novelraw Chapter 181
Chapter 181
Chapter 181: This is Bullying!
Early in the morning, Xia Li was awakened by a barrage of phone calls.
Taking out his phone, he saw the caller ID was “Mrs. Fang” and immediately got out of bed.
“Hello?”
“Hello? What time is it, why are you only waking up now!”
Hearing Xia Li’s sleepy voice, Fang Xia knew he hadn’t gotten up yet.
Xia Li’s expression faltered slightly as he carefully recalled that he had indeed set an alarm before going to sleep last night…
Could it be that the alarm didn’t go off? Or did he subconsciously turn it off after it rang and then forget about it?
He uncertainly raised his phone and glanced at the time.
Oh boy, it was only 7:30. He had set the alarm for 8:00, and the agreed time with Fang Xia was 8:30. Fang Xia arrived a full hour early!
“Mom, it’s not even time yet…”
“It’s not early! Since you’re awake, hurry up and get ready to come downstairs!” Fang Xia’s urging voice came from the other end.
Xia Li: “…”
If you hadn’t called, would I be awake??
Fang Xia was one of the only two people Xia Li wouldn’t argue or talk back to, the other one would probably be Lucia in the future.
Quickly getting out of bed, Xia Li put on his clothes and turned to wake up Lucia, who was sleeping soundly on the bed.
“Evil Dragon, wake up!”
“Hehe… Huh?”
Lucia rolled over, her arms outstretched as if to hug Xia Li’s arm.
However, Xia Li retracted his arm, pulled her over from the bed, and started to “peel” her clothes off.
The Evil Dragon only had two pieces of clothing on her. He took off one, thought for a moment, and decided not to take off the second.
“The Empress Dowager is already downstairs.”
Xia Li withdrew his hand, put on his sweater, and went to the bathroom to wash up.
“You get up quickly, we’ll go downstairs together after we’re done.”
“Oh…”
Lucia rubbed her eyelids, looking sleepy. Her dragon brain hadn’t fully booted up yet, she needed to take it slow.
After Xia Li finished getting ready, he went to get the New Year’s goods, taking all the things he bought yesterday.
The Evil Dragon was still washing up at the sink. She wiped the water droplets off with a towel, then poured out a small amount of the skin toner Xia Li bought for her yesterday, and patted it onto her fair face with a “papapa” sound.
The sound and rhythm were like a baby seal clapping its belly.
“Pat a little lighter…” Xia Li hesitated.
After cleaning Mianhua’s litter box, the Evil Dragon was finally ready to go.
Lucia was wearing a khaki cotton jacket today, a dark brown beret on her head, and a light brown scarf wrapped around her neck twice. At first glance, she looked gentle and elegant, like a little painter.
Today’s outfit was all about looking warm, otherwise she would be forced to wear a floral padded jacket when they arrived at the village.
“…”
Lucia glanced at Xia Li, thinking of something amusing, and chuckled to herself like a dragon.
“What are you giggling about?”
Xia Li took out his keys, locked the door, and went downstairs carrying a large box.
“You’re dressed so thickly, you look like a goblin.”
Xia Li: “??”
Thanks for describing me like that early in the morning.
Xia Li was wearing a dark green down jacket with a faux fur collar. The jacket was very spacious, and with the hood on, he looked like a green monster.
“If I’m a goblin, then you’re the dragon daughter living in the goblin’s lair.”
“What’s wrong with a goblin’s lair?” Lucia didn’t understand.
“You’ll understand if you read more online comics.” Xia Li said euphemistically.
Lucia wasn’t interested in that kind of work for the time being. When she came into contact with it in the future, it would probably refresh her worldview once again.
The XP of humans in this world was very complex…
Especially in the genre of “another world,” where things could get really wild.
“Honk! Honk!”
As soon as they reached downstairs, the black car in the community honked its horn twice in a light and quick manner, as Fang Xia was afraid of disturbing the neighbors.
“Hurry up, we still have to go back to Grandma’s for lunch.”
