lcionline Chapter 71 Gathering
Chapter 71 Gathering
When Qin Yingxue arrived at the state-run restaurant, Song Yanchuan and the others had not yet arrived.
She chose a window seat and ordered the dishes available for the day: braised pork belly, stir-fried pork kidneys, stir-fried pork tripe with vinegar, steamed fish, and egg drop soup...
Just as they finished ordering, Song Yanchuan, Xu Guohua, Chen Jialiang, and another young man they had met at the black market pushed open the door and walked in.
Qin Yingxue quickly stood up and greeted her with a smile.
"Brothers and sisters..."
"sister in law……"
The person who called her "sister-in-law" was Xu Guohua. He was two years older than Song Yanchuan and was already married with a two-year-old daughter.
Of the three, Qin Yingxue was the most familiar with Chen Jialiang, while Li Shaohua had only met him today.
After the introductions, everyone took their seats.
"I didn't know if you guys could drink, so I didn't order anything. Yan Chuan, do you see if there's anything else you'd like to add?" Qin Yingxue handed the menu to Song Yan Chuan.
Song Yanchuan ordered two more dishes and a bottle of wine.
Seeing Qin Yingxue's surprised look, Xu Guohua smiled and explained, "Thanks to my sister-in-law, I'm off today and can drink some wine."
Because we arrived relatively early, there weren't many customers, and the dishes were served quickly.
After a few rounds of drinks, everyone started talking more.
"Yan Chuan, you won't be back until the New Year after returning to the army, right?" Xu Guohua lit a cigarette, his face slightly blurred by the smoke. The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat melancholic. Chen Jialiang, who had been enjoying his meal, put down his chopsticks and looked at Song Yan Chuan with obvious reluctance.
Even Li Shaohua kept his head down and remained silent.
Qin Yingxue was somewhat surprised.
What's going on?
Isn't it said that men should know how to restrain themselves and give outsiders a mature and stable impression?
Is it really okay for them to be so reluctant to part with their men in front of them?
"I have a few days of annual leave, and I'll bring Yingxue back to visit everyone. After I'm gone, I'll need everyone's help taking care of my mother..."
Song Yanchuan forced a smile and gave him some worried instructions.
“We’re all brothers, why are you being so formal?” Xu Guohua reached out and punched Song Yanchuan.
"That's right, Brother Chuan, you'd better drink a penalty shot." Chen Jialiang cheered from the side, filling the glass in front of Song Yanchuan.
“He should be punished with three cups of wine…” Li Shaohua echoed, shaking off his previous sadness.
The somewhat heavy atmosphere dissipated instantly.
Qin Yingxue smiled as she watched them laugh and urge each other to drink. In the end, everyone sat in their seats, slightly tipsy, laughing and panting.
After the meal, everyone waved goodbye.
Li Shaohua had to leave first, and Chen Jialiang followed him, arm in arm.
Xu Guohua remained silent, gazing into the distance, while Song Yanchuan and Qin Yingxue patiently stayed by his side.
"Sister-in-law, is Qian Xiaofeng your friend?" Xu Guohua's words made Qin Yingxue's heart sink.
She then smiled and nodded: "Yes, when I first came to the county, I accidentally saved his sister Qian Xiaolian. After that, I would visit them whenever I had time in the county."
Xu Guohua gave Qin Yingxue a deep look.
Qin Yingxue looked back at him with a calm expression.
Qian Xiaofeng was buying loach, eel, and mulberry in the countryside. Although he was just traveling around in the countryside, there were still many people and a lot of gossip. In addition, because of Jiang Linlin's case, Xu Guohua came to Qin Village and was bound to hear something.
Qin Yingxue was not afraid of him investigating Qian Xiaofeng, nor was she afraid of him suspecting her.
In an era that values evidence, they couldn't do anything to her.
"Then do you know who he's helping to buy loaches?" Xu Guohua asked.
"Yingxue, Guohua was just asking casually, it's nothing."
Just as Qin Yingxue was about to answer, Song Yanchuan spoke first.
Qin Yingxue glanced at Song Yanchuan.
His words contained a lot of information; Xu Guohua was simply asking a question, and it had nothing to do with the uniform he was wearing.
Qin Yingxue immediately understood: "I told my family that Qian Xiaofeng was my classmate because I was afraid they wouldn't believe me. But actually, I have no connection with him, so I have no idea who he's working for."
She still trusted Qian Xiaofeng's character; no matter what, he certainly wouldn't reveal her identity.
Whether Xu Guohua was simply curious or wanted to investigate something, that was none of her business.
Seeing Qin Yingxue's clear eyes and calm expression as she looked at him, Xu Guohua knew he wouldn't get any information out of her, so he could only sigh and say, "Your sister-in-law's family is struggling financially. I originally wanted to use my sister-in-law's connections to persuade Qian Xiaofeng to buy loaches from your sister-in-law's family..."
Qin Yingxue looked surprised: "Brother Xu, you can just go find Qian Xiaofeng directly!"
"I've looked for him, but that kid runs away as soon as he sees me. I guess he's unwilling or afraid to go." Xu Guohua looked troubled.
"Then there's nothing I can do." Qin Yingxue shrugged helplessly. "He probably doesn't collect loaches anymore."
She could understand Qian Xiaofeng's concerns. After all, Xu Guohua's status was what it was. He could be ignored when needed, but if the situation became tense one day, it wasn't impossible that he would be the first one to be targeted.
It was Qian Xiaofeng's caution and prudence in his past life that allowed him to reach the later stages of his life.
"Maybe!" Xu Guohua mumbled in response, then said goodbye to the two men.
Watching his departing figure, Song Yanchuan frowned slightly and fell silent.
"Are you a little sad that you didn't get Qian Xiaofeng's help?" Qin Yingxue asked.
“No, I just lament how cruel fate can be.” Song Yanchuan sighed deeply. “Guohua and I met in the army. Because we were from the same hometown, we took care of each other and felt a deep connection. Guohua went to the army because he was starving as a child. Just when he was starting to make a name for himself, his family arranged a wife for him. After he got married, his wife kept crying and nagging him, forcing him to transfer to civilian work. He had a respectable job at the county police station, but every month his wife took all his salary to support her family…”
"Brother Xu doesn't seem like someone who can be easily manipulated. Since he's in the army, he could easily refuse this marriage proposal!" Qin Yingxue exclaimed in shock.
"By the time he found out, his mother and his new sister-in-law had already arrived at the military base. When they wouldn't let him in, his aunt lay on the ground, wailing and throwing a tantrum. His sister-in-law, being gentle, just cried and wailed. It had a very negative impact on Guohua. Guohua had thought it over carefully before deciding to leave the military; he originally wanted to cut ties with his family, but he hadn't expected to be tricked. In the end, he had no choice but to marry his sister-in-law. They had to endure hardship, and now they both have a child. Even for the sake of the child, Guohua could only endure it..."
Qin Yingxue was speechless.
Xu Guohua gives the impression of being a caring older brother, handsome and steady, yet he has such a bizarre family and experiences. To put it bluntly, his cowardly personality led to his unfortunate life.
Otherwise, he wouldn't be asking me today if he wanted to help his wife's family avoid falling back into poverty!
It all comes down to what kind of pot and lid you should use!
Qin Yingxue looked up and saw Song Yanchuan staring intently at her; "That's why, the moment I saw you, I knew I was smitten and couldn't wait to marry you."