A Couple's Rebirth to 1977 Before Marriage

Chapter 196: Chapter 193: A Couple’s Date

Looking at his daughter, who was clinging to his arm and acting cute, Li Xiu felt a bit wronged. It was always like this. She would roast him, then immediately try to sweet-talk her way back into his good graces. But looking at his daughter, who so closely resembled his wife, he just couldn’t bring himself to be harsh with her. Wiping a hand over his face, he said softly, "I had someone ask around. I’ll tell you the details once I hear back. Nuonuo, you need to tone it down a bit when you’re out. Don’t forget, you’re only seven, not seventeen!"

Li Xianglin stuck her tongue out and glanced at Zhou Lian. Seeing the disapproval on her mother’s face, she felt a pang of regret. ’Dad might listen to Mom about everything, but Mom always defends him. I can’t really blame her, though. Dad was the one who said he was going to dump me and my brother at Grandmaster’s house for the day.’ She didn’t dare say anything more. When her mother got angry, her punishments were much stricter than her father’s. It was best not to pull the tiger’s whiskers.

Seeing his daughter’s timid expression, Li Xiu gave a mischievous smile. His wife really did take his side. ’Children really are just here to collect debts.’ Taking his wife’s hand, Li Xiu said gently, "Bao’er, it’s getting late. Let’s go eat." He didn’t forget to take his daughter’s hand with his other one, though.

She glanced at the father-daughter pair, not bothering to engage with them. ’Every time his daughter roasts him, he acts so terribly wronged. But if I actually punish her, Li Xiu immediately jumps in to protect her. He plays both sides. He’s spoiled the kids rotten, making them so dramatic. They’re all well-behaved and sensible outside, but at home, in front of family, each one is more melodramatic than the last. I have no idea where they picked up such a bad habit!’

Seeing that it was just the two of them left at home, Li Xiu grew excited. It had been so long. He and his wife rarely had time alone together. Either she was busy, or the little monsters would come and ruin the moment. It wasn’t easy. Li Xiu was about to shed tears of bitterness. ’My demands aren’t even high! All I want is some regular alone time with my wife.’ It seemed, however, that there would be many more such opportunities in the future. The little rascals were growing up and in school, his wife had finished her studies, and as a university lecturer, she didn’t have to keep set office hours. The very thought made him incredibly happy.

Seeing how excited he was, Zhou Lian felt a rare pang of guilt. He had worked so hard these past few years, taking care of everything both inside and outside the home. To ensure she could focus on her studies without worry, Li Xiu had prepared for every eventuality and never let her worry about a single thing. She looked at him gently and said, "Jin Chen, thank you."

Still in his state of excitement, Li Xiu froze for a moment when he heard her thank you. After a long pause, he gently walked over to Zhou Lian, pulled her into his lap, and kissed her forehead. "Silly Bao’er," he said softly. "I’m your man. You don’t need to say that to me. But Bao’er, you could say something else I’d like to hear. For example, ’I like you,’ or ’I love you,’ or something like that!"

Looking at the man who could switch from tender to shameless in less than a second, Zhou Lian sighed and patted his arm. "Let me up. Come walk with me. We’ve been living here for almost two years, and I still haven’t had a proper look around!"

Two years ago, their small courtyard house near Beijing University had started to feel a bit cramped. The children were older and needed their own rooms, and Sister Fang needed a place to live in as well. So, Li Xiu made some inquiries and directly bought their current three-courtyard residence, not far from the Imperial Palace. It was said to have been the private home of an official from a previous dynasty, with a grand, rational layout and magnificent carved beams and painted pillars. Although it had suffered considerable damage during the ten years of turmoil, Li Xiu knew Zhou Lian loved houses with this kind of classical charm. He spent a great deal of effort to restore much of it, while also making modifications to add modern conveniences. It was just that Zhou Lian had been so busy, she’d never had a chance to properly admire it.

Having made a habit of doting on her, Li Xiu naturally wouldn’t refuse. He gently set her down and, holding Zhou Lian’s hand, began strolling slowly from the main entrance, carefully explaining each feature one by one: the main gate, the spirit screen, the reverse-facing rooms, the festooned inner gate, the covered walkways, the east and west wings, the courtyard, the side chambers, the main hall, and the rear building. Most importantly, there was a garden to the side that was about the same size as an entire courtyard house.

He had originally been looking at another, four-courtyard residence, but that one was just a simple quadrangle complex. After some thought, Li Xiu bought both properties. He planned to give the other one to the children later. Zhou Lian loved this garden, so his plan was to kick the kids out and have them live over there once they were grown. This house would be the place where he and his wife would spend their retirement. That was why Li Xiu had spared no effort, money, or thought, all just to ensure Zhou Lian would be happy and comfortable living here.

The residence itself occupied three mu, but including the garden to the west, the entire property was six mu. In one morning, the two of them only managed to tour the eastern part of the house. Fearing Zhou Lian would get tired, Li Xiu coaxed her into visiting the western garden in the afternoon. Even so, by the time they finished their tour, it was nearly noon. He poured Zhou Lian a large cup of tea brewed with red dates, longan, and lotus seeds, then hurried off to make lunch.

Zhou Lian looked at the tea in her hands with distaste. ’Hot tea in the middle of summer...’ she grumbled inwardly. But despite her dislike, she still drank it in small sips. Ever since giving birth to their son, her health had been carefully managed. Li Xiu had found a famous traditional Chinese medicine doctor to take her pulse and prescribe a regimen to recuperate her body, and she was now much healthier than the average person. However, the doctor had said that women should avoid cold foods and consume fewer "cool-natured" items. Because of this, Zhou Lian was fated to drink hot tea year-round. For the sake of Li Xiu’s heartfelt concern, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse.

Hearing Li Xiu mention buying another four-courtyard residence, Zhou Lian understood he was preparing one for their son and one for their daughter. That was only right. They had two precious children, and they couldn’t favor one over the other. The courtyard house near the university was too small—just a single courtyard—so it was best to buy another. Now that Li Xiu’s career was on the right track, he was earning a considerable amount each year. When you have too much money, it just becomes a number. On this attitude toward wealth, Zhou Lian and Li Xiu were surprisingly in perfect agreement.

Taking a small sip of tea, Zhou Lian looked at the large pomegranate tree in the courtyard and smiled with delight. This house was exactly what she had always wanted; it fulfilled a dream she had held for two lifetimes. A grand house with deep courtyards, a son and a daughter, a gentle and considerate husband, and a cat. To sit leisurely on the covered walkway, watching the flowers in the courtyard bloom and fall. To have two or three close friends with whom she could go treading through the snow in search of plum blossoms after a winter fall. For the elders in her family to be healthy and live to a hundred, and for all her relatives and friends to be well.

’I’m getting sentimental again.’ Zhou Lian laughed self-deprecatingly and shook her head. While she did appreciate the romanticism of the Wei and Jin dynasties and the literature of the Tang and Song, she didn’t truly have such a delicate mindset. She just had her occasional artistic moments. It must have been quite a task for Li Xiu to put so much thought into renovating this house and garden for her. She had been to the garden a few times, but she had been so busy these past few years that she’d only ever given it a cursory glance. Now that she finally had some free time, she resolved to appreciate it properly in the afternoon. It was, after all, modeled after a Jiangnan Garden—with its artfully stacked rocks and water features, numerous flowers and trees, methodical layout, elegant style, and simple architecture. It must have cost Li Xiu an immense amount of effort.

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