Chapter 239 (Third Update) They met each other, and...
Indeed, He Xiaojuan was very shocked.
Although she wasn't very educated, she could vaguely understand from those few words that this book was not simple.
Cruel... Heartbreaking... Physically abusive...
Is this a story about a cruel man abusing his lover?
Her neighbor, who seemed so refined, actually liked reading this kind of book?
Madam Fu understood He Xiaojuan's shock, and even smiled with a hint of schadenfreude when she saw how shocked she was.
When the elders first saw the words on the cover, they were also shocked. Later, after Mingli explained, they realized that it was all just a gimmick.
These are actually just sweet romance novels, but the publishers deliberately used these catchy words to grab attention.
Mingli even recommended a book to her, and she tried reading a few pages; it was indeed a love story between young men and women.
But she was indeed getting old and wasn't very interested in these young people's love stories. She barely finished reading the one her granddaughter-in-law recommended and then never read it again.
After laughing for a while, Madam Fu stepped forward to explain to her granddaughter-in-law.
"It's actually just a romance novel, with exaggerated titles to attract attention."
"Oh, I see." He Xiaojuan laughed after understanding, and said to Tang Mingli, "Don't mind me, I don't like reading books and I've never read romance novels."
How could Tang Mingli mind?
She shook her head: "What's there to mind? Anyone would be surprised to see this."
After saying that, she silently added in her mind, "Except for seasoned novel enthusiasts like her."
Not only would they not be surprised, they would even be very excited, wishing the author would write more 'body torture' scenes.
However, she had already read more than half of the book. Although there were quite a few scenes of physical abuse, the descriptions were too brief, which made people feel sorry for her.
"I'm glad you understand." He Xiaojuan finished her tea and said before Tang Mingli could refill her cup, "I'm going back now."
Tang Mingli said politely, "If there's nothing else, please sit for a while longer."
As he spoke, he prepared to get up and see the guests off.
To everyone's surprise, He Xiaojuan plopped back down on the sofa after hearing this.
"Okay, it's still early to pick up the kids, so I'll sit here a little longer."
Tang Mingli: "..."
Seeing her granddaughter-in-law's dazed expression, Madam Fu couldn't help but laugh out loud again.
He Xiaojuan chuckled along, and exclaimed, "Grandma, you really love to laugh."
Hearing this, Madam Fu laughed even harder.
“I didn’t used to smile much either. It’s all because my granddaughter-in-law came into the family that this old woman likes to smile more and more.”
"I see. Actually, I've seen your family a few times in the garden. Your family has such a good relationship. It's enviable."
Neither Madam Fu nor Tang Mingli denied this point.
It cannot be denied.
There is no need to deny it.
He Xiaojuan stayed at the Fu family's house until almost four o'clock, and only left when it was almost time to go out to pick up her child.
After seeing the person off, Tang Mingli breathed a sigh of relief.
Madam Fu laughed at her, "You've met your match, haven't you?"
A person who is afraid of socializing meets someone who loves socializing.
Tang Mingli went over and hugged her grandmother, saying in a coquettish tone, "Grandma, you know perfectly well what I'm most afraid of, yet you still tease me on purpose."
"Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore." Old Madam Fu affectionately patted Tang Mingli's head, then, as if remembering something, looked towards the door. "Strange, why haven't Cheng'an and Yujuan returned yet?"
"They should be back soon."
My in-laws probably went somewhere after dropping the child off at school, but since it was almost time to pick them up, I didn't tell them in advance, and they would definitely come back soon.
Sure enough, no sooner had he finished speaking than the sound of a key turning in the lock came from the direction of the door.
Fu's mother and husband returned, both carrying things in their hands.
Tang Mingli stepped forward and took the gift from her mother-in-law. Before she even opened it, she guessed what her mother-in-law was carrying and smiled broadly.
It smells so good, like durian! She loves it!
The bag that the father-in-law was carrying contained bananas.
Needless to say, they were thinking about what their daughter had said this morning about wanting to eat bananas, so they went out and bought some. Then, they probably saw that there were also durians, and since she loves them, they bought those too.
Grandparents and in-laws like these are truly hard to find even with a lantern.
After taking the fruit home, the two elderly people wanted to go to school to pick up their child.
Tang Mingli refused to allow it no matter what.
"I'll go pick up the kids."
Fu's mother knew that her daughter-in-law was worried about them, and her heart was warmed, but she still insisted on going by herself.
"We are not tired."
"Whether I'm tired or not, I should stay home and rest. Let me, someone who's enjoying a day of leisure at home, go pick up the kids. Otherwise, I won't be able to enjoy my leisure in peace."
Fu's mother laughed heartily, "You child, you always know how to make fun of yourself."
Since her daughter-in-law cared for her, she stopped arguing.
Although she wasn't actually tired.
Tang Mingli didn't delay any longer and went out immediately.
However, before leaving the house, I still remembered to put my copy of "Cruel Little Lover" away.
-
Days flow by like a gentle stream, one after another.
Before we know it, another Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching.
This is their first Mid-Autumn Festival in Shenzhen, making it particularly meaningful.
The elders suggested that since they all lived in the same neighborhood, the Fu and Tang families should celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival together to make it more lively.
The Fu family's house was more spacious, so Uncle Tang's family came over for dinner.
