Chapter 9, "Not a Partner..."

Chapter Nine "Not a Partner..."

The next morning at 11 a.m., the sun was still shining brightly. Li Yue, wearing that navy blue knitted cardigan, was waiting outside the family compound again.

Ling Jianwei saw her figure from afar, stopped the car, quickly got out, walked up to her, and said as he walked, "I'm so sorry, I had to take my dad to run some errands yesterday morning and couldn't make it. You weren't home when I came over this afternoon."

Li Yue looked up at him and said, "If you're busy, you don't have to come."

"How can that be? I already stood you up yesterday." He smiled and gazed at her fair face. "Did you wait a long time yesterday?"

"I went shopping not long after that," Li Yue said.

"Where did you go?"

"I wandered around the Liulichang area."

"Interested in antiques and calligraphy?"

"I'll just wander around aimlessly."

He nodded: "Let's go first, let's wander around aimlessly together today."

Li Yue asked, "Where are we going?"

"Let's go check out the department store first."

Are you looking to buy something?

"Um."

So, this wealthy, idle man invited her out because he wanted someone to go shopping with? But don't guys usually go straight to their destination, buy what they need, and leave? Only girls would ask someone to go shopping with them, right?

With questions in mind, they arrived outside the department store. There were some shops on the street, and Ling Jianwei led her directly to a leather shoe store.

"Do you want to buy leather shoes?" Li Yue asked.

He looked at her and said, "I bought it for you."

"Buy it for me?" Li Yue was stunned.

"I stood you up yesterday, so I bought you a pair of shoes as an apology."

On her wedding day, she wore a pair of old leather shoes, which were the only pair she owned. The heels had come off once and were glued back on, and the leather on the uppers was wrinkled and torn in some places.

He probably noticed that her shoes were too worn out that day...

“No need to buy them,” Li Yue said. “Although those shoes are old and worn, I rarely wear leather shoes anyway.”

Ling Jianwei said gently, "I mainly want to apologize. It was the first time I made an appointment to meet a girl, but I didn't show up. If I don't bring her something, people will laugh at me."

"You didn't do it on purpose, and besides, it didn't cause any damage," Li Yue said dismissively.

"Come in and take a look." Without waiting for a reply, he grabbed Li Yue's arm and led her into the shoe store.

The shoe store displayed various styles of leather shoes, including spring/summer models, as well as winter styles like padded leather shoes and high-tops. Although Li Yue said she didn't want any, she was actually quite tempted by the pretty women's leather shoes she saw.

Especially a pair of burgundy leather shoes, mid-high chunky heels, buckle style. If I wore a skirt with them, showing off my slender calves and ankles, they would definitely look great together.

Ling Jianwei noticed that her gaze was fixed on the pair of leather shoes displayed on the counter. She smiled gently and asked the sales clerk, "Can I try those shoes on?"

The salesperson said, "You have good taste. These are genuine leather shoes, newly arrived."

What size does your partner wear?

“Not the object…” Li Yue immediately corrected herself before answering, “37 yards.”

The shop assistant brought over a pair of size 37 leather shoes. Ling Jianwei held one shoe, raised her eyebrows, and asked, "Want to try them on first?"

Li Yue sat on the shoe-changing stool, pulled her feet out of her black mother's shoes, and took off her socks.

Just as she was about to take the shoes from his hand, Ling Jianwei looked at her fair instep and squatted down. He patiently held the sole of the shoe and helped her put it on, then fastened the buckle, saying without looking up, "Put the other shoe on too."

The shop assistant handed her a piece of cardboard and asked her to step on it.

Li Yue looked down, and in her line of sight, the man had a straight nose, and his eyelashes trembled slightly when his eyes were closed...

She pursed her lips and silently thought, "This person is quite service-oriented."

"Try standing up." He looked up, met her gaze, and smiled faintly.

Li Yue withdrew her gaze, stood up, pulled up the hem of her pants, and walked around on the paper.

Is it too tight?

"Not crowded at all, just right."

The shop assistant said, "Your feet are very slender. They would look even better if you wore stockings and a skirt."

Ling Jianwei said decisively, "I'll take these shoes."

Shop assistant: "Okay."

But Li Yue was still hesitant. Although the shoes were really beautiful, everyone was poor now, and her material desires had been reduced to a minimum. Besides, she didn't feel comfortable accepting this gift...

She shook her head and said, "No need, I think it's too..."

She couldn't pinpoint a single bad thing about it.

The sales assistant was very perceptive and said with a smile, "You don't need to worry about the money. Just focus on looking good in it. Your partner can pay for it."

"I already said we're not a couple." Li Yue said helplessly.

The sales clerk smiled and asked, "Would you like to wear the shoes directly, or wrap them up?"

Li Yue was already changing her shoes when Ling Jianwei said, "Wrap them up. Do you have a shoebox?"

"Yes, they are all matching sets."

"..."

As Li Yue walked out of the shoe store, clutching the shoebox, she exclaimed, "It's so expensive! More than nine yuan... Even a decent pair of leather shoes would only cost seven or eight yuan."

He didn't seem to care: "All leather shoes are about this price, and besides, these shoes are stylish. Don't you like them?"

She likes it, but...

"How about we cancel it?" Li Yue stood by the car, thinking it over and over, but still couldn't accept it so easily.

"Return what? I've saved up my salary for years, and I can't even afford a pair of shoes?" He opened the passenger door.

Li Yue explained, "The main problem is that I can't find a suitable occasion to wear them, so leaving them is a waste." She might be going to the countryside soon, so would she keep these shoes as a souvenir?

Ling Jianwei looked at her helplessly: "How do you know you won't find an occasion to wear it? There will always be a time to wear it in the future. You can't be too pessimistic."

