Chapter 35: Borrowing Grain

Inside the room.

Clothes were neatly arranged in the wardrobe; smelly socks and dirty underwear lay in an enamel basin.

Qin Huairu was bent over, tidying up the bedding.

Today, she wore a blue floral blouse.

As she bent down to work, the hem of her blouse shifted with her movements, revealing a glimpse of her pale skin at the waistband.

What was even more remarkable was that no matter what she was busy with, her rounded hips were perfectly aligned with the doorway, allowing anyone outside a full view.

Li Aiguo half suspected that she had eyes on her backside as well.

But this trick was certainly an old one.

In this conservative era, even the slightest flash of skin from a young woman was enough to make any young man’s heart race and blood rush.

Unfortunately for her,

Li Aiguo’s previous life as a luxury yacht captain and his many experiences at grand sea-and-sky banquets had brought him to a state where the eyes might see all, but the mind remained guarded.

He was not easily tempted.

Hearing footsteps, Qin Huairu’s heart fluttered with excitement. She stood up, flicked her hair, and looked at Li Aiguo with a coquettish expression.

“Living alone, a home without a woman just doesn’t feel right. Look at this room—it’s such a mess, not even a place to set your feet.”

Li Aiguo stood at the doorway with his arms crossed.

“Qin Huairu, we’re no longer involved. Please leave now.”

Qin Huairu’s body trembled at his words, tears welling in the corners of her eyes.

“I know what happened before—I was wrong. As the saying goes, a day as husband and wife means a hundred days of grace. Can’t you be a little more magnanimous?”

Li Aiguo’s face remained calm.

“What exactly do you want?”

“I’m concerned about you. Is it wrong for me to tidy up your place?” Qin Huairu said plaintively.

“That’s enough. The room is clean now. I appreciate your neighborly kindness, but you can leave.”

His indifferent words struck Qin Huairu like a shock.

Not even this bait worked? Was his heart made of stone?

Before, whenever she cleaned his room, Li Aiguo would get restless, circling behind her like a rabbit darting in and out of its burrow.

What had changed?

After hesitating for a moment, Qin Huairu bit her lip and finally said, “Li Aiguo, I heard you got dozens of jin of high-gluten flour. Could you lend some to my family?”

Lend?

Did she still have the face to ask for anything?

Besides, the Jia family never returned what they borrowed.

Everyone in the compound knew this, except for the fool Sha Zhu, who always fell for it.

Seeing Li Aiguo’s stern expression, Qin Huairu hurriedly explained, “I just gave birth to a Pomeranian. My milk is a bit insufficient. The little dog is crying in hunger. I thought to make some thin porridge with refined flour to feed him.”

Li Aiguo stared at her in disbelief.

He wasn’t the dog’s father.

What did the Pomeranian’s survival have to do with him?

The bull-headed fool deserved his fate; the pure-hearted warrior was invincible!

“Sorry, the Pomeranian’s surname is Jia, not Li. If you want high-gluten flour, go ask Jia Dongxu.”

---

Turning aside, Li Aiguo pointed outside.

Seeing his firm refusal, Qin Huairu left sullenly.

She did want to ask Jia Dongxu, but he was only a first-class fitter—how could he get high-gluten flour?

Qin Huairu felt a pang of regret.

Jia Zhangshi had been waiting at the door.

Seeing Qin Huairu’s disappointed return, her face drooped. Her narrow eyes glared contemptuously.

“You can’t even handle a small matter. Did you not make an effort? Do you want to see your old mother starve?”

Qin Huairu was left speechless.

She had just been a little helper for Li Aiguo, and he refused. What else could she do?

Just then, Jia Dongxu came home from work and heard the whole story.

“Mother, you made a mistake. Our family is the Li family’s sworn enemy. How could Li Aiguo lend us food?”

“Then what do you suggest? The grain station and the market have no refined flour. Do you want your old mother to starve?”

Jia Zhangshi’s anger flared when Jia Dongxu spoke up for Qin Huairu.

