Chapter 103

Luo Xiangqian said, "Oh, yes, yes, yes, I almost forgot to introduce her. Yurou's sister has been very smart since she was a child. Although she is only 18 years old, her grades are very good. She is also studying at the provincial capital university and is in the same class as Jinxuan."

Xie Jinxuan smiled and said, "This is the reason why young people are so powerful. I am much older than her, but we are classmates. I still need to learn more from young people in these aspects. Young people's learning ability is always stronger than ours."

As they talked, they found a parking shed, parked and locked all the bicycles. Luo Xiangqian bought the tickets, and the four of them walked to the park gate and waited for a while. Then they heard a crisp voice coming from a distance: "Sister, I'm back!"

Ding Yurou immediately waved over there: "Ruyu, this way!"

I saw a very cute girl running towards me, she was wearing a white cotton shirt and a light green thick wool cardigan, beige trousers, and a pair of white sneakers. The uppers were painted snow-white with chalk. She looked very emotional and youthful.

Although she and Ding Yurou are sisters, they don't look very similar.

Ding Yurou is tall with a big frame and a delicate oval face, and looks dignified and steady.

But this little sister Ding Ruyu is of medium height, with a small frame, a round head, a chubby baby face, and a pair of big eyes like black grapes, which reveal a clever look. She has bangs cut to the level of her eyebrows and two small braids, which makes her look more cheerful and outgoing.

Moreover, because her facial features are round, she looks younger than her actual age, just like a big kid who just entered high school.

The little girl ran over and held her sister's hand, then greeted everyone enthusiastically: "Hello, brothers and sisters, I am Ding Ruyu, my sister's younger sister. I am really sorry that I have to come here to disturb you because no one is home today."

Luo Xiangqian immediately said, "Don't bother me, don't bother me. We're so happy that you're willing to play with us. By the way, Ruyu, I'm your sister's boyfriend. My name is Luo Xiangqian, and this is my good brother Xie Jinxuan, and next to him is his lover Xia Qingtang."

Ding Ruyu blinked her big eyes and glanced at Xie Jinxuan, and immediately said, "Ah! I recognize you, you are from our school!"

Luo Xiangqian said: "Have you met Jinxuan?"

Xie Jinxuan smiled and said, "Hello, classmate Ding. I just heard from your sister that we are from the same class. You should have seen me in school. But I'm sorry, I don't have any impression of you. Which department are you from?"

"I'm from the Foreign Languages Department. Don't you have any impression of me? We had a big class together before, a math class." Ding Ruyu said, "I saw you at first sight. You walked in with several classmates from your class. You were so tall and dressed very elegantly. You stood out in the classroom. You were very conspicuous. Everyone was looking at you! It's normal for someone like you not to notice me. After all, we are just ordinary people. You are considered a very famous person in our school."

Luo Xiangqian asked: "Jinxuan is famous? Why is she famous?"

"He's handsome. Look, it's been more than a month since the start of the school, and everyone is familiar with the school and classmates. They are selecting the best-looking boys and girls. Everyone chose Xie as the best-looking boy in our class! Even the seniors know him. He is very famous!" Ding Ruyu said excitedly.

Xia Qingtang listened with great interest. She had guessed that Xie Jinxuan would stand out from the crowd in school, but he himself rarely talked about these things when he went home. Now that she could hear it from other people, Xia Qingtang was still very happy.

Xie Jinxuan said calmly: "Thank you for praising me, but I don't know about this."

Ding Ruyu smiled and said, "I know very well. I know everything about the school. So every time we have class, my classmates and I will notice you."

"I'm sorry, there are so many people in the class, and my attention was focused on listening to the class and studying, so I didn't pay much attention to other students." Xie Jinxuan smiled.

Ding Ruyu smiled and said, "It's okay, it's okay. Now we know each other, right? Now that we know each other, we can keep an eye on each other in the future! Next time we have a class together, I will take the initiative to say hello to you. I didn't expect to meet an alumnus here, and you are also a good brother of my future brother-in-law. What a coincidence."

Luo Xiangqian smiled and said, "Yes, yes, this world is so small! I didn't expect that after going around in a circle, we all know each other. Since we all know each other, let's have fun together today. We have only one goal today, and we must have fun! When we get inside, I will treat you to candied haws. At noon, let's all taste Xiaoxia's cooking skills. Comrade Xiaoxia is a first-class cook. Today she prepared some food at home and invited us to have a picnic in the park. Ruyu, you are in for a treat."

