How I Tamed My Wolfish Husband Back in 80s-Chapter 181 - 183: Disgust_1

After the class bell rang, the lesson continued.

Li Qiao took notes diligently while Ma Hongxiang whispered, "Li Qiao, I don’t understand a bit. Can you tutor me after class?"

Li Qiao nodded slightly, and after class, Ma Hongxiang asked her to go to the library together.

Li Qiao said, "I’m really busy now, but I’ll teach you when I have time. Don’t worry, you’ll definitely be able to learn." Having said that, she ran off with her books.

There were only two morning classes, and the afternoon classes didn’t start until half-past two, so she had time to visit the rental housing to see if there was anything that needed to be done.

Li Qiao first returned her books to the dormitory, then headed home.

She hadn’t gone far when she ran into Xue Sufen and Xue Lingqing, with the latter pushing a bicycle. He had taken off his glasses, lessening his bookish air. Xue Sufen greeted her, "Li Qiao!"

Li Qiao greeted Xue Lingqing, "Hello, Professor Xue."

Xue Lingqing nodded slightly.

Xue Sufen continued, "Where’s your rental? How much is the rent? Why stay outside when there’s housing at the school? With only a thirty-six yuan stipend per month, the rent must cost quite a bit, right? Don’t your rural parents ask you to send money back for their support?"

Li Qiao replied, "Hu Family Alley, three yuan and sixty a month, my parents don’t need me to worry about them."

"Hu Family Alley? That’s not far from where I live. Which number?"

"Number 36." Li Qiao was about to ask if you also live in Hu Family Alley when she heard Xue Sufen exclaim, "An old lady hanged herself in that house before. It’s been the talk of the neighborhood, and people walk around it when they pass by. You, a country person, have been duped, right? You should back out before you move in."

Li Qiao furrowed her brows, irritated by the repeated phrase ’country person’ as if she were being looked down upon. She replied stoically, "Thank you for the warning, but I am not afraid." Her experience in the forensic department had taught her that the living were more to be feared than the dead.

Stepping out the school gate, Li Qiao caught sight of pastries in a bakery across the street steaming hot, as if just out of the oven, and she suddenly craved them. She said goodbye to the pair and headed straight there.

Xue Sufen complained, "All my good intentions are taken for ingratitude. And to think she’s the Top Scholar, so single-minded."

Xue Lingqing said coldly, "Why don’t you admit it’s your own fault for being too talkative? And with your constant country person remarks, do you have any manners? You’ve learned this behavior from Cheng Shuqin. Can’t you be more like Li Qiao, taking classes seriously and concentrating? You only care about gossiping with others, but if you don’t perform well on the final exam, failing your subjects is non-negotiable."

"I would never want to be like her, a country person without any sophistication and so vain. Look at how she dresses, tying her clothes to one side to show off her elastic waistband, as if she’s afraid people won’t notice her slender waist and long legs. It’s simply unpleasant to look at," Xue Sufen said disdainfully.

Xue Lingqing glanced over, and Li Qiao was wearing an extremely ordinary white short-sleeved shirt, tied to the side to reveal her sport pants striped in blue and white, accentuating her tall figure. Eight out of ten passers-by, regardless of gender, turned to look at her.

She bought a candied haw, cradling a coffee-colored paper bag in her arms.

Nibbling on the candied haw, she walked and ate, with one cheek puffed out, resembling a little squirrel. She looked unbearably cute. "Are you just jealous because she’s more good-looking?"

Xue Sufen looked taken aback, then snorted, "Her? Good-looking? I must be a fairy then. Hey! You’re my uncle, why do you keep taking a stranger’s side? I’m not riding with you anymore, I’ll tell grandma you bullied me when I get home."

Upon hearing this, he rode away on his bicycle.

Xue Sufen grew even angrier, "You! Just wait until I tell grandma when we get home!"

Li Qiao walked quickly and soon caught up with Xue Sufen, "Weren’t you going with your uncle?"

Xue Sufen changed the subject, "Do you live in the rental alone?"

"No," Li Qiao said, "my grandmother from my hometown will come over to cook for me and take care of the household chores." She then asked where Xue Sufen’s family lived.

Xue Sufen proudly said, "I live in the political commissar’s courtyard ahead of you. My grandfather is a retired cadre. My dad is still working, my second aunt joined the army, and my third uncle is the youngest professor at Beijing University. He was sent abroad for study two years ago..."

