Chapter 139: Chapter 137: I Earn Money For You to Spend

Su Tang was warmed by Wang Xinxin’s enthusiasm, a gentle smile touching her lips. “Thank you, Xinxin. You’re very cute, too.”

She gently patted the young woman’s hand, her gaze landing on Lu Xiao not far away. He was bent over, stuffing their luggage into the trunk.

Wang Xinxin’s eyes lit up as she pulled Su Tang toward the supply co-op. “Sister Tang, let me tell you! Before I left, I looked up all the plants in the Northwest. I heard the cotton here is amazing, and there are so many medicinal herbs I’ve never seen before!”

“And my aunt is here, too! I haven’t seen my aunt and uncle in ages. It’s such a coincidence that they came here to take care of you. Our whole family is reunited.”

She chattered on like a happy little lark.

“Once I get settled, I’ll go check out the fields. Maybe I can even help the local farmers.”

Su Tang listened patiently, nodding from time to time.

They crossed a bustling street. Inside the supply co-op, a dazzling array of goods was displayed behind a glass counter: enamel mugs, blue cloth jackets, fruit candies…

Wang Xinxin stood on her tiptoes to peer at the floral fabrics on the counter, her eyes sparkling. “Sister Tang, look! That red fabric with the small floral print would make such a pretty dress!”

Su Tang followed her gaze. The fabric was vibrant and certainly well-suited for a young woman.

Just then, Lu Xiao followed them inside. He instinctively put a protective arm around Su Tang to shield her from the jostling crowd. “See something you like?”

His eyes glanced at the floral fabric, then shifted to Su Tang’s slight baby bump.

“Let’s get you some soft cotton for pajamas. It’s starting to get cold.”

Wang Xinxin teased from the side, “Cousin, you’re too good to Sister Tang! I’m getting jealous!”

“When I get a husband, he has to be just like you, Cousin.”

As she spoke, she picked up a bag of fruit candies. “I’m going to buy some of these. I hear the kids in the Northwest rarely get to eat them.”

Su Tang’s cheeks flushed. She gave Lu Xiao a light push. “Don’t waste your money.”

Despite her words, her heart felt warm and fuzzy.

But Lu Xiao paid her no mind. He had the clerk cut a length of the cotton fabric and then picked up two tins of malted milk powder. “This is for your health.”

He turned to Wang Xinxin. “Xinxin, if you need anything, just let me know. I’ll get it for you.”

Wang Xinxin felt too awkward to let Lu Xiao spend money on her and quickly waved her hands. “No, I’m fine! I brought plenty of things with me.”

She pointed to the sickles and straw hats on a shelf. “Although, I do need to buy a sickle and a straw hat. They’ll come in handy for farm work.”

Hearing this, Su Tang took a closer look at the straw hat. “The sun is very strong in the Northwest. This kind of hat doesn’t offer much protection. I know a shop that sells sturdier rattan hats. I’ll take you there in a bit.”

“Really? Thank you, Sister Tang!”

Wang Xinxin’s eyes crinkled as she smiled. ’This new sister-in-law of mine isn’t just beautiful,’ she thought, ’she’s incredibly thoughtful, too.’

Once they finished their shopping, the three of them left. Lu Xiao walked ahead, carrying bags of all sizes, while Su Tang and Wang Xinxin followed side-by-side.

Wang Xinxin leaned closer to Su Tang and whispered, “Sister Tang, my aunt told me you studied medicine in the UK. You must be amazing!”

Su Tang gave a small smile. “I’m an attending physician at the hospital now.”

Wang Xinxin gasped in awe when she heard that. ’Wow, that’s so impressive!’

After that, she turned to look at Lu Xiao.

’It’s just like Auntie said. If her family hadn’t fallen on hard times, my cousin might never have been able to marry someone like her.’

Su Tang didn’t notice what was on Wang Xinxin’s mind. She was watching the distant sunset.

“The conditions here in the Northwest are harsh, but there’s a lot of important work to be done. You can make a real difference now that you’re here.”

Wang Xinxin nodded emphatically. “Mhm! I’ll definitely work my hardest! I’ll do my best to help the crops here grow better and better!”

The young woman’s eyes sparkled with aspirations for the future. ’She’s just like I was when I first arrived in the Northwest,’ Su Tang thought, feeling a sense of fondness for her.

