Central Plains.
Gao Ruoyun put away her youngest daughter's phone, indicating that she should go to sleep and study in the afternoon; her husband Zhong Ping was nowhere to be found, presumably he had gone to the teahouse to watch others play cards again.
After tidying up the kitchen, she immediately lay down on the bed for a nap.
I don't know why... I used to be able to sleep well during my afternoon nap, but today I tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep, the news of that explosion kept coming to mind.
My eldest daughter has a boyfriend.
Twenty-one years old, handsome and dashing young man...
One key piece of information about the Chu side after another echoed in my mind.
The future son-in-law and daughter were about three years apart in age, both exceptionally good-looking and of similar educational background. They should have been a well-matched couple, but the more Gao Ruoyun thought about it, the more she felt something was amiss.
But they didn't know where that feeling of unease came from.
That 'something' lingered in my mind, making it hard to sleep.
Later that afternoon, while working, she touched her chest and asked her husband, "Old Zhong, what do you think about our eldest daughter's situation?"
Zhong Ping fiddled with his farm tools and replied softly, "That's good."
"But why would that guy take a liking to our daughter?" Gao Ruoyun asked. "Of course, I'm not trying to belittle our eldest daughter, but don't you men all like young women? Why would a college graduate like our daughter?"
"Who said that? Some people like mature women too." Zhong Ping rolled his eyes. "And even though our daughter is over thirty, she still has plenty of suitors."
At this point, he nodded to his wife's right, indicating, "Aunt Wang is here. Give her the red envelope."
Upon hearing this, Gao Ruoyun's face showed worry, confusion, and pent-up emotions.
It's heartbreaking to lose a red envelope for no reason.
She put down her work, went to Aunt Wang, and said as she approached, "Aunt Wang, my daughter is in a relationship. I'm so sorry."
He then handed the red envelope to the other party.
"It's alright, it's alright. I haven't even gotten the job done yet, how could I possibly accept your red envelope?" Aunt Wang waved her hand as she accepted the red envelope and put it in her pocket.
“... ..." Gao Ruoyun’s eyelids twitched.
"Whose son is he?" A neighbor from the village asked curiously as they walked by.
“From Chengdu,” Gao Ruoyun replied. “I heard she lives in a small town; her father is a teacher, and her mother is a freelancer.”
“Freelancing? That doesn’t mean you’re unemployed.” Aunt Wang spoke bluntly, pointing out the truth. “Teacher? The job is stable, but the pay is probably not much.”
Upon hearing this, a neighbor patted Gao Ruoyun on the shoulder: "That boy's family is probably not very well-off. Ruoyun, you must tell your daughter to be careful and not to be deceived."
"I don't think so..." Gao Ruoyun said.
"Your daughter is in her first relationship, and she's bound to be captivated by a man's sweet talk. She might just be fooled by him without even realizing it."
Aunt Wang immediately chimed in, "That's right. There was a girl in the neighboring village who was also in her first relationship and was deceived by a guy. The guy said he would buy her a house in Shanghai, with the house registered in her name. She paid the down payment, but it turned out that the guy was a real estate agent, and the house was sold to her at a high price. The so-called down payment was just a premium payment."
"Now that girl has not only been sexually assaulted, but also had all her savings and assets stolen, leaving her with hundreds of thousands of yuan in debt. She has no one to confide in."
A neighbor also said, "Yes, I've heard that too. That guy pretends to be a naive college graduate and uses tricks to specifically deceive women who have never been in a relationship. Once a girl falls for it, she will definitely suffer heavy losses."
"There's nothing I can do. He's handsome and good at talking; he's the worst of the worst."
“... ..."
While a few neighbors were chatting, Gao Ruoyun felt her heart was about to jump out of her chest.
She finally realized where 'that something was wrong' came from.
Could my eldest daughter have been deceived?
Thinking of this, she lost all interest in chatting with her neighbors and hurriedly returned to her own field, patting her husband's arm: "Hey, hey, Lao Zhong, has our daughter been deceived?"
As she spoke, she recounted her thoughts and the content of their conversation.
Zhong Ping initially seemed indifferent, but his expression gradually became serious: "No way, our daughter is very smart."
“Women become foolish when they fall in love. I was so smart back then, but I still fell for you.” Gao Ruoyun frowned. “My eldest daughter has never been in a relationship before. Last time we talked, she said she was single, and now, not long after, she says she has a boyfriend. That’s too fast! She must have been deceived by that man!”
"No, I need to call my daughter."
The more Gao Ruoyun thought about it, the more panicked she became. She took out her phone and dialed Zhong Tingyue's number.
... ...
Guangzhou, a tea restaurant.
Chu Fang and Zhong Tingyue are enjoying the delicacies of Guangzhou, something they have been looking forward to for a long time.
Compared to the strong flavors, numbing sensation, and spiciness of Sichuan cuisine, Cantonese cuisine tends to be milder, lighter, fresher, and more delicate, with each dish appearing as if it were meticulously sculpted.
Even though Chu Fang was used to strong flavors, he was able to taste the freshness of Cantonese cuisine.
Just then, another phone rang. Zhong Tingyue raised an eyebrow and answered, "Mom, what's up?"
"Cough cough cough..." Gao Ruoyun coughed a few times in a mock manner, "Young lady, are you all alone with you?"
Zhong Tingyue looked at Chu Fang opposite her and said softly, "No."
"That's good." Her mother's voice came from beside her, filled with worry and anxiety. "A girl in the neighboring village was deceived by a boy, losing both her money and her virtue..."
She then recounted the entire story, and two dimples appeared on Zhong Tingyue's face. She naturally understood the implication in her mother's words, and immediately turned on the receiver so that her boyfriend in front of her could hear it clearly.
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