Chapter 157 Surprise Mingxi was genuinely curious...
Mingxi was genuinely curious about how Huangli and Zhao Lei had gotten involved again.
When the two of them first met, didn't they both not like each other?
Mingxi glanced at Huangli cautiously and asked curiously, "What's going on between you and Zhao Lei?"
"I didn't mean anything by it, I was just curious. If it's inconvenient for you to say, you don't have to." Mingxi realized her mistake as soon as she said it and quickly added.
Huang Li smiled indifferently; it wasn't some secret that couldn't be told.
"It was just a coincidence that Zhao Lei and I worked in the same company."
Huang Li works as a ticket seller at the train station, as does Zhao Lei. Although one works in the passenger service section and the other in the locomotive maintenance section, they are still from the same unit. Not long after Huang Li started working, she bumped into Zhao Lei in the cafeteria.
After all, they had met once before on a blind date, so Huang Li was quite embarrassed when she saw Zhao Lei. Zhao Lei, on the other hand, didn't feel embarrassed at all and took the initiative to greet Huang Li.
Zhao Lei greeted Huang Li, then sat down next to her as if they were old friends and started chatting familiarly.
In Zhao Lei's words, the two of them had met before, and compared to other people in the company, they were considered acquaintances, so there was nothing wrong with having a meal together.
Huangli thought about it and realized that made sense.
She also accepted that Zhao Lei would sit next to her for lunch.
While the two were eating, Huang Li mentioned that she had just started working at the train station and didn't know anyone except her roommates.
Zhao Lei immediately seized the opportunity, using the pretext of introducing Huang Li to people from his workplace to invite her to lunch. Huang Li initially didn't realize anything was amiss, simply thinking Zhao Lei was being kind.
It wasn't until later, when Zhao Lei became clingy and kept asking her out to dinner and other times, that she realized something was wrong. When Zhao Lei asked her out again, she directly asked him if he was interested in her.
Zhao Lei didn't hide anything and directly admitted that he was interested in Huang Li. He had fallen for her during their last matchmaking attempt, and after learning that she wasn't interested in him, he considered giving up. However, after meeting Huang Li again at work, he found himself unwilling to give up and wanted to try again to pursue her.
He hoped Huang Li would give him a chance to pursue her, but he also respected her choice. If Huang Li still didn't have any feelings for him, or if his pursuit disturbed her, he promised to leave her life immediately.
"Yo~"
When Mingxi heard Huangli say this, she couldn't help but sigh. She really didn't know Zhao Lei was so good at talking.
A blush suddenly appeared on Huang Li's face. She hadn't been shy when she told Ming Xi how Zhao Lei pursued her, but now that Ming Xi was teasing her, she couldn't help but blush.
Mingxi deliberately leaned close to her ear and teased her, "And then? And then you were moved by him and allowed him to pursue you?"
The oriole nodded gently, her rosy cheeks buried in the scarf around her neck.
To be honest, the last time she went on a date, it was a rushed affair. Her mother and Mingxi were with her, so she didn't pay full attention to Zhao Lei. Although the two of them sat down and chatted for a while, she still didn't know much about Zhao Lei.
However, after spending time with Zhao Lei at work recently, she felt that he was a pretty good person.
He was very generous, always treating her to meals and buying her snacks, and never mentioned money.
Huang Li doesn't necessarily demand that the man buy her a lot of things or spend a lot of money. To be honest, she has a job now and doesn't really need to worry about food. What she values is Zhao Lei's willingness to spend money on her.
After spending time with him, she felt that Zhao Lei was a good person, honest and straightforward. She didn't like people who were indecisive and beat around the bush; it was too tiring to be with such people.
Zhao Lei is also very talkative and humorous. Huang Li always feels relaxed and comfortable when she is with Zhao Lei.
Mingxi could tell that Huangli also had some feelings for Zhao Lei.
If it weren't interesting, she wouldn't have allowed Zhao Lei to continue pursuing her.
However, she didn't bring it up. Let the two of them deal with their own affairs slowly.
Mingxi had gathered enough gossip, and seeing that Huangli's face was flushed red, looking like it was about to burn, she took pity on her and let her go home first.
After eating a melon, Mingxi, feeling satisfied, turned and went home.
"Mom, I'm home."
Mingxi was still the same as always; as soon as she opened the door, she called out to Zhao Sulan.
Zhao Sulan, wearing an apron, poked her head out of the kitchen: "You're back just in time. Hurry up and go get me some vinegar. I'm about to cook, and I suddenly realized we're out of vinegar."
As she spoke, she reached into the kitchen and handed over a vinegar bottle.
