Chapter 14: I Think You’ve Been Talking a Bit Too Much Today

Tang Xiaoxiao actually didn’t know how to kill fish. The main problem was that fish were slippery and she couldn’t hold them.

She reached into the carrying basket, closed her eyes, and just as she grabbed the fish, it fell to the ground and bounced a few times.

“Oh my god, Song Jingzhi, Song Jingzhi.” She took a few steps back in fright.

“Pfft.” Song Jingzhi laughed. “Calling me and your mother won’t help.”

She turned her head and glanced at him. Why did Song Jingzhi, sitting in a wheelchair, seem so annoying?

She saw the firewood piled in the corner and walked over to pick up a long piece.

“What are you doing?”

“Guess.” She said, picking up the firewood and swinging it hard at the big black fish. The fish bounced up in the air, scaring her back again.

“Hiss…” Song Jingzhi felt a chill down his spine.

“You’re still bouncing? I’ll teach you to be cocky.” She swung the stick twice more, breaking the fish’s flesh.

“Can we still eat this?” He looked at the somewhat gruesome fish on the ground.

“We can eat it. We definitely can.”

She picked up the fish from the ground, removed the innards and gills, washed the fish, and rinsed the fish blood off the ground.

Song Jingzhi followed her into the kitchen and watched her skin the fish, remove the bones, and start chopping the fish meat.

“This fish is a bit miserable.”

First, it was beaten to death with a stick, then it was beaten twice more after death, skinned, boned, and finally turned into minced meat.

Tang Xiaoxiao walked up to him and looked down at him.

Her sudden closeness brought a faint scent of gardenia, making his ears turn red again.

“Song Jingzhi, I think you’ve been talking a bit too much today.”

“Have, have I?” He turned his head, embarrassed to look at her.

“Go help with the fire.” She pushed him to the stove. He looked at her but didn’t move.

“What’s wrong? You hurt your leg, not your hand.”

“Yeah.” He nodded and started helping with the fire.

He watched her boil a pot of water, then wash her hands and roll the minced fish into balls, putting them into the pot.

“You seem to be a good cook.”

The braised spare ribs and meatball soup yesterday were not something everyone could make. And this fishball soup, people nowadays just put the fish in the pot, boil it with water, and it has a strong fishy smell.

“If you like to eat, you like to cook.”

She looked at the vegetable patch outside and picked two cucumbers and about ten green peppers. She also peeled a few sweet potatoes, washed the rice.

“Put some fire under the other pot. I’m going to cook sweet potato rice.”

“Okay.” Song Jingzhi replied and quickly lit the fire.

“Are you going to cook for my father and mother too?” She looked at the amount she was cooking, which seemed a bit much.

“That’s a silly question. Am I only cooking for the two of us? Is that even reasonable? Besides, you can move around now, so I think you shouldn’t eat in bed anymore. It’s more lively to eat together.”

“Yeah.” Song Jingzhi looked up at her. She was like a light, illuminating his life.

When he was in the army, his life was all about training and missions. After he was injured and returned home, he could only sit in bed. His parents had to go to work during the day, and he only had a few books to keep him company.

The fishball soup was ready. Tang Xiaoxiao ladled it into a basin and pulled two scallions from the vegetable patch, washed them, chopped them into sections, and sprinkled them on top.

She then washed the pot, washed the green peppers and cucumbers, slapped the green peppers twice on the cutting board, put oil in the pot, and started frying the green peppers. She also made sliced cucumbers.

“I wonder whose food smells so good. It turns out it’s Xiaoxiao cooking.” Song’s mother walked in at that moment and saw Song Jingzhi tending the fire at the stove.

“Oh, whose good son is this? He even knows how to help with the fire.”

“What are you talking about?” Song Jingzhi glanced at his mother.

“Auntie, the food is ready. We can eat when Uncle comes back.” Tang Xiaoxiao smiled.

“Why did you make some for us? You’re so kind.” Song’s mother’s face was full of smiles.

“Comrade Song helped with the fire. It’s not hard work.” She glanced at Song Jingzhi, making his ears turn red again.

When Song’s father came back, they started eating. This was the first time the four of them ate at the same table.

“This fishball soup is so delicious.” Song’s father and mother praised Tang Xiaoxiao’s cooking skills.