Fang Xia stuck her head out, her breath forming white puffs in the cold air.
Xia Li went to the trunk to put things away, and only after finishing did he open the back seat door and sit in.
“Mom, it’s only this early, isn’t it too early for lunch?”
Fang Xia rolled her eyes at him: “Do you think lunch cooks itself? I have to start the fire and cook, don’t I??”
Xia Li was choked by these words, thinking it made sense.
“What did you buy?” Fang Xia glanced at the trunk.
“A heater for Grandma, some fruits, dairy products, and things like that.”
“You’re quite thoughtful…”
Hearing this, Fang Xia showed a rare smile of relief.
Her son had grown up.
That’s right, he had graduated from university and even found a beautiful girlfriend…
Thinking of this, Fang Xia felt even more relieved.
It is said that the responsibility of parents is to raise their children until they graduate from high school. After graduating from high school, the sky is the limit, and they, as parents, just let go and wait for the eagle to spread its wings and soar.
But in reality, society is not like that now. The eagle that is released does not have the ability to survive on its own and still needs further financial assistance from its parents.
Some are lucky enough to find a good job during campus recruitment, and those who are unlucky, their parents have to find a way to arrange their work. After the work is stable, it’s time to find a partner, get married, and have children…
There are only so many things in a person’s life, and they, as parents, will worry about their children for a lifetime, wishing they could pave the way for their children’s future.
But looking at Fang Xia now.
Xia Li was a very worry-free child.
He basically stopped asking for money from his family after graduating from high school. From college to entering society, to finding a girlfriend, Fang Xia didn’t have to worry about anything.
“Xiao Lu, why don’t you sit in the front? The road to the village is very narrow and not easy to drive on, you might get carsick in the back.”
After seeing Lucia, Fang Xia’s expression changed instantly.
From disgust to joy, it was just a matter of a second.
Xia Li always felt that it was a pity his mother didn’t perform Sichuan opera face-changing.
But he couldn’t say that, otherwise, it would automatically trigger a Sichuan Tyrannosaurus attack.
“No need, Auntie, I want to sit with Xia Li.”
Lucia got into the car and quickly moved her little bottom to squeeze in with Xia Li, rubbing her eyes as if she was very sleepy.
Seeing this, Fang Xia said: “Still sleepy? The road back home is very complicated, and Xia Li doesn’t know the way, so I’ll be the one driving. I drive very slowly, so we had to leave early…”
Lucia understood the apology implied in the Brave Hero’s mother’s words, so she shook her head repeatedly.
“It’s okay, Auntie, I’m not sleepy.”
She, a dragon, also understood a thing or two about the complex language skills of humans.
Fang Xia smiled and nodded, then started the car.
As Fang Xia herself said, she drove very slowly and gently, unlike men who would turn the steering wheel aggressively.
Sitting in the back seat, Lucia was almost lulled to sleep several times by this cradle-like driving style.
Xia Li leaned against the window and looked at his phone. Lucia originally wanted to fall asleep just like that, but she had just said that she wasn’t sleepy, and closing her eyes now would be slapping herself in the face.
So, fighting back her sleepiness, Lucia leaned her head over to look at Xia Li’s phone.
She found that Xia Li was actually looking at electronic veterinary materials. The dense text made Lucia even sleepier.
“Hey, why are you kissing me? My mom is here, it’s not good to do that.”
Xia Li suddenly looked up and said.
These words shocked the dragon.
Lucia looked up in astonishment, looking at the Brave Hero’s mother’s gaze in the rearview mirror, then at the Brave Hero beside her who was smiling mischievously.
“I, I didn’t!”
“You still won’t admit to stealing a kiss from me.”
“I didn’t kiss…”
Lucia tried to explain, but seeing the eyes in the rearview mirror that seemed to be holding back laughter, her face flushed red.
The Brave Hero’s mother’s expression when she was holding back laughter was somewhat similar to the Brave Hero’s.
