Chapter 42
The water heated up quickly. Chen Jingbai grabbed a handful of noodles and was about to put them in when someone approached. He quickly noticed her, put the noodles in the pot, and turned his head to see He He.
He asked gently, "How did you get in?"
He He pointed to Cheng Sulin and Chen Jingyi sitting in the living room.
Chen Jingbai looked over and saw the two of them chatting and laughing. "Do you want some small tomatoes?"
He He nodded: "I want to eat."
Chen Jingbai washed the cherry tomatoes by his hand, dried them, and handed them to He He.
He He held a handful of cherry tomatoes in her hand, eating them one by one. They were sweet. Seeing Chen Jingbai cooking noodles so earnestly, she put one into his mouth as well, saying, "You eat some too."
The cherry tomato was fed to Chen Jingbai's mouth. He didn't even have time to refuse; he could only open his mouth and let it be fed to him, his lips brushing against He He's fingers.
He He stared at the noodles in the pot. "When are your parents coming back tonight? It's my first time visiting your house, and I realized that Cheng Surin and I didn't bring anything, which isn't very good."
Chen Jingbai smiled and said, "They should be home around 6:30. They don't need to take us. It's good that you can come. My sister and I will cook dinner. If you and Su Lin are bored, you can go to my room or my sister's room to get some books to read."
He He: "Okay then."
The noodles were ready quickly. Chen Jingbai didn't cook much, afraid that eating too much would fill him up and he wouldn't be able to eat dinner, so he divided them into four portions.
He He helped him carry the noodles out. After the four of them ate the noodles, Chen Jingbai and Chen Jingyi prepared to cook dinner, trying to finish it before their parents returned.
Just like she used to do in the Forward Brigade, He He would help carry the dishes out after Chen Jingbai cooked them.
Today's dishes include steamed sea bass, steamed egg with minced meat, stir-fried cauliflower, and winter melon soup.
Chen Jingbai and Chen Jingyi's cooking skills were as good as ever, and He He's eyes lit up as she looked at the dishes.
Before the winter melon soup was served, Mr. and Mrs. Chen returned.
The two of them looked at He He and Cheng Sulin with smiles, appearing very friendly.
"Xiao He, Su Lin, right? You two just let Xiao Yi and Xiao Bai keep busy."
He He and Cheng Sulin stood still and obediently greeted them, "Hello, Uncle and Aunt."
Mr. and Mrs. Chen are fifty years old, but they look older than their peers. Perhaps due to the hardships they suffered in their early years, their bodies are somewhat hunched, especially Mr. Chen, who has become thin due to a back injury. However, the two of them are in good spirits, and it is not hard to see that there is hope in their eyes after the family has improved.
Mr. and Mrs. Chen were both intellectuals, and they spoke with refined manners and eloquence. The meal was very pleasant, and He He's earlier nervousness disappeared.
After dinner, they chatted with Mr. and Mrs. Chen for a while. Before leaving, Mr. and Mrs. Chen gave her and Cheng Surin a red envelope each.
He He was too embarrassed to accept, and glanced at Chen Jingbai.
Chen Jingbai: "Please accept it, no need to be so polite."
Mr. and Mrs. Chen: "The red envelopes we gave each other weren't much money, just for good luck. When Xiaobai and Xiaoyi came back, we also gave them red envelopes to celebrate your admission to university."
He He and Cheng Surin exchanged a glance, and neither of them could refuse any longer, so they accepted the red envelope.
It was late at night, so the two didn't stay long. Chen Jingyi stayed at home, while Chen Jingbai took them to the bus station.
The three walked together, with Cheng Surin becoming the third wheel, while He He and Chen Jingbai were very affectionate before parting ways.
Before getting into the car, He He was still a little reluctant to leave. "Brother Jingbai, don't forget to come to my house this Saturday, you and Sister Jingyi. Just take the bus to the military compound and come at 3 pm sharp. I'll pick you up at the gate."
Chen Jingbai patted He He's head and said, "I know, I won't forget. Be careful on your way back."
Cheng Surin couldn't stand it anymore: "The bus is here. You two stop chatting. If you miss the bus, I won't wait for you."
Cheng Surin deserves a beating. He He gently pushed Cheng Surin and said, "If you won't see me off, I'll have Brother Jing Bai see me off. When we get back, I'll tell my grandparents."
When the bus arrived, Chen Jingbai waved to the two of them, "The bus is here. Be careful on the road. Su Lin, watch out for He He."
Cheng Surin: "I know, I know, don't worry, brother."
He He and Cheng Surin got into the car, and He He was still looking out the car window at Chen Jingbai, who hadn't left yet.