Ding Ruyu stared at Xia Qingtang with eyes wide open and said, "Sister Xia, is your cooking skill really that good? My future brother-in-law has praised you so much, aren't you afraid that my sister will get jealous?"

"Ruyu!" Ding Yurou gently patted her sister's back, "Don't talk nonsense."

Luo Xiangqian scratched the back of his head a little embarrassedly and explained: "Yu Rou, that's not what I meant. I don't have any other intentions... I just really want to introduce to you that Comrade Xiao Xia's cooking skills are really good, and everything he cooks tastes delicious. I just want to say that the food is delicious... I definitely don't have any other intentions... I..."

Seeing Luo Xiangqian scratching his head, Ding Yurou smiled and said, "I understand what you mean. You are an honest man. When you praise something for being delicious, you are simply praising it for being delicious. What else can you mean? Don't listen to Ruyu's nonsense. She is so young and can speak without restraint."

Ding Ruyu stuck out her tongue and smiled playfully: "Hey, future brother-in-law, I'm just joking with you, you won't be angry with me, right?"

"That's impossible! How could I be angry with you?" Luo Xiangqian smiled foolishly, "Then let's go in?"

"Okay, go in!" Ding Ruyu cheered and ran into the park gate first.

Ding Yurou gently pulled Luo Xiangqian's arm and whispered, "Xiangqian, I'm sorry. My sister is young and outspoken. Don't take her words to heart and don't argue with her. She has been smart since she was a child. Her parents and relatives like to spoil her, so she is a little willful. If she said or did anything wrong today, tell me and get angry at me. Don't argue with my sister, okay?"

Her tone was sincere, yet also revealing a sense of helplessness. It was obvious that Ding Yurou, as an elder sister, was helpless with her younger sister.

Luo Xiangqian immediately said, "Yu Rou, what are you talking about? Your sister is much younger than us. It's normal for a child of her age to be playful and naughty. She is your sister and also my sister. How can I be on the same level as a child like her? Don't worry, I will treat her like my own sister. The same goes for Jin Xuan and Qing Tang. They are both very mature people and will not argue with children. You, just put your mind at ease. Let's just have fun today. Don't think too much."

Ding Yurou then revealed a relaxed smile and said, "Thank you, Xiang Qian, you are so kind."

Luo Xiangqian also laughed: "What's so good about me? You are my partner, isn't it my duty to treat you well? Come on, Yurou, let's go in and play. Look, my sister has disappeared."

"Okay." Ding Yurou took Luo Xiangqian's arm, and the two of them walked side by side into the park.

Xia Qingtang then walked slowly into the park hand in hand with Xie Jinxuan. She looked at the well-matched backs of Ding Yurou and Luo Xiangqian and whispered, "Comrade Ding is quite good in person. He has good conditions in all aspects and looks very well matched with Xiangqian. I hope they can have a good ending."

Xie Jinxuan nodded first, then showed a thoughtful look.

Xia Qingtang said: "What's wrong? Why do you look like that?"

Xie Jinxuan hesitated for a moment and whispered, "Comrade Xiao Ding should be a good person, but... I think there's something wrong with her sister."

Xia Qingtang was stunned: "Is there something wrong with her sister? What's the problem? Did she do something at school?"

Xie Jinxuan said softly: "It's just an illusion, or maybe I misunderstood. She said she knew me and that we had taken a class together. I pretended not to know her, but I actually had an impression of this person."

Xia Qingtang knew Xie Jinxuan very well, and she immediately said, "You are pretending that you have never seen her. Did she do something to you in school?"

Xie Jinxuan nodded and said, "Yes, since the beginning of the school year, we have had many opportunities to attend large classes, and I have probably run into her two or three times. That classmate Xiao Ding is a little strange. She has deliberately knocked my things away before, and she also sits near me every time we attend large classes. Several times, I noticed from the corner of my eye that they were staring at me... I never said these things, but I actually noticed them."

Xia Qingtang said, "It's obvious. The girl saw that you are handsome, well-dressed, and famous in school, so she became interested in you. She deliberately knocked things over because she wanted to get to know you, but you didn't react at all. She must be the only one in your school who stares at you, right?"

"Indeed, there is more than one, but I have no personal relationship with the others. However, this classmate Xiao Ding may become Xiang Qian's sister-in-law in the future."

