My Wife is an Evil Dragon

Chapter 165

Chapter 165: Why Reward Me? （4.8K）

They chose a local restaurant hidden in the streets and alleys for dinner tonight.

Focusing on a down-to-earth experience.

In the private room, Xia Li pushed the menu to Old Xia, who then pushed it to Fang Xia.

Fang Xia flipped through it a couple of times, but didn’t order anything. Finally, she handed the menu to Lucia.

The evil dragon was bewildered.

“Xia Li said you’re not from Sichuan Province and can’t handle spicy food. Take a look and see what you like,” Mrs. Fang said kindly.

“I, I can eat anything. I can eat a little bit of spicy food now…” Lucia replied in a low voice.

Holding the incomprehensible menu, Lucia could recognize most of the characters, but she couldn’t picture the corresponding food in her mind.

Things like ‘Ants Climbing a Tree’, ‘Husband and Wife Lung Slices’… Just the names sounded terrifying.

Even dragons, who weren’t picky eaters, wouldn’t eat such things. How could humans dare!

With a worried expression on her small face, Xia Li leaned closer to help her look, whispering in her ear.

“This restaurant’s menu doesn’t have pictures… Ants Climbing a Tree is just pork stewed with vermicelli, and Husband and Wife Lung Slices are beef offal.”

These were both authentic Sichuan dishes; it was normal for Lucia not to have seen them before.

Xia Li was leaning too close, his breath tickling Lucia’s small face.

Lucia curled her fingers, scratching her cheek shyly.

“The vermicelli doesn’t have chili peppers, you can try it. And there’s also sweet-skinned duck and Dongpo cuttlefish, these aren’t spicy…”

Holding a pen, Xia Li ticked off items on the menu. He knew the evil dragon was having trouble, so he chose dishes according to her taste. He also picked a spicy pickled pepper Sichuan dish for Old Xia and Mrs. Fang’s favorite beauty-enhancing white bean pig’s feet soup.

Four people, four dishes, and one soup, just right.

Fang Xia rested her chin on her hands, watching this scene.

She propped her palms on the table, her face blooming like a flower. She looked at Xia Li, who was behaving generously and had a masculine air, then at Lucia, who was delicate and gentle.

A talented man and a beautiful woman, very good, very good.

“Okay, let’s have these.”

Lucia’s voice was incredibly nervous.

Speaking of which, she had to restrain herself today. She couldn’t let the great humans see her extraordinary appetite.

“Auntie, you choose…”

Lucia pushed the menu to Fang Xia.

Fang Xia’s face lit up. Although she was a middle-aged woman, her wrinkles deepened when she smiled. But somehow, that smile, with her cheeks propped up, gave off a youthful and approachable feeling.

Lucia had always wanted to get along well with the Brave Hero’s mother.

But interacting with the Brave Hero’s mother felt different from interacting with Zhou Anqi.

It wasn’t as casual as with a friend; there was a sense of respect towards an elder…

But, she felt an inexplicable warmth.

“This is about right.”

Fang Xia, worried that the children wouldn’t have enough to eat, ticked off two more dishes and handed the menu to the waiter.

The small private room was brightly lit, warm air from the air conditioner blowing overhead.

Silence fell again. Xia Li dragged a stool next to Fang Xia to talk to her.

Lucia sat alone, but she didn’t feel lonely.

Fiddling with the manicure she got a few days ago, Lucia looked around, listening to the noisy sounds outside.

Occasionally, when she peeked at Xia Li, he happened to be looking at her too.

Their eyes met, Xia Li smiled at her, and Lucia quickly lowered her head, continuing to play with her fingers.

Suddenly, she thought of that day when Xia Li went out for dinner with his friends in the evening, and she was home alone.

That day, she turned off all the lights in her room and stood on the balcony, looking into the distance.

As darkness began to engulf the earth, streetlights came on, and lights in thousands of homes lit up one after another.

At that time, Lucia thought that behind each of these lights hid a family. Thousands upon thousands of lights represented thousands upon thousands of human families.

