The Withered Tree Always Welcomes Spring chapter 20

The food on the coffee table was still mostly untouched. Chen Xian, engrossed in his happiness, suddenly remembered Shen Jixue’s meal. He quickly asked, “What’s wrong? Didn’t like today’s lunch? Why did you eat so little?”

He worried Wu Bie might have said something to make Shen Jixue overthink again. “Did Wu Bie say something?”

Shen Jixue widened his eyes, trying to look sincere, and shook his head. “No, I ate too much in the morning, so I’m not hungry now.”

Shen Jixue managed his expression well this time. Chen Xian scrutinized his face and, remembering that Shen Jixue did eat a lot of noodles in the morning, felt reassured.

With the money in hand, Chen Xian was extremely excited. “How about this, tonight we’ll go out for a good meal, and invite Wu Bie too. You haven’t been out for a while. I’ve been too busy to take you out lately. Today is just right. You can’t stay cooped up at home all the time. When I have time, we’ll go out more.”

Shen Jixue didn’t want Chen Xian to waste money, but seeing him so happy, he didn’t want to spoil the mood and nodded eagerly.

The three of them went to the roadside stall Chen Xian and Wu Bie frequented. This stall was always busy, and they had to hurry to get a table without waiting in line.

“You’re lucky, there’s one table left.” The owner cheerfully led them to the table, recognizing them as regulars. “The usual?”

With Shen Jixue along, Chen Xian had to consider his preferences. Usually, he and Wu Bie ordered dishes to go with alcohol. He asked the owner to bring a menu and listed the dishes for Shen Jixue.

The place was crowded, and Shen Jixue held Chen Xian’s hand, not wanting to let go even after sitting down. He was very tense, instinctively leaning towards Chen Xian. After Chen Xian whispered to him, he gradually calmed down.

“What would you like to eat?”

Shen Jixue wasn’t picky. He was there to accompany Chen Xian and make him happy. “Anything is fine.”

Wu Bie sipped his tea, his gaze lingering on their clasped hands. The owner across the table kept signaling to him, so he finally spoke up.

“Stop dawdling and order a few dishes first. I’m starving.”

Chen Xian took the initiative to add a couple of light dishes and handed the menu back to the owner. “That’ll do for now. Bring us a case of beer.”

A case of beer?

Shen Jixue remembered the last time Chen Xian got drunk and called out Jiang Ying’s name. He gently reminded him, “Isn’t that too much?”

Before Chen Xian could respond, Wu Bie casually explained, “Don’t be fooled by Chen Xian’s quiet demeanor. On our ship, he can outdrink most people.”

Shen Jixue was surprised. He had assumed Chen Xian wasn’t much of a drinker, thinking that an honest, reserved man would drink modestly. This revelation didn’t fit his image of Chen Xian.

“Occasionally,” Chen Xian said as he rinsed the bowls and plates with tea. He wasn’t lying. Although he could drink a lot, he didn’t do so often. Today was special.

Seeing Chen Xian juggle the teapot and tableware single-handedly, Wu Bie finally couldn’t stand it. “We’re already seated. Why are you still holding hands? Do you think someone will kidnap him right under our noses?”

With Wu Bie’s reminder, Chen Xian finally let go of Shen Jixue’s hand, feeling a bit embarrassed.

The food hadn’t arrived yet, but the beer was brought over first. Wu Bie opened two bottles with his chopsticks. “Even though we didn’t get all the money back, it’s still something. Let’s celebrate.”

The beer bottle was slammed onto the table with a loud clink. The bright yellow liquid inside the glass bottle swirled, creating white foam that quickly spilled out. The aroma of malt filled the air.

Chen Xian hurriedly took a big gulp from the bottle, intending to ask someone to get Shen Jixue a soft drink, but Wu Bie grabbed a glass and poured Shen Jixue some beer.

“Isn’t he an adult now? What kind of man drinks soft drinks? Even my little niece doesn’t drink them. Besides, today we’re celebrating, so let’s drink a bit.”

Ordering an extra drink would cost more money, so Shen Jixue, adhering to his principle of saving money, said, “Beer is fine.”

Chen Xian had always treated Shen Jixue like a child, even though Shen Jixue was a bit taller than him. He still couldn’t see him as an adult.

“If you can’t handle it, then don’t drink.”

Shen Jixue rarely drank alcohol. He had only had a small sip with his dad during the New Year, “One glass should be fine.”

Since Shen Jixue insisted, Chen Xian didn’t stop him. Soon, the food was served, and the three of them ordered a whole table of dishes.

“I’d like to propose a toast to celebrate Chen Xian’s successful debt recovery,” Wu Bie suddenly stood up and solemnly announced.

Shen Jixue was leaning close to his glass, cautiously sniffing the beer. Seeing this, Wu Bie pulled him up and urged, “Raise your glass.”

Startled, Shen Jixue’s hand bumped the glass, spilling quite a bit of beer.

