Chapter 5 I will not approve your request to annul the engagement.
Chapter 5
Just like when we were kids.
He stayed alive to protect her.
Even after he dies, he will be watching over his daughter from heaven, watching her live a good life.
Meng Yingying looked up at the spider web on the beam. She dared not look down, afraid that tears would fall if she did.
She didn't dare go to sleep in her own room, afraid that if she fell asleep, she wouldn't even know that her father had passed away.
Meng Yingying had no choice but to carry the bedding down from the second floor, spread it on the kang (a heated brick bed), and rest there next to Meng Baichuan.
That way, she can take care of him when he coughs, feels pain, needs to drink water, or gets up at night.
When it really came to this, Meng Yingying realized that the so-called "daughter should avoid her father when she grows up" was really nothing more than that.
In the face of life and death, these are all trivial matters.
Meng Yingying didn't get much rest that night, because for the first time she truly heard her father's suppressed, painful voice.
Because she was beside him, he had to endure the pain, afraid of waking her up.
Meng Yingying listened from the side and got him some painkillers in the middle of the night, but they were somewhat effective, though not very effective.
Seeing her father trembling.
Meng Yingying thought she should do something.
Even if the hospital says there's no hope, we should at least give my father some good medicine so that he won't suffer too much in his final days.
The next morning, Meng Yingying got up very early. Her father had been in pain all night and had only managed to fall asleep in the morning. Looking at her father's sleeping face, she quietly got out of bed.
You can't even go out at this time; the earliest tractor in the village doesn't run until 6:30.
Meng Yingying decided to practice her basic skills in the outer courtyard first, doing leg presses, back bends, and high leg raises almost in one go.
The original owner of this body had a good physical foundation, and she felt no pain at all, especially when stretching her legs and rotating.
This person has a natural talent for dancing.
This brought a rare smile to Meng Yingying's face; she was a nimble little chubby girl.
She tiptoed and did three consecutive spins to warm up. Then she started jogging lightly in the yard; she wanted to lose weight.
To get into the performing arts troupe, you have to lose weight; fat people can't get in.
This was the foundation of her livelihood, so Meng Yingying dared not be careless, continuing until she was too tired to move.
Meng Yingying then leaned against the wall of the small building to rest and noticed that there were people carrying water outside.
She was also a little hungry, so she turned around and went to the kitchen.
After Meng Yingying looked at the food stored in the kitchen, she had a clear idea of what was going on.
Meng Baichuan served in the army in his early years, but was discharged after becoming lame, and chose to return to his hometown with his discharge compensation.
He was a tall and strong man with a murderous aura, and he had killed countless foreign devils on the battlefield.
After returning, I naturally went into the pig slaughtering business. This business may seem insignificant and tiring, but in reality, it is very lucrative.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have built this two-story building.
In fact, it was only when Meng Yingying came in this time that she noticed that there was a layer of white tiles on the stove.
The firewood was also neatly arranged.
It wasn't sloppy at all; on the contrary, it felt exceptionally bright.
Meng Yingying realized that it was no wonder her uncle's family had already squandered their inheritance even before her father had left. Such a nice house was something even the city couldn't match.
Therefore, transferring the house to someone you trust is almost an urgent matter.
Meng Yingying lowered her eyes, abandoned her chaotic thoughts, and somewhat awkwardly lit a fire, using a large iron pot to cook a pot of rice porridge.
She didn't use coarse grains, but instead cooked three handfuls of refined white rice, which was almost one of the few good grains in the family.
In the past, Meng Baichuan always saved the finest grains for Meng Yingying.
He forgot that he was the one who was sick.
Meng Yingying didn't care about any of that; if they wanted to eat, they would eat together.
He went outside and got some dried and wrinkled white chilies to eat with the cured meat that he hadn't been able to bear eating from the roof beam.
I'm planning to make a local specialty: stir-fried cured pork with white chili peppers.
She knew that seriously ill people often have no taste in their mouths and crave something flavorful, which is why she chose this dish.
Meng Yingying actually couldn't cook, but the original owner of this body could. No matter how much a child raised in the countryside is pampered, they still have these survival skills.
So after a short while, she got into the swing of things, soaking and washing the white chili peppers before cutting them into sections.
The cured pork was no less impressive; she only cut a palm-sized piece from a long strip of cured pork, considering her father's inability to chew it properly.
Meng Yingying specially cut the cured meat into small cubes.