「By the time they got home, the sky had already grown dark.」

But Mr. and Mrs. Lu had already prepared a table full of food, waiting for them.

“Oh my, Xinxin, you’ve grown into a young lady!”

Mrs. Lu said, laughing warmly as she came over to greet them.

Wang Xinxin rushed forward to take Mrs. Lu’s arm, calling out sweetly, “Auntie!” Then she turned to Mr. Lu, who was standing to the side, and gave a respectful bow. “Hello, Uncle.”

A rare smile appeared on Mr. Lu’s face, and he nodded at her. “Good girl. It was a long journey. Hurry inside and get some rest.”

The dining table was laden with Northwest specialty dishes.

Steam rose from a potato and meat stew, golden-brown flatbreads were arranged around the edge of the pot, and a plate of cold-dressed sand onions looked crisp and refreshing.

Wang Xinxin picked up a piece of sand onion with her chopsticks. It was crisp with a slight spicy kick, and her eyes immediately lit up.

“Auntie, your cooking is amazing! It’s so much better than the food at my school cafeteria.”

Mrs. Lu beamed at the compliment, continuously placing more meat into her niece’s bowl.

“If you like it, eat up. Look how skinny you are, all arms and legs! You need to eat more to build yourself up.”

Lu Xiao picked out the most tender pieces of stewed meat, carefully removed the gristle, and placed them in Su Tang’s bowl. “Eat slowly. Don’t burn yourself.”

Su Tang looked down at the small mountain of meat piled in her bowl. When she looked up, her eyes met Lu Xiao’s gentle gaze, and a blush crept up her cheeks again.

Watching from the side, Wang Xinxin couldn’t help but grin. ’Their interactions are just too sweet!’

As she ate her rice, she suddenly remembered something and pulled a tin box out of her canvas bag.

“Oh, that’s right! Auntie, Mom had me bring this jasmine tea for you. She said it used to be your favorite.”

Mrs. Lu took the box and opened it. A crisp, clean fragrance of tea instantly filled the air, and her eyes grew misty.

“How thoughtful of your mother. To think she still remembers what I like.”

They were halfway through dinner when a knock came from the courtyard gate.

Lu Xiao got up to open the door. It was Aunt Zhang from next door, carrying a bowl. “Mrs. Lu,” she said, “I steamed some sweet buns and brought a couple over for Doctor Su to try.”

Su Tang quickly stood up to thank her, but Aunt Zhang just waved her hand.

“No need for thanks! The other night, my old man was coughing something awful in the middle of the night, and it was all thanks to you coming over to see him. This is nothing compared to that.”

She noticed Wang Xinxin at the table and asked curiously, “And who is this?”

“This is my niece. She just arrived from Shanghai,” Mrs. Lu explained with a smile.

Aunt Zhang immediately warmed up. “Oh, a young lady from the city! Just look at you, so bright and pretty. If you run into any trouble, you just come talk to your Auntie, you hear? Don’t be a stranger.”

Wang Xinxin quickly stood to thank her. ’The people in the Northwest are so warm-hearted,’ she thought.

After dinner, Mrs. Lu went to get a room ready for Wang Xinxin, and Su Tang went along to help.

The room wasn’t large, but it was neat and clean. There was an old wooden cabinet in the corner, and Mrs. Lu placed a potted cactus on top of it.

“These things are easy to care for,” she said. “And they can help keep the mosquitoes away.”

Wang Xinxin touched the cactus spines, finding it novel and interesting. “Auntie, you’re so thoughtful.”

Only after Wang Xinxin was settled in did Su Tang and Lu Xiao return to their own room.

The moment they stepped inside, Lu Xiao gently wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his chin on the crown of her head. “Tired today?”

Su Tang shook her head, leaning back into his embrace. The faint scent of his soapberry soap lingered in the air.

“I’m fine. Xinxin is such a lively girl; it’s not tiring at all to be around her.”

Lu Xiao tightened his arms, his voice low. “Don’t always be thinking about helping others. You’re pregnant. You need to get more rest.”

“I know my limits. But what about you? You bought so many things today. It must have cost a fortune.”

“What’s the point of earning money if not to spend it on you?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep