Quick Transmigration: What to Do When the Male Supporting Character You Saved Becomes Obsessed with

Chapter 380 Obedient and Clingy Younger Brother (91)

When Aunt Chen heard that they were going out, she suddenly stood up and followed Jin Shuhe almost step by step.

“You don’t need to come with me. Just stay home and cook some soup. It’s raining and quite cold outside,” Zhao Lizhu said to her calmly.

"I'll get you two umbrellas!" Aunt Chen took two steps back, went into the house, took out two folding umbrellas, and handed them to the two of them.

Jin Shuhe and Zhao Lizhu left one after the other. The smell in the corridor was even more gloomy because of the rain.

Neither of them spoke much, and they walked silently side by side under their umbrellas.

When Jin Shuhe arrived, the sky was still overcast, with a sandy yellow hue.

The rain has intensified, and shallow puddles have formed on the ground where rainwater has accumulated.

The unpaved road in front of the building became even muddier and more difficult to navigate.

No matter how careful Jin Shuhe was, his pants and shoes still got wet and splattered with mud.

"Uncle Zhao, be careful!" Jin Shuhe saw Zhao Lizhu stumble and step into a puddle, so he took two steps forward, reached out and supported his arm.

"It's alright. People get slower as they get older. I don't even know how many years I've worked." Zhao Lizhu waved his hand.

But Jin Shuhe didn't think so.

Beneath his loose clothes, his arms and body were very strong, the result of years of hard physical labor.

"Uncle Zhao, are you going to stay in Pucheng or go back to your hometown?"

"do not know."

The umbrella obscured Zhao Lizhu's face, making it impossible to see his expression, but his voice, accompanied by the sound of rain, carried a hint of melancholy: "There's nothing left in my hometown..."

"The reason I brought your Aunt Chen back to Pucheng is because after returning to my hometown, I realized that this place is more familiar to me. I've wandered for most of my life, and suddenly I realize that nowhere is my home," he said with emotion.

"Unlike you, you're lucky, and the times are good too. You were able to read and write and went to university. Back in our day, nobody dared to even dream of becoming a university student!"

Zhao Lizhu sighed: "I'm ignorant, useless, and penniless... Tell me, what else can I do in this life?"

“Uncle Zhao, please don’t say that. You and Aunt Chen have only been married for a short time. You’re a married man now, so you should think about Aunt Chen’s sake,” Jin Shuhe said calmly.

“You’ve really grown up now, kid. You talk like an adult.” Zhao Lizhu didn’t follow up on his words.

"I never thought I'd get married at this age. My parents are gone! And nobody's happy for me anymore. If I had gotten married when your parents were my age, things might be very different now..." he sighed.

Then she raised the umbrella higher and looked at Jin Shuhe: "You're just like your parents, so young, and you're already thinking about dating and getting married? Don't you want to think it over?"

Jin Shuhe smiled and said, "It's not my place to consider. I'm just waiting for Sister Li Ruan to be willing. In this life, I don't want anyone but Sister Li Ruan."

Zhao Lizhu didn't say anything, and the two of them arrived at the supermarket.

After buying seven or eight cans of beer and some peanuts and duck products, Jin Shuhe paid first and carried the plastic bag in his hand.

Just as they stepped out of the supermarket, a motorcycle sped past on the narrow road ahead, splashing mud and water onto the two of them.

"Damn it! Are you blind?!" Zhao Lizhu cursed angrily, turning around to look at Jin Shuhe, whose coat chest was splattered with dirt.

"Why don't you go home first today? It's getting late, and you've made a mess here." He said to Jin Shuhe.

Jin Shuhe was stunned for a moment.

He then opened his umbrella and said, "Even if we have to go back, I'll take you home first. This stuff is quite heavy." Jin Shuhe lifted the bag in his hand.

Zhao Lizhu had originally intended to reach out and take the things from Jin Shuhe's hands, but upon hearing what he said, he lowered his raised hand again.

“You child… you’re still being so formal with me.” He shook his head.

"Then... let's go."

The two of them walked back along the road.

The phone in my pocket vibrated.

Jin Shuhe reached into his pocket and turned it off.

The road back seemed even more difficult to travel than the way there. It was still winter, yet it had rained so heavily that the drainage system seemed overwhelmed, and the water on the road was already flowing.

Upon entering the building, Jin Shuhe folded her umbrella and waved it outside.

"Xiao He".

Zhao Lizhu, who had already reached the first-floor landing, suddenly spoke above him.

"Ok?"

