Qiao Mudong and He Yu didn’t stay in the nursing home for too long. Qiao Mudong’s main purpose was to ask about Qiao Song’s physical condition. Knowing that Qiao Song was still in good health, he told He Yu that it was almost time to leave.
As soon as the two people came out of the registration hall, He Yu received a call from Ma Tian.
Ma Tian first apologized on the phone, saying that he drank too much last night and asking whether or not he spoke any words carelessly.
Before He Yu had time to answer him, Qiao Mudong—who had heard Ma Tian’s question because he was close to him—grabbed the phone and said, “Senior Brother Ma, you already said that He Yu was imprisoned for Fu Chenshan’s sake. You can continue telling me the whole thing.”
He Yu grabbed Qiao Mudong’s arm, snatched his phone back, and said, “Shixiong, don’t listen to his nonsense; you didn’t say anything.”
But Ma Tian was already breaking out in a cold sweat. He didn’t know how to explain it. On one hand, he wanted to settle the injustice for He Yu, but on the other hand, he really couldn’t produce any evidence. Moreover, Qiao Mudong was also a member of the Ling family after all. Once Fu Chenshan got married, Qiao Mudong would be his brother-in-law. It’s hard to say whether he will do this for He Yu or not. Ma Tian deliberated about it, but he still felt that he had said the wrong things before.
He Yu could tell that Ma Tian was a little anxious, so he quickly reassured him, “It’s okay. Everyone drank too much last night, so let’s not take anything we said to heart.”
Ma Tian said, “Oh, okay. I just called Senior Brother Ou. He said that you should go to work tomorrow. Just report to him directly.”
“Tomorrow? So soon?” He Yu asked.
Ma Tian said, “If you’re busy, then he can wait for another two days. He said as soon as possible. That is, if it’s convenient for you.”
He Yu quickly said, “It’s convenient, I can do it tomorrow. I’ll go directly to Ou-ge.” After saying that, He Yu said again, “Thank you so much, shixiong.”
Ma Tian smiled and said, “Why are you so polite? Later, if you’re in trouble, just make a phone call to your shixiong.”
He Yu also smiled softly. “Okay.”
After hanging up the phone, He Yu raised his head and said to Qiao Mudong, “I’ll start working tomorrow. Today, I will treat you to a meal.”
Qiao Mudong said, “Let’s go ah, I want to have a good meal.”
He Yu asked, “How good do you want, ah? Can you make do with my self-sufficient cooking?”
Qiao Mudong said, “I’m not against it, but I don’t even have a bottle of soy sauce at home. Should we go to the supermarket now to buy some?”
He Yu thought for a while. “I’m still thinking—ah, that place!”
–
When Qiao Mudong drove the car to the restaurant, Li Tang was already waiting for them alone downstairs. The entrance of the restaurant was not open; only a small door was open, and the lights inside were dim.
Li Tang threw away the cigarette butt in his hand and crushed it with his foot. “You guys are really good at tossing me ah.”
He Yu got off the car, holding the vegetables bought from the market in his hand. “I’m just borrowing the kitchen from you.”
Li Tang pointed a finger and said, “Just go.”
He Yu walked up to him, smiled, and bowed. “Thank you, Brother Li.”
Li Tang didn’t even look at him. “Go and do it yourself, ba. There are still meat and vegetables in the refrigerator. Take them if you need them.”
He Yu entered the shop from the small door and walked directly to the kitchen at the back.
Qiao Mudong got out of the car, looked at He Yu’s back, smiled, and said to Li Tang, “He will go to work tomorrow, so he is a little excited right now.”
Li Tang said, “I can see it.”
Qiao Mudong approached and handed Li Tang a cigarette. Li Tang thanked him and took it. He then took out his lighter and helped Qiao Mudong light their cigarette together.
The two of them had no intention of going in. They stood at the door, smoking and talking.
Qiao Mudong asked him, “Didn’t you go out today?”
Li Tang shook his head. “I went out this morning and met two people.”
Qiao Mudong asked, “Hong Xiaomao’s people?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Ol Kjcu tewwfv jc “Rc” jcv rjlv, “Ktfs vlvc’a rjs wemt. Ktfs jii obiibkfv Zlctjcu ktbiftfjgafvis yfobgf, yea atfs jii rjlv atfs vlvc’a xcbk ktb bkcfv atf mjrlcb.”
