One Pet Gets Married

Chapter 33

"Are you really okay?" Song Xici suddenly appeared in the doorway.

"Mm..." Tang You'an looked at her and nodded. "Really."

"Alright, I'll brush my teeth then." Song Xici smoothed her sleep-tangled hair and turned to go about her business.

"Okay." Tang You'an nodded, watching her back, then rubbed her temples before starting her own morning routine.

After returning to the room, Tang You'an sat down with Song Xici and took out her skincare products.

Tang You'an glanced at Song Xici patting lotion onto her face beside her, recalling the dream, and felt utterly inhuman.

She had once earnestly told others she wouldn't do anything strange, but now... Although she hadn't actually done anything, still...

After finishing her skincare routine, Song Xici took out her lip balm, applied it in front of the mirror, then pressed her lips together.

Her lips looked shiny and incredibly soft after applying the balm. Tang You'an glanced over for a moment, suddenly remembering how they felt to kiss, and felt her head might explode.

At this point, Song Xici turned her head and happened to meet her gaze. She scratched her head and said, "I'll... go see if Ning Yu and the others are up..."

"Okay..." Tang You'an was startled and nodded, prepared to let her go.

But as a result, when Tang You'an stepped to the left, Song Xici stepped left; when Song Xici stepped right, Tang You'an also stepped right, causing them to nearly collide.

"After you..." Tang You'an finally spoke.

Song Xici glanced up at her, nodded, then hurried out with her head down.

Although she kept telling herself to pretend nothing had happened, it was clearly quite difficult.

After a few days of adjustment, everyone who came to record the show seemed to have gradually adapted to everything, no longer startled by every little thing like at the beginning. It could also be because these past two days weren't as exhausting as the first day overall.

In the evening, after the group had arranged everything, they were originally preparing to rest. However, Tang You'an thought for a moment and turned to the director standing in the distance: "Why doesn't Grandma Qi Meixue's son come back to see her?"

"We're not very clear on this either. Most young people here go out to work, as there's no future in the countryside. But most people basically come back for the New Year. Only Grandma Qi's son hasn't returned for three to five years at a time."

Tang You'an heard this and could only face the camera: "No matter what, I still hope that people watching this show, no matter how busy they are, can take some time to care more for those around them. Life is short, and no one knows what might happen in the next second."

After preparing all the materials for decorating the room, the group followed the production team to Grandma Qi Meixue's house at around eight o'clock the next morning.

The old grandmother lived in a small two-story house with a small courtyard outside, where chickens and ducks wandered about foraging.

Overall, the environment was much better than Tang You'an and the others had imagined. The place where Tang You'an and her group were staying was indeed the most run-down in the village, with only a large courtyard as its sole advantage.

When they arrived at Grandma Qi Meixue's house, she was already sitting at the entrance, eagerly looking towards the courtyard gate.

The old grandmother was turning 82 today. Her face was already covered in deep wrinkles, and her eyes seemed a bit cloudy, showing her advanced age. At this moment, she was wearing her best red cotton jacket, which she usually saved for special occasions, and a black knit hat, sitting at the entrance peering towards the small courtyard gate.

Although neighbors occasionally looked after her, they couldn't be there all the time, so Qi Meixue had basically spent several years celebrating her birthdays alone. It was rare for people to come celebrate with her, and she was both excited and happy.

"Hello, Grandma Qi. My name is Tang You'an." Tang You'an said with a smile after placing the tied-up duck by the door and standing in front of the old grandmother. "We've come to celebrate your birthday today. Happy birthday."

"Thank you, thank you..." Qi Meixue grasped her hand and shakily stood up.

"You're welcome." Tang You'an shook her head.

"How long has it been since your son came back?" Tang You'an asked after thinking for a moment.

"I can't remember." Qi Meixue shook her head.

"Do you have his number?" Tang You'an helped her sit back down.

"Yes... He calls me sometimes." Qi Meixue said.

"Why don't you give me his number, and I'll call him to come back?" Tang You'an continued.

"No need. He's busy too. Running his business every day. If he doesn't come back, he doesn't come back. I'm more peaceful and comfortable alone." Qi Meixue lowered her head, smoothing the hem of her clothes. "It's not like I can't live without him."

Tang You'an was stunned after hearing this.

"But..." Tang You'an hesitated.

"I told him to focus on his own business. I'm not paralyzed. Since he's busy and has a heavy burden, having to support his children and a seriously ill wife, I can't add to his troubles, right? Don't let people curse in their hearts, wishing this old hag would just die..." Qi Meixue continued.

"Oh, Grandma, you shouldn't say such things..." Song Xici was startled and quickly widened her eyes, reaching out to press on Qi Meixue's shoulder.

"It's alright... Come, come in, all of you, sit down..." Qi Meixue shook her head, then took Song Xici's arm and led her into the house.

