Chapter 227: Spending the night out with Sister Xue

Gong Ying and Zhu Lin. Zhu Lin had long known of Gong Ying's existence and had always been wary of this woman from the Magic City who was one year her junior.

Yet Gong Ying knew nothing of Zhu Lin. In her heart, there were only two major worries regarding her relationship with Wei Ming: the first was their age gap, and the second was Melinda.

Faced with these two great mountains, the difference between North and South was not a problem at all. If she were truly determined to be with him, she was willing to be the one to make the sacrifices.

The pregnant woman operating a sewing machine at the entrance of Oriental Dongfang Dongfang Xintiandi was named Lan Qin. Both she and her husband were educated youth, and since her husband had yet to find work, she had to come out to work to support the family. At this moment, she was packing up her things to head home; Manager Mei allowed her to keep her belongings in the shop.

Seeing a customer standing at the entrance looking hesitant, she immediately recommended: "Comrade, come in and take a look. Our Oriental Dongfang Dongfang Xintiandi is the most popular clothing store in all of Yanjing; it can be called a landmark of Yanjing!"

Lan Qin already viewed herself as a member of Dongfang Dongfang Xintiandi.

Gong Ying nodded. Just as she stepped inside, Lan Qin let out an "Eh," then ran a bit further away to stare at the poster on the left. It looked like the same person.

There were still a few customers in the shop, two sales assistants were serving them, and there was also a young girl sitting at the counter recording something.

Gong Ying had expected to see Wei Ming upon entering, but she did not find the person she was looking for. Just as she was hesitating whether to ask the shop assistants, an exclamation came from behind her.

"Are you Comrade Gong Ying?" asked Huang Ying, who had just been bookkeeping.

Gong Ying could be considered famous before having many works to her name. Because she was the cover girl for *Popular Cinema* and the female lead in *The Herdsman*, she already had some name recognition.

Of course, the reason Huang Ying could recognize her now was mainly because of the poster that could be seen outside the door every day.

Gong Ying nodded, as gentle as the waters of the Jiangnan region.

"I came here to take a look. Is Comrade Wei Ming not here?"

Huang Ying knew that Wei Ming was also one of their bosses. Although she wasn't clear on the specific shareholding, Boss Wei's words carried a lot of weight.

She said, "Our Manager Mei took Writer Wei's two younger sisters out to eat. They should be eating with Writer Wei."

"Do you know where they went to eat?" Gong Ying was unwilling to miss seeing Wei Ming today. The two had been separated for nearly a month just after confirming their relationship; she missed him so much it felt like a hundred claws were scratching at her heart—it was maddening.

"It seems they said they were going home to eat," Huang Ying thought for a moment and said.

After thanking her, Gong Ying left. She was truly in a rush to see her lover and could only browse this novel self-service clothing store carefully another day.

Once she left, the two sales assistants who had finished serving other customers immediately gathered around to whisper.

"Store Manager Huang, who was that?"

Huang Ying said embarrassedly, "What Store Manager Huang? I'm just helping the manager keep the books. He'll be back in a while."

The other person said, "Don't change the subject. That person was so beautiful, just like the beauty in our poster."

Huang Ying said, "That is her. Gong Ying from the poster on the left, the actress who is even better looking than Zhang Yu."

"Wow, it really is her!"

"She was also scouted by our Writer Wei, right?"

"Who do you think is prettier, Gong Ying or Zhu Lin?"

Facing the chattering colleagues, Huang Ying said helplessly, "Who is prettier isn't something we should be concerned about. I'm just concerned about whether there will be a bonus when salaries are paid next month."

Speaking of bonuses linked to sales, the few sales assistants became enthusiastic again.

At this time, the scent of meat wafted through the courtyard in Beichizi. Xi Zi, who had just been attempting to climb the ginkgo tree, was happily eating skewers.

Lele was eating elegantly, taking small bites, and she didn't want any spice; Teacher Gu had said to protect her throat.

Wei Pingan praised, "I didn't expect you to have this skill, Xiao Ming. Not bad, not bad. It reminds me of when I was a child roasting cicadas with your dad to eat."

Listening to the sound of cicadas in his ears, Wei Ming said happily, "Uncle, you reminded me. I was just saying that this summer I felt something was missing. I won't sleep tonight; I'll go to Fangshan to catch some cicadas to stir-fry."

Wei Pingan pointed at Wei Ming and laughed bitterly. This kid, he was truly Wei Jiefang's son—fond of eating and playing, it was all inherited.

