Chapter 235 - Happy New Year (2)

“You think we enjoying nagging you? How are you so careless to let Shu Yan took advantage of you and take every single dime of your money? Had you told me then, I would tear her up from end to end. You even ended up losing my oldest grandson. Is it because Li Jiaojiao won’t let you keep him? Now what? You lost your child and doctors said she will have difficulties having kids in the future.” Old Mrs. Ye glanced toward the outside and said to Ye Zhiqiang in a low voice, “I ran into little sister Wu’s daughter a few days ago. Her skin was fair and soft and her face round. She just looks like the kind of woman who’d bring her husband luck. Unlike that Li Jiaojiao. Her chin was so pointy that she can poke someone with it. She just has the look of someone who’d bring her husband bad luck. Just look at you and all the unfortunately events since you have been with her. What else could it be if it wasn’t for her? And that reputation of hers…”

“Oh, that’s nonsense. We live in modern time. These are all superstitious.” He may have said that but Ye Zhiqiang was obviously convinced by his mother’s words.

It was true that he ran into all sorts of obstacles since he had been with Li Jiaojiao. First he was threatened by Shu Yan and lost all of his money. Then he lost a few projects at work to other companies. He gave it his best so he could at least break even. He took his remaining money to develop in the more remote area but that had turned out to be very challenging as well.

Most importantly, Li Jiaojiao’s reputation was ruined and after they lost the child that she was carrying, she had changed a lot. She was petty and very insecure. She always suspected that he had a woman outside and would pick fight with him every time he came home late. That made him vexed at home all the time. Things were much better with Shu Yan. At least she didn’t ask any questions and would wait on him hand and foot.

Concubines are better than wives and affairs are better than concubines – such is human nature. When one only sees another person intermittently, all these will see is the other person’s strength. Most importantly, Li Jiaojiao had the halo of an intellectual and was able to give Ye Zhiqiang a sense of conquer. She had since lost that halo and, after losing her child, she left with him to the remote area before she had recovered sufficient. Naturally, she would not be looking too attractive. Li Jiaojiao became less and less confident in herself. With Ye Zhiqiang needed to rebuild his career from scratch and Li Jiaojiao was the third person who squeezed out the wife, naturally, she had a lot to worry about. Than on top of all the basic necessities in life…

Shu Yan has no knowledge of Ye Zhiqiang and Li Jiaojiao’s current situation nor did she care. She was preparing the New Year Eve’s dinner with her children.

Aunty had prepared steamed buns, sugar cake, and dumplings before she took off but Shu Yan herself had prepared quite a few dishes herself. They would for sure need chicken, duck, meat, and fish. Hu Ruixue had sent over a lot of seafood yesterday. Lobsters, crab, fish, anyone that one could think of. And Shu Yan made some of those as well.

Picture: Fried sugar cakes (this translator had never heard, seen, or had this before…)

Source: xiachufang.com

“Are we going to finish all these, Mommy?” asked JingJing as she watched dish and dish being brought out.

“That’s the whole purpose, so we can have leftovers.”*

Shu Yan sent the two children to the living room with a chicken thigh each. “Come and wash your hands when you are done. Don’t just wipe your hands on the couch.”

The doorbell rang and JingJing went to open it up in her slippers. When Lin Hui saw that it was JingJing, she reached her head in and said, “Are you cooking already? You want to stop and come over to have dinner at my place instead?”

___

Translator’s note:

Idea behind having “leftovers” is symbolic to having bountiful of [food/money] every year. “Fish”, which rhymes with “excess” serves the same purpose (regional variance?).