Once inside, they saw that the house was very plainly decorated. In fact, it could be said there was no decoration at all. The walls weren't whitewashed, and the floor had no tiles, just bare cement. The kitchen didn't have natural gas either, still using an old-fashioned stove.

The only decorations inside and outside the house were a picture of the South Sea Guanyin on the central wall of the main hall, and Spring Festival couplets with door gods Qin Qiong and Yuchi Gong pasted on either side of the main door. Overall, it felt quite spacious but gave off a sense of loneliness.

"This house looks so cold." Song Xici blew some hot air into her palms and turned to look at Qi Meixue. "Grandma, after we finish recording the show, how about I find someone to install some radiators for you?"

"No need, no need..." Qi Meixue waved her hand. "Don't waste your money. Even if you install them, I won't use them much. I heard they consume a lot of electricity."

Hearing this, Song Xici was suddenly taken aback.

Although she had good intentions, she suddenly felt a bit like Marie Antoinette suggesting "Let them eat cake."

"Alright, we don't have much time, and we have a lot to do. Now, let's divide the work according to the previous plan." Tang You'an said after chatting with the old grandmother for a while, looking at her phone before turning to everyone.

"Okay!" Everyone nodded.

It seemed that, unknowingly, she had become the leader of this small group.

So Gu Xueke rode off alone with the address Song Xici had given to pick up the cake. Then Jin Yawen and Ma Qing voluntarily took on the task of tending the fire.

Song Xici was responsible for washing vegetables, peeling garlic and onions, etc. Ning Yu and Xia Jing were in charge of cleaning the sausages and other meats.

As for decorating the main hall, that task fell to Wang Chengxu and Liu Nan. It must be said that although the two young men looked unreliable, they were actually quite dependable when it came to doing things.

"By the way, does anyone among you idle people know how to slaughter a duck?" After a while, Tang You'an asked everyone while cutting meat in the kitchen.

"I don't..." The girls all shook their heads.

"Don't look at me... I don't know how either..." Ma Qing coughed and picked up another piece of firewood to put into the stove.

"Oh..." Tang You'an nodded.

"I'll do it. It's just slaughtering a duck, right? I'll do it!" Wang Chengxu said, wiping his nose and raising his hand.

"Alright." Tang You'an nodded.

"Sharpen this knife and then slaughter it. Also, bring a bucket of scalding hot water. After killing it, soak the duck in the water. That makes it easier to pluck the feathers." Tang You'an turned and took out a knife, handing it to Wang Chengxu.

"No problem!" Wang Chengxu gave an OK sign and left with Liu Nan, carrying a bucket of water and the knife.

"Teacher Tang knows so many things. These past two days have really opened my eyes." Ning Yu said while washing sausages.

"Many?" Tang You'an turned to look at her, a bit confused.

To her, these things were just basic common sense for living well on one's own. If she didn't know these things, she might have starved to death in the mountains.

"Yes, you know so much. In comparison, we feel really ashamed." Xia Jing also said.

Tang You'an heard this and smiled faintly: "It's really not much. Maybe I'm just more interested in these kinds of things."

Meanwhile, outside.

"Ahh! I can't kill it!" After sharpening the knife, Wang Chengxu had wanted to show off his macho side, but when he actually walked outside holding a duck in one hand and a knife in the other, he instantly chickened out, letting out shrill screams.

"Forget it, you rest. I'll do it." Liu Nan said after putting down a bucket of hot water next to Wang Chengxu, taking the knife from his hand.

"Good, you do it!" Wang Chengxu immediately turned pale and shoved both the duck and knife into Liu Nan's hands.

"What's the big deal? It's just killing a duck..." Liu Nan glanced at him, then squatted down, grabbed the duck's neck, and placed the knife against it.

Wang Chengxu and Feng Xiaoxiao stood to the side, alternating between covering their faces and peeking through their fingers at the scene.

"I..." However, after several attempts, Liu Nan finally gave up.

"Your humble servant cannot do it..." Liu Nan dropped the knife.

"See? Such a lively, cute little life?" Wang Chengxu sighed. "I really can't bring myself to do it..."

"Yeah, what if it doesn't die right away... They say you have to cut the windpipe, otherwise it'll keep flapping even after you stab it. Just thinking about it is scary..." Liu Nan continued sighing.

After all, they were children who had grown up pampered. How could they have done such a thing before?

"Geez, it's just killing a duck, not killing a person. Watch me!" Song Xici, who had finished peeling a pile of garlic, stood up, clapped her hands, and walked over to Wang Chengxu and Liu Nan. She squatted down and picked up the knife.

So everyone's gaze locked onto Song Xici.

"Ahem..." Song Xici cleared her throat, holding the duck's neck. "Watch carefully. First, you just... directly..."

Song Xici put the knife against the duck's neck, but her hand seemed to be held back by someone, becoming stiff and starting to tremble.