Among these thousands of lights, not a single one would light up for her.

That lonely, isolated feeling of loneliness swept over her like a tide.

Lucia had been a dragon for a hundred years and could endure loneliness, but at that moment, she couldn’t bear this kind of loneliness.

But now…

It seemed like there was a light that would shine for her.

“Mom, about what you said earlier about buying a house…”

“Go on.”

Xia Li moved his stool in front of Fang Xia. Fang Xia took a sip of hot tea, smiling at Lucia behind Xia Li.

Xia Li: “…”

No, Mom, at least look at the person talking when you’re having a conversation!

I’m your own son!

Clearing his throat, Xia Li finally spoke.

“Can I use the money for the house first?”

“What do you want to do?”

“Didn’t I tell you last time? I want to start a business. I have a bit of an idea now.” Xia Li scratched his head.

Actually, Xia Li wanted to talk to Fang Xia about this before today.

It just so happened that Fang Xia brought up buying him an apartment for marriage today, so Xia Li didn’t even need to ask about their family’s financial situation.

Since they could buy an apartment in the urban area of Qingcheng City, they must have at least one or two million in cash available.

For Xia Li, that was enough.

“What idea? Tell me about it.”

Getting down to business, Fang Xia finally shifted her gaze from her future daughter-in-law to the money-guzzling beast in front of her.

Even Old Xia, who was pretending to be busy, perked up his ears and paused the short video he was watching on his phone.

“I’ve been researching the market for a while and found that common industries like catering, clothing, and entertainment venues are already saturated in a place like Qingcheng City.

You know I have a cat. A few days ago, when I took it for vaccinations, I discovered that there isn’t even a decent pet hospital in our entire Wanniu District…”

Xia Li spent more than ten minutes explaining his ideas one by one.

Facing his parents, Xia Li had nothing to hide.

Whether it was bold plans or seemingly naive ideas in his parents’ eyes, Xia Li brought them up without reservation.

He was willing to accept both criticism and praise that followed.

They say you should find a job that suits you.

Xia Li wasn’t picky. His only thought after graduating from university was, ‘As long as I don’t have to be tied to a desk job, anything is acceptable.’

As for Lucia, her skills, besides working at a zoo, could only be used in places like this.

Since Xia Li wanted to help her fully integrate into society, it would be better for the young couple to start a business together and settle it once and for all.

“Pet hospital?”

This term was unfamiliar to the family, who had only ever raised fish besides their child.

“Isn’t Sister Li’s family running one of those?”

Old Xia, who was eavesdropping, finally couldn’t help but speak up.

Fang Xia slapped her thigh, remembering, “Oh! They’re making a lot of money. Her husband studied veterinary medicine. They just opened the shop two years ago, and this year they told me they’re going to buy a new house!”

“Aunt Li?”

Xia Li wasn’t sure who the ‘Sister Li’ his parents were talking about. Fang Xia had such a wide network of connections that Xia Li didn’t recognize many of them.

“Yes, Aunt Li. They opened a small pet clinic in Miyang the year before last. I heard the equipment investment was quite high, but the returns are good. The key is that there’s not much risk, after all, the clients are all pets…

But this requires not only skills but also a good understanding of people. I don’t know if you can handle this kind of hardship.” Fang Xia spoke at length.

She didn’t have any objections. This money was originally intended for Xia Li to start a family and a career. If he wanted to use it, he could take it. Fang Xia rarely rejected her son’s ideas and wouldn’t dampen his enthusiasm.

“But I still suggest you take it one step at a time, start small, and don’t be too ambitious. You can’t achieve great things by being unrealistic.” Fang Xia added.

She was worried that this boy was staying at home every day with nothing to do, so it was good for him to find something to do now.

“Take the first step. To open this kind of hospital, you need a veterinary qualification certificate, right?” Xia Yuanjun said from the other side.

Xia Yuanjun was a practical man. As someone working within the system, he believed in being down-to-earth.

