Chapter Index

    Chapter 10

    Qi Ge even suspected that he and Xia Yize had some differences in their horoscopes, why did they get into all kinds of trouble when they met him.

    The phone call suddenly came to mind, and Qi Ge breathed a sigh of relief when he saw it was Guo Shengfan’s call.

    “Why did you answer the phone? What time is it? Don’t forget to eat when you get busy.” Guo Shengfan’s voice made people feel that the world was a little more lively.

    Qi Ge looked at the time. It was past one o’clock. He didn’t expect to stay in the nursing home for so long. “Grandma is sick again. I’m going to see her.”

    Guo Shengfan’s voice also dropped, “We will arrive the day after tomorrow, let’s go see grandma together.”

    When Qi Ge heard that his friend was coming, he finally felt better and said, “What time will it be? I will pick you up.”

    “Okay, I’ll send you the flight information later.” Guo Shengfan paused and pretended to be stern, “You go to eat now and take photos for me.”

    Qi Ge chuckled slightly, with a slight breath across the phone. Opposite him, Guo Shengfan, who was holding the phone, tightened his fingers slightly.

    When Xia Yize came home, he released Xiao Zhizhi as soon as possible. The kitten quickly got under the bed as soon as it entered a strange environment.

    Xia Yize packed the cat litter and cat food in the same way, but the kitten wouldn’t come out from under the bed. Xia Yize lay down to look at it. It opened its mouth wide and breathed at Xia Yize. He scratched Qi Ge’s arms one by one, and his record could be checked.

    Xia Yize didn’t dare to confront anyone head-on, so he took a cat strip, lay on the ground and pushed it in. “Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something?”

    The little black cat finally showed clear eyes when he saw the cat strip. He stretched out his neck to smell it cautiously.

    Xia Yize stood up and shook his clothes. His own cat had never served him like this before. Who would let him have a backstage?

    Thinking of Qi Ge, he laughed disdainfully. He used to think that he was a scumbag, but now he saw that he was really a scumbag. He left his family in a nursing home and ignored him. As expected, people cannot be judged by their appearance.

    He sat directly on the ground and searched for Wanfeng Nursing Home. After official introductions and comments from netizens, he saw that a private volunteer organization had released a Double Ninth Festival volunteer activity about Wanfeng Nursing Home.

    Guo Shengfan and Pan Yu arrived in the morning. Guo Shengfan seemed to have been depressed at work for too long, and finally came out to show off his colorful feathers, dressed like a walking peacock.

    Pan Yu is still the same as his nickname Panda. His weight has been stable for many years.

    As soon as they met, Guo Shengfan hugged Qi Ge and said, “Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to pick me up.”

    Qi Ge patted him, looked at Pan Yu and said, “The main reason is to pick up our national treasure. You have benefited from it.”

    Guo Shengfan snorted, “Duplicity.”

    “Okay, where should we go for lunch?” Qi Ge took one of their boxes.

    “Let’s go directly to see grandma. Today is the Double Ninth Festival. Many family members should go there. We also have to go to make grandma happy. Otherwise, grandma will feel uncomfortable seeing others enjoying themselves.” Guo Shengfan looked like he was waiting to be praised for his sensibleness.

    “Yes, you go every year. We came here today because we wanted to go with you or book a flight for the evening. I woke up very early and I have dark circles under my eyes. I really turned into a panda.” Pan Yu smiled honestly.

    Grandma’s condition hasn’t been very good since she got sick last time, and Qi Ge’s heart has been hanging on her heart. It just so happens that the three of them are going together today, and Grandma should be very happy as well.

    At this time, a message came to Qi Ge’s cell phone, a little earlier than every day. A little black cat was playing with the cat stick, jumping around, and was more lively than when he was at Qi Ge’s house.

    Guo Shengfan leaned over and said, “Who is this?” He swiped his finger and said, “This person sends you videos of kittens every day.”

