Chapter 18: Change Starts with Cooking
It was already past eight o'clock in the evening when I returned to the meat processing plant!
Calculating the time, Xu Qingnan should have already taken his daughter home.
Thinking of his wife's beautiful face and his daughter's adorable cheeks, Li Yi took a slow, deep breath.
The goals on the list were not simple, but there was at least one thing he could do now—be a good husband and a good father!
As he passed by the small shop near the duty room, Li Yi suddenly thought of something. He turned around, entered the shop, and bought two popsicles on credit from Old Man Li, intending to take them home for Xu Qingnan and Weiwei.
Just as he was about to leave, Li Yi noticed a pink hairpin on the shelf. He asked, "Uncle Li, how much is this hairpin?"
"Eighty cents!"
"Okay, I'll take it. Put it on my tab, and I'll pay for everything when I get my salary."
"Including this eighty cents, your debt is over fifty yuan now. Don't forget to pay it back soon!"
"I know, I won't forget. I haven't taken that much from you!"
With that, Li Yi took the hairpin and left the shop.
As for buying on credit, it had been more than ten years since he first started. Li Yi had been borrowing from Uncle Li since he was a teenager.
Since Li Yi's father was the workshop director of the factory, Uncle Li never worried about getting his money back. If Li Yi truly failed to repay, Uncle Li could always ask Li Fengnian for the money.
Fortunately, although Li Yi had been buying on credit for years, he always settled his debts as soon as he got paid or won money from gambling, which reassured Uncle Li.
On the way home, Li Yi felt a slight pang of guilt as he held the hairpin in his hand.
He couldn't remember the last time he had bought a gift for Xu Qingnan.
Thinking back to how he had treated her before, Li Yi felt like slapping himself.
Whether she scolded him or pleaded with him, all Xu Qingnan ever wanted was to guide him onto the right path. But he had been too stubborn to listen.
By the time he finally realized his mistakes, it was already too late.
When Li Yi arrived home, he found that his wife and daughter had not yet returned.
He wasn't worried—he guessed that the mother and daughter had gone to visit his in-laws, who lived in the next building.
Placing the popsicles and hairpin on the table, Li Yi turned toward the kitchen.
As he entered, he noticed how immaculately clean it was. There wasn't the slightest trace of oil stains, a testament to how much effort Xu Qingnan put into maintaining their home.
In his previous life, he had never paid attention to such details.
After mentally scolding himself for being such a fool, Li Yi rolled up his sleeves and got to work. He wanted to give his wife a surprise!
There wasn't much rice left in the rice jar, but he still had half a bag of white flour.
After preparing enough dough for two bowls, Li Yi decided to make oil-splashed noodles. He knew that his wife's hometown was in the north, and she loved this dish the most.
Just as Li Yi was kneading the dough, he heard the sound of a key being inserted into the lock outside.
At the same time, Weiwei's excited chatter filled the air.
A smile appeared at the corner of Li Yi's mouth.
Before his rebirth, Li Yi had dreamed of this moment countless times. He longed for a day when he could stay at home, preparing food for his wife and daughter.
In those dreams, his wife and daughter would return home, chatting happily, and they would enjoy a warm meal together as a family.
At the dinner table, Xu Qingnan and Li Youwei would share stories from their day, filling their home with laughter.
Unfortunately, every time he woke up from those dreams, his wife and daughter were nothing but phantoms. He would be left alone in his luxuriously decorated but lifeless apartment, drowning in loneliness once again.
Squeak!
The door opened.
Almost immediately, Weiwei's excited voice rang out, "Mom! Look, popsicles! And a beautiful hairpin! Did Dad buy them?"
Before Xu Qingnan could respond, Weiwei heard noises from the kitchen and immediately ran inside.
She gasped in surprise. "Mom! Dad is cooking for us!"
Xu Qingnan was stunned. She hurried into the kitchen and saw Li Yi kneading dough.
Li Yi looked up at the doorway and saw his wife standing there.
Holding back the sudden urge to cry, he smiled and said, "Weiwei, this is Dad's first time cooking. If it doesn't taste good, don't blame me!"
Despite his words, Li Yi was actually very confident in his cooking.
In his previous life, he had lived alone for decades. In his spare time, he had read countless cookbooks and practiced endlessly.
Eventually, his cooking skills became comparable to those of professional chefs.
He had mastered various cuisines from different countries and could prepare almost any dish flawlessly.
People who knew him often said that Li Yi's life was colorful and fulfilling.
However, only his parents and his sister-in-law, Xu Qingyao, knew the truth.
Li Yi had learned to cook not out of passion, but as a way to distract himself.
He had been trying to numb his pain and forget about Xu Qingnan.
People always find ways to hide their sorrow.
But at this moment, standing in the kitchen, preparing food for his wife and daughter, Li Yi finally felt grateful for his past choices.
It turned out that cooking for his family was one of the greatest joys in life.
Xu Qingnan stared at Li Yi with tears in her eyes.
She had never seen him like this before. He had really changed.
Before, Li Yi was rarely home at night. He was always out drinking or gambling. Sometimes, he wouldn't come back at all.
And even when he did, it was either to pick a fight or ask for money.
In the past two years, their marriage had completely crumbled.
Once, in a fit of rage over money, he had even slapped her.
Although it had only happened once, the pain of that moment had stayed with her for a long time.
She had always wished for a responsible and loving husband.
She had dreamed of coming home after a tiring day to find a warm meal waiting for her.
But she never thought that wish would actually come true.
Right now, everything felt like a dream.
Half an hour later, three bowls of steaming noodles were placed on the dining table.
Two for the adults and one for the child.
"Eat while it's hot. Be careful, it might be too warm," Li Yi said gently, wiping sweat from his forehead.
Looking at Li Yi—his face glistening with sweat—and then at the bowl of noodles in front of her, Xu Qingnan could no longer hold back her emotions.
Tears fell silently onto the table.
And into the bowl.
"Mom, why are you crying? Is the food too hot?" Weiwei asked, concerned.
Covering her mouth with her hand, Xu Qingnan shook her head slowly before forcing a smile.
"Weiwei, eat quickly. My eyes just feel a little uncomfortable..."
Li Yi's emotions were also in turmoil.
He knew that his wife was not crying out of sadness, but out of overwhelming emotion.
To her, wealth and status didn't matter. All she ever wanted was a responsible man.
But in his previous life, he had failed to give her even that.
Clenching his fists, Li Yi silently vowed:
In this life, I will make up for everything.
I will give her the happiness she deserves.