Lu Xiaoyan also praised, "Xiao Ming, this barbecue seasoning you made is really good. I think even if you didn't open a clothing store, you could make a fortune opening a restaurant."

Mei Wenhua, who was helping on the side, thought to himself: That's because you, Editor Lu, don't know how much money our clothing store makes!

A single piece of our clothing can equal the revenue of a whole table of dishes at a big restaurant, but a table requires a lot of labor, a lot of materials, occupies a large space, and takes more time. Yet the profit isn't necessarily as high as one of our garments, so how could a mere restaurant compare to us?

The current Mei Wenhua didn't even look down on Quanjude or Donglaishun.

Wei Ming roasted a few more chicken wings and called out Xiao Hong and Yun Yun, who were touring the new home.

Xiao Hong sighed with emotion, "This new home is too big. I feel like if Mom came, she could raise chickens and pigs here!"

Wei Ming: "Absolutely not. I left a patch of land for Mom that isn't paved with bricks; we can grow some vegetables there, but we won't be doing any animal husbandry."

Xiao Hong sighed, "What a pity. Such a big courtyard, I always feel empty if we don't raise something."

Mei Wenhua suggested, "Actually, you could raise a dog. It could watch the gate, since you don't live here often."

Hearing this, Xi Zi hurriedly suggested, "Brother Ming, you should raise a Black Cat Detective! Then I'll fish for it to eat every day!"

After watching *Black Cat Detective*, he had always wanted to raise a cat, but his mom wouldn't allow it. Raising a cat in such a small house would be even more chaotic, so he could only count on his Brother Ming.

Wei Ming actually quite liked small animals, whether for eating or raising.

He gnawed on a chicken wing and said, "It's true, I could raise a cat or a dog. As for a dog, I'll wait until my dad has time and let him help me pick one. He's an expert in this regard."

Hearing that Wei Ming was truly interested, Wei Pingan revealed a piece of news to him.

"Meier at Old Feng's house is pregnant!"

"Ah!" Wei Ming was stunned. The old man had guarded it so strictly, yet the yellow-haired one still managed to take advantage of the situation?

Seeing Wei Ming's surprised expression, Xiao Hong's eyes widened: "What's wrong? An unplanned pregnancy?"

Wei Ming, Wei Pingan, and Lu Xiaoyan burst into wild laughter after hearing this.

Wei Ming said, "Meier isn't a person; she's a very beautiful lion cat."

Wei Hong felt ashamed. She asked again, "Then who is Old Feng?"

Wei Ming: "The philosopher Mr. Feng Youlan, who lives in Yannan Garden at Peking University."

"Ah!" This time it was Wei Hong's turn to be surprised. As a high school graduate with decent reading habits, she naturally knew Feng Youlan. "Brother, you even know Old Feng?"

Wei Ming: "Yeah, his Meier got stuck in a tree and couldn't get down, and I was the one who saved her."

Wei Pingan said, "Based on this relationship, you should have no problem asking him for a kitten."

Wei Ming nodded: "Should be no problem. Alright then, I'll chat with the old gentleman when I go to work tomorrow, and comfort him while I'm at it."

Wei Ming laughed as he spoke. He could almost imagine Old Feng's expression when he learned the news. Moreover, he was getting on in years and had limited energy; he estimated the old man would keep at most one kitten from the litter, and the rest would be given away.

Uncle Pingan asked again, "Then when do you plan to go back to your hometown with Xiao Hong?"

Wei Ming: "The day after tomorrow, the 31st. I'll buy the tickets tomorrow."

Uncle Pingan said, "Then I'll let the library know. Once you return from this trip, you'll transfer to the library. I can even give you a long vacation in between."

About to leave his previous post, Wei Ming felt a bit reluctant, but in every respect, the library was more suitable for him now, and it would be convenient for finding books and checking materials.

In the end, he had arrived at this special post.

"Alright, thank you, Uncle, for always worrying about these things for me." There was no alcohol today, but there was Beibingyang soda. Wei Ming clinked glasses with Uncle Pingan.

Mei Wenhua had eaten his fill and still had to summarize the accounts and check the inventory, so he left first. Xiao Hong and Yun Yun were left for Wei Ming to take back.

Another half hour passed. Xi Zi, with his belly round from eating, had finished his post-meal walk by running around the courtyard, so Uncle Pingan and his wife also prepared to leave with the child.

