Chapter 23 Commander Song is a little nervous (pointing out typos)...
Yan Mingtao and several coworkers were eating at a small restaurant across the street. When they came out of the restaurant, they saw a girl standing at the entrance of Xiang Zailai who looked like his sister. He took a few steps closer and took a closer look, and it really was her.
He told his coworkers to leave first, then pushed his bike over and asked Yan Ruyi, "What are you doing here?"
As he got closer to Yan Ruyi, he noticed her face was a little flushed and smelled alcohol. He leaned in to sniff her, and his brows furrowed immediately. "You've been drinking?!"
While speaking to Yan Ruyi, he gave Song Yiping a scrutinizing look.
Who is this guy? He actually brought his sister drinking with him!
Yan Ruyi held up a finger and waved it in front of him, "I only drank one draft beer, I wasn't drunk."
Yan Mingtao held up two fingers and asked her, "How many is this?"
"My second brother is too childish," Yan Ruyi said, slapping his hand away. She then introduced them, "Commander Song, this is my second brother. Second brother, this is Commander Song."
Song Yiping noticed the unfriendly look in Yan Mingtao's eyes and felt a sudden tightness in his chest. He almost called out "Second Brother" along with Yan Ruyi, but he managed to stop himself before he could finish.
He tried to remain calm and extended his hand to Yan Mingtao, "Hello, I am Song Yiping."
Yan Mingtao shook hands with Song Yiping, gave a perfunctory "Yan Mingtao," and then ignored Song Yiping, turning to ask Yan Ruyi, "Did you ride your bike?"
Yan Ruyi: "I didn't ride it. The bike is parked at the entrance of the military compound."
Yan Mingtao patted the back seat. "Get in."
Yan Ruyi thought that she had come with Song Yiping. If she left Song Yiping behind and took her second brother's car, leaving Song Yiping to walk back alone, it would seem impolite.
He said to Yan Mingtao, "I won't sit. Second Brother, you go ahead first. I'll go back with Commander Song."
Yan Mingtao drawled, "Oh, okay, Mom's still awake. I'll talk to her later..."
Yan Ruyi stepped forward and covered his mouth, then quickly sat in the back seat of the car, waving to Song Yiping, "Commander Song, I'll be going now, goodbye."
As soon as Song Yiping replied "Goodbye," Yan Mingtao led Yan Ruyi away.
Once they were far away, Yan Mingtao asked Yan Ruyi, "Was that the guy you went on a blind date with? Didn't you say you didn't have a boyfriend? Why were you eating and drinking together? Comrade Yan Ruyi, you've really made something of yourself!" "He helped me out, so I treated him to dinner to thank him."
After saying that, he tugged at Yan Mingtao's shirt and said excitedly, "Second Brother, after get off work tomorrow, ask Brother Guobin to borrow a flatbed cart, and let's go to the department store."
Yan Mingtao, "What are you going to the department store for?"
Yan Ruyi said proudly, "I'll pay for the TV."
Startled, Yan Mingtao slammed on the brakes. Caught off guard, Yan Ruyi bumped into his back. Her nose stung, and tears welled up in her eyes as she asked, "Second Brother, what are you doing?"
Yan Mingtao stopped the car, turned around and asked warily, "Where did you get so much money! You didn't secretly take those old gadgets from your workplace and sell them, did you?"
Yan Ruyi was speechless. "You really are Dad's biological son. You say exactly the same things. Do you think I would do that kind of thing?"
"That was given to you by that guy surnamed Song? You took his money! Yan Ruyi, you actually took his money!"
"Second brother, what you're saying is getting more and more outrageous. You can do side jobs to make money, but I can't?"
Yan Mingtao asked suspiciously, "What kind of side jobs do you do that make so much money? Let me tell you, you can't do anything illegal!"
“I earn my living by appraising old things, and every penny I make is guaranteed to be legitimate… The television ration coupon was given to me by Commander Song. It was issued by his unit, and he didn’t need it, so he gave it to me. That’s why I treated him to dinner to show my gratitude.”
