Chapter 26.1
Editor: Jodi
Xu Ling’s pot of spare ribs soup was ultimately divided into four portions.
One portion was authentic spare ribs soup, while the other three were clear broth with less meat.
“Delicious.” Lu Peng said, holding his bowl, “It’s refreshing and has enhanced my state.”
“Delicious.” Li Haoyue said, biting his chopsticks, “I feel like my math skills have improved a lot.”
Ning Sheng: “……”
Ning Sheng: “This is a soup pot, not an alchemy furnace.”
“Ning Ning, how is it?” The little devil king looked at him expectantly, “Is it good?”
Ning Sheng took a small bite of spare rib. It was so tender and fresh.
Ning Sheng: “I can barely stomach it.” He swallowed a whole piece.
“Then there’s no need to force it.” Xu Ling told him, taking the bowl away and lowering his head for a sip, “I’m still hungry.”
Ning Sheng: “Put it down!”
It was so delicious. The little devil king unexpectedly even knew how to do this. He wasn’t raising him in vain.
“Ning Sheng, drink more, you’ll definitely grow taller.” Li Haoyue said after finishing a bowl, slightly tipsy.
Ning Sheng: “?”
Xu Ling raised his hand and stuffed a steamed bun into the math nerd’s mouth.
“He didn’t say anything, you heard wrong.” Xu Ling said.
“Did he open his mouth? I didn’t see.” Lu Peng added.
Ning Sheng: “……”
“I’m short, so what?” He dropped his chopsticks, “What are you all pretending for, is this the Emperor’s New Clothes?”
Lu Peng scratched his head, “It’s not an emperor, but a princess.”
Ning Sheng: “Get lost!”
After finishing the soup, Xu Ling spoke up.
“Don’t just eat and drink for free, we don’t support idlers at home.”
So Lu Peng went to wash the dishes voluntarily, while Li Haoyue went to help Xu Ling’s stepdad count money.
Ning Sheng blinked unconsciously.
Xu Ling: “Just sit there, okay?”
Ning Sheng: “Sit? You’re attacking me? You’re accusing me of freeloading!”
With a snap, Xu Ling broke a chopstick.
“Lu Peng, leave him a bowl.” Xu Ling shouted towards the direction of the sink, “If he doesn’t finish washing today, I’ll tie him to the sink.”
Lu Peng who had just finished washing the bowls thought for a moment, took a small new bowl, poured in some soy sauce, poured it out, then handed it over with both hands.
Ning Sheng: “……”
“I’m giving you face, hurry up and wash.” Xu Ling pushed him, found a rope, then grinned, “Can you wash?”
Ning Sheng reluctantly finished washing the broken bowl.
“You’re just like Cinderella’s stepmother.” Li Haoyue, who had finished counting the money, said.
“Really?” Then Xu Ling said, “Princess, sweep the floor too, hurry up!”
Ning Sheng put the broken bowl on Xu Ling’s head.
**
As it was late in the evening, Lu Peng and Li Haoyue rode their bikes home.
And after showering, Ning Sheng lay on Xu Ling’s new bed, playing with a set of watercolor pens.
“Try painting the colors for the flower arrangement again.” Ning Sheng drew the outline of a vase of flowers and asked Xu Ling to color it, “Be patient.”
“Why do I have to learn this kind of thing?” Xu Ling asked him.
Ning Sheng: “Because you have to.”
With patience, Xu Ling finished coloring the entire picture, but when he turned around, he saw that Ning Sheng was already asleep on the edge of the bed.
The twelve, thirteen-year-old boy was sleeping more casually than he usually did at home, with the corner of his pajamas rolled up to his waist, his cheek pressed sideways gently, his long eyelashes casting a gentle shadow.
When awake, he was like a hornet’s nest, ready to swarm at the slightest touch, but when asleep, he was well-behaved, and who knew what he was dreaming of that there was a smile hidden at the corner of his mouth.
“Want some honeydew milk?” Xu Ling’s mom knocked on the door gently, then lowered her voice, “Asleep?”
Xu Ling nodded.
“So obedient, such a well-behaved child.” She lowered the speed of the fan a little, “Little Bell, cover him with a blanket.”
“I’ll wait for him to fall asleep a bit more before covering.” Xu Ling pointed to the red mark just slapped on his hand, “There’s still some risk now.”
“Then don’t forget, okay?” His mom said, “He’s frail, so be careful. I noticed that Ning Ning still pants a bit when going up and down stairs.”
Xu Ling became thoughtful.
*
The next day, before dawn, Ning Sheng was shaken awake.
“Is it an earthquake?” He asked.
Xu Ling: “No.”
“A fire?” He asked.
Xu Ling: “No.”
“Then your brain must be shaking, and your IQ must be on fire.” Ning Sheng threw his pillow at Xu Ling’s head, “It’s only half past six now!”
“Why would I call you at half past six?” Xu Ling corrected, “It’s only half past five now.”
Ning Sheng: “……”
Ning Sheng: “Are you possessed?”
“It turns out you like this!” Xu Ling said back.
Then he pushed up the bedsheet to pretend to be a ghost and nudged the bewildered Ning Sheng off the bed.
“I want to go home!” Ning Sheng said, “You’re bullying me, I don’t want you anymore.”
“Ning Ning, let’s go for a morning run.” Xu Ling told him.
“I’m not going…” Ning Sheng grabbed the blanket, but Xu Ling dragged him out of the room.
Xu Ling’s stepdad had just gotten up but had an unlit cigarette in his mouth.
“Dad, good morning.” Xu Ling greeted then told him, “I’m going for a morning run.”
His stepdad: “…. Morning.”
Then after a dozen seconds.
Xu Ling’s stepdad: “Shoes! Pick up his shoes! Are you running barefoot?”
Xu Ling’s stepdad chased after him.
Ning Sheng had thought that Qing’an Town would still be asleep in the early morning. What he didn’t expect was that this small town would be bustling with activity already.
He chose a stall that seemed less crowded to buy soy milk.
“Buy mine.” One shop owner told him, “My family has been in business for thirty years.”
“Then I’ll take two bags.” Ning Sheng said.
And carrying breakfast, Ning Sheng made his way through the crowded market. Lu Peng was squatting on the ground sharpening knives for his mother, while the math nerd was sitting on a fruit cart, with a math book in one hand and the other collecting money.
It turned out that at this time, the small town was also lively.
Ning Sheng searched until he found Xu Ling, who was helping his family buy groceries. With a chicken in his left hand and two big onions in his right, Xu Ling stood in front of the fish shop, bargaining with the owner.
“Make it cheaper.” Xu Ling told the owner, “This fish doesn’t look too lively.”
Ning Sheng found it strange: “Isn’t this fish quite…”
“Shh.” Xu Ling gestured to him, “If you want to bargain, you have to say the goods aren’t good.”
Ning Sheng: “Okay.”
So, as they walked back after buying fish.
Xu Ling said: “Run two laps with me tomorrow.”
“Half a lap.” Ning Sheng said in reply, “You don’t look too lively.”
Xu Ling: “……?”
Xu Ling: “I’m very lively, do you want to learn how to fight?”
*
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