Ding Haotian, trembling, carried the thermos step by step toward Gu Shaoxuan's ward. Although their rooms were next to each other, he had not yet fully recovered, and the distance was a considerable challenge for him.
As I approached the ward door, the aroma of food wafted into my nostrils.
Ding Haotian stood in the corridor, looking around, trying to figure out where the aroma was coming from. His stomach was rumbling, and his mouth was full of saliva.
"It smells so good! This aroma is so tempting. Did the nurse go out and buy dinner?"
For Ding Haotian, who hadn't had a good meal in a long time, this was simply a delicacy, and he had searched for a long time but couldn't find the source.
Could it be Gu Shaoxuan?
No, impossible. Xia Enruo can't cook at all; she probably would have run away long ago.
Ding Haotian dismissed the idea.
He pushed open Gu Shaoxuan's door, and the fragrance that wafted towards him made him feel somewhat dazed.
He watched as Yuan Qiang and the other two ate their meal and looked at him.
Ding Haotian thought he was hallucinating because he was hungry and wanted to eat.
Yuan Qiang shouted to wake him up.
"Hey Lao Ding, how did you get out of bed all by yourself? Looks like you're recovering pretty quickly."
Yuan Qiang was also a little confused when he saw Ding Haotian push the door open and come in. Why was this kid acting so strangely today? It seems he's alright now.
"Brother Ding, have you eaten? Why don't you sit down and eat with us?"
Xia Enruo stood up and looked at Ding Haotian carrying the thermos, wondering what was going on. What kind of show were Qiao Huizhen and her husband putting on?
Ding Haotian slowly moved a few steps inside, sighed, and said:
"Qiao Huizhen went back to her parents' home. I came out to get some hot water and also to check on Old Gu."
Ding Haotian was too ashamed to mention that the two of them had argued over a meal, after all, his wife was the envy of his comrades.
"Brother Ding, let me help you. You've just recovered, so you shouldn't overexert yourself."
Xia Enruo went over to help Ding Haotian with the thermos and helped him sit down.
Gu Shaoxuan glanced at it and said:
"Old Ding, I was all set to visit you, but you beat me to it. I heard from Sister-in-law Huizhen that your injuries are minor, not as bad as mine."
Ding Haotian sat on the edge of the bed listening to Gu Shaoxuan's words, but his eyes were fixed on the dishes on the table.
"There's fish, ribs, and millet porridge; it looks so delicious."
Ding Haotian swallowed hard, only taking in half of what Gu Shaoxuan said.
"It's Old Gu. I don't weigh as much as you. What are you guys eating? Is that pork ribs?"
Xia Enruo's eyes never left the dining table as she looked at Ding Haotian.
Yuan Qiang grumbled, his mouth full of oil.
"Sister-in-law Enruo, your cooking is so delicious. I came here specifically to freeload a meal."
As he spoke, he picked up a piece of braised pork and stuffed it into his mouth, his eyes gleaming as he looked at Ding Haotian.
Ding Haotian wiped his mouth and said another sentence.
"That really is pork ribs."
Seeing that she couldn't leave it at all, Xia Enruo simply took a clean pair of chopsticks and handed them to Ding Haotian.
"Brother Ding, have some too, try my cooking."
Ding Haotian was worried about not having any food, so when Xia Enruo offered him a way out, he was naturally overjoyed.
"Okay, okay. I'll have some with Lao Gu and the others too. I've never actually eaten Xia's cooking before."
Xia Enruo found a clean bowl, filled it with millet porridge for him, and then peeled her own uneaten egg and put it in his bowl.
"Brother Ding, here you go."
Xia Enruo placed the food in Ding Haotian's hands and turned to feed Gu Shaoxuan.
He picked up the bowl and took a bite; the sweet taste really relieved the greasiness of the past few days.
Then he gulped down the entire bowl in one go.
Yuan Qiang stared blankly at Ding Haotian's gluttonous appearance.