Wei Ming also extinguished the charcoal fire and prepared to lock the door and go home. Xiao Hong and Yun Yun had spent a very happy evening and talked non-stop along the way.

Xiao Hong: "Brother, I've only been here for half a month, but I feel like I've gained quite a bit of weight."

Yun Yun: "Me too."

Wei Ming: "You two were on the thin side to begin with; it's good to gain some meat."

Especially Xiao Hong, who was already 14 and still hadn't started her period. Wei Ming was afraid it was because of malnutrition from living through too many bitter days before.

As they rode their bikes near the residential area, Wei Ming vaguely noticed a familiar figure by the side of the road.

However, he didn't stop. Instead, he took his two younger sisters to the door of their home first, then said, "I suddenly remembered I left something at the courtyard. I'll go get it. You two go home, wash up, and sleep first. It's best to take a bath."

"Brother, aren't we going to catch cicadas anymore?"

Wei Ming: "Let's change the date. Summer isn't over yet; there will be plenty of opportunities."

Wei Ming immediately turned around and left, but he didn't see Sister Xue, only a bus that had just departed.

Wei Ming hurriedly chased after the bus. When it reached the next stop, the bus pulled away, leaving behind the figure of a thin girl carrying a bag, with a smile on the corners of her mouth.

Wei Ming breathed a sigh of relief: "I knew I hadn't seen wrong."

Perhaps the darkness gave Gong Ying courage; she threw herself directly into Wei Ming's arms: "I thought I wouldn't be able to see you today."

Wei Ming hurriedly pulled her tightly into his arms, gently stroking her hair: "Why didn't you say anything in advance when you came back?"

"I wrote a letter, but I arrived faster than the letter."

Wei Ming: "Did you go back to your unit?"

"Yeah, I dropped off my luggage before coming to find you. I called home and no one answered, so I went to Dongfang Dongfang Xintiandi, and you weren't there either."

Having been on the train for so long and running so far to find him, Sister Xue had dark circles under her eyes. Wei Ming felt a pang of heartache, so he was a bit reluctant to just send her back to the dormitory like this.

"Sister Xue, do you know about cicadas?"

Gong Ying shook her head.

Wei Ming: "They are the larvae of cicadas. They don't have wings and can only crawl. They taste very delicious when deep-fried."

Gong Ying's eyes widened. It was indeed the first time she had heard of this.

Wei Ming asked: "That thing can only be caught at night, and they are most abundant in June and July. Are you interested?"

Gong Ying nodded. She hadn't been interested at first, but with Ma Xiaowei, she was interested, and she didn't even feel sleepy anymore.

Gong Ying got on the bike, hugging Wei Ming's waist, and the motorcycle roared off into the distance. They certainly couldn't go to Fangshan; it was too far. Wei Ming remembered there was a poplar forest on the way from here to Peking University, and he planned to try his luck there. Besides, he had a flashlight and a woven bag on his bike.

On the way, Gong Ying told Wei Ming: "There's something in my bag that A-Long asked me to bring for you."

"Is it the illustrations for the fourth issue of *Black Cat Detective*?"

"That's right. After I got them, I brought them home and my nephew discovered them. You don't mind, do you?"

"What's there to mind? A-Long has backup drafts for the fourth issue; he can let his nephew look at those too," Wei Ming said nonchalantly.

Gong Ying laughed: "Then A-Ying will just have to ask A-Long for them. They are already very familiar with each other now."

"Oh?"

Gong Ying laughed: "They even watched a movie together before."

"Huo!"

Gong Ying: "But it was just a chance encounter at the cinema, so they watched it together."

"Hi."

!

Wei Ming went from surprise to anticipation, and finally to disappointment. A-Long was a late bloomer and was currently focused entirely on his career.

They arrived at the place. The sound of cicadas could be clearly heard; it was a good spot. The two parked the bike, walked hand-in-hand into the poplar forest, and turned on the flashlight.

Gong Ying, doing this for the first time, felt it was very exciting, comparable to having an affair.

"Wu~"

Just as she thought of this, Wei Ming hugged her and started kissing her, and the flashlight was turned off.

Gong Ying took the opportunity while catching her breath to ask him: "Aren't we here to catch cicadas?"

"They aren't going anywhere, no rush~" Wei Ming said, kissing her again.

And then ten-plus minutes passed.

Only then did Wei Ming start catching insects.

