My Wife Came From A Thousand Years Ago

Chapter 45: What are you smiling at?

When Xu Wenbin returned, it was nearly 7 p.m. The pot on the stove was bubbling with pork ribs, filling the house with a mouthwatering aroma. Just the smell alone lifted his mood, but seeing Xu Qing sitting on the couch made him even happier.

“Here to pay rent?”

“No, I’m here for dinner.”

“…"

Half of Xu Wenbin’s good mood disappeared instantly.

“Wash your hands and get ready to eat,” Zhou Suzhi urged. She timed the meal preparation to match Xu Wenbin’s return. He could wash up, sit down briefly, and then start eating right away.

“About the utilities—I checked. It’s 133 in total; I’ll send it over now.” Xu Qing didn’t keep up the banter, pulling out his phone and transferring the money in a few quick taps.

“Wait, last month you used nearly 300. How did it drop by more than half this month?” Xu Wenbin asked as he washed his hands, peeking suspiciously at Xu Qing in the living room.

“I said the rent, not the utilities…”

“Enough! If you’re cutting, cut it all. What’s the point of quibbling over a hundred bucks?” Zhou Suzhi, bringing out a dish, ended the discussion. She shook her head, wondering what karmic debt she owed to deal with these two bickering all the time.

“That hundred-plus could’ve gone to another round of ribs…” Xu Wenbin muttered, drying his hands. He sat down and glanced at Xu Qing fiddling with the TV remote. “It’s almost the end of the year. How’s work?”

“Mom already asked me earlier.”

“Oh.”

That was enough. On this, Xu Wenbin and Zhou Suzhi were in full agreement—no need to repeat themselves. Eventually, when this kid couldn’t afford a girlfriend, he’d get serious about finding a job.

“Stop tinkering. Let’s eat.”

“Coming.” Xu Qing switched the TV to CCTV-1, then happily went to wash his hands and scoop rice.

Home-cooked ribs were always the tastiest. Why? No special trick—just the comforting familiarity of it. Maybe he should bring Jiang He over to try it sometime…

Sitting at the dining table and taking in the aroma, Xu Qing briefly thought about packing some to go. Then, he dismissed the idea. Jiang He was probably already working overtime playing games.

Imagining her focused face as she pounded away at the keyboard, her character zipping around, Xu Qing couldn’t help but smile. Xu Wenbin, noticing, frowned.

“What are you grinning at?”

“Huh?” Xu Qing was startled. “Did I smile?”

“…”

Xu Wenbin decided not to bother, taking the bowl and chopsticks Zhou Suzhi handed him and diving into his meal. This kid was losing it.

“Uh… Dad, how’s that excavation project coming along?” Xu Qing tried to start a conversation.

“It’s a tomb, not some relic site.”

“…Mom said it; I was just repeating.”

“What? You planning to rob it once it’s developed? Or maybe design your own? Don’t let me catch you messing around with those so-called Tang Dynasty straw sandals again. Next time, I’ll have Xiao Hao haul you in for wasting time.”

Great. Xu Qing decided to drop the subject. If he told his dad that someone in his house was over a thousand years old, the old man would probably blow a gasket and pack him off to South Mountain Mental Hospital that same night.

“What straw sandals?” Zhou Suzhi asked curiously, nibbling on her chopsticks and glancing between them.

“Last time I stopped by, he had a busted sandal, claiming it was from the Tang Dynasty,” Xu Wenbin said with a chuckle. He turned to Xu Qing, “Why didn’t you say it was made by Liu Bei himself?”

“…”

Xu Qing focused intently on the ribs in his bowl.

“Oh, and that sword you have—is it from the Kaiyuan era too? What, you traveled back to the Tang Dynasty in a time machine to grab it? Brand new…”

“It’s practically falling apart!”

“Because you used it!” Xu Wenbin glared. “There’s a difference between broken from age and broken from use!”

“I couldn’t even fit into those sandals—they were too small,” Xu Qing shrugged. “Let’s eat. Just joking around. If I really had stuff from the Kaiyuan era, wouldn’t I be rich by now? I’d buy out your house.”

“I’m not selling to you.”

“Then I’d buy someone else’s. Your house is haunted anyway—I wouldn’t want it.”

The friendly banter continued through dinner. After the meal, Xu Qing helped clear the table and did the dishes while Zhou Suzhi took care of the rest.

Staying home as an adult always felt a bit out of place—nothing much to do, conversations finished over the meal. The cozy image of a family crowded on the couch watching TV and chatting was nice in theory, but in reality, there was rarely enough free time or things to talk about. His parents had more fun on their own, gossiping about neighborhood goings-on.

Seeing Xu Wenbin take a stack of papers into the study, Xu Qing followed out of curiosity and found a pile of incomprehensible academic materials.

“Why not rest after work? Doesn’t this tire you out?”

“I enjoy it. Better than you loafing around.”

“No wonder Mom plays mahjong every day.”

“…"

Xu Wenbin side-eyed him. “Want a spanking?”

“Alright, alright, carry on. I’m heading back.”

On his way out, Xu Qing stopped in the kitchen to say goodbye to Zhou Suzhi. His eyes caught a plastic box by the cabinet, halting him mid-step.

Inside was a block of ginger submerged in water, sprouting green shoots.

“Mom, is this ginger?” he asked, surprised. The leafy shoots were quite decorative.

“Yeah. Heard it’s good for health, so I decided to grow some. Hey, what are you doing?” she slapped his hand away.

“Share some with me. I’ll grow my own.”

“Buy your own. It’s not expensive.”

“Come on, just a little. It’ll grow back anyway.”

After much persistence, Xu Qing secured half a piece, placed it in a box, and asked, “So I just put it in water?”

“Just toss a fresh piece in water, and it’ll sprout,” she explained, slicing another piece and throwing it into a plastic box. “No maintenance needed.”

“Got it!” Xu Qing inspected his ginger enthusiastically. Jiang He would probably enjoy growing it for fun.

As he thought about giving it to her, Xu Qing suddenly froze.

“What’s wrong? It’s late—why aren’t you leaving?” Zhou Suzhi turned to see him standing there, lost in thought.

“…”

Xu Qing glanced at his mom, then at the ginger in his hands. After a moment of hesitation, he said, “Mom, I think I’m… in love.”

His lips felt dry as he spoke, uncertain about his realization. Could emotions really sneak up like this? It felt a bit hasty…

“You two already live together. What do you mean ‘think’?” Zhou Suzhi gave him a look of disbelief. “You feeling alright?”

“…I’m fine. I’ll head back now,” Xu Qing mumbled, turning to leave. “Don’t let Dad stay up too late.”

Falling for a girl from over a thousand years ago? Was it… greed? No, not that. Definitely not.

Outside, the moonlight was sparse, and the night air cold. Xu Qing stepped out of the residential complex, the chilly wind sobering him. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he gazed at the crescent moon hanging in the sky, its pale glow illuminating the faint mist escaping his breath.

His heart was racing.

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