Reborn in the 80s, Get Rich by Eating Melons

Chapter 116: Chapter 116: Pamper Her a Bit

...

When Si Chen came home and got into bed after a shower, Tong Yao had already fallen asleep. Perhaps tired from activities during the day, she was sleeping soundly. The sound of the door opening only made her stir slightly, turning over before slipping back into slumber. Her doe-like eyes were tightly shut, radiating a peaceful aura akin to a sleeping beauty in a fairy tale.

Her skin had darkened a bit since she first moved here, but that didn’t diminish the appeal of her features in the slightest. The adorable chubbiness of her youthful cheeks was still there, tempting one to joyfully pinch them.

Si Chen complied with this temptation and lightly put his hand on Tong Yao’s face. Her cheeks were as soft as tofu, exuding moist tenderness as if the slightest pressure could squeeze out water. If he had to use an idiom to describe it, it was like her skin was as fragile as a ball of fluff.

In the past, Si Chen thought the phrase "palm-sized face" was an exaggeration, but now he knows that Tong Yao’s face is indeed only as large as his hand, which he can cover entirely with one grasp.

A soft whimper escaped from the sleeping Tong Yao and seemed to signify her disapproval of being disturbed. She twitched her lashes, scrunched her brows, mumbled something in her sleep, and shifted her back towards him.

Si Chen’s slender fingers froze midway. Looking at Tong Yao’s reddening cheeks, a flicker of amusement passed through Si Chen’s eyes. After snuffing out the light and lying flat, he gently placed his arm under Tong Yao’s neck as a pillow.

This arrangement had persisted for a few nights now. Tong Yao was a restless sleeper, squirming and wriggling like a worm. One time she wound up sleeping on Si Chen’s arm, surprisingly resulting in a much more serene slumber. Since then, he would always gently place his arm under her neck as a pillow before going to sleep.

At first, waking up in Si Chen’s arms made Tong Yao a bit embarrassed. But after a couple of nights, she got used to it.

Dim moonlight filtered in through the window, illuminating the room. Listening to Tong Yao’s soft breath, sleep eluded Si Chen.

Thinking back to their wedding day triggered a twinge of guilt within him towards Tong Yao.

Although not as dangerous as the military, the doctor profession lacks time for family due to its intense demands. He cannot dote on his family and loved ones as dedicatedly as those in other professions. Marrying Si Chen meant that Tong Yao was destined to shoulder more burdens than marrying others.

That’s why he tries hard to spoil her a bit more at home.

Luckily, Tong Yao, despite her young age, had clear-headed and slightly clever thoughts. She wasn’t easily fazed by problems and had her own ways of dealing with things. This gave Si Chen the reassurances he needed to let her continue running the tea stand.

As he continues in his medical career, Si Chen will likely get busier. The time he could spend with Tong Yao at home would continue to dwindle. He wasn’t sure if Tong Yao could accept this monotonous life devoid of her husband’s companionship.

The thought of Tong Yao possibly asking for a divorce one day due to his absence ripped open something in his chest. His arm involuntarily tightened around her, as if trying to compensate for this feeling. It was only when he noticed her breath quicken that he eased his grip and came back to his senses.

Tong Yao heaved a secret sigh of relief. If he held her any tighter, she would have suffocated.

She had been awake since the moment Si Chen touched her cheek. Afraid of stirring up awkwardness, she continued to feign sleep. She never expected him to keep holding her all this time. Maybe it was because of their dinner conversation about having children that he was behaving this way. Her face was almost pressing into Si Chen’s chest.

They had been together for a month now, maintaining a steady but uneventful relationship. Maybe it was premature for a deeper level of intimacy, but it wouldn’t hurt either...

For Tong Yao, who had never been in a relationship before, just thinking about what could happen next made her forget to breathe, yet she was also slightly eager...

However, while she was waiting, Si Chen went still. The mood changed swiftly. Tong Yao sighed secretly, feeling a bizarre blend of relief and a tinge of disappointment.

They had a good night’s sleep, and when they woke up in the morning, neither of them spoke about the events of the previous night. It was as if nothing had taken place. Although, on a closer look, they were studiously avoiding eye contact with each other, both appearing a bit uneasy.

...

As soon as Tong Yao arrived at the school gate with breakfast, Si Xiaohui snatched it up and began munching while glancing at He Fang under another tree. "Look at her. She’s up so early. When I got here, her stove was already unloaded. I wonder what kind of brass skin thick enough to set up a stand right here and steal our customers."

Stealing recipes and setting up a stand to steal customers right in front of others, Si Xiaohui had never seen someone as shameless before. Had they been in the village, she would have been beaten up by now.

He Fang seemed to notice Si Xiaohui’s disdainful gaze and opted to keep her head down, not daring to look their way.

"If seeing her unsettles you, don’t look." Tong Yao was busy pouring water and placing red tea into the pot, having no energy to spare a glance at He Fang.

Last night, she had counted her savings and found that she had over a thousand yuan. After buying a refrigerator, there would still be a surplus left. Since He Fang had set up her stand, she could now prioritize the purchase of a refrigerator.

Si Xiaohui sulked and said, "That’s easier said than done!"

She then voiced her concern, "What if her prices are cheaper than ours? Should we lower our prices?"

Tong Yao shook her head, "No, sell at the original price."

"Will that be okay?" Considering it was Tong Yao’s business, although Si Xiaohui had her doubts, she didn’t dare dispute. Tong Yao always had a better understanding of such matters.

It was at the usual delivery time that the milkman arrived with fresh milk. Despite having Tong Yao’s approval to deliver milk to He Fang, he still felt awkward. When he passed the milk to Tong Yao, he wanted to say something but didn’t manage to put it into words.

Meeting the milkman’s foggy-eyed gaze, Tong Yao took the milk, blinked, and raised her voice deliberately, "Mister Niu, just one delivery is enough for today. You don’t have to come at noon or in the afternoon. I have something to do at home and won’t be able to run my stand for a few days. I’ll let you know when I need the milk next time."

Mister Niu was stunned but then nodded earnestly, "Yaoyao, just let me know when you need milk. Even if it means not delivering to anyone else, I’d prioritize delivering to you."

Daily interactions had made Mister Niu think of Tong Yao as his own daughter. He would even bring hard-boiled, salted, duck eggs from his home for her, a delicacy he himself rarely enjoyed and usually sold to make money.

Now, hearing that Tong Yao temporarily didn’t need milk, he wasn’t sure whether she truly had something to attend to at home or had moved her stand to a new location. Regardless, he was sincere in his words.

As long as Tong Yao needed milk, he would deliver. If Tong Yao instructed him not to deliver to He Fang, he would stop immediately.