Li Qiao was secretly amazed. Her family background was truly remarkable; all her relatives were accomplished individuals, some even sent abroad for study.

Why had Counselor Xiang not mentioned this condition when recruiting students?

Were ordinary people unable to go abroad?

Xue Sufen brought up her brother, the youngest section chief in a governmental institution.

Li Qiao had no family background to boast of and remained quiet. When they turned a corner, Xue Sufen asked to visit her place.

Li Qiao agreed graciously. The front door was securely locked, and Qin Jin probably wasn’t home. She pulled out her keys to unlock the door.

The yard wasn’t paved and was muddy all over. The interior walls were peeling.

The kitchen had only a table, covered with stacks of newspapers.

The bedroom only had two bed frames, with patchy walls covered in mold, breathing in a heavy scent of mustiness.

Xue Sufen pinched her nose, her face full of disgust, "How can anyone live here?"

"Why can’t anyone live here? The earthen houses in the countryside are much worse than this," Li Qiao was very satisfied, at least the house was made of bricks, and bugs wouldn’t come in and out through the cracks in the walls.

Xue Sufen couldn’t stay for another second, "I’m leaving first."

"Take care," Li Qiao saw her to the door, then returned to cover the beds with newspapers.

....

Xue Sufen walked to the entrance of the alley, and was met with a shock of stunning beauty from the young man in front of her.

His eyebrows and eyes were graceful, with deep black pupils.

His face looked like it was finely carved with a traditional Chinese brush, a wild beauty within his handsome features.

He stood tall and outstanding, towering above the crowd, his looks far superior to the men at her home by a large margin, "Hello, you are...."

"Poor family, won’t pen-pal," Qin Jin bluntly tossed out eight words, not giving her a second glance as he walked past her.

Xue Sufen had never been ignored like this before, and was quite annoyed, wanting to argue, but he had already walked far away, and she couldn’t bring herself to chase after him, cursing him for his lack of vision.

Qin Jin led three workers to the house.

Li Qiao had just finished wrapping the beds with newspapers, "You’re back, brought so many people."

Qin Jin, "They are all here to work, don’t you have classes today?"

Li Qiao, "I have some in the afternoon, thought I’d come back and do something."

Qin Jin, "I told you that there’s no need for you to do anything." He instructed the workers to scrape off the old plaster from the walls of the three rooms, then led Li Qiao out to select daily necessities.

Li Qiao took out the freshly bought donkey-roll she had bought for him to eat.

Qin Jin took it and said, "I’ll eat it later."

.....

The two arrived at the store that customized cotton quilts.

After making a selection, they ordered five thin quilts, agreeing to pick them up in a week. Then they went to another store to choose quilt covers, Qin Jin picked up a piece of bright red fabric and whispered, "Qiaoqiao, this looks nice."

A Mandarin Ducks Embracing Picture.

Li Qiao smiled, "It’s nice, but what’s printed on it are two male ducks. This green one with a Dragon and Phoenix pattern has a better meaning."

"How do you know they’re male?"

Li Qiao, "I..." She couldn’t very well say she had seen female mandarin ducks, could she? "It’s written in books, the females have plainer feathers, unlike the males whose feathers are more colorful."

Qin Jin thought to himself, you must have seen them before, he paid for the Dragon and Phoenix pattern, then bought two sets of light green checkered ones.

After a long round of shopping, they had bought almost all the daily necessities they needed.

They had a meal at a restaurant, and Qin Jin finally tried the donkey-roll, finding its taste fresh, he planned to bring some back for his grandmother when he returned to his hometown.

After passing a crossroad, Li Qiao prepared to go back to school, "Jin, I won’t stay with you tonight. School has just started, and I’m worried there might be class meetings tonight, notices for household registration, receiving allowances, and getting grain coupons." freewēbnoveℓ.com

"You’re busy," Qin Jin said, "I will come find you at school when I leave."

"Alright."

As Qin Jin watched Li Qiao walk away, he went back carrying bed sheets, kettles, and various other things. Approaching the Hu Family Alley entrance, he encountered the girl from the morning. He glanced up, automatically ignoring her, and walked straight past her.

Xue Sufen was mustering the courage to greet him, but by the time she opened her mouth, he had already entered the alley.

She took a deep breath and thought to herself, how can someone be so blind?

.....