Chapter 90: Little Yellow Croaker behaves like a brothel owner.
The living room suddenly became lively with the addition of Tong Menglin and her group.
Ms. Ai covered her lips in surprise: "So you are Xiaoshu's deskmate back then."
When his name was called, Shen Qianshu politely raised the corners of his mouth: "It's me, Auntie. We met at the parents' meeting. I wonder if you still remember me?"
"Of course I did. I didn't expect you to have grown up so much." Ms. Ai thought back to the past. "Then why didn't they see you after they started high school?"
"Aunt Ai, Qianshu transferred to Shenzhen City after graduating from high school." Tong Menglin helped explain.
Ms. Ai thought thoughtfully, "Shenzhen City, what a coincidence! Xiaoshu is also working in Shenzhen now."
"Yes, on the way here we were still sighing about how they were destined to be together." Tong Menglin winked at Shen Qianshu while holding Ms. Ai's arm. "Otherwise, you can ask Luo Shu yourself what she thinks."
The conversation turned to her again, and Luo Shu agreed perfunctorily: "Yes, yes, it's fate."
Tong Menglin finally drank a sip of water with satisfaction and looked around: "Hey, I just realized that my uncle is not here. Where did he go?"
"Where else could he be?" Ms. Ai casually pointed to the kitchen. "He's sitting at the stove, working on his appetizers."
Following the finger, Tong Menglin could smell the aroma of food. "Aunt Ai, Shushu and I grew up eating Uncle's cooking. You don't know, but I've always dreamed of finding a good family man like Uncle. I'd never let my wife cook, unlike some lazy people who only dream of being a rich young master."
She was publicly making insinuations, and Jiang Xun couldn't help but look irritated. Ms. Zhuang keenly noticed that something was amiss and quickly tried to smooth things over: "Look at me, I'm so busy chatting. I'll go to the kitchen to check on the food. You two can talk properly."
As soon as Ms. Ai left, Tong Menglin came up to Luo Shu and asked, "Who was that just now? Your relative? How come I didn't know your relative had such a handsome guy?"
Jiang Xun coughed madly to make his presence felt.
Tong Menglin: "If you want to cough it out, cough it out."
Jiang Xun glared instead.
Tong Menglin: "There's no use glaring at me."
Luo Shu sighed helplessly. Ever since these two started fighting, they'd been having small arguments every three days and big fights every five days, yet they'd never broken up since they started dating. "Tell me, how did he make you angry again?"
“Not yet…”
"Why is Fang Qingzhuo in your house?" Shen Qianshu suddenly cut off the conversation. He looked over expressionlessly, trying to get a reasonable explanation.
Luo Shu was a little dissatisfied with his questioning tone, but because no one was around, she couldn't get angry: "It just happened to happen."
Fang Qingzhuo? The sudden appearance of this name made Tong Menglin feel a strong sense of familiarity. In a flash, wasn't Luo Shu's unsuccessful boyfriend called by this name?
I studied there for the entire winter vacation, and every time I answered the phone, the first sentence I said was always "Fang Qingzhuo, you miss me again" in a hoarse voice. It's hard to forget.
"Then why did I take your family here? You act like they're your own. You guys are not..." Tong Menglin covered her mouth, and she had to hold back the word "reconcile" because she was considering Shen Qianshu.
"Did he use some tricks to pester you again?" Shen Qianshu suddenly became a different person and aggressively said, "I know that uncles and aunts are respectable people and it's hard for them to refuse, but I am different. I can come forward and drive him away."
The word "drive away" was like a matchstick rubbed against red phosphorus, igniting the negative emotions hidden deep within Luo Shu. She frowned and said, "I agreed to let him come."
Shen Qianshu gritted his teeth: "You have forgotten everything he did to you."
Luo Shu called him by his full name: "Chen Qianshu, this is my home."
The atmosphere was a little awkward for a moment. Tong Menglin and Jiang Xun looked at each other. In this situation, it seemed that the conversation would collapse before they could even finish a few words.
Meanwhile, finishing touches were being put on the kitchen.
Ms. Zhuang was giving instructions and quickly told Luo's father to bring the dishes out. She turned around and saw Fang Qingzhuo holding an iron wok and pouring scallion oil on the small yellow croaker on the plate.
"You seem to be very knowledgeable about our local cuisine."
Fang Qingzhuo worked tirelessly, wiping the grease from the countertop with a rag: "To be honest, I learned this for Luo Shu."
