Two Lunch Boxes

Jiang Xia had never looked down on the smell of hard work. Her grandmother had once been a cleaner, only later taking up vegetable selling because it brought in more money.

She sat down against the doorframe, leaving him plenty of room, then handed him the water bottle. "Have some water first."

Zhou Chenglei was indeed a little thirsty. He glanced at the space beside her and sat down.

"I'll hold your lunch box for you."

Zhou Chenglei had meant to set the Aluminum Lunch Box on the ground, but after hearing that, he handed it to her. He took the Military Green Water Bottle from her, twisted it open, tilted his head back, opened his mouth wide, and poured the water into it from a distance.

Jiang Xia glanced at him.

With his head tipped back and his mouth opened wide, his posture while drinking was far from elegant, but it was fiercely wild.

The lines of his jaw and profile were beautiful. His skin was wheat-colored, with fine pores; his neck was long and slender. The top button of his shirt was fastened tightly, and his sharp Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he drank, as though it were about to break free of his collar and leap out. He was unbelievably sexy.

There wasn't a single bad angle on this man!

Zhou Chenglei drank half a bottle of water in one go. When he lowered it, he noticed Jiang Xia staring at him absentmindedly. Thinking she wanted a drink, he handed her the bottle. "There's more."

Jiang Xia came to herself and took it, then tipped her head back and gulped down several mouthfuls.

Damn, I was actually staring.

This man was toxic! Seeing her drink so hurriedly, Zhou Chenglei reminded her, "Slow down. Don't choke."

Jiang Xia slowed down.

Zhou Chenglei saw that the heat had brought a flush to her fair, delicate face. The fingers gripping the Military Green Water Bottle were slender, pale, tender, and long. Her porcelain-white skin formed a striking contrast with the military green bottle, making the sight especially eye-catching.

With just one glance, he looked away.

Jiang Xia put the bottle down after a few sips. Drinking too much water before a meal would ruin her appetite.

After she finished, Zhou Chenglei took the Military Green Water Bottle from her, screwed the cap back on, and set it aside.

Jiang Xia handed him the lunch box resting on her legs. He took it, lifted the lid, and revealed a box packed full of food. There was especially a lot of Dried Fish, along with a Boiled Egg.

Zhou Chenglei handed the lunch box to her, then took the unopened lunch box from her hands.

Jiang Xia was warmed by his thoughtfulness and politely returned his gesture with a smile. "Thank you."

Her voice was clear and pleasant, with a hint of softness that made it very soothing to hear. Zhou Chenglei couldn't help glancing at her.

The sky was a brilliant blue, without a cloud for miles. The girl's smile was faint, clean, and flawless.

"No need." After just one glance, Zhou Chenglei silently withdrew his gaze. Expressionless, he lowered his head and opened the lunch box in his hands, revealing another box full of food. There were more vegetables and pickled vegetables, less Dried Fish—only two pieces—and less rice, replaced by more sweet potatoes. The difference from the other lunch box was striking.

Jiang Xia saw it too. That had originally been the lunch box Mother Zhou prepared for her.

She didn't mind. They were going to divorce anyway, and besides, she understood that there was no such thing as kindness without reason in this world.

"I can't finish all this. Let's switch."

Zhou Chenglei picked up his chopsticks and began eating. "No need. Eat until you're full."

Seeing that he had already started, Jiang Xia picked up several pieces of Dried Fish and put them into his lunch box.

Zhou Chenglei avoided them. "No need. You eat."

Jiang Xia said, "I really can't eat this much."

Zhou Chenglei said, "Eat until you can't eat another bite."

Jiang Xia could only give up.

Mother Zhou saw this and frowned, feeling that Jiang Xia was so thoughtless! Men needed to do hard physical labor, so they had to eat more meat to have the strength.

Jiang Xia couldn't do anything. What did she need so much meat for? To gain weight? The meal consisted of sweet-potato rice, steamed Dried Fish and Baby Bok Choy, along with pickled vegetables.

The Dried Fish was fragrant. Because they were so small, their bones could be chewed up and swallowed directly. The pickled vegetables were crisp and refreshing, the Baby Bok Choy tender, and the sweet-potato rice fragrant and sweet. Everything was delicious—not because of anyone's cooking skills, but because the ingredients themselves were excellent.

Jiang Xia ate until she was stuffed, yet still had nearly half a lunch box of food left. After all, it had been prepared according to Zhou Chenglei's appetite.

She stretched her back, loosening her stomach. Her family had been so poor when she was young, and they had made their living selling vegetables. She had never wasted even a grain of rice, but she truly couldn't eat any more.

Zhou Chenglei happened to finish eating. Seeing her stretch to ease her stomach, he asked, "Can't eat any more?"

Jiang Xia nodded. "I'm stuffed."

Zhou Chenglei reached out and took the lunch box from her. In two or three mouthfuls, he shoveled the half-box of food she had left into his mouth and finished it.

Jiang Xia: "."