Mingxi took it: "How much?"
"Give me one jin." Zhao Sulan: "No, no, one jin isn't enough, give me three jin."
She said, "It's time to pickle garlic for Laba Festival in a few days. Make more vinegar, because this jar at home can't hold it all. You can buy a jar at the grocery store for two cents."
"Okay, I'll go right now." Mingxi replied, taking the vinegar jug and heading towards the grocery store at the entrance of the alley.
There weren't many people at the grocery store at the moment. Mingxi quickly returned with the vinegar as Zhao Sulan had instructed. Zhao Sulan had already prepared the rice and was just waiting to stir-fry the vegetables. After Mingxi brought back the vinegar, she quickly started stir-frying the vegetables.
The dishes were quickly cooked, and Zhao Sulan brought them to the table, inviting Mingxi to eat.
"Dinner's ready, let's eat!"
"Here I am!"
Mingxi changed her clothes and came out of the house. In winter, there's nothing new on the dinner table, just dried vegetables, cabbage, radishes, and potatoes. Tonight, the Ming family's dinner is stir-fried dried potato slices with meat and stir-fried cabbage with vinegar, served with rice.
Mingxi wasn't a picky eater. She filled a bowl with rice and sat down, about to eat, when she suddenly remembered something and said...
"Mom, Bai Ling came to my workplace to see me today."
Zhao Sulan, who was serving rice, looked up and asked, "Hmm? What's wrong with Officer Bai?"
Mingxi: "She came to deliver my wedding invitation. She and Cong Kai are getting married on the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month."
Zhao Sulan looked surprised: "So fast?"
While eating, Mingxi said, "It's not that fast; they've known each other for about three months now."
Zhao Sulan did the math and realized it was already January 1981.
She remarked, "Time really flies."
Mingxi: "That's right!"
Time flies. It feels like New Year's Day just passed, and in the blink of an eye, it's the Little New Year. As the saying goes, once the Little New Year is over, the big New Year is just around the corner. Starting from the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, everyone in the northern part of the city begins to prepare for the New Year.
On the 23rd, sticky candy is served; on the 24th, the house is swept; on the 25th, tofu is made…
Although Mingxi and Zhao Sulan both work this year, they still maintain the proper rituals: offering sacrifices to the Kitchen God, cleaning the house, making tofu, and taking advantage of the Sunday market. Zhao Sulan even led Mingxi and the neighborhood aunties to the last market before the Lunar New Year.
This was a real big purchase; Zhao Sulan and Mingxi's family alone bought tens of yuan worth of chicken, duck, fish, and meat, not to mention the other families.
Thankfully there's a direct bus, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to carry this stuff back.
With most of the New Year's goods stocked up, the holiday is getting closer and closer.
However, before the Lunar New Year, Mingxi still had to attend Bai Ling and Cong Kai's wedding.
There's not much to say about Bai Ling and Cong Kai's wedding.
Bai Ling and Cong Kai are both easy-going people, and both families are well-educated and reasonable. From the start of wedding preparations, both sides have discussed things together. Even if there are disagreements, they have calmly discussed them.
There were no mishaps at the wedding; everything went smoothly and perfectly.
It was arguably the most harmonious and relaxed wedding banquet Mingxi had attended recently.
Aside from being stopped by Bai Ling's colleagues after attending the wedding and being asked to introduce her to potential partners.
Bai Ling's colleagues are all police officers working for the municipal bureau. Catching thieves and solving cases are their strengths, but when it comes to finding a partner, none of them are good at it.
Almost all of them were older, unmarried young people.
They are usually too busy to find a matchmaker to introduce them to potential partners. But when they saw Mingxi, they were like wolves seeing sheep, their eyes practically glowing green. After the meal, before the banquet even ended, they surrounded Mingxi.
Mingxi was surrounded by a group of tall, burly men. She wondered what was going on, but when she heard their request, she realized they just wanted her to introduce them to potential partners.
She pursed her lips speechlessly: "So it's just about introducing potential partners. Is there any need to be in such a hurry? Didn't our Women's Federation hold a matchmaking event at the Municipal Bureau a while ago? What, none of you attended?"
She couldn't understand why these people, who wanted to find partners as soon as possible, didn't attend the matchmaking event.
The man at the front pouted and said, "We participated? Why didn't we participate? Nobody seems interested in us."
Mingxi: "If no women are interested in you, won't you take the initiative and talk to the women you like?"
"I'm so sorry."
The men, all over six feet tall, became shy and blushed when talking about this.