Xia Qingtang smiled and said, "What's wrong with my sister-in-law? She's not your sister-in-law, what are you afraid of?"

"Why would I be afraid of her? I just think this girl has a bad temper. If she does something impolite, I'm afraid it will affect Xiang Qian's marriage because of me." Xie Jinxuan's expression became serious.

"It's okay, we just have to adapt to the situation. At worst, we can go our separate ways and not interfere with each other. Next time, we won't have to meet again." Xia Qingtang said, "Don't worry too much. It's not easy to have a day off. It's more important to have fun. Let's go and have fun."

Xie Jinxuan then laughed and chased after him with Xia Qingtang.

The group was happily playing in the park. Xie Jinxuan pretended not to know Ding Ruyu, and Ding Ruyu didn't seem to mind. She was like a happy child, running out and back. She was the most active person the whole morning.

She would also pretend to approach Xie Jinxuan and Xia Qingtang in a subtle way, and give them the leaves she had just picked up for them to appreciate together, and then use this topic to talk about some things about the provincial university.

Xie Jinxuan tried her best to respond politely and the atmosphere was kept pretty good.

When they reached the place with the most tourists, Luo Xiangqian bought some candied haws for everyone to eat. After eating the candied haws, Luo Xiangqian rented a small boat and led everyone to go boating on the river.

The weather is very good and winter came late this year, so even though it is November, it is not cold at all.

Xia Qingtang and Xie Jinxuan sat side by side at the stern of the boat. Xie Jinxuan held the oar in her hand, but did not row deliberately. She just let the boat drift endlessly on the river.

Xia Qingtang gently leaned his head on Xie Jinxuan's shoulder, then squinted his eyes and smiled, "Thank you Lao Luo for inviting us to come here today. We have been busy for a week. It's really comfortable to relax and bask in the sun today."

Ding Yurou looked at Xia Qingtang's smooth skin that was white and shiny in the sun, and said with some envy: "Comrade Xia, your skin is so white, aren't you afraid of getting tanned if you bask in the sun like this?"

"Don't worry, I didn't get tanned much in the summer, and the sun in this season will make it even harder to get tanned. It's good for your health to get some sun. It doesn't matter if you get tanned." Xia Qingtang said softly, "Sunbathing can help absorb vitamin D and help supplement calcium."

Before Ding Yurou could say anything, Ding Ruyu, who was sitting at the other end, said, "Wow, Sister Xia, you really know a lot. Are you working? Where do you work?"

"I work in a cotton mill." Xia Qingtang said with a smile.

Ding Ruyu said, "Oh my God, you actually work in a factory? You are so beautiful, why don't you work in a government office?"

Ding Yurou quickly winked at her sister, but Ding Ruyu pretended not to see anything and continued to look at Xia Qingtang innocently.

Xia Qingtang said: "I have been a factory worker since I was young. I was born and raised in a cotton mill. I feel very lucky to be able to work in a cotton mill after graduation. I am very happy to have this job. Government agencies are for talented people to work. We ordinary people just need to keep our posts."

Ding Yurou quickly said, "Yes, yes, no matter where you work, you are serving the people."

"Sister Xia, you are so lucky!" Ding Ruyu said.

Xia Qingtang rolled his eyes and asked, "Why am I lucky?"

"Look, you are a worker's son, working in a factory, and you can actually marry into a cadre family. Isn't this good luck?" Ding Ruyu covered her mouth and laughed, "Oh, did I say something wrong? But I don't have any other ideas. I really think this is very lucky. I heard from my sister that my future brother-in-law is the son of a big cadre family. Since classmate Xie and my future brother-in-law are brothers who grew up together, classmate Xie's family must also be a cadre family. Am I right? You see, people from cadre families usually look for families similar to their own when they get married. So, sister Xia, aren't you lucky to marry classmate Xie?"

Ding Yurou's face had begun to turn slightly pale. She looked at Xia Qingtang apologetically, then reached out and grabbed Luo Xiangqian's big hand, not knowing whether she was seeking help.

Xia Qingtang was still smiling, and her attitude seemed particularly kind. She said, "Sister Xiao Ding, you are right. My husband's family is indeed a cadre family, and like your future brother-in-law, they are both from a family of high-ranking cadres. I was able to marry him, and everyone said that I was lucky and blessed, and that I had married into a high position. I also think so. I am indeed born with good fortune. Although I am a factory kid, I am very good-looking. You are still young and may not know that looks like mine are very rare. Not to mention now, from ancient times to the present, people who are particularly good-looking, no matter what their family background is, cannot marry ordinary people. So, even if I don't marry my husband, I will definitely be from another high-ranking cadre family. From this point of view, the lucky person is not me, but my husband. If he hadn't taken the initiative, how could a beauty like me choose him?"

