Chapter 66: The Master of Teasing
The longevity bun was so big that even Yan Ruyi couldn't lift it.
Ye Hongzhen found a piece of oil paper and placed it on the back seat of the car, while Song Yiping put the longevity buns on the back seat.
Yan Ruyi was worried that the bumpy ride would damage it, so she kept an eye on it the whole way.
The old man didn't want to make a fuss, so he didn't go to a hotel for his 80th birthday, nor did he invite any outsiders. It was just his family, Song Manli's family, and Song Manli's older brother's family.
When Yan Ruyi and Song Yiping arrived, Song Manli and the others were already there, chatting with the old man in the living room.
Upon hearing the car horn, Fang Yuru stood up. "It's probably Yiping and Ruyi who's here."
Fang Yuru left after she finished speaking.
Song Manli said to Grandpa Song, "Grandpa, this is the first time my granddaughter-in-law has celebrated your birthday. I'll go see what gift she has prepared for you."
She followed Fang Yuru out.
Yan Ruyi got out of the car first and called out, "Mom."
After Song Yiping got out of the car, he opened the back door, bent down and went inside, and took the longevity buns off the back seat.
Fang Yuru had never seen anything like it before and asked in surprise, "What is this? How did you make it so beautiful?"
"These are longevity buns that my mom made for my grandpa."
Grandpa Song also came out of the house. Yan Ruyi called Song Yiping to take the longevity buns over, saying, "Grandpa, I wish you a long and healthy life, and endless blessings."
Grandpa Song couldn't stop smiling. "Yiping, quickly take it inside, be careful not to drop it."
Song Yiping carried the wedding steamed buns into the house and placed them on the coffee table.
Seeing that the two of them had nothing but a few pastries and these longevity buns, Song Manli said to Song Yiping, "Yiping, is this all you two gave your grandfather for his 80th birthday?"
Grandpa Song said unhappily, "This gift is exactly what I wanted to receive. Nothing else could be better than this."
Song Manli thought the old man was just being stubborn; this thing would only cost a few dollars at most if you bought it outside.
People from humble backgrounds just don't cut it; even their gifts are stingy, and they've influenced Song Yiping to be stingy too.
Grandpa Song really liked it, circling the longevity bun several times before asking Yan Ruyi, "Ruyi, were your ancestors from Shandong Province?"
"No, my dad's side is native to Beijing, while my maternal grandma's side might be. I heard my mom say before that my maternal grandma's ancestors fled from other places during famine and later settled in Beijing. My maternal grandma knows how to do this, and my mom learned it from her."
"That's probably it. Shandong Province loves flower-shaped steamed buns the most. I lived in Yishan for a while when we were fighting. Locally, whether it was a wedding, the birth of a child, the marriage of a daughter, or a birthday celebration for an elder, they would make flower-shaped steamed buns to celebrate. They made so many different kinds of them. It's been so many years. I never thought I would see flower-shaped steamed buns again."
He sighed, “Making this is no easy feat. It takes at least four or five hours to make such a longevity bun. It looks freshly steamed. Your mother must have been up at four or five in the morning to prepare it. Ruyi, when you go back and see your mother, please thank her for my trouble.”
When Song Manli and her group arrived, they brought a two-tiered cake made by Ximu Cake Shop, the most famous cake shop in Beijing.
It looked quite eye-catching just now, but compared to the longevity buns that Yan Ruyi brought, it suddenly seemed insignificant.
The main problem is that the longevity buns look so festive that the cake seems rather insignificant in comparison.
Grandpa Song, in particular, implied from his words that he liked the longevity bun more than the cake.
Song Manli said, "These longevity buns only look nice; you can't actually eat them, right?"
Fang Yuru: "Isn't this made of flour? Why can't we eat it?"
Song Manli said, "These are red and green, they must have been dyed with dye. Dye is poisonous, you can't eat them."
Yang Shiyuan was reading a newspaper when he heard his mother's words. He said coldly, "The cake you bought is even more fancy than this longevity bun. If what you say is true, the cake used more dye and is more toxic."
Song Manli also realized that what she had just said was indeed a bit inappropriate.
However, being criticized by her own son in front of so many people made her lose face, and her face fell. "You were the one who said you wanted to buy a cake, and now you're saying there's too much dye in the cake."
“I didn’t say that. You were the one who suggested buying a cake. I just suggested buying it from Sim Cake Shop.”
...
The mother and son had always been at odds because of the matter of getting married.
They started arguing over a cake, regardless of the occasion.
Song Manli's older brother, Song Lixin, tried to smooth things over, saying, "Let's all say less. These days, who uses chemical dyes? The dyes used in food are all plant-based and safe to eat."
Yan Ruyi defended her mother, saying, "My mother said that red is tomato juice and green is spinach juice, and both are edible."
Song Manli and Yang Shiyuan finally stopped arguing.
