After trying several times, he went from being a little chubby kid to a big fat guy.
Qin Zheng laughed and joked every day, seemingly unconcerned about anything, but in reality, he was very sensitive inside.
Originally, he thought he had a few friends. But one time, he accidentally overheard them saying behind his back that he was as fat as a stupid pig, disgusting, and that they wouldn't want to be close to him if it weren't for some coaxing, with gifts and meals.
Only Zhao Dahe didn't mind his weight.
So, he considered Zhao Dahe as his best friend.
Especially since Zhao Dahe said he had a chubby sister and that you get used to it after a while.
Now, Zhao Xiaohua's words hit home for Qin Zheng.
If little sister Xiaohua used to be as fat as he is now, does that mean he can slim down like her too?
His parents are quite good-looking, his mom had said he was very cute when he was little.
After slimming down, he should look good too, right?
Then no one would whisper behind his back, claiming he's not his parents' biological child, right?
"Little sister Xiaohua, can you tell me how you lost weight? I, I want to slim down too," Qin Zheng asked expectantly.
"It's all thanks to my mom; she kept an eye on me. It was tough at first, but once I got used to it, it wasn't that hard," Zhao Xiaohua said.
Qin Zhen looked admiringly at Meng Yao, "Auntie, how are you so amazing! You can make delicious food and help people lose weight. Auntie, I'd like to slim down a bit too. I don't expect to be as dashing as Dahe, just a little slimmer! My mom keeps saying that if I don't lose weight, I might not even be able to marry a wife. My standards aren't high, just slim enough to get a wife."
Qin Zheng made Meng Yao laugh, how could this chubby kid be so amusing?
Not to mention, every chubby person is a potential stock, Meng Yao fully agreed with this saying.
Although Qin Zheng was fat, his facial features were actually quite decent if you looked closely. It's just that the fat on his face had distorted them a bit.
"I can tell you the method, but whether you can stick to it depends on your willpower," Meng Yao said.
The reason Zhao Xiaohua could slim down so quickly was because of the daily supervision right under her mother's watchful eye.
Another major reason was that from the moment she started losing a bit of weight, she suddenly awakened a vanity trait, wanting to look in the mirror whenever she had a moment.
Although the bronze mirror at home seemed blurry beyond remedy to Meng Yao, Zhao Xiaohua could somehow see every little bit of weight loss and how much prettier she became each time.
For boys, their love for beauty tends to be slightly less than that of girls.
"I, I ended up getting fatter because I lacked willpower," Qin Zheng said regretfully.
"What did you do before?" Meng Yao asked him.
"I just drank water, and when I couldn't stand the hunger, I thought of having just a few bites, but every time, it would turn into a full-blown eating spree, consuming more and more," Qin Zheng said embarrassedly.
So that's how it was.
In that case, you can't say Qin Zheng lacked willpower.
He simply used the wrong method.
It's already fortunate that he didn't starve himself into serious trouble.
"To lose weight, starving isn't the solution. Even if you become thin by starving, wouldn't you gain it all back as soon as you eat? Furthermore, constant hunger can ruin your health," Meng Yao said sternly.
"Then what should I do?" Qin Zheng asked persistently.
It was time for Zhao Xiaohua to step in, "Brother Qin Zheng, the first thing you need to do is stop snacking. I gave all my snacks to Little Tree."
Qin Zheng nodded, "Alright, when I get back, I'll give all the goodies in my dorm to Dahe."
Zhao Dahe: Why does it feel like Qin Zheng has ill intentions?
"The second thing is to eat slowly and chew your food well; chew one bite thirty times!" Zhao Xiaohua advised.
She didn't personally chew so many times when eating, but her mom said more chewing was better, so she added a bit more for him.
This didn't seem too hard to do, except it might take a long, long time to finish meals from now on.
"Is there a third one?" Qin Zheng asked.
"The third is to stand against the wall after meals," Zhao Xiaohua said, "Follow me, I'll show you how to stand."
Qin Zheng followed Zhao Xiaohua to the courtyard, and Zhao Xiaohua stood against the wall.
It didn't seem difficult, so Qin Zheng leaned against the wall too. Surprisingly, leaning like this after a meal, basking in the sun, felt quite comfortable.
"Heels have to be against the wall, you must pull your stomach in tightly, your back as well, and the back of your head too," Zhao Xiaohua corrected Qin Zheng's posture.
The comfort was soon gone.
His whole body became taut and uncomfortable.
But seeing Zhao Xiaohua stay still, Qin Zheng felt he couldn't lose to a little girl and gritted his teeth. Soon, sweat started trickling down his forehead into his eyes, making it hard to keep them open.
He never knew standing could be so exhausting.
After two long quarters of an hour, Qin Zheng moaned, "Dahe, come over, come over and give me a hand."
"Is it really that exaggerated?" Zhao Dahe unwillingly walked over.
"Try it, then you'll know if I'm exaggerating," Qin Zheng said, panting heavily.
"Little sister Xiaohua didn't struggle at all," Zhao Dahe scoffed.
"But Xiaohua isn't as fat as I am," Qin Zheng said, embarrassed yet defending himself.
"Just admit you're not as good as little sister Xiaohua then," Zhao Dahe continued to tease.
"Everything is a gradual process, after a few more times, I'm sure it won't be this bad," Qin Zheng said.
Then, Zhao Xiaohua explained the benefits of wall-standing to Qin Zheng, causing him to nod repeatedly in agreement, thinking it made a lot of sense.
Afterwards, Zhao Xiaohua also told Qin Zheng that he should walk briskly every morning and start running when he could.
"Ah—" Qin Zheng moaned, he didn't like exercising at all.
"To lose weight, you have to control your mouth and move your legs. Moreover, exercise is not just for slimming down, it's also to make your body stronger," Zhao Xiaohua said earnestly, "Otherwise, why would the doctor say, a hundred steps after meals keeps you living till ninety-nine? So, brother Qin Zheng, if you do the first, second, and third steps but don't persist in the last, wouldn't it all go to waste?"
"Listen, how reasonable my sister sounds!" Zhao Dahe commented, "Looking all muscular and large, one might think you're in great shape, but in reality, you often feel unwell here and there. I'm worried that in the future, when you're playing, you might faint. Never mind, I'll do a good deed and accompany you every day, just so you won't say I'm not brotherly enough in the future!"
What else could Qin Zheng say? If he kept arguing, he would start doubting whether he truly wanted to lose weight.
Before leaving, Meng Yao had Zhao Dahe write out a meal plan for Qin Zheng, with portions much larger than Zhao Xiaohua's per meal, considering Qin Zheng's larger initial weight, he couldn't follow Zhao Xiaohua strictly.
Qin Zheng cherished it as a treasure tucked in his pocket, his ability to slim down depended on it.