Chapter 122 His Protection
Because some people hadn't arrived yet, the courtyard gate wasn't closed; it was just ajar and could be opened with a push.
Bai Lu waited for a while, and apart from the three knocks on the door, there was only a gentle breeze blowing through the crack in the door.
There was no further movement outside the door.
A bag was placed on the ground outside the door. A gentle breeze blew open the plastic bag, and several bottles of wine could be vaguely seen inside.
It doesn't have any fancy bottle packaging; it's a familiar pear-shaped glass bottle with the familiar aroma of baijiu.
Besides the liquor, there were also some peanuts in the bag.
Bai Lu was slightly taken aback. As expected, these things must have been sent by Wang Hao.
In previous years, on Xiao Cheng's birthday, Luo Shiliu, Xiao Dazhuang, and Wang Hao would take turns bringing wine, dishes, and meat.
In the past two years, Wang Hao got married and his family controlled his money. Luo Shiliu and Xiao Dazhuang arrived earliest, bringing meat and vegetables, while leaving the wine for Wang Hao, who arrived last.
Wang Hao's mother has an uncle whose family brews wine and sells it in town; it's possible to get a few bottles on credit.
Although people arrive late, they are never absent.
With so many things happening this year, Wang Hao is caught between his brother and wife, probably in a dilemma. He might be too embarrassed to see Xiao Cheng, and he might also be afraid that Xiao Cheng won't let him in.
That's why I put my things down...
Bai Lu glanced at the empty road outside, then turned and called out to the kitchen, "Acheng."
A tall figure walked towards her from the kitchen.
"Wang Hao is here."
Bai Lu smiled and took Xiao Cheng's arm, pointed to the bag on the ground, and led his gaze downwards.
Xiao Cheng, his body still bearing the scent of fireworks, glanced casually at his arm and then back at the girl's smiling face before bending down slightly to pick up the bag.
With a slight turn of his arm, he led her home, casually uttering a single sentence.
"Come in when you're here."
The figure beneath the wall froze.
A moment later, he emerged from the shadows, his heavy steps becoming slightly lighter, and walked towards the open door.
As soon as I entered, two figures jumped out from behind the door, one on each side, and slapped my shoulders twice with their large hands.
"You always come this late, trying to slack off, huh!"
"They push all the work of killing chickens and plucking ducks onto us, and you don't have to do anything, you just come and eat, right!"
"You're not pretty, but you dream big. I'll have your older brother reward you with a chicken butt when we eat later!"
Luo Shiliu and Xiao Dazhuang patted Wang Hao's shoulder with tremendous force, almost knocking him over. However, Wang Hao, who was feeling extremely anxious, breathed a sigh of relief.
Long-suppressed emotions were released amidst the steaming hot food on the table.
Each bite tastes like home, each glass of baijiu brimming with affection is drunk amidst laughter and joy.
With a bit of alcohol on his head, all the words he had kept hidden for so long, the words he wanted to say but dared not say, were released.
"Brother Cheng, let me toast you."
Wang Hao stood up from his seat. He had probably drunk a bit too much; his face was a little red, and he was a little unsteady on his feet. But he spoke steadily: "I... wish Brother Jingcheng and Sister-in-law a prosperous business, a long and happy marriage, and a long and fulfilling life together."
The beginning was fine, but the end...
Bai Lu smiled awkwardly, picked up the cup that Xiao Cheng had replaced, and poured out her unspoken words in a glass of orange juice.
In previous years, Xiao Cheng didn't eat any vegetables, but this year he's been eating them all the time, and he hasn't missed a drink either. His facial expressions are much more pronounced than usual, and he smiles with delight.
A glass of baijiu (Chinese liquor) gathers all the best wishes and blessings.
Luo Shiliu and Xiao Dazhuang had already finished their round of toasts and were now engrossed in eating and drinking.
I had a snail-eating contest with my classmate Xiaowei.