Xia Qingtang said this on purpose. She wanted to see the reaction of the childish Ding Ruyu.

Sure enough, after hearing this, Ding Ruyu was still smiling, but her eyes were no longer friendly. She stared at Xia Qingtang's naturally beautiful face, and after a long while she slowly said, "Sister Xia, why do you say that about yourself? There is no such thing as marrying up for us female comrades. Marriage should be a matter of mutual affection, and two people should become comrades-in-arms fighting together. When you say this now, it seems like you are treating yourself as a woman who sold her body in ancient times. Do you have to trade your good looks for your looks? As a female comrade of the new era, isn't your idea a bit too backward?"

Ding Yurou's face turned dark, and she immediately said, "Ruyu, what are you talking about? You are just a child, what do you know about marriage? You are so rude to say such things!"

Xia Qingtang laughed and said, "It's okay, it's okay, I was just talking nonsense, don't take it so seriously. In fact, your sister is not wrong, you can also say that I am exchanging my beautiful face. But from ancient times to the present, this phenomenon has always existed. In recent years, people don't seem to think so on the surface, but privately everyone can see that people with good looks, regardless of gender, are more likely to marry into well-off families, which is also a fact. My wife and I both admit this, and we don't think there is anything wrong with it. Everyone has a love of beauty. Isn't it natural for my wife to fall in love with a beauty like me? It is a fact that I am good-looking. Because I am very good-looking, my way of choosing a spouse is different from that of ordinary people. Even if it's not me, other beauties are the same. This is a fact, not backwardness."

Xia Qingtang emphasized the three words "great beauty". Sure enough, after saying this, Ding Ruyu couldn't even force a smile on her face.

Seeing her sister stop talking, Ding Yurou quickly said, "Yes, yes, what Comrade Xia said is true. Take our family quarters for example. Some leaders who lost their spouses also found a pretty girl from the countryside to remarry, right? Everyone loves beauty. A pretty person like Comrade Xia should have married an outstanding young man like Comrade Xie. You two are a perfect match, a talented man and a beautiful woman!"

She tugged at Luo Xiangqian's big hand, and he quickly said, "Yes, yes, who doesn't like good-looking people? But I have to say something on behalf of Xiao Xia, she is not that kind of person. When she fell in love with Jin Xuan, she didn't even know that Jin Xuan's family was a cadre. She and Jin Xuan got married because they were attracted to each other. That was true love!"

Ding Yurou said immediately: "I knew it was like this. Looking at Comrade Xia and Comrade Xie's every move, I can see that you two have a very good relationship. I think a couple like you will definitely grow old together."

Xia Qingtang smiled and said, "Thank you for your compliment. Comrade Ding is indeed a young cadre. You are so good at speaking, you are good-looking, and you have a very good temperament. You can tell at first glance that you are a well-educated scholar."

Ding Ruyu immediately rushed to say, "Of course, my sister just had bad luck and didn't have the chance to go to college. She had very good grades when she was studying. If she was willing to take the college entrance examination and reviewed a little, she would definitely be admitted! But my parents always said that my sister is old. If she goes to college, she won't be able to get married and have children for four years, which will delay her youth. Because of the family's opposition, my sister had to give up the idea of taking the college entrance examination. My sister is very outstanding. She is not the kind of lesbian who is superficial and has no ambition to make progress!"

This statement was even more childish and obvious. Ding Ruyu was deliberately saying that Xia Qingtang was a female comrade who was all show and no ambition.

Luo Xiangqian and Ding Yurou both changed their expressions at the same time. Luo Xiangqian knew Xia Qingtang's character, and was probably afraid that she would immediately retort, so he quickly said: "I support Yurou to go to college. As long as Yurou wants to go to college, no matter how many years she waits, I can help her! Our family is not in a hurry to have grandchildren, and we will not rush these things. If the two of us can get together, Yurou, you can go to college. It doesn't matter how old you want to study. I will definitely wait for you."

