Dong Qiangqiang stood up and cleared away the bowl quickly. He poured the leftovers into the vegetable soup that no one would eat again and poured them into the kitchen waste bin.
Under the sink is a high-power Siemens dishwasher, which is more than enough to hold more than 10 dishes at a time. However, Dong Qiangqiang didn't want to use the landlord's stuff. He rolled up his sleeves, poured the washing liquid skillfully and began to wash the dishes slowly.
The narration of the movie in the next room, the whispers in the corridor, the howling night wind outside the window and the vague conversations of the boys drifting into his ears from outside the door, all reminded Dong Qiangqiang unconsciously of the food he used to eat every night when he was at home. After dinner, he was responsible for washing the dishes.
He couldn't help but think of his parents in his hometown, and the movements of his hands slowed down unconsciously.
Should I book my flight tickets first? He asked himself softly, but he didn't know what day the exam would be. Should he go back before the exam or after the exam? If I go back before the exam, can I still review after I go back? How many days will it take to go back? When can I fly? Can I pass all the exams in one go and successfully enter the advanced stage of my master's degree?
His mind jumped from one thought to another, like he was lost on a highway with no exit, like he was spinning in an endless loop.
Suddenly, there was a crisp sound of bowls colliding with each other from behind. He turned his head halfway, but only saw Tong Lele's back.
"You put it there, it's not worth letting both of you get their hands on this little thing. I'll just clean it up later." Dong Qiangqiang advised, "There is good wine in the refrigerator."
"I'll clean it up for you, hurry up. Hey, I folded all these cold dishes, huh?" Tong Lele tidied them up quickly, "You eat so cleanly, your cooking skills have improved a lot."
"What progress has been made? It's far worse than before. I haven't cooked seriously since I moved in. At the beginning of the year, I was better at cooking than I am now." Dong Qiangqiang smiled helplessly, "The old lady hates oil fumes and doesn't like Chinese cooking."
"Some supermarkets sell semi-finished Italian meals such as seafood fried rice and peas and chicken rice. You can just heat them in a microwave. Although the taste is not comparable to fried ones, it is better than having vegetables, meat and no fumes. You can go back to it. Try it out and save yourself from eating Roujiamo all the time, which is not nutritious."
Dong Qiangqiang was overjoyed: "If it really exists, it would be simple. I will go look for it later. I haven't been to many supermarkets here."
"One year has passed before you know it," Tong Lele wiped her face with the back of her hand, "This year really didn't pass by, it was gone in a flash."
"Yeah, a year ago..." Dong Qiangqiang immediately realized something was wrong as soon as he said the words. How could he be so foolish as to mention a year ago before he had even drunk much? He quickly changed his words, "Thank you for the gift you prepared for the landlord. I neglected it and didn't even think about it."
Tong Lele obviously didn't care about what Dong Qiangqiang said. While wiping the table, she asked him: "Hey, why do you think she asked us to stay today?"
"You mean the landlord?"
"right."
"I think the main reason is that she wants me to take care of Zheng Chunhua. The two of them seem to have a good relationship. Last time something happened to me, my landlord informed Zheng Chunhua to go to the hospital as soon as possible."
"Hospital?" Tong Lele stopped what she was doing and raised her head, concern flashing in her eyes, "What happened to you? Did you catch a wild boar again (injured)?"...
"Not catching the wild boar is another stupid thing."
Dong Qiangqiang briefly described how he was poisoned after accidentally eating horse chestnuts, how he was sent to the hospital, and how his landlord treated him for this mistake.
Tong Lele listened quietly, sighed for a while, and resumed wiping the table.
"Maybe your landlord has been alone for too long. I hope there is someone who can talk to her often and read the newspaper to her every day. After all, people can't stand being alone as they get older, so she will tolerate your mistakes."
"Maybe your analysis is right, but Zheng Chunhua thinks there is another possibility: I am somewhat similar to the landlord's son, and seeing me can make her feel that her relatives are still around." Dong Qiangqiang drew a circle on his face, and the washing spirit Mo jumped on his face playfully.
"Do you look like her son?" Tong Lele seemed to be interested.
"Here, there is a photo of her son on the refrigerator." Dong Qiangqiang nuzzled his lips in the direction of the refrigerator, "Give me the iced grapes in the refrigerator first. It should be the best to drink now."
Tong Lele took out the wine from the refrigerator and handed it to Dong Qiangqiang, then looked at the photo on the refrigerator door for a long time, then turned to look at Dong Qiangqiang for a long time, and nodded: "Except for the different hair color, they are really alike. Hey, that's why she accepted you Is the rent so low?”
"Other than that, I can't think of any other reason. Of course, the old lady is really kind. When I first met her, she was bandaging a stray cat, the one on the fireplace."
The cat lay stretched out above the warm fireplace, purring evenly. His round belly bulged and deflated, and there were no signs of injury.
"Then you should really thank Zheng Chunhua. That girl looks very nice. Oh, by the way, I completed the physical examination at the nursing home this year and everything was normal. The director asked me when you would do it, but I said I didn't know."
"I probably won't go again."
Dong Qiangqiang put the washed pots and pans on the drain rack next to the sink, wrung out the towel in his hand and put it on the water pipe, watching the remaining water in the tableware dripping into the tray under the shelf. , and looked back outside the kitchen as if he was worried, listened for a while, and after making sure no one was coming, he said: "Lao Bai just gave me last year's money."
As he spoke, he paid attention to Tong Lele's expression. If she showed surprise, it meant that Lao Bai had not discussed it with her beforehand, and then he would have to consider whether to say the rest.
Tong Lele nodded without changing her expression: "I know."
Dong Qiangqiang lowered his voice while guarding against someone suddenly walking in: "He gave me 30,000 euros."
Tong Lele smiled, and the expression on her face seemed to have already known the number Dong Qiangqiang said: "This is a matter between you, you don't need to report it to me."
Seeing that Tong Lele's expression was sincere and not fake, Dong Qiangqiang walked up to her and expressed his doubts carefully: "But just now at the Christmas market, I saw you two... quarreling."
Tong Lele said nothing and returned to her seat. The expression on her face was not as relaxed as before.
Dong Qiangqiang picked up the wine bottle and slowly poured the ice grapes into the cup in front of Tong Lele: "Try the specialties we have here."
Tong Lele watched silently as the vortex on the surface of the amber liquid in the cup slowly disappeared.
"If... you two are because of money, I can transfer the money to you now. I don't need so much money. I can return all the extra money he gave you. You know, should I return it to him directly? It's possible. Lao Bai is a little... stubborn on this matter, you know what I mean."
"We didn't argue about money." Tong Lele picked up the wine glass and took a sip of ice wine, "It was about other things."
"You mean he bet against others, right?" Dong Qiangqiang simply pointed out, "You don't want him to take such risky money."
"Yes. This is one of them." Tong Lele took a big sip, and the wine in the glass was a little low.
"When did you start drinking so fast?" Dong Qiangqiang tried to relax the tense atmosphere, "Slow down, the wine is enough."
But before he could continue to ask what the other thing was, Tong Lele had already drank the last of the Fulgen in one gulp.
She put the empty cup on the table and stared at it for a long time. When she raised her head to look at Dong Qiangqiang, Dong Qiangqiang noticed something glistening in her eyes.
"She's back to find him." Tong Lele wiped the wine from her mouth.