Hljb Zevbcu ibbxfv rlvfkjsr ja tlw. “Qtja vb sbe atlcx?”
Ol Kjcu ogbkcfv jcv rtbbx tlr mlujgfaaf jrtfr. “Slatfg atfs vbc’a agera wf jcv gfoerf ab afii wf; bg atfs gfjiis vbc’a xcbk, ktlmt wfjcr atja Zlctjcu vbfrc’a agera atfw nfgs wemt.”
Qiao Mudong asked, “Didn’t Hong Xiaomao tell you who that person is?”
Li Tang said, “What he said was very cryptic. The two nurses were inside at the time. How dare he reveal key information to someone who can easily be bribed with money?”
Qiao Mudong said, “It’s not easy to meet him again. Didn’t he completely leave this matter for you to investigate?”
Li Tang actually smiled when he heard this. “Maybe he doesn’t completely trust me.”
Qiao Mudong asked, “Then what are your plans next?”
Li Tang said, “I’m going to meet a person tonight, an old gambler, hoping to get some useful information from him. Since it’s such a large-scale underground casino, there’s definitely no way not to reveal any information.”
Qiao Mudong nodded, suddenly changed the subject, and asked, “Are you planning to sell your restaurant?”
“Yes,” Li Tang replied. “Why? Are you interested?”
Qiao Mudong did not respond immediately.
Li Tang said, “If you’re really interested, I would like to give you some advice. Do you want to hear it?”
Qiao Mudong responded, “Tell me.”
Li Tang said, “A small business like Shiyouwei is not suitable for you. Look at this whole street, all of which are small restaurants, right? Even if you change its grade, there’s no way it’ll become a high-end restaurant. In other words, if you want to run a small business, you have to do it yourself. Small restaurants don’t make much, so you can’t pay a manager to look after you here. And if the boss doesn’t keep an eye on it, the cooks and workers below will become lazy. In your current situation, you’re not suitable for this business.”
Qiao Mudong raised his head and looked at the surrounding environment. “Should I have my reliable little brothers to help keep watch on things for me?”
Li Tang looked at Qiao Mudong and said, “Master Qiao, are you really interested in Shiyouwei?”
Qiao Mudong looked forward. “There are some things that I haven’t planned before, but now it’s time for me to plan about them. Rather than being interested in Shiyouwei, it’s more about what I wanted to do for the future.”
Li Tang said, “You can consider using the money you have to make larger investments.”
Qiao Mudong shook his head. “The money I have is actually limited, and what I want to do is simpler than you think. I have no intention of making a lot of money in the short term; I just want to do something like starting my own business.”
Li Tang asked, “Have you thought about engaging in food and drinks?”
“It’s not that I didn’t think about it,” Qiao Mudong said. “You know, I don’t know anything about these business matters. I can’t play in real estate stocks as well, so I just want to do things that I know at the very least.”
Li Tang raised his hand and patted Qiao Mudong on the back. “Very good. Keep your feet on the ground and move forward step by step.”
Qiao Mudong turned back and looked into the restaurant. From here, he could vaguely see He Yu busying himself in the kitchen. He said, “Without actual strength, anything you’ll say will be useless.”
Li Tang suddenly smiled, stretched out his hand, and said to Qiao Mudong, “Give me another cigarette.”
Qiao Mudong handed one over.
When Li Tang took it over, he said, “If it’s like what you said and that you have a reliable younger brother to help you look after it, you can change your approach to the Shiyouwei business.”
Qiao Mudong waited quietly for him to continue.
Li Tang added, “Small restaurants have their own ways of making money. Do you know how many famous small restaurants there are in Chongfeng City? Do you know how much they can earn in a day?”
Qiao Mudong shook his head quietly.
Li Tang said, “If you really want to do this business, go and inquire about it first. Don’t think about leaving everything to others. Only by doing everything yourself can you know whether you want to continue doing it or not.”
Qiao Mudong suddenly felt that it was not without reason that Hong Xiangfeng trusted and relied on Li Tang back then. He couldn’t help but think that since the Hong family kicked Li Tang out, why didn’t he win them over to help him do things?
