Reborn as a Rich Woman in the Eighties
Chapter 183 - 182: For You

Chapter 183: Chapter 182: For You

After dinner, Lin Qiu cleaned up the dishes and chopsticks.

Lin Xia started to process the pig trotters and intestines that Lin Qiu had bought.

Lu Zheng felt that he finally had a chance to be useful and offered to help mince the meat.

In fact, Lin Xia hadn’t wanted him to do it, but seeing him restless not being able to help, she agreed.

After washing the dishes, Lin Qiu saw the two busy in the kitchen and felt there was nothing for her to do, so she went back to her room to finish knitting the sweater, which was just missing a sleeve. She hoped to finish it before Brother Lu left so she could send it to her elder brother.

Lu Zheng, while cutting the minced meat, kept watching Lin Xia wash the intestines from time to time.

When Lin Xia mixed the seasoning evenly for marination, Lu Zheng learned that it would take a few hours before it could be stuffed.

After washing his hands, he suggested, "Lin Xia! How about we go for a walk?"

He had some things he wanted to say to her, but it was definitely inconvenient with her sister at home.

Lin Xia was slightly taken aback but then nodded, "Okay! Just wait for me for a moment!" She wore these clothes to cook at noon and they smelled of cooking oil. It was fine at home, but going out would make her uncomfortable.

Lu Zheng sat in the living room waiting for her, eyes flickering as he looked at the closed door.

Lin Xia went into the room to change clothes, opening her wardrobe to see what would be appropriate to wear.

Lin Qiu, sitting at the edge of the kang bed, knit the sweater swiftly, asking in a low voice, "Sis, where are you going?"

"We’re going for a walk!"

"Ah!" Lin Qiu dragged out her voice meaningfully.

Lin Xia turned back to give her a warning look.

Lin Qiu quickly lowered her head and continued knitting.

Lin Xia changed into a shirt and trousers. After combing her hair in front of the mirror, she followed Lu Zheng out the door.

At first, as they walked, neither of them spoke. Lin Xia pondered the direction and then suggested, "How about we go to the riverside?"

"Okay!" Lu Zheng had no objections, as she knew her way around here better.

The riverside wasn’t far from Lin Xia’s home. When they arrived, some older children were playing in the river, and bursts of laughter reached them now and then.

Lin Xia and Lu Zheng sat on the steps, keeping some distance between them.

After a moment of silence, Lu Zheng broke the silence, "Lin Xia! Do you know why I came here?"

Lin Xia turned to look at him, "For Lingzhi?"

"No!" Lu Zheng shook his head.

"Then, what is it?" Lin Xia’s expression remained calm, but inside she tensely held her breath.

"For you!" Lu Zheng knew the immense courage it took for him to say those words.

He had hesitated before, but after that Jiang Mingqing came to visit again;

He had made up his mind. Since he liked this girl, he had to pursue her bravely.

He couldn’t delay because of other things, for he was different from the others.

He didn’t have much time for romance;

They lived far apart, and he didn’t have many chances to see her;

He could not always be by her side, and perhaps he couldn’t lend a helping hand in time when she faced trouble.

So, if he missed this chance to confess his feelings, he didn’t know if there would be another!

Perhaps, by the next time he saw her, Lin Xia would have someone else by her side, not necessarily that second brother, but it could be someone else.

He hoped the girl he liked would be happy.

But since he liked this girl, he hoped that this happiness would be given by him.

He would give her his hundred percent love and provide warmth and security in the limited time he could be with her.

Lin Xia’s face felt like it was on fire; she had not expected him to be so direct and straightforward, blurting it out without any cushion.

But how could she tell him that her family, her responsibilities, the burden on her shoulders could not be lifted for several years?

Her eldest brother was out there and did not require her worry.

What about her sister? And her brother?

She wanted to start a small business for Lin Qiu and let Lin Dong go to college—all of these things would take time.

As for his family, she had already met his mother and aunt, and even with her limited experience, she could tell that his background was extraordinary.

One could say that there was more than just a mountain standing between them.

Lu Zheng saw that Lin Xia was just blushing but said nothing.

He took a deep breath and continued, "Lin Xia! I want to be with you!"

Lin Xia bit her lip tightly, controlling the cry of shock that nearly spilled from her mouth.

Her ears were ringing with the resonance of his deep voice.

He had really said it.

But she...

How could she agree?

The two of them...

"Lin Xia! Say something!"

Lin Xia patted her heated cheeks and took a deep breath to calm herself down.

"Lu Zheng! I only finished middle school, while you are an engineer—the gap between us is too huge! We’re simply not from the same world, do you understand? I can guess what kind of family you come from, and my family is not like most people’s!"

Lu Zheng was surprised, "What’s so different! I want to be with you, the person, not your family! And I don’t care about educational background. What I care about more is compatibility and a meeting of the minds. From the moment we met, I have always..."

He couldn’t believe that Lin Xia felt nothing for him.

Lin Xia gave a wry smile, "Lu Zheng! You don’t understand! It’s better for a couple to be well-matched in social and economic status!

To be honest, I’m not concealing the fact that I have no intention of finding someone and getting married!

I do have a father, he is alive and well. Less than a month after my mother passed away, he married a widow who brought a son and a daughter around Lin Qiu’s age into our home!

We moved out to live alone because of the fights! Before my brother left, he worked in a unit, and then he left subsequently!

Now, whenever they find us, it ends in a fight! So, I’m not as you see on the surface. I have even taken a knife to my father..."

Lin Xia decided to be completely truthful, not just for Lu Zheng, but also for herself. She laid bare what kind of person she was, her family situation, in hopes that he would abandon the idea and she, too, could give up any lingering hope.

If she agreed today, and the two were considered a pair, it wouldn’t last long anyway.

For a hopeless romance, when you know there will be no outcome, why begin at all?

Thus, she was being harsh, both on herself and on Lu Zheng.

With Lu Zheng’s prospects, what kind of partner couldn’t he find? Why go for someone like her?

Her family had too many issues, and the burden she carried was too heavy.

She actually liked Lu Zheng, but it stopped at liking; she didn’t want to enter his life.

She didn’t wish for her chaotic life to overlap with his.

She didn’t want her problematic family to affect him as well.

It was the first time Lu Zheng heard Lin Xia discuss her family and their pasts.

It was entirely beyond his expectation.

But he did not back down; on the contrary, because she spoke this way, he wanted to be with her even more, to become her support and protect her.

Though he couldn’t stand by her side now, shielding her from the elements, he was sure he could in the future.

"Lin Xia! None of this matters to me! In fact, my family is not as you imagine! My dad is just a minor leader in the workplace! And my grandfather had some influence in the industry before he retired, that’s all!"