She, she must have believed it!
Moreover, Lucia was leaning over to look at Xia Li just now, and their faces were very close, so it was normal to be mistaken for stealing a kiss from Xia Li.
“I didn’t kiss you!”
◈◈◈
Lucia argued.
Xia Li felt that if he continued to tease her, this dragon would definitely be anxious, so he changed his words and said with some regret.
“Alright then, I must have been imagining things.”
“…”
Lucia stared at him, her cheeks puffed up.
Bullying, this is definitely bullying!
Taking advantage of the Brave Hero’s mother’s inattention, Lucia performed a “Dragon Collision,” bumping her shoulder against Xia Li’s.
Xia Li was reading a book peacefully when he was suddenly hit by the dragon.
He didn’t expect this dragon to be so bold as to actually sneak attack him.
His shoulder jerked to the side, and Xia Li bumped back. Lucia was dissatisfied, and bumped him again.
The two of them bumped back and forth in the back seat, even the car trembled along with them.
Fang Xia rarely got distracted while driving, but the commotion from the two in the back was so loud that she couldn’t help but glance at them more.
Not to mention, they were quite lively.
◈◈◈
The car drove for two hours before arriving in the countryside.
Fang Xia’s prediction was correct, it was the right decision to leave early.
Traffic, so much traffic.
Qingcheng City was already known for its traffic jams, and during the New Year period, the country roads were even more congested.
Fang Xia’s driving skills weren’t very good to begin with, and when encountering narrow roads where cars had to pass each other, she could make everyone in the car break out in a cold sweat.
Xia Li volunteered to drive instead of Fang Xia several times, but was repeatedly rejected by Fang Xia.
Lucia finally fell asleep on the car seat, curling up her body, her sleeping posture exactly the same as Mianhua’s at home.
Xia Li secretly carried her over and let her rest her head on his leg.
Thinking about it, this dragon always complained that his legs were too hard, so he had to get the lumbar pillow from the passenger seat for her to sleep on.
The scenery outside the car transitioned from a bustling metropolis to a lively town.
As time went on, high-rise buildings were gradually replaced by low-rise buildings, small bridges and flowing water began to appear along the road, and smoke curled up from the peaceful fields.
The scenery here was not as picturesque as famous scenic spots, but everywhere you looked, there was a sense of tranquility.
Even through the car window, one could feel the rustic atmosphere.
Looking down at Lucia lying on his lap, Xia Li gently brushed the hair away from her ear, revealing a small, translucent pink earlobe.
He bent down and whispered in that ear.
“Wake up, Stinky Dragon.”
Lucia slowly opened her eyes, nuzzled her head against Xia Li’s body, opened her pink lips, and murmured: “I just dreamed that I was in the car with you, and you accused me of kissing you…”
“It wasn’t a dream, it was real.” Xia Li said.
One sentence woke the dragon from her dream.
Lucia realized that she was really in the car, and the Brave Hero’s mother was sitting in the driver’s seat.
It wasn’t a dream!
She remembered that she had insisted on saying that she wasn’t sleepy when she got in the car, but she actually fell asleep!
“It’s okay, sleep if you’re sleepy. You guys wait in the car for a while, I’ll go buy some groceries.”
Fang Xia turned around and said gently.
Seeing Lucia’s bewildered expression, she couldn’t help but chuckle.
Lucia’s way of doing things and speaking was very interesting.
This “interesting” didn’t mean that she was humorous or witty, but a more natural, childlike kind of feeling.
This feeling could naturally make people feel good, and their mood seemed to be affected by her and become better.
No wonder Xia Li liked her so much, Fang Xia also liked her quite a bit.
“Go ahead, we’ll get out and walk around too.”
Xia Li opened the car door and took the Evil Dragon out with him.
It was too stuffy in the car, it was good to get some fresh air.
They were less than a kilometer away from Grandma’s house. Their current location was at the entrance of the village, where there was a small market selling all kinds of daily necessities, fruits, and vegetables. The things were very fresh and the prices were cheap.
