Chapter 64 I've already crawled into bed, what's there to be afraid of?
Knowing that she didn't like fatty meat, Xie Zhongming specially put the leaner pieces of meat from the twice-cooked pork with fermented black beans into her bowl.
She held the aluminum lunchbox and watched as the white rice was quickly covered with twice-cooked pork. Xie Zhongming kept putting more food into her bowl, adding twice-cooked pork and scrambled eggs with tomatoes, as if afraid she wouldn't have enough to eat.
"That's enough, that's enough, we can't eat that much."
She stepped back, covering the aluminum lunchbox, and Xie Zhongming put down his chopsticks.
"Then you eat it."
Qiao Xingyue ate the twice-cooked pork with a few mouthfuls of fragrant white rice. After a long and tiring day of traveling, having such delicious twice-cooked pork made her feel especially happy.
You have to understand that when she was living in the countryside with An An and Ning Ning, they wouldn't eat meat even once every month or two.
After eating several mouthfuls of white rice, Qiao Xingyue realized that Xie Zhongming hadn't even started eating yet.
She stopped. "Why aren't you eating?"
Only then did they realize that there was only a box of white rice on the table.
Xie Zhongming looked at her and smiled slightly, "You don't usually eat much, so I figured you wouldn't be able to finish this box of rice. I only got one box. Give me the rest after you finish it, don't waste it."
Xie Zhongming's words make sense.
She usually eats a small amount of food; she can only eat about a third of the white rice that is steamed directly in an aluminum lunchbox like this.
She hadn't even thought to share some with Xie Zhongming, and there weren't any extra bowls. She didn't even know how many times he had eaten her leftovers.
She put the bowl down, switched ends, and handed it to Xie Zhongming, saying, "You eat first. I haven't eaten from this end yet, so I can't let you eat my leftovers every time."
"What does it matter?" Xie Zhongming didn't mind at all that she had eaten it before.
More than five years ago, they had already done "that" together. They were already a couple. They were even in bed together. Why would they be afraid to share a meal?
Xie Zhongming was secretly delighted.
He sat there upright, clearly delighted inside, yet his expression remained calm and composed. He added some stir-fried cabbage with pork cracklings to her bowl, saying, "Eat."
Qiao Xingyue picked up the aluminum lunchbox again and continued eating.
Today's twice-cooked pork and stir-fried cabbage with pork cracklings are exceptionally fragrant. The tomato scrambled eggs with tomatoes also have a strong tomato flavor. The sauce is especially delicious with rice, much better than the tomatoes ripened with chemical fertilizers and pesticides in later generations.
As she ate her white rice, she lowered her head and pondered. In fact, apart from abandoning Fatty in Chadian Village five years ago, Xie Zhongming was a man without any faults.
He completely understood Fatty's previous attitude. Who could fall for a chubby girl from Ya Township whom they had never met?
At that time, Xie Zhongming was twenty-two years old, in the prime of his life, full of vigor and ambition. He was a promising young man, a platoon-level officer in the army, and so handsome that even the village beauty of Chadian Village was not good enough for him.
Qiao Xingyue seemed to understand him.
The leftover white rice in the aluminum lunchbox was reserved for Xie Zhongming.
She ate one-third of it, and left the remaining two-thirds untouched. The whole box of food was rectangular, and the remaining two-thirds became a neat square.
She ate very quickly, afraid that he would go hungry.
She quickly handed him the rest of the food, saying, "Eat up, I'm full."
"Eat some more."
"I'm really full, you should eat now."
In later generations, people often said: In the past, the days were slower, carriages, horses, and mail were slower, and a lifetime was only enough to love one person.
In this day and age, to be able to find a simple, warm, and lifelong loyal relationship would be a very happy thing.
If it weren't for what happened with Fatty, Qiao Xingyue would have almost thought that Xie Zhongming was the man who could accompany her for a lifetime in an era where travel was slow.
