Transmigrated as a Stepmother: Time to Bring the Family to Prosper!-Chapter 37 - 36: Useless but Adorable

Chapter 37: Chapter 36: Useless but Adorable
"Second Lang, where’s your big brother?" Qin Yao asked puzzled.
Second Lang had already washed his hands and was scooping water for Sanlang and Si Niang to wash. He replied, "He’s still in the river catching fish."
Qin Yao asked curiously, "Did they catch any fish today?"
Si Niang eagerly said, "Big brother didn’t catch any, but Uncle and Brother Jinbao did!"
Qin Yao raised an eyebrow, so Da Lang doesn’t plan on coming home to eat until he catches a fish?
Just as she was thinking of going to the river to call the children back, they came back on their own.
He was holding the branch Qin Yao had made for him earlier, but his hands were empty, with no sign of any fish.
"Dad, Auntie." Da Lang called out listlessly, carefully placing the branch under the eaves, feeling dejected as he went to wash his hands and then entered the house to eat.
Liu Ji poked Da Lang’s arm with his chopsticks, gloating, "What happened? Didn’t catch any fish?"
"Si Niang said Liu Fei and Jinbao caught fish. Weren’t you all together? Seeing you didn’t catch any, why didn’t they give you one? Just let you come back empty-handed?"
Da Lang was already unhappy about not catching fish, and hearing his biological father’s words made him even more silent.
Liu Ji wanted to say more, but Qin Yao’s ghostly gaze swept over, and he shut his mouth, stuffing food into his mouth in large bites.
Qin Yao said to Da Lang, "If you don’t catch any today, try again tomorrow, you’ll catch some eventually. Don’t rush."
Da Lang lifted his head from the bowl, glanced at her with his clear eyes, and nodded with a soft "Hmm."
There was no meat tonight, but somehow Liu Ji bought some eggs and made a dish of scrambled eggs and a bowl of boiled greens.
The presentation was nothing to talk about, but the taste was moderate, and Qin Yao was thankful for that.
Judging by the meals Liu Ji prepared these past two days, he clearly has no idea how to cook!
But a person can always learn even if they don’t know.
Thus, after the meal, Qin Yao offered some suggestions and requirements regarding Liu Ji’s culinary skills over the past two days, hoping he could continue improving.
She spoke kindly, while her hands were wiping the short knife that had collected dust from not being used for days.
How could Liu Ji dare refuse?
He could only repeatedly say, "Yes, yes, wife, you’re right!"
Once Da Lang and his siblings had washed up and gone to their rooms to sleep, Qin Yao came to the stove and said to Liu Ji, who was applying medicine to his face:
"Tomorrow you go with me to Lower River Village to buy back the tiles."
There were no lights outside, and the countryside night was so dark you couldn’t see your hand in front of you. Suddenly, someone appeared behind Liu Ji, scaring him, making him almost stick the medicine into his nostril.
He quickly turned around, saw it was Qin Yao, and breathed a sigh of relief, sycophantically saying, "Wife, you’re so quiet, you scared me to death."
Qin Yao finished speaking and left, not even bothering to throw him another glance.
Liu Ji sneered at her departing back but soon started worrying about tomorrow’s lunch.
When they both left, who would cook lunch for the work crew family members?
Qin Yao had already arranged this. In the afternoon, when she went to the village to buy timber, she stopped by the old house and asked Sister-in-law He to take care of lunch.
Although He didn’t interact with Qin Yao much, she never suffered in dealings with Qin Yao, so she gladly agreed.
The next morning.
After a breakfast of bland noodle soup made by Liu Ji, Qin Yao set aside the food to be used for lunch today, instructed Da Lang and Second Lang, locked the main house’s door, and took the short knife for self-defense to head to Lower River Village.
Liu Ji was never one to stay idle. Having stayed in the village these days, he was getting anxious.
Being able to go out today, even if it meant following Qin Yao, whom he considered a shrew, his mood couldn’t help but be excited.
