Chapter 1506: Helping Again

"I don't know. Mom just said she was going out to buy some vegetables, but she didn't say when she'd be back." Nini said.

"What? You didn't know? Your sister-in-law went out to the vegetable market specifically because you were coming today. The market is a bit of a distance from here, so it might take a while." Zhao Da stared at Zhao Desan with wide, suspicious eyes, as if his wife and Zhao Desan had already done everything there was to do.

Zhao Da's casualness dispelled the concerns in Zhao Desan's heart. He had been worried about whether it would be awkward to see him, but now he had completely let go of his worries and acted as if nothing had happened. "Oh, right, right, right. Look at me, if you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten that you, Zhao Ge, invited me over for dinner. Look, I even specifically bought a bottle of liquor." Zhao Desan said, picking up the liquor box and shaking it.

"Leader, look at you, being so thoughtful. We have liquor at home, though it's not anything good." Zhao Da called him 'Leader' every other word, suddenly acting like a completely different person.

"Zhao Ge, look at you, being too polite. Calling me 'Leader' every other word makes me feel embarrassed." Zhao Desan said with a smile.

"The fact is, you are the leader." Zhao Da said with a smirk, then whispered to Zhao Desan: "How does your sister-in-law feel?" This double entendre could be interpreted in two ways: the first meaning was 'What is your sister-in-law's character like?', and the second meaning was 'How is your sister-in-law in bed?'

Zhao Desan was a smart man and could naturally hear what he wanted to express, but he deliberately interpreted it in the first sense. He smiled calmly and said: "Sister-in-law is a very good person. She can handle the parlor and the kitchen. Zhao Ge, aren't you enjoying a blessed life?"

"Brother, are you still putting on an act in front of your brother? That's not what I meant." Zhao Da explained with a sneaky expression, then leaned in closer and whispered: "Brother is asking you, how did it feel when you took your sister-in-law out that night? What do you think of your sister-in-law?"

Zhao Da's blunt question really made Zhao Desan feel a bit embarrassed. He laughed extremely awkwardly and immediately changed the subject, asking Nini, who was to the side: "Are you hungry?"

Nini answered honestly: "Hungry!"

Zhao Desan looked at Nini's sparkling, watery eyes and felt the child was very pitiful, so he said sympathetically: "Then how about Uncle peels a banana for you to eat first?"

"No, Dad said to wait for Mom to buy vegetables and come back to make something delicious. I want to wait to eat the good food; I'll save the banana for last." Nini said, blinking her two big eyes.

A child's words always touch the heart. Suddenly, Zhao Desan felt particularly heartbroken. In that moment, he made up his mind that no matter what, he was bound to this family. If not for Zhao Da, if not for Zheng Jie, he would do it for this obedient and sensible little girl.

Zhao Da seemed to be able to tell that Zhao Desan was avoiding his question. The reason Zhao Da asked about such private matters was, on one hand, out of human curiosity and the comparative mentality he had toward other men after losing his own male instincts. On the other hand, he wanted to know if Zhao Desan had actually slept with Zheng Jie, because after Zheng Jie returned that morning, she seemed very happy, but whenever he asked anything, she would brush it off. What he wanted to know most now was whether Zhao Desan had slept with Zheng Jie. If he had, it meant he had to find a way to get Zheng Jie a job at the Construction Committee. Once Zheng Jie had such an iron rice bowl with a good income and an easy job, even if he couldn't be helped, at least Nini wouldn't be so pitiful.

Therefore, Zhao Da no longer pestered him with this question in front of his daughter. Watching Zhao Desan playing with his daughter, Zhao Da didn't speak during this time. He looked at Zhao Desan with grateful eyes, hot tears swirling in his eye sockets. After Zhao Desan peeled a banana for Nini, he turned to Zhao Da and asked: "Zhao Ge, didn't you want to have a couple of drinks? Why don't the two of us have a few drinks with the peanuts first?"

"But your sister-in-law hasn't come back from buying vegetables yet. Look, I invited you to my home for dinner tonight, how can we just drink like this?" Zhao Da said somewhat awkwardly, while thinking to himself, 'Why is Zheng Jie taking so long to buy vegetables? Seriously!'