Zhou Zhou came over carrying her lunch box as well. "Little Uncle, I can't finish it. Great-Grandmother said to give it to you."

Zhou Chenglei said nothing. He took it and, in two or three mouthfuls, ate the food Zhou Zhou had left behind.

Jiang Xia's expression became more natural.

After finishing, Zhou Chenglei took the little spoon from Jiang Xia's hand and carried all three lunch boxes to the well to wash them.

After washing the lunch boxes, he told Jiang Xia to go back and take a nap with Mother Zhou. The midday sun was fierce, and he was worried she wouldn't be able to bear it.

Jiang Xia didn't go back. She had a slight compulsion—she disliked resting before the work was finished.

Mother Zhou took Zhou Zhou back. Zhou Zhou still had to go to school at around one in the afternoon.

Father Zhou and Zhou Chenglei began working. Zhou Chenglei climbed onto the roof while Father Zhou mixed cement and sand.

Wearing a Straw Hat, Jiang Xia worked below, doing small tasks within her abilities, such as passing up tiles.

Before long, Mother Zhou, Zhou Chengxin, and Tian Caihua all arrived, pushing a handcart loaded with tables and chairs.

Then Father Zhou, Zhou Chenglei, and Zhou Chengxin—the three men from father and son—went up onto the roof to patch the leaks. Mother Zhou mixed cement and sand below, while Jiang Xia and Tian Caihua, one standing on the ladder and the other on the ground, passed up tiles, cement, and sand.

Before long, Great-Grandmother's family came over to help as well.

The six-year-old Zhou Jie, Great-Grandmother's grandson, shouted the moment he entered, "Eldest Brother, eldest nephew, little nephew, I'm here!"

(Eldest Brother) Father Zhou: "."

(eldest nephew) Zhou Chengxin: "."

(little nephew) Zhou Chenglei: "."

Great-Grandmother's son, Zhou Yongguo, was the same age as Zhou Chenglei, but two generations above him in the family hierarchy, belonging to Zhou Chenglei's grandfather's generation. So Zhou Chenglei had to call a peer his Grand Uncle.

Zhou Chenglei had refused to call him that since childhood. He only called Zhou Yongguo by his name, never "Grandpa."

The two had gone to school together and skipped class together since they were children, and they got along extremely well.

Because Zhou Chenglei refused to call him Grandpa, Zhou Yongguo taught his six-year-old son to call Zhou Chenglei "little nephew."

On the roof, the three men from the Zhou Family all pretended not to hear.

Zhou Yongguo climbed up the bamboo ladder onto the roof and looked at Zhou Chenglei. "Little grandson, your grandpa came, and you don't even greet him!"

Zhou Chenglei wished he could kick him right back down.

Zhou Jie hopped over to Jiang Xia. "Nephew-in-law, I'm your Grand Uncle."

Jiang Xia looked at the big-headed, sturdy-looking Zhou Jie. "..."

She rubbed his head. "Hello, Grand Uncle! Grand Uncle, have you not eaten? Why are you so short and skinny? If I took you outside, people would think you were my son instead of my Grand Uncle. You need to eat properly."

Jiang Xia had reclaimed a tiny bit of the advantage with her words, but the child did have a large head and a thin, undersized body, looking rather malnourished.

While chatting with Great-Grandmother earlier, Jiang Xia had learned that Great-Grandmother's family had only one child in each generation and that this was their only grandson. He was frail, often ill, and picky about food, which was a constant source of worry.

Zhou Jie hated people saying he was short. He was the shortest child in the whole village. Pouting, he said, "How rude! Hmph, I'll grow up someday. When I do, I'll be taller than you! Hmph!"

Everyone in the courtyard burst out laughing.

Great-Grandmother chuckled. "Then you need to eat properly. You can't be picky."

Zhou Jie refused to listen. He ran off to ask Mother Zhou where Zhou Zhou and Guang Zong Yao Zu were.

When he heard they were at the new house, he ran off to play with them.

With more hands, the work went faster. Once three more grown men joined them—and all were skilled laborers—the six of them repaired the roof in just two hours.

Zhou Yongguo also went somewhere and brought back two large barrels of Lime Water. He brushed it over the moldy, blackened, peeling walls throughout the house.

It was summer, and August was the hottest time of year. Everything dried quickly; by the time one side was painted, the other had already dried.

Jiang Xia looked at the freshly painted rooms. They were white and bright, and the place felt much more comfortable.

The three men from Great-Grandmother's family helped paint the walls, while the three men from Zhou Chenglei's family went back to move the belongings.

A little after five, everything had been moved over.

There wasn't much to begin with, though. The Living Room held only two old square tables and eight chairs; there was nothing else.

Jiang Xia looked at her new home. Although it was bare enough to have four walls and nothing else, perhaps because there were so many people, it didn't feel lonely or cold.

Tian Caihua walked in at that moment. She looked around at the completely transformed house and said sourly, "This old house feels quite comfortable after being renovated. But renovating it shouldn't have cost more than three hundred yuan, right?"