The dishes were served very quickly. There was a sweet and sour Yellow River carp, gourd chicken, hand-grabbed mutton, pork trotters, mushroom chicken soup, and a bottle of Fen wine.
Sun Shaoping gave Hao Hongmei a bowl of chicken soup and said,""moisten your mouth first. I saw that you looked very pale just now.”
Hao Hongmei picked up the spoon and slowly took a sip. Her posture was very elegant. A girl from a landlord's family really had the temperament of a lady from a noble family.
"It's nothing. What you said just now reminded me of my father being criticized.”Hao Hongmei tried her best to speak naturally as if she was talking about someone else.
Sun Shaoping didn't say anything. The shadow in this girl's heart was not small.
"What do you think that woman will do?”Hao Hongmei didn't want to talk about family matters anymore.
Sun Shaoping gave her a piece of hand-grabbed mutton and ate a piece himself. After eating, he said,"Probably fired. Who knows? You sympathize with her and find her pitiful?”
Hao Hongmei tore a small piece of mutton with her chopsticks and chewed slowly without saying a word.
Sun Shaoping drank a mouthful of soup and said," You're too soft-hearted and too kind. It's hard for you to survive in this world. Have you forgotten the expression that woman had when she looked at us? In this world, people will become worse and worse, and there will be fewer and fewer good people. When dealing with bad people, you must be worse than them. If it wasn't for the fact that I still have an official skin on me today, I would have suffered even greater humiliation. People lived not only to eat their fill, but also to live with dignity.”
Hao Hongmei smiled and said," I know. Let's have a drink. I haven't had a drink before."
"Sure," said Sun Shaoping with a smile. He opened the glass and filled it to the brim for both of them. The glass was very small.
"I don't know what to say, but I wish you a pleasant journey."
"Then I also wish you more and more beautiful and successful in your studies.”
Sun Shaoping's words made Hao Hongmei blush without even drinking. After the two of them drank a glass, Hao Hongmei choked and coughed.
Sun Shaoping laughed out loud. This girl rolled her eyes at him. She was really flirtatious.
Sun Shaoping thought of a word-natural seductiveness.
Hao Hongmei said," You also know that there aren't many classes in school. After graduation, you will return to the village to work. You say that you have achieved success in your studies. You don't have any sincerity at all." Obviously, she thought that Sun Shaoping's first half of the sentence was more sincere.
Sun Shaoping shook his head and said," You can't say that. I believe that learning cultural subjects will be useful. I'm studying on my own every day now. As long as the college entrance examination is resumed one day, I must go to university. I hope you can also go to university. At the very least, you can go back to the countryside and become a teacher.”
"I remember." Hao Hongmei nodded vigorously.”
"Aren't you already an official? Why do you still want to go to university?”Hao Hongmei was puzzled by Sun Shaoping's behavior.
Sun Shaoping sighed and said," You're the second person to ask me this question. If there's a third person to ask, I'll definitely say,'I'm willful and won't explain.' Since you're the second person, I'll tell you. Because there are many beautiful women in the university, I want to go.”
Sun Shaoping thought she would laugh, but she didn't.
She thought for a moment and said,"The first person to ask you this was a girl, right?"
Eh, that's a good guess. Beauty, why don't you set up a fortune-telling stall on the bridge?
Of course, Sun Shaoping wouldn't admit it,"You're wrong, man."
Hao Hongmei suddenly smiled happily, regardless of whether he was telling the truth or not.
Hao Hongmei picked up a piece of fish with her chopsticks and gave it to Sun Shaoping. She said casually,""Do you still remember what you promised me?”
"What is it?" Sun Shaoping was a little confused. He had never talked to this girl before, and he invited her today because he was bored.
Hao Hongmei's eyes dimmed. He had really forgotten. She forced a smile."It's nothing."
" What is it?" Sun Shaoping was a little annoyed." Tell me, or else I'll have to guess. I might not be able to sleep tonight."”
Seeing that he was a little angry, Hao Hongmei bit her lip and said,""You said you wanted to borrow my Red Crag, did you forget?”
It seemed like it happened before he transmigrated. There seemed to be such a scene in the original novel.
Sun Shaoping smiled and said," I'm sorry. I've been busy with work for the past few days. I always wanted to send it to you when I had time, but I was so busy that I didn't even have time to read it. Last time, because I just came from home, I didn't bring a book, so I was embarrassed to talk to you. I remember this. I still kept the book for you. It's in my dormitory. I'll give it to you when I go back."”The book was indeed in the dormitory. Since he had never rented a book again, he was too lazy to return it.
