"Hehe, that's great. We don't want anything from you, as long as you treat Er Ya well, that's enough."

"Mom, don't worry, I will definitely treat Er Ya well. Besides, we can work together."

"Okay, that's even better. It's not good for the young couple to live apart for a long time."

Er Ya and her two siblings were just there to add to the conversation. They couldn't participate in the dialogue and just listened quietly from the sidelines.

It was already 10:40 when there was a knock on the door. "Mom, my younger brother and sister are all back today. What should we make for lunch? I'll go and cook."

"Hehe, I don't eat the food here."

Upon hearing Sanya's words, Yao Yufen's face contorted with rage. This little brat had caused all the trouble.

"Mom, we still have meat. How about rice, stir-fried potatoes with meat, stir-fried cabbage with meat, and scrambled eggs with garlic sprouts?"

"Don't cook for us, let's eat out." Li Cuihua really didn't like Yao Yufen, feeling that this daughter-in-law was too scheming and had a bad heart, but she was her grandson's mother and her son's wife. What could she do even if she didn't like her?

I'll just ignore them from now on. There's no need to make them angry. No matter how bad the son is, he's still my own flesh and blood.

"Mom, why go out to eat? It's too expensive. I'll go cook right now." Yao Yufen said and left, but she was cursing inwardly. She had long since taken the old couple's money for granted; this was just wasting her own money.

Back inside, looking at the father and son lying together, Yao Yufen said, "Jianguo, I just asked, and Mom said they're eating out. She told us not to cook for them." Yao Yufen now knew that she should get Jianguo on her side; then what was there to worry about?

"Don't worry about them, let's cook for ourselves. Also, why hasn't your mom arrived yet?"

"They should be here soon; after all, borrowing money takes time, doesn't it?"

"Go cook, I'm hungry."

"Are you sure you don't need to cook for them?"

"Need not."

Yao Yufen happily went to the kitchen to cook. After two months of being waited on hand and foot, she was really not used to cooking in the kitchen.

The thought of having no one to take care of me in the future makes me feel uneasy.

When my mother-in-law was alive, she always looked down on me, but now that it's my turn to cook, I remember how good she was.

Since we don't need to cook for them, let's make rice, cabbage stew with frozen tofu. Mom should be here soon.

Yao Yufen was busy in the kitchen when Liu Maocai, carrying half a bag of millet, entered the yard. He assumed Li Cuihua was cooking, so he went straight into the kitchen.

Seeing his daughter-in-law cooking, he didn't say anything, put down the bag, and went to find her.

When they opened the door, they found that their three children, who should have been in the capital, were all at home.

"Dad, you're finally here! Let's go eat, I'm starving." When Shi Tou saw Liu Maocai arrive, he felt even hungrier.

"Third Brother, have you digested the two pounds of fried dough sticks you ate this morning?"

"How can I not be hungry at this hour?"

Er Ya stood up. "Dad, this is my boyfriend, Cheng Guangxu. Let's go to a restaurant to eat. We can talk about anything else when we get back to Hongmei's house."

"Hmm." Liu Maocai sized up Cheng Guangxu, feeling that this wasn't the type to do the work. But thinking of his second daughter, who always had her own ideas, he didn't ask. He'd talk about it later.

The group of six left the courtyard, ignoring Yao Yufen in the kitchen.

Li Cuihua and Liu Maocai walked behind, and Li Cuihua whispered to him what had happened that morning.

Liu Maocai felt genuinely distressed seeing the cuts and frostbite on his wife's hands. He was truly heartbroken about his eldest son.

The six people arrived at the restaurant. The harvest was good, so the restaurant had plenty of food.

Cheng Guangxu actually picked out the best dishes, genuinely wanting to impress his father-in-law and mother-in-law.

Shi Tou was very satisfied with the dishes Cheng Guangxu had ordered. Although he had eaten meat on the train, none of it tasted as good as braised pork. Brother Cheng really knew what he was doing. He ordered two large bowls of braised pork alone.

"Dad, do you drink alcohol?"

Liu Maocai was stunned. He hadn't even agreed yet. And he was already calling him "Dad"?

But we're outside now, so I couldn't really say anything and just shook my head.

"Then let's eat right away." Cheng Guangxu ordered ten large bowls of rice and six steamed buns.

"If it's not enough, we'll ask for more."

Liu Maocai frowned as he watched his youngest son wolf down his food. Even when he glared at him, the boy didn't look up.

After everyone had eaten their fill, there was still a steamed bun left. They picked it up, dipped it in the meat broth, and ate it.

The six of them went directly to Zhang Hongmei's house by bus, but it still took them fifteen minutes to walk.

When Jin Jiashi started the fire, he couldn't join in their conversation. He figured he should just focus on his work. Besides, it was warmer to sit by the stove while tending the fire.

Li Cuihua pulled Liu Maocai into the house and told him about Cheng Guangxu's situation, as well as the message that Hongmei had asked Sanya to bring back.

"I just think this kid doesn't want to work."

"Xiao Cheng is an office researcher, what does he do?"

"You woman, this is Er Ya's most important marriage, you can't be so hasty, can you?"

"What are you being hasty about! Er Ya is already twenty. If we miss this one, we'll have to keep looking. You know your daughter's personality. If we find someone with a good temper, and with Hong Mei watching over her, she definitely won't be able to stand it."

"Whatever you say goes." It wasn't that Liu Maocai really looked down on Cheng Guangxu, it was just that this was too sudden, and the thought of his daughter, whom he had raised for twenty years, becoming someone else's woman made him unhappy.

Stone brought in a brazier.

"Go and call your second sister and Cheng Guangxu over."

"Okay, I'll go right away."

Er Ya and Cheng Guangxu came in. "Mom, Dad."

"Guangxu, your father and I have agreed. We'll go back to Liujiatun in a bit."

"Thank you for your trust, Mom and Dad. I swear I will definitely treat Er Ya well."

Liu Maocai stood up and stared at Cheng Guangxu. "Remember what you said. If you dare to bully my daughter, I won't let you off the hook."

"Dad, don't worry, that will never happen."

Sanya lifted the curtain and came in. "Dad, are we going to my eldest brother's house again?"

"Let's not go. We'll talk about that later. Let's take the bus back now, otherwise we won't be able to get back today."

Stone's task was to put out the fire, which was a big deal. Liu Maocai checked everything again before the group took all their belongings and headed to the station.

Many people were leaving the city at this time, but everyone managed to find a seat, though they were seated spread out.

Cheng Guangxu shamelessly pleaded with the older woman next to Er Ya before he could change seats.

Er Ya looked at him amusedly, "Aren't you nervous now?"

"I'm still nervous, afraid that my parents will have some complaints about me."

I can't feel at ease until I get married.

"Heh, nowadays there's such a thing as divorce. If you treat me badly, I'll divorce you."