Chapter 27 Chicken Soup

"You said our mother asked us to go back tonight?"

Lin Qiao got off work at noon. As soon as she walked in the door, she received such news and was a little surprised.

Ji Duo hadn't expected that after all, Xu Li wasn't impatient and didn't have a strong desire to control. She hadn't urged him to come home even if he didn't go home for ten days or half a month. But this time, she knew they would be back on Sunday, but she still asked them to come back on Saturday night, and she couldn't even wait for one night.

"My mom called me this morning and told me this."

He handed the thing in his hand to Lin Qiao. His arms, exposed from under his short-sleeved summer shirt, were smooth and tight, with a few powerful blue veins showing through.

Lin Qiao took the stack of bills tied with brown paper and asked, "Did you get your salary too?"

"Yeah." Ji Duo didn't care about the salary and asked her, "Do you have anything to do tonight?"

"I have nothing to do. It's the same when I go home tonight."

Ji Duo didn't say anything else, but Lin Qiao took out a stack of banknotes from her bag, "It just so happens that I got my salary, so I'll buy something for my parents."

Compared with Ji Duo's stack, this stack was pitifully small, less than 30 yuan. After all, Lin Qiao started work late and only worked for more than 20 days.

But no matter how little it was, it was the first money she had ever earned in this world, and she had to make the old couple happy.

Lin Qiao only left a little for herself as pocket money, and bought the rest. The small wooden hammer used to knock the old man's back, the new books from Xinhua Bookstore that were not available at home... Even Aunt Zhang also got some of them and got a few small medicine bags, saying they were for foot soaks.

The tea table was placed in the living room of the old house. Xu Li was naturally happy. Although Old Master Ji didn't say anything, a smile appeared in the corners of his eyes.

Only Ji Duo sat aside with his long legs stretched out, like a bystander.

Xu Li was very happy to see this, and whispered to him, "What's wrong? Didn't you like the thing Qiao Qiao gave you?"

She just realized how difficult it was for her son to please. "Okay, it's good enough that I can give it to you. You always have a stern face when doing anything. How can anyone know what you like?"

Ji Duo was not unhappy, but since his mother had said so, he still glanced at Xu Li and said, "She didn't give it to me."

Xu Li didn't know what to say, "Did you two have a fight? Or did you make Qiao Qiao angry?"

"no."

After one month of marriage, Lin Qiao and Ji Duo had never quarreled. It was unlike the Liang family next door, where you could hear bickering from time to time.

But when Lin Qiao bought things, he still forgot his share.

It’s not that Lin Qiao forgot, but she bought things to show her filial piety to her elders. In her mind, Ji Duo was a partner and had nothing to do with the elders.

Xu Li was thinking about other things, "Did you pay her salary and buy anything for Qiao Qiao?"

Ji Duo's expression froze, and she immediately snorted at her son, "You're just like your father. You don't even buy anything for Qiao Qiao, so why should Qiao Qiao buy anything for you?"

Lin Qiao had just finished distributing the things at this time, and was tired of bending over, so he sat on the sofa and rubbed his waist.

Xu Li immediately stopped caring about her son. "Look at me, I was so happy that I forgot about the time. Qiao Qiao must be hungry, right?"

Without waiting for her to say anything, Aunt Zhang put away her medicine bag and said, "I'll go get the rice."

Xu Li turned around and said to her son, "You too, didn't you remind me at this late hour? It turns out that it's not your wife who's hungry?"

He personally took them to the restaurant and served Lin Qiao a bowl of soup. "This is freshly stewed black chicken soup. Your aunt Zhang has been stewing it for more than five hours. Have some to ease your appetite."

This means that he called people back in advance and revolved around Lin Qiao. If Ji Duo still can't see that something is wrong, he has lived in vain these years.

He raised his eyebrows without making a sound. Xu Li on the other side had already realized that his expression was a bit obvious. "I am happy to receive Qiaoqiao's gift. Besides, Qiaoqiao is still young. She should be nourished. Look at her pointed face. She has lost weight from working too much."

Lin Qiao's face shape is between oval and melon-seed, and her chin is pointed even though she is not thin. Ji Duo thinks that she has been eating well recently, and she has more flesh than before when he occasionally touches her in the quilt.

But Xu Li's words that she was too young still made him pause.

