1Jiang Xue liked eating pizza.
When they were in college, Xiao Ming and she would go on dates, and at least seven or eight times out of ten, they would have pizza.
At first, Xiao Ming didn't understand what was so good about this foreign "death bread" that was also so expensive.
However, Jiang Xue didn't always let him pay for their dates, especially on the day she got her part-time job paycheck; she would insist on paying, leaving him with no objections.
It wasn't until their relationship grew deeper and they talked about it that he understood Jiang Xue's love for pizza was not about the taste but an obsession.
When she was young, her father once picked her up from school and they passed by a newly opened pizza shop. Despite the big discounts being offered, the price was still too high for an average working-class family.
She found it unusual and envied it but didn't make a sound, knowing better. Her father, who always doted on her, clenched his teeth and bought the smallest size, saying it was to take home to share with her brother.
She was thrilled, singing all the way home on the back of the bicycle, but when they arrived home and her mother learned the price of the pizza, she became furious. She argued with her father and even slapped Jiang Xue hard, scolding her for being wasteful.
Her father was angry and went out to drink, slamming the door, while she was locked in her room by her mother and didn't even have dinner.
In the end, the pizza was divided between her mother and brother.
She said she could never forget the rich and sweet smell at the entrance of the pizza shop and secretly vowed that once she earned money herself, she would eat pizza every day.
Of course, eating it every day was impossible, but under the influence of this obsession, pizza became her favorite food.
What Jiang Xue didn't know was that on the day he heard about this experience, Xiao Ming also made a silent vow.
He swore he would never let Jiang Xue taste the slightest hardship in life again. She would eat whatever she wanted, do whatever she wanted, and live freely for a lifetime.
Unfortunately, a couple of years ago, he was so defeated by setbacks that he became a jerk and completely forgot his vow, leading to lifelong regret in his previous life.
Now that he had the chance to do it all over again, he would certainly not forget.
Nowadays, pizza had already returned to its essence of being a common fast food, and although the price was not exactly cheap, an average family could afford it.
Especially for parents with children, aside from hamburgers and fried chicken, pizza places were their first choice when going out.
Sitting down at a familiar shop they had frequented for years, after they ordered, Jiang Xue looked around and smiled, "We're in luck today. I used to find all these noisy kids annoying and they'd spoil my appetite.
Although it's still quite noisy today, most of the kids are adorable, making it much more pleasant to watch."
"That's because you're about to be a mom yourself; love for one extends to all," Xiao Ming said as he poured her a glass of juice, his voice gentle.
Jiang Xue paused, looked down at her belly, and sighed softly, "Being a mom sounds simple, but when I think about the future—about the child's food, drink, health, and schooling—I get so worried I can't sleep.
There aren't any good kindergartens or elementary schools near our house; our kid will start off at a disadvantage compared to others. What will we do when they grow up?"
Xiao Ming chuckled, "What if I said 'Children will have their own blessings, good or bad, it doesn't matter'? Would you get mad?"
Jiang Xue's gaze sharpened, "You can try it if you like."
In the animal kingdom, pregnant females are the most valiant and aggressive, Xiao Ming certainly didn't have the nerve to upset her.
"Don't worry! Our child will definitely drink the best formula milk and attend the best schools. Even if you want to spoil them into a little rascal, I'll go along with it. If worse comes to worst, we can always break their legs when they grow up."
"Tsk! You never talk straight."
Glaring at him, Jiang Xue then said, "On the phone, you mentioned that you made a big deal, how big? Are there any bonuses or commissions?"
I am the boss, who would give me a bonus?
Scratching his head, Xiao Ming vaguely replied, "Anyway, we'll earn quite a bit. Why, do you need money? Just say the amount, and I'll transfer it to you later."
"What would I need money for? It's just..." Jiang Xue dropped her gaze, stirring her juice with a straw for a while before awkwardly saying, "in just another eight months, the baby will be born, and we really need to start saving up soon.
You have to be careful with money; you can't be as extravagant as you were before."
Xiao Ming was startled, then nearly jumped up in surprise as he reached across the table to hold his wife's hand.
"Xue'er, you... you've forgiven me?"
Forgiven?
Jiang Xue herself didn't know the answer to that question.
As for hatred, she definitely didn't hate him as much as before; these days she had seen Xiao Ming's efforts and changes, and the love in her heart that had never truly vanished was slowly recovering.
But whenever she considered moving back in with him, the images of Xiao Ming gambling away the nights while she stayed home alone, anxious and heartbroken, would flood her mind.
She was well aware that with the child in her belly, as long as her husband didn't gamble again, divorce was impossible.
If the child were to grow up healthy, neither parent could be absent.
However, she wasn't content.
To be precise, she needed something to completely dispel the fear in the depths of her heart and firm up her confidence.
And this something, which she herself wasn't sure what it was, had to be done by Xiao Ming.
Seeing his wife's silence, Xiao Ming felt disappointed but not surprised.
Women's emotions during pregnancy are sensitive and changeable, needing much more care. What used to be sufficient at a mere fifty percent now had to be ninety to a hundred percent.
Nonetheless, they were making progress, and everything was moving in the right direction, which was reason enough to be happy.
At that moment, their order arrived, and Xiao Ming immediately got busy—fetching pancakes and slicing steaks. A few humorous quips had Jiang Xue's brows relax, her face breaking into a happy smile.
"Oh, by the way, the business deal I facilitated today will cause some trouble for your company in a few days. But you can rest assured, I guarantee Maohe will suffer no losses," Xiao Ming said while they were eating.
"Yang Hanqing will definitely feel uncomfortable though, so you go and have a good talk with her on my behalf, apologize to her," he added halfway through their meal.
"Are you sure there will be absolutely no losses?"
"One hundred percent! At most, it'll just make the staff at Maohe a bit anxious, causing a minor panic."
"Then... since you guys are now colleagues, why don't you apologize yourself?"
"Because you two live together, you're closer and it's easier to say anything. I'm a man; saying too much can lead to misunderstandings, and saying too little won't solve the problem. So I have to trouble my dear wife."
Jiang Xue blinked and pouted, "Always finding me things to do! Fine, I'll talk to her when I get home from work today."
She said that, but she was actually very happy inside.
Because she had seen firsthand how Yang Hanqing behaved around Xiao Ming—it was nothing like the distance her husband described. And still, he entrusted this small matter to her.
This at least indicated that Xiao Ming was very careful about maintaining a proper distance from Yang Hanqing, ensuring that there would be no hint of ambiguity.
Feeling pleased, the couple had a more harmonious and cheerful meal together.
Suddenly, a woman's voice rang out beside them.
"Wow! Isn't that Jiang Xue? It's been such a long time, old classmate!"
Xiao Ming looked up to see a short-haired woman standing by their table, her name tag identified her as the service manager of the restaurant.
"Zheng Yanan?" Jiang Xue recognized her as well, saying with a smile, "Hello! It really has been several years."
"Yes, yes! I'm the manager of this restaurant now.
I can't talk much during work hours, but let's get in touch after I'm off.
However, since you're an old classmate, it wouldn't be a problem for you to do me a favor, right?
We're fully booked right now, but more customers have arrived. There are only two of you, so let's squeeze in together at the table, they won't mind."