Chapter 70 of 100

Chapter 70

11 min read2,657 words

Around five o'clock, Qi Qingnuo came upstairs to invite Yang Jingxing to have dinner together. Sigh, she was already quite strong, and now she had put on a black beret, wearing a brownish-red mid-length jacket that didn't quite fit her well. Her outfit didn't quite match her fair and slightly mature face. If you said it matched, it made you imagine what she would look like if she were more feminine. If you said it didn't match, it had its own charm.

Qi Qingnuo asked, "Are you writing something new? There's been no sound at all... Let me see, is it a song or a piece of music?"

Yang Jingxing replied, "It could be a piece of music, or I could write a song. I'm preparing both."

Qi Qingnuo hummed a few notes and asked, "Is it a duet?"

Yang Jingxing nodded, "Piano and trumpet."

Qi Qingnuo asked, "For Yu Xinting?"

Yang Jingxing shook his head and took a deep breath, "For Tao Meng."

Qi Qingnuo chuckled, "That's a heavy burden, take it easy... Do you need help?"

Yang Jingxing asked, "Can you teach me to play the guitar?"

Qi Qingnuo shook her head, "You should ask my dad, I haven't learned half of what he knows."

Yang Jingxing said, "That would be too much to ask."

Qi Qingnuo said, "I'm right here, think of a way."

Yang Jingxing nodded, "I'll treat you to dinner."

Qi Qingnuo took the initiative, "I'll call Yu Xinting, what is she doing?"

"She has a private lesson, she's downstairs."

The two went down to the second floor and found that Li Yingzhen hadn't left yet, and was giving Yu Xinting some tasks. Seeing Yang Jingxing, Li Yingzhen asked how his semester tasks were prepared. It meant that Yang Jingxing not only needed to have a composition but also a performance. Yang Jingxing would be a piano major next year and would pursue a double degree.

Then, Li Yingzhen wanted to go to room 402. Seeing all the equipment, she asked Yang Jingxing, "Are these all yours... Usually, it's just the three of you?"

Yang Jingxing said, "Often, they have guests, but I don't."

Li Yingzhen wanted to hear Yang Jingxing's debut work, so the three of them performed. It was a report performance, and they were all very serious, but it lacked a bit of fun.

After listening, Li Yingzhen said, "Let's go, you need to eat too."

On the way down, Li Yingzhen commented, "It lacks your personal style, it sounds very commercial, overly pursuing a good melody can make it shallow and not enjoyable to listen to repeatedly..."

Yang Jingxing said embarrassedly, "Thank you, teacher, for your strict requirements!"

Li Yingzhen added, "Write some piano pieces, don't always let Xinting play the drums."

After Li Yingzhen left, the three went to eat. Qi Qingnuo said, "Let's not have hotpot, let's try something fresh."

Yu Xinting agreed, "I was thinking the same."

Yang Jingxing asked, "What do you want to eat?"

Yu Xinting said, "Barbecue, what about you?"

Qi Qingnuo said, "I like it too, good sister!"

Yang Jingxing said, "I know a place, and I can introduce you to someone."

So they called An Xin, and the four of them went to Fu's Barbecue. The Fu couple welcomed Yang Jingxing, and they were surprised to see so many people.

Fu Feirong was startled, "Hello... please sit."

Yang Jingxing said, "Let me introduce you, this is Fu Feirong, her nickname is Panpan."

Fu Feirong looked a bit awkward, "Sit down... thank you... What would you like to eat?"

Yang Jingxing continued, "These three are from the music college, Qi Qingnuo, An Xin, and Yu Xinting."

Fu Feirong nodded repeatedly with a smile. An Xin and Yu Xinting greeted her, and Qi Qingnuo said, "This is pretty good."

After sitting down, An Xin sat next to her, and Yang Jingxing sat next to Yu Xinting. Fu Feirong brought the menu and handed it to Yang Jingxing, who then passed it to Yu Xinting. Yu Xinting was pleasantly surprised, "I want to eat grilled fish, Yidu-style grilled fish!"

Yang Jingxing surprised Yu Xinting, "They are from Yidu, it must be authentic."

Yu Xinting opened her eyes wide, "Really!?"

Fu Feirong didn't seem too surprised, nodded, and smiled.

"You live..." Yu Xinting started in her local dialect, "Which part do you live in?"

Fu Feirong, feeling a sense of familiarity, also spoke in the dialect, "Actually, we are from Mian County, it's a two-hour drive to Yidu."

Yu Xinting was still happy, "It's the same, what a coincidence... When did you meet?"

Yang Jingxing laughed, "Two or three months ago, I often come for late-night snacks."

Yu Xinting scolded, "Why didn't you tell me earlier! I wouldn't have eaten hotpot."