But he didn’t speak right away. Li Tang had experienced all kinds of storms in his life, and there weren’t many things that could easily impress him. The only thing he needed to rely on was probably his sincerity.
At this time, He Yu was wearing an apron as he walked to the door while wiping his hands. He said to them, “There is still one dish left, but the meal is ready.”
Li Tang put out the cigarette in his hand. “I don’t want to be a third wheel on your date.”
“No,” He Yu said quickly. “Let’s stay and eat together. You haven’t tried my craftsmanship yet.”
Li Tang smiled and said, “For Master Qiao, everything he eats from your craftsmanship is probably delicious. As for me, I really don’t have any confidence in you, so don’t embarrass yourself.”
Qiao Mudong said, “About the casino, I’ll have someone check it out for you.”
Li Tang was slightly stunned. “No need, it’s not good to involve you in this matter.”
Qiao Mudong said nonchalantly, “Who should I be afraid of? Hong Xiangjun and Hong Xiangguo? It’s okay. I’ll ask someone to help you find out. You should try not to let them notice you. I’m afraid they won’t have any scruples about attacking you. Once I have the news, I’ll let you know.”
Li Tang was silent for a while, nodded, and said, “Okay.” He had said thank you so many times that he couldn’t say it anymore. He just said, “If you finally decide about Shiyouwei, just tell me. When the matter of Hong Minhang is over, I’ll help you.”
Qiao Mudong suppressed his excitement and said, “What help are you talking about? We’re all brothers!”
Li Tang said with a smile, “You have your big ambitions, and I have my small ideals. I hope we can realize them together if we have the chance.”
After saying that, he raised a hand and clenched his fist across Qiao Mudong’s chest. Qiao Mudong earnestly clenched his fist and bumped it with him, then twisted his fist into an open palm to grip Li Tang’s hand.
He Yu asked strangely, “What on earth are you guys talking about?”
Li Tang said, “You will know later. I won’t disturb you two people's world. If you want candles, there are some in the rightmost drawer under the wine cabinet, but they are all white candles. Sorry.”
He Yu smiled when he heard this. “Thank you, there’s no need.”
Li Tang waved his hand. “Then I’ll leave first. I have something to do tonight. Just close the door for me when you leave. The second floor is locked, so don’t worry.”
He Yu asked, “You really don’t want to stay and try my cooking?”
Li Tang shook his head, took two steps back, then waved his hand and turned away.
He Yu was still looking at Li Tang’s leaving figure. Qiao Mudong patted him on the shoulder. “Isn’t there still one dish left? Let’s go in and take a look.”
He Yu walked inside and asked, “What did you and Brother Li talk about for so long?”
Qiao Mudong answered, “Hong Xiaomao’s matter.”
He Yu was a little worried. “Brother Li won’t be in danger, right?”
Qiao Mudong said, “What kind of person do you think Li Tang is? It’s not your turn to worry about him, so stop worrying, ba.”
He Yu can indeed cook. When he was in middle school, sometimes when his mother was too busy, he would help with some cooking, but his skills were average and far behind Li Tang.
He Yu finally cooked a soup, which was a tomato egg drop soup. He wore an apron and took out a big spoon as he waited for the soup to boil.
Qiao Mudong stood guard at the door of the kitchen, looked at He Yu’s back, and said, “You might want to consider taking off your clothes and pants, and then only wear an apron to cook.”
He Yu didn’t look back. “You might want to consider letting Brother Li come back and kill you if he finds out.”
When the soup was boiled, He Yu poured it into a large soup bowl with a spoon and then asked Qiao Mudong to help him carry it out. He made three dishes and one soup. They were all the simplest home-cooked dishes, and they were also the dishes he was best at before.
It’s not that he really wanted to eat something good; he just wanted to share it with Qiao Mudong. Starting tomorrow, he will have a job he likes again. If everything goes well, he can save enough money to buy a small house of his own in the future. He remembered the simple life that he wished for in the past. Maybe, one day, he could still be the simple and happy He Yu.
He Yu took off his apron and washed his hands. When he came out, he saw Qiao Mudong rummaging in front of the wine cabinet.
“Don’t touch Brother Li’s wine,” He Yu said.
Qiao Mudong complained, “There’s no red wine.”