“Don’t scare him,” Chen Xian naturally pushed Wu Bie’s hand away and signaled him to keep some distance from Shen Jixue.

Wu Bie disapproved of Chen Xian’s attitude, treating Shen Jixue like fragile porcelain that couldn’t withstand a single touch.

Shen Jixue was a bit dazed, but since it was a celebration for Chen Xian, he forced himself to act composed, raised his glass, and toasted the air.

“Over here,” Wu Bie grabbed his wrist and turned him in the right direction, “We’re over here.”

His hand hit the glass, and Wu Bie lifted Shen Jixue’s arm to make him drink, so he hurriedly took a sip.

The bitter taste of fermented malt spread in his mouth, making Shen Jixue’s face scrunch up; the taste was truly unpleasant.

He didn’t realize how exaggerated his expression was, which made Wu Bie laugh, “Is it that bad? Alcohol is the essence of grains; it shouldn’t taste that awful.”

Chen Xian smiled as he took the glass from Shen Jixue and set it aside, then called a waiter to bring a soft drink, “Xiao Shen, you shouldn’t drink, have a soda instead.”

Shen Jixue had drunk the beer to save Chen Xian money, but the waiter’s efficiency was amazing; an opened bottle of soda was already in front of him, rendering his effort with the beer pointless.

“Drink the soda,” Chen Xian thoughtfully inserted a straw into the bottle and guided Shen Jixue’s hand to it.

The sweet fragrance of the soda filled Shen Jixue’s nose. He fumbled for the straw until Chen Xian helped him find it. After a small sip, the sweet orange flavor gradually overpowered the bitterness of the malt. Indeed, the soda tasted much better.

Wu Bie was quite the talker, ensuring the atmosphere never grew dull. He lavishly praised Chen Xian, saying that Chen Xian had finally toughened up and improved from before.

Chen Xian felt embarrassed, “Alright, can we drop this topic?”

“Drop it? How can we? You haven’t even gotten your divorce papers yet. Once you have those, then it’ll be over.” Wu Bie leaned in and whispered, “Did you set a specific date to finalize it?”

Chen Xian exhaled a sigh of relief, “This Wednesday.”

“Good! That’s soon.” Wu Bie calculated the days, then remarked, “If it weren’t for this delay, you would’ve been earning money on a ship by now.”

Chen Xian glanced at Shen Jixue, worried he might overthink things, but Shen Jixue remained calm, softly asking, “Is it fun on the ship?”

“Fun? Not really. It gets boring after a while,” Wu Bie thought for a moment, then added, “Well, it’s a mix. There are no women on the ship, just a bunch of guys. When we dock, we go ashore to buy local specialties.”

It’s both good and bad. Good because the pay is decent and you get to see many places, bad because you’re away from home for long periods, like Chen Xian.

“You get to visit many places,” Shen Jixue’s voice was light, but the envy was evident.

Chen Xian patted Shen Jixue’s head, “Once your eyes are better, you can go to many places too.”

Wu Bie, without thinking, blurted out, “Can your eyes get better?”

Seeing Chen Xian’s face turn grim, Wu Bie realized his mistake and quickly corrected himself, “That’s good if they can be treated.”

Shen Jixue’s face showed hurt at Wu Bie’s words, and Wu Bie noticed Chen Xian’s expression, as if he’d face dire consequences if he didn’t console Shen Jixue. What a mess!

Wu Bie had no choice but to awkwardly change the subject, “You were curious, right? Let me tell you some stories from the ship.”

Shen Jixue’s downcast eyes lit up, and he nodded.

“Last time, someone died on our company’s ship. The first mate and a sailor were on the barge. The cargo wasn’t lost, but the sailor died…”

Wu Bie’s tone was harsh but compelling. He drank while talking, occasionally interacting with Shen Jixue, who was engrossed in the story. Shen Jixue finished his soda and absentmindedly grabbed the beer glass, taking a few more sips.

Wu Bie moved from stories about other ships to his own, growing more agitated. He slammed the table, almost knocking the dishes over, “Our first mate is unreliable, barely literate, with the understanding of a pig. Last time, he crashed while docking. If he can get promoted, so can I.”

Chen Xian chuckled while tidying up, comforting him, “Next time, it’ll be your turn to get promoted.”

“Chen Xian, do you think so too?” Wu Bie, after getting agreement, continued to complain, “And that first mate brought his woman on board as a cook. Her cooking is terrible. I can tolerate other things, but not this.”

As he spoke, he reached out to grab Shen Jixue, “Little blind guy, don’t you agree?”

“Have you had too much to drink?” Chen Xian quickly pulled Shen Jixue away from Wu Bie’s grip. Only then did he notice that Shen Jixue’s cheeks were flushed, and he was blinking and grinning foolishly at Wu Bie.

Wu Bie suddenly stood up, slammed his hands on the table, and pointed at Shen Jixue, shouting, “He’s the one who’s drunk!”

Translator note:

A first mate is an officer on a merchant ship next in rank to the captain and responsible to the captain for the safety and security of the ship.