69. Let’s have a drink together

Seeing Xu Wenqiang remained silent, Xu Yanmei yawned and asked, "Where did you sleep last night?"

"With my classmate." Xu Wenqiang said.

"Male or female?" Xu Yanmei asked again.

Xu Wenqiang paused, "A woman."

Xu Yanmei glanced at Xu Wenqiang, yawned again, and said, "Xu Wenqiang, you grew up in a farmers' market, so you've heard a lot of dirty jokes. Between men and women, that's how it is, you should understand. So you can spend the night wherever you want to. I don't care. You can do whatever you want. Just don't cause any trouble."

After saying that, Xu Yanmei dragged her slippers and went back to her room.

Xu Wenqiang stood in the living room, lost in thought as she stared at Xu Yanmei's closed door. Xu Yanmei's words just now seemed to indicate that she was worried that she would suffer a loss and was therefore reminding her. Was this considered caring for her?

The word "care" had such a lasting effect that it took Xu Wenqiang a while to come to her senses. At least Xu Yanmei didn't chase her away again, so Xu Wenqiang returned to her room.

Sitting at her desk, spread out her test paper, Xu Wenqiang couldn't concentrate. She kept thinking about whether she should support or oppose Xu Yanmei and Chen Long's relationship.

If she agreed, she would definitely not admit it. But when she thought about the objection, Xu Wenqiang laughed at herself again.

Even with Aunt Lu's death looming before her eyes, she had already given up her opposition. When she first discovered Chen Long's presence at their house, she chose to remain silent. She had already given up her opposition.

Xu Wenqiang knew that she was still on Xu Yanmei's side. She knew Xu Yanmei had never had an easy life and was lonely, so even if Chen Long was not a good person, Xu Yanmei had to live with him, and she had nothing to say.

However, when she was trying her best to make Xu Yanmei live a more comfortable life, what did the deceased Aunt Lu matter?

Xu Wenqiang's conscience seemed to be thrown into a fire and completely engulfed by the flames, burning her whole body with pain.

Unable to bear the torment, Xu Wenqiang rushed out of the house.

When she opened the door, she found Su Xiaoshan and Chen Yang standing outside. Su Xiaoshan's hand was still hanging, as if he was about to push the door open. Chen Yang stood aside, glanced at Xu Wenqiang, and then looked away.

Su Xiaoshan said, "Grandpa Li cooked a pot of mutton and said he couldn't finish it, so he asked the three of us to come over and eat the mutton."

Under normal circumstances, Xu Wenqiang would have agreed. In the past, the three of them often ate and drank at Grandpa Li's house, but now, she felt guilty looking at Chen Yang, so she shook her head and said, "I'm not going."

"Not going?" Su Xiaoshan glanced back at Chen Yang. He knew what Xu Wenqiang was worried about, but he still said, "Xu Wenqiang, there aren't many opportunities for the three of us to sit down and have a meal in peace. Think about it again."

Xu Wenqiang hesitated for a long time. Sooner or later, Chen Yang would discover what Chen Long and Xu Yanmei were doing. When that day finally came, she and Chen Yang would probably end up fighting until they met.

Finally, Xu Wenqiang sighed and said, "Su Xiaoshan, you are right. There are not many opportunities. Let's go."

When you push open the door of Grandpa Li’s clinic, the aroma of mutton hits you in the face.

"Stop dawdling! Hurry up! The meat is getting cold." Grandpa Li said while holding a pot of meat.

"Grandpa Li, let me do it." Su Xiaoshan hurried forward and took the pot from Grandpa Li's hand.

"I'll go get the chopsticks and bowl." Xu Wenqiang said.

"I'll move the stool." Chen Yang also started to get busy.

"You three bastards are in for a treat." Grandpa Li was free, so he sat down at the table and poured himself a glass of wine.

Xu Wenqiang looked at Grandpa Li's satisfied expression with his eyes closed after he drank all the wine in the glass, and she couldn't help but feel itchy in her heart.

She obediently filled Grandpa Li's glass, then asked cheekily, "Grandpa, can you give me a drink too?"

Grandpa Li opened his eyes and squinted at Xu Wenqiang, "Can you drink?"

