Chapter Eighty-Nine: Let’s Talk a Little Longer

"Yes, yes, Third Brother, you eat. I’m making some more to take along with you."

With that, Du Man went into the kitchen and got busy.

Zhang Mingyang gave Xu Fei a thumbs-up.

"What is it?" Xu Fei asked with a smile when he saw him like that.

"Same as husband and wife, just look at you two."

"What, Third Brother, you think marriage is good again?"

Zhang Mingyang waved his hand with a laugh.

"Ah, me? I’ll never meet a wife like my younger brother’s wife in this life, so I won’t go looking for that sort of restlessness."

"You, Third Brother, just haven’t met the right person yet," Xu Fei said, placing a pancake into Zhang Mingyang’s bowl.

"Is that so? Maybe."

Zhang Mingyang took a bite. "Mm, delicious!"

The two of them ate there.

Outside the door, Xu Qing and Xu Yun came in too.

"Come on, call him Third Brother," Xu Fei called to them.

Xu Qing nodded at Zhang Mingyang and then went into the house.

Xu Yun obediently bowed to Zhang Mingyang.

Zhang Mingyang smiled and pulled Xu Yun in front of him.

"Kid, you’re pretty sturdy, aren’t you?"

Xu Yun smiled a little shyly.

"Go wash your hands and come eat pancakes with us."

Xu Yun nodded and went to wash up.

"Is that your sister?" Zhang Mingyang asked in a lowered voice after seeing Xu Yun leave, still smiling.

Xu Fei nodded somewhat embarrassedly.

"Third Brother, this younger sister of mine wouldn’t even call me brother when she sees me."

"Really?"

Zhang Mingyang shook his head with a smile.

"That look tells me she’s a fierce one. By the way, is it because of those things from before?"

Xu Fei nodded.

"All right, take it slowly. Maybe someday she’ll understand how hard it is for you as her brother."

"I hope so."

Just then Xu Yun came in smiling.

Zhang Mingyang pulled him to sit beside him.

"Here."

He passed Xu Yun a pancake.

"Thank you, Third Brother."

Xu Yun was very sweet-tongued.

Zhang Mingyang chuckled and patted Xu Yun on the back.

"Kid, not bad. Your mouth’s even sweeter than your brother’s."

Xu Fei also smiled and poured soy sauce for Xu Yun.

Xu Qing came out at this time as well.

She simply sat quietly across from the three of them.

"Here, little sister."

Zhang Mingyang also gave her a pancake.

Xu Qing only smiled and nodded.

But she did not hand her bowl over to Zhang Mingyang.

"Xu Qing, take it," Xu Fei said, a little annoyed.

Xu Qing shot Xu Fei a glare.

"Are you leaving soon?"

"Huh? How do you know?"

Xu Qing sneered.

"Sister-in-law already said that when you leave, she’d make pancakes for us."

Xu Fei and Zhang Mingyang exchanged a glance.

Both of them smiled.

"Xu Fei, how long are you going away this time?"

"I..." Xu Fei thought for a moment and said, "Don’t worry. When your college entrance exams come, I’ll definitely be back."

"I didn’t say that. Sister-in-law will be enough for the exams."

As she spoke, Xu Qing lowered her head and began eating the pancake.

Xu Fei looked helplessly at Zhang Mingyang.

"All right, eat."

Zhang Mingyang spoke and again gave Xu Yun another pancake.

The meal was finished in the awkward atmosphere among the four of them.

By then, Du Man had also packed two lunch boxes.

"Here, this one’s for you and Third Brother."

Xu Fei took the lunch box from Du Man and stuffed them all into his bag.

"Oh, right, do you want to take some pickles with you?"

Du Man took a glass jar out from the kitchen.

"Forget it. We’re only going for a few days. If we’re hungry, we can eat out."

"But food outside won’t taste as good as this," Du Man said, stuffing the pickles into the bag.

Zhang Mingyang said enviously, "Sister-in-law, the way you are really makes me jealous of this kid."

"Third Brother, if you’re jealous of him, then hurry up and find us a sister-in-law too."

Zhang Mingyang froze.

"Why are you saying that too? Did Xu Fei tell you plenty about my business?"

Du Man looked at Xu Fei with a smile.

"He? In front of me, he never even mentions a thing about you brothers. But Third Brother, looking at the hole in your hem, I can tell you’ve definitely never had a woman looking after you."

Hearing that, Zhang Mingyang lowered his head to look at the left hem of his clothes, and sure enough there was a hole, scorched from a cigarette.

Xu Fei glanced at it.

"Haha, Third Brother, you’re really something, aren’t you? How did you sew it up into a knot like that?"

It turned out that Zhang Mingyang had stitched the tear with thread in a random, bag-mouth sort of way.

From the outside, it looked like a little knot.

"I..." Zhang Mingyang shook his head awkwardly.

"My old man can’t do it either. I, I can’t just go and find a wife over something like this, can I?"

"So, Third Brother, you really should think about it."

"Forget it, forget it. Why is everyone talking to me about this today? I, Zhang Mingyang, am perfectly fine on my own."

As he spoke, he stood up and nodded at Du Man with a smile.

"Thanks, sister-in-law."

After saying that, Zhang Mingyang took out his cigarettes.

"Old Four, come outside and have one."

Xu Fei smiled and followed him out.

The two of them leaned by the doorway.

Zhang Mingyang lit a cigarette and glanced at Du Man, who was busy tidying up inside.

"I’m telling you, Old Four, you really are a lucky man."

"So?" Xu Fei took a puff with a smile.

"I’m honestly starting to be tempted by what you all said."

The two looked at each other and burst into laughter.

...

Half past four.

East Sea Railway Station.

Xu Fei set the bag in his hand on the ground and checked the time.

"Let’s go sit over there first."

He pointed to a bench nearby.

Zhang Mingyang nodded.

He was only carrying a backpack.

The two sat down on the bench.

"Brother, may I ask where you’re going?"

A man in his forties, dressed like a farmer, sitting beside them, turned his head to Zhang Mingyang and asked.

Zhang Mingyang studied the man.

"Nanjing."

"What a coincidence."

The farmer nodded with a smile.

"I’m going to Nanjing too."

"Mm."

Zhang Mingyang nodded politely and then looked toward Xu Fei beside him.

Clearly, he did not want anything to do with this sort of person.

"Hey, brother, can I ask you something?"

Zhang Mingyang frowned.

A little impatient, he turned to look at the man.

"Go ahead."

"Uh, this is my first time taking a train, and, uh, how do I get on?"

Zhang Mingyang smiled.

"Your first time?"

"Yeah."

"All right, follow us later. We’ll take you there."

When the farmer heard him say that, he thanked him repeatedly.

"Oh, brother, thank you so much. I’ve really met a good person."

"All right, no need to thank me."

Zhang Mingyang waved his hand and turned back toward Xu Fei.

But before he could speak to Xu Fei—

"I say, brother?"

Zhang Mingyang was truly getting impatient.

He turned back to the farmer.

"Are you annoying or what? Didn’t I say you could just follow us and get on later? What else do you want?"

The farmer was startled by Zhang Mingyang’s sudden change in expression.

He smiled awkwardly.

"I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I just wanted to chat with you a bit longer."