Lin Minjun had just noticed that Zhao Ning's parents surrounded her and seemed to be hesitant to speak several times. They must have something to say to their daughter.

But because there was a stranger here, they didn't dare to say anything. Lin Minjun happened to be sitting here, feeling a little uncomfortable and sad, so she stood up and said this.

Zhao's mother was a woman with a sallow complexion. She looked very weak and had tears on her face. She hesitated, "How can this be possible? You are a guest, how can I let you cook for me?"

"I'm sorry to bother your family by coming to stay with you, and I was just worried about how to repay you. Fortunately, I can cook, so I'll make you a meal and let you taste the flavors of my hometown." These were Lin Minjun's true words. She was not familiar with Zhao Ning, and the fact that he was willing to let her stay at this time was a favor in itself. She had no money, so she thought of repaying him in this way.

"You are Ningning's friend, so it's only right that you lend a hand. How can I let you come? Wait, auntie will cook for you." Mother Zhao said as she walked out.

Fortunately, Zhao Ning spoke at this time, with red eyes from crying, "Mom, please sit down. Xiao Ajun is a good cook. Just think of her cooking a meal for me. I will thank her later."

Lin Minjun gave her a grateful look, asked for the direction of the kitchen, then said hello and left.

The people living in the big compound did not have a proper kitchen. Most of them had a shed with a coal stove and a table for cutting vegetables, which they considered a kitchen.

Lin Minjun walked to Zhao Ning's shed and saw that there was a fire burning in the beehive coal stove. On top of it was a pot with rice and water in it, cooking porridge.

They came back in a hurry, and Zhao's mother probably only cooked porridge for two mouthfuls. There happened to be a few sweet potatoes next to it. Lin Minjun peeled a few sweet potatoes, cut them into pieces and threw them in, letting the pot of sweet potato porridge bubbling on the coal stove.

In addition, Zhao's mother also washed the cabbage and put it aside. She took it and cut it into shreds, then peeled and crushed a few garlic cloves, added a few small chili peppers, and made stir-fried cabbage shreds later.

They wanted to let Zhao Ning's family taste the Yunnan cuisine, but they were not well off. Lin Minjun looked around the kitchen and found three potatoes, peeled them and cut them into shreds. She would make potato shredded cakes and pair them with chili powder she made herself, and a meal would be complete.

By the time the food is cooked and it is dark, put the food on the table and you can start eating.

Before the meal, Lin Minjun was a little nervous. She cooked according to the taste of Lu Deping's family in the previous generation, not the authentic Yunnan flavor. She didn't know whether the Zhao family would like it or not and whether they were used to eating it.

Fortunately, after Mr. Zhao tasted the stir-fried shredded cabbage, his frown relaxed and he said, "It's delicious."

He took another bite of the potato pancake and said, "This is the best! It has a nice oily aroma but doesn't fill your mouth with oil."

"I only put a little oil and fry it slowly over low heat until it's charred and crispy," said Lin Minjun.

"Little girl, you know how to cook and eat!" Father Zhao laughed and gave her a thumbs up. He is a first-class chef, and it is not easy to get a compliment from him.

Zhao Ning held the rice bowl and smiled, "Little Jun's cooking skills are the best among us. Before, when she was in the kitchen, we almost fought over food. Mom, try it too, you're so thin!"

"It's delicious." Mother Zhao also took a bite of the potato pancake and chewed it weakly.

As they ate the hot meals and slurped the sweet sweet potato porridge, the relationship naturally became closer.

When she first arrived here, Lin Minjun felt a little uncomfortable, but as she was eating, she felt that this family was very warm and welcoming.

Halfway through the meal, the Zhao family began to ask about Lin Minjun's situation. After all, their daughter had agreed to return to the North City alone, but unexpectedly she brought back a girl from Yunnan, so of course they had to ask about it.

Lin Minjun finished the last mouthful of porridge, organized his words, and then explained: "Uncle, I am a native of Yunnan. This time I came to Beicheng with them, the educated youth."

Lin Minjun hesitated for a moment before finally telling the truth. "I had been dating someone for a long time and was planning to go back to the city with him to get married, but we had a fight on the train and I thought that this person and I were not suitable for each other, so I decided not to get married. That's why I followed Zhao Ning to your house."

"You were talking about something good, why do you not want to get married because of a quarrel? It's not easy for two people to be together. Why did you quarrel?" asked Zhao's mother.

Why did they quarrel? Lin Minjun didn't know what to say for a moment. She couldn't say that she couldn't have children and didn't want to suffer the pain of having one anymore.

There was silence for a while, then Zhao Ning suddenly spoke up, "It was because of her boyfriend. He told Xiao Ajun to go home with him after getting off the train."

"That won't do! This boy is really cunning!" Zhao's mother was shocked and spat, "Isn't this just taking advantage of the situation? He takes advantage of the fact that the girl knows nothing. How can a pure girl live in his house without getting married? It's obvious that he wants to marry a wife without spending a penny!"

"So you're ready to go home now?"

When the word "home" was mentioned, Lin Minjun smiled sarcastically, "Aunt, I don't have a home. My mother died a long time ago and entrusted me to my uncle's house. This time, my uncle saw that I was old enough and looked good, so he planned to sell me for a dowry to marry his son, so I ran away."

"Yes, we all know this. Her uncle is a real bad guy. He never fed her enough and always beat or scolded her. If she hadn't run fast, she would have been sold by now." Zhao Ning helped explain.

The two of them talked back and forth, and in just a few words they explained Lin Minjun's situation clearly.

She has no parents and has been fostered in a relative's home since she was young. Her relatives took the money but did nothing about her and even wanted to sell her for a dowry.

Lin Minjun then followed Lu Deping onto the train, intending to get married in the capital, but she did not expect that they would part ways as soon as they got off the train.

Mother Zhao frowned as she listened. It was not because she thought Lin Minjun was too courageous, but because she felt sorry for her for having to go through such a rough experience at such a young age.

She was a neighborhood committee employee and was used to the fickleness of human nature. She couldn't help but sigh when she heard about this kind of thing, and she also tried her best to help Lin Minjun think of a solution.

"Your situation is quite troublesome. You don't have a Beicheng hukou, no place to live, and no formal job. You are a drifter here. It's okay to stay here for a day or two, but if you stay here for too long, you will be discovered by the joint defense team and will be persuaded to return."

"Ah?" The two girls stared at each other with wide eyes, anxious in their eyes, "What should we do? In this situation, we definitely can't go back to our uncle's house. They are nothing!"

"Don't be in a hurry. There are two ways to stay in the city. One is to find a local to marry, get a Beicheng hukou, and stay here naturally. Auntie suggests that you have a good talk with that person. If you want to get married, you should consider him first, after all, you know him. Otherwise, find a place to live and a job, then you are no longer a blind migrant." Zhao's mother said again.

So now there are two paths before me: either go back and marry Lu Deping, or become self-reliant.

"Girl, think about it carefully."