This immediately changed the subject. Ding Yurou obviously didn't expect Luo Xiangqian to be so sincere. She blushed slightly and whispered, "Xiangqian, don't listen to what my sister said. My family doesn't force me to get married and have children so soon. I just think that I'm not young anymore and I should do things my age should do. And I don't have such a strong idea about going to college. In fact, I'm not a particularly studious person. It doesn't matter to me whether I go to college or not. My current life goal should be the same as yours."

After hearing this, Luo Xiangqian was immediately overjoyed. He smiled innocently and looked at Ding Yurou affectionately: "Yurou, do you really think so?"

"Of course it's true." Ding Yurou looked back at Luo Xiangqian very seriously.

The whole boat was suddenly filled with the atmosphere of their love. Even the naive child Ding Ruyu gritted his teeth and stopped talking when he saw how affectionate his sister was with his future brother-in-law.

Xia Qingtang looked over there carefully, and seeing that Luo Xiangqian and Ding Yurou were indeed in a good relationship, she felt slightly relieved.

No matter what kind of person Ding Yurou's sister is, as long as her elder sister is determined to be with Luo Xiangqian, then this matter will succeed.

Besides, what can a little girl like Ding Ruyu do?

They have just turned eighteen years old, they don’t know how high the sky is or how deep the earth is, they have never suffered any hardship, they have been spoiled by their family since they were young, and they were admitted to the provincial university after graduating from high school. Such people are absolutely the chosen ones, so they must be very proud. Unfortunately, proud people have low ability to withstand blows, and it is easy for them to fall from a high place and never recover.

Xie Jinxuan didn't say much the whole time. Only now did she lean over to Xia Qingtang's ear and whisper, "Are you unhappy?"

"No, I think it's fun." Xia Qingtang said with a smile: "Tease a child, just like teasing a kitten or a puppy. And have you noticed? Whenever I emphasize that I'm particularly good-looking, she gets particularly angry."

Xie Jinxuan smiled helplessly, and he said softly: "Just have fun."

"I'm having a lot of fun. This little brat is no problem at all. You, just listen to me and don't talk to her." Xia Qingtang said: "It's the most hurtful thing if you completely ignore her."

Xie Jinxuan lowered her head slightly and kissed Xia Qingtang gently on the forehead: "Okay, I'll do as you say."

After that, he didn't say anything, but he kept looking at Xia Qingtang with a very gentle and affectionate look, and from time to time he reached out to help her smooth her bangs, or touched her head, or pulled her little hand.

These actions are very natural, and anyone who sees them can notice that Xie Jinxuan and Xia Qingtang have a very good relationship, and the man's eyes are full of love when he looks at the woman. That kind of love is gentle and strong, which makes people yearn for it.

After Ding Ruyu stopped talking, she kept secretly observing the interaction between Xia Qingtang and Xie Jinxuan. After watching for a while, her expression became increasingly ugly.

After an unknown amount of time, Ding Ruyu looked at her watch and said loudly, "Sister, I'm hungry. Should we row the boat to the side and have something to eat?"

Luo Xiangqian said quickly, "Sister is hungry. OK, let's row the boat to the shore. It's almost time now. Now that we have the boat, we can wash our hands and start our picnic."

So Luo Xiangqian and Xie Jinxuan began to row the boat rhythmically. They cooperated very well and must have learned how to row before, so after a while they rowed the drifting boat to the shore.

The staff hooked the bow of the boat with a large iron hook, pulled the boat to the shore, tied the rope, and then let them jump onto the dock one by one.

Xia Qingtang was the first to go ashore. She was very agile and jumped up in no time. Then it was Xie Jinxuan, and then Luo Xiangqian. After he got ashore, he handed his hand to Ding Yurou: "Yurou, I'll pull you up."

Ding Yurou looked very quiet and delicate, and didn't seem to be very good at sports. Luo Xiangqian pulled her up to the shore, somewhat shakily.

Finally, only Ding Ruyu was left on the boat. She was not tall, and she stood there with a helpless expression: "Who can help me? I'm a little scared."

Luo Xiangqian quickly reached out to her: "Sister, I'll pull you up, I'm strong, don't be afraid."

Ding Ruyu smiled and said half-jokingly: "But...future brother-in-law, you are my brother-in-law. If I hold your hand, it will be hard to explain."

"Ah..." Luo Xiangqian was startled, "Then...what should I do? How about asking your sister to pull you up?"

"My sister is so weak, how can she pull me?" Ding Ruyu smiled innocently, her smile was as harmless as a child, and then she looked at Xie Jinxuan who was standing over there, "Xie, we are classmates, why don't you give me a hand and show your friendship as classmates!"