Yan Ruyi had heard from Song Yiping that Yang Siyuan still harbored resentment towards Song Manli because of his girlfriend.
The mother and daughter were like oil and water, constantly at odds; if Song Manli said something, Yang Siyuan would always say something else entirely.
Yang Siyuan only seemed energetic when he was arguing with his mother. When he stopped arguing with her, he looked listless and sat on the sofa, looking like he had seen through the illusions of the world.
His wife sat at the other end of the sofa, the two of them standing far apart, looking like complete strangers.
However, Song Yiping and Yang Shiyuan seem to have a good relationship.
Of the many people in the room, Song Yiping only spoke with Yang Shiyuan for a short while.
Like Song Yiping, Yang Shiyuan only talked to Song Yiping, except when he argued with his mother.
Everyone else seemed to be talking to each other in harmony, but Yan Ruyi always felt that they weren't as harmonious and loving as they appeared.
From this perspective, there's not much difference between wealthy families and humble ones; both can experience discord between parents and children.
In comparison, Song Yiping's family relationships are actually the simplest.
While Yang Siyuan and Song Manli were arguing, Grandpa Song went upstairs. Now he came downstairs again, carrying a long wooden box. He called to Yan Ruyi, "Ruyi, come and see what this is."
Yan Ruyi went over and took it from Grandpa Song.
This is a small, long wooden box, about 30 centimeters long and 20 centimeters wide. It is reddish-brown in color and looks somewhat old.
Judging from the year, it is from the early years of the Republic of China.
Yang Shiyuan, unusually curious, came over and took the box from Yan Ruyi's hand. "What's this for? Why doesn't it have a lid?"
He looked at the box for a long time but couldn't find the lid.
Yan Ruyi said, "This is a puzzle box; you need to find the mechanism to open it."
Grandpa Song chuckled and said, "Ruyi is right, this is a puzzle box. It took me a long time to figure out where the mechanism is. You all take a look and see if you can find the mechanism."
The young people were intrigued by what Grandpa Song said, and they all started looking for the mechanisms.
After searching for a long time, they couldn't find anyone.
In the end, it was Song Yiping who found it.
On the side of the box, there is a small wooden strip. Simply slide the wooden strip horizontally until you hear a "click", and the lid can be easily pulled off.
Yang Shiyuan really liked these mechanical devices.
If it weren't for his mother's interference, he might have gone to study industrial design.
He took the box from Song Yiping and exclaimed, "It's truly exquisite! Is this an antique?"
Grandpa Song, wanting to show off his granddaughter-in-law, said, "You'll have to ask Ruyi about that."
Yan Ruyi said, "It's from the early years of the Republic of China. Brother, can you take another look at this box?"
Yang Shiyuan was two years older than Song Yiping. Song Yiping called Yang Shiyuan "Big Brother," and Yan Ruyi followed suit and also called him "Big Brother."
Seeing Yan Ruyi examining the box and tapping the inside, Yang Shiyuan asked her, "What's wrong with this box?"
Yan Ruyi said, "The dimensions on the outside of this box don't quite match the dimensions inside."
When Grandpa Song heard what Yan Ruyi said, he took the box and examined it carefully. "Ruyi is right. This box probably has another layer of mechanism."
He handed the box directly to Song Yiping, saying, "Yiping, look for it again."
Song Yiping took it and searched it carefully again. In a relatively hidden place in the upper left corner of the box, he found a small wooden button that was not very noticeable. He gently turned the small wooden button, and a crisp sound came from inside the wooden box, and the lower wooden box space opened.
Before anyone could even marvel at the ingenuity of the mechanism box, Song Yiping said, "There's something inside."
He took the item out; it was a long, narrow object wrapped in blue cloth.
Now even Fang Yuru and Song Chengren have come over.
Grandpa Song was unaware that there was more to this puzzle box than met the eye, and urged Song Yiping, "Quickly open it and see what's inside."
Song Yiping placed the wooden box on the coffee table and then opened the blue cloth bag.
It turned out to be a silver kingfisher feather hairpin!
Everyone was stunned.
Fang Yuru asked Grandpa Song, "Dad, didn't you know there was a hairpin here?"
"I really didn't know. I only opened the first mechanism. Even if Ruyi hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known there was a second layer."
Where did this box come from?
“Xiao Zhou and I went to the market and saw someone selling this. He said it was passed down from his ancestors and his family urgently needed the money. I thought the mechanism box was well made, so I bought it for 20 yuan.”
A single puzzle box wouldn't cost more than 20 yuan.
I guess the old man heard that the person said they urgently needed the money, so he gave them more than they should have.
It was a case of good deeds being rewarded; who would have thought that the box held a hidden treasure, containing an old object?
The person who sold it probably didn't know either.
They also thought the box only had one layer of mechanism.
