Era: Starting with the struggle to refuse being taken advantage of

Chapter 341 Enjoying a Few Drinks
When Liu Chunhua asked him, Wang Chengpeng said confidently:

"Mother, don't worry about my studies."

"Don't even mention me, just a few of my apprentices might all get into university. Just wait and see how I bring honor to your family!"

The apprentices Wang Chengpeng mentioned were naturally Wang Zidong, Zhu Hong, and Song Sixi.
Under Wang Chengpeng's guidance, their grades improved by leaps and bounds. Not only did they get into university, but they were even able to get into a good university.

The only one who is slightly behind is Zhu Hong, who is at a disadvantage in terms of both study time and foundation.

Fortunately, he lived in Wang Chengpeng's house, so Wang Chengpeng could help him cook whenever he wanted.

Although this caused him some pain, his grades improved noticeably, so it was a case of reaping what he sowed.

Seeing Wang Chengpeng speak with such certainty and his eyes gleaming with confidence, Liu Chunhua, though still somewhat worried, ultimately refrained from saying anything that might spoil the mood.

It's a good thing that my son has ideals and goals. I should encourage him instead of discouraging him, even if I think his goals are a bit too ambitious.

Liu Chunhua immediately continued speaking, following Wang Chengpeng's lead:
"Xiaopeng is so confident, there shouldn't be any problems."

"A college student? That's a rare find. For one to come from our family is like our ancestors' graves emitting auspicious smoke."

Perhaps because they were so close, Wang Meiyan heard Liu Chunhua's mutterings clearly and immediately asked with a puzzled look:

"Mom, I don't see any smoke rising from Grandma's grave!"

Liu Chunhua: ...

Wang Chengpeng: ...

Speechless at Wang Meiyan's innocent words, Liu Chunhua brought up another matter, saying:
"Your dad has almost finished cooking."

"Now is the time for you to use your brain, so you should eat more and replenish your nutrition."

"Look at you, you've gotten so thin lately from working so hard."

Wang Chengpeng: ...? ? ?
Looking at the strong muscles on his arms, Wang Chengpeng felt that there's a kind of thinness that only your mother thinks you're thin.

Shaking his head, Wang Chengpeng said, "I will eat more, of course, but I won't eat at home today."

“I told my dad about it, but I didn’t ask him to cook for me.”

"Let's go out," Liu Chunhua nodded thoughtfully, "It's good to go out and socialize. I'm afraid you'll get bored staying at home every day."

"But tell me who you're going to meet up with first, so I can pick you up if you drink too much and can't come back tonight."

When Liu Chunhua asked him questions, Wang Chengpeng dodged the question and said:
"How could I possibly be drunk? Don't overthink it."

"Okay, I'm going out now. Just turn on the lights in the yard. I'll be back by ten o'clock at the latest."

With that, Wang Chengpeng went straight out the door, got on his bicycle, and slowly rode away.

As the Dapeng Sugar Factory became increasingly popular, more and more people traveled along this road, making it smoother and allowing Wang Chengpeng to ride at high speeds.

This is exactly what the saying means: there was no road here originally, but as more people walked on it, it became a road.

Wang Chengpeng rode his bicycle very fast and soon arrived at Xia Mingyue's temporary residence.

He hadn't answered his mother's question directly because the person who invited him to dinner was Xia Mingyue, and he was afraid that his mother might have some unrealistic misunderstandings.

As for why Xia Mingyue invited Wang Chengpeng to dinner, it was quite simple: she wanted to repay his kindness in lending her books, money, and tickets. At least, that's what Wang Chengpeng thought.

Even from a distance, Wang Chengpeng could already smell the rich aroma of various foods mingling in the air.

It was obvious that Xia Mingyue had made ample preparations for tonight's dinner; at least judging from the dishes, the meal was quite abundant.

dong dong dong...

Wang Chengpeng knocked on the door and announced his identity: "Xia, the educated youth, it's me, I've come."

Since the incident with Luo Wenbin, Xia Mingyue has become increasingly cautious.

In addition, she now lives alone, and she has put two locks on her door.

Of course, Wang Chengpeng believed that Xia Mingyue was confident enough to live alone because she had a weapon to protect herself, namely the gun in the wooden box.

Often, this cold metal can actually give people a great sense of security.

With a creak, the door to Xia Mingyue's house opened, revealing Xia Mingyue's slightly flushed face.

She was wrapped in a very neat dark blue cotton coat, and around her neck was a hand-knitted maroon scarf, which looked newly knitted with fine and neat stitches.