Maybe it’s because he made such bad food these past few days, and Qin Yao hadn’t done anything to him.
Liu Ji’s courage grew, and he couldn’t stop talking along the way.
"Wife, why do you always carry that broken knife?"
"Wife, you’re naturally beautiful. This knife doesn’t match your temperament at all."
Qin Yao ignored him.
"Wife, I heard from Da Lang and the others that you caught a black bear in the mountains last time. Did you sell it for a lot of silver? One hundred taels?"
"But it’s all my fault. If it weren’t for my debt, you wouldn’t have had to risk going into the mountains..."
Qin Yao still ignored him.
Not until Liu Ji had been talking non-stop for an hour without any sign of stopping did Qin Yao irritably glance at him, "Can’t you shut up?"
Liu Ji immediately pressed his lips together.
The injuries on his face were healing fast, with only a faint bruise left.
His hair was tied up on top with a twig used for firewood, with the stray ends hanging loose on one side, looking roguish and unkempt, adding to his thuggish demeanor.
However, this kind of thuggishness wasn’t ruthless but rather endearingly cowardly.
It was evident he had no clear self-awareness, self-imagining himself to be charismatic and uniquely handsome.
"Let me ask you, do people often say you look good?" Qin Yao asked.
Liu Ji immediately beamed, "Wife, how did you know?"
Could it be that she finally realized he was good-looking and decided to treat him well?
Qin Yao sneered, confidently saying, "They’re setting you up for a fall."
Liu Ji: "..."
"Hurry up!" Qin Yao urged coldly.
Liu Ji hurriedly caught up with a sense of grievance.
She was definitely jealous, jealous of his looks!
Suddenly, Qin Yao recalled something and pointed at his face, "Why did Lin Erbao only hit your face? What did you do during those days?"
His mother, Mrs. Zhang, said that Lin Erbao was ruthless, only making people work in the mines to pay off debts. Liu Ji had no reason to be beaten so badly.
Not expecting this question, Liu Ji’s expression froze, and he evasively said:
"They were jealous of my handsome appearance."
Because this face attracted too many women, causing the young girls and wives on the mountain to bring him treats frequently, the overseer’s wife even assigned him lighter jobs.
You know those men would go crazy with anger?
They were worried about their women being seduced, so they drove him off the mountains.
Poor him did nothing wrong, just chatted with the women, making girls and wives giggle, yet these men couldn’t tolerate him.
Sure enough, when men get jealous, they’re crazier than women!
Thinking of this, Liu Ji spat "Bah!" to the side, as if he was spitting on the faces of those ugly men on the mountain.
Qin Yao glanced at the indignant Liu Ji suspiciously, "Are you sure you did nothing?"
Liu Ji did indeed have a great face, but his vibe was so lacking it couldn’t be jealousy-inducing.
Liu Ji confidently puffed his chest out, "Of course!"
Qin Yao twitched her mouth but decided reluctantly to believe him.
While talking, they arrived at Lower River Village.
Liu Ji eagerly approached, chatting with villagers to find the kiln’s directions and enthusiastically led Qin Yao there.
This sudden enthusiasm raised suspicion since he never showed such energy while cooking.
Sure enough, upon reaching the kiln and seeing the charming landlady, Qin Yao understood.
Seeing her, compliments poured from Liu Ji’s mouth as if they were free, calling her "little sister-in-law."
The landlady initially found it offensive until she looked up, seeing his handsome face, she blushed despite her usually bold nature.
Seeing Liu Ji’s audacity as he tried to reach for her hand, Qin Yao snapped a quick, fierce slap!
The crisp slap sound was so sharp it made others shudder.
Clutching his quickly reddening and swelling hand, Liu Ji gritted his teeth, trying to hold back the tears welling up from the sting.
Silently, he retreated behind Qin Yao.
Raising his head to the sky, he subtly inhaled.