He Yu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Who would go to a restaurant like this to drink red wine? There are candles below; do you want to take two?”
Qiao Mudong squatted down, opened the drawer, and saw a dozen white candles inside, probably prepared for a sudden power outage.
He Yu came over and closed the drawer. “Do you want to shoot a ghost movie, ah?”
In the end, he opened a bottle of beer, put it in a glass cup, and then the two of them clinked glasses together. Because Qiao Mudong had to drive tonight, he didn’t dare to drink too much and could only moisten his lips symbolically.
Several dishes were served with rice. Just as Li Tang said, because He Yu was the one who cooked the dishes, in Qiao Mudong’s perspective, they tasted particularly delicious. He even ate two more bowls of rice before he finally stretched and burped.
He Yu kicked him and said, “Get up and wash the dishes.”
Qiao Mudong leaned back with a dignified air, pointed at He Yu, and then pointed toward the kitchen with his arms crossed. “You go.”
He Yu cursed, “Scram.”
Qiao Mudong said, “I don’t want to wash it right now. I’ll leave some money for Li Tang to come back and wash it.”
He Yu stood up and put away the bowl. “Be careful. If Brother Li really comes back to wash it, you—dun.”
Qiao Mudong also stood up hastily, put all the bowls away, and went up to the kitchen. He Yu put on gloves and started washing the dishes while he watched from the side.
After watching for a while, Qiao Mudong walked over, picked up He Yu, and put him on the table next to the sink.
He Yu immediately wanted to jump down. “There’s water!”
Qiao Mudong held him down to prevent him from moving, lowered his head slightly, and kissed his lips.
At this time, He Yu’s cell phone suddenly rang. He pushed Qiao Mudong away and answered the phone. He heard Li Tang’s voice coming over: “I forgot to tell you, you are absolutely not allowed to mess around in my store. Honestly, just eat, and after you finish your meals, scram.”
After hearing this, He Yu kicked Qiao Mudong on the knee. The pain made Qiao Mudong jump back two steps involuntarily. He stretched out his hand to cover his knee and cursed, “Fuck, you really had a grudge with me in your past life, huh? Every attack is harder than the last!”
He Yu jumped down and reached out to touch the wet area on the back of his pants. “Keep your distance from me and go home immediately after cleaning up.”
Qiao Mudong said harshly, “Once you come home, I’m going to kill you!”
–
The author has something to say:
Today I will give you an extra chapter:
Hong Minhang chased his cat down to the first floor, but his father grabbed him by the collar and threw him aside. “Don’t cause trouble.”
Li Tang reached out to support Hong Minhang. Hong Minhang raised his head to look at him, feeling that his heartbeat was a little bit faster than usual.
Hong Xiangfeng asked him, “Have you had lunch?”
Hong Minhang shook his head.
Hong Xiangfeng complained impatiently, “You troublesome little brat.” Then he said to Li Tang, “Just find something for him to eat.”
Li Tang then took Hong Minhang’s hand and walked to the kitchen in the back. As he walked, he asked him, “What do you want to eat?”
Hong Minhang thought for a long time and said, “Anything, ba.”
Li Tang opened the refrigerator and saw that there was still more than half a bowl of leftover rice, so he asked, “Will fried rice with some eggs do?”
Hong Minhang said “nn” in a low voice.
Li Tang began to beat the eggs. Hong Minhang retracted the hand that Li Tang had just held, feeling that his palms were a little sweaty.
Li Tang’s fingers were slender, and his movements were skillful. Even the simple action of beating eggs looked particularly good to Hong Minhang. He couldn’t help but get closer. However, Li Tang grabbed his arm and pushed him back. “Be careful of the oil splashing around.”
Because of the weather in June, Li Tang only wore a thin white shirt. It was so tight that he could see his waistline through the shirt, which was thin and strong.
Hong Minhang couldn’t help but poke Li Tang’s waist with his finger. Li Tang didn’t seem to notice this. He quietly retracted his hand. The tips of his ears were red, and he stood on tiptoe, pretending to watch him seriously while he was cooking rice.
Thank you for the chapter!
You’re welcome! Thank you for always reading ROR~
Oh my… It’s confirmed then. Hong Minhang have feelings for Li Tang. But Li Tang only regards him as didi 😥 and the situation in their present time is far more complicated too…