Meng Baichuan was a butcher, and his cured pork was also exceptional. The reddish-brown cured pork was marbled with fat and lean meat, and the translucent fat tightly wrapped around the firm lean meat. Just looking at it made people's mouths water.
Once the oil in the pot was hot, it sizzled as the cured meat was put into the pot, causing oil to splatter all over the pot, which startled Meng Yingying so much that she strategically retreated.
Even so, in just a short while, under the cooking heat, the fatty parts became translucent and glistening with oil, while the lean meat tightened and became even redder and brighter in color.
Afraid of the oil splattering on her skin, Meng Yingying used the pot lid to shield her chest and, as if launching a sneak attack, threw in the white chili pepper pieces.
When the white chilies are stir-fried, they absorb the oil from the cured pork, releasing their spiciness that instantly fills the room.
Even Meng Baichuan, who was still asleep, was awakened by the aroma. He struggled to get out of bed and slowly walked to the kitchen, asking, "Yingying, what delicious food are you making so early in the morning?"
Meng Yingying was stirring the food with a long-handled spatula.
Hearing this, she looked up and smiled sweetly, her eyes crinkling, "Dad, I've cooked some porridge and stir-fried some white chili peppers with cured pork. Dinner will be served soon."
The white smoke enveloped her face, making Meng Baichuan feel somewhat dazed. "Yingying."
For a long time, his Yingying never lifted a finger to do housework. In fact, it could be said that she hated going into the kitchen.
But for the sake of her seriously ill father, she went back into the kitchen, which she hated.
Meng Baichuan's eyes welled up with tears. "You used to—"
Isn't it that you dislike going into the kitchen the most?
Unfortunately, he didn't get to ask that question before he saw Meng Yingying holding up a plate of stir-fried cured pork with white chili peppers in front of him, her eyes sparkling with a smile and a hint of expectation. "Dad, look, do you have an appetite?"
She knew that since her father became seriously ill, he had lost his appetite and was only eating bland food. But he had a strong palate, and the blander the food, the less he could eat.
It's normal for someone to not eat or drink anything all day. In Meng Yingying's opinion, at this point, it's better to eat whatever you want; at least it will improve your mood.
Meng Baichuan didn't answer, but subconsciously swallowed.
Seeing his reaction, Meng Yingying knew that she had done the dish right. "Dinner will be served soon. Wait for me to serve the rice porridge."
She placed the plate of stir-fried white chili peppers with cured pork on the table and then went to the kitchen.
I served two bowls of thick white rice porridge.
When Meng Baichuan saw this meal, he was stunned for a long time. "Didn't I say that the fine grains were saved for you?"
He has always eaten coarse grains.
My daughter is delicate; she complains that coarse grains sting her throat.
Meng Yingying's face hardened, "Just eat it when I tell you to."
As he pushed the rice forward, Meng Baichuan, afraid of upsetting his daughter, picked up the bowl, added a piece of white chili pepper with his chopsticks, mixed it with the porridge, and slurped it down.
The rice porridge was cooked until it blossomed, and it tasted sweet and thick. The white chili peppers were a bit chewy and had a mild spiciness, making it a perfect accompaniment to rice.
Meng Baichuan had been ill for so long that even holding chopsticks for too long made him feel weak.
Seeing that he wasn't picking up any cured meat, Meng Yingying used a spoon to scoop a spoonful of diced cured meat into his food, saying, "Eat together."
She was taking care of Meng Baichuan.
When Meng Baichuan realized this, he buried his face in the bowl, a tear slid down his cheek and quickly disappeared.
Meng Baichuan, who usually has a terrible appetite, surprisingly drank two bowls of rice porridge in a row.
By the end, he was even sweating, which surprised Meng Yingying. She quickly stood up to serve him more porridge, "Dad, would you like some more?"
Meng Baichuan shook his head, touched his stomach which finally felt full, and said with a bit more strength in his voice, "I'm full, I can't eat anymore."
Meng Yingying relaxed a bit, but when it was her turn to eat, she only ate half a bowl of porridge with white chili peppers. As for the cured meat, she tasted the meat but didn't dare to eat any more.
Why are you eating so little?
Meng Baichuan frowned and coughed lightly.
Meng Yingying touched the extra fat on her waist and sighed, "Dad, I want to practice dancing, so naturally I can't be too fat."
If you don't want to get too fat, you can only control your diet.
Meng Baichuan frowned. He thought his daughter looked better when she was a little chubby, but then he thought of the classmates in the propaganda team who had mocked her.
He swallowed those words back in the end.