But she was afraid that if she gained weight back to her previous weight, Xie Zhongming would dislike her.
The thought that had just popped into her head was suddenly extinguished by her.
Xie Zhongming was worried that she hadn't eaten enough, so he asked her repeatedly, but after getting her answer, she still didn't touch her chopsticks.
She asked him, "Why haven't you started eating yet?"
"Why don't you eat some more?" Xie Zhongming handed her the chopsticks. "I haven't touched the chopsticks. I'm afraid you haven't eaten enough. If I eat later, the food will get dirty."
"If you don't mind that I've eaten, why would I mind that you? I'm really full, so you should eat now."
She snatched the chopsticks from his hand, picked up a piece of twice-cooked pork, and forced it into his mouth, saying, "Eat quickly, stop nagging."
Xie Zhongming was chewing on the twice-cooked pork in his mouth.
Did Xingyue feed him this?
At this moment, the twice-cooked pork in his mouth seemed to be more than just twice-cooked pork; it was more precious than gold. He couldn't bear to swallow it or bite into it, savoring every bite.
This was probably the best twice-cooked pork he had ever eaten in his life.
Just now, Xingyue said that she didn't mind him either?
Xie Zhongming, who was shoveling mouthfuls of white rice into his mouth, had a happy smile on his face the whole time.
The crimson sunset shone through the paper window, casting a slanted light on Xie Zhongming's profile and outlining his clean, sharp jawline.
He held an aluminum lunchbox, shoveling large mouthfuls of white rice into his mouth. He was full of energy, and his quick chewing and swallowing showed no sign of wolfing down his food. Instead, he exuded a neat and efficient air that made him more and more pleasing to the eye.
Qiao Xingyue rested her hand on the table, her chin propped up on her elbow, and quietly watched him eat.
It's as if they're admiring it.
Xie Zhongming, afraid of wasting food, didn't leave a single grain of rice in his lunchbox. When he inadvertently looked up, he happened to meet Qiao Xingyue's admiring gaze.
Qiao Xingyue didn't know what was wrong with her, she quickly looked away and let her hand fall down.
She quickly picked up the empty aluminum lunchbox and got up, saying, "I'll go wash the dishes."
"I'll go wash up. You wait for me inside." Xie Zhongming snatched the lunchbox, wiped the table clean with toilet paper, and strode out.
Even after the footsteps faded from sight, Qiao Xingyue still felt a tightness in her chest.
Was she nervous when she avoided Xie Zhongming's unintentional eye contact?
What is she so nervous about?
She calmed herself down and quickly put aside her distracting thoughts.
After the meal, Xie Zhongming took Qiao Xingyue out for a walk to digest their food. When they returned to the entrance of the guesthouse, someone suddenly called out to Xie Zhongming from behind.
"Zhongming?"
Xie Zhongming recognized the strong male voice.
He stopped and turned around, only to see a young man in a Zhongshan suit and glasses walking toward him with an extraordinary air.
Upon closer inspection, it was indeed an acquaintance, "Haozi?"
Isn't this Jiang Hao, the guy he grew up playing with in the family compound?
However, when Jiang Hao was twelve years old, he left the Jincheng Military Region and went to the Beijing Military Region as his father was transferred.
"Haozi, what are you doing in Kunming?" Xie Zhongming patted Jiang Hao on the shoulder.
Jiang Hao raised his hand to adjust the black-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. His every move exuded a scholarly air, clearly that of an intellectual. "Our research team is holding a meeting here, and we happen to be staying at this guesthouse."
It turns out that the research team that filled almost the entire guesthouse was Jiang Hao's team.
Just as Jiang Hao walked towards them, he noticed Qiao Xingyue walking beside Xie Zhongming. This woman was tall, thin, and fair-skinned, with striking good looks. She was a rare beauty with an outstanding temperament.
