Zhang Heping and Ji Kangyong didn't stand on ceremony and immediately changed into slippers before entering the room.
Li Zhaozhao and Li Wanwan, who were following behind, smiled shyly and greeted Shen Yanming: "Old Shen, how have you been lately? It's been a while since we last met."
"Yes, it's been almost a year. Aren't you busy lately?"
"I'm busy, how could I not be? But you invited me by phone, how could I not come?"
A few words bridged the gap between them. Li Zhaozhao sat down on the sofa and looked around: "I haven't seen what the two kids look like when they grow up yet."
"They just woke up and haven't tidied up yet. They'll come out after Qiao An washes their faces."
Li Zhaozhao smiled and nodded. Although Li Wanwan didn't say anything, her eyes sparkled.
"Tell me, what have you been up to lately? I haven't seen you for over six months!"
"What can I be busy with? Work, of course! The higher-ups gave us a task to increase the planting area of Chinese medicinal herbs. I've been busy from last year to this year, and I haven't really had a break. Look at me, compared to you guys, isn't my face the worst-looking one?"
Li Zhaozhao's words aroused the sympathy of several people.
Li Wanwan continued to complain: "We know the sun is dangerous, but we still have to work in the fields. The leader said the alliance needs medicinal herbs, lots and lots of medicinal herbs, so our group has a heavy burden."
Zhang Heping, a Western medicine doctor, didn't quite understand the intricacies of the matter. He frowned and asked, "Aren't Western medicines supposed to be more effective? Why are we being forced to assign production quotas for traditional Chinese medicine?"
Li Zhaozhao smirked. "I don't know either! We just follow whatever arrangements are made above. So many secrets—how could we nobody know them?"
Shen Yanming seemed to understand something, thinking that this might also be a way of stockpiling supplies. Moreover, it was very likely that they were preparing traditional Chinese medicine in advance because they were worried that the production of Western medicine would not be able to continue.
However, he didn't say. After all, it was just speculation.
Even if he spoke out, it wouldn't make a difference. These are decisions made by those above; he has no say in them.
Li Zhaozhao and Li Wanwan poured out all the grievances they had accumulated over the past year, then chuckled to themselves, as if they were plotting something mischievous.
Zhang Heping was an impatient man. Upon seeing the reversal, he hurriedly asked, "Has this child been abused to the point of being mentally impaired?"
"Get lost, you're the one who's stupid!" Li Zhaozhao slapped away Zhang Heping's outstretched hand, which was trying to check his forehead temperature, and chuckled, "I'll be getting a wife soon!"
Zhang Heping got excited and stood up: "Old Li, are you serious?"
"Of course, we've already registered our marriage, and we'll be having the wedding next month."
"Old Li, you're not being fair! Why didn't you give me a hint? You just suddenly walked ahead of me!"
An arrow named "Dog Abuse" pierced Zhang Heping's chest, and he mourned once again his failed marriage proposal.
"I just finalized this too. As soon as I received the invitation to the gathering, I came here to share this good news with you all."
Zhang Heping slumped his shoulders, but still smiled and said, "Congratulations!"
Shen Yanming and Ji Kangyong's smiles were more genuine: "She's really nice. Tell me, where is that girl from?"
Li Zhaozhao glanced at Zhang Heping, who looked utterly hopeless, and hesitated, unsure whether he should speak.
Ji Kangyong kicked Zhang Heping and explained to Li Zhaozhao, "Ignore him, he's acting like he's about to die from a failed marriage proposal."
"Oh, oh!" Li Zhaozhao finally understood what was going on and realized that he had been a bit distant from his buddies lately.
"I'm in charge of planting Chinese medicinal herbs, right? Some herbs that are short-lived and grow quickly have to be sent to the Chinese medicine practitioners in the guard team as soon as they are harvested."
After a while, I hit it off with one of the master craftsmen's apprentices. He didn't mind my pimples, and I thought he was fine being alone, unattached.
And that's how they came together.
The girl was pretty and had a good personality. My parents were happy with her and were urging us to get married and have a baby soon.
"An orphan?" Ji Kangyong raised an eyebrow.
"That's one way to put it. She's said to have been an abandoned baby who was found and has been with her master since she was little. Now she's learned about 70-80% of her master's skills and can stand on her own."
"Not bad, not bad. Just hearing the conditions makes me think the girl is easy to take care of."
"Yes, she's very independent and also very generous to others!"
Shen Yanming smiled and said, "Why didn't you bring her over today so we could see her? Also, I told you to bring your uncle and aunt, but you only brought Wanwan?"
"Brother Chen, it's not that my brother didn't want to bring anyone, but my parents didn't want to cause trouble for everyone. They said that when young people get together, the two old folks won't participate. As for my sister-in-law, hehe, she's embarrassed. She said it was too sudden and asked my brother to come and say hello first. Next time, she'll prepare a gift and then come to apologize."
Shen Yanming shook his head. "What's with all this apology? Just come empty-handed next time. We're all true friends, we don't care about these formalities."
Then, gesturing with his eyes to Li Zhaozhao, he asked, "Did you reveal everyone's secrets?"
Li Zhaozhao shook his head. "All she knows is that my family used to be in business and we're rich. Now we have two plots of land in front of and behind the villa, so we don't have to worry about food or drink. As for anything else, nobody mentions it to her."
Li Wanwan nodded, "Although the family approves of her, it's still early in the relationship, and we don't know her character yet, so let's wait and see. Maybe we shouldn't say anything at all. As long as she has enough to eat and drink, there's no need to give her everything."
Shen Yanming smirked, "Your sister knows quite a lot!"
Li Zhaozhao was covered in cold sweat. "Back then, they stuffed so many things into my house and even took canned meat a few times. I could have guessed that something was fishy."
Shen Yanming nodded and didn't say anything more.
Ji Kangyong glanced at the group and asked Li Zhaozhao, "Does Wanwan have a boyfriend? What are your family's requirements?"
Li Zhaozhao sighed, "The girl says she wants to live alone and refuses to meet anyone who tries to introduce her to a potential partner."
Li Wanwan laid out her thoughts: "Isn't it great to live alone? Like me now, I have food and drink, a job, and I don't have to take care of my in-laws or raise my children. If I'm full, the whole family isn't hungry."
"You don't have a man to help you!"
"Is having a man always a good thing? Imagine if you found someone uglier than yourself and less capable, how miserable would that be? You'd have to be waited on hand and foot, plus your in-laws would nitpick and your relatives would be begging you for money. Just thinking about it makes life hard."
Li Wanwan's words left everyone speechless. Shen Yanming asked, "Who instilled these ideas in her?"
"Few of my female colleagues are happy. They have good jobs and no worries about food and drink, yet they still ruin themselves by becoming skin and bones."
Shen Yanming asked, puzzled, "The situation outside isn't that bad, is it?"
Li Zhaozhao was also helpless. "The first batch of laborers were recruited from ordinary people, many of whom were housewives who couldn't stand on their own two feet. Even if they divorced now, they could live well, but they are still used to relying on men."
Maintaining family harmony inevitably requires constant compromise. Wanwan has been traumatized by this experience.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