"Judging from the weather, I don't know when you'll be able to leave. Let's have a good drink later, and I'll tell you about the old days. I haven't talked to anyone about them in a long time."

Speaking in the hallway makes one's voice sound muffled, and the musty, stale smell in Zhao Lizhu's voice seemed even heavier than the hallway itself.

“Sure, I haven’t heard much about my hometown yet,” Jin Shuhe replied, her tone tinged with anticipation.

The two walked to the door.

Before Zhao Lizhu could even raise his hand to knock, the door was suddenly opened abruptly. Aunt Chen was waiting at the door, her hand gripping the doorknob, her gaze sweeping from Zhao Lizhu to Jin Shuhe.

When she saw Jin Shuhe, she seemed relieved, but also more nervous.

"Come in quickly, I just saw that the rain was getting heavier and I was worried that you would get wet."

She took the umbrellas from the two of them and busily carried them to the clothes rack on the balcony to hang them up.

Jin Shuhe took off his coat, which was stained, and instead of putting it on the sofa, draped it over the back of a chair before going to the bathroom to wash his hands.

Jin Shuhe looked calm and sat back down at the table, even opening a can of beer for himself.

Even room-temperature beer is now ice-cold after coming in from outside at very low temperatures.

The cold air sent a shiver down my throat and into my stomach.

Jin Shuhe rarely drinks alcohol; he doesn't like the slightly bitter taste. But today, he gulped down several mouthfuls in a row.

"Buzzing—"

My phone vibrated again in my pocket.

Just now, all I could hear outside was raindrops falling and cars driving by, so the noise was completely masked.

But the room was very quiet, so the vibration caught the attention of the three people.

Everyone's gaze was drawn to Jin Shuhe's clothes...

Jin Shuhe took out his phone, but before he could answer, Zhao Lizhu suddenly took it away.

I glanced at the name flashing on the screen: "Xiao Lu..."

He read it aloud, then pushed the phone back in front of Jin Shuhe.

"Hurry up and answer! The weather's so bad right now, he's probably asking when you're coming home." Zhao Lizhu suddenly curled the corners of his mouth.

"Just tell Xiao Lu that the roads outside are difficult to travel, so he'll probably have to wait until later..."

Jin Shuhe pressed the answer button.

"Hey, Sister Li Ruan."

"Xiao He, are you still with Uncle Zhao?"

"Yes, Sister Li Ruan, is there something you need?" Jin Shuhe's voice was the same as always.

"Ah, I thought you went home! I was just about to tell you that I left a document in the study... If it's convenient for you, could you send it to me by express delivery? I need it urgently. Send it via SF Express, the sooner the better," Lu Liruan said anxiously.

"I'll find it for you as soon as I get home, Sister Li Ruan. Can you send me the name of the file? It's on the table, right?"

"Yes, it's in that stack on the table. I'll send you the name later. You can have it delivered here by courier by tomorrow at the latest." Someone called Lu Liruan's voice from the other end.

"Lu! Are you done fighting? Start recording!"

"Okay, I'm coming right away!"

Lu Liruan agreed, then hurriedly added, "Then don't come home too late! Please say hello to Uncle Zhao and Aunt Chen for me. I'll hang up now... I'm busy over there!"

"Ah."

Before Jin Shuhe could finish speaking, Lu Liruan hung up the phone.

In the entire room, only his voice could be heard, and Lu Liruan's voice on the other end of the phone could also be heard intermittently.

Zhao Lizhu's tightly clenched lips relaxed slightly.

"call--"

Lu Liruan hung up the phone, glanced at the screen to confirm the call had been disconnected, and let out a long sigh.

Lu Chun, who was beside her, patted her on the back to offer support and put his arm around her shoulder: "You did a great job!"

The voice that was pretending to be a staff member and calling her to take pictures just now was Lü Chun's.

Do you think Xiaohe will recognize your voice?

"Don't worry, we've been colleagues for so long, and he's very observant, he'll definitely notice it, there won't be any problem."

"Xiao Lu is still out of town and hasn't come back yet?" Zhao Lizhu opened a can of beer for himself, his movements becoming more natural.

"Yes, she'll be away on a business trip for more than a week."

“Hey, Xiao Lu isn’t very family-oriented, he’s completely different from your mother.” Zhao Lizhu took another swig of wine.

“I’m busy with work, and she’s busy with work too. It’s good that we’re both busy, so neither of us has to wait for the other at home,” Jin Shuhe replied casually.

In the kitchen, Aunt Chen was cooking something again, and steaming white mist filled the air...

