Chapter 59: Heading To Shanghai City
“Just obediently follow Uncle Luo’s arrangements. The paperwork job isn’t tiring and suits you.”
“Got it, got it!”
The two girls chatted and laughed all the way home, only to find a guardian deity standing at the courtyard gate.
From far away they heard the sound. Jiaming immediately stood up from the steps in front of the door. Seeing their surprised expressions, he couldn’t help but reveal a mouthful of big white teeth.
“You’re finally back. Where did you go? I’ve been waiting so long that the flowers on the yard wall are about to bud and bloom.”
“You think you can see the full wall of flowers blooming before us? Dream on!”
Ever since that meal last night, Shuang Shuang had found everything about him displeasing.
Which male comrade unceremoniously grabs meals from a pretty female comrade?
He didn’t have half the grace of his buddy Yan Bei. He ate gently and refinedly, and even kindly pushed the plate over when Ning Bao Gai couldn’t reach a dish. The two of them were exceptionally harmonious.
In contrast, those two were like a battlefield, almost drawing lots or fighting to decide dish ownership!
The biggest problem was that this guy didn’t just grab, he had to show off after grab bing. It was simply intolerable!
“Heh heh, Comrade Shuang Shuang, dare to make a bet?”
Seeing her explode like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, the smile deepened in Jiaming’s eyes, and he couldn’t help but want to tease her even more.
Turns out, there really was someone like him—bad at it but loved to peck.
For a moment he forgot the purpose of his visit, even directly
“Bet or not, I’m not afraid of you. Say what we’re betting on!”
“The loser has to agree to one thing from the winner, of course, on the premise of not crossing the moral bottom line. How about it?”
“Hahaha, one isn’t enough, at least three!”
“I’ll bet!”
Su Ning, who had led Xiao Qiu to watch the spectacle, saw the two of them, just like kids, even doing a three-way high-five to seal their pact, and a strange look welled up in her eyes.
While opening the courtyard gate, she casually spoke up to remind them, “You two can fulfill the appointment.”
“Ah?”
“What?”
For that moment, the two who were viciously trading barbs with each other froze in unison, even their puzzled and baffled expressions exactly the same.
“You two took the climbing roses in my yard to make a bet, betting on who would see them bloom first, and the wager wasn’t deliberately sent to my door for me?”
Fu Jiaming, rubbing the back of his head: Didn’t I specify in my bet just now that it was about the two of us?
Luo Shuangshuang, who had never lost a bet with her brother since childhood, this time set a new record high for the fastest failure: she could tell that this guy was indeed her natural nemesis!
“My brain!”
After the daze, he finally remembered. He gave Luo Shuangshuang, who was equally stunned, a look that said they would fight again another day. Fu Jiaming followed closely into the courtyard gate.
She stomped her foot, imagining the ground was someone’s big face and stomping on it a few times to finally vent the frustration in her heart. Luo Shuangshuang raised her head, puffed out her chest, and was full of energy again.
“Hmph, I’m happy to lose to Ning Bao Gai～”
……
After entering the yard, Fu Jiaming took out the train tickets he had bought from his pocket and handed them to her. “I almost forgot the serious matter. Here, the tickets are bought. Tomorrow morning, Yan Bei and I will come to pick you up.”
“No need to pick up. Just meet at the bus station then.”
“Yan Bei applied for a vehicle. At that time, we’ll go directly to Star City by car.”
In that case, it’s more convenient and time-saving than taking the route bus. The most important thing is that the small car always has less odor than the bus, and there won’t be such severe motion sickness reactions.
Therefore Su Ning nodded in agreement and did not refuse their arrangements anymore.
“Right, by then I still need to bring one more person. Can they sit?”
“Who?”
Could it be that Luo Shuangshuang also wants to go to Shanghai City to play?
Fu Jiaming’s eyes suddenly lit up, and he didn’t even notice the inexplicable excitement in his heart: “That’s still short one ticket. Entrusting someone at this time, who knows if we can even buy one?”
“I have to bring Xiao Qiu along with me.”
“Hmm? Not Luo… cough, it’s Xiao Qiu, then no problem, such a small child doesn’t take up space and can sit, no need to buy a ticket either.”
Pretty good, hehehe, just pretty good.
Unable to say if it was disappointment or what, Fu Jiaming shook his head, “Then depart at seven tomorrow morning, is that okay?”
“No problem.”
“Alright, I still need to go back and pack some things to bring to the family. See you tomorrow morning.”
As she spoke, she walked straight toward the gate, coming in a hurry and leaving in a hurry.
Luo Shuangshuang gently touched her arm. “Why did this person suddenly lose her soul like that? Is she sick?”
