novelraw Chapter 76 Showing Off One's Skills
Chapter 76 Showing Off One's Skills
After Bai Si'an finished speaking, the tips of his ears turned a little red, but his face still maintained that serious, technician-like expression.
Lin Weiwei was stunned for a moment, then her eyes lit up: "Really? I can draw whatever I want?"
"Okay." Bai Si'an nodded. "Draw whatever you want. As for the paints... I'll go look for them. The service store should have some for promotional purposes. I'll get some."
When Lin Weiwei heard Bai Si'an say that the walls in her house were bare and asked her to draw on them, her eyes lit up immediately.
She slapped her thigh: "Yeah! How come I didn't think of that! It looks pretty bad all bare. It would be so much better if we painted some pictures on it, making it both beautiful and lively!"
Seeing that she took the bait without hesitation, Bai Si'an almost couldn't suppress the smug satisfaction of his successful scheme. He pushed up his glasses to suppress the slight smile on his lips: "Well, if you think it's okay, then it's okay."
She didn't suspect anything and genuinely thought he just wanted to make the yard look nicer.
He didn't just want the yard to look nice.
He wanted her to stay with him more often, to turn that cold, impersonal courtyard into a place she would want to visit frequently.
Ideally... we should just live there from now on.
"Of course!" Lin Weiwei was already immersed in her ideas. "We could paint some... um, scenery for our room? Greenery is rare in the Gobi Desert, so let's paint some green mountains and clear waters! For the room where you men live, let's paint some pine trees and bamboo, something grand! And for Wanwan's room... let's paint some flowers and plants, something cozy! But we can't paint too much, or people will get tired of it!"
She spoke with great enthusiasm, completely unaware that Bai Si'an's gaze was growing increasingly intense.
Bai Si'an pressed his advantage: "Then... shall we go take a look now? Before it gets dark."
"Now?" Lin Weiwei glanced at the sky. "We should get started soon, but... we haven't made dinner yet."
"Let's eat out for dinner," Bai Si'an said decisively. "At the state-run restaurant."
Bai Si'an now feels that cooking is a huge waste of time.
If he wasn't worried that Su Wanwan wouldn't have the energy, he wouldn't want to eat dinner; he just wanted to eat his wife's food.
Lin Weiwei was taken aback: "Go to a restaurant? What about Wanwan and Commander Bai then?"
Bai Si'an gave a knowing look, but his tone remained serious: "Didn't they go to see the doctor? After they're done, they can have a meal together and chat. If we're at home, they'll feel awkward being alone with us."
He paused, then added, "You know my brother, he's a man of few words. We need to give him a chance to spend more time with my sister-in-law. Our avoidance is creating that opportunity for them."
Lin Weiwei listened in a daze, then thought about it carefully and felt that it seemed... quite reasonable?
Su Wanwan has a mild temperament, and Bai Rongbei is introverted. If there are other people at home, the two of them would definitely be even more reserved. Having a meal alone and talking might actually warm up their relationship.
"You're right..." Lin Weiwei nodded, then suddenly remembered something, "That won't do! We're going to eat something delicious, and it wouldn't be right if Wanwan didn't get to eat! If we're going, we have to pack some for them and bring it back!"
Looking at her righteous act of "sharing the good fortune," Bai Si'an felt a surge of affection for her.
He nodded: "Okay, pack it up."
The two walked out of the camp as they talked. The evening breeze on the Gobi Desert was cool and refreshing.
Lin Weiwei took a few steps, then suddenly turned to Bai Si'an and asked, "By the way, what did you mean by 'best friend' earlier?"
Bai Si'an paused for a moment: "Didn't you just say... 'You can't eat delicious food behind your best friend's back'?"
"Oh, that," Lin Wei smiled, "a best friend is... the very best of friends, even closer than sisters! Wanwan and I are best friends."
Bai Si'an pondered the word for a moment, then nodded: "I understand."
But in her heart she thought: My best friend... what about my husband?
He glanced at Lin Weiwei.
She was walking with her head held high, her ponytail swinging back and forth, her face still covered in smudges of grime, which made her look particularly vivid in the twilight.
He suddenly realized that walking like this was fine too.
The state-run restaurant was quite crowded; it was lunchtime.
Bai Si'an asked for a table against the wall and let Lin Weiwei order.
Lin Weiwei didn't stand on ceremony, taking the mimeographed menu and glancing at it: "Two servings of braised pork noodles! Also, one braised eggplant, one tomato and egg stir-fry, and one cabbage and tofu soup! Four steamed buns, please!"
After ordering, she winked at Bai Si'an: "Is that enough? We can add more if needed."
"That's enough," Bai Si'an said, handing over the food coupons and money.