Jiang Hao glanced at Qiao Xingyue. "Zhongming, aren't you going to introduce him?"
Xie Zhongming didn't know how to introduce Qiao Xingyue to Jiang Hao. If he said she was his wife, Xingyue would insist on divorcing him.
While it's true that Xingyue is indeed his wife, she isn't.
Just then, Qiao Xingyue stepped forward confidently and extended her right hand decisively. "Comrade, hello, I am Xie Zhongming's wife."
Jiang Hao politely shook hands with her.
Out of gentlemanly manners, he only held Qiao Xingyue's fingertips, squeezed them gently, and then let go.
Then a look of surprise flashed in his eyes, "Zhongming, is this really your wife?"
Although Jiang Hao left the Jincheng Military Region with his father when he was twelve years old and went to Beijing, he has maintained correspondence with Xie Zhongming over the years.
Jiang Hao knew about Xie Zhongming's marriage, and since Xie Zhongming's maternal uncle was his superior, he was even more familiar with the Xie family's affairs.
He pulled Xie Zhongming aside and gave him a stern lecture, "Zhongming, isn't your wife Fatty Ya? That two-hundred-pound village girl you were forced to marry in Chadian Village. What exactly is your relationship with this woman? Don't be foolish and mess around with other women outside, it could affect your career for life."
"How could I be someone who messes around with women? Don't you know me?" Xie Zhongming's voice became somewhat serious.
He recounted the entire incident to Jiang Hao in detail.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Hao laughed loudly, "It seems that this really is fate between you and Fatty."
Two men were whispering to each other, while Qiao Xingyue stood in the sunset, waiting for quite some time.
Jiang Hao walked over and said, "Sister-in-law, are you free tomorrow? I'd like to invite you and Zhongming to dinner. I'll also invite Zhongming's uncle, my boss, Academician Huang."
Xie Zhongming walked to Qiao Xingyue's side, stopped, and looked at Jiang Hao, "Uncle is here too?"
"You don't know yet, do you? I'm now working under your uncle, and I've also joined the Two Bombs, One Satellite research and development project. Your uncle is upstairs right now; you need to go see him."
Upon hearing about the Two Bombs, One Satellite project, Qiao Xingyue thought it sounded very advanced.
At this moment, Xie Zhongming said with some regret, "We can't have dinner together tomorrow night. Xingyue and I are going back to Jincheng early tomorrow morning. We've already bought our train tickets."
He added, "But now I can go upstairs with you to visit my uncle."
Jiang Hao adjusted his black-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. "Alright, I'll take you up now. Your uncle hasn't met your wife yet, has he?"
Xie Zhongming did not answer Jiang Hao.
He turned his head, his gaze falling on Qiao Xingyue as if asking for permission, "Would you like to meet my uncle? If not..."
After all, she had always wanted to divorce him, and it was unclear whether she would be willing to meet his elders as his wife.
Before he could finish speaking, Qiao Xingyue said decisively, "Let's go see my uncle."
She said she was going to see her maternal uncle, not "your maternal uncle." Xie Zhongming noticed these details: Xingyue was willing to see her maternal uncle as his wife.
Xie Zhongming felt a surge of joy once again.
Jiang Hao led the way, with Qiao Xingyue and Xie Zhongming following behind.
As Xie Zhongming walked, he introduced, "My uncle is a scientific researcher and an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He has many students, and Jiang Hao is one of them."
As Qiao Xingyue walked, she asked, "Zhongming, does the 'Two Bombs, One Satellite' project, which my uncle and Comrade Jiang participated in together, refer to the atomic bomb, hydrogen bomb, and artificial Earth satellite?"
By this time, the Dongfanghong satellite had already been successfully launched.
Qiao Xingyue greatly admired these researchers.
Xie Zhongming chimed in, "You know?"
He had long felt that Qiao Xingyue was completely different from Pang Ya. Not only had she completely lost Pang Ya's appearance, but her core beliefs were also completely different.