"I'm not gossiping, but your uncle and I know a little bit about your relationship with Xiaoshu." Ms. Ai stopped there. "So what are you doing now?"
Fang Qingzhuo took off her apron: "Auntie, I didn't mean to hide it from you."
It is no longer a roundabout tactic of using a little force to achieve a great effect, but a frank and honest approach.
"I've let her down and hurt her feelings."
In late summer, the days are long and the nights are short. Even after 7:30, the sky is still bright. The table is filled with delicious dishes that are both colorful and fragrant.
Tong Menglin stuffed her cheeks full: "Well, it would be a shame if my uncle didn't become a chef in a restaurant with his cooking skills."
Zhuang Xun also gave a thumbs-up without hesitation: "Uncle, aunt, Linlin and I will come to eat more often in the future."
Luo's father smiled from ear to ear and clinked glasses with Fang Qingzhuo beside him: "Come on, come on, uncle has nothing else to offer, but there's plenty of food."
After the unpleasant experience before the meal, Tong Menglin glanced at Luo Shu who was oblivious to what was happening outside the window, and then looked at Shen Qianshu who was secretly sad, thinking about how to ease the relationship between them. She picked a piece of fish and put it into Shen Qianshu's bowl, hinting that he should say a few good words.
"Qianshu, eat fish. I remember you love fish the most."
After receiving the hint, Shen Qianshu took a bite and tasted it, then forced a smile: "I haven't eaten such authentic small yellow croaker in the past few years since I left Ningcheng."
Fang Qingzhuo laughed softly, the sound was neither loud nor soft, but it happened to reach the ears of those who were paying attention.
Shen Qianshu was already dissatisfied, and now he took the opportunity to attack: "What are you laughing at?"
"It's funny that someone flatters the wrong person." Under Shen Qianshu's confused gaze, Fang Qingzhuo deliberately picked up some fish with his chopsticks and said, "Sorry, I made this small yellow croaker dish."
After a few drinks, Luo's father's mind was somewhat distracted. He patted Fang Qingzhuo's shoulder and said, "Yes, this fish was really made by Xiao Fang. His cooking method is even more authentic than that of an old Ningcheng native like me."
There is a lot of praise in the words.
After saying this, Tong Menglin didn't know whether to chew or spit out the second bite of fish meat that came to her tongue.
The continuous attacks undoubtedly added fuel to the fire, and Shen Qianshu opened fire: "Fang Qingzhuo, you are such a shameless person, you are so shameless. You came here uninvited, acting like a brothel owner, but that's all you can do."
Fang Qingzhuo faced his provocative gaze, his cheeks moving as he chewed. "You, a married woman, have the nerve to eat the food I cook. Why shouldn't I have the nerve to come?"
The dinner table was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop because of this light-hearted response.
Only Ms. Zhuang seemed calm. She raised the corner of her lip subtly, picked up the crab shell, and skillfully scooped up the crab roe with a small spoon, savoring it carefully. She asked casually, "What's Xiao Shen's major?"
The elder asked a question, and as a junior, Shen Qianshu did not dare to neglect it: "Auntie, I studied business at NYU."
Holding on to the hope of helping her friend win back the game, Tong Menglin straightened her back instantly: "Aunt Ai, our Qianshu is a returnee who studied abroad."
Ms. Ai praised with a smile, and in order not to be partial, she asked about Fang Qingzhuo.
Fang Qingzhuo remained unfazed by the honor or disgrace, pouring himself a glass of wine. "I don't have much experience studying abroad. I just got into Shenzhen University of Technology through serious admissions, majoring in computer science."
"There's no such thing as a low-ranking school. It feels just like this."
The already disharmonious dinner table became even more tense because of Tong Menglin's sarcastic words.
Jiang Xun raised his glass to gesture, chuckling dryly, trying to ease the suffocating atmosphere. "Brother, my girlfriend just said something without thinking. She means no harm. Don't take it to heart. I'll drink this."
Don't look at the monk's face, look at the Buddha's face. Fang Qingzhuo naturally didn't care and just put the wine glass in his hand to his lips.
"I'm from Shenzhen University of Technology, too."
Everyone was attracted by the indifferent voice and looked towards its source.
Sitting at the end of the table eating silently, Luo Shu, who was silent but made a great splash.
Under the scrutiny of several pairs of eyes, Luo Shu calmly swallowed the last mouthful of nothingness, staring at the half-full bowl of white rice that tasted bland and boring, yet each grain was plump and so white that it dazzled her.