"It's fine, I bought some liquor-soaked peanuts and pickled chicken feet; that's enough for us brothers to have as snacks." Zhao Desan said with a smile while taking the snacks he had brought out of the bag.

Zhao Da rarely drank alone. Ever since he came out of the hospital, he had always wanted to find someone to have a good drink with. The bitterness in his heart was truly indescribable. Seeing Zhao Desan suggest this, he immediately nodded and said: "Let's have a good drink tonight, the two of us brothers."

Just as Zhao Desan opened the packaging of the bottle, the living room door opened. Zheng Jie appeared at the doorway carrying a bag of various vegetables. The three of them looked at each other, and Zhao Desan was the first to break the silence with a smile, greeting Zheng Jie: "Sister-in-law, you're back."

Zheng Jie glanced at Zhao Desan. After their eyes met, a burning sensation immediately spread across her cheeks. Her expression changed subtly, and she said with a faint smile at the corner of her mouth: "Mm." She looked at their setup and then added: "Are you two preparing to drink?"

"Yes, Comrade Xiao Zhao insisted on having a couple of drinks with me now." Zhao Da explained.

"Don't drink now. Wait until I make the dishes, then you can eat and drink as you please." For some reason, Zheng Jie didn't look very happy. After saying this, she took the vegetables and went straight to the kitchen.

Zhao Desan felt particularly awkward at this moment, looking a bit restless. Zhao Da saw this and knew that now that his wife Zheng Jie was back, there were some things the two men couldn't say in front of her. So, acting as if nothing was wrong, he said to Zhao Desan: "Brother, can you push me out for a stroll? Your sister-in-law is busy all day and doesn't have time to push me out. Since you pushed me out last time, I haven't been out at all."

Zhao Desan didn't say a word. He pushed the old, worn-out wheelchair from the corner of the living room, picked Zhao Da up, and placed him in it. Then, he took a blanket and covered him up. He said to Nini: "Nini, Uncle is going out for a walk with your dad. Mom is in the kitchen cooking, so you be a good girl, okay?"

Nini nodded sensibly and said: "Uncle, I know, I will be obedient."

As soon as Zhao Desan pushed Zhao Da to the living room door and opened it, Zheng Jie noticed the movement. She turned around and asked in surprise: "What are you doing?"

Before Zhao Desan could answer, Zhao Da rushed to say: "Nothing, you go ahead and cook. Comrade Xiao Zhao is pushing me out for a walk."

"Oh..." Zheng Jie seemed relieved and then instructed: "Dinner will be ready in half an hour, don't go too far."

Zhao Desan and Zhao Da said in unison: "We know."

Pushing the wheelchair through the narrow hallway, Zhao Desan couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion. How could things have developed to this point, making him feel extremely awkward when facing Zheng Jie and Zhao Da?

"Comrade Xiao Zhao, why are you silent?" At this moment, Zhao Da broke the silence.

"Oh, I was thinking..." Zhao Desan tugged at the blanket and continued: "I was thinking about Sister-in-law's situation."

This was exactly what Zhao Da had been wanting to ask but hadn't. Hearing his words, Zhao Da looked back at Zhao Desan. He didn't ask the question directly but instead brought the topic back to what he had asked at home. With a lewd, sneaky smile on his face, he asked: "Did you and your sister-in-law actually do it that night?"

Zhao Desan had never expected that Zhao Da, who in his impression was gentle and not good with words, would speak so bluntly now. The word 'do it' sounded particularly awkward to him, and he didn't know how to answer.

Seeing Zhao Desan hesitating, Zhao Da said bluntly: "A real man, if you did it, you did it; if you didn't, you didn't. What's the big deal?"

Damn it, you don't even care about your own wife, why should I be afraid of anything! So, Zhao Desan mustered his courage and said with a smirk: "I won't lie to you, Zhao Ge, I did... do it." The reason Zhao Desan didn't deny it was because he felt that since Zhao Da could ask him, Zheng Jie must have already told him. Besides, who would believe that his wife hadn't 'done it' after being taken away by him for an entire night?

"How did it feel?" Zhao Da didn't know why he was suddenly getting to the bottom of this question, leaving Zhao Desan staring at him blankly. Even someone as thick-skinned as him was left feeling extremely awkward by this 'wilted cucumber' Zhao Da. ===== CHAPTER 1507 =====