“Jia Dongxu, I raised you with my own hands. Was it easy? And this is how you repay me?”

“Mother, just look carefully…”

Seeing Jia Zhangshi was about to get old Jia involved, Jia Dongxu hurried to stop her.

“Mother, hear me out.”

With a proud gleam in his eyes, Jia Dongxu said, “We can trade grain with Li Aiguo. According to the grain station’s ratio, two jin of millet flour can be exchanged for one jin of high-gluten flour.”

“Everyone knows that at the market, it takes fifteen jin of millet flour to get one jin of high-gluten flour. Li Aiguo is no fool.”

Jia Zhangshi had hoped for a good idea, but hearing this, she pursed her lips.

“Don’t worry, mother, I have a backup plan!”

Jia Dongxu whispered a few words into Jia Zhangshi’s ear.

Her eyes widened bit by bit, her mouth agape.

She couldn’t help but give a thumbs-up.

“Dongxu, you’ve improved. You’re almost catching up with your mother.”

“That’s right. Each generation surpasses the last.” Jia Dongxu beamed with pride, picked up the Pomeranian, and kissed its face.

“My son will definitely be stronger than me.”

After considering it, Jia Zhangshi found Jia Dongxu’s plan feasible.

“I’ll go find Old Yi. This kind of thing has to be handled by Old Yi.”

---

After sending Qin Huairu away, Li Aiguo began preparing lunch.

With refined flour and cooking oil on hand, he decided to indulge a little.

He would make large pancakes!

High-gluten flour was perfect for pancakes.

Pouring the flour into a bowl, he added water, mixing it into a coarse dough.

Then he kneaded and kneaded,

until the dough became soft and elastic.

He let it rest for a while until it was fully hydrated.

Picking up the rolling pin,

he rolled and rolled,

until the dough was flattened into a thin round.

Sprinkling a little salt on top,

then rolling it out again.

Once the pancake was evenly rolled into a circle, Li Aiguo placed it in a black iron pan.

As the pale blue flame licked the bottom of the pan, the pancake gradually turned golden brown, filling the room with a light, fragrant aroma.

He slid it onto a plate and took a bite while it was still hot.

The fresh, fragrant flour danced on his tongue, and Li Aiguo closed his eyes in contentment.

Just as he was enjoying his meal, the door was pushed open from outside.

“Well, well, Aiguo, you’re eating already.”

Xu Damao bent low as he entered, a sly smile on his face that betrayed his ill intent.

“Big Damao, here, try some?” Li Aiguo offered him a pair of chopsticks.

Looking at the golden pancake, Xu Damao swallowed hard but shook his head.

“No thanks. I’m here on business.”

Li Aiguo asked between bites, “Is Sha Zhu coming out soon?”

“Not yet, probably in a couple of days,” Xu Damao said awkwardly. “I heard you got dozens of jin of high-gluten flour. Could you spare me ten or eight jin?”

He straightened his face. “Don’t worry, I won’t take it for free. We’ll trade at market price.”

See, this is what it means to know how to handle people—Xu Damao was just like that.

In the original story, though a sly schemer, Xu Damao never took advantage of his neighbors.

Any mountain goods he brought from the countryside, he would share some with the neighbors.

“Ten or eight jin is too much. You know how scarce this stuff is…”

“Three jin. I only want three.”

Xu Damao pleaded earnestly, “This stuff is really useful. It’s about my happiness for the rest of my life. Please help me out.”

It seemed Damao wanted the flour to curry favor with his father-in-law.

“Alright, three jin it is. Since we’re neighbors, we should help each other when needed.”

Seeing Li Aiguo agree, Xu Damao grinned from ear to ear.

Tanya loved eating dumplings.

To make dumplings, high-gluten flour was a must, with refined flour being the best.

With three jin of refined flour and two jin of lamb meat, he would make lamb dumplings to bring to the Lou family.

Maybe the wedding would finally happen!