“I’m going on a blind date of course. Little Ye, go with me. My pa asked this man to meet me in a tea house. We can hide somewhere across the way and look at them secretly. What do you think?” asked Liu Qianqian.
“Well…” Ye Xiaoxian thought that Baoshan was still at home.
“Don’t ‘well, well’. You can’t throw me, your friend, away just because you’ve got Xiao Baoshan, can you? I’ve heard from my ma that you’d better restrain yourself from doing it too often. If you do it too much, it will harm both of you. Your body will feel empty. As an old saying goes, a youth does not know how precious his seed is, but as an old man he will lament the fading of his manhood. When you go back at noon, have a word with Xiao Baoshan and tell him that you’re going to accompany me. Or you might as well ask him to come along. A man might be a better judge of another man.”
Ye Xiaoxian’s mind became a bit naughty. Especially over the “compared to what it used to be” remark. She could not help bursting into laughter.
“Then I’ll go back and check with Baoshan to see if he’s willing to go. Tell me which tea house it is and I’ll wait there for you, otherwise we’ll be too conspicuous if we go together.”
Liu Qianqian told her the specific location and then Ye Xiaoxian went back to find Xiao Baoshan.
…
Xiao Baoshan felt a bit confused. “Miss Liu wants me to judge this blind date for her?”
“Yeah, just to observe him from somewhere across from the tea house. Do you want to go? I told her that it depends on you. If you don’t mind, we’ll go. If you do mind, we don’t have to, but…” Ye Xiaoxian told him what Liu Qianqian said word for word.
Xiao Baoshan involuntarily found it rather amusing. “It makes me sound as if I’m a boar.”
“Then let’s go or she’ll treat me as a female pig.”
After she said this the two of them burst out laughing at the same time.
…
The teahouse Liu Qianqian had mentioned was not far from where Ye Xiaoxian lived. When it was almost time, Ye Xiaoxian and Xiao Baoshan began walking over there leisurely.
When they arrived at the place it turned out that Miss Liu was already there. Her maid was waiting downstairs. As soon as she saw Ye Xiaoxian she led her upstairs. Liu Qianqian had reserved a private room on second floor. From the window of the room they had a good view of the teahouse just across the way.
Ye Xiaoxian walked in and had a look. She then asked Liu Qianqian, “Are you sure that you can see your pa and him from here?”
“They haven’t arrived yet. I came here early,” said Liu Qianqian. “But they’re on their way.”
Liu Qianqian then looked at Xiao Baoshan. When she had sized him up Liu Qianqian said, “Ah, Little Ye, this large guy of yours looks much darker than before. Not only darker, he’s also become even stronger. He’s like a black ox now.”
“That’s why I made sunscreen for him,” said Ye Xiaoxian.
“He’s already this dark, will the sunscreen work for him?” asked Liu Qianqian doubtfully.
Ye Xiaoxian could not help but say, “Miss Liu, don’t tease my husband anymore.”
“I’m telling the truth. You feel protective of him, don’t you?” Liu Qianqian drew near to Ye Xiaoxian and looked at her face. “Oh, you’re blushing. It seems that you and brother Baoshan are getting along really well recently. Your married life is sweeter than honey.”
“You’ll soon be next. When you get married, I guarantee that you’ll be more lovey-dovey with your husband than us.” Ye Xiaoxian smiled. She then put her hand in Xiao Baoshan’s arm briefly and asked him to sit down.
Liu Qianqian still wanted to say something but Ye Xiaoxian stopped her just in time. “Well, enough, stop teasing my Baoshan already. He’s shy.”
Xiao Baoshan was not very talkative, especially with women and, in particular, to the kind of active and straightforward girls like Liu Qianqian.
Xiao Baoshan sat down and drank tea while Ye Xiaoxian and Liu Qianqian were resting their heads on the window sill to look outside.
“Here, they’re here!” Liu Qianqian saw her pa first, followed by a young man.