He wondered if his mother knew something, but before he could ask, the gate outside rang and Ji Jun and Ye Minshu came back.

Seeing him and Lin Qiao, the couple was obviously a little surprised, "The second brother is here too?"

Although Ji Duo and Lin Qiao were married, there were many troubles. At least every time Ji Jun saw his younger brother, he felt guilty. Now he and Ye Minshu have reconciled, and when he saw Ji Duo again, he felt guilty and a little ashamed.

Ye Minshu also didn't want to see Lin Qiao. On the one hand, it was embarrassing, and on the other hand, she really didn't want to deal with Lin Qiao, her brother's sister.

So knowing that the two people would come back on Sundays, they chose to go back to the old house from Monday to Saturday to avoid them as much as possible. Unexpectedly, a month later, they still ran into each other.

After listening to Lin Qiao talking about Lin Wei, Ji Duo's mentality had become much calmer. He greeted the two of them as usual.

Brothers have been together for more than 20 years, and Ji Jun is not unaware of his personality. He is soft-hearted and easily influenced. In the past, he could be soft-hearted to himself because of his mother, and now he can naturally be soft-hearted to Ye Minshu. Both of them have their own families, and they are no longer the same as when they were children.

He didn't reveal anything, and Lin Qiao would definitely not reveal anything either.

Anyway, everyone knows that Ye Minshu doesn't like her, so she just stays away from her. If the other party doesn't take the initiative to provoke her, she is too lazy to pay attention to her.

Ye Minshu was unhappy with this indifferent attitude. She always felt that Lin Qiao was a country girl and had no manners. Moreover, there were many people at the table, but she was the only one eating from a small stove. Xu Li said that she would treat her two sons equally, but when she saw them come in, she only asked for two more pairs of chopsticks.

When the old man saw Ye Minshu staring at Lin Qiao, his smile, which had already faded, became even fainter. "How come you two have time to come back today?"

"Look at what you said. Look at you and mom. Ji Jun and I have time anytime." Ye Minshu immediately stopped paying attention to Lin Qiao and smiled appropriately. "But we came back this time and we really have good news to tell you and mom. Ji Jun got promoted."

"The boss got promoted?" The old man was quite surprised.

"I got a promotion. I just received the notice and came to tell you and mom the good news." Ye Minshu couldn't hide her smile.

Ji Jun was a little embarrassed, "I only got promoted half a level, I can't compare with the second one."

"That's a good thing." Xu Li quickly called Aunt Zhang, "See what else is at home and add two more dishes."

Ji Jun's ability is mediocre, and he hasn't moved for nearly eight years. Being able to get promoted half a level is indeed a good thing for him. Old Master Ji nodded.

Ji Jun had been watching his father's reaction, and he breathed a sigh of relief, and finally dared to smile. Ye Minshu didn't have as many concerns as he did, and even glanced at Lin Qiao from the corner of her eyes, "This is also the good teaching of Dad and Mom. Although our Ji Jun is not outstanding, he has always been conscientious in his work and is more down-to-earth than anyone else."

Is this a deliberate show-off for Lin Qiao, or does he want to say that Ji Duo is too arrogant and unsteady?

The old man found that the eldest son's wife was really not good to him. If she was not punished for three days, she would become so light-hearted that he didn't know where she was. "I remember that the fourth son of the Yu family was also promoted to this position a few years ago."

Ye Minshu stopped talking for a moment, and the smile on her face seemed a little forced.

The fourth son of the Yu family was indeed promoted to this position a few years ago, and it is said that he will be promoted again. His age is six years younger than Ji Jun.

Ji Jun also knew that the slight smile he had just revealed quickly turned into embarrassment.

The atmosphere at the table was a little stagnant for a moment. Lin Qiao didn't say anything. He finished his soup and stood up quietly, wanting to take the bowl to the kitchen.

Unexpectedly, Xu Li still noticed it, "Leave it there, I'll clean it up later."

"It's okay, just one bowl." Lin Qiao still delivered it himself, and when he came out, he subconsciously pressed his waist again.

She always felt that her period might be coming soon, otherwise why did her waist always feel uncomfortable, stuffy and a little painful.

When Xu Li saw this, her eyes narrowed with a smile, "Qiao Qiao, what else do you want to eat? I'll ask Xiao Zhang to make it for you tomorrow."

The son winked.

