Chapter 174
174 The Same Kind
For some reason, Li Xiaoran suddenly had the urge to confide in him.
“I believe you’ve investigated me! I was married to my husband in place of someone else.”
When Old Madam Jin heard Li Xiaoran’s words and saw the dejected look in the little girl’s eyes, she seemed to understand something.
“Are you feeling uneasy because there was no official marriage ceremony? After all, if you get married to Luo Cheng like this, you’ll be criticized.” Old Madam Jin said what she had guessed.
Li Xiaoran was silent for a moment, then nodded.
Old Madam Jin looked at the little girl in front of her and suddenly smiled bitterly.
“Even if you get married officially, will you definitely be happy?”
Li Xiaoran didn’t expect Old Madam Jin to say such a thing, so she looked up at her in surprise.
“Little girl, what you care about is actually superficial. You know yourself whether your life is good or not! It doesn’t matter if you get married officially or not if you live a happy life. Those who care about you will dote on you. If he doesn’t care about you, these things are just superficial!” At this point, tears fell from the corners of Old Madam Jin’s eyes.
“I’m living a luxurious life now and have so many servants serving me, so I should be happy! Actually, that’s not the case! Back then, I had an arranged marriage. I was married to my husband officially. Unfortunately, we’ve been married for so many years! When I was young, I tried my best, but the two of us couldn’t get along. Later, when I had a child, I gradually focused on the child and didn’t force things anymore!” As she spoke, she smiled.
“Look, little girl, what you care about is not important at all! As long as the marriage between you two is valid, you’re his wife. This is a fact that no one can change. As for the criticism, it’s because they are envious and jealous of you. As long as you’re strong-willed, don’t be afraid of others’ words!”
At this point, Old Madam Jin laughed.
“In this world, what you actually get will always be more important than pride! I only realized this at my age!”
When Li Xiaoran heard this, she fell into deep thought.
At that moment, Old Madam Jin thought of something and looked at the old woman not far away.
“Go and bring me my favorite thing!”
Soon, the old woman brought over a bowl of food.
“Come, little girl, let me show you my treasure!” Old Madam Jin said as she opened the lid of the bowl.
As soon as the lid was removed, a stench wafted out.
Li Xiaoran looked down and saw a bowl of stinky tofu in front of her.
“Stinky tofu?” Li Xiaoran exclaimed in surprise.
“That’s right! It’s stinky tofu! Smell it. Doesn’t it stink?” Old Madam Jin said.
“Yes, yes. The stinky tofu smells bad but tastes delicious!” Li Xiaoran nodded and echoed.
“Hahahaha, no wonder I like you so much. So you have the same tastes as me! Come, come, come. Since we’re so compatible, let’s eat this stinky tofu together today!” As she spoke, Old Madam Jin asked someone to bring two more pairs of chopsticks over. The two of them picked up a piece each and ate.
When Li Xiaoran tasted the familiar taste of a piece of stinky tofu, she smiled happily.
“I like this taste and texture! It’s crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. There’s also the taste of oil and chili. Put in chameleon plants and onions, then the taste will definitely be even better!”
“Yes, yes, yes. I like this texture too! Some people like to eat the crispy texture and fry it! But I think this crispy texture is the best!” Old Madam Jin nodded and said as if she had met a soulmate.
As soon as she finished speaking, Old Madam Jin realized that Li Xiaoran had picked up another piece of stinky tofu to eat and was immediately anxious.
“Little girl, respect the old! Don’t eat too quickly. I bought this stinky tofu!”
“This stinky tofu is so delicious. Let me eat one more piece!” Li Xiaoran stared at Old Madam Jin and couldn’t help but beg, “Don’t worry, I’ll make something delicious for you later. I guarantee that you’ll like it very much too! And it’s also smelly but delicious food!”
When Old Madam Jin heard this, she immediately perked up.
“Really? It’s also smelly and delicious?”
“I guarantee that it’s definitely smelly and delicious!” Li Xiaoran widened her eyes and said.
Perhaps it was Li Xiaoran’s sincere and earnest look that moved Old Madam Jin’s heart, or perhaps Old Madam Jin was just playing with Li Xiaoran in the first place.
Just like that, the old and young ate their stinky tofu and chatted.
“You don’t know, but when I was in the city in the past, I had to be on my best behavior. I couldn’t make any mistakes. I was very unhappy. I couldn’t eat anything I wanted to eat! For example, this stinky tofu! None of the sons I gave birth to were easy to raise, but all of them objected to me eating these smelly things! Not long ago, for some reason, I left home in a fit of anger and came back to live here!” Perhaps because they had the same preferences, Old Madam Jin immediately became talkative.
“How good is it for me to live here? No one cares about me, and I don’t have to be so uptight. I can do whatever I want. I can be as happy as I want! Let’s talk about this stinky tofu! I can eat a bowl every day now. No one cares if I want to eat it! I don’t know how happy and carefree my future days will be! I was so stupid before. I lived a bitter life for those brats and some irrelevant people! Now that I’ve figured it out, I can live for a few more years! If I don’t enjoy life while I’m still in good health, I won’t have a chance!” As she spoke, Old Madam Jin ate the last mouthful of stinky tofu.
“In the past, I was always trapped in the backyard. Now that I’ve come out to take a look, I realize that the world is huge and there are countless beautiful scenery!”
With that, Old Madam Jin stood up, then looked around and shouted.
Li Xiaoran looked at the carefree Old Madam Jin and suddenly envied her!
“Little girl, what are you waiting for? Come over quickly and shout like me. You won’t feel depressed anymore! After venting your emotions, you can enjoy life!” After Old Madam Jin shouted, she called out to Li Xiaoran.