It's not that she's pessimistic; she just knows how things developed later.

Unless another ten years pass...

Can shoes last for ten years?

Leather shoes seem to work too.

Seeing that she was still hesitating, Ling Jianwei took the box from her hand and put it in the back seat.

The door slammed shut, and he said, "Get in the car quickly, I'll take you to eat, it's already past midnight."

As the car drove along the streets of Beijing, Li Yue's mind was still preoccupied with those shoes. Only after entering a hutong (alleyway) did she ask, "Where should we eat?"

He glanced at her and smiled mysteriously: "Didn't I say I'd take you to have soup last time? I told him this morning that I'd bring a friend over for lunch to try his cooking."

Li Yue's eyes widened: "Your maternal grandfather?"

“Yes,” Ling Jianwei said, “He’s a very kind person, don’t worry.”

“I…” What was Li Yue trying to say? “I…”

Ling Jianwei stopped the car: "You don't want to go? But we've arrived."

“But you didn’t tell me beforehand.” Li Yue’s tone was reproachful.

He sighed: "If I told you in advance, would you go?"

"No," Li Yue answered frankly. "Mainly, I never intended to bother your family."

Although he is his maternal grandfather, not his biological grandfather, he is still family.

Ling Jianwei patiently persuaded, "My maternal grandfather is my maternal grandfather's younger brother. My maternal grandfather has already passed away. Besides, I have met your cousin's family. This is not a disturbance. It's even."

"You call this even? The time you met my uncle and aunt was an accident."

Seeing that she really didn't want to go, he nodded: "I just wanted you to try the old lady's home-cooked meals. If you really don't want to go, we can find another place to eat."

Sigh, after a whole day, I feel like he has me completely under his control. Li Yue gave in: "Fine, we're already at the door."

Ling Jian smiled and said, "That's more like it. It's just a simple home-cooked meal. There's no need for you to make such a fuss over nothing."

Li Yue followed Ling Jianwei to the entrance of a courtyard house. The door was ajar, and Ling Jianwei pushed it open and went inside.

This courtyard house is a single-courtyard house with no rear-facing rooms, and the hanging flower gate has been removed. Upon entering, you are greeted by a small, square courtyard.

As soon as Li Yue stepped into the courtyard, she smelled a rich aroma of chicken soup. Then she saw a kind-looking, sprightly old man squatting in front of a small charcoal stove under the eaves, lifting the lid of a clay pot and adding salt.

I heard that this grandfather is now in his seventies. His wife passed away more than ten years ago. He is still in good health and lives here alone. His children and relatives often come to visit him and have a meal with him.

Amidst the rising steam, the old man stood up and looked Li Yue up and down: "Oh, little girl, you've arrived."

Li Yue stood up straight and stammered, "Hello, Grandpa."

"Alright, alright." The old man smiled and then looked at Ling Jianwei, "Jianwei, what are you standing there for? Quickly take the young lady inside."

Ling Jianwei remained calm and simply leaned over to take a look: "Grandpa, the chicken soup isn't ready yet?"

"It's not quite done yet; it won't do if it's even a little bit off," he said. "Little girl, come inside and sit down, wash your hands, and get ready to eat."

Just as Ling Jianwei had said, the old man was very kind and approachable, just like her own grandfather.

Li Yue felt relieved and entered the main room. Four dishes were already laid out on the table: garlic ribs, cold black fungus salad, mushrooms and greens, and a few golden and crispy spring rolls piled on a white porcelain plate.

The old man wrapped the casserole in a cloth and brought it over, placing it on a bamboo heat-resistant mat. When the lid of the casserole was lifted, the chicken soup was shiny and golden, garnished with goji berries and red dates, and its rich aroma was irresistible.

He gestured for Li Yue to sit down: "These are all home-style dishes. Jianwei said you like ribs, so I fried a few spring rolls while I was frying the ribs. You can eat them now, or have them as a snack later."

These are indeed very ordinary home-style dishes, but Li Yue could clearly feel that the cooking methods were anything but ordinary. Just by looking at the wood ear mushrooms and shredded carrots, she could tell that the knife skills were extraordinary.

Ling Jianwei served her a bowl of chicken soup: "Want to try some?"

Li Yue took a spoonful and tasted the rich chicken soup, which had an indescribable umami flavor.

"How is it? Is it good?" Ling Jianwei asked.

"It's so delicious, so very delicious. I've never had such good chicken soup before. It's so flavorful and rich."

The old man said, "If you think it tastes good, that's fine. I'm getting old, and I'm afraid I won't be able to control the heat properly. My sense of taste has also changed, so I usually don't taste whether it's salty or bland."

It wasn't just the chicken soup; Li Yue discovered that even a simple vegetable dish tasted exceptionally delicious when he prepared it. She was like someone whose language had deteriorated, only able to exclaim, "Delicious, so delicious!"

The old man smiled and said, "It's rare to see such a small thing. He told me early this morning that he was going to bring a young girl over for lunch. I was thinking that he had never brought a young girl over for lunch before. I asked him if he was bringing a girlfriend, but he said no. I was so happy for nothing."

Ling Jianwei chimed in, "Grandpa, I already said she's a friend. I boasted to her that you learned from the Imperial Chef and have cooked for state banquets, so you should at least let her try your cooking."

"You're making such a boast. I've never cooked for a state banquet. I just worked at the state guesthouse for a while and cooked a few meals. Besides, my master worked in the imperial kitchen, but he didn't really teach me anything. He just made me practice knife skills all the time."

Li Yue found the old man to be very humble and asked curiously, "Grandpa, do you have any disciples?"

"We recruited a few. One of them is a head chef at the State Guesthouse, another works in a big restaurant, and the third went to another place."

"..."