Old Master Ji was much gentler when facing Lin Qiao. "You work hard, so you don't have time to cook properly. Come home and tell me what you want to eat."

Who doesn’t have a hard time at work?

After work every day, doesn't she have to cook for Ji Jun and help him dress?

Besides, what kind of class can Lin Qiao, a country girl, take?

Ye Minshu was disdainful in her heart, but she was also happy to have Lin Qiao to help divert her attention. When the atmosphere at the table eased again, she casually said, "Speaking of which, Xiaoze has been promoted for several years. I wonder if he should be promoted this year."

No one answered, and Old Man Ji didn't even look at her.

Ji Jun didn't expect her to say this, so he quickly pulled her under the table and racked his brains to find a topic, "Dad just said Xiao Qiao found a job?"

Old Master Ji glanced at him indifferently and said nothing.

Ji Duo, who is usually taciturn, said, "I found a job, teaching high school in a school for children of local residents."

"Teaching high school in school." Ji Jun was very surprised, "I didn't expect Xiao Qiao to be able to teach high school at such a young age."

He was really surprised. After all, he had heard Ye Minshu call Lin Qiao a country girl all day long, and he also thought that Lin Qiao was not well educated.

Ye Minshu didn't take it to heart at all. She was only thinking about what she had just mentioned. Unfortunately, the old man didn't give her a chance to speak during the whole meal. Ji Jun obviously didn't want her to mention it again. As soon as the meal was over, he took her away and said goodbye, "It's getting late. We'll come to see you and mom another day."

The old man didn't keep anyone, and Xu Li has become less and less interested in Ye Minshu since the rumor came out, and she won't say anything.

However, Ji Duo and Lin Qiao had just returned from get off work, and it was indeed late. Not long after they left, Xu Li sent them back to the house to rest.

Before leaving, she left Ji Duo alone and said, "I think Qiao Qiao is very tired. You should pay attention and don't bother her all the time."

Ji Duo didn't realize how he had tortured Lin Qiao at first, but Xu Li lowered her voice and said, "I'm talking about that. You should be careful. Qiao Qiao is still young and can't stand your torture."

So it's that aspect, no wonder I keep emphasizing that Lin Qiao is still young...

Ji Duo was a little speechless, but he didn't like the couple telling everything to his mother, so he just nodded and said, "I know."

After his son left, the old man couldn't help but say to Xu Li: "What if it's not true? She's pregnant right after getting married, how can it happen so quickly?"

"What if it is? Didn't you see Qiao Qiao always rubbing her waist? My waist was also uncomfortable when I first had my second child."

Seeing that the old man wanted to say something, she smiled and said, "I know, you are afraid that if it is not true, I will be happy for nothing. In fact, I also know that it may not be true, otherwise I would have told the two people a long time ago. Why do I have to beat around the bush like this?"

She took out the book Lin Qiao bought for her and touched it. "Even if it's not true, just because of Qiao Qiao's filial piety, I am willing to take care of her more in everything. Besides, I was right. She is still young. If I could have a granddaughter, she would be the same age as my granddaughter."

Xu Li’s first child is a daughter. If she survived and got married early, her granddaughter might really be about the same age as Lin Qiao.

Because the missing child was a daughter, she always treated Ji Yan as her own. When Ji Yan's father passed away early, Ji Yan followed her mother to remarry, and her mother also passed away. She was alone in her stepfather's house and had no one to rely on. She and her grandfather didn't think twice and took the child back to raise him.

This was the old man's lifelong debt to her, and the old man remained silent upon hearing this.

But Xu Li didn't want to bring up her sad story. "If it's true, it'll be next spring. I don't know if Qiaoqiao is willing to keep it since she still has to take the college entrance exam. How about I talk to her and let her go to school as usual and I'll take care of the baby for them? It won't delay them anyway."

He also said that he knew it might not be the case and he even thought about who would take care of the child.

As she pondered over it, she complained to her son, "Second brother, why are you moving so fast? I'm not even prepared."

"I saw that he was very happy when you said he was fast." The old man snorted as he sat on the edge of the bed.

Xu Li was happy, so he didn't mention the eldest brother's family. The trouble with the eldest brother's wife last time was still there, so he came up with a new idea.

Ji Jun also found it unbelievable. As soon as he and Ye Minshu entered the house, he couldn't help asking, "Last time you stabbed such a big bitch, our dad is still angry, and you dare to mention Xiaoze's matter?"