Fu Panpan's sister-in-law also joined in, trying to build a relationship with Yu Xinting, saying she would grill a big fish for her and offer a discount, "Only fifteen yuan per pound, let's get a four or five-pound one."

Yu Xinting had no concept and asked Yang Jingxing, "Can we finish it? One pound per person."

Yang Jingxing nodded, "Actually, it's not that much... An Xin, you and Qi Qingnuo look at the menu, there are many options."

After ordering, Yu Xinting was still excited in the dialect, "Grilled fish, grilled fish, I love grilled fish."

The other three laughed, and Yu Xinting became embarrassed, switching back to Mandarin, "It's really delicious, you'll see when you try it."

Qi Qingnuo said, "I know, I've had it a few times."

Yu Xinting was surprised, "You've been here?"

Qi Qingnuo laughed, "Not here, and not with him... I haven't brought you here, so it's not my turn."

An Xin also said, "Following you, we get to enjoy good food."

Yu Xinting giggled, "Not really, I'm just a foodie... How lucky, I didn't eat enough at lunch, now I'm so hungry."

Fu Feirong came to ask, "Do you want the fish to be more flavorful?"

Yang Jingxing said, "A bit lighter than my taste, the soup too."

Fu Feirong nodded, "Okay, please wait a moment."

Qi Qingnuo remembered and called out, "Hey... Panpan, bring two more bottles of beer."

Fu Feirong nodded, looking at Yang Jingxing, "Ten yuan beer?"

Fu Feirong was quite busy, catching a live fish from the tank at the door, and with great effort, put it in a plastic bag, weighed it, and carried it to the kitchen.

The fish was quite large and still lively in the plastic bag. Suddenly, the plastic bag broke, and the dark, forty to fifty centimeter long fish fell to the ground, wriggling and thrashing.

"Ah!" Yu Xinting liked to eat it but was startled. The three girls lifted their feet, afraid that the fish would thrash under the table.

Fu Feirong quickly bent down, struggling to catch the fish and put it back in the bag. Unfortunately, she was a bit weak, and the fish was too slippery, making it difficult.

Yang Jingxing got up from his chair, grabbed the fish's head with one hand, and controlled the tail with the other. He used a lot of force, possibly stunning the fish.

Yu Xinting exclaimed, "So big, what if we can't finish it?"

Fu Feirong looked around anxiously, trying to figure out how to take the fish. Yang Jingxing said, "I'll help you take it in, I need to wash my hands."

Fu Feirong nodded in agreement and led the way.

Fu Feirong's brother and a chef were busy in the narrow kitchen. He thanked Yang Jingxing. Fu Feirong found a new bar of soap and a lot of paper towels, letting Yang Jingxing wash and dry his hands.

Yang Jingxing asked casually, "How's your reading going?"

Fu Feirong smiled, "I'm reading... I bought an electronic keyboard, for a thousand yuan."

Yang Jingxing asked, "Can you read sheet music?"

Fu Feirong said, "I have to try it out phrase by phrase... I keep it here, it's fine."

Yang Jingxing encouraged, "Listen more and practice more, you'll get it eventually."

Fu Feirong smiled.

After Yang Jingxing returned to his seat, Fu Feirong brought the beer and drinks and sat down next to him, separated by the aisle.

Yang Jingxing asked to switch seats with Yu Xinting, "Sit over here, you can chat with your fellow townspeople."

Yu Xinting was happy, and Fu Feirong still smiled.

Yu Xinting asked Fu Feirong, "How long have you been in Puhai?"

Fu Feirong said, "Two years, the shop has been open for three years."

Yu Xinting seemed hesitant to ask about age, "How old are you?"

Fu Feirong absentmindedly drew on the order pad with a pen, "Eighteen."

Yu Xinting was surprised, "You're younger than me." Seeing Yang Jingxing pour her a glass of juice, she asked Fu Feirong, "Do you want to drink?"

Fu Feirong shook her head, "No, I don't."

Yu Xinting asked, "Do you live in this neighborhood?"

Fu Feirong said, "No, it's a bit far."

Yu Xinting introduced, "He lives here, and I give private lessons here... Come to our school when you have time."

Fu Feirong chuckled.

Yu Xinting enthusiastically, "Leave your phone number."

Fu Feirong seemed a bit passive, "Sure."

Yang Jingxing suggested, "You can go sing together, she sings well."

Yu Xinting was surprised, "Really, too bad I can't."

Qi Qingnuo asked Yang Jingxing, "You've heard her."

Yang Jingxing said, "Once."

Fu Feirong kept shaking her head, "I can't sing, I'm not good."

Qi Qingnuo said, "He says you can, so you can, even if you can't."

Yang Jingxing said, "They are piano majors, I'm in the composition department, don't be modest about singing."

Yu Xinting giggled, "I believe him, you must sing well... You can come to our school when you have time."

Fu Feirong shook her head, "No time."

