Chapter 5

Ding Sha chuckled happily, clutching her bulging purse in the yard while humming a tune.

At this rate, she would be able to escape poverty and become rich in no time!

Just as she was thinking this, there was a knock at the door. "Hey girl, are you in? It's your Uncle Wei!"

Ding Sha was a little surprised to hear this. It had only been a few days!

Could the lounge chair be ready already?

She hurried over and opened the door. Sure enough, she saw Uncle Wei with a pipe in his mouth, pulling a cart with a beautiful lounge chair tied onto it.

"Come in, come in," Ding Sha quickly stepped aside to let him in, and even ran to pour Uncle Wei a glass of water.

After carefully selecting and placing the lounge chair under the big old chinaberry tree in the yard, which had huge shade, Ding Sha also paid the balance owed.

Not only did she pay the balance, she placed another order for new furniture - a bed.

The bed inside her room always creaked, even just turning over in the middle of the night was enough to startle and wake her up. She was always worried that the bed would collapse.

She might as well get a new bed to sleep soundly.

Uncle Wei left satisfied with the money, and Ding Sha laid down contentedly.

She closed her eyes and lay in the gently rocking rocking chair, quietly preparing to take a nap.

As time slowly passed, Ding Sha's purse grew fatter and fatter. She generously made herself delicious meals every day, and her cheeks soon became rosy.

She no longer looked so rickety, as if a gust of wind could blow her away.

That morning, as usual, Ding Sha got up early. She was already slightly showing, with a little bump protruding from her belly, looking as if she had eaten too much and gotten a potbelly.

She felt a little uncomfortable doing anything lightly and carefully, for fear of accidentally touching her belly.

After things settled down in a couple days, she would go to the hospital again for a checkup. She thought of the book's description of the male lead's weak constitution and felt uneasy.

Just as she was about to go to the vegetable market to buy some ingredients, her gaze froze as she opened the door.

Squatting at the door was a bald teenage boy. He looked skinny, with a scar on his eyebrow, and looked at her with an ingratiating yet uneasy gaze.

It was Xiao Jun.

Ding Sha was silent for a moment. Seeing his somewhat nervous look, she sighed, "Come in." Having received approval, Xiao Jun immediately cheered up. He strode over to Ding Sha's side and looked her up and down carefully, satisfied to find that she had not gotten thinner.

Only then did he lower his head to look at her slightly protruding belly, smiling and greeting her stomach, "Hello there, baby, Daddy's back."

Ding Sha was a little worried at first, but his teasing made her laugh. "It's only been four months, she can't even hear you clearly yet."

Xiao Jun earnestly supported her back inside. "So how many months until she can hear me? I'll read her stories then."

Ding Sha counted on her fingers. "Five months at the earliest."

Xiao Jun nodded. "Then I'll say hi to her again next month."

Ding Sha was amused, but suddenly remembered what she had to do. "I'm going to the vegetable market to buy groceries. Why don't you rest first?"

"I'll go with you."

Xiao Jun was adamant about accompanying her out, insisting on going with Ding Sha no matter what.

Ding Sha could only take him along.

But when they got to the vegetable market, seeing Ding Sha buy a lot of vegetables, Xiao Jun was puzzled. "Why buy so much? It'll go bad if you can't finish it."

"To sell!" Ding Sha was in a good mood. She was lucky today to buy fresh pork tenderloin and pig trotters.

"Sell?" Xiao Jun was confused.

Only then did Ding Sha remember that she hadn't told him about selling lunch boxes now.

But before she could explain, he became anxious.

"Don't sell anymore! You're pregnant now, your health is poor, you're exhausted as it is, why sell lunch boxes!"

"I have money! I'll provide for you!"

Ding Sha was a little upset, but didn't want to make a scene right in the vegetable market. So she angrily grabbed the meat she wanted and walked away.

Xiao Jun was shocked and quickly grabbed a bunch of vegetables, hopped on his electric bike, and went after her.

But Ding Sha simply wouldn't speak, not only not speaking, she wouldn't even look at him.

She just kept her head down and kept walking forward, almost bumping into someone in the middle.

Xiao Jun was frantic. "Dear, don't be angry, I'm begging you, is it hard carrying that? Put it on the bike. Are you tired? You can ride the bike if you're angry, I'll walk, okay?"

Hearing this, Ding Sha felt a little helpless, unable to stay mad.

The passersby were all watching this exceptionally good-looking young couple have a tiff, occasionally letting out friendly laughs.

Ding Sha had thin skin and was somewhat embarrassed.

"Let's go home!" She was too lazy to sulk, sat on the back seat, grabbed Xiao Jun's clothes, and gruffly said. "Okay, okay, home, home."

Xiao Jun happily pedaled the little electric bike home.

When they got home, Ding Sha still wasn't talking. She turned and went straight into the kitchen. Soon, she brought out two steaming hot bowls of noodles.

The snowy white noodles soaked in the shiny brown rich broth, topped with many crispy thin slivers of green pepper neatly lined up, along with very satisfying shredded lean meat, giving off a slightly spicy appetizing aroma.

Just the smell made one's appetite soar.

Put on the table, she looked at Xiao Jun, who was eyeing it hungrily, slapped the table with a straight face, and said, "What are you staring for, come eat."

Xiao Jun was already hungry. Hearing Ding Sha's words, he immediately sat down, grabbed his chopsticks, and started wolfing it down.

Seeing him eat so voraciously, Ding Sha felt a little distressed and softened her tone, "Eat slowly, don't choke. There's more in the pot if it's not enough."

Xiao Jun couldn't be bothered to reply. He made muffled sounds with his head practically buried in the bowl, eating up the noodles.

After finishing a bowl to alleviate the discomfort of his empty stomach, he went to the kitchen to ladle out another full bowl, and peeled some garlic. Only then did he slow down and eat properly.

"When did you come back?" Ding Sha asked as they ate.

"Last night." Xiao Jun replied.

"Why didn't you come in?"

"Didn't want to startle you..." Xiao Jun grinned foolishly, his fierce demeanor gone.

"How...did you suddenly get out?" Ding Sha hesitated, but still asked.

She didn't know what Xiao Jun had gone to jail for, or how he got out, but considering her circumstances these days, she had to admit.

Having Xiao Jun here would reassure her a lot more.

Xiao Jun noisily slurped up the noodles in his bowl. Looking unsatisfied, he took Ding Sha's leftovers and continued eating. "Let out on parole, won't be going back anymore. It's a long story, I'll tell you slowly."

Ding Sha was relieved to hear he wouldn't be going back, but also worried. She started mentally calculating how long the money she earned would last.

Feeling about seventy percent full, Xiao Jun wiped his mouth and belched as he stood up. "Wife, let me show you something."

"Hmm?" Before Ding Sha could react, she saw Xiao Jun holding up the shabby travel bag he had carried over that morning.

It looked full, but she didn't know what was inside.

Xiao Jun put the bag in front of her and motioned for her to open it. Still puzzled, Ding Sha pulled the zipper.

After just one glance inside, she almost fainted from shock.

It was full of hundred yuan bills!

Stacks of brand new, neatly banded hundred yuan bills!

An entire bag full!