While waiting for the food, Lin Weiwei rested her chin on her hand and looked out the window. Darkness falls quickly in the Gobi Desert, and it was already quite dark, with the lights of the camp twinkling in the distance.
"Hey, Bai Si'an," she suddenly spoke up, "do you think... Wanwan and Commander Bai could get together?"
Bai Si'an was pouring water when he heard this and paused for a moment: "Why are you suddenly asking this?"
"I just feel..." Lin Weiwei tilted her head, "Wanwan is actually timid, and Commander Bai is too dull. If they don't take the initiative, their lives will be like living together, which is so boring."
Bai Si'an pushed the water he had poured towards her: "My brother... is actually quite good at taking care of people."
"What's the use of just being able to take care of people?" Lin Weiwei pouted. "You have to be able to connect on a deeper level. Look at us, even though it was all by chance, at least... well, we communicate without any problems!"
She spoke with such conviction that Bai Si'an couldn't help but smile.
Communication is seamless?
Yes, she talks a lot, but he can just listen.
"Take it slow," said Bai Si'an. "There's still a long way to go."
The food was served quite quickly.
The stir-fried pork with noodles was glistening with oil; the pork slices were tender, and the noodles were chewy.
The braised eggplant is tender and flavorful, and the scrambled eggs with tomatoes are a beautiful mix of yellow and red, making them very appetizing.
Lin Weiwei was really hungry, so she picked up her chopsticks and started eating.
Bai Si'an ate slowly, glancing at her every now and then.
Her eating manners weren't exactly refined, but they weren't rude either; she just ate in a down-to-earth way, and the food looked delicious.
"Eat more." Lin Weiwei put two pieces of meat from her bowl onto his plate. "You're injured, you need to recover."
Bai Si'an looked at the extra meat in his bowl, said nothing, and lowered his head to eat.
After finishing her meal, Lin Weiwei called the waiter to pack up her leftovers: "One serving each of braised eggplant, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and cabbage and tofu soup! And four more steamed buns!"
The waiter quickly packed it up, wrapped it in oil paper, and then wrapped it in newspaper.
Lin Weiwei carried the heavy takeout bag, satisfied: "Now Wanwan and the others will have something delicious to eat too."
Bai Si'an paid the bill, and the two left the restaurant.
The night breeze grew cooler, causing Lin Weiwei to hunch her shoulders.
Bai Si'an naturally took off his military jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
"Aren't you cold?" Lin Weiwei asked.
"It's not cold," Bai Si'an said, taking the packing bag from her hand. "I'll carry it."
The two walked back side by side.
The streetlights were dim, casting long shadows.
……
Back in the family compound, the lights were on inside the house.
Pushing open the door, Bai Rongbei and Su Wanwan were indeed back.
The two were sitting at a table in the main room, with a kettle and cups on it, and they looked like they had just finished drinking water.
"You're back?" Lin Weiwei came in excitedly, carrying a takeout bag. "I brought you some delicious food!"
Su Wanwan's eyes lit up when she saw her: "Weiwei!"
Lin Weiwei placed the takeout bag on the table, unwrapping the newspaper from the outside as she said, "It's takeout from the state-run restaurant! Braised eggplant, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and cabbage and tofu soup—it's still warm! Eat up!"
Looking at the oil paper packages, Su Wanwan felt a warm glow in her heart and reached out to hug Lin Weiwei's arm: "Weiwei, you're so kind..."
"Of course!" Lin Weiwei proudly raised her chin. "How could I forget you?"
Bai Si'an walked to Bai Rongbei's side and asked in a low voice, "Brother, what did Doctor Hu say?"
Bai Rongbei glanced at him and said calmly, "He prescribed medicine. He said... the new injury was quite severe, but the old injury seems to have loosened up a bit as a result."
Bai Si'an's eyes lit up: "Loosening? Does that mean... there's hope?"
"It's hard to say." Bai Rongbei picked up his cup and took a sip of water. "Let's see how it goes with the treatment."
Although he spoke conservatively, Bai Si'an still sensed something was different.
His brother has had this problem for so many years, and no matter how many doctors he's seen, nothing has worked. This time, Dr. Hu actually said that it's "loosening," which is already incredibly good news!
Bai Si'an was secretly pleased, but his face remained tense. He simply nodded and said, "Then treat him properly."
He turned to look at Lin Weiwei and gave her a wink.
Lin Weiwei was telling Su Wanwan how delicious the packed food was when she received the signal and immediately understood.
She cleared her throat and said to Su Wanwan, "Wanwan, Bai Si'an and I went next door first. He said his walls were bare and he wanted me to paint something for him. I'll show off my skills tonight!"
As she spoke, she winked hard at Su Wanwan, the meaning of which couldn't be clearer.
I'll give you two some space and let you get along well!
Su Wanwan blushed and nudged her, saying, "You should go now..."