"Quack------" At that moment, the duck opened its beak and made a sound.

"Mama!!!" Song Xici's face instantly turned white, and she threw the duck back onto the ground.

Tang You'an, who had finished cutting the meat and was holding a fish inside, heard Song Xici's cry and immediately rushed out with the fish.

"This Little Tang is really nice." Jin Yawen looked at Tang You'an's back and smiled gently, then walked over to Qi Meixue, who was sitting to the side massaging her legs. "Grandma, let me massage your legs. It can help improve blood circulation."

"No, no, how can I let the Empress massage my legs..." Qi Meixue hurriedly waved her hands.

Jin Yawen was stunned: "What Empress?"

"'Three Thousand Beauties in the Harem,' I've watched it. Aren't you that Empress?" Qi Meixue asked.

Yes, that drama was one Jin Yawen had acted in long ago, and it was also very classic, the type that everyone in the country knew. Whether children or the elderly, they all knew Jin Yawen's name through that character.

Jin Yawen heard this and was stunned again, then shook her head and smiled gently: "Yes, I played that role, but I'm just an ordinary person. Grandma, come on, let me massage for you."

With that, Jin Yawen reached out her hands.

Meanwhile, outside.

"What's wrong?" Tang You'an asked, walking up beside her.

"I can't kill it... don't know how..." Song Xici extended her trembling hand, pointing at the duck on the ground.

Wang Chengxu and Liu Nan also nodded miserably.

After hearing this, Tang You'an put down the basin with the fish and took the knife from Song Xici's hand: "Then I'll do it."

After saying this, Tang You'an picked up the duck again, and then, in a way they couldn't quite follow, she twisted and moved her hand, bringing the duck's neck behind its wings. With the duck's breast facing up, she used the knife to cut a small opening in its neck, then put down the knife and let the duck's blood drip into a small bowl before immersing the duck in the scalding water in the bucket nearby.

"That's it?" Wang Chengxu was stunned.

"Yes, now wait a few minutes, and you can start plucking its feathers." Tang You'an said, returning to her fish.

This crucian carp was quite large. They had caught it themselves in someone's field, and it was still quite lively.

While Song Xici, Wang Chengxu, and Liu Nan were still dumbfounded, Tang You'an reached into the basin and grabbed the fish with one hand. Then she suddenly slammed the fish onto the ground.

The fish's tail flapped up and down a couple of times before it stopped moving. Seeing the fish was stunned, Tang You'an squatted down, holding the fish's tail with one hand and the knife with the other. She quickly scraped off the scales against the grain, then removed the gills, gutted it, and cleaned it all in one smooth process.

"Amazing!" Everyone burst into applause.

Seeing this, Song Xici's lips curled into a smile. Of course, her child had to be amazing. Who else could be if not her?

The entire morning, everyone was busy running back and forth, but they didn't feel tired. Not only did they not feel tired, but they actually felt quite happy.

After all, in modern society, indifference between people seems to have become the norm, making everyone numb. Suddenly living like a big family like this, they felt a sense of warmth.

When all ten dishes were prepared and placed on the table, with the birthday cake in the center, it really looked quite impressive at first glance.

"Chef Tang's skills are really amazing. I'm drooling just looking at it!" After everyone sat down together, Ning Yu couldn't help but swallow as she looked at the heap of food on the table.

"Yes, Xici must be very happy. Did you save the world in your past life?" Jin Yawen also smiled.

Hearing this, Song Xici's face broke into a wide grin, and she waved her hand affectedly: "Oh, not at all!"

Tang You'an turned her head to look at her and smiled slightly. When she first came to participate in this show, she only hoped not to embarrass herself, but unexpectedly, she seemed to be doing quite well.

"Then let's light the candles first." Song Xici said after inserting an "8" and a "2" candle into the cake. She clapped her hands. "Come on, let's sing together!"

So everyone began to sing "Happy Birthday" along with Song Xici's beat.

Qi Meixue smiled happily, looking at everyone in turn. Finally, before the song was even finished, this strong-willed old woman reached out with her withered hand to wipe away the tears that had formed in the corners of her eyes.

Jin Yawen, who was sitting closest to Qi Meixue, saw this and took out a tissue from her bag to hand to her.

So after wiping her tears, Qi Meixue applauded along with everyone else.

"Grandma, happy birthday!" Then, Ning Yu raised a cup of tea in the air.

"Happy birthday!" Seeing this, everyone else also raised their teacups.

"Thank you, thank you..." Qi Meixue said chokingly, holding her teacup.

After drinking a cup of tea, Song Xici put down her cup and looked at Qi Meixue: "Grandma, make a birthday wish. Then we'll cut the cake."

"At my age, I don't have many wishes left..." Qi Meixue looked at everyone, then smiled. "I just wish for you young people... to succeed in your careers, and to be happy, healthy, and well."

