As they were talking, two bowls of hot Yangchun noodles and a plate of fragrant stir-fried pork with green peppers were served.
Cheng Yaoyao picked up a piece of noodles with chopsticks and ate it. The noodles were smooth and chewy and tasted good.
Lin Jiajun couldn't help but ask again: "Do you really want to join the cultural troupe?"
Wu Man and Lin Lulu stared at Cheng Yaoyao. Cheng Yaoyao slowly bit off a noodle and smiled, "Yes."
She did not miss Wu Man's worried and nervous expression, and laughed secretly, saying deliberately: "I didn't intend to sign up, but since they invited me so kindly, I couldn't refuse."
Lin Jiajun's face was filled with pride: "That's right, Cheng Zhiqing, you have such good qualifications, you will definitely be selected!"
Cheng Yaoyao smiled nonchalantly, turned around and whispered to Xie San: "This noodle is not as delicious as mine. I'll make it for you when we get home."
There was a hint of gloom between Xie San's brows, as if he didn't hear what she said.
That bit of arrogance hurt Wu Man's eyes. She lost her appetite and was anxiously calculating her chances of winning.
Lin Lulu was also dissatisfied with Cheng Yaoyao, and helped her friend, saying, "Wu Man has also participated in the selection. She has been dancing since she was a child, so she will definitely be selected!"
Lin Jiajun didn't hear him, and was busy pushing the meat dishes to Cheng Yaoyao, saying attentively: "This braised pork is delicious, try it!"
Wu Man was embarrassed, but Lin Jiaqi said calmly: "The treatment in the art troupe is good, and the household registration can be transferred to the city. It is a good unit."
"By the way, brother, you are also in the city, so we can take care of each other in the future." Lin Jiajun said.
Lin Jiaqi was stunned for a moment, his eyes quickly swept over Cheng Yaoyao's face, and he said "hmm". Wu Man almost couldn't hold back her smile, and said jokingly: "Brother Jiaqi, we will all be in the city in the future, you can't be partial to one over the other."
Lin Jiaqi smiled faintly and said: "No. Come on and eat quickly. The food will get cold if you keep talking. Cheng Zhiqing, Xie San, we ordered a lot of food. You're welcome, let's eat together."
“Yes.” Lin Lulu finally found a topic to talk to Xie San. She mustered up her courage and put a piece of braised pork into Xie San’s bowl: “Brother Xie San, you have a big appetite, eat more…”
The chopsticks were intercepted halfway.
Cheng Yaoyao held Lin Lulu's chopsticks and blocked her. The thick red-braised pork soup dripped onto the table. She said, "He doesn't eat red-braised pork."
In this era, men and women are very strict about separation. Lin Lulu's girlish thoughts were interrupted, as if she was exposed naked to others. Her face instantly turned red. She relied on her brother's presence and was a little jealous. She said, "How do you know he doesn't eat? Xie San Ge, look at her..."
The girl said this in a low voice with a sense of grievance, shy and resentful, which was really pitiful.
Cheng Yaoyao's hair instantly exploded. He squinted at Xie San with his peach blossom eyes, and even smiled, "Do you want to eat?"
"..." Xie San put down his chopsticks. The bowl was empty. He said calmly, "I'm full."
Lin Lulu's eyes immediately turned red. Lin Jiajun finally got smart and quickly took out his bowl to take the piece of braised pork, laughing and saying, "I'll eat it, I love braised pork the most."
Lin Jiaqi picked up a piece of green vegetables with chopsticks and put it into his sister's bowl, saying, "Eat quickly, and I'll take you back to work after you finish."
The meal was held in an odd atmosphere. Only Wu Man and Lin Jiajun were chatting animatedly, while the others remained silent.
Cheng Yaoyao didn't eat much, so she couldn't finish half of the bowl of noodles. At home, Xie San would take care of the leftovers for her, but she had to force herself to eat in front of these people. She made a bitter face and swallowed it in small bites.