She's only been away from Chadian Village for five years, how come she's so knowledgeable?
"I was just asking casually."
Xie Zhongming thought of something, but didn't ask. He planned to meet his uncle in the evening and then chat with Xingyue slowly.
As he walked, he answered, "Yes, my maternal grandfather was a mathematician, my maternal grandmother was an optics expert, my eldest uncle participated in the Two Bombs, One Satellite project, my second uncle is a famous geologist, and my third uncle is a senior scientist in the rubber technology field. My eldest uncle's research and development team broke the imperialist blockade on rubber in China for many years. My mother is my maternal grandfather's only daughter, and my maternal grandparents and several uncles all doted on her."
No wonder Aunt Lan has such a fondness for girls.
I heard that Aunt Lan wanted to have a daughter, but ended up having five sons.
They wanted a granddaughter, but Xie Zhongming's eldest and second eldest brothers got married and had four children, all of whom were sons.
Qiao Xingyue had met the two sons of the Xie family's eldest brother.
Aunt Lan's deep-seated love for girls was inherited from her entire family.
It must be said that Aunt Lan's maternal family is an absolute family of highly educated intellectuals, a true family of scholars.
If this were in later generations, it would definitely be considered a prominent and prestigious family.
Aunt Lan's entire family, with calligraphy and painting inscriptions on the lintel, and the whole house is imbued with a literary tradition and reputation that is both practical and worldly.
No wonder Aunt Lan has such an outstanding temperament.
When Qiao Xingyue first met Aunt Lan, she felt that she had an air of refined elegance stemming from her extensive knowledge and literary talent.
As they were talking, Jiang Hao led Xie Zhongming and Qiao Xingyue to Xie Zhongming's uncle's room and knocked on the door.
"Enter!"
Jiang Hao pushed open the door and went in, where he saw a group of researchers dressed in Zhongshan suits discussing something around a leader with gray hair.
The leader surrounded in the center was Xie Zhongming's maternal uncle, Huang Guiyi, who was seventy-two years old this year. His hair was already gray, but he was still very energetic.
Jiang Hao shouted, "Teacher, guess who I brought to you?"
Huang Guiyi's gaze passed through the crowd and landed on Xie Zhongming and Qiao Xingyue. He was first surprised to see his nephew here, and then he was shocked. The woman next to his nephew had a very elegant demeanor. He wondered who she was to Zhongming.
"My nephew is here. We'll discuss it at tomorrow's meeting."
Everyone nodded, took their notebooks, said goodbye to Huang Guiyi, and left.
Before leaving, they couldn't help but take a look at the handsome and eye-catching Xie Zhongming and Qiao Deyue.
As they went outside, people were talking about it. "Academician Huang's nephew is so handsome. Could that woman be his wife? She's so beautiful, like a fairy in a painting."
"This is a perfect match, a handsome man and a beautiful woman!"
The murmurs faded into the distance until they could no longer be heard. Xie Zhongming glanced at Qiao Xingyue.
He knew that she cared deeply about his indifference and neglect towards her when she was still chubby, and that she had been unwilling to accept him even after they had known each other for so long.
He then introduced him to Huang Guiyi, saying, "Uncle, this is Comrade Qiao."
"What? Comrade Qiao, why don't you tell the academician that this is your wife?" Jiang Hao blurted out without thinking.
Qiao Xingyue stepped forward confidently and said, "Academician Huang, hello. My name is Qiao Xingyue. I am the housekeeper of Comrade Xie's family. I came to Kunming with Comrade Xie to take care of some business."
At this moment, Xie Zhongming's upright shoulders slumped slightly.
The gaze that fell on her carried a hint of disappointment; just now, when she introduced herself to Jiang Hao, she had said that she was his wife.
How come when it comes to my uncle, he's just a nanny for the Xie family?
It seems that Xingyue still insists on divorcing him?
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