Wang Hao emptied his glass and refilled it, looking at Xiao Cheng across from him with envy: "Brother Cheng, you must treat your wife well. She's so wonderful. Not only can she cook, but she can also make roasted chestnuts and run a business. She's also so gentle, virtuous, and considerate. She's so good to you..."
Xiao Cheng crossed his arm across the back of the chair where Bai Lu was sitting, rested it on the armrest, and gently squeezed her shoulder with his large hand.
The silent declaration of forceful possession is self-evident; a glass of liquor serves as a definitive answer, drunk in one gulp.
Wang Hao finished his drink in one gulp, let out a burp, and said in an increasingly bitter tone, "We were sorry for what happened before, sister-in-law. We hope you can forgive us for our past mistakes."
"Once my sister-in-law and Cheng's big, healthy son is born, I will definitely prepare a generous gift to celebrate my nephew's birthday and to congratulate Cheng and my sister-in-law..."
The room fell silent as soon as he said this.
Xiao Wei, sucking on a snail, held a toothpick in one hand and a snail in the other. He looked up at Wang Hao, who was holding a wine glass and offering a toast, then at his older brother with a calm expression, and then at Bai Lu, who seemed a little stunned.
Finally, our gaze shifted to the other side.
Luo Shiliu and Xiao Dazhuang were also stunned for a moment. After realizing what was happening, they opened their mouths as if to offer their congratulations.
But the eldest brother, who spoke first, cut her off with a single sentence: "The hospital misdiagnosed her; Bailu is not pregnant."
Xiao Cheng simply brushed it off with a single, unambiguous sentence.
Bai Lu had been trying to come up with an explanation, but it got stuck in her throat. She swallowed it back down and turned to look at the man's cool profile beside her. She even had the illusion that she was being protected.
He was explaining it to her.
Only a few of his brothers knew about her pregnancy, and now the whole thing is considered over.
No one dared to question or ask a single question about Xiao Cheng's words; once he spoke, the outcome was decided.
The smiles on Luo Shiliu and Xiao Dazhuang's faces froze for a moment. The words of congratulations that had just come out of their mouths were all silenced by their suddenly closed lips.
I swallowed back everything I should and shouldn't have said.
Wang Hao, who had drunk a couple more glasses, asked with confusion, "Misdiagnosis? My sister-in-law isn't pregnant? Could the hospital have made a mistake? My sister-in-law and Chunli's pregnancies are around the same time, and the baby will be born in two or three months. Brother Cheng, aren't you going to take your sister-in-law to the hospital for a checkup...? This kind of thing can be a big deal or a small deal, and it's not necessarily a good thing if the hospital makes a mistake..."
"Let's eat!"
Luo Shiliu picked up a chicken butt and stuffed it into Wang Hao's bowl. "Since Brother Cheng said that, he must have already done a full check-up, so you don't need to worry about it."
"Just eat your food!"
Xiao Dazhuang was actually a little confused, but before he came, his mother Liang Lixia told him to do whatever Xiao Cheng told him to do and not to ask questions he shouldn't ask.
So, just like with the ladder, he decided not to know or ask any more questions.
She picked up a duck butt and handed it to Wang Hao: "Didn't you keep saying how delicious your sister-in-law's cooking is all night? Eat more, you won't have such a good chance again."
I learned how to pick up food with chopsticks, but I didn't learn how to speak.
Luo Shiliu was really worried sick. He shoved a big spoonful of snails into Xiao Dazhuang's bowl and said, "Hurry up and slurp your snails. What do you mean you don't have a chance? There will be plenty of opportunities in the future!"
Wang Hao, drunk, stared at the chicken and duck butts in his bowl, lost in thought. After a moment, he picked up his wobbly chopsticks, took a bite, and put them in his mouth.
Chicken butt...it actually tastes pretty good.
Xiao Dazhuang buried his head in slurping snails.
Xiao Wei also silently buried his bowl and ate the snails.
"We'll have children later, Cheng-ge and sister-in-law, no rush. Let's eat, or the food will get cold," Luo Shiliu said casually, trying to smooth things over.
(End of this chapter)
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