Free Web NovelChapter 136: Chapter 136: That Thingamajig
Yu Le gave Su Li a warm smile. "Sister-in-law."
"We’ve really troubled you." Seeing Yu Le drenched in sweat and his face flushed from the sun, Su Li hurried to pour him some water.
"Sister-in-law, you’re too kind." Yu Le downed two large glasses in a row. "I searched all over the county for Captain Tang but couldn’t find him. I was starting to think I’d missed you guys."
Just as Yu Le finished speaking, his stomach let out a loud GROWL.
Little Tang Mo, who was standing right next to him, looked over curiously.
Yu Le wiped away some sweat, rubbed his stomach, and winked at Little Tang Mo. "Uncle’s tummy is making rumbling sounds. Isn’t that magical?"
Little Tang Mo: "..."
’I’m not a three-year-old. What’s so magical about that?’
’Isn’t he just hungry?’
Looking at Little Tang Mo’s expression, Yu Le felt like he was being looked down on.
He rubbed his nose. "Alright, I’m hungry."
How could he not be? Yu Le hadn’t even had a proper lunch. After getting food for Su Li and the others, he had rushed off to find Tang Yuanxiao. For lunch, he had just grabbed two steamed buns from the cafeteria.
At his age and size, two steamed buns would be digested in less than an hour.
"What time is it now? Has your cafeteria started serving dinner? If not, should we eat out?" Su Li immediately asked upon hearing Yu Le.
She had a pretty good impression of Yu Le. He was enthusiastic and helpful, a good comrade.
He had been running around for them ever since they arrived, and she felt bad about it. Treating him to a meal to thank him was the least she could do.
"The cafeteria won’t start serving for a little while..." Yu Le glanced at Tang Yuanxiao and started with a sly grin, "Sister-in-law, I hear your noodles are especially delicious."
Su Li paused for a moment. "Huh?"
Yu Le jutted his chin in Tang Yuanxiao’s direction. "It’s Old Tang! After he came back from his trip home, he didn’t eat the cafeteria’s noodles for a whole month. I was wondering what was wrong with him, but it turns out..."
Yu Le clicked his tongue twice. "You know, Sister-in-law, Old Tang loves noodles. He eats them almost every day. When he suddenly stopped, I was shocked."
"Finally, after a lot of persuading, I managed to pry it out of him. He told me that after eating your noodles back home, the cafeteria noodles tasted so bad he could barely swallow them!"
Heaven knows how Tang Yuanxiao managed to eat them for all those years!
Yu Le’s expression was one of profound indignation.
"Er..." Su Li felt like laughing at Yu Le’s story but didn’t know how to respond.
After his tirade, Yu Le grinned again. "Sister-in-law, I’m saying all this because I really want to try your noodles."
"You have no idea. Ever since Old Tang told me about them, I’ve been craving them for half a year."
He’d been craving them for half a year. Now that Su Li had finally come, how could he possibly miss this chance!
No matter what, he had to be shameless and get a taste!
Su Li: "...If you want to eat them that badly, then I’ll make them for you."
He’d been craving them for half a year; how could she possibly refuse?
Su Li glanced at the kitchen, then turned to Tang Yuanxiao. She was just about to ask if he had noodles, but Tang Yuanxiao was already nodding.
After nodding, he immediately sprang into action.
He grabbed a few things from here and there, and in no time, he had placed all the necessary ingredients in front of Su Li.
It was as if he had practiced this countless times, just waiting for Su Li.
Well... that was indeed the case.
Meeting Su Li’s gaze, Tang Yuanxiao explained in a low voice, "I haven’t had time to cook, but I kept everything fully stocked."
"Need any help?" Yu Le cut in enthusiastically.
"Yes." Su Li pointed to the stove. "You two can start the fire."
"You got it!" Yu Le immediately rolled up his sleeves and, along with Tang Yuanxiao, got busy.
Little Tang Mo helped out too.
