The class leader chased me away after the meal. She didn’t even let me help her wash the dishes.
When I was wearing my shoes, the class leader had her arms crossed over her chest, and the index finger of her left hand impatiently tapped the inner side of her arm.
“Will you take the matter of helping Xiao Zhe improve his athletic performance seriously?”
“Of course, I won’t disregard anything I’ve promised.”
Because my phrasing was inappropriate, the class leader knitted her brows.
“And… how are you planning to solve the issue with Li CunZhuang?”
When she mentioned her own “admirer”, the class leader seemed a bit embarrassed, as if being yearned by others is something shameful.
“What else can I do?” I raised my right fist. “It’s most convenient to solve it with ‘this’!”
“Can you not fight?” the class leader asked anxiously, “I don’t want you to fight for m… my brother.”
“Well, let me see if I can take the peaceful route. You don’t have to worry.”
Although I said it, I still don’t think I can avoid a fight with Li ErLeng. Li ErLeng is stubborn like a mule. Can I even reason with him instead of fighting?
The next day, before sunrise, I heard someone knocking at the door.
“Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock, knock”
It sounded a bit eager, but it was not particularly rude.
I opened my drowsy eyes and glanced at the watch at my bedside.
Fuck, it’s only 6:10! Since my home was very close to school, even if I include the time it takes to run a few laps around DongShan Lake, I would have plenty of time even if I get up at 6:30! Who dares disturb my dream this early!
It is impossible to hope that Dad will open the door. He came home drunk again last night. When he came back, he read the love poems he wrote to mother in college while laughing and crying. Finally, I had to carry the drunken old man to bed. Around this time, he should be tortured by his hangover, even in sleep, he would have a headache.
I could only get up from the bed and quickly put on a t-shirt and basketball shorts. When I passed the dressing mirror in front of the bathroom door, I saw a few pieces of eye wax hanging under the corner of my eyes.
Although my hair was short, since I always turn during sleep, my hair was messy. This appearance was pretty shitty.
However, I don’t care, I also don’t think it’s disrespectful. Since you are disturbing people so early, you should be prepared to be shocked by a face without makeup.
I looked out through the peephole, but I couldn’t see clearly. It seems like it was blocked with something like gum. Which damn brat did this? If I catch him, I’ll tie him in front of the TV and force him to watch ‘Lan Mao Tao Qi San Qian Wen’ 10,000 times! (TN: The show is a cartoon for kids, but it’s supposed to be educational. An example of the episodes is something like ‘How was the Earth formed?’ or ‘Where does the wind come from?’)
“It’s so early, who is it?” I asked in a foul mood.
“Delivery.”
An unclear voice was transmitted through the door. It was as if the speaker was wearing a very thick mask, I couldn’t differentiate if it was a man or a woman.
The courier should be a man, right? Our family store has been open for so long, and we have never met a female courier. Since it’s the courier, I have to open the door and collect the goods, maybe it was a customer returning something and dad didn’t tell me cause he was drunk.
I scratched my belly and opened the door while I was half awake.
Once the door opened a sliver, Xiao Qin barged in.
“Ye Lin classmate, good morning o(n_n)o”
She might have came in hurriedly because she was afraid I might close the door. Leaving aside the fact that she almost got her school skirt caught on the door handle, her huge bag got stuck in the door, making her look like a caught turtle. She couldn’t do anything but wave around her limbs.
At this time, there were already people going to work or people coming home from a night shift. I didn’t want to let Xiao Qin lose face here, so I had to open the door and let her in.
“What are you doing at my house?” I asked.
“Because, because I never meet Ye Lin classmate if I wait for you. So, in order to be able to go to school together, I have to go to Ye Lin classmate’s lair!”
You’re the one who lives in a lair! Do you think I’m a dragon?! Is your bag for carrying my treasures?
“Don’t worry too much about the wording! I think that a creature as powerful as Ye Lin classmate, is only mighty if they live in a lair!”
Xiao Qin spoke while setting down her heavy bag. There seemed to be something else besides her textbooks.
“Ye Lin, have you had breakfast yet?”
What! Of course I didn’t have breakfast! I haven’t even woken up yet!
Xiao Qin smiled and took out an oversized thermos food container from her bag. The exterior was made of metal and was comparable in size to a small rice cooker.
Can you even fit your textbooks in your bag after putting that in it? Are you planning to go to school or go camping?
Xiao Qin placed the container on the round table in the living room. She reached to her forehead and wiped her inexistant sweat.
“It’s so tiring! Girls are not suited for carrying heavy loads. In the future, these tasks should be given to my childhood friend, Ye Lin classmate!”