"Old Ding looks like he hasn't eaten for days. He doesn't even need to catch his breath before he finishes a bowl of porridge."
Seeing how quickly Ding Haotian ate, Xia Enruo got up again to serve him more porridge.
"Brother Ding, drink slowly, there's still plenty of porridge left. You should also try the dishes your sister made."
Ding Haotian asked, a little embarrassed:
Did I eat very quickly?
Yuan Qiang raised his voice.
"Look at me, I haven't even taken a breath, and you've already swallowed a whole bowl of porridge. Anyone who didn't know better would think that you, Old Ding, haven't eaten anything for a week."
Ding Haotian thought to himself that he was no different from someone who hadn't eaten for a week, and the smell of the cafeteria food made him want to vomit.
He gave an awkward laugh.
"Xia, this porridge is delicious, it's really so delicious."
Xia Enru put a few pieces of ribs and fish into Ding Haotian's bowl. She was afraid that Ding Haotian would be too embarrassed to touch the food, so she simply put it in his bowl herself.
Ding Haotian looked at the bowl full of meat and almost burst into tears. This was the first time he had smelled such delicious food since he was hospitalized for more than half a month.
He sniffed, trying his best not to embarrass himself in public.
He picked up a piece of pork rib and put it in his mouth. The aroma of the braised meat was truly satisfying. He ate heartily, staring blankly at Yuan Qiang.
Xia Enru gave Yuan Qiang a look, signaling him not to keep staring at Ding Haotian, or he would feel embarrassed.
Xia Enruo picked up the thermos again and poured a glass of water for Lao Ding.
"Xia, I can do it myself. You take care of Lao Gu."
Seeing Ding Haotian engrossed in his meal, Gu Shaoxuan knew that he must have suffered a lot these past two days.
Ever since he learned of Qiao Huizhen's malicious intentions, he had been worried that his comrades might be mistreated. After seeing this today, he realized that his guess was pretty accurate.
Looking at Ding Haotian, Gu Shaoxuan suddenly felt truly blessed. A wife as good as Xia Enruo was hard to find even with a lantern, and he had actually listened to slander and thought about divorcing her. Fortunately, an accident happened and the divorce didn't happen, otherwise he would have regretted it to death later.
He is now truly grateful for this accident, which allowed him to keep his wife.
Gu Shaoxuan was overjoyed with happiness when he suddenly grabbed Xia Enruo's hand, surprising her.
"What's wrong?"
Xia Enruo leaned close to Gu Shaoxuan's ear and whispered.
"I like you."
Gu Shaoxuan murmured to himself.
Xia Enruo's cheeks flushed slightly as she listened. What was wrong with him today? This was the first time he had ever uttered such lewd words to her; it was as if the sun had risen in the west.
Seeing the two behaving intimately in front of him, Yuan Qiang deliberately coughed.
Xia Enruo shyly shook off Gu Shaoxuan's large hand, too embarrassed to look at him.
Ding Haotian was so engrossed in stuffing his mouth with rice that he paid no attention to the pink, heart-pounding scene inside the room.
Ding Haotian had finally gotten his wish today. After eating and drinking his fill, he looked at Gu Shaoxuan, who was even whiter and fatter than himself, and felt a strange mix of emotions.
He lay in his room, brainwashed by Qiao Huizhen every day, expecting to see Gu Shaoxuan utterly tormented, never imagining that the clown would be himself.
Yuan Qiang went out and fetched a kettle of hot water for Ding Haotian, then helped him back to the next room.
Looking at the cold food on the table, Yuan Qiang understood the situation. He patted Lao Ding on the shoulder, not knowing what to say.
Ding Haotian suppressed his pride and didn't want to lash out, but the moment Yuan Qiang walked out of the room and closed the door, he felt a tightness in his chest, and two streams of hot tears flowed down his cheeks.
He covered his face, afraid that his comrades would return and see everything.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