Yan Ruyi didn't dare to say that it was true she was the one who treated, but Song Yiping paid for it.
Yan Mingtao had a gut feeling that the man surnamed Song had ulterior motives. Why would someone who was not related to him send him a TV and plane tickets?
He thinks he can kidnap his sister with just a ration coupon? No way!
Yan Mingtao: "The supply ticket will be issued at the market price tomorrow. Give him the money, and I'll give you the money."
Only after he finished speaking did he realize that he didn't have that much money on hand; all the money was with Li Yan.
I do have some savings, but I almost spent them all just now when I went out to eat with my coworkers.
On the black market, a ration coupon costs about 50 yuan. He couldn't save up that much money in a year, so he was thinking that he would borrow some from his coworkers after he started work tomorrow and then find a way to pay them back slowly later.
Yan Ruyi was feeling the effects of the alcohol and was a little sleepy. She didn't want to talk, so she rested her head on her second brother's back and dozed off.
Yan Mingtao threatened her, "Don't you dare sleep, or I won't be responsible if you fall."
Yan Ruyi ignored him.
Yan Mingtao raised his voice, "Ruyi! Yan Ruyi! Yan Laibao! Laibao!"
With a "thud," he successfully took a punch from his sister.
Yan Ruyi said, "I told you not to call me Laibao."
Yan Mingtao, afraid she'd fall asleep, teased her on purpose, "Isn't the point of having a name to be called out to, right, Laibao!"
Unsurprisingly, he got punched by her sister again.
...
The brother and sister bickered, and although Yan Ruyi was still sleepy, at least she didn't fall asleep.
They soon arrived at the military compound.
Although Yan Ruyi repeatedly emphasized that she was not drunk, Yan Mingtao was still worried about letting her ride her bike by herself. He let her sit on his bike, and then he took her and the bike home with him, one on each handlebar.
Ye Hongzhen was enjoying the cool air in the courtyard, fanning herself with a palm-leaf fan.
Before leaving get off work, Yan Ruyi called the gatehouse and asked Grandpa Li to tell Ye Hongzhen that she had made plans to meet someone that evening and would be home late.
Ye Hongzhen didn't think much of it and assumed she had gone to Luo Huihui's house.
The two of them often went to each other's houses, one coming to the other's house and the other going to the other's.
Hearing the noise, he turned around and saw the brother and sister returning. He asked in surprise, "Why did you two come back together?"
After saying that, he sniffed and frowned, "Why do you smell of alcohol? Ertao, you've been drinking again?!"
Yan Mingtao replied confidently this time, "I didn't drink it."
Ye Hongzhen sniffed again and recognized the smell of alcohol on Yan Ruyi. She asked with concern, "Why are you drinking? Who did you drink with?"
Yan Mingtao was about to say "with that guy surnamed Song" when Yan Ruyi tugged at his arm. He changed his mind before he could finish his sentence. In his haste, he hadn't thought of a lie to make up, so he just blurted out, "With that... me!"
Ye Hongzhen grabbed her palm-leaf fan and started hitting him, saying, "You've really grown bold! Xiao Yan went back to her parents' home, and the next thing you know, you're taking your sister out drinking!"
Yan Mingtao was chased all over the yard, running and defending himself, "I didn't drink. If you don't believe me, smell me. Do you smell alcohol?"
His words only made Ye Hongzhen angrier. "You don't drink yourself, but you coax your sister to drink, and you let her drink so much! She's never drunk alcohol before, aren't you afraid she'll get sick from it! I think you're itching for a beating every three days!"
"I really didn't coax her to drink it!"
"Still being stubborn!"
Yan Mingtao felt he was truly wronged, even more wronged than Dou E!
When Luo Huihui arrived, she saw Yan Mingtao being chased around by Ye Hongzhen. She and Yan Ruyi watched the commotion from the sidelines, and Luo Huihui said gleefully, "Second brother is in great spirits, running around the yard exercising late at night!"
When Ye Hongzhen saw Luo Huihui arrive, she stopped what she was doing and greeted Luo Huihui with a smile, "Huihui's here!"