People can never earn money beyond their own understanding.

Xia Li was still a novice. If he wanted to take this step, the effort required wouldn’t be small.

“I checked online. You can study online and take the self-study exam for the veterinary qualification certificate… I won’t open a shop directly. I plan to study and take the exam first.

And the pet hospital I’m interested in has a shop downstairs and treatment upstairs. This business model is good. I can start by ‘opening a regular pet supply store.'” Xia Li said.

During this time, he could also send Lucia to the hospital for an internship.

Gain experience while being an ‘inside man’.

Originally, when Xia Li heard Fang Xia mention a friend, he thought about using their connection to let Lucia learn from her friend.

But when he heard it was in Miyang City, so far away, he immediately dropped the idea.

His current goal was still to get Lucia to intern at the shop in Jinjiang District.

When the time came, he would have Wuqi, the former director, help out with advice, making things twice as effective.

At this time, the waiter serving the dishes brought all the food.

Xia Li got up and filled his parents’ bowls with rice. When he filled Lucia’s bowl, he deliberately pressed the rice down.

This dragon was thin-skinned and definitely wouldn’t ask for more rice later, so he’d give her a little extra.

◈◈◈

“Little Lu, what do you think of what Xia Li just said?”

Fang Xia, taking advantage of this moment, propped her head on her hand and asked Lucia, who was lost in thought.

Lucia couldn’t follow the previous conversation at all. She hadn’t even figured out the basic workings of human society, and now she was suddenly being asked to listen to this high-level conversation. She was completely lost.

Hearing the Brave Hero’s mother ask her this, she could only nod repeatedly.

“It’s good…”

“You support him?”

“I will always support Xia Li!”

“Haha, good.”

The girl’s previous answers were all shy and reserved, but this one was said with force.

It was clear that she meant it from the bottom of her heart.

The expression on Fang Xia’s face instantly softened.

When she wanted to start her own business, it was Old Xia’s unwavering support that allowed them to stumble through to where they were now.

Seeing the determined expression on Lucia’s face, Fang Xia couldn’t help but think of Xia Yuanjun, who had always been by her side.

As long as their love remained, their home would be there.

Compared to this, setbacks in starting a business, investment failures, none of that mattered.

“Old man, what do you think?” Fang Xia asked Xia Yuanjun after sitting down.

Xia Yuanjun nodded, not speaking, but his stance on the matter was clear.

“Is this enough?”

Xia Li placed the large bowl of packed rice in front of Lucia.

The rice was packed like shaved ice, almost overflowing.

“Enough, enough, that’s too much…” Lucia said modestly.

Xia Li smiled.

This was too much?

You eat with a basin; this bowl was too disrespectful to a dragon.

Xia Li’s family didn’t have many formalities. They all held their bowls and started eating, casual and comfortable.

Lucia didn’t dare reach for the dishes with her chopsticks.

She wasn’t yet proficient with chopsticks and was worried about exposing this in front of Fang Xia, so Xia Li picked food for her.

“Eat more, eat more.”

It wasn’t just Xia Li; even Mrs. Fang extended her arm to join in feeding Lucia.

This child was shy, so she had to take extra care of her.

The vermicelli in Ants Climbing a Tree was stewed until very soft, mixed with minced meat, the texture was excellent. Lucia loved the sweet-skinned duck; it was crispy and sweet, with a unique flavor.

The restaurant Xia Li chose was a local family restaurant. Restaurants hidden in deep alleys like this couldn’t survive without some real skills, so the taste naturally went without saying.

Soon, the dishes on the table were almost finished.

Fang Xia was still picking food for Lucia.

This child had a good appetite, eating whatever was given to her.

Although she was shy, she wasn’t coy about things. She ate openly, drank tea in one gulp when she was thirsty. Fang Xia liked that.

“Mom, she’s introverted, she won’t say when she’s full, she just keeps eating.”

Xia Li watched with amusement.

He felt that the scene of his mother picking food for the evil dragon was quite surreal.

More surreal than magic.