Seeing this, Xie San stood up and poured her a glass of water. Seeing this, Lin Lulu even poked the food in her bowl.
After lunch, it was already 1:30 in the afternoon. It was the hottest time of the day, and the cicadas' chirping and the scorching sun enveloped the entire Lin'an City. Cheng Yaoyao covered his belly and walked angrily in the alley with his head down.
Xie San followed her silently. When they passed the third alley, Xie San finally called out to her, "Don't walk too long after eating. You'll have a stomachache."
"I'm happy to do that!" Cheng Yaoyao was like a tractor that had finally found the detonation point. He shouted at Xie San, "What do you care about me? Mind your little bald guy!"
Xie San's eyebrows were filled with depression, and he also showed a trace of confusion at this time: "...Who?"
Cheng Yaoyao stamped his feet and said angrily: "Who is she? Why does she call you Brother Xie San?" Thinking of the tone of Lin Lulu calling Xie San, Cheng Yaoyao was furious. Does she think she is a hen, cackling all day long?
Xie San finally realized that she was referring to Lin Lulu and said, "She is the daughter of the Party Secretary."
Cheng Yaoyao crossed his arms and asked, "Are you familiar with her?"
Xie San confessed, "I saved her once when I went hunting in the mountains."
Cheng Yaoyao dragged out his voice: "So you are a hero saving a beautiful girl~ No wonder she is so obsessed with you and talks and laughs with you every day."
"I didn't." Xie San looked at her tense face and defended himself, "I didn't pay attention to her. She's a girl, I didn't talk or laugh with her."
Cheng Yaoyao really didn't want to show jealousy, so he endured it again and again, but still couldn't help but said angrily: "You let her call you Third Brother Xie!"
Xie Sanxia realized, "I am older than her. ... I will not let her scream anymore from now on."
After receiving the sight of Cheng Yaoyao's fire, Xie San added a sentence.
Cheng Yaoyao still refused to turn around, and sulked at the wall. The scorching sun poured down without any shielding, and soon beads of sweat appeared on her fair face.
Cheng Yaoyao's skin was white, and the sweat only made it more translucent, like a glazed porcelain figure. Xie San stood in front of her to block the sunlight, and Cheng Yaoyao turned her head and turned her back.
Cheng Yaoyao rarely gets angry with him like this. When she gets angry, she is like a cat, making a lot of noise but doing little. She meows and waving her harmless little paws to scratch his face. Cheng Yaoyao's behavior at this time makes Xie San feel even more distressed.
It seemed like I had really wronged her.
Xie San was like a big dog who had done something wrong: "I really wasn't joking with her. She works in the city and rarely comes back to the village. She only talked to me once last month."
"...He looked for me these few days, but I didn't see him."
Conquer the enemy without fighting. Cheng Yaoyao said nothing, Xie San had already revealed all his secrets, and he wanted to cut out his heart and put it in front of her.
"I've been looking for you these days!" Cheng Yaoyao turned around suddenly, his eyes filled with rage.
Xie San broke out in a sweat.
The sound of selling popsicles came from not far away, and he grabbed at the straw like a life-saving straw: "Sister, I'll buy you a popsicle."
Cheng Yaoyao bit his lower lip and said fiercely, "I want two! Taro flavor and sugar flavor!"
Even if she wanted to buy all the popsicles at the ice lolly stand, Xie San would run over immediately without saying a word. He came back with popsicles in a short while, a paper box of taro ice cream and a white sugar popsicle, both of which were steaming and had not melted at all.
Xie San's head was covered in sweat, and his wheat-colored muscles were shining.
Cheng Yaoyao peeled off the paper on top of the ice cream, revealing the lavender taro ice cream. It was frozen solid, and he used a small wooden chip to scoop out a spoonful and put it in his mouth. The rich taro flavor melted on the tip of his tongue, and the cream was smooth, more authentic than later generations.
