Read Novel Full Chapter 979: Friends
Chapter 979: Chapter 979: Friends
The two entered the house, and Tang Yiqing felt that the home was somehow different.
"Xiao Jing, thank you so much." Tang Yiqing said with genuine sincerity.
"The food must be cold, right? Heat it up in the pot."
Feeling a bit embarrassed from being thanked, Zhao Xiaojing hurriedly changed the topic.
The two had lunch; the cafeteria food was just average.
Tang Yiqing looked at the clean and tidy Zhao Xiaojing and suddenly felt like doing nothing more. He thought about letting her leave the day after tomorrow.
After lunch, "Xiao Jing, rest at home for a while, I’ll go out for a bit, maybe I can buy some meat, you wait, we’ll improve our meal a bit, sometimes you can’t even buy this meat in restaurants."
Zhao Xiaojing was used to being obedient and didn’t mind.
Tang Yiqing was out for more than an hour, and it was almost two o’clock when he came back, carrying two pounds of pork, a not very plump rabbit, and a chicken.
"Haha, Xiao Jing, you’re really lucky, you can’t buy these things even if you have money. Do you know how to stew meat?"
"Yes, I can stew meat."
"Alright, I’ll pluck the chicken feathers and skin the rabbit."
"Okay, can we stew them in one pot?"
"Sure, it would be more flavorful that way, otherwise the rabbit and chicken would have no taste."
It took them until four o’clock to finally get the meat stewing in the pot. The small room was filled with its aroma.
No need to make a fire, Zhao Xiaojing found the cornmeal and started steaming it, planning to stick the pancakes to the side of the pot once the meat was almost done.
It was not until seven in the evening that the two of them sat on the kang. On the table set with a large bowl of meat, another bowl of pancakes, and there were green onions, soy paste, and pickled vegetables.
Tang Yiqing looked at the table and laughed, "Days like these are the best.
How about we have a drink? This is the wine brewed by my dad, sorghum wine, not sweet potato wine."
Zhao Xiaojing could drink; in such a cold place, people often drank during winter, especially since the harvests were good these past few years, Xu Hongbing would brew wine, which she learned to do as well.
Thinking of Xu Hongbing brought back memories of their times together. Every evening back then, Xu Hongbing would have her drink, saying he liked how open she became after drinking.
In truth, he liked women outside who could cater to him, be open, right?
Tang Yiqing brought over the wine jar, noticing Zhao Xiaojing suddenly seemed downhearted.
"What’s wrong? Not drinking? If not, I’ll put it back."
"No, no, let’s drink."
"If you’re not feeling well, don’t drink, it’s uncomfortable."
"No, I want to drink, come, let me taste this sorghum wine, I can brew it too."
They each had a bowl. The food was really good, a bite of meat, a sip of wine, and Tang Yiqing gave the chicken leg to Zhao Xiaojing. She never received such treatment before; back when there was just one child, father and son each had one, when there were two children, each child had one. She never had a chicken leg.
After drinking, the mood improved considerably. Conversation became deeper and deeper.
"Xiao Jing, what’s wrong? Why do I feel like you suddenly seem unhappy, makes my heart ache."
Zhao Xiaojing finished the wine in her bowl, "My man doesn’t want the three of us anymore. He’s got a child with another woman."
Zhao Xiaojing felt much relieved after saying it out loud. Truly. So she decided to share all her unhappiness with this friend she had not known for long.
"My man is a bit clever; every year he secretly takes his grains, eggs, meat, and such to sell in the city.
This time it was my eldest son who came back from his holiday elsewhere and ran into him.
You tell me, what’s wrong with me? He actually told me to go earn money to spend on that woman. That woman even thought about sending my son to the police station, claiming he hit her."
Tang Yiqing poured another bowl of wine for Zhao Xiaojing, which she quickly drank empty. Tang Yiqing filled it again, "Xiao Jing, have some meat, this meat you stewed is really fragrant. Don’t just drink your wine or you’ll feel unwell later."
Zhao Xiaojing drank it empty again. She smiled, though it was a very bleak smile.
"Tell me what’s wrong with me, I’m devoted to him. If it wasn’t for my powerful family, I’d really be deceived by him.
Men are no good. They even say they don’t want women, don’t want kids in the future. But at the police station, knowing that woman was pregnant, he didn’t say no. That’s men for you."
Tang Yiqing gave her some meat and handed her another pancake. He didn’t know what to say. Wasn’t he just like that too? Even with a pretty, virtuous wife at home, he still thought women outside were better.
"Pour me some wine, eat meat, having talked to you, I feel a lot more relieved."
"Xiao Jing, you shouldn’t drink anymore, soon you’ll be too drunk." Starting to feel some pity for the woman.
Zhao Xiaojing saw Tang Yiqing not pour her more, immediately picked up the wine jar herself and started to pour.
But Tang Yiqing took it over, "Let me do it."
"Today you drink with me, we won’t stop until we’re drunk."
Zhao Xiaojing drank two more bowls, now quite tipsy.
"Tang Yiqing, tell me, why do I still think about that man? What’s wrong with me? My big sister and little sister all say I shouldn’t want that man anymore.
I know everything, but even when we were together, he always had second, third, more women.
Yet I can’t forget him. We’ve lived together nearly ten years, I keep thinking about it over and over again."
"It’s not worth it."
"Yes, I know it’s not worth it, I still have two sons. Because of my depression, my sons all dislike me.
Fine, I’ll definitely work hard, let both my sons go to college. Let others see, I, Zhao Xiaojing, can raise capable sons on my own."
"Right. Your idea is absolutely correct. That’s how it should be."
She was now unable to sit straight. But she still wanted to drink, Tang Yiqing took the wine jar away.
"Why not let me drink? Let me drink to the fullest, that man says he likes to see me drunk. Hmph, in the future, even if he wants to see, he won’t."
Tang Yiqing looked at the woman opposite him continuously speaking, feeling emotional. He was just like the man she talked about. It was the first time listening to a woman who had been hurt talk like this, wasn’t that how his wife was too?
"Xiao Jing, are you still eating? The meat has gone cold, I’ll go and heat it up?"
Zhao Xiaojing shook her head, "I’m not eating, I just want to drink."
"Alright, I’ll clean up. You lie down and sleep, you’ll feel better tomorrow. I’ll go sleep at the office."
Tang Yiqing took the table down. Looking at Zhao Xiaojing leaning on the kang, he sighed, and still went to cover her with the quilt. "Xiao Jing, get under the quilt."