Since we're hosting a dinner party, and it's the Mid-Autumn Festival, we naturally need to make some preparations.
That evening, the Fu family discussed buying some snacks and mooncakes a day or two in advance, and as for vegetables, chicken, duck, fish, shrimp and meat, they would go to the market early on the morning of the Mid-Autumn Festival to buy fresh ones.
This arrangement was quite relaxed, but unexpectedly, the next morning, the downstairs neighbor, He Xiaojuan, came to knock on the door.
Tang Mingli feels a chill run down her spine whenever she sees her now.
It's not that this person is difficult to get along with; on the contrary, they are easygoing and approachable, just too enthusiastic.
He Xiaojuan told them that the community was organizing an event to make mooncakes, and she came to tell them as soon as she heard the news.
Before He Xiaojuan could finish speaking and before Tang Mingli and the others could even respond, the phone rang.
Tang Mingli said to He Xiaojuan, "Excuse me, I need to take this call first."
I picked up the phone and said "Hello," and my aunt Li Hong's voice came from the other end.
Li Hong said excitedly, "Mingli, there's an event in the community where everyone is making mooncakes together. Why don't you ask your grandma and mother-in-law to come along? We'll meet at the door in a bit."
Tang Mingli was both amused and exasperated; how come everyone was so well-informed?
If it were just her, she definitely wouldn't want to join in the fun, but she could tell that after hearing He Xiaojuan's story, her grandmother and mother-in-law's eyes lit up, clearly showing great interest.
Indeed, how could they not like this kind of activity?
She said to her aunt on the other end of the phone, "Okay, but I need to change my clothes, which will take about ten minutes."
The clothes she's wearing are not dirt-resistant; she should change into something lighter and more durable.
Li Hong said, "It's alright, I'll go downstairs and wait for you."
Since she had already agreed, she said to He Xiaojuan, "Let's go too, change our clothes before we go out."
He Xiaojuan was very happy, "Okay, then I'll go back first and wait at the main gate later."
Tang Mingli nodded, "Okay."
After He Xiaojuan left, Tang Mingli didn't linger. She quickly changed her clothes and went out, not taking as long as she had said, which was ten minutes.
The main reason is that she is a very punctual person and doesn't like to be late for appointments.
I'd rather estimate a little more time so I can leave the house at my own pace and wait a few minutes for others than rush and be in a hurry because I'm in a rush.
However, she considered herself quick, but Li Hong and He Xiaojuan were even faster.
When they arrived, the two were already at the door, chatting animatedly.
Upon seeing Tang Mingli and the other two, the two immediately waved excitedly at them.
As soon as she got closer, He Xiaojuan took the initiative to explain, "I saw that there was only one person waiting for someone at the gate, and I guessed that it must be your aunt. When I went up to greet her, it really was her."
Li Hong also laughed and said, "It really is a coincidence."
After saying that, he urged hurriedly, "Let's go, there are limited spots, first come first served."
He Xiaojuan chimed in, "We really need to hurry, otherwise the kids will be home from school before we can make a few mooncakes."
“My child is in third grade, so I don’t need to pick him up and drop him off every day.”
“My children are in sixth grade and second grade, so they don’t give me much to worry about, since the older one is there to take care of them.”
The two chatted non-stop throughout the journey, one sentence after another.
Tang Mingli looked at the person walking ahead who wasn't listening at all, and the corners of her mouth turned up wider and wider.
Li Hong is a chatty person, and He Xiaojuan is also warm-hearted. They met each other and were kindred spirits.
Perhaps in the future, when He Xiaojuan is bored, she will prefer to chat with her aunt.
-
The community organized residents to make mooncakes, which can be considered a small perk.
The community provided all the materials and props, and even invited someone to provide guidance. Participants just needed to follow the instructions step by step.
It sounds simple, but it's not so easy to do.
Each person was given ingredients to make four mooncakes, with four kinds of fillings: lotus seed paste, red bean paste, mixed nuts, and jujube kernel.
More than twenty people came and stood on both sides of a six-meter-long rectangular table.
They started kneading the dough, laughing and joking as they made mooncakes, creating a lively atmosphere.
Tang Mingli got really into it as she played.
It's like doing handicrafts. You might not be interested in it before you start, but once you get into it, you'll be inexplicably drawn to it.
However, her manual dexterity is really poor. Without her mother-in-law's help, she probably would have failed at kneading the dough.
However, this is also the most crucial step.
Once this step is done, place the dough with the filling into the mold, press it down, unmold it, and finally put it in the oven to bake.
Tang Mingli remembered the steps, but only had time to do the first two.
Because the steamed dough needs to wait for an hour.
After unmolding the mooncakes, it's time to pick up the kids.
Her mother-in-law, grandmother, and aunt were all very enthusiastic, so she, as a younger relative, took the initiative to take on the task of picking up the children.
Mother Fu was indeed in high spirits, so this time she didn't argue with her daughter-in-law.
Tang Mingli carefully handed the mooncakes she was about to bake to her mother-in-law, and said solemnly, "Mom, I'm entrusting you with the important task of baking them."
Fu's mother also said solemnly, "Okay, you can go pick up the children without worry. I will make sure they are cooked thoroughly."
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Author's Note: [Let me see]
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