Seeing that he didn't lecture her, Meng Yingying breathed a sigh of relief, cleared away the dishes, turned around and went into the house to change her clothes, hiding all of her father's medical reports and prescriptions in her bosom.
He then came out of the room and said to Meng Baichuan at the door, "Dad, I left the propaganda team so suddenly that I realized I didn't say goodbye to Zhao Yueru. I want to go to the city today to say goodbye to her."
Actually, no, she wanted to ask Zhao Yueru about the situation with an experienced doctor at a nearby hospital to find out if there was still a chance for her father to be treated.
Meng Baichuan knew that his daughter's only friend in the propaganda team was Zhao Yueru.
He nodded, panting heavily like a broken bellows. "Then go ahead. Do you have any money on you?"
He was about to take money out of his pocket when Meng Yingying interrupted him, smiling as she said, "Yes, I still have the living expenses you gave me before."
"Dad, wait for me to come back."
"I brought you some fried dough twists. Wait for me at home."
—I'll bring you back some medicine too.
Please wait for me, please wait for me.
Meng Baichuan sat on the recliner, nodding with a smile, watching his daughter leave until Meng Yingying's figure was completely out of sight.
Meng Baichuan couldn't hold back any longer and vomited up all the food he had eaten that morning. In the end, he even vomited up dark red blood.
Meng Baichuan casually wiped his mouth and sighed, "What a waste of Yingying's efforts all morning."
"They're really useless."
*
Heilongjiang Province, 101st Station.
Annoyed by Qi Changming's persistent pestering, Qi Donghan raised his hand and tugged at his collar, his voice indifferent, "Qi Changming, this is the last time I'm saying this."
"I will not approve your request for leave to annul the engagement."
Qi Changming's face immediately darkened, and he forced himself to say, "Boss, this is my private matter."
Qi Donghan ignored all of this. Annoyed by the pestering, he decisively avoided her, saying, "I have a ticket to visit Lao Zhou in Xiangxi this afternoon. That's all I have to say about your marriage."
He strode out of the operations room, then turned back and warned, "And don't bother me with this matter again."
Qi Changming, who was about to follow, suddenly stopped.
He watched helplessly as Qi Donghan left.
This made Qi Changming feel uncomfortable. He slammed his fist on the desk and took several deep breaths.
"Go to western Hunan?"
"Old Zhou is in Xiangxi?" He suddenly realized, "Meng Yingying is in Xiangxi too, boss, I'll go with you."
He chased after him, but Qi Donghan had already disappeared.
Qi Changming hesitated for a moment before going to the call center. He first called home, where Chen Xiulan answered. The first thing she said was, "Mom, is Dad not home?"
Chen Xiulan nodded. "Your dad hasn't come home from work yet. How are things on your end?"
Qi Changming did not answer.
Chen Xiulan knew things wouldn't go smoothly. "Changming, since your direct supervisor is unwilling to help you break off this arranged marriage, you'll have to find another way."
Qi Changming, "I'll withdraw myself?"
"But if I back out myself, what if my dad finds out? He'll beat me to death!"
If he could have retired on his own, he would have done so long ago, instead of pestering his boss for a whole week.
Chen Xiulan knew her husband's temper, and after thinking for a moment, she thought, "Why don't we lay low for now?"
“It’s not good that you’re always stationed at the base. Mom keeps dreaming that you’re on the battlefield, with corpses strewn everywhere.”
At this point, Chen Xiulan choked up a bit, "Why don't you retire from the army and come back?"
“Our family is also from Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, and we have some influence there. You’ve been promoted, so we can use our connections to get you a less demanding job. That would not only get you out of this dangerous job, but also keep you away from Meng Yingying. Wouldn’t that be the best of both worlds?”
Qi Changming was reluctant to leave the team. He was a little annoyed. "Mom, don't worry about it. I'll figure something out myself."
"Also, I won't retire from the military. I like the atmosphere of being stationed in the unit."
"What other options do you have besides leaving the army? Your father has given Meng Yingying your address. When she comes to seek refuge with you, she will definitely go to the address where you are stationed."
"Only when you leave will she be able to find you."
Qi Changming remained silent.
Seeing that her son still resisted this method, Chen Xiulan had no choice but to compromise and ask, "Where is Ye Yingtao, that female comrade in your cultural troupe?"
"Could you submit a report to Ye Yingying to apply for marriage before Meng Yingying arrives?"
A note from the author:
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Please comment, please favorite, please give me some nutrient solution, hehe~
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