Soon, the aroma of soy sauce, vinegar, and fish filled the entire yard.

At Qin Huairu's home, the three children were sniffling together on the windowsill.

The gate to Sha Zhu's house across the street was locked. Ran Qiuye and Xu Damao pushed their bicycles in, and suddenly found themselves in a dilemma.

Seeing this, Xu Damao seized the opportunity to invite, "You must be held up by something. Why don't you come over to my place for a while? My house is in the backyard. I'll make a pot of tea, and we can drink it while we wait."

Ran Qiuye hesitated for a moment before following Xu Damao.

In the courtyard, Jia Zhangshi's eyes lit up instantly, and she quickly called over her grandson: "Banggeng, go find Shazhu and tell him that Teacher Ran asked Xu Damao to take him to his room."

Inside the old man's house, Yi Zhonghai was restless: "No, I have to go and see. I can't let Xu Damao ruin Zhuzi's wedding again!"

In the front yard, the Third Uncle and his family were eagerly waiting.

Yan Jiecheng's wife, Zhang Hongying, asked incredulously, "Dad, are we really going to have fish later?"

Like the two Qin sisters, she had a rural household registration. After much effort from her aunt, she finally found someone who caught her eye.

Yan Bugui was in high spirits: "It's fish heads, two fish heads."

Yan Jiefang swallowed hard: "Fish head is fine too, we haven't smelled meat in our house for more than two months."

Yan Bugui's face immediately fell: "Get out of the way! What's it to you? You've already separated from the family, if you want to eat, you can, but pay up."

Yan Jiefang was burning with anger: "Dad, you're too calculating! This fish head was given to you by Fatty!"

"Then go ask him for it and see how he praises you!"

Yan Jiefang fell silent. If he dared to get close to the fat man, would he have to put up with this?

Just then, Sha Zhu returned carrying a net bag.

He went back to the cafeteria. But this time it wasn't for Qin Huairu, but for Ran Qiuye.

The last time she cooked, Ran Qiuye looked at the food in the pot with envy and said, "I haven't eaten meat in a very, very long time."

Sha Zhu was so heartbroken he almost cried.

After Ran Qiuye expressed her willingness to develop a relationship with him, he readily agreed.

Back in the cafeteria this time, he was much more low-key. Knowing Ran Qiuye was coming, he even asked everyone for the first time, "There's a lot of fish today, can I take one home?"

The head fisherman from Hongxing Commune sent a lot to the Hongxing Factory this time, and everyone in the canteen got some.

Seeing that Sha Zhu had finally given in to him, Old Wang took pity on him and said, "Take one back with you."

As soon as Sha Zhu entered the courtyard, he was almost bumped into by a boy who was coming towards him: "Hey, what are you doing running away from here?"

Banggeng glanced at it and exclaimed, "Lunchbox!" Then he remembered what his grandmother had just told him: "Shazhu, you should go back now. Teacher Ran sent Xu Damao to take him home!"

Xu Damao! You scoundrel, it's Xu Damao again!

I don't know where Qin Jingru, that silly girl, has run off to.

Xu Damao invited Ran Qiuye into the house, took out a box of jasmine tea and a box of Maojian tea from the cabinet, and asked her, "Teacher Ran, would you like flower tea or green tea?"

Ran Qiuye glanced around Xu Damao's house and quickly made a few judgments in her mind; she said calmly, "I don't actually drink tea, plain water is fine with me."

Xu Damao thought for a moment and said, "Then let's not make tea. I actually have some good stuff."

After saying that, she pulled out an aluminum foil bag from the very back of the cabinet and said to Ran Qiuye triumphantly, "See this? It's imported, and it smells like oranges when you brew it."

Ran Qiuye almost blurted out, "Guozhen?!"

The "Tang" brand was born in 1957 in the home of an American. It quickly became a globally renowned brand of instant solid beverages.

However, this product didn't officially enter our country until 1986. "Guotang Time" has since become a memory for the post-80s generation.

There's no problem with Ran Qiuye knowing the brand, and there's no problem with Xu Damao being able to produce this item either; he shamelessly begged the fat man for it...

Sipping her sweet orange-flavored drink, Ran Qiuye was filled with mixed emotions.

Just as I was about to say a few words of thanks to Xu Damao, the door was kicked open!

He was very strong and his voice was loud, which frightened Ran Qiuye so much that she turned pale.

Xu Damao was almost scared out of his wits: "Idiot, Idiot Zhu, what are you doing?"

"What are you doing, you little bastard? I'm treating you to some tea eggs!"

After saying that, he grabbed the teapot on the table and was about to smash it on Xu Damao's head.

Ran Qiuye stood in front of Xu Damao: "He Yuzhu! Be rational!"

Sha Zhu stopped: "I can't be rational! Open your eyes and take a good look. This bastard you're protecting. How many times has it been? I talk to one person and he interferes with another! You're addicted, aren't you?"

Ran Qiuye said seriously, "He Yuzhu, I'm very angry. You shouldn't have lost faith in me!"

Sha Zhu is easily fooled by this. In the TV series, Lou Xiao'e figured this out perfectly, which is why she had him completely under her thumb.

He accidentally broke two plates in the restaurant's kitchen, and Lou Xiao'e scolded him in front of all the people in the kitchen. And what happened? Sha Zhu obediently picked them up.

Ran Qiuye's statement now conveys a similar sentiment.

Xu Damao seized the opportunity to defend himself: "Teacher Ran came looking for you, but you weren't home, so I invited her to my room for a drink of water."

Ran Qiuye glanced back at Xu Damao and saw his cowardly appearance. Then, recalling what Sha Zhu had said earlier, she suddenly understood many things.

When the two arrived at Sha Zhu's house, Ran Qiuye didn't say anything, she just kept looking at him.

Sha Zhu felt a chill run down his spine under her gaze. After all, she was a homeroom teacher, and her specialty was handling unruly children…

And Sha Zhu is just a giant brat!

Sha Zhu forced a smile and explained, "Xu Damao is up to no good. And you can't drink his water either; who knows if he's poisoned it?"

Ran Qiuye suddenly saw through Sha Zhu, and the smile in her eyes was hard to hide: "I'm very thirsty now, go get me a glass of water."

Sha Zhu hurriedly went to get the thermos, only to find it empty!

He coughed awkwardly twice, said "Wait a moment" and ran into Yi Zhonghai's room.

The fat man took the opportunity to slip over, holding a bottle filled with pink liquid in his hand, and muttered to himself, "Hehe, you silly Zhu, if you want a woman, you still have to rely on your daddy to help you."

After saying that, he aimed the bottle in his hand at Sha Zhu, who was rushing out of Yi Zhonghai's house, while blocking the view.

The medicine in the bottle evaporated rapidly, mixing into the thermos in Sha Zhu's hand in a state invisible to the naked eye.

Once inside, Sha Zhu immediately locked the door. He poured water for Ran Qiuye and couldn't help but ask, "What are you doing with Xu Damao?"

He had barely started speaking when Ran Qiuye glared at him, and Sha Zhu obediently swallowed the rest of his words: "I was being nosy, I was being nosy; you drink water, drink water."

Ran Qiuye was really thirsty. She picked up the cup, tested the temperature, and drank it all in one gulp.