“What is that?” I asked. “A bomb? Are you going to blow up 28 Middle?”
“It’s not a bomb! It’s breakfast! Breakfast!” Xiao Qin protested while pouting. “Because last night, I cooked with my mother. As a result, we made too much and there’s a lot of chicken leftover… So I might as well bring it over and see if Uncle Ye and Ye Lin classmate like it… that’s all (*^__^*) ”
I thought it was fast food like fried chicken, but when Xiao Qin unscrewed the lid of the thermos, I discovered that it contained a rather complicated dish: in addition to the strips of chicken, there was also bamboo shoots and sea cucumbers.
“What’s this dish?” I was a bit curious. The old man would only make me chicken stewed with mushrooms. Also, in the end, it would always be stewed until the chicken was as black as the mushrooms.
“Oh!” Xiao Qin suddenly exclaimed and hit her palm with her fist. “It’s such a hard to open container and I’m so small, how could I have opened it myself? It’s a miracle! Next time, these tasks should be given to Ye Lin classmate!”
Stop pretending! You think I wouldn’t know yet? You are like a female Tarzan! Let alone a thermos, even if it was the enemy’s neck, you would be able to twist it open!
“What’s the name of this dish?” I asked again.
“Well ~(╯_╰)b…” Xiao Qin racked her brains for a few seconds. “It seems to be called sea cucumber stewed bamboo chicken! That should be right!”
You are not even certain of the dish name, it’s definitely not something you made by yourself! I think Auntie Ren probably cooked the dish while you did some trivial tasks like cutting the garlic!
However, it smelled very fragrant, and the color was also very good (The chicken and bamboo shoots were both golden yellow), I wasn’t sure how it tasted.
The thermos was divided into two layers. After Xiao Qin put the sea cucumber stewed bamboo chicken on the table, the lower layer revealed the steaming hot white rice.
Other than the lack of tableware, there was nothing else missing. She really intended to fix our breakfast for me and my father! I felt a bit embarrassed.
But you can’t praise Xiao Qin too much, or she would lose herself to joy.
Thus, I tried to nitpick: “The dish is full of soup, shouldn’t it be placed on the lower layer to avoid spilling it, then put the rice on the upper layer?”
“Oh, I got it mixed up ~ being criticized by my childhood friend, Ye Lin classmate, is embarrassing?”
Xiao Qin stuck out her tongue while lightly tapping her head.
Can you stop emphasizing childhood friends? That’s all you say when you open your mouth, are you trying to brainwash me!
“Umm… Is uncle Ye still not up?” Xiao Qin asked shyly. “I brought enough for three, can we eat together?”
Xiao Qin didn’t need to mention that, I could see that the thermos was packed to the brim. Not only was it enough for three people, I don’t think even think 4 people can finish it? Xiao Qin, are you treating me and my dad as pigs?
“Do you want to eat at our table that badly?” I asked.
“Of course!” Xiao Qin replied without hesitation. “My dream is to have a meal with Ye Lin classmate on the same table! That we can eat together every day!”
What a terrible dream! Are you satisfied with only eating? Sure enough, you are just a glutton!
“Hmph, since you brought so much food over, I’ll allow you to eat at my house today!”
I was only going to eat instant noodles this morning, but I acted condescendingly.
“Thank you! It’s still my childhood friend, Ye Lin classmate, who treats me the best!”
Xiao Qin, the one who brought over delicious food, seemed like to be the one who was receiving a favor.
“But you don’t have to wait for my dad. He got drunk again last night. He won’t wake up even if the demolition team comes. Let’s eat at the table.”
After Xiao Qin heard, she was initially a bit disappointed, but then she was excited and both her eyes were glistening.
“I originally wanted to greet uncle Ye who I haven’t seen for many years… but to be able to enjoy morning alone with Ye Lin classmate is also an unexpected surprise.”
Just like the first day when she confessed to me under the tree, Xiao Qin blushed and pressed the tips of her index fingers together.
“Ye Lin classmate, can I use your family’s tableware?”
“Go for it, how would you eat if you don’t use it! Right, I have to wash up first, I haven’t even brushed my teeth yet! Help me scoop a bowl of rice by the way!”
“Scooping rice!?” Xiao Qin repeated my words in a trembling voice. “I can help Ye Lin classmate scoop rice in Ye Lin classmate’s home?”
“Why not?” I wondered. “It’s only scooping rice, why are you getting excited!”
“Yes, but this scene is a bit like, a newlywed husband and wife…”
Xiao Qin held her red face and couldn’t speak anymore.
I went into the bathroom to wash up while dragging my slippers and harboring feelings of contempt.