…Ye Xiaoxian was taken aback. She was stupefied and the stir-fry in the wok almost burned. When she smelled the burning she then hurriedly put the overcooked sweet and sour ribs on a plate.
She secretly considered herself lucky. Luckily it was for Baoshan and between families this isn’t a big deal!
“How come you’re suddenly bringing me a gift?” asked Ye Xiaoxian surprised.
It’s a genuine pearl hairpin.
Could it be that he left home for a month and suddenly realized her merits and missed her, so he then decided to give her a token of his affection?
In fact, he had not given her any gifts for quite some time.
“I saw it on the street and thought it suited you well, so I bought it,” said Xiao Baoshan.
Ye Xiaoxian felt a bit shy and wiped her hands on her apron several times then carefully took the hairpin from him.
It was heavy and the jade looked of high quality. It was different than in the modern era when one has to go to a fancy jeweler to buy top-class jade. In this era, one could easily find fine crafts on the street, as the real craftsmen were among the common people.
Ye Xiaoxian looked at Xiao Baoshan again shyly and Xiao Baoshan also felt a little self-conscious, not even knowing where to place his hands and feet.
He then took the plate of sweet and sour ribs and said to Ye Xiaoxian, “Well, well, I’m going out to eat first.”
“Go ahead and I’ll cook some fish fillets in chili oil for you later,” said Ye Xiaoxian.
When Xiao Baoshan went to the lounge, Ye Xiaoxian felt all the veins under her skin were boiling hot and her heart was beating so fast that she could not put her joy into words. She thought that Xiao Baoshan must have indicated something, as if he was going to confess his love to her. Otherwise why should he go inside from the backyard and slip into the kitchen to give her the hairpin.
The new fire-tender was also a little girl who was bought by Ye Xiaoxian for eight taels of silver. She was only twelve years old and was called Xian. Xian saw Ye Xiaoxian chuckle like this and she could not help but giggle along too.
Ye Xiaoxian then asked Xian, “What are you giggling about?”
“Sister Ye is giggling so I’m giggling too,” said Xian. She then asked, “Sister Ye, is that your husband?”
“Yes.” Ye Xiaoxian inserted the hairpin into her hair but took it out after a while. She did not want Li Hongmei and others to see it or they would surly tease her and Baoshan. She thought that maybe she would go out tomorrow and pretend that she had bought a hairpin and lie to Li Hongmei that she’d bought it herself.
She would treat this pearl hairpin as a little secret only between Baoshan and herself and would wear it every day.
…Li Hongmei was serving customers in the hall and suddenly saw Xiao Baoshan carrying a bowl of sweet and sour ribs. She paused in a daze first and then hurried over to Baoshan. “Baoshan, when did you come back?”
“Not long before,” said Xiao Baoshan.
“But you’re…” Li Hongmei pointed at the ribs in his bowl.
“Little Ye said that this one is for me. Ma, I got to eat first. I’m so hungry.” Xiao Baoshan found an empty table and then started eating hungrily.
Li Hongmei also sat next to her son.
Seeing that Xiao Baoshan had become darker and thinner and was eating like a hungry wolf, Li Hongmei felt sorry for him. “Baoshan, how come you’re so hungry? Is the job at the dock that exhausting?”
Xiao Baoshan answered while eating. “Not that exhausting. It’s just that I went sailing on a ship a few days ago and had been eating nothing but dried food, so I feel kind of hungry now.”
“Well, have more then,” said Li Hongmei with mothering pity.
Xiao Baoshan thought about the beaded necklace and the horn comb which he bought for Li Hongmei and Xiao Baozhu, so he took them out to show Li Hongmei. “Ma, this is for you and Baozhu. The necklace is for you and the comb is for Baozhu.”
“Ah, what a pretty necklace and it’s red!” Li Hongmei took the necklace joyfully and put it around her neck straight away.
“What about little Ye? Have you bought anything for her?” asked Li Hongmei.
This kid, don’t you forget to buy gifts for Ye Xiaoxian. She is your wife.
Xiao Baoshan said frankly, “I bought her a pearl hairpin and have already given it to her in the kitchen just now.”
“Really? Is it pretty? How does it look?” asked Li Hongmei.
Xiao Baoshan did not speak as he did not know how to describe it.
Li Hongmei ran straight to the kitchen.
Ye Xiaoxian was cooking fish filet in chili oil and still in quite a happy mood because Xiao Baoshan had actually bought her a gift. The hairpin was in her pocket and she felt it was so heavy.
“Little Ye, little Ye, has Baoshan given you a hairpin? What does it look like? Show it to Ma,” Li Hongmei shouted to her.
“…” Ye Xiaoxian was confused, how did Li Hongmei find it out?
Ye Xiaoxian looked at her carefully and spotted a new beaded necklace on her neck.
“Ma, is that also from Baoshan?” asked Ye Xiaoxian.
“Yes, not only for me but Baozhu also got one. Hers is a horn comb. It must be because that brat Baozhu doesn’t like to comb her hair so that’s why Baoshan bought her a comb.”
Ye Xiaoxian felt instantly disappointed.
It turned out that she was not the only one who received a gift, but everyone did.
In his heart she was not special but the same as every family member of his.
“Little Ye, what did Baoshan give you? Quickly, show me.” Li Hongmei said again.
Ye Xiaoxian did not feel that the hairpin was burning hot or heavy or anything. This was nothing but an ordinary hairpin.
Perhaps Xiao Baoshan gave her the gift in order to get her to cook for him. Li Hongmei and Xiao Baozhu were his relatives so even if they did not cook for him, he would still buy gifts for them. Thinking about it, she felt that she was not even as important as Li Hongmei and Xiao Baozhu in his heart.
She took out the hairpin and put it into Li Hongmei’s hand. “Ma, why don’t you keep it for me. I’m still working so it’s not very convenient for me to have it now.”
“Little Ye, your hairpin is really nice, much better than my necklace.”
“If you like it, Ma, you can take it,” said Ye Xiaoxian.
“Of course not, Baoshan bought this for you so how could I possibly take it for myself? I’ll just keep it for you now and will give it back to you in the evening so you can wear it tomorrow.” Li Hongmei chuckled.
However, on second thought Li Hongmei sensed something strange.
Why does Little Ye look unhappy?
What’s the matter with her?
She looked at Ye Xiaoxian again who was about to sprinkle chili power into the fish fillet and she took a handful of it.
“Little Ye, why, why are you putting so much chili in it? Which customer ordered it?”
“Baoshan did,” said Ye Xiaoxian shortly.
“Did Baoshan ask for that much chili?”
“He said so just now,” said Ye Xiaoxian as she stirred the chili power into the dish, put it on a plate and said to Li Hongmei, “Ma, please take this to Baoshan.”
“Ri, right.” Li Hongmei was puzzled.
What’s wrong with little Ye? Is she happy to see Baoshan back?
Li Hongmei took the plate of fish fillet in chili oil which was covered in chili powder to Xiao Baoshan. Xiao Baoshan only took one bite and began coughing constantly due to the spiciness.
“So hot!” he said to Li Hongmei.
“Did you not ask little Ye to put more chili in it?” asked Li Hongmei.
“…I didn’t,” said Xiao Baoshan feeling wronged.
“So what did you say to little Ye in the kitchen just now?”
Xiao Baoshan hesitated.
Li Hongmei explained, “Little Ye looks rather unhappy now so you’d better tell me what happened and let me figure out the reason.”
Xiao Baoshan then told her the whole story.
After Li Hongmei heard it she suddenly scolded Xiao Baoshan, “You fool!”