Lunch was arranged at a long-established state-run restaurant near the military hospital.
This is both a celebration of Zhou Qiqi's discharge from the hospital and a celebration of the family's true reunion.
At the same time, it is also to thank friends for their kindness in raising ransom for Zhou Qiqi.
Of the previous ransom of 50,000 yuan, the military region paid 40,000 yuan.
The remaining 10,000 yuan was all contributed by Deng Cuixiang, Zhu Yingying, Zhao Damei, and other friends, who chipped in penny by penny.
The Shen family will never forget this kindness, so they decided to have a meal together with the guests today.
During his more than one week in the hospital, Mr. Zhai made many trips to the hospital.
Ostensibly, he came to visit Zhou Qiqi, but most of the time he took Xiao Zhouzhou around, bought her snacks, and showed her new things.
Zhouzhou called him "Grandpa Zhai" sweetly and crisply, which made the old man very happy. He treated Zhouzhou like his own granddaughter.
So naturally, we had to invite him to this meal.
When Grandpa Zhai heard that the Shen couple had decided to stay in S City permanently and not leave, he was so happy that he slapped his thigh and repeatedly said, "Great!"
He and Shen Zhenbang got along very well and had a good conversation.
This time, I specially dug out a bottle of Moutai that was quite old from my family's collection, saying that I wanted to have a good drink with my old friend, and not leave until we were drunk.
Zhou Qiqi stared at the alcohol content label on the bottle, her heart pounding.
She knew that her father-in-law, Shen Zhenbang, was not in very good health. He had developed many health problems from fighting in his early years, and he was also getting old. She was afraid that he would not be able to handle such a strong liquor.
She opened her mouth, about to offer some gentle advice, when her mother-in-law, Qin Peilan, gently tugged at her sleeve, shook her head slightly, and said in a low voice:
“It’s alright, let your dad have a drink. Over the years... he’s been staying with me in the sanatorium, and he’s been feeling really stifled. Now that this huge weight has finally been lifted off his shoulders, let him relax and have some fun.”
After hearing this, Zhou Qiqi said no more.
Her gaze shifted to the Arctic Ocean soda bottles the children were holding on the table, their bright orange-yellow color making her smack her lips. She tugged at her mother-in-law's sleeve and said sweetly, "..."
"Mom, I'd like some soda too, I want to relax a bit..."
Her mouth has been so bland these past few days that she can't taste anything at all.
Qin Peilan shook her head without hesitation, her tone leaving no room for negotiation:
“You can’t do it! Director Ding specifically instructed that you’ve only been discharged from the hospital for a few days. Right now, you can only eat some mushy noodles, with at most a tiny bit of salt for seasoning. You have to avoid all oil and fish! Soda is so cold and has gas, it will irritate your stomach and intestines. What if it affects the healing of your wound?”
Zhou Qiqi's face immediately fell, and she muttered in disappointment:
"Ah, Mom, I just want to try something flavorful..."
Those pitiful eyes were enough to soften anyone's heart.
Qin Peilan softened her tone and reassured him:
"Mom knows it's uncomfortable when your mouth tastes bland. I've already asked the waiter to make you a bowl of plain noodles with a poached egg. The egg will be tender, and the soup will be hot. It's better than plain water. Let's just bear with it for a few more days, okay?"
After saying that, she turned to Shen Huaichuan, who was sitting opposite her, and instructed him:
"Huaichuan, go pour Qiqi a glass of warm water and let it cool down before she drinks it."
Shen Huaichuan replied, "Okay."
I got up and went to get the thermos.
Seeing her man being so "obedient" and not fighting for her at all, Zhou Qiqi pouted, feeling a little wronged.
But when Shen Huaichuan turned around to get the thermos, he quickly winked at Qin Peilan while she wasn't paying attention.
He subtly pointed to the bottle of Beibingyang soda on the table, then gestured with his fingertip as if to pour just a little bit.
Zhou Qiqi instantly understood what he meant, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly, her little bit of depression immediately disappearing.
That's more like it!
"Qiqi, what are you laughing at by yourself?"
Qin Peilan sat next to her, keeping a close eye on everything, and immediately noticed the subtle change in her expression.
Zhou Qiqi's heart tightened, and she quickly reached out to affectionately take her mother-in-law's arm, resting her head on her shoulder, and changing the subject:
"Mom, I'm not happy about anything. I just noticed there are a lot of people today, including the kids, Zhouzhou, Xiangyang, Xianghai, and many women like Sister Cuixiang and Yingying. We only ordered one sweet dish, sweet and sour pork, isn't that a bit too few? The kids definitely prefer sweet food. How about we go and order some more dishes before all the guests arrive?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Peilan found it reasonable and nodded in agreement:
"Qiqi, you're so thoughtful! Come on, let's go check out the menu."
He stood up and took Zhou Qiqi's hand to go to the front desk.
Taking the opportunity, Zhou Qiqi turned around and winked triumphantly at Shen Huaichuan, implying that she had sent everyone away and that Shen Huaichuan should act according to the situation.
Qin Peilan turned back and asked Zhouzhou, "Zhouzhou, what else would you like to eat? Want to order with Grandma and Auntie?"
Zhouzhou obediently shook her head: "No, Grandma, you can order whatever you want."
Zhou Qiqi then took her mother-in-law's arm and walked towards the order window, chatting and laughing.
Although her main purpose was to "cover up" for Shen Huaichuan, she was also genuinely concerned for everyone.
Seeing that the two old men wanted to drink, I specially added a plate of peanuts and a dish of braised beef as snacks to go with their drinks.
It was about ten minutes later when the two of them finished ordering and returned to the table.
Zhou Qiqi sat down in her seat, her gaze falling on the enamel mug in front of her.
It was no longer empty; it was filled with a pale orange liquid, with tiny bubbles rising slightly.
Needless to say, Shen Huaichuan must have secretly poured her some Arctic Ocean soda when they weren't looking.
Although it definitely contained a lot of warm water, at least it wasn't just bland, tasteless water anymore.
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