    Guo Shengfan slapped him over, almost injuring Qi Ge internally, “This can’t be the one who gave you flowers before, right?”

    When Pan Yu heard this, he leaned over and said, “Let me take a look.”

    Qi Ge turned off his cell phone, “He adopted a kitten I picked up. This is a video of the return visit.”

    Pan Yu was a little disappointed, then his eyes lit up, “You are so caring, it’s not bad to be a friend. You can’t stay alone all the time, you still need friends around you. Besides, you are not young anymore. It’s time to find a companion and expand your social circle.”

    Guo Shengfan pushed Pan Yu and said, “You are just like my aunt.”

    “Hey, I didn’t say you were, right, Guo Shengnan.” Pan Yu refused to be outdone, arguing with each other with every word.

    For a moment, Qi Ge felt like he was back in college, and his whole body seemed a few years younger.

    The three of them had something to eat, and then went directly to Wanfeng Nursing Home. They were relieved from the boredom of the last visit. This time, Guo Shengfan and Pan Yu were present, and the atmosphere became lively. Qi Ge felt that even the maple leaves in the back mountain were several degrees red.

    As soon as the security guard saw Qi Ge, he went up and said, “Teacher Qi, I’m sorry, I asked your friend to go in to find you last time. If you have any unpleasantness, blame me. The child has been depressed since he came back. He even brought me a box of tea today. He is embarrassed to say it himself. Let me have the opportunity to tell you that he didn’t mean it.”

    Before Guo Shengfan finished listening, his eyes widened, “You’ve already taken him to meet his parents!”

    Qi Ge pushed Guo Shengfan, but he didn’t expect Xia Yize to do this: “Is he here today?”

    “Yes, I brought a lot of things with the volunteers.” The security uncle seemed to be completely captured by Xia Yize, and he was full of affection when he mentioned Xia Yize.

    “Who, who?” Che Panyu poked his head curiously, and was patted on the head by Guo Shengfan.

    “It’s nothing. You may not be able to encounter such a large nursing home.” Qi Ge looked inside and saw that the volunteer flag was to the north. Grandma should have already finished her condolences.

    The three of Qi Ge took their things and went to the south building where grandma lived.

    As soon as Guo Shengfan arrived at the door, he spoke first: “Grandma, look who’s coming.”

    Grandma lived in a single room, which was transparent from the north to the south. The afternoon sunlight happened to shine in, and Grandma’s silver threads cast a soft light in the sunlight. In front of Grandma, a young man sat cross-legged on the ground, holding a copy of “The Birds”, against the light, his eyes bright.

    It wasn’t until he walked into the room that Qi Ge saw clearly that it was Xia Yize. The difference from before was that his eye-catching silver hair had been dyed back to black.

    The smile on Grandma’s face had not faded yet, she turned her head and looked at the three people with different expressions at the door.

    Qi Ge was obviously stunned for a moment, and Guo Shengfan also dropped the hand he raised with the gift. His eyes fell on Xia Yize, which was not friendly. Pan Yu looked at his grandmother, then at the two people next to him, and bumped Qi Ge with his shoulder, “Who is this?”

    Before Qi Ge could introduce him, Xia Yize stood up and said, “My name is Xia Yize, and I am a volunteer here to offer condolences.”

    Pan Yu was the first to go in and said carelessly: “Hello, hello, Pan Yu, we are grandma’s family members.”

    Xia Yize stood up and said without looking at Qi Ge, “Then I won’t bother you.”

    Grandma grabbed Xia Yize and said, “Xiaoxia, where are you going?” Her voice was a little nervous.

    Xia Yize knelt down, pointed at Qi Ge and the others, and said, “Grandma, they are your family. They came here specifically to see you today.”

    Grandma sat up slightly and looked at the three of them doubtfully. One of her hands was still holding Xia Yize’s hand. Qi Ge came over. Xia Yize felt Grandma’s hand tightening on his, and he held Grandma’s hand comfortingly.

