The dishes are all prepared, but there's no rush to cook the rice; we'll steam it in the rice cooker later.

Zhang Shouyi arrived first at ten o'clock, and then Xiao Li drove away.

Zhang Shouyi narrowed his eyes as he watched Liu Jingze bustling about. He really didn't treat him like an outsider. However, given Zhang Shouyi's shrewdness, he wouldn't show it.

"Kong Mingde said Hongmei was coming over today, so I asked Xiao Li to pick her up."

“Brother Zhang, Professor Kong told me on Monday. I thought he was coming with Uncle Zhang.”

"My dad's still in the army, but he'll be here by lunchtime. Why are there so many wild animals today?"

"These are from my hometown, along with some dried sweet potatoes. Take some with you when you go back."

"OK."

Liu Jingze felt uneasy watching the two getting along so well. However, since Hongmei didn't show any particular reaction, he let it go.

Half an hour later, Zhang Xingguo and Kong Mingde entered one after the other.

"Hey Lao Kong, you come to my house for dinner empty-handed?"

"You're so fussy. I only didn't bring a gift because I knew it was your family. You're being distant."

"Extremely stingy."

"I'm saying this is how you treat a guest?"

Did I invite you?

"If you don't invite me, I'll come every Saturday; if you invite me, I won't come."

"Come or don't come, it's up to you. Let me tell you, this is my future daughter-in-law, so you better keep a close eye on her."

"This matter?"

"Don't even mention it, she's still too young. If Shouyi sets his sights on her, does she think she can escape?"

"That poor, unlucky girl!"

"Heh heh, you're going to tell Shouyi this?"

"I'm not stupid. Why would I go crazy and make myself miserable? You old codger, do you want to watch the show?"

"Hehe, you can say whatever you want."

The two stopped talking as soon as they entered the courtyard. Kong Mingde paid a little attention and realized that it really did seem that way; a good cabbage had been wasted on a pig.

Zhang Shouyi squinted at Kong Mingde, who was shaking his head with amusement, and gave a sinister smile, which made Kong Mingde shiver. He decided to stay put.

"Professor Kong, please come in and sit down. Dinner will be ready in half an hour," Zhang Hongmei said as she went into the kitchen.

"Old Kong, let's go wait in the dining room. Little Li, go make a pot of tea."

Zhang Xingguo originally wanted to call Wang Xiaoshun, but he had long since disappeared. Whenever that kid came, he would definitely hide in the kitchen; what a good-for-nothing.

"I said that no matter how busy Shouyi is, he will always come out on Saturday noon. Once, he didn't even go to lunch when the eldest brother called him. It turned out he was out cultivating his relationship with his young wife."

"Whatever he does, he's not a kid anymore, he won't listen anyway," Zhang Xingguo said indifferently.

"But Zhang Hongmei is a really good girl, calm and composed, never arrogant or impatient in the face of adversity," Kong Mingde remarked, admiring the discerning eye of the father and son.

"That's right, I fell in love with her at first sight, back when she was just a thin, ten-year-old girl."

"Heh, you're quite the cunning old fox?"

"Can't you speak properly? That's supposed to be deep thinking, and you call yourself a professor? Don't corrupt my child."

Liu Jingze entered carrying a tea tray. "Hello, Professor Kong."

“Jingze is here too. Oh, you’re from the same village.”

How's your great-grandmother?

"She was fine when I came. If you want to know about her now, you should ask Hongmei. My great-grandmother treated her better than she treated me."

"Haha, me too. I just find Hongmei more pleasing to the eye than Shouyi."

"Hehe, your great-grandmother's taste is still as good as ever."

"You two chat, I'll go to the kitchen and get busy."

Kong Mingde watched Liu Jingze leave and said, "Shouyi will have to put in some effort; this kid is troublesome."

"Hehe, I have faith in Shouyi, it'll be fine."

"You two, father and son. I'm not drinking any water yet, I'm waiting to eat, it smells so good. I've decided to come over for dinner every Saturday."