It turned out that he hadn't forgotten about it all this time. Hao Hongmei's heart was filled with happiness. She had never been so happy since she was young. This feeling was really good.
"Hongmei, don't you know how to sing 'Praise of Red Plum Blossoms?' Can you sing it again?”Sun Shaoping also wanted to know how Hao Hongmei sang.
Hao Hongmei lowered her head and said,"You can just call me Hongmei."”
Sun Shaoping also felt that his name was very awkward." Okay, Hongmei, then you sing."”
"This place isn't good. There are so many people. I'll sing for you on the way back.”Hao Hongmei was a little embarrassed.
"That's fine too. Are you full? If you are, let's leave now.”Sun Shaoping really wanted to hear Hao Hongmei sing.
There was so much food, but she only ate a little. It was a bit of a waste. Hao Hongmei was actually not full, but she was embarrassed to say that she just nodded.
Because of the manager, there were plenty of plates on the table. There were a few dishes with pork trotters and gourd chicken, but she didn't use her chopsticks. There was also a lot of hand-grabbed mutton left.
Sun Shaoping called the manager over and asked him to pack the remaining vegetables. The manager quickly went to the kitchen to find some yellow straw paper to wrap the snacks and tied them with a rope. Only then did Hao Hongmei realize that the leftovers in the canteen could be taken away.
"Did we forget to pay?" Hao Hongmei asked after they left the cafeteria.”
Sun Shaoping explained," I can't give it to him. If I dare to give him money, he will dare to kneel down to me. He's already so old. Can you bear to do that?"”
Hao Hongmei couldn't understand, so she asked tentatively,""Do officials not have to spend money to eat?”
Sun Shaoping nodded.”
"Why don't I need to pay?" Hao Hongmei still couldn't understand.
Sun Shaoping thought for a moment and said,"Others work to eat, but we eat to work."”
Hao Hongmei didn't ask anymore. She felt that it was very complicated.
"Red plum blossoms on the red rocks
Thousands of miles of frost under my feet
What is there to fear in the bitter cold
A loyal heart opens to the sun…"
On the night of early autumn in the original West County, this song was beautiful and mellow. Anyone who could hear this song would be infected by the singer's happiness. She wanted the whole world to know that she was so happy. Hao Hongmei had forgotten how long it had been since she last walked like this.
Sun Shaoping didn't quite understand. Didn't he just agree to lend you a book? Why was he so happy? However, this song was indeed good. Her voice was also good. It felt like she was on par with Teacher Li Guyi.
"Hongmei, have you ever thought of becoming a singer?”Sun Shaoping asked,
Hao Hongmei smiled and shook her head,"No."
"It's too sad. People must have ideals. Otherwise, they're no different from salted fish.”
"Then what is your dream?"
"I'm thinking."
"Hehe, you…Sigh, I won't say anymore…"
Sun Shaoping found the Red Crag in his dorm room."Here, I'll give it to you."
Hao Hongmei didn't know whether to laugh or cry." This is from the county library. How can you give it to me?”
"I'm leaving soon. They came all the way to Beijing just for a book?" Sun Shaoping said.”
"But I don't think it's a good idea."
"Alright then, return it to them for me after you're done reading it."
"Okay then."
Hao Hongmei decided not to return it because this was the first time Sun Shaoping had given her something.
When they came out of the county revolutionary committee, Sun Shaoping said," It's too dark. Why don't I send you off?"
Hao Hongmei lowered her head and said,"Okay."
The County Revolutionary Committee was not far from the school, only a ten-minute walk away.
" Hey, why are you still carrying these vegetables? They weren't placed in your dormitory." Hao Hongmei saw the things in Sun Shaoping's hands.
"It's quite hot now. I can't finish it alone. It'll be spoiled tomorrow morning.”Sun Shaoping said.
Hao Hongmei also felt that what Sun Shaoping said was reasonable, and she really hadn't eaten her fill just now.
When they reached the school gate, Sun Shaoping said,""Alright, I'm going back."
"We'll meet again," Hao Hongmei said with red eyes.”
"I will," said Sun Shaoping with a smile.
Hao Hongmei smiled happily and said,""Can I write to you?"
" Of course, bring the book over. I'll leave you an address." Sun Shaoping took out a pen and wrote directly on the cover.
Hao Hongmei took the book and asked,"Will you reply to me?"
"I will," said Sun Shaoping with a smile. Sun Shaoping suddenly felt that it was a mistake to bring this girl to dinner.
Didn't Hao Hongmei like Gu Yangmin? Why did things change? I didn't know that I was so charming. I just let Li Wenting steal my first kiss two months ago. Will I lose my virginity today? But it's impossible. Oh, it can't be impossible. It's just that it's not big. Sun Shaoping slipped away.