"Actually, I can really drink a bit. Grandpa, it's boring for you to drink alone, so I'll keep you company." Xu Wenqiang said as he took a wine glass and poured himself a glass.

As soon as the wine glass was filled, Chen Yang reached out a hand, took the glass away and poured the wine on the ground.

"If you want to drink, wait until you get into college." Chen Yang put down his glass and said.

“…”

Xu Wenqiang endured it.

Grandpa Li laughed at the side, "That naughty boy Chen Yang has grown up."

Xu Wenqiang couldn't help but rolled her eyes.

But Chen Yang saw it, "Why, if you have any objections, ask Su Xiaoshan, can you, a high school student, drink alcohol?"

"It's just one glass. It won't do any harm if I drink it. I don't know who forced me to drink a few days ago." Xu Wenqiang muttered.

"Alright, alright, stop talking and sit down." Su Xiaoshan stopped Xu Wenqiang and Chen Yang from bickering.

Grandpa Li looked at the three noisy children in front of him, his heart warmed and his eyes became a little moist.

"I've watched you three grow up. You were born and raised in this farmers' market. Every time you got into a fight and bled, you came here to have your wounds healed. So I know exactly how much hardship you've endured since you were little. It's not easy for adults to fight for a living, and it hasn't been easy for you three to grow up either!"

After Grandpa Li finished speaking, he raised his head and drank the wine in the glass.

Su Xiaoshan and Chen Yang both thought about some past events and became depressed for a while.

Xu Wenqiang filled Grandpa Li's glass with wine and said with a smile, "Grandpa, let's not say those spoiling words. Let's eat the meat quickly. I'm craving it."

Hearing Xu Wenqiang's words, Grandpa Li laughed, "Wenqiang is really open-minded! Then I'll say a few more words and then we can start eating meat."

Grandpa Li raised his glass again, his eyes sweeping over Xu Wenqiang, Su Xiaoshan, and Chen Yang one by one. He then said, "You three are all good children. Grandpa hopes that you can support each other and make concessions for each other in the future. No matter how difficult things get in the future, don't forget the friendship you grew up with."

After Grandpa Li finished speaking, he drank the wine in the glass again.

Su Xiaoshan stood up and went to get the wine glass, "I want a drink too."

"Su Xiaoshan, I want one too." Chen Yang said.

"Xu Wenqiang, what about you?" Su Xiaoshan asked.

"I..." Xu Wenqiang, who had just asked Grandpa Li for a drink, hesitated. Grandpa Li's words had a hidden meaning, as if he knew something, or was giving instructions.

"Give her one," Grandpa Li said. "Let's all drink one together."

After Su Xiaoshan took back the wine glasses, Chen Yang filled them for everyone, and then Grandpa Li raised his glass and said, "Cheers!"

"Dry!"

…

The four glasses clinked together, and then the four people raised their heads to drink. The whole process seemed like the completion of a ritual, as well as the making of some kind of agreement.

Because she had something on her mind, Xu Wenqiang started coughing when the spicy white wine entered her mouth.

"Xu Wenqiang, with your limited ability, you still dare to say that you can drink a little?" Chen Yang said sarcastically.

"Chen Yang, please say less." Su Xiaoshan said from the side.

"Hurry up and eat some meat to calm your nerves," said Grandpa Li.

Xu Wenqiang quickly picked up her chopsticks and shoved a mouthful of meat into her mouth. The tender, mutton melted in her mouth, and the perfect hint of cumin stimulated her taste buds.

"This meat smells so good!" Xu Wenqiang said, and kept using her chopsticks as she stuffed several mouthfuls of meat into her mouth.

"Xu Wenqiang, you are so rude." After Chen Yang finished speaking, he picked up the chopsticks and started eating the mutton.

"Who's being polite to you?" Xu Wenqiang said while chewing meat.

"Even meat can't stop your mouths." Su Xiaoshan said.

"Xiaoshan, you should eat quickly, otherwise it will be gone." Grandpa Li said with a smile.

"Grandpa Li, you eat too." Su Xiaoshan put a few pieces of meat into Grandpa Li's bowl before starting to eat himself.

Grandpa Li drank his wine and breathed a sigh of relief as he looked at the three children wolfing down their food. He hoped they would remember this evening, this pot of mutton, and the glass of wine they had shared.