Tong Menglin knew she had said the wrong thing, and anxiously tried to pull her hand to explain: "Shushu, that's not what I meant."
Luo Shu put down her chopsticks: "I'm full, you guys eat slowly."
After a moment of silence, Ms. Zhuang also put down her chopsticks: "Auntie remembered that I still have some work to do at school, you guys eat slowly."
The hosts left one after another, leaving Luo's father alone to take the lead. He shook his head and glanced around the table, trying to search for a solution in his confused mind.
Perhaps out of sympathy for Lao Luo's difficulties, Fang Qingzhuo raised his glass and said, "Uncle, I'll toast you. Thank you for your hospitality tonight."
With Fang Qingzhuo's steps down, Luo's father took the opportunity to invite everyone to continue pouring wine: "Hey, when you're full, come drink with uncle. You don't know, your aunt can't touch alcohol and she won't let me touch it either. Drink with uncle tonight and enjoy it to your heart's content."
Shen Qianshu poured himself a glass of wine with full sincerity: "Uncle, this is for you."
After saying this, he drank it all in one gulp.
As if infected by his generosity, Luo's father followed suit and even asked the young man to drink slowly.
The white wine was spicy. Shen Qianshu wiped the wine stains from the corner of his mouth with his fingers, and poured himself another glass. This time he pointed at Fang Qingzhuo without saying a word, but his expression seemed to be speaking.
Fang Qingzhuo had no reason to refuse, so he picked up the wine glass and drank it in one gulp.
With him taking the lead, and considering she had just offended Luo Shu, Tong Menglin stood beside Chen Qianshu without thinking: "I'll offer you a glass of tea instead of wine."
Fang Qingzhuo had another cup.
Under Tong Menglin's coercion, Jiang Xun was also forced to toast: "Welcome to Ningcheng."
Fang Qingzhuo emptied another cup.
When it comes to verbal attacks, Fang Qingzhuo can still fight ten people at once, but when it comes to a round-robin battle, especially since he is the one being attacked collectively, he is obviously unable to cope.
After three rounds of drinks, the warm dinner turned into a mess. Luo's father was obviously drunk. With his years of experience, he stumbled to the sofa and fell asleep. Jiang Xun yelled that he was nauseous and wanted to vomit. Tong Menglin helped him to the bathroom with a look of disappointment. Fang Qingzhuo tried his best to stay awake and looked at Shen Qianshu, whose eyes were full of resentment.
Shen Qianshu casually glanced at the empty wine bottle in front of him: "If you can't drink it, just admit defeat. It's not worth it to hurt your body. After all, you are not young anymore."
Seeing age mentioned again, Fang Qingzhuo was not ashamed but proud: "After tonight, you will understand that being older has its advantages."
From Shencheng to Ningcheng, from hating each other to wanting to strangle each other, all kinds of memories filled his head. Shen Qianshu spat out four words from between his sharp teeth: "Death is imminent."
However, the scene in the bathroom on the other side was quite different. Jiang Xun was holding the toilet and vomiting without knowing what was going on. Tong Menglin pinched her nose and yelled at him for vomiting on her shoes. Regardless of the occasion, the two of them started arguing in there, blaming each other.
"You can't drink much, why are you trying to be a hero?"
"Why are you trying to turn the tables? If anyone is to blame, it's you. It was you who winked at me and made me toast."
"Then why don't you drink tea instead of wine? How stupid."
"I'm a grown man, and I'm drinking tea instead of wine. If this gets out, people will laugh at me to death."
"Yohoo, so your face is more important than your girlfriend, right? I haven't bothered you about what happened today. If we can't get along anymore, let's break up."
"Are you annoying? Talking about what happened in the afternoon again, right? Was it your fault yesterday..."
Luo Shu, who had been watching the game for a long time, opened her mouth slightly, wanting to comment, but stopped, pursed her lips and nodded her chin several times, and found that no words could express her speechless feeling at the moment.
I'm really impressed by this pair of enemies. They can argue so reasonably at this critical moment. Just when I was about to get some peace and quiet and came out to help Jiang Xun get some warm water, Shen Qianshu, who was originally drinking, appeared in the aisle outside.
On the other hand, at the dining table, Fang Qingzhuo was still standing alone, looking extremely drunk. He supported his forehead with one hand, unable to make any waves. Even so, the pride in his bones would not allow him to fall.
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