, saying, "Use it wisely."

Qin Xi coldly said, "Starting tomorrow, you and Jianqing can start collecting scraps. There will be too many expenses in the future, and your small allowance won’t cover much!"

Qin Zhen didn’t say anything, but Li Jianqing expressed approval: "Alright, I think that’s a good idea. My sister said we can find good stuff!"

Qin Zhen felt resentful, not because he was ashamed to collect scraps, but because he wouldn’t be able to be with Anna every day. He couldn’t just ask Anna to collect scraps with him.

Once Qin Zhen left, Li Xianglu called Sister Xing to come over and buy some good food; she planned to make extra dishes in the afternoon.

Meanwhile, Su Yan was also leaving in three days and probably wouldn’t return until winter.

Li Xianglu helped organize some clothes and accessories needed for a month, everything else was neatly arranged for her.

At six o’clock in the afternoon, Qin Zhen finally came back, bringing Anna and Iro with him. Seeing that, Li Xianglu decided to have hotpot. Despite the hot weather, eating something spicy is actually quite invigorating.

So, after giving a greeting, she started preparing in the kitchen with Sister Xing. Li Xianglu’s Storage Ring contained a whole box of hotpot ingredients, from spicy space to some Hai Lao, and some nameless packets of chili oil that seemed to have been purchased online.

The best soup base is the large bone broth, thick and white, just add the ingredients afterward. But to divert attention, Li Xianglu fried some seasoning paste with butter, making the whole yard fragrant with the spicy aroma.

Dinner started at seven sharp, with a large table accommodating nine people. Sister Xing had to leave to cook for her kids after washing the vegetables.

The meat slices were hand-cut and chewy after being cooked. The marinaded chicken breast was also incredibly tender after cooking.

After the meal, Li Xianglu, touching her slightly bulging belly, let out a satisfied sigh, feeling truly full.

During the meal, Iro didn’t speak at all, while Anna constantly served her food, taking whatever was offered. Li Xianglu wanted to strike up a conversation but didn’t know what to say, so she gave up.

By the time they finished eating, it was already nine o’clock. Qin Zhen took on the responsibility of seeing the two off, while Li Xianglu, having overeaten, strolled around the yard with Su Yan.

Su Yan, looking at the person proudly walking with a protruding belly, rolled her eyes and said, "Can’t you be a little more ambitious?"

Li Xianglu sighed, "Ambitious people can’t eat their fill."

Su Yan shook her head, then turned to look at the tall figure still tidying up the utensils in the yard, and said slowly, "Do you really know Qin Xi?"

Li Xianglu also looked in the direction Su Yan was looking. Qin Xi was pouring leftover food from the dishes into the pot, organizing the table, still looking handsome even while doing the dirty work.

Seeing Li Xianglu’s admiring gaze, Su Yan sighed and said, "Qin Xi is too secretive. If I wasn’t sure he entirely meant well by you, I’d really think he had ulterior motives for getting close to you."

Ulterior motives? Actually, Li Xianglu had thought about this issue before. She knew both she and Qin Xi were extraordinary beings, Qin Xi had been reborn, thus he is here, but what about herself? What connections did she have with these people?

Thinking about this, Li Xianglu suddenly felt a bout of loneliness, feeling very alone. Her parents, still young in this life, would have their child ten years later. Would that child still be her?

Su Yan did not notice Li Xianglu’s suddenly unfocused gaze, staring at the lights in the yard and said faintly, "No matter how much Qin Xi hides, as long as he is wholeheartedly good to you, that’s enough."

Li Xianglu nodded, murmuring to herself, "Yeah, why bother knowing so much." However, she was referring to Qin Xi’s previous life, not the things Qin Xi had concealed in this life that Su Yan had mentioned.

ps: There’s still six thousand to go, everyone rest assured, I will meet the word count even if it kills me.

I was originally typing peacefully at home, but got tricked away. My friend’s store needed to record a video, the kind where they interview people praising how delicious her food is. Hiring extras was too expensive, so they tricked us, who didn’t cost anything... Since we lacked professionalism, it took three bowls of food before we got it right...