"I see they are doing well. They got pregnant right after getting married." Ye Minshu curled her lips.

Seeing Ji Jun's confusion, she sneered, "Why does my mother get nervous when she rubs her waist? Have you seen my mother serve me black chicken soup?"

"What does that have to do with you? If they are doing well, then you were right at the beginning."

Ye Minshu moved her lips and wanted to say something, but she swallowed her words again when she remembered Ji Jun's anger last time. "I am also worried about Xiaoze. He hasn't been home for more than a month. When I asked him about his future plans, he was vague. Who knows if he has any problems in his career?"

Speaking of his son, Ji Jun was speechless. After all, he had no ability and could not help his son.

But he still felt that his wife's idea was inappropriate, "You'd better not mention it to our father. The second child didn't rely on anyone at the beginning."

"The second son is helpless, but you had already changed your job by then. How could our father's resources and connections not lean towards him? Besides, times are different now. It's even harder for Xiaoze to move up than it was back then. We can't just not make plans for our son, right?"

Seeing that it was getting late, Ye Minshu went to get a basin of hot water and personally handed it to Ji Jun, "You must be tired after a busy day, soak your feet."

When Ji Jun saw her move a small stool in front of him, he immediately said, "I'll do it myself."

"Can you massage the soles of your feet?" Ye Minshu glared at him, washed his feet, and then placed them on her knees to gently massage the acupuncture points. "Others may not know, but I know how difficult it was for you to get this promotion. You almost have to live in the office every day, and you have to go on business trips all the time. Look at how swollen your feet are."

The moderate force and gentle words made Ji Jun relax a little.

Just as he was about to let out a long sigh, he heard Ye Minshu whisper, "If our dad is still angry, can we ask the second son to help find out? After all, he is a regimental-level cadre..."

Before he finished speaking, Ji Jun retracted his foot.

Ye Minshu was stunned. "What are you doing? You haven't finished kneading it yet."

Ji Jun's expression changed several times, "You have betrayed Lao Er all his life, and you still want to go to his side to help Xiao Ze, how can you be so shameless?"

"Why is it a trap? Isn't the second brother doing well? Besides, the girl from the Lin family has a poor family background, but she's not bad looking. Can't she teach in a high school? Maybe the second brother likes her, otherwise he wouldn't care no matter how many girls I introduced to him before. Now he has to become a father right after getting married?"

At this moment, she remembered that Lin Qiao went to teach in high school, but it was obvious that she was not serious. Seeing that Ji Jun had not said anything, she seemed to have listened and picked up Ji Jun's other foot, "Why don't you let that girl help talk? I think the old man and the second son are quite fond of her. Besides, she doesn't know who the childhood engagement was..."

"You wish!" Ji Jun suddenly raised his foot and shook her hand off.

Ye Minshu lost her balance and fell to the ground, her hands were rubbed red, and she couldn't help but look at him in surprise.

When Ji Jun saw her painful expression, his face froze, and then he remembered what she had just said.

How dare she mention Lao Er and Lin Qiao?

She actually had the nerve to mention Lao Er and Lin Qiao? !

No wonder after they reconciled, when he assured the old man that she knew she was wrong and would never do it again next time, the old man looked at him with such a meaningful look.

It turns out that she didn't learn her lesson at all, and she was just trying to coax him by admitting her mistakes before...

Ji Jun felt a hot sensation on his face, and he didn't know whether it was because of anger or shame. He put on his shoes without even putting on his socks and left the room.

By the time Ye Minshu reacted and got up, the door rang outside and he had already left.

Lin Qiao naturally didn't know that her uncle's family was quarreling again. When she saw Ji Duo coming back, she yawned and made some space beside the bed for the man.

She felt that her menstrual period was really coming, otherwise why would her waist be uncomfortable and she felt particularly tired? She had already put some toilet paper on the bed before Ji Duo came back.

Ji Duo took off his shirt, wearing only a vest, and climbed onto the bed following the position she had vacated. Just as Lin Qiao was about to reach out to turn off the light, she heard the man ask, "What do you like?"

She was stunned, but still turned off the light. "What do you like?"

"Things, is there anything you want?" Although Xu Li's words to him made him feel uncomfortable, Ji Duo still listened to a few of her words.