Zhao Lizhu clinked glasses with him and continued, "Do you still remember what your mother looked like? You were young then, and you didn't spend much time with her, so you probably don't remember her as clearly as I do."

“Not necessarily. My mother and I were together every day. Back then, my father didn’t come home often, so it was just the two of us, mother and son, relying on each other. Uncle Zhao, you’ve only seen my mother a few times in all these years, how could you possibly remember her more clearly than I do?” Jin Shuhe’s tone seemed to carry a hint of amusement and sarcasm.

With a "snap," Zhao Lizhu's calloused hands deformed the can of beer in his hand.

"I made dumpling soup! Who wants a bowl?" Aunt Chen suddenly spoke up from the kitchen.

Zhao Lizhu put down the deformed beer bottle, got up and walked towards the kitchen. He walked around the dining table and passed by Jin Shuhe.

I walked towards the kitchen.

"Shh—shh—shh—"

Jin Shuhe's brain felt as if it had been cleaved open by a sharp blade. That utterly chaotic, thick, dark nightmare that he had been unable to escape for many years was brutally cleaved open!

Jin Shuhe stared intently downwards; for a moment, it seemed as if his five senses were reduced to only sight and hearing.

That's the sound.

Jin Shuhe looked at the feet and walked into the kitchen. He walked towards Aunt Chen, who seemed to say something to him.

"boom!"

She was shoved against the door, her back hitting the dilapidated wooden panel with a thud.

She panicked and tried to run outside, but Zhao Lizhu grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Trembling, she took out a few bowls and placed three on the stove.

Jin Shuhe was still in a daze; he didn't even notice the unusual activity happening in the kitchen.

Zhao Lizhu carried two bowls himself, followed by Aunt Chen, whose face was filled with fear. Aunt Chen was carrying a bowl behind him, and upon closer inspection, her hands were trembling.

"lay down."

Zhao Lizhu said to her.

Aunt Chen put down the bowl, bent over and tried to back away, but Zhao Lizhu grabbed her by the collar, pulled her back, and pressed her back into her seat.

With a loud sob from Aunt Chen, Jin Shuhe finally came to his senses. As if just pulled out of his thoughts, he looked around blankly with a dazed expression.

He met Aunt Chen's wide, terrified eyes. She seemed on the verge of a breakdown. Every time Zhao Lizhu moved, she trembled. Not allowed to speak, she could only murmur, her lips moving silently, mouthing, "No! No! No! No..."

They just mechanically repeat this one word over and over again.

Jin Shuhe looked down and saw that Zhao Lizhu had placed a bowl in front of her containing cooked tomato dumpling soup, with some bright green vegetable leaves floating in it.

Judging by its appearance alone, it looks quite appetizing.

"Have some, your aunt is really good at making dumpling soup." Zhao Lizhu sat down on the other side of Aunt Chen.

He pointed at the bowl, his tone icy.

Jin Shuhe picked up a spoon from the side, but was suddenly grabbed by the arm by Aunt Chen who pounced on him: "No! No! No!"

She finally made a sound, like the dying cry of an animal, a sound that would send chills down anyone's spine.

"boom--"

"Bang--"

Aunt Chen moved too much and lost her balance, falling off the chair in an odd position. The bowl of noodle soup in front of her was also knocked over, and some scalding soup splashed onto her, causing her to scream in pain.

Zhao Lizhu kicked the overturned stool at Aunt Chen!

Completely disregarding the fact that it might hit her head.

Jin Shuhe blocked the flying stool with his leg, his shin throbbing painfully from the impact.

Aunt Chen screamed and curled up.

Zhao Lizhu glanced at her as if she were an inanimate object, then got up, went back to the kitchen, ladled out another bowl of dumpling soup, and placed it back in front of Aunt Chen.

Seemingly calm, he pulled over another chair, yanked her up, and forced her to sit down.

He had done manual labor for most of his life, and the petite woman seemed to have no weight at all in his hands.

Jin Shuhe took a spoon and stirred the dumpling soup in front of him.

Some unmelted brown granules were found at the bottom of the bowl.

The pungent smell, masked by the dumpling soup, was released with the steam.

Jin Shuhe sniffed the air and calmly asked, "Cockroach poison from the market? Or rat poison?"

"Uncle Zhao, these doses won't kill anyone."

Zhao Lizhu held out his hand to him, gesturing for him to hand over his phone.

Jin Shuhe handed over the phone, which was then thrown to the ground and stomped on until it shattered.

"It's alright, one bowl won't kill you, just drink another. Your aunt made a lot today, enough to send us all off..."

He also stirred his own bowl with a spoon, and found the same brown particles inside.