Yan Mingtao rubbed his sore arm and shouted angrily at Yan Ruyi, "Yan Laibao, you just wait!"
Ye Hongzhen, "You brought her drinking, and you still think you're right, and you even yelled at her!"
He raised his hand to hit him again, but Yan Mingtao quickly ran back to his room.
Luo Huihui smelled the alcohol as soon as she entered. She leaned close to Yan Ruyi, sniffed, and exclaimed in surprise, "You and..."
Before he could even utter the word "Song," Yan Ruyi covered his mouth and dragged him into the house.
When they reached the door, Luo Huihui pushed her hand away, turned to Ye Hongzhen and said, "Auntie, I'm not leaving tonight. I'll sleep with Ruyi."
The two of them were so close they were practically inseparable, often staying at each other's places.
Ye Hongzhen was already used to it, and even asked Luo Huihui what she wanted to eat the next morning.
Luo Huihui ordered without any hesitation, "Auntie, I want to eat your vegetable buns, the kind with green vegetable filling."
Ye Hongzhen said, "Okay, I just bought a bottle gourd today. Tomorrow I'll pick some bok choy, make two egg rolls, cook some millet porridge, and mix some pickled cucumbers."
Luo Huihui: "Add more sesame oil to the pickled cucumbers."
As soon as they ordered their food, Yan Ruyi dragged them inside.
Ye Hongzhen was worried and followed behind, reminding Yan Ruyi to drink more water and to tell her if she felt unwell.
Yan Ruyi: "I understand."
Then he closed the door and pounced on the bed.
She wasn't really drunk, she was just a little dizzy.
Besides, the effects of the alcohol are almost worn off by now.
She felt that she could hold her liquor pretty well, better than her father.
Her dad went to sleep immediately after drinking, but she didn't.
And draft beer is really delicious. Thinking that Luo Huihui hadn't tried it yet, he sat up excitedly and said to Luo Huihui, "I drank beer tonight. The beer wasn't spicy at all. I'll take you with me next time."
Luo Huihui nudged her, "Put the beer aside for now, what's going on between you and Commander Song? Weren't you supposed to be going out for dinner? Why are you walking side by side on the street?"
Yan Ruyi was speechless. "Who told you that?"
Luo Huihui: "Several people from our compound just asked me about it."
Several people from their compound worked on Zhongxing Road. When they got off work, they saw Yan Ruyi and Song Yiping walking side by side on the road.
Song Yiping was a well-known eligible bachelor. The first time they saw him walking on the street with a girl, whom they knew, the news spread immediately.
Because Yan Ruyi and Luo Huihui were close friends, whenever they met Luo Huihui, they would ask her if Yan Ruyi and Song Yiping were dating.
Luo Huihui didn't know what was going on between the two, so she came over to ask Yan Ruyi.
Yan Ruyi said, "Rumors are really terrible. We just went out for a meal, how did it turn into us taking a walk side by side?"
She then told Luo Huihui the whole story.
Song Yiping didn't own a bicycle, and his usual jeep had just been taken away by the communications officer.
What a coincidence!
Luo Huihui sensed a conspiracy in this.
Of course, she wouldn't say it out loud. As her best friend, she hoped that Yan Ruyi could give Song Yiping a try.
Song Yiping is no better than Shen Zhimin!
Of course, she still had to gossip a bit, so she nudged Yan Ruyi again, "You're just eating, why are you drinking? Is Commander Song drunk? Did he say anything to you?"
He dared to confess his feelings to Yan Ruyi even when he wasn't drinking; wouldn't he be even bolder when he was drunk?
Luo Huihui was very curious to know just how daring Commander Song could be.
Yan Ruyi said, "I wasn't even drunk from just one beer, how could he be drunk? His alcohol tolerance can't be worse than mine, can it?"
She recalled that when they left the restaurant, Song Yiping was walking steadily, his complexion was normal, and he spoke normally, so he shouldn't be drunk.
Luo Huihui's high expectations were dashed, and she said disappointedly, "So you two really only ate?"