“It’s still good to have a daughter. Xiaoxiao, your parents are so lucky. Look at you, you’re so thoughtful and you can cook. Unlike me and your uncle, sigh!” Song’s mother glanced at Song Jingzhi.

“Mother, if you’re going to praise, just praise. Don’t put one down to lift another up.”

“Hey, did I say something wrong? You can’t even…” find a daughter-in-law for me.

“Eat, eat.” Song’s father was afraid that Song’s mother’s words would make Tang Xiaoxiao laugh, so he quickly scooped a fishball for her.

“Auntie, Comrade Song is very good.”

Hearing Tang Xiaoxiao praise her son, Song’s mother was very happy. “It’s good that you think so.”

“Mother.” What are you saying?

Tang Xiaoxiao, who had been quite bold in front of Song Jingzhi, blushed at Song’s mother’s words.

Song’s mother realized that she had said something wrong. “Xiaoxiao, Auntie doesn’t have a filter. I’m used to speaking casually. Don’t take it to heart. Auntie didn’t mean it that way.”

“Auntie, it’s okay. Let’s eat.” Tang Xiaoxiao lowered her head and ate, picking up a fried pepper and taking a bite.

She looked at the vegetable patch outside and picked two cucumbers and about ten green peppers. She also peeled a few sweet potatoes, washed the rice.

“Put some fire under the other pot. I’m going to cook sweet potato rice.”

“Okay.” Song Jingzhi replied and quickly lit the fire.

“Are you going to cook for my father and mother too?” She looked at the amount she was cooking, which seemed a bit much.

“That’s a silly question. Am I only cooking for the two of us? Is that even reasonable? Besides, you can move around now, so I think you shouldn’t eat in bed anymore. It’s more lively to eat together.”

“Yeah.” Song Jingzhi looked up at her. She was like a light, illuminating his life.

When he was in the army, his life was all about training and missions. After he was injured and returned home, he could only sit in bed. His parents had to go to work during the day, and he only had a few books to keep him company.

The fishball soup was ready. Tang Xiaoxiao ladled it into a basin and pulled two scallions from the vegetable patch, washed them, chopped them into sections, and sprinkled them on top.

She then washed the pot, washed the green peppers and cucumbers, slapped the green peppers twice on the cutting board, put oil in the pot, and started frying the green peppers. She also made sliced cucumbers.

“I wonder whose food smells so good. It turns out it’s Xiaoxiao cooking.” Song’s mother walked in at that moment and saw Song Jingzhi tending the fire at the stove.

“Oh, whose good son is this? He even knows how to help with the fire.”

“What are you talking about?” Song Jingzhi glanced at his mother.

“Auntie, the food is ready. We can eat when Uncle comes back.” Tang Xiaoxiao smiled.

“Why did you make some for us? You’re so kind.” Song’s mother’s face was full of smiles.

“Comrade Song helped with the fire. It’s not hard work.” She glanced at Song Jingzhi, making his ears turn red again.

When Song’s father came back, they started eating. This was the first time the four of them ate at the same table.

“This fishball soup is so delicious.” Song’s father and mother praised Tang Xiaoxiao’s cooking skills.

“It’s still good to have a daughter. Xiaoxiao, your parents are so lucky. Look at you, you’re so thoughtful and you can cook. Unlike me and your uncle, sigh!” Song’s mother glanced at Song Jingzhi.

“Mother, if you’re going to praise, just praise. Don’t put one down to lift another up.”

“Hey, did I say something wrong? You can’t even…” find a daughter-in-law for me.

“Eat, eat.” Song’s father was afraid that Song’s mother’s words would make Tang Xiaoxiao laugh, so he quickly scooped a fishball for her.

“Auntie, Comrade Song is very good.”

Hearing Tang Xiaoxiao praise her son, Song’s mother was very happy. “It’s good that you think so.”

“Mother.” What are you saying?

Tang Xiaoxiao, who had been quite bold in front of Song Jingzhi, blushed at Song’s mother’s words.

Song’s mother realized that she had said something wrong. “Xiaoxiao, Auntie doesn’t have a filter. I’m used to speaking casually. Don’t take it to heart. Auntie didn’t mean it that way.”

“Auntie, it’s okay. Let’s eat.” Tang Xiaoxiao lowered her head and ate, picking up a fried pepper and taking a bite.