Chapter 233 - 91: Drinking Tea and Chatting
Qin Mei didn’t give Jie Jingchen a chance to speak, whispering, "You cooked so much. Can we finish it all?"
When she was buying the prepared food, she had been thinking that Jie Jingchen could just cook two dishes, one meat and one vegetable. Even if he didn’t cook, the food she bought was enough for the four of them. But in the end, Jie Jingchen had cooked four dishes and a soup.
Jie Jingchen didn’t say anything, and Qin Mei shut her mouth too. ’He’s hosting a comrade-in-arms. What’s wrong with cooking a few extra dishes?’
"Jing Si, got any alcohol?" Gao Hai asked.
’Alcohol?’ Qin Mei froze, glancing sideways at Jie Jingchen. In her memory, Jie Jingchen never drank. No smoking, no drinking—the perfect man. She had a thing for men who didn’t smoke or drink.
With a man who liked to smoke, she’d have to breathe secondhand smoke, which would affect her health. With a man who liked to drink, he might get drunk and act crazy, which was a huge headache.
"I remember your wife doesn’t like you drinking," Jie Jingchen reminded him.
"My wife won’t get mad if I’m drinking with you," Gao Hai said with a smile. He was craving a drink. He’d lost track of how long it had been since his last one. If he didn’t have a glass soon, he’d start to wonder if he’d actually quit.
"I’ve quit drinking," Jie Jingchen said. If Gao Hai insisted on drinking, he would indulge him, but he wouldn’t drink with him.
Gao Hai’s mouth twitched. He looked at Qin Mei with admiration. Before they joined the army, he and Jie Jingchen used to both smoke and drink. Jie Jingchen came from a well-off family and would often sneak alcohol from home to share with him. They would get drunk and say whatever was on their minds, even boasting that they’d rather have cigarettes and alcohol for company than get married and have kids.
"When did you quit drinking?" Gao Hai asked.
"When I got injured," Jie Jingchen replied.
Gao Hai fell silent for a moment. On every mission, Jie Jingchen always went all out, and the leaders could only feel helpless watching his reckless drive.
"What about smoking?" Gao Hai asked.
"Quit that too," Jie Jingchen replied.
"That’s impressive." Gao Hai looked at Jie Jingchen with admiration. He was a heavy smoker and found it incredibly difficult to quit, though he made sure not to smoke in front of his kid. As for alcohol, he could take it or leave it.
"Get seriously injured a few more times, and you’ll be able to quit smoking and drinking too," Jie Jingchen teased.
Gao Hai glared at him. "Can’t you wish me well for once? Forget a few more times—I don’t think I could even handle one serious injury."
Qin Mei was dishing out rice. She filled two bowls, one for Jing Qi and one for herself. Since she hadn’t cooked, only getting rice for herself and Jing Qi seemed too selfish, so she looked at the two men and asked, "So, are you two drinking or not?"
"It was hard enough to quit, so I’m not drinking." Jie Jingchen’s attitude was firm. He hadn’t quit smoking and drinking for anyone; he was forced to after being severely injured. "What about you?"
Gao Hai’s mouth twitched. He shot an irritated glare at Jie Jingchen and picked up his bowl to get some rice. "If you’re not drinking, who am I supposed to drink with?"
Jie Jingchen also picked up his bowl to get rice. Qin Mei had wanted to serve them, but they were too independent, leaving her no chance to show she could be helpful. She sat down next to Jing Qi, picked up her bowl and chopsticks, and began to eat.
"Sister-in-law, what do you think? Is my cooking better, or Jing Si’s?" Gao Hai asked eagerly.
"You cooked this?" Qin Mei was shocked, but her gaze shifted to Jie Jingchen.
"He likes to show off, so naturally, I had to indulge him and give him a chance," Jie Jingchen said, eating gracefully.
Gao Hai shot Jie Jingchen a look. ’Did he want to show off? It was obviously Jie Jingchen who told him to cook.’ ’Whatever,’ he thought, ’I’ll be the bigger man and not stoop to his level.’ He looked at Qin Mei and asked, "You couldn’t tell?"
Qin Mei gave an awkward smile. She really hadn’t been able to tell. "They’re both delicious."
"Brother Gao Hai, why aren’t you asking me?" Jie Jingshan spoke up.
"Is it good?" Gao Hai asked perfunctorily.
"It’s not good," Jie Jingshan said without a shred of mercy.
Gao Hai rolled his eyes. Jie Jingchen remained silent. Qin Mei was silent too. ’Jing Qi is way too direct,’ she thought.
"Well, well! It’s not about coming back early, but about coming back at the right time. You’ve already started eating? Brother Gao Hai is here too?" Jie Jingjue, drawn by the smell of food, appeared. His mouth watered as he stared at the table full of dishes. Without waiting for an invitation, he grabbed a bowl and chopsticks, filled his bowl with rice, and sat down next to Jie Jingchen to dig in.
Qin Mei had to admire Jie Jingjue’s thick skin. Every time they had a falling out, he would act as if nothing had happened the very next day. Jie Jingjue didn’t have many good qualities, but if you had to find one, it was that he didn’t hold a grudge.
At the dinner table, Gao Hai didn’t tease Jie Jingjue. With Jie Jingjue joining in, the five of them polished off nearly everything on the packed table. After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Jie Jingjue was about to slip away when Gao Hai called out to him.
"Jing Wu, your fourth brother and I made the hot dishes, and your fourth sister-in-law bought the cold dishes. That means the bowls are your responsibility to wash, right?" Gao Hai said.