Yan Ruyi sighed, "I did eat, but he paid the bill. He said it was to congratulate me on being transferred back to the appraisal center. I don't even know when he paid."
Luo Huihui: "...That's right, we should congratulate you. You can always invite them back next time."
Yan Ruyi sighed again, "I owe him another favor. If this continues, I'll never be able to pay it back."
So what if you owe me money? Once we're family, you don't have to pay it back.
However, Luo Huihui didn't dare say this. Her good friend was already troubled, and she didn't want to add fuel to the fire.
Despite the frustration, I still have to buy the TV.
As soon as Yan Ruyi got home from get off work, Yan Mingtao completely forgot about taking the blame for her the day before and slyly called out to her, "Little sister, let's go!"
Ye Hongzhen asked warily, "Where are you taking her?"
Yan Mingtao: "I have some business to attend to, it's serious business."
Given his past record, Ye Hongzhen warned him with concern, "You're not allowed to take your sister out drinking again!"
Yan Mingtao felt extremely wronged, "I didn't, I..."
Before he could say anything, Yan Ruyi dragged him away.
As soon as they left the courtyard, Yan Mingtao flicked Yan Ruyi's forehead, saying, "You're drinking with other people, and your second brother will take the blame for you."
Yan Ruyi hugged Yan Mingtao's arm and shook it, "Second brother is the best to me. I'll treat you to draft beer when I have money."
Yan Mingtao ruffled her hair. "You've become addicted to drinking. Let me tell you, you can't go out drinking with random people again. If you want to drink, your second brother will take you."
Fearing her second brother would bring up the matter of taking the blame again, Yan Ruyi quickly changed the subject, "Second brother, where's the flatbed cart?"
"Didn't you say you didn't want Mom to know? I put it at the alley entrance, and Uncle Li is keeping an eye on it. You took the ticket and the money, right?"
Yan Ruyi patted her handbag. "I've taken everything."
Yan Mingtao felt a little embarrassed that his younger sister had to pay for such a big item all by herself. "How about we buy it together? I'll pay you back later."
Yan Ruyi rolled her eyes at him and bluntly called him out, "Do you even have money?"
Yan Mingtao scratched his head. "How about I pay you back when I've saved up enough?"
Yan Mingtao's money all goes to Li Yan. He's afraid Li Yan will find out and nag him, so he doesn't dare to hide much of his private stash.
His meager savings were barely enough for him and his coworkers to have a meal and a few drinks occasionally.
Therefore, Yan Ruyi felt that waiting for her second brother to return the money would be too late.
However, she never considered buying it with her second brother.
Her second brother is already married and will soon have a child, so she has to start thinking more about her own little family.
If her mother doesn't say anything, she certainly won't.
Moreover, what if her second brother works himself to death doing odd jobs in order to pay her back?
He said to Yan Mingtao, "It's agreed that I'll buy it. If you want to add things to your home, you can do it yourself, but you'll have to figure out how to get the antenna pole."
Yan Mingtao secretly breathed a sigh of relief and patted his chest, saying, "Leave it to me, Second Brother. Everything's arranged. I guarantee you'll be able to watch TV in a bit."
As they spoke, they reached the entrance of the alley, where the flatbed cart was parked next to the phone booth.
The flatbed cart was a bit dirty, so Yan Mingtao asked Grandpa Li for an old newspaper and spread it on it. Then he solicitously greeted Yan Ruyi, "Little sister, come on up, your second brother will show you."
Yan Ruyi nimbly climbed up and waved her hand with a flourish, "Let's go!"
Yan Mingtao, "Please sit down!"
He slammed on the pedals, and the bike shot forward a long distance. Then he braked suddenly, turned around, and pressed Yan Ruyi's head down.
Yan Ruyi, "Ugh... Second Brother, what are you doing!"
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Author's note: Because of the time spent on editing, tomorrow's update will be a bit late, around 11:30 PM. After the editing, updates will resume normally at 9 PM every night.
Updates at other times today are for revising the text.
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