Free Web NovelChapter 477: Chapter 170: That Fool Is Her (2)
Ah Bing was the type to live off the land; he’d exploit the mountains if he was near them and the water if he was by it. The one thing he refused to do was work the fields for work points.
Qin Mei was woken by hunger. She opened her eyes to complete darkness; it was so black she couldn’t see her hand in front of her face.
Qin Mei was a bit dazed. Her body ached with exhaustion, and the reckless things she and Jie Jingchen had done in the woods instantly flooded her mind. Qin Mei felt a pang of regret. ’Giving in to carnal desires really takes a toll on you!’
’Out in the wild mountains, how could I have just given in to him so meekly?’
’Especially all those shameless positions... It was insane. But I can’t deny, it was a whole new experience for me.’
Qin Mei patted her cheeks. ’I have to stop these wild thoughts. It’s so embarrassing!’
Before Qin Mei could even get up, she turned her head and met a pair of glowing green eyes. She froze, wondering if she was dreaming. She pinched her thigh hard. ’Ah! That hurts.’
The pair of glowing green eyes moved, and Qin Mei shrieked in terror. "Ah! A ghost!"
The wolf, completely innocent, knew it had just terrified its master’s guest and immediately turned tail and fled.
"Meimei." Jie Jingchen rushed in from outside. In the moonlight, he saw her curled up on the bed in fright. He pulled her into his arms, patting her back to soothe her.
The familiar person and the familiar embrace instantly dispelled her fear.
"Jie Jingsi, where are we?" Qin Mei asked.
"This is Ah Bing’s home," Jie Jingchen replied.
Ah Bing, who was standing at the door, pulled the light cord, and a dim, orange-yellow light filled the room.
Qin Mei surveyed the room in the dim light. It was an adobe house with very little furniture: just a bed, a table, two cabinets, and three chairs. Under the bedsheet was a padding of straw, and the bedding itself was old and faded from countless washes.
The room was crude, but it was kept very clean and tidy.
Qin Mei habitually grabbed the bedding to smell it. Seeing this, Ah Bing said, "Don’t worry, my grandma washed it thoroughly. It’s a fresh set."
’City people are so particular,’ he thought. ’Not like us country folk.’
Qin Mei was mortified. ’Here I am, staying in someone else’s home, and I’m acting so picky.’ She despised herself for it.
’I want to explain, but after what I just did, any excuse would sound like a lie. Ugh! This damn habit!’
Jie Jingchen noticed her discomfort and came to her rescue. "You must be hungry, right?"
"Mhm." Qin Mei nodded. She had been woken by her hunger, after all. She glanced outside. She’d only had dry rations for lunch, skipped dinner, and then... burned a lot of energy. She was starving.
Jie Jingchen knelt down to put Qin Mei’s shoes on for her. When Ah Bing saw this, he was so shocked he couldn’t help but click his tongue in disbelief.
They had white-flour steamed buns with smoked meat. Qin Mei didn’t like it, but she knew she had to adapt to the local customs.
"Meimei," Jie Jingchen said, a hint of worry in his eyes. Qin Mei was a very picky eater. She disliked wheat-based foods and only ate white rice. But Ah Bing’s family had no rice, only flour, and these white-flour buns were the best they could offer.
Qin Mei picked up a steamed bun and took a bite. She ate too quickly and started to choke.
COUGH, COUGH, COUGH. Qin Mei tried to stifle her coughing, but a few muffled hacks still escaped. She chewed a few more times and forced herself to swallow, but it was still a struggle. "Water," she rasped.
"Sir, here." Ah Bing handed a bowl to Jie Jingchen. He had seen how fast Qin Mei was eating and, anticipating she might choke, had immediately poured her a bowl of water.
"Thanks," Jie Jingchen said, taking the bowl and holding it to Qin Mei’s lips.
Qin Mei took a sip and finally felt some relief.
"Sister-in-law, slow down. It’s all for you, so eat slowly," Ah Bing said.
Looking thoroughly mortified, Qin Mei gave Ah Bing an awkward smile.
Qin Mei finished one steamed bun but didn’t touch the meat. She didn’t eat fatty meat, and the portion in her bowl was half lean and half fat. For her hosts, this was a quality cut. ’If I only eat the lean parts and leave the fat,’ she thought, ’it would be incredibly rude. Not everyone is as tolerant of my habits as Jie Jingchen.’
"You’re not eating any more?" Ah Bing asked. His grandma had left three steamed buns for her, but he’d only seen her eat one.
"I’m full." Qin Mei patted her stomach. She could have eaten more if it were rice, but one steamed bun was her limit.
"Sister-in-law, don’t be shy. Treat this place like your own home," Ah Bing said, assuming she was just being modest.
"She has a small appetite," Jie Jingchen said.
Ah Bing stopped trying to persuade her. When he saw Jie Jingchen about to wash the chopsticks, he quickly took them from him. "Sir, you and Sister-in-law go rest. I’ll do it."
Jie Jingchen picked up a woven basket from the table and used it to cover the remaining buns and meat.
"Is he one of your men?" Qin Mei asked, but she immediately remembered that Jie Jingchen had retired. The question felt a bit like rubbing salt in a wound.
Jie Jingchen watched her in silence, unsure how to respond. ’If I tell her the truth,’ he wondered, ’will she think I’m too cold-hearted?’
Still, he didn’t regret his decision. ’Ah Bing truly wasn’t cut out to be a soldier. If I hadn’t been the one to end his military career, someone else would have done it eventually.’
