Chapter 311

Pu Jianyi, “Stranger in the strange land, missing his friends and family on holidays. Wish I could be there to head up the mountains with you today.”

Wen Rugui sounded extremely confused. “Why are you reciting Wang Wei’s poem all of a sudden?”Pu Jianyi raised his voice some more. “It is going to be the Double Nine Festival next week, and it struck a chord in me. Oh right, your birthday is two days after Double Nine Festival, right?”Wen Rugui’s ears turned a little red. “Yes, you are right.”Pu Jianyi continued the performance. “That’s Thursday of next week. Too bad I have to work that day. I’ll just wish you a happy birthday right now then.”Wen Rugui acted perfectly, saying, “Thank you.”Tong Xuelu was shaking from laughing inside the kitchen. In fact, she laughed so hard that she was tearing up.So it was too deliberate if he was to tell her directly. Was this really any less deliberate?And a poem!She couldn’t even believe they had come up with such a cliche approach!She laughed so hard that she almost stopped breathing!Pu Jianyi stared at the kitchen the entire time, but there was nothing.He walked over to Wen Rugui and said in a low voice. “Do you think she heard that?”Wen Rugui paused a little and said, “She should have. Let’s go help out in the kitchen. She would say something if she did.”That made sense to Pu Jianyi. As such, the two of them walked inside the kitchen.Seeing the two approaching her, Tong Xuelu quickly wiped away her tears and pretended she was very focused on the cooking.When Wen Rugui and Pu Jianyi walked inside, they saw Tong Xuelu chopping meat with her head lowered in a very focused manner. She didn’t even notice that the two of them had walked inside the kitchen.The two’s hearts sank. Did she not hear them from earlier?Pu Jianyi cleared his throat and asked, “Comrade Tong, is there anything we can help you with?”Tong Xuelu acted as if she had just realized that they were there. “Oh hey, when did you two come? I can use some help, matter of fact. Can you please help me rinse these vegetables?”“Alright.”Wen Rugui gave her a look before he bent down, picked up the vegetables on the ground, and walked outside to rinse them.Pu Jianyi followed behind him with the bucket for rinsing vegetables. Both of them were a little heavy-hearted.They walked over to the tap.Pu Jianyi looked puzzled. “I was quite loud back there. How was it possible that she didn’t hear us?”Wen Rugui looked for excuses for Tong Xuelu. “Perhaps she didn’t hear it because she was mincing the meat?”Pu Jianyi tossed the green vegetables into the bucket and felt his teeth ache. “What do we do now? Do we have to do that again?”Wen Rugui thought about it some and said, “Yeah, let’s do that one more time.”This was his first birthday after they had officially become boyfriend and girlfriend. Wen Rugui really wanted to spend it with Tong Xuelu.He would be happy even if they were just spending time together and not doing anything special.Pu Jianyi teased him. “Bro, what do I get for bending over backward and helping you out?”Wen Rugui didn’t think twice before saying, “I’ll push back the time that you have to repay me?”Pu Jianyi, “……” You got me there.The two rinsed the vegetables and then peeled the garlic.Jiang Danhung and Fang Jingyuan arrived by then, and with them helping out, Wen Rugui and Pu Jianyi weren’t able to fit inside the kitchen anymore.The two returned to the living room to discuss.Pu Jianyi, “I guess I will just bring it up right in front of her later. We don’t want to risk her not hearing it again.”That made sense to Wen Rugui. “Okay, that works.”Pu Jianyi took action after the dishes were ready.He suddenly said to Jiang Danhung, “Comrade Jiang, did you know that Rugui’s birthday is next Thursday?”Filling a bowl of rice, Jiang Danhung’s hands stopped in midair, and she looked perplexed. “No, I don’t know that. Does Comrade Wen want to celebrate it then?”Pu Jianyi looked at Tong Xuelu, who was standing next to Jiang Danhung, and said, “Probably not. It is, after all, quite difficult for him to take time off.”Jiang Danhung merely said an “oh,” and then that was that.Pu Jianyi scratched his head and asked Tong Xuelu directly, “Comrade Tong, did you hear what I said earlier? How do you plan on celebrating Rugui’s birthday?”After he had finished saying that, Wen Rugui “happened to” walk inside carrying a plate of fish and pickled vegetables.