A few minutes later, the two finally arrived at the vegetable market.
Lin Qingle started shopping as soon as she arrived. In order to have this meal on Sunday, she had been scrimping and saving on food money over the past week and had even gone hungry for a few meals.
But she felt it was worth it because she could buy a lot of meat today.
Although Xu Tingbai is tall, he is a little thin. He should eat more meat.
"Now that you've bought this, let's go buy some shrimps. Do you still like eating shrimps now?" After paying the money, Lin Qingle turned to look at the person standing next to him.
"Take it."
"What?"
Lin Qingle looked down and found that Xu Tingbai had cash in his hand.
"No, I have prepared the money."
Xu Tingbai: "You don't need to give it to me."
"But I want to treat you to a meal today." Lin Qingle pushed his hand back, "If...if you feel embarrassed, you can treat me next time."
Lin Qingle learned from Grandma Jiang and Uncle Rice Noodles that his father had been paying off debts and had not yet paid them off, and Xu Tingbai was short of money and did not have an easy life.
"Okay, let's go quickly, finish shopping early and go home early." Lin Qingle used his brief moment of silence to make a joke and pulled his sleeve again to move forward.
The surroundings were noisy and messy. She held his arm. Although she was small, she was always protecting him.
People were coming and going nearby, but she didn't let him bump into anyone.
In fact, when Xu Tingbai first entered this vegetable market, he subconsciously rejected it because he couldn't stand the crowds and the noise. But now, listening to the girl next to him mumbling about the ingredients, he actually felt that everything here was not so unbearable.
"Boss, are these shrimps fresh?"
"Of course it's fresh, little girl. Look, she's so lively."
"How much is one pound?"
…
She stopped in front of a vendor again, and while she was talking to someone else, she still held him tightly with one hand.
Xu Ting lowered his eyes slightly, and finally put the cash in his hand back into his pocket.
Never mind, he thought, let's wait for next time.
"The meat dishes have been bought, and we just need to buy some vegetables." Lin Qingle took a bag of shrimps and looked at Xu Tingbai.
He stood beside her, tall and long-legged, with a straight back. In fact, if he just stood there, it was not easy for people to see that he was blind. Only when he started walking and his eyes were empty and he obviously needed her to hold him, could people notice it.
Xu Tingbai: "Whatever."
"How about cauliflower? My fried cauliflower is delicious."
"… oh."
"Then let's go. Be careful. There's a puddle of water ahead."
Lin Qingle knew what they mainly wanted to buy this time, so he bought everything quickly.
It was still early when they returned home.
Lin Qingle put all the ingredients in the kitchen first, preparing to start cooking dinner later. In her free time now, she took out the papers and books, and used his house as a library as before.
After writing the paper for a while, Lin Qingle raised his head and looked at the room with the door ajar.
Xu Tingbai was inside, and he didn't make any noise. She always felt that his home was quieter than the library.
However, being quiet all the time doesn't feel like a home.
"Xu Tingbai." she called out.
No one answered, and after a while, she saw him walk to the door of the room.
She asked, "I want to watch TV, can I?"
Xu Tingbai: "It's up to you."
"Um."
Lin Qingle put down her pen, walked over and turned on the old TV. She pressed the movie channel, and coincidentally, the channel was broadcasting an American movie.
He said before that these movies can be used to practice language sense.
"Have you finished your homework?" he suddenly asked again.
Lin Qingle, who hadn't finished the English composition and translation questions yet, felt guilty: "There's still one more thing..."
"Then turn it off and read it after you finish writing."
Didn’t I just say it’s up to her? How come you changed your mind so quickly
"There are still a few translations left and I don't know how to translate them more appropriately." Lin Qingle hesitated and asked tentatively, "Otherwise, you can help me."
Xu Tingbai paused and said, "Think for yourself."
"Don't... You know my English is the worst." Seeing that he wanted to go back to the room again, Lin Qingle quickly stood up and went to hold him back, "Just for a moment, just give me some reference."
Xu Tingbai was grabbed by her sleeve and refused to give in. Finally, he had to compromise and sat down at the dining table.
"Translate what?"
Lin Qingle quickly said, "This sentence - with the belief that his efforts would not be in vain, he experienced ups and downs and finally achieved success. How to translate ups and downs?"
"the end after ging thrugh ups and dwns."
"ah… "
Xu Tingbai said calmly, "Experienced ups and downs translated into gh ups and dwns."
"Oh... I didn't think of that." Lin Qingle looked at him with sparkling eyes, and said sincerely while writing: "You are so smart."
Xu Tingbai was stunned for a moment: "You are too stupid."
"Well, I also think that I am really too stupid in English."
Compared to him who was already proficient in English when he was a child, she is just a novice in this area...
"And more."
"What?"
Xu Tingbai frowned slightly: "Didn't you say there were several? Say hello all at once."
"Oh good! This sentence, in modern society, expressing oneself can..."
There was an English movie playing on TV, but Lin Qingle didn't listen to it.
She watched Xu Tingbai translate Chinese to her word by word, explaining it to her word by word... Sometimes, maybe he thought the sentence was too simple, and it was a little unbelievable that she didn't know how to translate it, so he would say a few words to her, but after that, he was still patient.
Lin Qingle really liked the way he was seriously reviewing the questions. She felt warm at heart just by looking at him, and even English didn’t make her irritated anymore.
"You can always write the composition yourself." Xu Tingbai said after finishing the translation topic.
"Yeah... I can."
