After bustling in the kitchen for the better part of the day, Qi Taiguo came back early around five o’clock, rolled up his sleeves, and started to help Cheng Su with the work—killing fish.
He deftly cleaned a lively big grass carp in just a few moments. Cheng Su found it strange; after all, he had been a soldier for over a decade. One would think he wouldn’t know how to do household chores, yet there he was, killing a fish like a pro, not even bursting its gallbladder.
"Before I joined the army, I was already a lad who could handle work. Didn’t my dad sell fish for a while? I helped him with the stall and killed fish. Wasn’t that just a trifle?" Qi Taiguo said with a smile, "I can kill chickens too. From now on, don’t you do it; if the chicken makes a fuss and hits you, be careful not to get cut by the knife."
"Wow, today it was Old Madam Liang who helped me wring the chicken’s neck," said Cheng Su with a raised eyebrow and a smile. She glanced at the time and added, "Ning Ge and the others will be here soon. We don’t have much wine at home. How about you go buy some Huadiao wine, and we can drink a couple of cups? It’s a big holiday; having some wine to cheer things up would be good."
Qi Taiguo nodded in agreement.
When Qi Taiguo went out to buy the wine, Cheng Su started cooking the fish. She marinated it first, then half-fried it in oil. After that, she put it in the pot with a base of hot bean paste, soybean sprouts, and such, making it both aromatic and spicy.
By the time the fish was almost ready, Qi Taiguo was back with the wine, and Ning Ge and the others came along, too.
They just happened to meet at the door.
"You’ve come just in time; the fish is ready, I’ll just stir-fry some greens, and then we can eat," Cheng Su said with a smile.
"Susu, I’m gonna have to freeload off you today, sorry about that," said Ying Xiaoya as she entered the kitchen, sticking out her tongue.
"What’s there to be sorry about? You’re welcome anytime," Cheng Su chided.
Ying Xiaoya giggled and took the initiative to set the dining table, arranging bowls and chopsticks. In the living room, Qi Taiguo and Ning Ge were talking.
"My elder brother said, ’Don’t worry, just be true to yourself, and being introspective can be a good thing,’" Ning Ge conveyed Ning Gang’s words. Of course, whether they were true or how much exaggeration there was couldn’t be known.
The corners of Qi Taiguo’s mouth curled slightly as he said, "I didn’t expect you to sound so proper when you get serious."
Ning Ge touched his nose and replied, "I don’t know about these things, but I just think that to protect your country is your duty. You don’t need to worry about anything else."
Qi Taiguo paused and looked over, a flash of doubt in his eyes.
That sounded so familiar. Where had he heard it before?
"What’s up?" Ning Ge felt uneasy under his gaze.
Qi Taiguo stared at him for a while before shaking his head, "Nothing."
Impossible. That must have been a wrong impression. How could he confuse Ning Ge with that mysterious person? Ning Ge was a straightforward second-generation scion, while the mysterious person, though Qi Taiguo didn’t know his real identity or the role he played, certainly wasn’t just an ordinary civilian, his soldier’s instinct told him.
While he was pondering, Ying Xiaoya and Cheng Su came in laughing with dishes in their hands, and Qi Taiguo quickly went up to help, casting away the momentary doubt.
Ning Ge let out a sigh of relief, thinking Qi Taiguo was incredibly sharp. He was suspecting him just now, wasn’t he?
And yet, he felt conflicted. Did he want Taiguo to discover the truth, or not?
"Come over for dinner," Ying Xiaoya called from the other side.
"Yeah," Ning Ge dropped the conflicting thoughts in his mind and went over.
Never mind, some things happen naturally. The course of history has always had its own destiny.