However, Gong Ying was filled with joy. This wasn't like the streets of the Magic City where she had to worry about being seen; just now, both of them had been very immersed.

They were in luck. This was a small forest that hadn't been developed much. On a single tree, Wei Ming discovered one cicada and two cicada skins.

However, it was always Wei Ming picking the cicadas off the trunks, while Gong Ying was responsible for helping him look. Girls were more afraid of insects, but this kind was fine; the long, crawling kind were the truly terrifying ones.

Wei Ming explained to Gong Ying with a smile: "These cicada skins have another name called 'cicada slough,' which is a traditional Chinese medicine. It has the effects of dispersing wind-heat, improving eyesight, and stopping itching. When I was a child, my dad often took me and Xiao Hong into the small woods. We'd roast the cicadas to eat, and the cicada sloughs could be sold for money. Our place was relatively close to the medicine capital Anguo, and there were people buying them."

Gong Ying laughed: "Listening to you talk about these, rural life doesn't seem so bad."

Wei Ming shook his head: "This counts as one of the few bright spots in a life of poverty. Most of the time, we had to worry about having enough to eat."

Take cicadas, for example. Roasting them actually doesn't taste that great, but because there was so little oil at home, we had to make do. This thing only becomes fragrant after being deep-fried.

As Wei Ming thought about it, his mouth began to water again. Perhaps this was the reason he was a bit gluttonous; it counted as a form of compensation for his childhood. This included women as well. He only experienced the beauty of sex in his thirties, so the second half of his life became a bit uncontrollable.

The two caught cicadas while exchanging their experiences during this period. After Wei Ming spoke about the popularity of Oriental Dongfang Dongfang Xintiandi, he added: "You returned just in time, otherwise I would have had to go back to my hometown the day after tomorrow."

"Ah?"

Wei Ming: "The college entrance exam scores are about to be released. Xiao Hong and I are going home to wait for the results, and then I have to bring my mother and grandmother to Yanjing to live."

Thinking about being separated from Wei Ming again, Gong Ying felt a myriad of reluctance in her heart and couldn't help but grab one of his hands.

By this time, Wei Ming had already caught a large bag of cicadas, enough not only for himself to eat but also to share some with Uncle Pingan.

This thing was truly abundant now. Twenty or thirty years later, when Wei Ming returned to his hometown to experience the childhood fun of his youth, he would only catch a single-digit number of cicadas in a whole night.

"Let's call it a day." Wei Ming glanced at the luminous watch on his wrist.

"Oh my, will it be too late to send you back to the dormitory at this hour?" he asked.

Gong Ying stared at that luminous watch: "What other choice is there? There's nowhere else to go."

She had been thinking about touring the Overseas Chinese Apartments again, and there was also Qi Baishi's insect and grass painting, and she also had a gift for him. Unfortunately, two little sisters were living at home.

Wei Ming laughed: "I'll take you to a place. Let's go."

Overseas Chinese Apartments.

Yun Yun had just come out after taking a bath and saw Xiao Hong, who was wearing pajamas, reading a book.

Seeing her cousin come out, Wei Hong couldn't help but mutter: "Why hasn't Brother come back yet? I still have questions to ask him."

"What questions?"

"Questions about finance." Xiao Hong shook the book in her hand. This was something Wei Ming had borrowed for her from the Peking University library, which also let Xiao Hong know about finance for the first time.

According to the descriptions in the book, it felt like this thing was even more profitable than opening a clothing store.

Influenced by her brother, Xiao Hong had also become a little money-grubber and didn't feel that talking about money was shameful like some young people today.

Hearing the unfamiliar term "finance," Yun Yun expressed her helplessness. As expected of a university student, the things they studied were truly profound; she only knew about Kong Rong.

"Ah!" Yun Yun was combing her hair when she suddenly let out a cry.

"What's wrong? Is there a rat in the house?"

Xu Yunyun pointed at the sofa where Wei Hong was sitting and said: "Xiao Hong, you, you're bleeding!"

Wei Hong looked down and almost fainted from fright: "Sister Yun Yun, am, am I going to die!"

Xu Yunyun giggled: "What die or not die? You've become a big girl now."

Fortunately, there was someone experienced in the house. Xu Yunyun explained to Wei Hong what was going on and even gave her own sanitary napkin for Xiao Hong to use. This was something Brother Xiao Ming had bought for her a while ago; it was much better than the menstrual cloths she used back in her hometown.