    “Grandma, we are here to celebrate the festival with you today. I am Qiqi.” Qi Ge took out a pack of cashmere thread with gold thread mixed in it. “Didn’t you say last time that you ran out of thread for knitting scarves? I brought it to you. It is the brand you have always liked.”

    Grandma looked at the thread and finally had a smile on her face. She let go of Xia Yize and started to touch the wool. Pan Yu also stepped forward and said, “Grandma, this is your favorite mung bean cake. Do you still remember me?”

    “You are fat.” Grandma pointed at Pan Yu and started giving people random nicknames.

    Pan Yu smiled and said, “Yes, I am Fatty.” He turned to look at Guo Shengfan, “Look who he is.”

    Guo Shengfan’s eyes were always on Xia Yize. When he was called, he walked over with a smile and stood directly in front of Xia Yize, blocking him out of the circle. “Grandma, I’m Shuai Shuai, and I’m here to see you again.” He spoke very hard, as if he was declaring some kind of sovereignty.

    Xia Yize has learned well not to chase too closely. He consciously stepped back and said, “Then I’ll leave first.”

    Grandma looked at him reluctantly from the crowd and said, “Will you be back soon?”

    “There will be an event in the lobby later. I’ll go help first. I’ll wait for your grandma in the lobby.” Xia Yize smiled and waved to grandma, looked at Qi Ge, and only said, “Waiting for you.”

    Before Qi Ge could say anything, Xia Yize went out. When he walked to the door, the cheerful chatting started again. He just wanted to take a chance today, but he didn’t expect that he would actually encounter it.

    When he inquired about it, he found out that grandma was not Qi Ge’s family at all, but just a neighbor of Qi Ge. After grandma was sent here by her family ten years ago, the family moved. Only Qi Ge kept coming to visit her. Five years ago, grandma suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and knew no one. When she got sick, her memory was confused. She often regarded Qi Ge as his little grandson Qiqi. Only Qi Ge could comfort her.

    Xia Yize, who had wrongly blamed others, reluctantly forgave Qi Ge and pushed him.

    Many volunteers have gathered in the hall, and the division of labor among the several groups is clear. There are those who perform programs, those who cook food, and those who take photos with the photography team.

    Xia Yize does not belong to any team. He is a flexible brick that can be moved wherever it is needed.

    When they were ready, the elderly people received the notification and came out in twos and threes and were led to their seats by volunteers.

    Qi Ge couldn’t sit with the elderly and enjoy the program, but he also went to help the volunteers do what they could.

    Pan Yu and the volunteers moved chairs and props on the stage together. Guo Shengfan saw Qi Ge looking around, his eyes lingering on Xia Yize for a while, and he pulled Qi Ge to the nearest table and said, “Let’s go make dumplings. Please remember that the dumplings you make are standard.”

    Guo Shengfan and Qi Ge joined the dumpling-making team, and soon there were no more rolls to make. A big sister shouted: “The mobile team is here to support.”

    Xia Yize had just come out of the performance group. When he heard that there was a shortage of people, he went over without even looking at what he was doing.

    As soon as he entered, he felt a gaze falling on him, and he felt that this person did not welcome him. As soon as he looked up, he saw Guo Shengfan, who immediately turned around and joked with Qi Ge.

    The eldest sister pulled Xia Yize and said, “Hurry and help us roll the dough.”

    “I can’t.” Xia Yize stood there blankly with a rolling pin in his hand.

    “It’s okay, you can roll it into cakes.” The eldest sister kept holding on.

    Xia Yize followed suit, but the rolling pin just didn’t work. So he simply kneaded it into thin slices with his hands. The thickness was uneven and the shape was irregular. Fortunately, he was not the one making the dumplings. Just when he felt that he was getting better, someone from the dumpling-making team complained, “This dumpling wrapper is not up to standard and cannot be used. Whose is it?”

