Luckily, after Xiong YaoYue ate the unknown purple berries, she didn’t immediately fall to the ground twitching while foaming at the mouth.
But she said it was disgusting and she would never eat it again.
“Why did you eat all of it if it’s disgusting.” I couldn’t help but ask, “Can’t you just taste one, then throw the rest away?”
“But I thought the next one would taste better.” Xiong YaoYue replied like she was wrongly blamed.
Xiao Qin had disappeared again.
I decided to go look for her to prevent her from trying to catch a snake again.
Niu ShiLi and the others were a.s.sembling the BBQ equipment brought from Loud Mouth’s home under her command.
It was three army green colored grill racks that’s said to be reinforced and military-grade. Usually, it could be disa.s.sembled and folded into a rectangular backpack.
But one of the backpacks was damaged, that’s why when we went up the mountain I had to help hold the stainless steel racks.
I don’t know about anything else, but based on the st.u.r.diness and heaviness of the steel tubes, the overall quality of the grill should be goo. Anyway, those steel tubes are definitely good weapons, I could feel my combat power increase a lot just by holding them.
The advanced barbecue had a lot of setup steps. Other than the installation of the four legs, they also had to install a multi-functional and raiseable barbecue fork, used to roast whole chicken or duck.
The side shelves were filled with all kinds of spices, oil brushes, and meat thermometers. Right below that was an enamel dish used to hold the cooked food.
It felt even more professional that the grills they use to sell grilled street food. Loud Mouth really is a big glutton, I bet they used this grill setup a lot when their family went on road trips.
I bet there are other fat people I haven’t met in Loud Mouth’s family. Otherwise, I can’t think of any reasons why a single family would need up to three barbecue grills.
All kinds of frozen ingredients in the coolers were now being thawed under the sun. In fact, most of it had thawed on the way up here and will soon return to room temperature.
The cla.s.s leader also began to use the coolers by add foldable chopping boards (also brought by Loud Mouth) on top of it. The foldable chopping boards could not only be used for cutting foods, it could also be folded together to be used as a plate.
It seemed the cla.s.s leader really liked its design and felt she needed one in her own kitchen too.
When it was time to add the charcoal and start the fire, Xiong YaoYue who had finished the sweet potatoes, rushed up and recommended herself:
“Let me do it, I love setting fires.”
“Take this.” The cla.s.s leader pa.s.sed Xiong YaoYue a piece of firewood the length of a forearm.
Xiong YaoYue held the wood and paused a bit. It was like she was holding an unlit Olympic torch and she was shocked from receiving such honors.
When Xiong YaoYue was zoned out, the cla.s.s leader sent a meaningful glance at Loud Mouth. Loud Mouth then immediately used a lit firewood and stuck it through the opening of the fire bucket to light the fire.
“Ah, I was tricked.” Xiong YaoYue dropped the firewood from her hand like she was betrayed by her friends, “Cla.s.s leader… you’re a bully.”
“I am bullying you.” The cla.s.s leader said with a bit of self-deprecation and a bitter smile. It was as if she was saying ‘It’s fine if I bully you a bit and you’re not losing more than me’.
“Clack, clack.” Right when I found no signs of Xiao Qin, I heard the sound of something being grinded down by the area of river where Eunuch Cao fell into.
I walked over and discovered Xiao Qin was squatting in front of the river while grinding something.
“Heyo, heyo.” She said as she continued to grind.
What are you grinding, a knife? After you’re done, are you going to start from Gong CaiCai, then kill and roast everyone with bigger b.r.e.a.s.t.s than you?
Why does the reflection of your face in the river look so happy? Even the cla.s.s leader, who likes kitchen utensils, wouldn’t be grinding a knife as happily as you.
Are you planning to commit a ma.s.sacre on Cui Song Mountain?
As I got closer, I realized Xiao Qin wasn’t grinding a knife, but one small and one large heart-shaped stone.
Xiao Qin, who already knew it was me from my footsteps, turned around halfway with one stone in each hand and showed it to me.
“This is known as a love stone in manga. It’s made by grinding a stone personally by hand then giving it to the person you like.”
I only then realized these two stones weren’t naturally heart-shaped. It took a lot of effort to grind it into a heart shape.
