At the state-run restaurant, Song Ze's two good brothers had already arrived and were eagerly staring at the entrance.

When they saw Song Ze walk in with a very pretty young girl, both of them widened their eyes.

"Holy crap, Aze, you're amazing! Is this your girlfriend from Beijing University?"

Xia Qingqing sized up the two men in front of her. The man on the left seemed cheerful, with slightly dark skin. When he smiled, his teeth looked very white, giving him a sunny vibe.

The one on the right has a more composed demeanor, with thick eyebrows slightly raised, a straight nose, and an aura of righteousness emanating from him.

She greeted them with a smile: "Hello, I'm Song Ze's girlfriend, my name is Xia Qingqing."

"Hello, sister-in-law. I'm Song Ze's good brother, my name is Yuan Xin, and this is Ning Zhiyuan," Yuan Xin greeted Xia Qingqing with a smile.

Ning Zhiyuan smiled and nodded at Xia Qingqing, but secretly glared at Yuan Xin, thinking that this guy had a mouth. Couldn't he introduce himself?

When Song Ze heard Yuan Xin call Xia Qingqing "sister-in-law," he pretended to be displeased and said, "A Yuan, you're being inconsiderate. What do you mean by 'sister-in-law'? You should call her 'sister-in-law.'"

"Song Ze, have you no shame? You're clearly the youngest of the three of us, who are you taking advantage of?" Yuan Xin raised his hand to punch Song Ze.

Song Ze hid behind Xia Qingqing and made a face at him: "You can't hit me, I have a boyfriend to protect me."

With Xia Qingqing blocking his way, Yuan Xin really couldn't do anything to Song Ze. He gave him a complicated look: "You childish brat."

Xia Qingqing didn't expect Song Ze to be so childish in front of his friends, so she pulled him out from behind her and said, "Stop fooling around, sit down first."

“Yes, please sit down. We haven’t ordered yet. What would Comrade Xia like to eat?” Ning Zhiyuan said with a smile.

Xia Qingqing sat down next to Song Ze with a smile and said, "I'm fine with anything, just keep an eye on things."

These days, there's no such thing as being picky about food. It's good enough to have something to eat. Being picky about food just means you're not hungry enough. You can just go hungry for a couple more meals.

"Alright, it's just a few dishes anyway, I'll just order a few," Ning Zhiyuan said without asking any further questions and got up to go to the window to order.

Yuan Xin chatted with Xia Qingqing with a grin: "I've heard Aze brag about finding a really good-looking girl, but after meeting her, I realized she's more than just good-looking, she's practically a fairy."

These were just polite words, but Xia Qingqing was still very happy to hear them, and her dimples appeared faintly on her face.

I never expected Song Ze's friend to be so lively; he seems to have a knack for being a bit of a goofball.

Yuan Xin was very talkative, and in no time he had explained everything about himself and Ning Zhiyuan.

Yuan Xin is a truck driver. He has always been a restless person. If he had to stay in one place to work every day, it would be like being in prison. Truck drivers often have to travel all over the country, which suits him perfectly.

Ning Zhiyuan is a police officer. He became a police officer after graduating from high school because he was influenced by his elders from a young age.

Whether you're a truck driver or a police officer, those were highly sought-after professions in the 1970s.

Xia Qingqing's eyes flickered as she looked at Yuan Xin. Truck drivers usually make a little extra money by selling gadgets when they go out to work. She wondered if Yuan Xin had his own sales channels. She could ask him when they got to know each other better.

Ning Zhiyuan returned shortly after ordering four dishes and a soup, and then asked the others if they wanted to add any other dishes.

Xia Qingqing quickly waved her hand and said that was enough. The state-run restaurant had very generous portions; four dishes and a soup were more than enough for them.

"We didn't believe it when we first heard that Aze got into university. We know what he's capable of. But then we heard him say that he got into university thanks to his girlfriend's tutoring. He's really lucky to have found such an excellent girlfriend like Qingqing," Yuan Xin said in an exaggerated tone, emphasizing the superficial brotherhood.

Song Ze, who was sitting next to him, wanted to hit him. Praising Qingqing was fine, but there was no need to put her down like that. Didn't he have any pride?

Xia Qingqing was amused by Yuan Xin's words and said modestly, "No, that's not true. Aze studies very hard, and he got into university because of his own efforts."

Song Ze looked at Xia Qingqing with a touched expression: "My Qingqing is the best."

Yuan Xin coughed twice and joked, "Be mindful of your behavior. I don't want to be fed dog food by you guys before I even eat."

"You're just jealous of me, aren't you? If you're jealous, go find one yourself," Song Ze said smugly to Yuan Xin.

When the topic of finding a partner came up, Yuan Xin became completely dejected: "You're one to talk! My mom is driving me crazy. She keeps urging me to go on blind dates these days."

"Your aunt is only doing this for your own good. You're already in your twenties, how could they not be worried?" Song Ze said with a faint smile.

Yuan Xin said nonchalantly, "A Yuan is the oldest among us. If he's not in a hurry, why should I be?"

Ning Zhiyuan paused in his chopsticks, glanced at Yuan Xin, and said, "Why are you bringing this up with me? I'm a fine 22-year-old young man, what's the rush? I need to shine in my job, I don't have time to date."

Finally, he added, "Besides, my mom doesn't pressure me."

These words struck a chord with Yuan Xin's fragile heart: "..."

While watching the two bicker, Song Ze considerately served Xia Qingqing some food, saying, "Qingqing, eat more. You're still too thin. It would be better if you gained a little weight."

Xia Qingqing secretly touched the little bit of fat around her waist. She had gained three pounds this time she went home. She hadn't moved much at home during the entire summer vacation and had been eating extra meals in her room every day. It was hard not to gain weight.

......

The meal was more enjoyable than Xia Qingqing had expected. Song Ze's two brothers treated her very well, never mentioning her family background, and only praising her abilities.

After the meal, Song Ze rode his bicycle to take Xia Qingqing back to school.

Xia Qingqing still chooses to live at school during regular classes, and only returns to the courtyard to relax and have a good meal during holidays.

Her original plan was to move out of the school this semester, but she felt too lonely living alone. At least she had someone to keep her company at school.

During her trip home, she probed Zhang Hongyan and Xia Heping's intentions, and they expressed strong resistance to living in Beijing.

Are you kidding me? What will your whole family eat and drink if you go to Beijing? Where will you earn work points to support your family?

That makes sense. Even if Xia Qingqing is capable of supporting her parents, Xia Heping and his wife are only in their forties. If they are not allowed to work now, they will probably be very anxious and distressed every day.