    Xia Yize’s hand had just taken shape and he didn’t have time to destroy the evidence, “I’m sorry.”

    Xia Yize picked up the rolling pin again and rolled it. Several times, the rolling pin almost flew out after being crushed, but suddenly the rolling pin was pulled away from behind.

    As soon as he turned his head, Qi Ge hit his hand with a rolling pin, “Look, roll out the dumpling wrappers like this.”

    After Qi Ge rolled out a perfect dumpling wrapper, he threw the rolling pin to Xia Yize.

    How could he be able to do it after just one demonstration? Xia Yize still couldn’t start with the rolling pin, and he didn’t want to be stared at like this, as if he was being stared at by a stern teacher behind him.”Aren’t you busy?”

    “There are no more dumpling wrappers over there.” Qi Ge clasped his fingers on the table, “Hurry up.”

    Xia Yize held the rolling pin in one hand and didn’t know where to put his energy. After fiddling with it for a long time, he heard Qi Ge behind him tut.

    He was even more at a loss. Qi Ge took the rolling pin and demonstrated again, “Put it here and roll it!”

    Xia Yize worked awkwardly for a long time but still couldn’t roll it out. Qi Ge sighed, as if he had given up completely.

    Xia Yize lowered his head and said, “I’m sorry.”

    Qi Ge paused, “I just don’t know how to roll dough, no need to apologize.”

    “I misunderstood you, I thought grandma.” Xia Yize tried to organize his words.

    Qi Ge turned to look at him, “You know.” Qi Ge said slowly: “I didn’t mean to push you because I was in a hurry that day. When grandma was sick, she was very emotional when seeing strangers. The doctor said that this would cause irreversible damage to the brain.”

    Xia Yize smiled and leaned forward and said, “It’s okay. In fact, I forgot about it.”

    Xia Yize wanted to take the opportunity to build a relationship, but Guo Shengfan squeezed in from the crowd and stood between him and Qi Ge, “You don’t know how to roll out dumpling wrappers.”

    Xia Yize was stunned when he was asked. He remembered that he and this person had looked at each other several times, and each time he felt a little uncomfortable. However, he was Qi Ge’s friend. Xia Yize tried his best to be friendly and said, “Teacher Qi, you were teaching me just now, and I almost learned it.”

    “Making dumplings is easier than rolling out the skins. How about you go over there and make dumplings.” Guo Shengfan picked up the rolling pin and said to Qi Ge, “I’ll roll out the skins for you.”

    Xia Yize lost his job of rolling out dumpling wrappers. There seemed to be no shortage of people making dumplings. Guo Shengfan rolled out each dumpling and cooperated tacitly. He seemed redundant standing here.

    It happened that Pan Yu passed by carrying props and said, “Classmate Xiaoxia, please help me, I can’t move it anymore.”

    Xia Yize turned around to support him, and then he realized that this was another friend of Qi Ge’s.

    Unlike the prickly Guo Shengfan, Xia Yi felt that Pan Yu was more kind-hearted, and the two moved together and added their contact information.

    On that day, volunteers and the elderly watched the program and ate dumplings together.

    The three of Qi Ge stayed with grandma until it was time for her to go to bed. In the evening, Qi Ge received a photo from Xia Yize. Two bowls were side by side, one large and one small. A pair of chopsticks was placed in one bowl, and a small black head peeked out from the edge of the other bowl.

    Qi Ge looked at the photo and frowned. He just wrote that the ratio of cat food is more balanced, so don’t feed it randomly.Before it was sent out, Xia Yize sent it, “The kitten won’t eat it. No wonder it was the cat you picked up. It also dislikes my dumplings [crying loudly].”

    Qi Ge frowned and chuckled. Pan Yu, who happened to be next to him, asked, “What are you laughing at?”

    “It’s nothing.” He put away his phone and realized later that there was something he couldn’t tell Pan Yu, but the explanation was very deliberate, so he didn’t say much.

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