How I Tamed My Wolfish Husband Back in 80s-Chapter 165 - 167: Can’t Be Trusted_1

Li Qiao was still unaware that another woman was harboring thoughts about her partner.

Working on a regular schedule, she had played an important role in solving two consecutive cases, so the team had held a meeting in her honor and rewarded her with ten pounds of grain and oil tickets and ten pounds of meat tickets.

Two other labour models from different departments received the same rewards.

The three of them held the tickets from the unit, outwardly calm but inwardly thrilled.

Ma Ling said sourly, "I’ve been here for over half a year now, and I’ve been involved in solving cases, not thirty, but twenty-nine, at least. Why haven’t I received any rewards?"

Xu Feng said, "Li Qiao also has to double up as the team’s typist. Her summary reports are as flawless as Director Xun’s. Could you do that?"

Ma Ling choked on her words, "It’s so infuriating to compare people, how did your brain get so sharp? I am even two years older than you, and you managed to find a partner before I did, and you also surpass me at work." She cupped Li Qiao’s face in her hands to look at her.

Dainty eyebrows and eyes, red lips and white teeth.

Jet-black hair.

Not only good-looking but also talented.

She was ugly and foolish.

Was Heaven asleep when they made her?

Would the Earth explode if there were one more beauty, one more talented woman?

Li Qiao’s eyes crinkled as she smiled, "Solving cases is the result of the efforts of the three of us. We’ll split the grain and oil tickets when we exchange them later." She needed to save the meat to eat with her grandmother.

Ma Ling said, "Don’t give it to me." Jealousy aside, how could she accept someone else’s reward?

Xu Feng didn’t want it either.

Li Qiao offered to treat them to a meal.

Both declined,

"The canteen food is so good, why go out to eat? What a waste. No need for treats."

Ma Ling continued, "Lately, why hasn’t your partner come to pick you up?"

Li Qiao said, "He’s been busy with work." He should be coming back this weekend, right?

......

In the evening after work, Li Qiao exchanged the grain and oil tickets for goods and loaded them onto her bicycle to take home.

Old Mrs. Qin looked at the bag of rice and a large jug of oil, both shocked and overjoyed, "Where did these come from?"

Li Qiao explained the situation.

Old Mrs. Qin couldn’t stop smiling, "My Qiaoqiao is so capable. Apples yesterday, grain and oil today, this jug of oil will last us for several months of eating, and the rice is of fine quality too." There was no need to pick through it.

Not like the rice she exchanged at the local grain and oil store, which had lots of small stones.

One had to pick through it over and over before cooking.

Just then, Peng Chunhua passed by, gossiping with a sour tone, "Qiaoqiao is so capable, hasn’t been working long, and yet she’s bringing home grain and oil, not many in the village live as comfortably as you. You must be getting along with that Dr. Xun from before quite well."

Li Qiao felt there was something off in her tone.

What did her reward have to do with Dr. Xun? It sounded as if there was something going on between them.

"My relationship with Dr. Xun is just like with you. The difference is, he doesn’t talk behind my back in a sneaky way."

Peng Chunhua stammered, "You, I, I never spoke ill of you."

Li Qiao scoffed and turned, taking out the meat tickets from her trouser pocket, "Here are ten pounds of meat tickets too; tomorrow we can exchange them for some meat to take home."

"Ah, I’ve been craving it." Without Jin at home, she had no way of getting meat tickets.

She hadn’t tasted meat for quite some time and was longing for it.

Old Mrs. Qin almost wanted to hold Li Qiao and kiss her, "It’s all thanks to your ability." Previously, when her daughter-in-law talked about taking care of her in her old age, she was happy but didn’t take it to heart.

Now, she was gradually realizing that this child really could take care of her.

Li Qiao simply smiled.

Old Mrs. Qin put away the meat tickets, muttering about making some meat-filled dumplings when she had time.

Peng Chunhua licked her lips. Pregnant and craving everything, there was nothing available at her home.

The apples from Li Qiao’s family were enough to make her drool, and now there was meat. Just the thought kept her up at night.

......

The next day, Old Mrs. Qin went out and came back with meat to make dumplings.

The sound of chopping meat spread far and wide.

Peng Chunhua craved meat so badly that she couldn’t sit still, and she wanted Feng Hu to also bring home two pounds of meat.