Xie San held an ice cream in one hand and a popsicle in the other. Seeing that the anger in her eyes had faded a little, he whispered, "From now on, don't let her call me Brother Xie San. Only you can call her that."
"I don't care!" Cheng Yaoyao became fierce again, and his face wrinkled like a cat protecting its food. "She called me, I don't want to call anymore!"
"..." It was truly an unexpected disaster. Xie San looked at her cherry lips, which were becoming even redder due to the cold. "What should I do?"
Cheng Yaoyao held the small piece of wood in his mouth and thought for a while: "I will call you Xie Zhao from now on. Xie Zhao!"
"Okay." Xie San's heart was moved, and he responded softly.
Cheng Yaoyao tilted his head and called out tentatively, "Xie, Zhao."
She had a very pleasant voice, speaking Mandarin with a soft accent, and her lips and teeth touched as she uttered his name: "Xie Zhao."
Cheng Yaoyao called out fluently: "Xie Zhao, Xie Zhao, Xie Zhao."
Xie Sanyi answered earnestly, "I'm here."
Cheng Yaoyao's dimples were like honey, and he finally smiled sweetly: "Xie Zhao, I will call you this from now on."
Xie San, no, Xie Zhao thought for a moment and said, "Don't you want to call me brother?"
"Brother Xie Zhao? You wish." Cheng Yaoyao snorted, "I'll just have a bite of the popsicle."
Xie Zhao tore the wax paper off the popsicle for her. The sugar popsicle had already melted a little and was dripping down his big hands.
Cheng Yaoyao came up and took a bite of the popsicle from Xie Zhao's hand. It was sweet and cool. These days, popsicles don't contain saccharin, but real white sugar. Although it's not as sweet as saccharin, the light sweetness is more thirst-quenching.
"This is better than ice cream." Cheng Yaoyao took the popsicle, sucked it, and said generously: "The ice cream is for you."
She held the popsicle in her rosy lips and sucked it again and again. Her mouth was small, so she didn't eat much of the popsicle after holding it in her mouth for a long time.
Xie Zhao's eyes fell on those rosy lips, his Adam's apple was struggling to swallow, and he felt anxious as if fire was about to burst out.
He put the half-melted ice cream into his mouth. It had a rich, sweet taro flavor, but Xie San could also taste a hint of rose scent accurately.
The cold ice cream fell into my stomach, but it ignited another hot fire.
Cheng Yaoyao finished eating the popsicle, but saw Xie Zhao sweating profusely, looking even hotter than before, and asked curiously: "Why are you so hot? Here's your handkerchief."
She took out her handkerchief and pressed it on Xie Zhao's forehead. The strong yang energy rushed over her face, and the small lotus leaf trembled. Cheng Yaoyao bit the tip of his tongue to resist the urge to move forward.
Fortunately, Xie Zhao didn't notice it, and took the handkerchief and wiped it himself: "It's dirty."
"What are you afraid of? Handkerchiefs are meant to be used." Cheng Yaoyao watched him wipe the sweat off his face, then snatched the handkerchief back, folded it carefully, and stuffed it into his bag like a treasure.
Cheng Yaoyao's action made Xie Zhao even hotter. He stared at the sun and finally said, "It's getting late. I should go back."
"Ah?" Cheng Yaoyao looked at her watch and it was almost two o'clock. She said reluctantly, "Okay. I have to go find Han Yin and the others, otherwise they will be worried."
Xie Zhao nodded, looked at Cheng Yaoyao deeply, moved his lips, and finally asked, "Do you want to join the art troupe?"
"Ah, that one." Cheng Yaoyao laughed, with a hint of cunning, "I'm not going."
Facing Xie Zhao's puzzled gaze, she blinked and said, "Who made that Wu Man so annoying? I deliberately frightened her. There were only three spots available, and she thought I took one. She must have been scared to death."
Xie Zhao felt relieved, but also ashamed of his secret thoughts. He said, "The art troupe is a good opportunity. You..."
Cheng Yaoyao looked at him strangely: "Do you want me to go?"
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