A few tiny beads of sweat glistened on the tip of his nose, clearly from being busy in the kitchen and not having had time to wipe them away.

Two jet-black braids emerged from the scarf, with two red ribbons tied to the ends, swaying gently in the cold wind outside.

Her jet-black hair shimmered with a soft sheen under the warm winter sun, making her eyes appear even brighter and more captivating.

The moment he saw Wang Chengpeng, a smile bloomed on his slightly flushed face:
"Comrade Wang, you've finally arrived! Any later and the food would have gotten cold."

"Come in, it's cold outside."

Led by Xia Mingyue, Wang Chengpeng quickly entered the house and immediately saw the dishes laid out on the table.

Perhaps fearing that the carefully prepared dishes would lose their warmth in the cold winter, each dish was covered with an upside-down bowl, making it impossible to see what dishes Xia Mingyue had prepared.

Wang Chengpeng had just sat down when Xia Mingyue handed him a thick envelope, saying:

"Comrade Wang, my family sent me some money, and it's time to repay it to you."

"If it weren't for your kindness in lending me money to help me out of this emergency, I really don't know how I would have survived this period of time."

At this point, Xia Mingyue felt a little embarrassed and placed a bowl of rice in front of Wang Chengpeng, saying apologetically:
“Look at me, why am I saying these things while eating?”

"I just made some simple dishes, Comrade Wang, please don't mind them, just make do with them."

At this point, Xia Mingyue subconsciously looked towards a corner of the house, where two bottles of liquor she had brought from her neighbor's house gleamed softly in the light of the oil lamp.

As if she had made up her mind, Xia Mingyue walked towards the corner of the room, picked up the wine bottle, and said, seemingly intentionally, yet also unintentionally:

"Comrade Wang, would you like a drink?"

"On such a freezing day, having a glass of wine can warm you up quite a bit."

“Especially since you have to ride your bike back, it will be more comfortable in the dead of winter.” Wang Chengpeng looked at Xia Mingyue with surprise, never expecting that she would ask him if he needed a drink.

However, this surprise only lasted for a moment, after all, drinking alcohol to keep warm in such cold weather is a very normal thing.

After thinking for a moment, Wang Chengpeng asked curiously, "Xia Zhiqing, do you want some too?"

"It's really cold today, having some wine to warm up would be good."

"If you're going to drink too, then I'll have a little with you."

As the owner of the house, and since she had taken the initiative to invite him, Xia Mingyue naturally wouldn't refuse, and nodded slightly:

"I can't hold my liquor, but I can still have a little drink with you."

As soon as she finished speaking, Xia Mingyue found two small cups in the room, indicating that she had made quite a few preparations for tonight.

After pouring a glass of wine for Wang Chengpeng and herself, Xia Mingyue lifted the lid off the bowl, revealing a table full of fragrant dishes.

There is pan-fried tofu, with a golden-yellow, crispy and tempting outer skin, while the inside is tender and smooth like cream, garnished with bright green scallions;
There is braised pork belly, with glistening, dark brown sauce coating chunks of lean and fatty meat, emitting a rich, sweet aroma that makes your mouth water.

There is a golden fried egg, with slightly crispy edges and a soft and tender interior, like a small sun lying on the plate;

There is tofu and fish soup, with tender tofu and fresh fish slices floating on the milky white broth, and a few goji berries adding a touch of brightness.
There was stir-fried cabbage, with glistening oil on the bright green leaves. The aroma of minced garlic mixed with the sweetness of the cabbage, making it refreshing and appetizing.

This table of home-style dishes, though not luxurious, exudes warmth and care, making one want to devour it whole. It's clear that Xia Mingyue put some effort into preparing them.

Just a few months ago, Xia Mingyue was a female educated youth like An Qiuyun, who couldn't even cook.

"What a feast! I'm so lucky today."

Wang Chengpeng praised loudly, and couldn't help but pick up a piece of fish with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth to taste it.

But I found that the fish was incredibly tender. As soon as it entered my mouth, it melted in my mouth, and with the fish's unique oil, it created an indescribable deliciousness.

Seeing Wang Chengpeng's praise, Xia Mingyue's face became even rosier. Smiling, she placed a piece of braised pork with alternating layers of fat and lean meat on Wang Chengpeng's plate and said:
"As long as you like to eat."

"My cooking skills are so-so, they can't compare to yours at all, so this is just something to eat."