Fang Xia went to buy meat. Grandma’s house grew vegetables, and what they lacked now were meat products. Chicken, duck, fish, beef, these things were naturally the more the merrier during the New Year.
“Do you want to eat strawberries?”
Xia Li took the Evil Dragon for a stroll. Winter strawberries were all grown in greenhouses, large and red, looking very appetizing.
Lucia followed his gaze and saw many bamboo baskets on both sides of the intersection, filled with bright red strawberries.
Lucia had eaten many strawberries in candied fruit, but this was the first time she had seen fresh strawberries. Each strawberry was almost half the size of her palm.
“Grandma, how much are the strawberries?”
The Evil Dragon’s eyes lit up as Xia Li squatted down and began to choose.
The old lady in front of the basket had gray hair. Perhaps because her ears were not good, when Xia Li approached, she said to herself:
“These are chocolate strawberries!”
“I said, how much are they?” Xia Li said loudly.
“Picked this morning!”
“Money, how much per jin!”
It was quite troublesome to communicate with elderly people. Xia Li almost shouted himself hoarse, but the old lady with poor hearing still couldn’t hear him clearly.
“Yes, yes, homegrown…”
The old lady was afraid that Xia Li was saying her strawberries were not good, and kept gesturing with her hands.
Xia Li: “…”
Lucia, who was watching the fun, squatted down beside him. She raised a hand and rubbed her thumb against her index and middle fingers—this was the Earthling way of hinting at the word “money,” and this dragon actually learned it.
“Oh, oh! The big ones are 18 yuan per jin, the small ones are 15!”
“She said the big ones are 18.” Lucia turned to Xia Li and said.
Xia Li: “This dragon of yours is quite smart…”
“Eighteen is so expensive, it’s even more expensive than meat.” Lucia paused, feeling that it was not a good deal.
“It’s already considered cheap. They sell for 18 here, but they sell for 36 in the city. Doubling the price for this size of strawberry is no problem at all.”
Lucia’s eyes lit up, and she quickly thought of a way: “Then we buy them all and sell them… We’ll get rich!”
“You have a good business mind,” Xia Li nodded and said.
“But have you calculated the transportation cost and loss?
And by the time we take them to the city to sell, the strawberries will no longer be fresh. The vendors who do this kind of business all start collecting strawberries at three or four in the morning, and then resell them…”
The Evil Dragon listened with relish, finding it very interesting.
But when she heard that she had to get up at three o’clock, she backed down.
This was one of the basic rules of how the city operated. In places she couldn’t see, there were countless people working hard like this…
“Buy three jin.”
Xia Li learned his lesson this time and held up three fingers.
The old lady immediately understood and weighed a bag of strawberries for Xia Li using her traditional small scale.
Xia Li held it in his hand, it was really heavy.
Three jin bought in the countryside always felt like more than three jin bought in the city.
Just as they were about to leave, the Evil Dragon behind Xia Li was called out by the old lady.
Several big red strawberries were stuffed into Lucia’s pocket, quickly filling it up.
“You’re a good-looking girl, have some more, they’re very sweet.” The old lady said kindly.
Seeing this scene, Xia Li couldn’t help but sigh.
A pretty face could really get you free food.
“Thank you…”
Lucia was thin-skinned and spoke softly.
The old lady obviously couldn’t hear her, but she smiled and watched them leave.
Lucia followed Xia Li, silently taking out a strawberry from her pocket and putting it in Xia Li’s hand.
“Here you go.” The Evil Dragon said generously.
“Aren’t you going to say ‘a human is offering tribute to me’?” Xia Li looked back at her.
The temperature in the countryside was very low, making her small face flushed red. The cool breeze blew, bringing with it the fragrance of grass.
Lucia looked a little shy, like a bashful country girl.
She lowered her head and took a bite of the strawberry, the sweet strawberry flavor melting in her mouth, and hummed: “This is not an offering, this is human kindness…”