Chapter 41: Ship Arrival
"Sure! What do you want to eat? I'll make it for you!”
It's rare for him to make a request about food; before, when he was busy, he didn't complain even once while gnawing on dry biscuits for several meals in a row.
"You promise?" Shen Qingzhou looked at him with a complicated expression, "You promised, no backing out!"
"What's there to regret about this?" Meng Xiaoxi muttered, "You go ahead and tell me, I'll get ready."
"You don't need to do anything." Shen Qingzhou had an emotion in his eyes that he couldn't understand, "We'll eat after dinner. I'll take care of the preparations."
"Eat after dinner? It's almost time for bed; how can you possibly digest it?”
“Yes, after dinner! It’s particularly good for digestion, so no need to worry.” Shen Qingzhou smiled enigmatically.
Meng Xiaoxi scratched his head, puzzled, unable to figure it out.
What on earth could it be? Hawthorn? Not yet grown, sour plum soup? But there are no plums at home.
Forget it, I can't figure it out, so I won't think about it anymore.
Even though Shen Qingzhou didn't make any requests, Meng Xiaoxi still prepared several dishes: shredded pork in soy sauce, spicy stir-fried chicken giblets, a bowl of three-flavor soup made with black fungus, vermicelli, tomatoes, and bok choy, with perfectly cubed eggs floating in it.
In addition, there was half a bucket of river shrimp that Yao Kang had caught, half of which was boiled to highlight its light and palatable flavor, while the other half was made into dry pot shrimp, rich in flavor. There was also a plate of garlic choy sum, more sumptuous than the dishes he had for his birthday.
The weather was fine today. Shen Qingzhou checked his phone several times throughout the day, and it showed that there would be no rain in the next few days. In the fields, apart from the occasional weeds popping up, there was nothing else to tend to.
He was in a good mood and set out several wine bowls during dinner. "Last time we were interrupted, but today there's nothing going on. Uncle Yao, drink more, and Xiaoxi too."
He looked up again and asked, "Yao Kang, do you want some? You've grown up into a big guy, so having a few drinks is no big deal!"
Yao Daocheng was not strict with his demands and also asked, "Do you want something to drink, Kang'er?"
Yao Kang smirked and shook his head, then focused on eating his meal.
Unexpectedly, Meng Xiaoxi protected the wine bowl, only pouring a little.
Because Shen Qingzhou said in the morning that there would be delicious food after dinner, if he got drunk, wouldn't he miss out on that unknown delicacy?
Shen Qingzhou originally wanted him to get more drunk, so he could coax him into agreeing. If he had known that he was unwilling to drink because of this, it would have been a disaster, blocking his own path to “marriage”.
Forget it, if they can't be persuaded, there's no point in forcing it. Only he and Yao Daocheng drank a bit more, while those two kids just kept their heads down eating.
In the end, it turned out that he himself got drunk.
After finishing the meal, Yao Kang went to feed the cows and took his father back to the side courtyard. Meng Xiaoxi cleaned up the table and dishes, fed Yuanbao, and then saw Shen Qingzhou sitting there in a daze, not even moving from his spot.
He got drunk, it seems the promised food is off the table. I'll have to wait until he sobers up to ask again.
Meng Xiaoxi sighed and stepped forward to push him, "Shen-ge! It's dark outside, go take a quick shower and then get to bed! Sitting here, the mosquitoes are biting like crazy.”
"Mn, okay, okay. I know."
Shen Qingzhou stood up, feeling a bit unsteady, but still retaining some clarity in his mind. He tried hard to walk in a straight line, fearing he might be mistaken for a drunkard.
Meng Xiaoxi locked the front door, went to his room, turned on the lights, and helped find some clean clothes.
"Here! Go ahead! Hang up these clean clothes first, don't get them wet.”
"I know! I didn't drink that much, do you think I'm one of those alcoholics?" Shen Qingzhou was quietly defending himself.
"Mm-hmm! You're not.” Meng Xiaoxi casually brushed him off, making his bed and setting up the mosquito net to keep the mosquitoes out.
Drunk people never admit they had too much to drink.
After the splashing water stopped, the sound of rustling clothes could be heard again.
Shen Qingzhou came out, and only then did Meng Xiaoxi take his clothes and go wash them himself.
Early June, the weather was clear, with a half-moon and clusters of stars hanging distantly in the night sky. The courtyard was also bathed in a faint glow, so he didn't need to light any lamps; he didn't even take a small flashlight, as it was all familiar territory.
Just finished taking a shower, feeling particularly refreshed. The gentle night breeze in the courtyard makes it even more comfortable, with the coolness lightly caressing every pore from head to toe.
After changing clothes and coming out, Meng Xiaoxi was startled by the sudden shadow under the moonlight.
"You scared me to death, Shen-ge!" He patted his chest and said, "Why are you back again? Are you going to the outhouse?”
During daylight saving time, the drinks are relatively light. If you can get drunk from them, you must have consumed quite a lot, so it's normal that you can't hold it in and need to relieve yourself.
"No, I went before taking a shower." Shen Qingzhou stared at him intently, "I didn't leave just now; I was waiting for you the whole time."
"Ah? Wait for me to do what?" Meng Xiaoxi looked up and asked blankly.
It turns out that Xiaoxi was listening the whole time Shen-ge was taking a shower, which is quite embarrassing. He didn't drink much, so he wouldn't fall over.
"You said you wanted to eat something else, you already agreed." Shen Qingzhou's words carried a hint of insistence.
"I agreed, didn't I?" Meng Xiaoxi was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, "But it seems like you've had too much to drink tonight. What are you going to do—"
“—Forget it, you won't admit it anyway, let's just eat next time! Go to sleep first, okay? Don't just stand here feeding the mosquitoes.”
Meng Xiaoxi was coaxing him and was about to push him into the room when suddenly his hand was grabbed.
"Not next time, but today!" Shen Qingzhou insisted, "A promise is a promise!"
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