“Mm, afraid he’s really quite sick.”
The word he uttered was heard clearly by Su Ning who was close by, though she hadn’t seen a pig run, she had eaten pork, so she felt that Fu Jiaming seemed to have some thoughts about the little silly girl.
It was just like a budding feeling that he himself hadn’t noticed yet.
“So many issues, his leg isn’t even healed yet and now he’s got some serious illness?”
Luo Shuangshuang spoke mercilessly, yet she kept glancing at his back, unable to resist muttering what was wrong with this person.
“Suddenly like an eggplant hit by frost, it’s really annoying to look at, um, right, it’s an eyesore!”
The corners of her mouth curved into a smile, and Su Ning, the clear-headed bystander, added that for such matters, it was best to let nature take its course.
If destined, people come together from thousands of miles away; if not, they won’t meet even face to face.
“Eh, Ning Bao Gai, I just noticed that your little dimple is so cute when you smile!”
Luo Shuangshuang, as if discovering a new continent, immediately tossed the annoying face from her mind and couldn’t resist reaching out a finger to poke the dimple at her mouth.
Su Ning slapped away her random touching hand and smoothly changed the topic, “Have you decided? I’m leaving tomorrow, if you don’t say now, the gift will be picked at my own kindness, don’t blame me if you don’t like it.”
“I really don’t know for the moment, how about Ning Bao Gai you choose, I trust your taste～”
After Luo Shuangshuang laughed ha ha ha, she playfully winked at her and coquettishly said in a dainty voice, “I’ll like whatever you give～”
“Hiss, speak properly!”
She rubbed the goosebumps rising on her arm and irritably pushed away the guy who was still trying to stick close.
The cheerful laughter from inside the room carried far, making Xiao Qiu in the courtyard involuntarily show a smile too, holding Little Round Circle and looking at the horizon, as if waiting for nightfall to be the first to see Mom turned into stars.
……
The next day, at the first crisp bird call, Su Ning opened her eyes.
She quietly put on her clothes, tucked in the thin blanket for Xiao Qiu who was still sleeping soundly, then slipped out the room door.
Taking this chance, she entered the space, the vegetables and fruits in the save people Peach Blossom Spring were ripening earlier than outside, probably ready to harvest in another two or three days.
The livestock like chickens, ducks, and geese had also gotten much fatter and rounder, should be ready for slaughter in ten days.
As usual, she finished the chores, recorded the time and their approximate growth, then Su Ning took some things needed later and exited the space.
This train ride wasn’t as far as from Beijing City to Xiangnan, but it would still take three and a half to nearly four days.
Especially with Xiao Qiu along, she needed to prepare more snacks and dry rations.
Thinking about it, she rolled up her sleeves and mixed a big half basin of flour, to make some steamed buns, steamed buns, flower rolls, and also fry some crispy little twists, small biscuits, and such.
She couldn’t make auntie’s spicy sauce, but she had learned her maternal grandfather’s mushroom sauce and spicy beef jerky, both great with rice or steamed buns.
Then boil a pot of tea eggs, and pack the preserved eggs and duck eggs cured last time in the space.
Meals wouldn’t keep well in the heat, in the steamer basket-like hot train they’d spoil in half a day.
“Right, add some weird flavor beans, five-spice peanuts.”
……
As the sky gradually brightened, the continuous aroma from the kitchen strongly woke Xiao Qiu still in her dreams, “So fragrant～”
After rubbing her eyes and fully waking up, she quickly put on her clothes and shoes, neatly folded the thin blanket and placed it at the foot of the bed, then ran out of the room da da da.
“Sister Ning Ning.”
“Xiao Qiu is awake? Wash your face and brush your teeth first before breakfast, need help?”
“I learned it yesterday, Qiu Qiu can do it herself!”
Xiao Qiu cutely waved her hand, turned to go to the washing area, and washed her face and brushed her teeth just as she had taught yesterday, looking proper.
By the time she finished washing and returned to the kitchen, Su Ning had packed everything up, leaving out breakfast for the two of them.
“This is mushroom filling vegetarian steamed bun, Xiao Qiu blow on it, be careful it’s hot.”
“Mm, good～”
“Such a good girl, finish this bowl of millet porridge besides the steamed bun.”
Afraid she’d get carsick and vomit, she didn’t fill much, just a small bowl of porridge, perfect with two vegetarian steamed buns.
While Xiao Qiu was eating, Su Ning turned to get the suitcase, inside were two sets of change of clothes, towel and washing supplies.
Just as she finished packing, there was a knock at the door, she glanced at the time, seven o’clock exactly.
