1693 Learn to Drive

"I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. I didn't ask more about your family situation. If I had known earlier, Auntie would have received better treatment and might have recovered earlier. Is Auntie doing well now?" Qiao Mei asked worriedly.

"Yes! She's doing very well! Previously, she could only lie in bed all day and my sister had to wait upon her hand and foot. Now, she can even go out for walks! She can basically take care of herself now. Everything's good!" Da Zhuang said happily.

"I still have some lingzhi here. It's very beneficial to your mother's health. I picked these in our village back then. Bring them back for Auntie to eat," Qiao Mei said as she took out some lingzhi from the cabinet.

"No! Sister-in-law! This won't do! This is against the rules!" Da Zhuang quickly said.

"We're all a family. Since you address me as sister-in-law, then you and Xiao Zhuang are like family to me. You always do your best to protect my grandfather, mother and my younger siblings, so I also have to protect your mother and younger sister," Qiao Mei said.

Da Zhuang was so touched that tears welled up in his eyes. He took the lingzhi from Qiao Mei's hand solemnly and said, "Thank you, Sister-in-law."

"Actually, I have something else to ask of you today." Before Qiao Mei could finish speaking, Da Zhuang immediately shouted, "Sister-in-law, just tell me what you want me to do! Anything you say! I'll definitely do it!"

"But I haven't said what it is yet? What if you have to go against the team?" Qiao Mei asked with a laugh.

Da Zhuang was in a dilemma for a moment. On one side was something he believed in and on the other side was his savior. After thinking about it, he finally looked at Qiao Mei firmly and said, "Then I'll leave the team first before helping you!"

"Stop it! It's not that serious. It's just that I got a car recently and I don't know how to drive, so I want you to teach me," Qiao Mei said.

"Huh! I thought it's something out of this world! So it's just to teach you how to drive!" After Da Zhuang finished speaking, he was dazed for a long time. He looked at Qiao Mei in shock and asked, "Sister-in-law… Did I hear wrongly? You want to drive?"

"That's right. I want to learn how to drive. Is it so strange? Why are all of you so surprised to hear it?" Qiao Mei said.

Da Zhuang looked at Qiao Mei with a solemn expression and said, "Sister-in-law, the car outside is too big and you're pregnant. It's really not safe for you to drive. The mountain roads near the army base are long and bumpy. It's even more dangerous for you to drive in that area in your condition."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Qiao Mei said.

Since Qiao Mei had made the decision, he did not want to stop her. Da Zhuang brought Qiao Mei to a wide open space and began to carefully teach her how to drive.

"The most important thing about driving is your state of mind. You must be focused and keep your hands steady. Don't be nervous and don't panic when something happens. This way, you're halfway to being a good driver," Da Zhuang said.

Anyone who did not know better would think that Qiao Mei had joined some kind of multi-level marketing organization. They had not even started practical lessons and she was being told that she needed to adjust her mindset first. Qiao Mei held back her laughter as she listened to Da Zhuang's teachings.

"Step on the clutch, change gears, gently step on the accelerator, then slowly drive forward. This is how you start…" Da Zhuang rambled on for about two hours, teaching Qiao Mei almost all his knowledge and skills.

It was not so much teaching Qiao Mei how to drive as doing a demonstration for her, just like how he used to learn in the army.

"Can I give it a try?" Qiao Mei said.

"Do you already know how to do it?" Da Zhuang looked at Qiao Mei in disbelief.

"If we don't try, we'll never know. Just supervise me from the front passenger seat. Nothing will happen," Qiao Mei said.

Da Zhuang sat nervously in the front passenger seat and gripped the handbrake tightly. As soon as Qiao Mei did anything wrong, he would immediately pull the handbrake. At this moment, he felt as if he was going to face death bravely. It was like he was not holding the handbrake in his hand, but the fuse of a grenade that would explode if he loosened his grip.

"Don't be nervous." Qiao Mei looked at Da Zhuang and comforted him.

"I'm not nervous… For sure, I'm not nervous… Sister-in-law, go ahead and drive! Remember what I just said!" Da Zhuang said cautiously.

Qiao Mei started slowly at first and pretended not to know anything, then she made it look like she began to catch on. By the end, she could even drift!

"Sister-in-law, you're really too smart! It's such a pity that you're not a soldier!" Da Zhuang lamented.