Lin Qiao heard this, but

That’s a lot to think about.

First and foremost, she wanted sanitary napkins. The sanitary paper of that era was not fine enough, and she dared not move even when she was using it as a pad.

With mobile phones and the Internet, she can now go to bed early and get up early, all thanks to the fact that these two things did not exist in this era.

It's just that saying too much will only bring tears. In the darkness, Lin Qiao only said solemnly: "I want the times to develop, technology to advance, and our country to be prosperous and civilized."

This request was a bit too much. Ji Duo was silent for a moment and said, "Change it."

"Then let's go to sleep." Lin Qiao had all kinds of dreams. He was really sleepy. It was a rare occasion that he didn't read a book before going to bed.

The whole next day, she felt like the unhappy girl in a martial arts novel whose inner strength was sealed.

When she was not feeling well, she would stay in the house to read, chat with Aunt Zhang, water the flowers with Xu Li, sit on the swing that the old man had tied for Ji Ling, and watch the old man and Ji Duo play several games of chess in the shade under the tree.

Then I saw the old man's smile gradually disappearing from his calm expression at the beginning, and he finally fell into silence.

Ji Duo was as steady as an old dog throughout the whole process. Only when the old man was completely speechless did he raise his hand and throw the chess piece on the chessboard, "Do you want to play again?"

Seeing this, Xu Li couldn't help but say to him: "You don't even know how to let your dad take over."

"There are no fathers and sons on the battlefield." Ji Duo didn't even raise his eyelids.

The old man glared and said, "Do I need him to give in? Go on." Then he fell into a longer silence.

Lin Qiao didn't understand, but was greatly shocked.

She felt that if the roles of the father and son were switched, Ji Duo, the icy-faced man, would be the father, and it didn't seem so incongruous.

This man is too calm. Very few things can make him show his emotions, and I have never seen him lose his temper.

When Lin Qiao and Ji Duo returned to the army that night, they left under the disgusted gaze of their master. On Monday, she would go to work and prepare for the end-of-month test.

In the office, the papers of each class had been distributed. Lin Qiao carried them to the classroom. Before handing them out, he smiled and said, "Students who write notes on their hands, desks, or erasers, I have 5.0 eyes. Don't let me find out. If I find out, you will be disqualified from the experiment."

I don't know how many students touched their noses subconsciously, but with this threat, everyone took the test more cautiously.

Just after the exam, when she started marking the papers, Teacher Yang came again. As soon as she entered the room, she called Lin Qiao aside and asked, "Last time when I checked my period, why did you and your wife report different periods?"

"Different?" Lin Qiao thought Ji Duo had a tacit understanding with her and knew how to answer.

Otherwise, even if she heard that they were going back to the old house at noon that day and she was busy buying things and forgot to ask, Ji Duo should have told her.

When Teacher Yang saw her reaction, he knew she didn't know. "When they checked, they wrote that you didn't come. Did you come or not?" He also advised her, "You and your husband didn't have an extra child. It doesn't matter if you didn't come. Don't report it randomly."

"I didn't make a false report." Lin Qiao was a little speechless, "He came during those few days when he was away, he might not know."

Teacher Yang understood and said, "Then I'll go back and tell the higher-ups."

Teacher Yang speaks quickly and acts quickly. Once he confirms something, he leaves in a hurry.

Lin Qiao returned to the office, thinking that he had to tell Ji Duo about this matter and make sure they were on the same page to avoid making such a mistake again. As soon as he sat down and picked up the red pen, he heard the physics teachers from the next two classes sigh, "Who is so brave? He actually handed in a blank paper?"

Hand in a blank paper?

All the teachers who heard it looked over.

This is not a question of whether or not the students know the answer. It is clearly a challenge to the teacher. Most students who don't know the answer will make up a few answers. What if they guess the answer right?

Vice Principal Qi was also in the science office today because he had to grade papers. Upon hearing this, he took the papers and said, "Open them and take a look."

To be fair, these papers were bound with kraft paper rope, and the name part at the beginning of the paper was covered with kraft paper, but the binding was not so tight that you could see some of it if you tried hard.

The two physics teachers wanted to know who was so brave, but as soon as they heard just two words, Vice-Principal Qi's face changed.

The next second, he turned around and walked out of the office, ignoring the surprised "Lao Qi" behind him, and went straight to Class 4.