Yu Xinting remembered, "Right, when do you start work? Are you free in the morning?"

Fu Feirong shook her head.

Yu Xinting asked, "You must have days off, right? I have a private lesson tomorrow, we can go back to school together at noon? I can show you around."

Fu Feirong still shook her head, "No trouble, I'll go to the kitchen..."

Qi Qingnuo looked back and praised Yang Jingxing, "You have friends everywhere."

Yang Jingxing said, "Not really, I've heard her sing once, her voice is good."

An Xin agreed, "I can tell, it's a bit different."

Qi Qingnuo lamented, "She can't even speak Mandarin well."

Yang Jingxing said, "Who says you have to sing in Mandarin?"

"Is it Cantonese?"

Yang Jingxing called Yu Xinting, "Sing in the dialect."

Yu Xinting prepared and sang, "Grilled chicken wings, I like to eat... When I sing, it doesn't sound like the dialect." Then she read it in the dialect, "Grilled chicken wings, I like to eat..."

Qi Qingnuo and An Xin both laughed.

After a while, the dishes arrived, a large plate of steaming hot grilled fish. Yu Xinting tapped the plate with chopsticks, and Qi Qingnuo filled the beer glasses for herself and Yang Jingxing.

Yu Xinting also asked Fu Feirong, "Have you eaten?"

Fu Feirong nodded, "Eat slowly."

Qi Qingnuo and Yang Jingxing clinked glasses, and Yu Xinting exclaimed, "So delicious, really delicious! Is it spicy?"

An Xin shook her head, "Not too spicy, the fish meat is very tender... There's also tofu."

Qi Qingnuo drank half a glass of beer, tasted the fish, and then scolded Yang Jingxing, "You only brought us here today, do you indulge yourself every day?"

Yang Jingxing said, "I haven't been here for a while, and it's my first time ordering grilled fish."

Qi Qingnuo asked, "You're so convenient, you can go out whenever you want. There's nothing within a few miles of my house, it's terrible."

Yu Xinting said, "Actually, it takes him a while to walk out, it's a bit far."

Qi Qingnuo asked, "Have you been to his house?"

Yu Xinting shook her head, "Just seen the outside."

Qi Qingnuo suggested, "Go to your house later?"

Yang Jingxing said, "There's nothing to do there." To Yu Xinting, "Later, invite your fellow townspeople to the school, let her sing a couple of songs, to prove I'm not lying."

Yu Xinting was a bit surprised, "Okay."

Fu Feirong's sister-in-law came to ask about the taste of the dishes, and Yu Xinting said it was good, then asked, "Can you give her a break later? We want to invite her to the school."

The woman, who was also in her twenties, said yes and went to inform Fu Feirong.

After eating for a while, Yu Xinting looked around, "Where did she go? Where is she?"

Fu Feirong's sister-in-law said, "She went back to get something, she'll be back soon, she's taking a taxi, it's fast."

Before Yang Jingxing and the others finished, Fu Feirong returned, changed into a different outfit. Hey, she looked quite fashionable, just the boots were a bit too flashy.

Qi Qingnuo laughed, "Panpan, you really think highly of our school."

Fu Feirong still looked a bit awkward, "Is the food enough?"

Yu Xinting started patting her stomach, poking and flipping the food, already losing her appetite. Yang Jingxing cleaned up and then paid the bill.

The boss lady calculated, "One hundred and eighty-five, give you one hundred and fifty."

An Xin smiled, but Yang Jingxing said no, insisting, "Then I won't come next time."

Yu Xinting was already pulling on Fu Feirong's arm, "We're about the same height... She's so tall? There's another one taller, up to his ears." She was definitely talking about He Peiyuan.

Fu Feirong chuckled, "Your school is full of beauties."

Qi Qingnuo hugged Yu Xinting from the other side, "We make Puyin proud."

Yang Jingxing's car was parked by the roadside, just like when they came. Qi Qingnuo still sat in the front, and Yu Xinting and An Xin sat in the back. Fu Feirong's sister-in-law was still there, asking Yang Jingxing, "Is Panpan coming back with you tonight?"

Yang Jingxing said, "I'll make sure to bring her back to you."

Fu Feirong said in the dialect to her sister-in-law, "Don't worry, it's fine."

The boss lady reminded, "Don't be nervous, just sing when they ask you, it's not like you're losing money or rice."

"Got it, you go back."

Next to Fu's Barbecue was a noodle shop. The middle-aged boss lady, who was a local, called out, "Panpan, where are you going?"

The sister-in-law answered, "Going to the university with some friends."

After getting in the car, Fu Feirong sat in the middle of the back seat. An Xin envied, "You and your sister-in-law have a good relationship."

Fu Feirong smiled, "I introduced her to my brother."

Yang Jingxing envied even more, "Too bad I don't have a sister."

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