Mingxi sighed and rubbed her forehead in exasperation: "What's there to be embarrassed about? The purpose of attending a social gathering is to make friends and find a partner. If you're interested, just tell the other person directly. Even if it weren't a social gathering, and I were introducing you to potential partners, all of you being so hesitant and coy wouldn't work."
Mingxi understands that introverted people can't fit into the atmosphere of a social gathering, but this kind of hesitant and awkward approach to finding a partner won't work.
She said, "Don't be shy, just be open and natural. Just think of it as a chance to make friends. It's good to have more friends."
The men in front of her, who were older than her, nodded seriously when they heard this.
Mingxi: "Okay, in that case, you can line up and come over one by one to tell me your situation and requirements for a partner. I'll write it down and help you see if there are any suitable ones when we get back."
"good!"
Everyone was very cooperative and quickly lined up to register at Mingxi's place.
After finishing the wedding banquet, Mingxi took a book of information on gay men with her when she went home.
She had just returned to the alley entrance when Wei Ning caught her: "You're finally back."
Mingxi scratched her cheek, feeling that Wei Ning's words sounded strange.
What do you mean she's finally back? Could it be that Wei Ning is waiting for her?
She wasn't the type to keep things to herself, so she asked directly, "Were you waiting for me?"
Wei Ning: "Um, I wanted to ask you, are you free tomorrow night? I'd like to take you somewhere."
Mingxi: "Tomorrow night? No, tomorrow night won't do. I'm going to stay home with my mom to make dumplings and stay up all night for the New Year."
She gave Wei Ning a strange look. On New Year's Eve, who wouldn't stay home to welcome the new year? Why would he go out?
Wei Ning's breath hitched. He curled his fingers slightly and said nervously, "No, I'm just coming out for a little while. It won't interfere with your New Year's Eve dinner and dumpling making."
"That's fine," Mingxi said, adding that as long as it wouldn't interfere with making dumplings, everything would be easy to arrange.
Upon hearing Mingxi's answer, Wei Ning involuntarily let out a sigh of relief. Mingxi, noticing this, turned her head and asked, "Why are you acting so strange today?"
Wei Ning: "Huh? Really? I don't think so."
He pretended to be stupid with Mingxi on purpose.
Mingxi pointed out without hesitation: "Yes. It's such a small thing. It doesn't matter when you tell me, or you could tell my mom and have her pass it on to me. But you insisted on waiting for me at the alley entrance. How strange."
For such a small matter, Wei Ning could have simply waited for her at home and told her when she returned. There was no need for him to wait for her at the alley entrance in the dead of winter.
Moreover, it's strange that they insisted on calling her out on New Year's Eve.
Mingxi stroked her chin: "Could it be that you have some surprise in mind that you plan to show me tomorrow night?"
Wei Ning's expression changed instantly, as if something had been pointed out to him. Although it only lasted for a moment before he quickly returned to normal, Ming Xi still noticed that brief moment of abnormality.
No way, really?
Wei Ning had actually prepared a surprise, but she unexpectedly exposed it beforehand?
Mingxi scratched her cheek, feeling somewhat embarrassed. She chuckled awkwardly to smooth things over, "No, I was just kidding. You definitely didn't prepare a surprise for me, right?"
As soon as she said it, Mingxi realized something was wrong.
That's even stranger!
She shut her mouth, looked left and right, and finally her gaze fell on the ground, not daring to meet Wei Ning's eyes.
Wei Ning and Ming Xi fell silent for a long time before Wei Ning finally broke down and said, "I was planning to take you to see the fireworks tomorrow night, but I didn't tell you directly because I wanted to give you a surprise."
Upon hearing this, Mingxi was so regretful that she wanted to bite her own tongue.
Why are you talking so much? You guessed right now, ruining the surprise Wei Ning prepared!
Compared to the guilty Mingxi, Wei Ning was less concerned about his surprise being exposed. He chuckled twice and said, "I wanted to surprise you, but I didn't expect you to be so smart and guess it right away. If I had known, I wouldn't have been so mysterious and would have just told you directly."
Mingxi couldn't stand being praised. The moment Wei Ning said she was smart, she instantly forgot all her surprise and embarrassment.
With her hands on her hips and a smug look on her face, she said, "That's right, I'm just that smart!"
"Alright, my most, most, most intelligent comrade Mingxi, I know I can't hide anything from you. Next time I have a surprise, I'll just tell you directly, okay?" Wei Ning said with a gentle laugh.
Mingxi rubbed her ears, thinking to herself that this person's laugh was actually quite pleasant.
-----------------------
Author's Note: There will be another update this afternoon.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com