Before Xie Jinxuan could say anything, Ding Yurou's face darkened again. She said, "Ruyu, stop messing around! I'll pull you back!"

Ding Ruyu said, "Sister, is it not okay for me to joke with my classmates?"

"you……"

Xia Qingtang strode over and said enthusiastically, "Xiao Ding, don't be afraid. I'm very strong. Come on, give me your hand. I can pull you up and I promise not to let you fall into the river. My husband is a conservative man. He doesn't dare to touch other girls' hands except those from his family. Don't make things difficult for him. Come on, give me your hand!"

Ding Ruyu glanced at Xia Qingtang, wanting to say something but not saying it. She smiled and extended her hand: "Thank you, Sister Xia, you are such a kind person."

"Thank you for the compliment. I am indeed a kind person. Everyone says so about me." Xia Qingtang smiled even more brilliantly than Ding Ruyu, and looked like he deserved to be praised.

Ding Ruyu gritted her teeth and glared at her, but Xia Qingtang had already turned around and walked to Xie Jinxuan.

Everyone got ashore. Ding Yurou wanted to go to the toilet, so everyone found the nearest toilet, washed their hands, and gathered outside the door after coming out.

Luo Xiangqian looked at his watch and said, "I've found a good place. It's over there. There's a particularly good spot under a tree that hasn't been occupied yet. Let's sit under it and eat."

"Okay." Xia Qingtang said, "We brought some old sheets, so we can eat after we spread them out."

Luo Xiangqian said, "Xiao Xia, you are such a particular person. You even bring a bed sheet when you go out for a picnic. If it were me, two newspapers would be enough."

"It's all the same. Old sheets can be washed and reused, but newspapers are easy to fly away, so they're not so convenient," said Xia Qingtang.

Ding Yurou said with a little concern: "Before, we said that there would be four people eating together. Now my sister is here. Will it be..."

"No, no, I brought a lot of food. I was afraid that there wouldn't be enough, so I also brought biscuits and egg cakes. No matter what, there should be enough to eat." Xia Qingtang said, "Besides, it's just a lunch. At most, I can go home early in the afternoon and have breakfast in the evening."

They walked to the tree that Luo Xiangqian mentioned. After spreading the bed sheet, Xie Jinxuan found four stones to hold down the four corners of the sheet, and then took out food one by one from the big bag he carried on his back.

"Okay, this is today's lunch. It's hard to say how it tastes, but the portion should be enough. If it's still not enough, we'll buy something else to fill our stomachs later." Xia Qingtang said with a smile.

I saw three lunch boxes placed in the middle of the bed sheet, and in the lunch boxes were small rice balls made of roasted seaweed, which were crowded together. The rice balls were not big and were very convenient to eat.

In another small white iron pan, there was a thick stack of round vegetable egg pancakes, more than a dozen in total. They looked bright yellow. Although they were cold, it did not affect the appetite at all.

In addition, there are boiled eggs, washed apples, biscuits and egg cakes wrapped in oil paper, and pickled vegetables and dried radishes in small bowls. No matter how you look at it, this is a very good picnic.

Xie Jinxuan opened the box of luncheon meat and cut it into five equal parts with a knife. He took out the luncheon meat with chopsticks and placed it on the lid of the lunch box, saying, "This is luncheon meat. The portion is not large. Let's each have a piece to taste it."

Ding Yurou said, "Oh, you guys are really spending too much money. There are eggs and luncheon meat. How can we afford it?"

Xia Qingtang said: "We have a very good relationship with Lao Luo. We are all good friends. There is no need to worry about so much. Lao Luo often treats us to food."

Luo Xiangqian couldn't wait any longer. He first took a pair of chopsticks, picked up a rice ball and handed it to Ding Yurou. Then he took one and started to put it in his mouth. After taking only one bite, he said, "Wow, this rice ball doesn't look good, but I didn't expect it to be so delicious. What's in it? It smells so good!"

Xia Qingtang smiled and said, "It's filled with salted duck eggs and fried carrot shreds, and the seaweed outside is also roasted, so the taste is even better. This kind of rice ball will not affect the taste even when it gets cold. I've tried it before. For a picnic or a long trip, it's much better to bring this than dry biscuits."