When Hao Hongmei returned to the dormitory, she found that her roommates were looking at her strangely.
She smiled and said,"My friend just bought some food and asked me to bring it to everyone. Whoever wants to eat it can come and get it."”Of course, she wouldn't say the rest. She didn't even touch her chopsticks. Even if she was grilling the mutton with her hands, it wouldn't be obvious. The mutton was originally cut into pieces.
" Eh, so much delicious food. Hongmei, you're the best. This pork knuckle is really big. Do you have a knife? Let's cut it…"
"I've eaten this before. There's one in the state-run canteen. Yes, yes, this is the taste…"
"Why didn't you stir-fry the chicken with chili? I like spicy food, but the taste is not bad either. It's just not as good as my mother's cooking."
……
Her roommates had snatched all of them and did not leave any for her, but she felt happier than if she had eaten it herself. Every time everyone came to school, the girls from good families would bring some food from home to share with their roommates. She actually didn't want what others gave her because she knew that she had nothing to give others. The food given by her family wasn't enough for her to eat, and she didn't have any snacks to bring. However, she didn't know how to reject others 'kindness.
She was dressed the worst among the girls in the class and ate the worst. Moreover, her family was a landlord. She did not want to appear in a crowded place. She always felt that someone would point fingers at her.
As time passed, her roommates started to have opinions of her. They felt that she was stingy and liked to take advantage of others. Slowly, everyone could see her poverty. They also learned about her family's situation from the students in the same village. Many girls in the class hated her. It was her fault for being the most beautiful girl in the class. This was a sin.
Many boys liked to show off in front of her, including the class monitor, Gu Yangmin. In fact, she was still a little tempted. She knew that many female classmates liked Gu Yangmin, which made her a little proud. However, she often thought of the figure who secretly scraped the vegetable soup. Among all the boys, this figure was the closest to her, but he suddenly went to work at the county revolutionary committee. She was happy for him and disappointed for herself. Ever since they met at the school gate, they had not seen each other again. She originally thought that the two of them would become strangers from now on. A few days ago, she was still considering Gu Yangmin. If the two of them could get together, she would be able to marry into this family that everyone in the county envied after graduation. Her parents had placed all their hopes on her marriage.
Many girls called her a vixen behind her back. She knew that and she also knew where her capital was. She knew how to make use of it and altered her old clothes to make them fit her body.
Until today, when she met Sun Shaoping again, she was so excited when she saw him.
He was so humorous, considerate, and overbearing. It turned out that he had always remembered her. This made her feel that what she had thought a few days ago was too shameful. She had betrayed him.
However, he went to the capital and went to the coal department of the government. He was too fast, but he promised to wait for her at the university. He said that there were many beautiful women in the university, and she understood what he meant. He encouraged her to work hard. She would not let this man down.
Zhang Xiaoying, who was in the same dormitory, smiled and said,"We know that friend of yours. Is he Sun Shaoping?"”She was the only one in the dormitory who did not eat He Hongmei's food.
Zhang Xiaoying had always liked Gu Yangmin and even washed his clothes for him. Ever since Hao Hongmei and Gu Yangmin had an ambiguous relationship, she had been causing trouble for Hao Hongmei in the dormitory. She often laughed at Hao Hongmei's poor appearance in public and even slandered her behind her back, saying that Hao Hongmei had slept with several men.
"Yeah, it's him," Hao Hongmei said with a smile.”
"How many is this?" Zhang Xiaoying asked her harshly.”
Hao Hongmei was so angry that her ears were red and tears were falling, but she was helpless. Zhang Xiaoying's uncle was Zhang Youzhi from the county revolutionary committee. She heard that he had a lot of power. It didn't matter if she suffered some grievances. Who asked her to have an ambiguous relationship with Gu Yangmin some time ago? But she was afraid that these words would spread to Sun Shaoping's ears because Sun Shaoping's good friend Jin Bo was in their class. Although she and Gu Yangmin actually had nothing going on, what would Sun Shaoping think? Moreover, her reputation in class was indeed very bad. What should she do?
"Look, you're pretending to be pitiful again.”Zhang Xiaoying sneered.
Yang Lili, who had a good relationship with Hao Hongmei, pointed at her and said,"Zhang Xiaoying, you piece of trash. You only know how to bully Hongmei. Come on, let's try. I'll tear your mouth apart.”
Yang Li Li was tall and muscular. No one dared to fight her among the girls.
Zhang Xiaoying also extinguished her earlier arrogance and muttered,"A dog catching a mouse."
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]