This silver dragon who breathed fire and made the entire Azure Continent tremble in fear…

Was actually meeting his parents.

“What are you talking about!”

Fang Xia was unhappy and glared at Xia Li.

This girl was already thin-skinned and small. If Xia Li kept talking, she would be embarrassed to eat.

“…”

Even Lucia secretly lifted her small leather shoe under the table and stepped on Xia Li’s foot.

That aggrieved look seemed to be telling Xia Li to stop talking.

Xia Li suppressed a laugh.

Why reward me?

“Mom, there’s one more thing.”

Xia Li turned his head and said to Fang Xia.

Fang Xia was annoyed with him at the moment and only focused on taking care of Lucia, not even looking up.

Xia Li didn’t mind and continued.

“Do you know any friends abroad?”

“Abroad?” Fang Xia looked up at him.

“Why?”

“Nothing, just wondering how far Mrs. Fang’s network has expanded.” Xia Li replied.

Fang Xia was honest and friendly; basically, anyone who interacted with her could become her friend.

It was precisely this personality that allowed Fang Xia’s businesses, whether it was the supermarket or the mahjong parlor, to always run smoothly.

“I have quite a few friends in Qingcheng City or Miyang City… Don’t tell me you expect a middle-aged woman who runs a mahjong parlor to be international?” Fang Xia looked at Xia Li and asked rhetorically.

Xia Li thought about it, and it made sense.

No matter how wide Mrs. Fang’s network was, it couldn’t reach abroad.

It seemed that to find a small country willing to issue Lucia an ID, he needed to change his approach.

“Here.”

Just as the mother and son were chatting animatedly, Xia Yuanjun suddenly got up and walked over.

He pretended to be going out, but casually pulled out a red envelope from his pocket.

Before Lucia could react, she looked down and saw something in her hand.

It was heavy.

Old Xia, not good with words, left the red envelope and went out without a word.

Xia Li looked out the window and saw the old man lighting up a cigarette fiercely.

His old face was quite red.

Lucia silently opened the red envelope. When she saw the thick… red banknotes inside, her eyes widened.

It was… money!

“Xia Li, Xia Li.” Tugging at Xia Li’s sleeve, Lucia eagerly showed him the red envelope.

“Hmm?”

“The, the, the great humans are offering tribute to me…” Lucia whispered.

Actually, Xia Li knew what was going on when he saw Old Xia’s flushed face.

Giving a red envelope with money to his son’s girlfriend when meeting her for the first time was a sign of acceptance and also one of Sichuan’s traditions.

“You can keep it.” Xia Li said.

“I, I, I’ve already taken it…” The stammering dragon said tremblingly.

Although she didn’t know what happened, something had happened.

She didn’t mean to take the great humans’ money!

“This time they gave you money in the red envelope; next time they might put gold in it.” Xia Li said half-jokingly.

“Go, go, gold…” The stammering dragon was stunned.

“Hmm, do you want three gold or five gold?”

The evil dragon didn’t understand anything. Xia Li tricked her, and she fell for it.

In traditional customs, ‘three gold, five gold’ referred to the number of gold and silver jewelry the groom’s family had to give to the bride during marriage.

Accepting three gold, five gold was equivalent to getting engaged.

“Gold…”

Lucia was dumbfounded. Since Xia Li took her to the gold shop last time and she saw gold, she hadn’t touched that shiny stuff again.

Oh, she still had the small gold coin she brought back from the Azure Continent around her neck.

But she had seen this kind of gold coin a lot when she was a dragon, so she didn’t find it novel.

But she really liked the gold jewelry displayed in the gold shop window, shining with a dazzling golden light.

“Th, this isn’t good…”

Lucia remembered that this kind of thing was quite expensive.

“Three jin, how much would that cost…”

The evil dragon tried to count on her fingers but found the number was too large to calculate.

“I’ll just take half a jin then, or three liang is fine, the same weight as the noodles I ate this morning…”

Xia Li almost spat out his tea, “Pfft!”