Chapter 212: The Bitterness of Living Under Someone Else’s Roof

Chapter 212: Chapter 212: The Bitterness of Living Under Someone Else’s Roof

It’s not that Qian Kang is incompetent, but he just had to commit the sin of greed—wanting his path to promotion to be smoother—so he listened to his father?in?law and married his daughter.

He thought with his own hard work and a little pull from his father?in?law, things should go smoothly, but in the end he ended up looking like some guy living off a woman.

Clearly it was merit he fought tooth and nail for himself, but once it came out of Feng Jiaojiao’s mouth, it turned into charity from her father.

He was forcibly pushed down a notch.

"Old Qian! Why are you out here smoking all by yourself?" Zhao Lin came up from behind and patted Qian Kang on the shoulder.

Qian Kang turned around and saw Zhao Lin and Mu Cheng, and gave a bitter little smile.

The two of them skillfully took out their cigarettes and started smoking with Qian Kang.

"Don’t stew over it. We all know it’s not like she said. We’ve seen how you work yourself half to death, clear as day." Zhao Lin comforted him.

"I just feel like I’m living without a shred of dignity." Qian Kang exhaled hard, regretting his choice back then. "We’re just like Lu Feng. If we’d refused like he did back then, would we be able to get promoted on our own abilities now, without having to tiptoe around all the time?"

The three of them were in the same intake as Lu Feng, and back then Lu Feng also drew attention—someone wanted to marry their daughter to him.

But Lu Feng turned them down flat, then risked his life on missions and earned everything he has now.

If back then... they’d made a different choice, would they now be able to live like proper men?

Instead of walking around feeling like they’re taking shelter under someone else’s eaves.

"Saying all this now is too late anyway! Those three, which one of them isn’t a handful? You’ve already married them, it’s not like you can return the goods." Mu Cheng sighed. He was probably the one who regretted it the most—he’d tossed aside a gentle, considerate childhood sweetheart and brought home a hard?to?please little princess.

Always bowing and scraping, turned himself into a damned lackey.

"If it weren’t for trying to have kids, you probably wouldn’t even be able to see her, right..." Zhao Lin let out a bitter laugh.

What hit him the hardest was his wife’s belittling. In her eyes his efforts were worthless. She was born at the top and has never known real hardship. She bossed him around with her nose in the air, and anything she didn’t like, he absolutely had to change. If he didn’t, she’d make a scene and force him to give in.

"With the way they go about having kids, you have to shower first, then put perfume all over your body, then shave, change clothes..." Zhao Lin didn’t even want to go on.

By the time you’re done with that whole routine, his desire has been completely drained; he doesn’t feel like touching her at all.

The other two covered their faces in silence. As if they weren’t the same. Keep this up and they’re all going to end up impotent.

No matter how much perfume the women put on, they couldn’t stir up even a tiny bit of interest.

"I really envy Lu Feng..."

The three of them said in unison.

After finishing their cigarettes with a heavy heart, the three men looked at each other, accepted their fate, and went home.

Ever since that clash with the three of them that day, Fu Xiaoxiao hadn’t run into them again; instead it was Liu Xiaocao who brought her news.

"Oh man, this is killing me, let me tell you, those three women are really something, they’re so damn fussy." Taking advantage of Li Si being out, Liu Xiaocao ran over to Fu Xiaoxiao’s place to pick vegetables with her.

"What happened?" Fu Xiaoxiao asked curiously.

"You would never guess! I’m telling you, this is the first time I’ve heard that city people have so many steps just to consummate a marriage." Liu Xiaocao laughed suggestively, leaned into Fu Xiaoxiao’s ear, and told her what she’d dug up.

"I’m telling you, those three came here to make babies, right? Do you know how they ’make’ them? If the man wants to get into bed, he has to wash himself squeaky clean from head to toe first, then put on perfume, make himself smell all nice and fragrant, then shave off all his hair, and put on new clothes..." As she talked, Liu Xiaocao started laughing so hard she was gasping.