Wei Hong was completely unfamiliar with this kind of thing; the school had never taught it, and her mother had never mentioned it. Compared to A-Min from Hong Kong, who had experienced this for the first time, she was as innocent as a fool. It was Sister Yun Yun who helped her "install" it.

Xiao Hong began to feel fortunate and said with a blushing face: "It's a good thing Brother didn't come back, otherwise it would have been so embarrassing."

Xu Yunyun wiped the sofa and said: "I suspect Big Brother might be staying at the courtyard."

Xiao Hong nodded: "That should be it."

Reopening the door to the courtyard, Wei Ming invited: "Welcome."

Gong Ying was bewildered.

Wei Ming placed a wooden board on the threshold and pushed the motorcycle inside: "Come in, this is my home."

"You bought another home?" Gong Ying said incredulously. As a little citizen of the Magic City, looking at this large courtyard and the houses all around, she felt shocked.

Wei Ming sighed: "Xiao Hong and Yun Yun will probably be living at the Overseas Chinese Apartments long-term. You and I need to have a place to meet and whisper some secrets."

As he spoke, Wei Ming bolted the door.

Gong Ying's heartbeat quickened a few beats. Ma Xiaowei's words were too wealthy and overbearing.

Originally, she should have gone back to the dormitory to stay, but it was too late now, and then she had muddled along with Wei Ming back to his home.

This, would this be inappropriate?

Wei Ming sealed the bag containing the cicadas and hung it outside the door, then opened the only renovated master bedroom. The bed and bedding here were newly bought, and the other furniture was selected second-hand antique furniture.

Gong Ying stepped inside: "This is my first time entering a courtyard. Did we pass by the Forbidden City when we just came over?"

Wei Ming laughed: "You can see the corner tower of the Forbidden City from the roof. I plan to do a major renovation later and build a terrace; the view should be quite good."

Regarding the whole tinkering with this courtyard, Wei Ming already had some preliminary ideas.

Gong Ying looked at the brand-new quilt and pillows on the bed, and they were red, too. She lowered her head shyly; this seemed to have been premeditated for a long time.

"Are there any other rooms here?" Her voice was very, very low.

Wei Ming heard it and replied: "There are, but this is the only room with a bed."

Gong Ying: "Then I, how are we going to sleep?"

Wei Ming gently hugged her, lightly touching her forehead and ears: "What, are you afraid I'll eat you tonight?"

Sister Xue's hands pressed against Wei Ming's chest in a panic: "Then you be good tonight. We'll just sleep simply. I sat in a hard seat and haven't closed my eyes for over twenty hours."

These words perfectly hit Wei Ming's soft spot. He had indeed wanted to do something bad, but at this moment, he couldn't bear to.

"Alright, we'll just sleep simply. I'll go get some hot water to soak our feet."

Gong Ying sat on Wei Ming's new bed, yawning, and couldn't help but smile as she touched the bedsheets. She was starting to like it here.

There was a gas tank in the house. Wei Ming boiled water, filled two thermoses, and carried a basin into the room, only to find that Sister Xue had already fallen asleep. Her calves were dangling off the bed, and her little mouth was slightly open. It wasn't an act.

A girl traveling alone on a train probably wouldn't dare to sleep. After arriving in Yanjing, she came to find him and accompanied him into the small woods; she must have been exhausted.

So Wei Ming didn't wash his feet either. He took off Sister Xue's shoes, straightened her out on the bed, covered her with the quilt, and then climbed onto the bed himself with light steps. There was still some distance between the two of them.

She was asleep, which was hard on Ma Xiaowei and Little Ma Xiaowei.

The next day, when Wei Ming woke up, he and Gong Ying were already hugging each other, face-to-face, and his leg was draped over her.

Wei Ming's own hair wasn't long enough, so he used Sister Xue's hair to tease her.

Sister Xue finally woke up and noticed something unusual. Wei Ming was clearly wearing shorts, but the shorts seemed unable to hide it anymore.

"Ma Xiaowei, are you holding back and feeling very uncomfortable?"

Wei Ming was surprised: "Sister, you even understand these things."

Gong Ying: "We also read the handwritten *Heart of a Young Girl* when we were sent down to the countryside."

He hadn't expected Sister Xue's reading volume to be so rich.

Wei Ming grabbed her hand and reached down: "Sister, would you mind lending me a hand~"

(12,000 words completed. Old Buddha finally didn't go soft today!)

(End of chapter)