The sound of rain outside gradually lessened and then ceased altogether, seemingly having stopped.
There was a noise from the living room, suggesting that Qin's Mom had returned. The two people entwined on the bed moved a little; He Fang checked the time and broke away from Qin Guanglin's embrace to sit up.
"I'll go help with dinner."
Qin Guanglin pulled her back down to continue lying together, "What's the rush? You'll catch a chill and have a stomachache."
He knew these common things, that girls were more delicate, especially at this time of the month, and should avoid certain things.
"No way." He Fang hesitated for a moment but broke away from him again, "I'll just be careful."
"Don't move, watch me." Qin Guanglin helped her to lie back down, smoothed his crumpled clothes, and left the room.
Qin's Mom was in the kitchen fiddling with a basket of vegetables when she saw Qin Guanglin come in. She casually asked, "Where's He Fang?"
"Resting in my room." Qin Guanglin crouched down to help her pluck the leaves off the greens.
"Then why are you here?" Qin's Mom waved him off, "Go, go, don't leave her alone there."
What was this kid doing, not keeping his girlfriend company and instead meddling here?
"She's not feeling well." Qin Guanglin explained tactfully why He Fang wasn't coming out.
"Then why don't you stay with her, and not create trouble here?" Qin's Mom frowned, "Is it serious? If not, you should take her to the clinic."
Qin Guanglin thought for a moment, "It's just that her body is a bit uncomfortable these days, resting will help."
"No, what's wrong with you?" Qin's Mom took the greens from his hand, "She's not feeling well and you're in here with me? Go keep her company!"
Then she looked at him suspiciously, "Did you two have a fight?"
"No!" Qin Guanglin didn't understand her train of thought, "I'm just here to help with the cooking."
"It seems like it's you who's not feeling well, is your skin itching?" Qin's Mom found it increasingly strange, what was this kid up to?
He only ever washed dishes, couldn't even chop vegetables, and now he wanted to help with cooking?
Qin Guanglin picked up another leaf of greens and started plucking again, saying softly, "He Fang can't help you, so I've come."
Qin's Mom paused for a moment, "I don't need her help, just wait and eat." She then laughed wryly, "Are you helping me? Clearly, you're helping your girlfriend!"
So, this kid suddenly became diligent for He Fang's sake, perhaps He Fang even told him to come.
"All the same, all the same." Qin Guanglin felt a little guilty, helping his mom just for his girlfriend sounded pretty bad.
"Get lost! How have you ruined these perfectly good vegetables?" Qin's Mom snatched the greens from his hand, "Don't leave He Fang alone, go keep her company."
"Just let me help you." Qin Guanglin persisted, picking up a green pepper and washing it under the tap, "Practice makes perfect, the more you do it, the better you get."
"What nonsense are you up to?" Qin's Mom was baffled by now, what did he mean by practice makes perfect?
"I just want to help you cook." Qin Guanglin finished washing the pepper and placed it on the cutting board, "Not just today, but I'll often help you in the future too, how should this be cut?"
"Into strips." Qin's Mom stopped picking the vegetables and turned to watch Qin Guanglin, feeling something was off with this kid.
Qin Guanglin clumsily cut the pepper in half, compared it with the knife for a few moments, then sliced a strip vertically from the edge, "Like this, right?"
"Scoop out the core in the middle and throw it away."
Qin's Mom instructed him, then suddenly had a realization and slapped her thigh, "You want to learn to cook?!"
"No, I'm just trying it out." Qin Guanglin denied, "What's there to learn, once you see it, you know it."
"Pretend, go on and pretend." Qin's Mom sneered, "You think I can't tell what you're thinking?"
"Okay, just a little practice." Qin Guanglin was a bit nervous holding the knife, if he cut his hand, he wouldn't be able to draw.
So annoying, why were both his mom and He Fang so hard to deceive, they could see through everything?
"Hmph." Qin's Mom turned back triumphantly to continue working on the greens, "Are you serious?"
"Not really, just tinkering around to avoid going hungry when I'm out."
Heh… like anyone would believe that! Qin's Mom didn't expose him either, "Well, learn properly then, cut these greens too."
"Into sections?"
Qin Guanglin placed the pepper strips aside and took the greens his mom had picked and began washing them.
"Correct, you've eaten it before." Qin's Mom pouted, and he wanted to learn to cook?
The door to Qin Guanglin's room opened with a sound, prompting him to set the knife down and rush to the kitchen door, "What are you doing up?"
"I'm just seeing if there's anything I can help with." He Fang's voice was softer than usual, tender and gentle, though her complexion had mostly returned to normal.
"Dinner will be ready soon, dear, you should rest a bit." Qin's Mom had likely guessed why He Fang was unwell.
Being away from home and at school could be tough with no support.
"You should lie down a bit longer." Qin Guanglin also said.
"Mm, I'm okay." He Fang didn't know what Qin Guanglin and Qin's Mom had talked about, and didn't enter the kitchen further, just standing by the door talking to them.
Seeing Qin Guanglin return to chopping vegetables at the cutting board, she curiously asked, "Is Guanglin cooking today?"
"He's planning to learn." Qin's Mom looked between the two of them, "Yeah, you can guide him."
"I'm just trying to understand." Qin Guanglin regretted his decision, why did he choose now to learn when he could have done it anytime?
"This is easy to learn, just practice and you'll get it." He Fang said as she walked over to stand beside Qin Guanglin, "These need to be longer, it's hard to pick up when they're short."
"This long?" Qin Guanglin gestured, realizing meals he ate usually were longer.
"Mm."
Watching him cut twice more, He Fang then stopped him, "Wait a minute."
"What?" Qin Guanglin asked quizzically.
"Your fingers need to bend, otherwise, you'll easily cut yourself." He Fang took the knife and demonstrated, "Line up the knife with your knuckles, that way you won't get cut."
"Oh, I see!"
Qin Guanglin tried it twice and found it indeed safer this way.
"Don't force the blade down, use force moving from back to front, makes the cut smoother," Teacher He continued instructing.
In every aspect, she trained him well.
"Amazing." Qin Guanglin admired, indeed only a good teacher produces capable students, unlike Qin's Mom's "cut into strips," "cut into sections"; who knew when those methods would be effective?
"How long do I have to learn to chop like you, with that rapid sound da da da da?"
"Depends on how long you cook."
Qin Guanglin was fussy about this matter, refusing to admit he wanted to learn, "I'm just messing around, not doing it for long."
"Oh~" He Fang dragged the sound, "Then why do you need the da da da speed, just cut randomly."
"True."
"The greens go in the colander over there, if you put them in the bowl water won't drain out." He Fang patiently instructed; the first-time-cooking Qin Guanglin acted like a fool, lacking even basic knowledge.
Qin's Mom watched them silently, thinking they were quite a match. If they ended up together, it would indeed be good, but they were both too young, and too many variables existed before marriage.
This kid needed to work hard…