Cheng Surin looked at He He like this and said irritably, "Auntie, is he that good-looking? The car has already driven far away, you saw it, why are you still looking?"
He He: "If it were Chen Jingyi who came out to see me off, I wonder if you would be like me and just criticize me for being disrespectful."
Cheng Surin touched his nose. If Chen Jingyi had come out, he would have done the same thing, but Chen Jingyi didn't come out.
The two continued to playfully tease each other. When the bus arrived at the military compound, Cheng Surin safely escorted He He to the gate.
He He asked him, "Would you like to come in and sit for a while before going back?"
Cheng Surin waved his hand dismissively: "I'm not going. I'm going back to take a shower and go to sleep."
He He didn't insist, since they could meet this Saturday anyway.
Time flies, and Saturday is the day of the graduation banquet.
Many people came that day. Although it was not a big celebration and only close relatives were invited, the Cheng family still sent quite a few people.
Cheng Surin's family arrived in the morning, and the other uncles arrived one after another in the afternoon to help greet them.
Around 3 p.m., He He picked up Chen Jingbai and Chen Jingyi at the gate of the military compound. Cheng Sulin was even more anxious than her, and wanted to go out to pick them up at 2:30 p.m.
The sun was blazing in the afternoon, but He He refused to go out until 10:50. Cheng Sulin, who had said he would pick her up, didn't leave and went out with her.
Chen Jingbai and Chen Jingyi were both poised and generous, greeting people along with He He and the others. The elders of the Cheng family were delighted to see them, feeling that they were not only well-behaved and academically excellent, but also impeccable in their manners. They pulled them aside and asked them a series of questions.
Chen Jingbai and Chen Jingyi answered each question directly, but He He couldn't stand the questions from the elders and quickly pulled them away.
Only then did the elders of the Cheng family let them go.
He He explained, "My family is just that hospitable, please don't take offense."
Chen Jingbai and Chen Jingyi were not used to it at all. They both said they wouldn't, that their family atmosphere was the same, and that they knew their elders were doing it for their own good.
It's not mealtime yet; all the people who have come to the Cheng family are from his uncle's family, and his friends haven't arrived yet.
He He led them to the group of young people. He He was of a higher generation, and the young people were basically her juniors. Except for her cousin Cheng Fang from her maternal uncle's family, who was younger than her, and her cousin from her third maternal uncle's family, who was about the same age as her, the others were all a generation younger than Cheng Su Lin.
However, everyone was quite joking, teasing that He He and Cheng Surin had excellent taste in finding such good partners in the countryside.
Those who are single are asked if there are any other young women who have been admitted to university, or if they can be introduced to some outstanding female university students once they get to university, since not many people get into university these days, and those who do are all very outstanding.
Cheng Surin was quite blunt with her cousin who was trying to introduce her to the girl, saying, "Cousin, with your big, muscular build, what college student would be interested in you? People would be afraid you're a bad guy and would quickly avoid you."
As soon as Cheng Surin said that, everyone burst into laughter.
Cheng Yichang wasn't annoyed. "Hey, you've already started making fun of me, haven't you?"
He was a soldier in the army and usually trained there. He had specially taken leave to come back today just to see He He and Cheng Sulin, whom he hadn't seen for many years.
Cheng Yichang was already tall and strong, and his muscles were well-developed from training. The girls in Rongcheng were not tall, and they were all a little intimidated by his height. As a result, the girls who usually went on blind dates with him were afraid of him, and several blind dates ended in failure.
This is why he is 25 years old this year and has never been in a relationship.
Cheng Fang was still a high school student and didn't understand these things about love and romance. He just envied Cheng Yichang's physique and how cool he looked. "I think Yichang is so great. How come no girls like him?"
Cheng Surin chuckled: "Oh my, Cheng Fang, you know all this stuff."
While everyone was laughing and joking, in a corner where no one was paying attention, He He was playing with Chen Jingbai's finger.
Chen Jingbai glanced at He He, signaling her to stop making a scene.
He He didn't care about any of that. She held onto Chen Jingbai's hand tightly. Anyway, no one was watching, and this was her home. She could do whatever she wanted.
Chen Jingbai's heart pounded. He was surrounded by He He's peers and younger relatives, and he was afraid they would discover his improper behavior with He He.
However, He He didn't hold on for long. Perhaps she got bored, or perhaps she had had enough fun, she let go of her hands and placed them properly on her lap.
As evening approached, most of the guests invited by the Cheng family had arrived. Just as everyone was happily congratulating He He and Cheng Surin on being admitted to university, an uninvited guest arrived.
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