translated_Chapter 96

96: Living Together and Sharing Resources

96: Living Together and Sharing Resources

“So, Jing Yueming, all you want is for me to be by your side? Then besides sleeping with you, what else do I have to do?”

Seeing that Qiu Ci misunderstood him, Jing Yueming quickly explained, “That’s not what I meant. We can live together, continue doing fashion shows together. Of course, you can tell me whatever you want, and I will definitely do my best to…”

“I want quiet. I want to sleep,” Qiu Ci said, putting his eye mask back on. Sure enough, Jing Yueming quieted down.

A faint smile couldn’t help but appear on the corner of Qiu Ci’s lips.

“It’ll be more comfortable if you lean on me to sleep.” Without waiting for Qiu Ci to reply, Jing Yueming manually guided Qiu Ci’s head to rest in his arms. This sleeping position was indeed more comfortable.

Qiu Ci didn’t dare to speak.

Jing Yueming patted his back gently, like coaxing a child.

Perhaps because he didn’t sleep well last night, Qiu Ci actually felt sleepy now.

He simply allowed his consciousness to gradually descend.

Behind them, Zhang Kaizhe and Huan Qing exchanged smiles.

After sleeping for more than an hour, Qiu Ci felt his consciousness returning. Precisely because of this, he belatedly realized that a hand was playing with his fingers.

It was Jing Yueming. Seeing that he had been discovered, Jing Yueming smiled a little embarrassedly, “Awake?”

“Mm, is it numb?”

“What?”

“Your arm.”

Only then did Jing Yueming belatedly realize that the arm Qiu Ci had been lying on had long lost all feeling.

“Numb.” Jing Yueming rubbed his arm. “How did you sleep?”

It was a rare good sleep. “Pretty good.”

“So, I’m not completely useless to you, right? If you want to go to the Netherlands, take me with you. I’ll cook for you at home, go out and play with you. Isn’t it nice to have someone with you?”

Qiu Ci’s eyes welled up. Of course it was nice. In Finland, he had no one by his side and didn’t even bother to cook.

He basically just sat by the fireplace, reading and knitting. When he was hungry, he used the fire from the fireplace to heat some milk and bread. After eating, he continued reading and knitting, until he was sleepy, then he fell asleep on the sofa. Then the fireplace fire gradually went out, and he would wake up from the cold after a rare sleep.

Often in his half-dreaming, half-waking state, he could think of many things. He thought of when Qiu Shi was around, sometimes his sister would be home when he came back from school, and they would cook together.

Or when he was in France and had no money, he squeezed into a rental apartment with Su Yuyang, eating bland bread.

Jing Yueming’s companionship was the shortest, but he thought about the most memories with him, going to Jing Yueming’s house to freeload meals. Even though it wasn’t his favorite food, he was the last person who could cook for him.

“I knew you liked me, otherwise why are you crying?” Jing Yueming took out a tissue from his pocket to wipe away Qiu Ci’s tears.

Qiu Ci didn’t know what to do. He was determined to leave. From a materialistic point of view, after he died, he wouldn’t think about anything anymore. What happened to Jing Yueming was irrelevant to him.

But everyone has their own feelings. It was also difficult for him to forget Qiu Shi and be with Jing Yueming without any reservations.

Everyone who saw Qiu Ci would think of Qiu Shi, thinking of that excellent, perfect woman who brought pain to everyone.

And when Qiu Ci saw Jing Yueming, he would also think of Qiu Shi.

He pushed Jing Yueming’s hand away, “I… Forget it, let’s talk about it later.” He rarely gave anyone a vague answer, but now he needed one.

After the plane landed, Zhang Kaizhe was the first to say goodbye to everyone and go home for the New Year, “Old Jing! I’m leaving first. Next year, when you do another design, I’ll still be your assistant.”

“Okay!”

Jing Yueming insisted on seeing Huan Qing’s master with Qiu Ci before leaving.

Huan Qing indifferently said, “Anyway, my master is also in Yunnan. Come whenever you want.”

They thought it would be on some mountain, but Huan Qing took them on a bus to a village.

Among the bustling crowd, there was another long queue.

As soon as Huan Qing went over, he grabbed one of the cleaner-looking middle-aged women and started scolding, “Zhao Huayi! You’re here to freeload again, aren’t you? Don’t you have any shame? Damn it, I didn’t give you a single cent discount when I bought pork from you in the first place, and you still dare to freeload. You dare to come here and slack off while I’m not around. And you, you stupid old man, get lost. It’s one thing for you to freeload, but you’re making fun of my master. Go to hell!”

Huan Qing was in the middle of scolding when someone heard his voice and shouted, “Daoist Jingchu, your little disciple is back.”

Inside, there was a small restaurant, with several large insulated buckets on the table. A woman in a Daoist robe was serving food to everyone one by one, “I heard you, I heard you. Take your time.”

Looking up along the line of sight, the four characters “Eat and eat together” (Living Together and Sharing Resources) were written.

The people lining up were mostly disheveled old people and children.

Qiu Ci couldn’t help but sigh, “The great hermit hides in the city.”

After Huan Qing chased away a few people who didn’t seem to need free food, he went to ask Jingchu if she needed help.

Whether he was assigned a task or something else, Huan Qing walked over again.

Jing Yueming asked, “I safely delivered you here. We…”

“Don’t be in a hurry to leave. Master has something to talk to Qiu Ci about. She’s busy now. Let’s go buy groceries first.” Huan Qing led the way to the nearby vegetable market.

Qiu Ci and Jing Yueming obediently followed behind, buying several dozen pounds of pork.

Qiu Ci behind him directly took out money, but Huan Qing grabbed his hand, stretched his head to haggle with the pork vendor, scolding and yelling.

Qiu Ci awkwardly held his wallet to the side.

In the end, he really got more than twenty yuan cheaper. Huan Qing paid a few hundred yuan for the pork money with satisfaction.

He used the same routine to buy potatoes and other vegetables.

On the way back, Jing Yueming couldn’t help but ask, “Huan Qing, you and your master are giving out food, won’t your attitude scare people?”

“If they’re scared, it means they haven’t reached the point where they absolutely need it. I’ve been like this since I was a kid. This is still when my master isn’t around. If my master was here, this meat could be fifty yuan cheaper.”

After the few people went back, Jingchu had already finished her work and was washing the dishes.

Jingchu took the groceries to check, and asked about the price. Hearing it, she was also angered, “Damn it, Pork Liu is just taking advantage of the fact that you haven’t been around for a long time and doesn’t know the market price. The meat is so cheap now, and he still dares to ask for eleven yuan a pound!”

Huan Qing scolded along with her.

Sure enough, the disciple followed the master.

After Jingchu finished scolding, she remembered that Qiu Ci was still next to her.

Qiu Ci also felt her gaze, “Does the Daoist have any needs?”

Jingchu sized him up, and then smiled mischievously, “Please donate some money first. Besides that…”

Since it was a matter of money, Qiu Ci naturally had no problem, “How about this, I’ll invest in a financial product, and donate to this place every month.”

“Good, good, good. That’s enough for our food expenses.”

Qiu Ci asked again, “Is there anything else?”

“Immeasurable Heavenly Lord, my disciple seeks you, coming in accordance with the will of heaven. Your path is confusing, you should act in accordance with heaven, guided by the fate of the Tao.” Jingchu suddenly became serious.

“You mean, me coming here is actually what I wanted? And heaven is willing to let me come back?”

Jingchu nodded.

Qiu Ci didn’t understand, “Many people advised me to return to China this year. My original intention was not to come, I only came because Huan Qing asked me to.”