With everyone pitching in, the noodles were on the table in no time. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
Su Li figured that birds of a feather flock together; since Tang Yuanxiao could eat so much, Yu Le must have a big appetite too. In the end, not only did she make a huge basin of noodles, but she also pan-fried a few flatbreads.
"Delicious, so delicious..." Eating noodles on such a hot day, everyone was breaking a sweat.
Yu Le shouted as he sweated, SLURPING down his noodles like he was starving.
"Sister-in-law, Old Tang was right! This is what you call real noodles!"
Yu Le ate with such gusto, his speed was astonishing.
Tang Yuanxiao, who only got to eat these noodles thanks to him, watched him inhale them and immediately sped up, competing for his share.
The noodles tasted just as he remembered. After coming back, he often dreamed of eating them, so much so that he would drool in his sleep.
He had waited and waited, and now he was finally eating them again, but Tang Yuanxiao’s heart ached.
’These noodles... I’m afraid I’ll never get to eat them again.’
As Tang Yuanxiao ate, a bitter taste suddenly filled his mouth, his heart heavy with sorrow.
Yu Le had no idea about the pain in Tang Yuanxiao’s heart. Seeing his pace slow down, he felt a surge of triumph and deftly scraped the remaining noodles and broth from the basin into his own bowl.
"Haha..." After his triumphant laugh, he belatedly looked toward Little Tang Mo and Su Li.
Since he had seen his father eat like that before, Little Tang Mo was astonished but managed to keep his composure upon seeing Yu Le do the same.
As for Su Li, she was already used to it.
"Ahem... I got a little too excited and poured it all into my bowl. Sister-in-law, Little Mo... did you guys get enough to eat?" Yu Le asked sheepishly.
He and Tang Yuanxiao had polished off the whole basin in the time it took Su Li and Little Tang Mo to finish their first bowl.
"We’ve had enough. One bowl is fine for us," Su Li quickly replied. "You go ahead and eat. There are still flatbreads."
Yu Le scratched his head and looked to Tang Yuanxiao for help.
"Go on, eat. They don’t eat much," Tang Yuanxiao said, forcing himself to sound cheerful.
Tang Yuanxiao knew exactly how much Su Li and Little Tang Mo could eat. As soon as the noodles were served, he had first filled a large bowl for each of them, only starting to eat himself after making sure they would have enough. freёwebnovel.com
The lively meal came to an end. Yu Le rubbed his perfectly round belly, completely satisfied.
"Sister-in-law, that was delicious. Truly delicious."
Yu Le knew how to read a room. After the meal and some small talk, he saw the sun was setting and took his leave, giving the newly reunited family some space.
’It’s not dark yet, so they can’t do... *that*... but they still need to put Little Tang Mo to bed first, right?’
’I’m giving Old Tang this time!’
’I’m just that considerate!’
As Yu Le was leaving, Tang Yuanxiao, being so familiar with him, had no intention of seeing him out. Unfortunately, he was dragged to the door anyway.
With his back to Su Li, Yu Le openly winked and gestured at Tang Yuanxiao.
Without Yu Le having to say a word, Tang Yuanxiao knew what unreliable thoughts were running through his head. He stared at him speechlessly with a deadpan expression.
"You think I can’t see the fluttering in your heart just because you’re putting on that grumpy old man act? Hmph, I saw right through you long ago!"
Yu Le whispered quickly, then let out a mischievous chuckle. "I get it, I get it. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?"
Tang Yuanxiao turned to leave.
Yu Le quickly grabbed him. "Don’t go, I have something serious to tell you."
"Speak." Tang Yuanxiao’s brow furrowed slightly. Things had come to this point; he actually wanted to talk to Yu Le about it.
Before, he had wanted to salvage the marriage, so he hadn’t said anything to Yu Le. But this time, Su Li had come to force the divorce, and he was at a loss...
Yu Le wasn’t an outsider. He kind of wanted to tell him about the bitterness in his heart. It would be great if Yu Le could give him an idea on how to win her back.
All these thoughts flashed through Tang Yuanxiao’s mind in an instant, but Yu Le was completely unaware.
