Chapter 169:
Under the dim kerosene lamp at night, the man’s resolute and upright face was reflected opposite her.
Luo Zhi’er’s eyes flickered, her heart stirring slightly,
“But isn’t all the silver at home supposed to be handed over to parents?”
“Parents are still in prison now, and we don’t know when they’ll be released. You should keep it first!”
“Oh, once parents are out, it has to be handed over to them for safekeeping?” Luo Zhi’er asked with innocent eyes.
Li Sanmao suddenly got a bit angry.
“Zhi’er, what exactly do you mean?”
Luo Zhi’er remained calm, “Why is husband angry?”
“You clearly know, that’s not what I mean. What I mean is that the silver you earn is for you to keep yourself. They are them, we are us!”
“But we haven’t divided the family, so we’re one family. The Old Li Family tradition is that parents manage the silver.”
Luo Zhi’er pretended not to see Li Sanmao’s angry face; there was a trace of stubbornness in her dark eyes.
The man suddenly stood up like a enraged wild beast, stepping closer step by step, right up to her very near. “Wife, don’t say any more!”
Luo Zhi’er retreated repeatedly in fright, “What are you doing?” Li Sanmao pinned her against the wall at once. She raised her hand to resist, but he pressed her arm down with his elbow.
He leaned in to block her mouth with his sexy lips; Luo Zhi’er widened her eyes,
“Li Sanmao! What are you doing?”
“Zhi’er, keep your voice down. Aren’t you afraid of waking Miaomiao?”
Luo Zhi’er clenched her teeth, resisting, and glanced at Miaomiao who had turned over. This man was usually safe, gentle, and reliable.
Today, now, why did he seem a bit like a wild beast, very dangerous, about to devour her, using his strong arms to brute-force her down.
His breath was so close to her, carrying an invasive aura. She admitted, she panicked.
She quickly lowered her head. This damn fool of a big oaf had gone mad; her eyes panicked as she looked at the ground.
“Zhi’er, don’t avoid. Lift your head and look into husband’s eyes.”
Li Sanmao’s slightly hoarse and magnetic voice probed at her ear, with that strong scorching hormonal aura surrounding them.
Luo Zhi’er was utterly speechless! Her mind boomed chaotically. Look at what crap?
It was really awkward to lift her head for eye contact—she was Li Xi’er after all!
Li Sanmao used one hand to turn her chubby face straight, gently rubbing her cheek with his thumb. She could feel the warmth and roughness of his skin.
Her face instantly flushed to her ears, “Stop it, what are you going to do?”
The man evilly puffed his cheek, his low voice rumbling,
“Call me husband!”
“.”
“Call me now!”
“Husband.”
Li Sanmao’s lips curved up slightly.
“You know it, Zhi’er. You are my wife, Li Sanmao’s wife.”
Luo Zhi’er blushed furiously, her mind racing to think how to escape this tonight.
“You can’t do this…”
“Why not?”
“I, I”
“Heh, silly Zhi’er, we’ve been husband and wife for so many years, and it’s rare to see you this shy.”
Li Sanmao snorted lightly, planting a heavy kiss on her forehead. His heavy breathing blew up her hair strands.
Her hair strands were very smooth and fragrant. She was so different from before—her earlobes round and flushed red. He licked them; her chubby cheeks were white with a rosy glow.
Luo Zhi’er uncomfortably dodged away. Should she find something to knock him out later?
He really liked the current her. This plump wife had actually taken good care of herself and Miaomiao during this time; her complexion was much better than before.
It seemed it was because he had been useless before that she and her daughter had suffered so much.
“You should have remembered that I, Li Sanmao, am also a man, a normal man. It’s been so long; you should be prepared. Your body has long since mostly recovered, right?”
Li Sanmao said meaningfully.
“That, that, I’ll come—”
“I know it hasn’t come! It’s not that time.”
Li Sanmao released her, burying his head in her neck, his hand around her plump waist.
“Don’t reject me.” His muffled voice came through her skin, carrying thick heavy panting, hot breath blowing on her neck root. Her snowy white neck was reddened by his stubble, tingling numbly.
Luo Zhi’er awkwardly tilted her head up a bit.
“Zhi’er, in prison I missed you and Miaomiao so much, worried about you mother and daughter, worried so much I couldn’t eat or sleep well. In the morning when I woke, I thought of you; before bed at night, I thought of you; in dreams it was you too. Tell me, am I sick?” Spring views of a hundred flowers, winter views of snow; awake I think of you, dreaming I think of you?
Luo Zhi’er thought, yes he was sick—perhaps lovesick?
“Even if parents say they want you to hand over the silver for them to keep, I don’t want that. I only want you to be happy. Your opinion matters more than anyone’s. I only want you and Miaomiao to live well. Tell me, am I very selfish? I should be filial to them, but only within my ability. After so many things, I’ve seen through it—we three are the family. I can’t be without you, can’t be without Miaomiao. Without you two, I’d be a walking corpse. As for the others, if I can help, I will; if not, let it be.”
“I don’t want them to cause estrangement between us, mutual suspicion, a rift. Once our small family is good, we can naturally help the larger one. If we can’t even take care of ourselves while always thinking of them, we’ll be dragged down and never get better. No one in this family will be good!”
“We need to get ourselves better as soon as possible—that’s the most important.”
Luo Zhi’er hadn’t expected him to say such words. In this society, filial piety was greater than heaven, using this morality to suppress people, slapping big hats on them to suffocate them. Plus, with so many children raised obediently, foolish filial piety was the norm, like Li Daqiang, who put parents first.
“I used to think life was just like that, but with you and Miaomiao, it seems to have direction. I really want to be with you two forever and ever.”
The man murmured lowly against her neck, “Wife, call me selfish, not thinking of parents brothers sisters— for this life, I only want to live like this.”
“Silver, whether you earn it or I do, I, Li Sanmao, only want you to keep it. Seeing you happy with lots and lots of silver makes me happy. You don’t need to account to me so meticulously either. I trust your decisions and your character.”
“Big oaf, aren’t you afraid I’ll have second thoughts, take the silver and run away?” Luo Zhi’er chuckled lightly. What virtue or ability did she have?
“Hah! You won’t. Even if you did, I wouldn’t starve. I’d just go to the mountains and hunt some wild game, enough for me and Miaomiao. But you can’t run. If you run, even to the ends of the earth or digging three feet into the ground, I’ll find you. You are my wife, wherever you go you’re mine, Li Sanmao’s!”
Li Xi’er had several black lines on her forehead.
Luo Zhi’er is your wife, but I, Li Xi’er, am not.
The arm around her waist tightened more and more, squeezing her breathless.
“Husband, let go.”
“Won’t.”
“I, I’m almost out of breath.”
Li Sanmao released her. He turned and stripped off his upper clothes bare-chested; wherever Luo Zhi’er went, he followed.
She went to her own bed to sleep; Li Sanmao followed behind her. “Why did you take off your clothes?”
“To sleep!”
“Then go sleep on your mat.”
Luo Zhi’er inwardly cursed herself. This big muscled guy staring at her felt so awkward. It wasn’t her being picky; in the modern era she was still a university student, still a virgin maiden!
“Wife, why won’t you let me sleep on the big bed?”
“Miaomiao’s older now; it’s inconvenient to sleep together!”
“Then move her to the mat now. Tomorrow we’ll buy her a small bed.”