I guess you can really grind a steel pipe into a needle if you’re martial arts skills reached that level.
But to be honest, as long as it comes to art, Xiao Qin’s skill level will drop to the same level as her drawing skills. Among the two heart-shaped stones, only the large one had a acceptable shape, but it looked like a heart with myocarditis and arteriosclerosis. The smaller one was shaped more like a b.u.t.t than a heart.
Xiao Qin ground it a couple more times before rinsing them in the river, then she handed the two hearts to me.
“Ye Lin cla.s.smate has to hold it carefully.”
I subconsciously, somewhat sincerely and fearfully, received them with both hands.
“The large one is Ye Lin cla.s.smate’s.” Xiao Qin pointed at it.
So I have myocarditis and arteriosclerosis? Then hurry up and send me to a hospital. Help me take care of brother Optimus Prime once I die!
“The small one is mines.” Xiao Qin crossed her hands over her chest and said with a gentle expression.
It’s a sentimental scene, it would have been better if the small stone wasn’t shaped like a b.u.t.t.
“Ye Lin cla.s.smate.” Xiao Qin pleaded softly, “Please give the large heart to me.”
“Huh, didn’t you say the large one was mines? Then shouldn’t I give you the smaller one?”
“Ye Lin cla.s.smate is slow.” Xiao Qin stuck out her right fist and touched my right hand.
I suddenly remembered my dad once said a person’s heart was around the size of your closed fist.
So that means my heart was much bigger than Xiao Qin’s.
“Why doesn’t Ye Lin cla.s.smate understand? You have to give your own heart away, so it’s fine if you keep my smaller heart. Can you give me your larger heart?”
She asked as she nervously awaited my response.
If I desperately tried to remember the bullying I suffered as a child at this point, then threw both heart-shaped stones into the river, that would definitely make Xiao Qin cry, right?
But the atmosphere isn’t right, plus I just decided to see Xiao Qin as my sister, then I would not be angry with her because of sister privileges.
Breathe. Take a deep breath. Good, I calmed down.
Seeing that I seemed to be hesitating, Xiao Qin asked, “Is Ye Lin cla.s.smate not willing to keep my heart?”
What do you want me to say to your pitiful Bambi-like eyes?
But your heart is shaped too much like a b.u.t.t. Why do I feel like I’m keeping your b.u.t.t instead of your heart.
Ah, I accidentally thought of the time when I was at Xiao Qin’s home where she was wearing only her underwear.
“I’ll keep it.” I pretended I didn’t really care and shoved the small heart into my pocket, then I gave the large heart back to Xiao Qin.
It’s not a b.u.t.t, it’s not a b.u.t.t, it’s not a b.u.t.t…
I muttered to myself as I rolled the stone that was in my pocket around with my hands.
Xiao Qin solemnly took the big heart-shaped stone from my hand and for a split second, her face bloomed into a large smile.
“Hurray ~(≧▽≦)/~” Xiao Qin pressed the stone against her heart and shouted out with joy: “I got married to Ye Lin cla.s.smate!”
Who married you! I just thought it would be sad if I didn’t accept your gift.
“I don’t care, we already exchanged so many tokens of love. The Zentradi won’t accept it if we don’t get married.”
“Do the Zentradi have nothing else to do? What did we even exchange other than these two stones?”
“Um…” Xiao Qin began counting with her fingers, “Ye Lin cla.s.smate gave me a pair of bracelets and an engagement ring…”
Your dad was the one who gave you those jade bracelets! Even Loud Mouth knows I can’t afford something that expensive.
And can you stop mentioning that ring. It was a cheap two dollar plastic ring bought from a street stall.
“Um… Ye Lin cla.s.smate also gave me a Swiss Army knife and your favorite Optimus Prime…”
Who said those were gifts! It’s not the right environment, but I kind of want to choke her to death right here.
Xiao Qin suddenly picked up the empty cola bottle by her feet, then threw it far down to river and watched it float away.
“Hey, why are you throwing away trash! The people who live down the river will think us city folks have no manners.”
Xiao Qin retorted: “It’s not trash. It’s an actual message in a bottle with my note inside.”
Before the bottle floated really far away, I was indeed able to spot a folded up piece of paper inside the bottle.