After saying this, Qi Meixue looked towards the camera: "After this show airs, will my son be able to see it?"

"Yes, yes, he will." everyone nodded immediately.

"And I want to say something to him." Being elderly, Qi Meixue spoke slowly.

"The weather is getting cold, wear more clothes. Dress warmly. I know life out there isn't easy. I've told you, as long as I can move, don't worry about me. Just take care of your own business, that's enough. But." Qi Meixue sniffled, "if you have time, you can come back to visit... if you want."

Hearing these words, everyone fell silent for a moment.

"Alright, I'm done talking. Eat, don't be polite, eat." Qi Meixue smiled again.

So everyone smiled again and began to eat.

After lunch ended and the dishes were washed, Tang You'an brooded for a while, then took her phone and wandered around the courtyard for a long time.

"What are you doing?" Song Xici walked over and looked at her.

"Calling my parents." Tang You'an said, her finger hovering over the characters "Tang Bingguo" as she turned her head to look at Song Xici.

Since arriving in this world, she had never actively contacted her original self's parents. She had only sent a New Year's greeting message under Song Xici's guidance.

Although she, as an "outsider." had no emotional connection with them, Tang You'an felt that perhaps the original's parents were like Grandma Qi Meixue - tough on the outside but actually wanting to communicate more with their daughter.

"Mm." Song Xici looked at her, then nodded slightly.

So Tang You'an dialed the number.

The call was quickly answered.

Tang You'an hesitated for a moment, then said, "Dad, it's me, You'an."

"Mm." a somewhat cold voice came from the other end. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing." Tang You'an shook her head.

"You'd call for no reason?" The sound of flipping documents could be heard from the phone.

"Really." Tang You'an looked back at Qi Meixue's house. "I called because I wanted to tell you something."

"Oh, go ahead." the other party still sounded very indifferent.

"Take care of yourself and don't work too hard. Health is the most important thing. Also, when I have time, I'll come back and cook a good meal for you and mom." Tang You'an said.

At this point, the other party suddenly fell silent.

Tang You'an stood there holding the phone, not knowing what to do.

"You too." After a long while, Tang Bingguo finally said these four words.

"I'm busy now, so I won't say more. I'm hanging up." Tang Bingguo continued.

"Oh." Tang You'an was stunned for a moment. "Okay."

A few minutes later, Tang You'an received a message from Tang Bingguo: "When are you coming back? Let me know so I can clear my schedule in advance."

"In about a week." Tang You'an replied.

"So long? Alright. Contact me then." Tang Bingguo said.

Looking at the message, Tang You'an couldn't help but smile.

"Hey, I didn't expect the signal at grandma's place to be so good. I can actually browse Weibo and such." Song Xici said, standing to the side eating tangerines someone had shared.

"Is that so?" Tang You'an turned her head slightly.

"Yeah." Song Xici nodded. "I should buy some data and download some things to watch when we go back."

Tang You'an heard this and turned her head to reopen her phone.

After thinking for a moment, she also opened Weibo and browsed aimlessly. As she was looking, she noticed a blogger on her homepage had answered a question worth 100 yuan, and it only cost 1 yuan to view. So Tang You'an paid to view it.

Basically, the questioner posed their query, and the blogger answered and posted it. Other people had to pay 1 yuan to see the blogger's answer.

Seeing this, Tang You'an suddenly thought of the dream she had before. Right, she should be able to ask questions online, right?

Asking people in real life was too embarrassing, but the internet separated people, so there was no need to worry.

She decided to ask her! Having made up her mind, Tang You'an prepared to ask a question. But suddenly remembering how badly Song Xici had trended last time, Tang You'an hesitated.

Afterwards, Tang You'an sent the cameraman away, created a new small account, and after fumbling around for a while, asked the blogger: "Hello blogger, I want to ask something. I've discovered that recently I've had some inappropriate thoughts about a very close friend, and I'm very troubled by this. Specifically, first I wanted to kiss her, then I dreamed of kissing her, and even taking off her clothes and wanting to touch her. In the dream, she was very cooperative. I don't know what's going on, and I hope you can give me some guidance. Is this what they call wanting to make love with her? How can I get rid of these thoughts?"

After sending the question, Tang You'an rubbed her head and let out a sigh, waiting for the blogger to reply.

After a while, she received a notification on her small account.

So Tang You'an immediately went to check.

But before she could see the blogger's reply, she was stunned by the comments below.

Netizen 1: Professional question scammer, how come I see you again?

Netizen 2: Did you waste your nine years of compulsory education?

Netizen 3: Asking such an explicit question, this kind of question is clearly asked by a disgusting and perverted man!

Netizen 4: Shh------ Everyone don't pay to view, let's quietly let this pervert be embarrassed alone!

Author's Note: Tang: ???????????