Chapter 99: Don’t Co Over Sneakily
“Oh, thank you so much!”
Cheng Yulan smiled like a blooming chrysanthemum as she nodded repeatedly to Jiang He, then closed the door and turned around.
“Didn’t you say you were going to Brother Xu’s place to do your howork?”
“Yes, and I did a lot!” Xiaoyan proudly showed off her notebook.
“Then why did that sister just bring you back?”
“Brother Xu was worried I might tumble down the stairs, so he asked Jiang He-jie to walk up.”
As Xiaoyan spoke, she grabbed a big apple from the coffee table and took a big, juicy bite.
Sweet.
She decided to bring one for Brother Xu next ti.
“Oh, that boy is really attentive.” Cheng Yulan nodded approvingly and looked over her granddaughter’s howork.
Although she didn’t understand much, the densely packed writing showed that Xiaoyan hadn’t been slacking off. “Write more, and let Xu Qing teach you. Otherwise, if your mom cos and sees you haven’t done any howork, she won’t let you co play at grandma’s place next ti.”
“Got it!”
“Who brought her back?” The old man on the couch asked.
“Xu Qing’s girlfriend—the quiet one.”
“Oh, her…”
The old man pictured Xu Qing and Jiang He walking arm-in-arm outside. “That boy made a good choice. The Xu family must be over the moon.”
“I’d be happy too. They look like a young married couple already… They’ll probably get married soon.”
Cheng Yulan suddenly let out a long sigh. “Ti flies. Xiaoyan is already this big, and Xu Qing, that little rascal, is all grown up… How did it all happen so fast? Feels like just yesterday he was running around naked, catching loaches by the river.”
“…”
No response.
“Hey?” Cheng Yulan glanced at him.
“…”
The old man had leaned back on the couch and was snoring.
She wasn’t surprised. Picking up the remote, she changed the channel to find a drama. The sound changed, and the old man woke up.
“Why did you change the channel?”
“You were asleep.”
“I wasn’t asleep; I was listening!” he argued. “Otherwise, how would I know you changed the channel?”
When Jiang He got ho, Xu Qing had already showered and was lounging on the couch in his pajamas, fiddling with his computer.
“Take a shower and rest early. We’re going to buy New Year goods tomorrow.”
“Are we buying outside?”
“Or should we buy in my room?” Xu Qing shot her a sideways glance.
As soon as he said it, Jiang He realized she’d said sothing dumb again. Before she could fix it, Xu Qing’s teasing tone made her grit her teeth in frustration.
“Hmph! I’m going to shower.”
She snorted, stomped back to her room, and grabbed her pajamas.
“I’m hungry again. Want so noodles?” Xu Qing rubbed his stomach and called out.
“Didn’t you eat enough at dinner?”
“I did, but I get hungry fast. This is called a midnight snack,” he explained.
Jiang He worried she hadn’t cooked enough dinner. When she heard that, she relaxed. “I don’t…”
She was about to refuse when she rembered the fragrant rib soup in the kitchen. Changing her mind, she said, “I’ll have a little bit… I’ll cook it.”
“No, you shower first. By the ti you’re done, the noodles will be ready, and you can eat and relax.”
Twenty minutes later, two steaming bowls of noodles were ready, each topped with a poached egg.
Jiang He still hadn’t mastered poaching eggs; hers always broke apart. It must be a talent issue.
The clear oil droplets floated on the surface, and the creamy white broth looked mouthwatering. Xu Qing skipped the garlic this ti and dug in imdiately.
“Tastes good, right?”
“Yeah!”
Jiang He smiled happily. She’d learned another trick. One batch of ribs could now make three als.
“When I was a kid, my parents had a fight. My mom stord off to my grandparents’, and there was a big pot of rib soup left. My dad couldn’t cook, so he just left the pot on the balcony.”
Xu Qing gestured toward the balcony. “It froze solid overnight. Every day, he’d dig out a chunk and lt it into noodle soup. By the ti my mom ca back, the soup was almost gone.”
“Wow, really?” Jiang He was amazed.
“Lazy people have their ways. If that ever happens to you, try it. It’s filling and tasty.” Xu Qing laughed. “Now we have a fridge, so we don’t even need a balcony.”
“Let’s freeze it too, then.”
“No, no, just enjoy it once. There are better things to eat. Tomorrow, we’ll get chicken, duck, fish, and at—chicken soup noodles taste just as good.”
For so reason, Xu Qing often craved these simple dishes that weren’t easily found outside. Hotpot and BBQ were good, but they couldn’t compare to the satisfaction of a bowl of noodles.
Maybe he just wasn’t ant to live a luxurious life. He laughed at himself, took a sip of soup, and felt utterly content.
Late at night, the two of them, in pajamas, huddled over the table, happily slurping noodles. When the bowls were empty, Jiang He regretted not asking for more.
“Now I understand what it ans to die without regrets.”
“Seriously?” Xu Qing was stunned.
“If I can eat a bowl of noodles before I die, I’ll have no regrets.” Jiang He’s expression was solemn.
Feeling the warmth in her belly, she licked her lips, savoring the taste.
This was a different kind of happiness. Cake made her want to cheer, but noodles made her want to sigh contentedly.
“I’m still hungry…”
“Didn’t you say you only wanted a little? I even made extra for you.” Xu Qing rolled his eyes while cleaning up. “You can have more tomorrow. Eating too much at night isn’t good for you—you’ll get chubby.”
“I’m really not full. I got hungry again after showering.” Jiang He was unwilling to give up.
“Let feel your belly. If it’s round, you’re full. If not, I’ll make more.”
Jiang He hesitated. Let him touch her belly?
She looked down. It wasn’t exactly flat.
“Never mind. I’ll eat more tomorrow morning.”
“You could suck in your stomach to make it look flat,” Xu Qing suggested helpfully.
“What’s the point of that?” Jiang He shot him a suspicious look. “Do you just want to touch my belly?”
“No, I just want to see if you’re full.”
“You do want to touch it.”
“Fine, I admit it. What’s the harm in thinking about it?”
Xu Qing took the dishes to the kitchen. “Midnight snack’s over. Ti to play gas or sleep.”
She was definitely full. Dinner had been two big bowls, and the noodles just now were another large serving. She was just being greedy.
After washing the dishes, Xu Qing checked the ti and said, “Today was your first day of martial arts practice, so you must be tired. Go to bed early.”
“Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
Jiang He rubbed her belly, slumping on the couch in the sa pose Xu Qing always used.
“People only get greedy when they’re full,” Xu Qing said as he headed to his room. Before closing the door, he peeked out and warned, “Don’t sneak into my room in the middle of the night and do anything inappropriate.”
The door shut.
Jiang He was left staring blankly in the living room.
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