"Instructor Peng, didn't you say you were going to buy homework? Why did you take so long? We thought you weren't coming back and would leave us here to starve!"
"Quick, quickly go make food. It's been two days, and I've only eaten one meal. I'm really starving to death!"
"If I had known you were this harsh, I wouldn't have come even if you beat me to death! Nothing to eat, nothing to drink, no internet, no door at night, and you punish us every day. I finally know what it's like to be in prison. Instructor Peng, I won't argue with you anymore, alright? Can you stop tormenting us like this?"
Peng Fei threw the bag of homework into Xiang Siyuan's arms and glared at them.
"Who are you blaming? Isn't it your own fault? You deserve to starve to death. Get lost and do your homework!"
The aunt and Zhan Jingchun followed him into the house.
The aunt offered enthusiastically, "Little Peng, let me help you. Otherwise, it's so late, how long will it take you alone?"
Peng Fei scooped half a rice cooker of rice, not even bothering to wash it, added water, and started steaming. Then he rolled up his sleeves and went to the refrigerator to get the vegetables.
"No need, Auntie. It's so late, you should rest. It's fine. They deserve to starve. They're grown adults, and there are vegetables in the fridge. They'd rather wait than lift a finger. Don't feel sorry for them."
"They'll appreciate the comfort of their previous lives more if they endure a bit of hardship. That's the purpose of their parents sending them here. If you pamper them, they'll get carried away again in a couple of days."
The aunt thought it made sense and didn't say much more.
Upon leaving the kitchen, she intended to call Zhan Jingchun home. However, seeing her sitting on the sofa like a teacher, distributing homework to the children one by one, she felt a pang of reluctance.
Earlier that morning, Zhan Jingchun had seemed preoccupied, but by evening, she was like a different person.
Although she wasn't all smiles, her newfound ease and carefree spirit were palpable.
Seeing her fingers sparkling with beautiful manicures, the aunt, who wasn't foolish, knew she enjoyed being around young people. So, she said nothing and quietly went home.
Peng Fei selected the dishes for dinner and prepared to trim and wash them. He reached out his hand, saw the sparkling manicure, and quickly retracted it in alarm.
He wondered if the water would wash it off. What if it came off and Zhan Jingchun got angry?
He put the vegetables down again and quietly went to the living room.
In the living room, Zhan Jingchun was explaining a problem to the youngest child. After she finished, he awkwardly called out to her.
"Miss Chun, could you come to the kitchen for a moment?"
Zhan Jingchun looked at his hesitant expression, curious about what he needed. She went to the kitchen, and Peng Fei opened his ten fingers for her to see.
"Can they soak in water? Will they fall off? I need to wash and cut vegetables. What if they come off?"
Zhan Jingchun covered her mouth, laughing until she was breathless.
His foolish and innocent demeanor was simply too amusing.
By the time she finished laughing, Peng Fei still didn't know if the nails could be soaked.
Zhan Jingchun waved her hand. "They won't. Don't you have common sense? What dishes do you need to prepare? Let me help you."
How could that be?
Miss Zhan, the pampered darling, hadn't lifted a finger even back in his hometown. He couldn't let her do it here.
"No, no, I'll do it myself. As long as they don't come off."
With that, he put his hands under the faucet. Zhan Jingchun stopped him.
"Look at your hands. How damaged are they? If you soak them in water again, will they still be usable? Aren't you afraid of infection? In severe cases, amputation might be necessary. If you actually get them amputated, I'll like you even less."
Terrified, Peng Fei could only let her wash them.
Zhan Jingchun washed them meticulously, handing one to Peng Fei after washing it. Peng Fei cut them next to her.
They worked together with perfect coordination, occasionally exchanging words. From behind, they looked like a perfectly matched couple, radiating affection.
Xiang Siyuan was curious. Why wasn't Zhan Jingchun going home so late? What was so interesting about a mere instructor?
He secretly peeked through the kitchen doorway. Seeing them like this, he stealthily retreated and whispered to everyone else.
"Look, Miss Zhan went to cook with that instructor. They were chatting and laughing. What's going on?"
Someone immediately chimed in, "What do you think is going on? They must have feelings for each other."
"Peng is too daring. A rough guy from a backwater village actually dares to have ideas about Miss Zhan. Even if he's good at charming her, the Zhan family will never agree in the end, no matter how infatuated she might be for a moment."
"Exactly, with him? He expects to woo Miss Zhan?"
Someone held a different opinion, "Why do I think they look quite well-matched? The Zhan family isn't short of money. If she really likes him, it's not impossible to have a live-in son-in-law."
"You've got a good imagination, a live-in son-in-law..."
"So what? This kind of thing isn't unheard of. Shall we make a bet?"
"A bet it is!"
Their teamwork was excellent. Soon, the first dish was stir-fried. Peng Fei brought it to the table and tossed a handful of chopsticks to them to start eating.
Xiang Siyuan was the first to grab for chopsticks. As Peng Fei withdrew his hand, he noticed the sparkle on his fingers.
"Wait, what happened to your hand, Instructor Peng? Let me see what you've got on your fingers."
Peng Fei quickly retracted his hand and glared at him.
"What could be on them? Just some water. What are you looking at?"
"It's not water. Why do I see a pretty pinkish color? Let me have a look."
"You little brat, are you getting too cheeky? Is it your business to manage me? Are you going to eat or not? If not, I'm throwing it away."
"Eat, eat, eat! Fine if you don't want me to look. Why are you so fierce?"
Peng Fei returned to the kitchen. Zhan Jingchun had heard his and Xiang Siyuan's conversation clearly and realized it was inappropriate.
"After we finish cooking, I'll help you remove the nail polish."
Peng Fei was taken aback. "It can be removed?"
"Of course. There's nail polish remover. I was just teasing you this afternoon and didn't expect you to actually do it. You're a man, after all. People will laugh if they see it. Let's remove it."
But Peng Fei didn't want to.
She had said they were couple's manicures. If he removed them, he wouldn't be Zhan Jingchun's other half anymore.
"I think it's quite nice. I don't want to remove it."
Zhan Jingchun looked at him. He seemed very serious, and knowing what he meant, she felt incredibly happy, but she still asked.
"Aren't you afraid they'll see and laugh at you?"
Peng Fei was man enough to say, "I'm not afraid. Anyone who dares to laugh will have their dog legs broken."
All the dishes were served. Seeing everyone happily eating to their satisfaction, Zhan Jingchun finally left.
Peng Fei walked her to her doorstep and watched her receding figure, his heart filled with happiness.
That night, lying in bed, he looked at his fingers by the light from outside the window and was too excited to sleep.
Heaven had been too kind to him, not only allowing him to meet Chun Chun again but also for them to be so happy together.
Thinking about how much they had talked today and how many times they had had close contact, he really wanted to stand up and shout.
Across the road, Zhan Jingchun examined her fingers by the light from outside her window, also unable to sleep.
How long had it been since she had been this happy?
Three months? Five months?
In any case, she felt today was exceptionally fulfilling and satisfying, happier than any day in the past several months.