"Honk... honk... honk... honk... honk..." Liu Xiaocao was laughing like a goose.

Seeing her laugh like that, Fu Xiaoxiao hurried to rub her back, afraid she’d laugh herself into a cramp.

"Take it easy! You’re about to laugh yourself out of breath."

"Oh man, it’s honestly killing me. No wonder the old folks always say city people are fussy. I really didn’t expect that for something you can do as soon as you pull your pants down, they need that many steps." Liu Xiaocao waved her hand. Once she’d caught her breath, she couldn’t help but start laughing again.

"If people in our village followed their whole routine, then whenever wild mandarin ducks dive into a haystack, they’d have to trim every stalk in the haystack first and lay it flat! By the time they’re done, the daylilies would be cold!"

It was also the first time Fu Xiaoxiao had heard of such a thing, but she made no comment. She didn’t care how they consummated their marriages; she just felt pretty sorry for those three comrades.

"But how do you know all this? Something this private..." Fu Xiaoxiao looked at Liu Xiaocao curiously, genuinely impressed by her powerful social skills—she could even dig up this kind of stuff?

"I heard it from the auntie who cooks for them. Every time they come over, they bring a pile of stuff, and the one who cooks for them at home has to be included." Liu Xiaocao said with a laugh.

"They don’t know how to do laundry or cook at all. If this were in our village, they’d get complained about to death!" Liu Xiaocao shook her head. "The three of them do nothing all day long except drink tea, tea and more tea. I don’t even know what that tea tastes like. What’s so great about it?"

"Black tea, I guess! Want to try? I’ve got some, I’ll brew you a cup!" Fu Xiaoxiao smiled. Lu Feng had brought some back for her; perfect chance to open it and give it a try!

"Really? Won’t that be a waste? I don’t even know how to drink that kind of fancy stuff, better not waste it!" Liu Xiaocao’s eyes lit up; she was about to say yes, then thought this kind of thing definitely wasn’t cheap and shook her head.

"It’s just tea, what’s there to waste or not waste? If you drink it, it’s not wasted." Fu Xiaoxiao finished picking the vegetables in her hands and smiled gently at Liu Xiaocao.

"Wait here, I’ll brew it for you." Fu Xiaoxiao stood up and went to the kitchen.

When she came out, Fu Xiaoxiao was holding two glass cups and gestured for Liu Xiaocao to come over.

Full of anticipation, Liu Xiaocao picked up a cup and took a sip. Her mouth twisted and her expression went strange.

Fu Xiaoxiao chuckled softly; she wasn’t surprised at all by this reaction. No matter how good black tea is, in the end it’s still just tea.

To people who understand it, it’s a rare treasure.

But to people who don’t, it’s just a cup of tea, no different from anything else.

"It kind of... doesn’t taste that different from the tea we drink at home?" Liu Xiaocao wondered if something was wrong with her tongue. From the way those women acted, it should taste amazing!

But she just couldn’t tell what was supposed to be so good about it. Wasn’t it just regular tea?

Fu Xiaoxiao smiled faintly. Liu Xiaocao’s expectations had been sky?high; now that she’d actually tasted it, she started doubting herself, wondering if she’d gotten it wrong.

"There really isn’t that big a difference. It’s just from a different place, made with a different process, so the flavor’s a bit different." Fu Xiaoxiao took a light sip.

But essentially it’s still tea, nothing wrong with that.

Consider it a little de?mythologizing.

"So the stuff from the city doesn’t seem all that special either!" Liu Xiaocao imitated Fu Xiaoxiao and took two tiny sips, then completely gave up.

"No wonder the village chief says don’t assume everything from the city is good stuff; it’s the city folks who’ve never seen the good things we have in the countryside." Liu Xiaocao patted her chest and downed the black tea in one gulp.

If Feng Jiaojiao were here and saw Liu Xiaocao chugging tea like that, she’d definitely scold her for being like a cow chewing peonies, not knowing a good thing when she sees it.