"Wait a minute, take some dried sweet potatoes home with you."
"This was dried by Qinqin herself last year. It's not worth much, but it tastes pretty good. Take it home and let your family try it."
Chen Zhaodi stopped Xu Junhui and told him to take the prepared dried sweet potatoes back.
Xu Junhui wanted to refuse, but Chen Zhaodi didn't give him the chance. She hung the dried sweet potatoes on the front of the cart and pushed Xu Junhui out.
He simply said, "Be careful," and then closed the door.
Xu Junhui had no choice but to take the dried sweet potatoes with him and ride his bike home. He was in a great mood the whole way. As long as both sets of parents met and the dowry and other arrangements were agreed upon, he would soon be a married man!
Xu Junhui was in a great mood the whole way, and he found even the dogs walking by the roadside particularly pleasing to the eye.
......
When Xu Junhui returned home, Xu Weiguo and the others were gathered in the yard pasting paper boxes.
When Xu Junhui entered, none of the three people even glanced at him. Xu Junhui was used to this; after all, his status at home was only slightly better than his father's.
But this time was different. Xu Junhui cleared his throat: "Cough, cough, Qinqin's family just gave me a bag of dried sweet potatoes. It seems no one wants to eat them."
Upon hearing that there was food, Xu Hongxia was the first to react. With superhuman speed, she ran to Xu Junhui and excitedly asked, "Where? Where? Big brother, where are the dried sweet potatoes?"
Although their family wasn't struggling financially, most families these days couldn't even afford enough to eat, let alone snacks. So, Xu Hongxia, who was already quite greedy, got excited as soon as she heard there was food.
Zhang Yumei immediately got up, but instead of asking where the dried sweet potatoes were, she simply grabbed the bag from the bicycle. She didn't say anything to Xu Junhui, since there was only one bag on the bicycle and it was obviously the dried sweet potatoes. She said, "Why didn't you say you had dried sweet potatoes earlier? Stop pretending! Just like your dad!"
Xu Weiguo protested, "How can it be that he takes after me? I'm so simple and honest! It's his own problem, how can you blame it on me?"
"Hmph, it's definitely not going to be like me!"
Xu Hongxia didn't care who her brother took after; all she wanted to do was try the sweet potato chips from her future sister-in-law's family to see if they were any good. So she kept urging Zhang Yumei to open them and let her try them.
Zhang Yumei got annoyed by her nagging and gave in: "Alright, alright, we're not short of food or drink for you at home, why are you so greedy?"
He opened the bag, took out a piece of dried sweet potato for her, then handed one to each of Xu Weiguo and Xu Junhui, and took one for himself to try.
And you know what? These dried sweet potatoes not only look incredibly appealing, but they're also dried to the perfect softness and firmness. One bite and they're soft, chewy, sweet, and delicious, without sticking to your teeth. They're even better than the ones sold at the supply and marketing cooperative!
Xu Hongxia ate with wide eyes, nodding repeatedly. She finished one piece in a few bites and reached for a second. But before she could even put her hand in the bag, Zhang Yumei slapped it away.
"Just try one piece, and save the rest to enjoy slowly. These sweet potato chips are so delicious, they're perfect for entertaining guests."
As she spoke, Zhang Yumei tied the bag back up tightly, intending to take it inside and put it away.
Xu Hongxia pursed her lips and muttered under her breath, "There's still so much left, it won't hurt to eat one more piece."
Zhang Yumei, with her sharp ears, said irritably, "If you eat one more piece and I eat one more piece, how much will be left? It's not like I'm not letting you eat; you can save it for later."
Seeing that there was really no chance to eat another piece, Xu Hongxia reluctantly sat down again to paste cardboard boxes. These cardboard boxes were collected yesterday, and the task is due tomorrow. There are still quite a few left, so she has to hurry up.
Xu Junhui was also preparing to work with them to finish the project, but before they could even begin, they heard a rapid knocking on the door in the courtyard.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The knocking grew louder and louder, as if they were about to break the door down if the door wasn't opened.
Xu Junhui frowned, intending to go see who it was, but Xu Weiguo stopped him: "I'll go, you and Hongxia put the cardboard box away."
"Okay, Dad, be careful. Judging from the noise, the people coming here don't seem to have good intentions."
"Um."
Even Zhang Yumei, who was in her room, heard the knocking and rushed out to see what was going on.
As Xu Weiguo prepared to open the door, he asked, "Who is it?"
"Open the door right now!"
Hearing the voice from outside the door, the Xu family members frowned, because they all recognized the voice as that of Xu Weiguo's mother.
Grandma Xu never visits unless she has a reason. Because of Xu Weiguo's retirement a few years ago, they had already separated their households. Apart from paying for his retirement, they basically had no contact. This time, she suddenly came over, and with such a fierce attitude, so I guess there's going to be a tough battle.
Upon hearing Grandma Xu's words, Xu Weiguo turned around and, together with Xu Junhui and the others, gathered up all the cardboard boxes and fragile items in the yard before reopening the door.
As soon as the door opened, Grandma Xu pointed at Xu Weiguo's nose and yelled fiercely, "You damned bastard! Didn't you hear us knocking?! You didn't come to open the door for so long!"
"I knew you didn't care about me or your dad at all. You thought you were something special after serving in the army for a few years?! You're still a discharged soldier now!"
"Your wife is no better! Look at your fine son, he actually dared to steal your precious girlfriend!"
"Aren't you afraid of getting struck by lightning?!"
Xu Weiguo listened to his grandmother's words without any emotional fluctuation. He had been scolded like this since he was a child and no longer cared. However, hearing her scold her son, he couldn't help but retort: "Mom, watch your mouth. What do you mean my son stole Xu Jingui's girlfriend?! My son has his own girlfriend, why would he need to steal hers?"
"They're all your grandsons, can you please stop always favoring Xu Jingui?!"
When Grandma Xu saw that Xu Weiguo dared to talk back, she was instantly enraged and slapped him across the face.
With a snap, the entire room fell silent.
When Xu Weiguo saw Grandma Xu raise her hand, he guessed what she wanted to do. After all, she was his mother, so he didn't dare to dodge completely. He could only move slightly to the side, but she still hit him on the neck.
When Zhang Yumei saw her husband being beaten, she rushed over immediately: "Mom, can't you be reasonable? You come to our house to make a scene without even knowing what happened, and you even hit people!"
With red eyes, Zhang Yumei reached out and touched Xu Weiguo's neck with heartache, asking in a trembling voice, "Does it hurt? That scream must have hurt a lot. Why didn't you dodge?"
Xu Weiguo comforted him, "It's alright, I'm tough, I'm not afraid."
Turning to the people behind Grandma Xu, he said, "Xu Weimin, what exactly are you all doing here today? Your Xu Jingui got engaged half a month ago, and now you're saying my son stole his girlfriend? Are you here to cause trouble?!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