"What's the topic?"
"It's probably about Li Hua introducing his hometown to his pen pal Peter in the UK." Lin Qingle said, "I'll read it to you after I finish writing it, and you can help me check if there are any grammatical errors."
"Lin Qingle, do you really think I'm your teacher?"
"Of course you are. You are as good as the teacher."
"… "
The girl's blind trust and admiration made Xu Tingbai feel confused and shocked. In fact, he had not learned anything properly for many years. What she said about his greatness was just the last thing he had left from the past.
"Just write it and talk about it after you finish." Xu Tingbai stood up and did not sit down here any longer.
He knew that he was not opposed to being around her, but precisely because he was not opposed to it, he would occasionally have some concerns.
Because if you get too used to something, you will end up... not wanting to let it go.
—
It took Lin Qingle a long time to write a short essay, but it didn't take that long to write normally. But she thought that she would have to read it to Xu Tingbai later, so she wanted to write better.
But after she finished writing, it was already four o'clock. Thinking that she needed to start preparing dinner, she did not immediately give her English composition to Xu Tingbai.
Putting down her pen and going to the kitchen, she began to wash some ingredients.
Lin Qingle is quite good at cooking. When her mother Lin Yufen comes home late sometimes because of work, she needs to prepare dinner for the two of them.
It took her almost an hour to prepare three dishes and a soup. After the last dish was served, she happily pulled Xu Tingbai to the dining table.
But just as the two were about to sit down to eat, there was a sudden knock on the door.
Lin Qingle: "Is it Grandma Jiang?"
Xu Tingbai was about to open the door, but was stopped by Lin Qingle, "I'll go open it, you sit down."
Lin Qingle trotted two steps to the door and opened it. She thought it would be Grandma Jiang, but she didn't expect to see a pretty face after the door opened.
The people standing outside were stunned for a moment when they saw that it was her who opened the door. When they saw the table of food behind her and Xu Tingbai standing beside the table, their expressions could no longer hide their weirdness.
"Lin Qingle, who is that?" Xu Tingbai asked when she didn't say anything.
Lin Qingle nodded slightly to the people outside and replied to Xu Tingbai: "Dai Rong."
Xu Tingbai had no expression on his face. He walked over after hearing the voice and said, "You go in first."
Lin Qingle: "Ah? OK..."
Xu Tingbai went out and closed the door.
Lin Qingle walked back to the dining table and sat down slowly. The soup was boiling hot and steaming. Lin Qingle stared at the soup with his chin propped up, thinking, we shouldn't talk for too long, otherwise... the food would be unpalatable if it got cold.
—
At this moment, outside the door, a man and a woman were facing each other.
One had a cold expression, the other had a shocked look.
"Explain." Yan Dairong stared at the person in front of him, and the two words almost popped out from between his teeth.
Xu Tingbai: "What?"
"I want you to explain why Lin Qingle is in your house? What are you doing? Cooking?"
Xu Tingbai frowned slightly, but smiled: "Why should I explain these things to you?"
"Why don't you explain? Why? You don't let me stay in your house or get close to you, so why can she do it? Aren't you too arrogant to let anyone help you? What's wrong with her?" Yan Dairong's pupils trembled, and her voice became louder and louder because of excitement.
Xu Tingbai showed no expression at all: "Are you done?"
"No!" Yan Dairong clenched his fists. "We have known each other since birth. We are not in a relationship! What right do you have to push me away? Who do you think you are, Xu Tingbai? What right do you have?!"
"Are you close? Are you familiar?" Xu Tingbai said coldly, mockingly, "Aren't you afraid that people will know that you came to see me, and that you have contact with me? Aren't you ashamed, Yan Dairong?"
…
Lin Qingle didn't want to eavesdrop on what they were saying, but the door was not very soundproof, and later on, the girl outside the door could hardly control her screaming.
After a while, it became quiet outside, and then someone knocked on the door.
Lin Qingle immediately went to open the door, Xu Tingbai walked in and sat down at the dining table.
"Is she gone?"
"Yeah." Xu Tingbai, "Let's eat."
"… good."
The meal was very quiet. Lin Qingle felt that Xu Tingbai might not be in a good mood, so he didn't dare to speak.
After eating, Lin Qingle also quietly stood up and prepared to clean up the dishes.
"Leave it there, I can wash it." Xu Tingbai said.
Lin Qingle: "I'll do it if it's okay, you go and have a rest."
Xu Tingbai didn't say anything, but he didn't leave either. He helped clean up the mess to the best of his ability.
Lin Qingle did not stop him again. There were not many dishes and she finished washing them quickly after putting them in the sink.
"Xu Tingbai, I'll go home first." She put on her schoolbag and greeted him.
"Um."
"You..." Lin Qingle wanted to ask something, or to comfort him. Although she had just heard a few words, she didn't know what happened between him and Yan Dairong. "It's okay. I'll leave first."
She turned and walked towards the door, feeling inexplicably depressed. Although she didn't want to admit it, Yan Dairong's appearance still affected her dinner, which should have been very happy.
"Lin Qingle." Suddenly, someone behind her called her.
She turned around and saw Xu Tingbai standing in the middle of the small living room, facing her.
"I just forgot to say that."
Lin Qingle was stunned for a moment: "What?"
"The food you cook is delicious." Xu Tingbai's voice was light but surprisingly gentle, "Thank you."
The author has something to say: Note: The translation topic is selected from the online high school English test paper.
300 red envelopes～