How can you have such a big face?

"What's it to you? Get out of here."

Two old men, whose combined age is over a hundred, were arguing inside the house. Meanwhile, a flurry of activity was taking place in the kitchen.

As soon as Zhang Hongmei lifted the lid of the pot, Wang Xiaoshun rushed over and said, "Hongmei, I'll take it."

Zhang Shouyi and Liu Jingze both looked at Wang Xiaoshun with disdain; he was such an annoying guy.

Zhang Hongmei glanced at the rice in the rice cooker. She felt it wasn't enough; the two elderly people would definitely be drinking today, so she would have time to cook another pot, otherwise it wouldn't be enough for them.

After the main dishes were served, Zhang Hongmei scooped out the bean curd sheets from the chicken pot.

"Do you want the red bean slices shredded? I'll do it, it's too hot." Zhang Shouyi took the cleaver from Zhang Hongmei, shredded the bean slices, and put them in a bowl on the side. He then shredded a cabbage heart.

"Brother Zhang, don't put the cabbage hearts in yet. Wait until the bean curd strips have cooled down before adding them."

Liu Jingze started the fire, Zhang Hongmei cooked the dishes, and Wang Xiaoshun served the dishes.

The first dish was stir-fried pork with matsutake mushrooms and scallions; the second dish was stir-fried pork with shredded carrots and wood ear mushrooms; the third dish was mapo tofu; and finally, cabbage hearts mixed with bean curd strips were served. That completes the meal.

Xiao Li had already opened a bottle of wine and poured it for the two of them.

"Quickly, everyone sit down. It's inhumane for the two of us to just sit here watching and smelling the delicious food without being able to eat. Jingze, want a drink?"

"Uncle Zhang, I don't drink alcohol."

"Shouyi, do you want a drink?" Although Zhang Shouyi was Kong Mingde's superior at work, the two addressed each other as uncle and nephew in their personal lives.

"I'm not drinking either. I have a meeting this afternoon. You two can drink." Zhang Shouyi knew that this family would never stop until they were completely drunk, so he didn't bother with them anymore.

Zhang Hongmei came in after tidying up the kitchen.

"Our head chef, please take a seat."

"Professor Kong, I dare not accept the title of chef. Please try my home-style dishes."

The seven people sat down. Since only two of them drank alcohol, the remaining five felt embarrassed to eat, so they ate meat and drank tea.

"Xiao Shun, remember to bring some orange juice to Hongmei next time."

"Uncle Zhang, I don't like to drink it, please don't send it to me."

“What child doesn’t love orange juice?” Zhang Xingguo thought Zhang Hongmei was just being polite.

"I'm not a child anymore, I really don't like drinking it."

Zhang Hongmei went to the kitchen again and saw that the second pot of rice was cooked and they had almost finished their wine, so she brought out the rice.

The guests thoroughly enjoyed the meal. After the meal, Xiao Li was in charge of washing the dishes, while Wang Xiaoshun made tea for everyone.

"Zhang Hongmei, your cooking is really good."

"Hehe, as long as Professor Kong thinks it tastes good, that's fine."

"No need to be so formal, just call me Uncle Kong in private."

"Yes, he should be called Uncle Kong."

It was almost 12:30. All five people, including three important figures, had work to do in the afternoon, so they drank a cup of tea and left.

Zhang Hongmei felt quite tired. "Brother Jingze, I'm tired. I'm going to take a nap."

"Wait a minute, lock the door. I have something to do this afternoon and won't be back tonight."

Zhang Hongmei locked the door and went back to her room. She lay on the bed and drank a cup of spiritual spring water before she felt comfortable.

Now I feel more energetic, let's lie in bed and read a book.

I had just picked up the book when I remembered that I hadn't written a letter yet, so I resigned myself to getting up and writing one.

Each letter was exceptionally brief, beginning with a greeting and then getting straight to the point.