Ding Yurou also tasted a bite of the roasted seaweed rice ball. After taking a bite, she squinted her eyes slightly, then smiled and said, "I didn't expect such a simple rice ball to be so delicious, and the saltiness of the filling is just right. It seems that Lao Luo was right. Comrade Xiao Xia must be a good cook."

Xia Qingtang said: "I'm not a good cook, but I can cook some home-cooked dishes. It's rare that everyone is so supportive and willing to eat and praise me."

As Xia Qingtang spoke, he also picked up a rice ball for Xie Jinxuan.

Xie Jinxuan remained silent most of the time today, partly because she was pretending and partly because she was really not in a good mood.

Luo Xiangqian had already eaten a rice ball while he was talking. He took another vegetable egg pancake and was about to take a bite when he saw Ding Ruyu didn't move. He said, "Sister, eat quickly. This rice ball is really delicious. If you are not used to rice balls, you can try this vegetable egg pancake. Xiaoxia's skill in making this is first-class, much better than our aunt's."

Ding Ruyu then picked up a small rice ball with chopsticks, reluctantly brought it to her mouth and took a bite. She found that it tasted really good, and then she said, "It's really okay, and the idea is not bad, to think of making rice balls in this way. But seriously speaking, it doesn't taste that good, after all, it's just a rice ball. Sister, future brother-in-law, you adults are really good at praising, you can praise a rice ball to the sky."

Ding Yurou blushed: "Ruyu, what are you talking about? Comrade Xia made such delicious food for us to eat, why are you so rude?"

Ding Ruyu blinked her big round eyes and said innocently, "Sister, I just told the truth. I didn't say the food was bad. I just didn't think it was as good as you praised. Besides, I think Sister Xiaoxia is such a good person, kind-hearted and capable. She won't be angry with me because I told the truth, right?"

Ding Ruyu showed a harmless smile and pretended to be as innocent as a real child.

Xia Qingtang smiled and said, "Yes, I am such a kind and capable adult, how could I be angry with a child? People say that children speak without restraint, and children like to tell the truth. I understand. Yu Rou, don't be too harsh on your sister. Children are still young, and their nature should be protected. In a few years, when the children grow up and become sensible, you don't have to worry about them anymore."

Xia Qingtang called you a child all the time on purpose. Since you, Ding Ruyu, said such words in such a harmless child state, don't blame her. Xia Qingtang really treats you as an ignorant child. Since you are a child, don't be so foolish and think about things that you shouldn't think about.

Up to now in today's schedule, Ding Ruyu has looked at Xie Jinxuan so many times that she herself may not even be able to count them. Her thoughts are obvious, and her sister Ding Yurou must have discovered them a long time ago.

After hearing what Xia Qingtang said, Ding Yurou still said apologetically: "My sister is not a bad child, she is just spoiled by her parents and relatives. In addition, she has been popular in school since she was a child. Both male and female classmates like to give in to her, so she has become a little willful. I am really sorry, I apologize to you on her behalf, but I can assure you that she really has no ill intentions and is not a bad child. After I go back, I will teach her well. She is young, please forgive me."

When Xia Qingtang heard this, he couldn't help but feel that something was a little weird.

She kept calling her sister a child to criticize Ding Ruyu for pretending to be a child, but why did Ding Yurou keep calling her a child? Did she really not know that her sister was an adult who could get married?

And although she seemed to be speaking for her sister, her words clearly implied that Ding Ruyu was willful and ignorant, and was spoiled by her parents... She emphasized these words over and over again, as if she was afraid that she could not help to define Ding Ruyu.

Xia Qingtang bit a small rice ball and looked at the two sisters opposite her who looked completely different. Suddenly, she found it interesting.

She laughed and said, "Comrade Ding, don't worry, I understand you. Children who are spoiled by their parents always grow up late, and their families should always be more tolerant of them. As the sister of a willful child, you must have had a hard time these years, right?"

Ding Yurou showed a gentle and generous smile. She looked at Ding Ruyu, who had noticed nothing, with loving eyes and said loudly, "I am the elder sister, and it is my duty to give in to my younger sister. Besides, my younger sister has been smart and outstanding since she was a child. I am very proud to have such a sister, and I am willing to sacrifice and dedicate myself to her. As long as my younger sister has a good future after graduation, can marry a good family, and live a happy life, I am willing to give in to her even if she is willful all her life."

Luo Xiangqian's eyes were immediately filled with heartache. He looked at Ding Yurou and whispered, "Yurou, you are so kind."