But where could Feng Hu get hold of such an amount? She decided to go fishing. When Yu Feng found out, she frantically tried to stop her. The river was so deep—what if she fell in?

She scolded, "Can you starve to death from not eating meat? If you want to eat, can’t you just ask your mother to send some?"

Peng Chunhua was so angry she felt pain in her belly. Marrying a man, wearing clothes, eating food—she was already pregnant, how could she rely on her natal family for support?

She turned around to go back to her room and stumbled to the ground.

"Ah! My stomach!"

Feng Hu rushed to help her up.

Peng Chunhua felt that she was about to give birth, and Yu Feng busied herself with boiling water for the delivery.

Peng Chunhua’s agonizing cries of pain reached Li Qiao’s ears, making her hair stand on end. "Grandma, this won’t lead to trouble, right? Why aren’t they going to the hospital? At worst, go to the health clinic."

Old Mrs. Qin: "The health clinic doesn’t have anyone who can deliver babies either. Yu Feng has delivered for several people in the village; she has experience. Giving birth is always like this."

Li Qiao’s face turned pale.

Old Mrs. Qin caught the change in expression and hurriedly comforted her, "Don’t be afraid, when it’s your turn, we will stay in the hospital ahead of time. You won’t need to say anything about what you want to eat; everything will be prepared for you in advance. Normally, I won’t get angry with you, and if Jin upsets you, I’ll disown him."

Li Qiao chuckled. The last sentence couldn’t be taken seriously, right?

"Qiaoqiao, the wontons are ready," Old Mrs. Qin said.

Li Qiao filled her bowl, and the grandmother and granddaughter sat down to eat together, sweating profusely.

"Having a meal? Oh, it’s wontons. Where did the meat ticket come from?" The village women, with nothing better to do, were drawn to the excitement of Peng Chunhua giving birth and took the opportunity to get chummy with Old Mrs. Qin in her yard.

Old Mrs. Qin: "Qiaoqiao’s work unit issued the ticket. Have you eaten? I’ll get you some."

"No need, Qiaoqiao is really capable. Even before going to university, she could earn meat tickets for the family."

Old Mrs. Qin proudly replied, "Certainly!"

"How long has Chunhua been in labor?"

Old Mrs. Qin: "It must have been an hour or two."

The women began discussing the gender of the baby:

"Chunhua’s belly is round and plump like it’s a girl. I bet it’s a chubby little girl."

"I think so, too. When I was pregnant with my son, my belly was quite pointed. Just watch, it’s definitely a girl, but their family keeps insisting it’s a boy."

"..."

After the meal, the grandmother and granddaughter strolled around the village before going home to wash up and go to bed.

In the middle of the night, Yu Feng’s cursing woke Li Qiao:

"I’ve raised you for so long, and you gave birth to a loss-maker! What good are you? Still want to eat meat, eat shit... "

"What bad luck has my family brought upon itself, always birthing loss-makers..."

Li Qiao wondered, a loss-maker? A girl?

The aunts’ guesses turned out to be right.

She was somewhat speechless, calling her own kid a loss-maker, weren’t you one too? It wasn’t her concern. She turned over to sleep again, and in a daze, she heard a baby’s cry.

The dogs in the yard also started barking.

She opened the courtyard door, and under the bright moonlight, she saw something wrapped in a floral blanket moving at the base of the big tree at the entrance.

The dog ran up to sniff.

Li Qiao gently scolded it and approached to see clearly that it was a child, skinny and very small.

Li Qiao immediately realized what had happened. Yu Feng didn’t want a girl and had abandoned her at their doorstep.

She had never held such a small child and didn’t dare to reach out, calling out to her grandma to come outside.

Old Mrs. Qin on seeing the baby exclaimed, "Why is it so tiny?" Although Peng Chunhua had given birth prematurely, the timing didn’t suggest premature birth. "Damn that Yu Feng! Isn’t she afraid of retribution?"

She picked up the child and knocked on the next door.

Yu Feng strutted out, "Who is it? What’s the matter?"

Old Mrs. Qin: "Why did you throw the child at my doorstep?"

"Who threw a child? I’ve got one here!" Yu Feng came out holding a baby, significantly larger than the one in their arms.

Old Mrs. Qin and Li Qiao were stunned, looking at each other in confusion. What was going on? If it wasn’t Yu Feng who abandoned the baby, then whose was it?

"Take back wherever you got that from!" Yu Feng shut the door, her heart pounding chaotically.