He picked up the piece of braised pork that Xia Mingyue had helped him put in his mouth, and with a gentle bite, the aroma of the meat mixed with the fragrance of oil exploded in Wang Chengpeng's mouth, it was so delicious.

Wang Chengpeng also placed a piece of braised pork on Xia Mingyue's plate, and said with a smile:

"Xia, you don't need to belittle yourself. This dish tastes good; it's obvious that a lot of effort was put into it."

"You should eat too, don't just watch me eat, also see the results of your hard work."

Seeing the piece of braised pork that Wang Chengpeng had picked up for her, Xia Mingyue smiled and picked it up with her chopsticks, putting it in her mouth.

Perhaps it was because the braised pork tasted so delicious that as Xia Mingyue ate, the smile in the corner of her eyes became more and more obvious, like a crescent moon, or like a clear spring.

The two of them ate bite by bite, taking turns eating. Although they didn't speak, the atmosphere was quite warm.

As they ate, Wang Chengpeng felt something was missing, so he raised his glass and extended an invitation to Xia Mingyue:
"Xia Zhiqing, would you like a little something to drink?"

"But don't force yourself. If you really can't drink it, just drink tea or water."

Wang Chengpeng did not have the habit of forcing others to drink, so he would not urge Xia Mingyue to drink, but simply told her to drink within her limits.

To everyone's surprise, Xia Mingyue acted as if she hadn't heard Wang Chengpeng's words. She directly clinked glasses with Wang Chengpeng and then drank all the wine in her glass in one gulp.

It's fortunate that the cups weren't too big; otherwise, someone with a low alcohol tolerance would definitely get drunk on the spot if they drank like that.

Even so, Xia Mingyue's face was flushed, making her look as beautiful as the sunset, which added a touch of gentleness to her eyes.

Quickly averting his gaze, Wang Chengpeng also downed his drink in one gulp.

However, he no longer had the heart to raise a glass with Xia Mingyue. He was genuinely afraid that Xia Mingyue would drink so recklessly that she would end up getting drunk herself.

Xia Mingyue prepared a lot of food, but it couldn't keep up with Wang Chengpeng's large appetite.

He quickly finished all the food on the table, and then said with satisfaction:
"Thank you for your hospitality, Xia Zhiqing. I really enjoyed this meal."

At this point, Wang Chengpeng downed his drink in one gulp and said:

"I'm just a little curious. With the college entrance exam just around the corner, why is Xia Zhiqing not studying hard, but instead in the mood to invite me to dinner in such a grand way?"

When Wang Chengpeng asked her that question, a hint of melancholy flashed in Xia Mingyue's eyes, but she quickly concealed it and said:
"There's no particular reason, I just happened to have some free time recently."

"Winter is here, and there's less work at the brigade, otherwise I really wouldn't have time to prepare so many meals."

As she spoke, Xia Mingyue cleared away the food that had already been eaten, leaving only the bottle of wine on the table.

A large plate of peanuts was brought over and placed on the table. A bottle of wine was also brought out. Xia Mingyue raised her glass and said with great gusto:
"Comrade Wang, I am so grateful for your care."

"If it weren't for your care, and with so many things that have happened recently, I really don't know how I would have been able to live here."

"I cannot express my gratitude with words, but I toast you with this wine!"

At this point, Xia Mingyue actually downed the wine in her glass again, leaving Wang Chengpeng somewhat helpless. He could only finish his own drink as well.

He had a feeling that Xia Mingyue was trying to get him drunk, but he quickly dismissed the idea. How could Xia Mingyue do something so dangerous?

To be honest, Wang Chengpeng also felt somewhat apologetic towards Xia Mingyue.

If it weren't for his rebirth changing so many things, Xia Mingyue should have smoothly passed the college entrance exam and left the small village that had bound her for so many years. How could she have encountered so many hardships?

In the end, even the house was burned to the ground.

That's why Wang Chengpeng picked up the bottle, poured himself a full glass, and drank it all in one gulp.

This time, however, he did not invite Xia Mingyue, fearing that she might not be able to hold her liquor and would get drunk in a daze.

Even as Xia Mingyue was about to refill her glass, Wang Chengpeng snatched the bottle from her hand and urged her to stop.
"Xia, drink less. It won't be good if you get drunk."

At Wang Chengpeng's urging, Xia Mingyue put down the wine bottle in her hand, a smile in her eyes, and said:
"If you want me to drink less, then you'd better drink more."

"There are two more bottles of wine here, you have to finish them all."

(End of this chapter)