Song Manli had always looked down on Yan Ruyi, but she couldn't care less about her prejudice against Yan Ruyi at this moment. She asked Yan Ruyi, "Ruyi, isn't this your profession? Can you tell me which dynasty this hairpin is from?"
Yan Ruyi examined the hairpin. "It should be from the Kangxi era, an early Qing dynasty hairpin. Most of them are made of gold and jade. By the mid-Qing dynasty, silver hairpins with kingfisher feather inlay became popular. Also, early Qing dynasty hairpins had ends shaped like ear picks, but later hairpins had larger heads and were no longer used as ear picks, evolving into simple decorative items."
Yan Ruyi explained and pointed things out to them as she spoke.
This was the first time Fang Yuru had ever heard that hairpins could originally be used as ear picks.
Grandpa Song said, "Hairpins already had the function of picking ears as early as the Wei and Jin Dynasties, and were called ear pick hairpins."
Grandpa Song and Yan Ruyi gave a live demonstration, captivating even Fang Yuru and Song Chengren, who had never been interested in antiques.
Finally, Grandpa Song gave the puzzle box and the kingfisher feather hairpin to Yan Ruyi, saying, "I don't have much hair either, so you can take the puzzle box and the hairpin and play with them."
Everyone, "..."
Song Manli: "Grandpa, this hairpin must be worth a lot of money, right?"
Grandpa Song, "You mean, you want me to sell it?"
Song Lixin tugged at Song Manli, but Song Manli remained silent.
Today we celebrated Grandpa Song's birthday. Although we didn't go to a restaurant, we still hired a chef from one.
The chef prepared the dishes, and Aunt Liu and Xiao Xu brought them to the dining table.
Fang Yuru greeted everyone, "The dishes are all ready, please take your seats."
Song Lixin works in the publicity department. He is a lively person with good speaking skills. With his witty remarks, Grandpa Song's birthday banquet went quite well.
After the meal, Fang Yuru said to Grandpa Song, "Everyone's here today, I'll ask Yiping to call Officer Li over and have him take a family photo for us."
As the old man gets older, he increasingly enjoys being surrounded by his children and grandchildren.
Song Lixin and Song Manli are his nephews and nieces, and can be considered close relatives.
Today, it was a rare occasion for the entire Song family to be present, so Fang Yuru thought she should take a family photo to make the old man happy.
Grandpa Song was indeed very happy. "Alright, Yiping, go and call Officer Li over."
Officer Li works in the publicity department; his full-time job is photography.
Song Yiping responded and went to call for Officer Li.
Before long, Officer Li arrived carrying a camera.
Grandpa Song said to him, "Officer Li, we're all laymen, where do you think would be a good place to take the picture?"
Officer Li looked around inside and outside the house and said, "Let's just sit in the yard. It's bright and spacious there, and there's enough room."
Grandpa Song said, "Okay, with so many people, we'll listen to you on how to sit or stand."
Officer Li said, “Please sit in the middle, the women on either side of you, and the tall men should stand in the back. Then put a row of small stools in front for the children to sit on.”
Song Yiping and the others went inside and brought out the stools. As Li, the cadre, instructed, those who were supposed to stand stood and those who were supposed to sit sat.
They were quickly seated, and Officer Li set up the camera, looked at the lens, and then had a few people adjust their posture.
"Everyone, smile. That's it. Don't move. I'm going to take the picture."
After taking the family photo, Grandpa Song said to Officer Li, "Take another one for our family."
Song Lixin and the others tactfully moved away, making room for Grandpa Song and his family to take a real family photo.
Grandpa Song was still sitting in the middle, with Song Chengren and Fang Yuru on either side of him, and Song Yiping and Yan Ruyi standing behind him.
The whole family smiled at the camera, especially Grandpa Song, who looked happier than anyone else.
This family looks very happy.
Song Manli said, "It's just that we're missing a child. If we had a child, the old man would have four generations under one roof, which would be perfect. Ruyi, you've been married for quite a while now, shouldn't you have a child?"
Song Yiping said coldly, "Aunt, aren't you being a bit too nosy?"
Grandpa Song said to Song Manli, "It's no wonder Yiping is criticizing you. You can't even manage your own family affairs, yet you want to meddle in other people's business. With this kind of free time, you should study more and improve your work skills. It's been so many years, and you haven't made any progress at work. You've just been sitting in that position doing nothing."
Song Manli was surprised by the grandfather and grandson's rudeness, and her face flushed red.
She might be able to criticize and lecture Song Yiping because he was an elder.
But she didn't dare to utter a single word of rebuttal in front of the old man.
After taking photos and sitting for a while, Song Lixin and Song Manli said goodbye and went home.
Grandpa Song asked Yang Shiyuan to stay, saying, "Shiyuan, wait a while before you leave."
This means he has something to say to Yang Shiyuan privately.
Yang Shiyuan's wife was also quite perceptive, and said to Yang Shiyuan, "Then I'll go first in Mom's car."
Yang Shiyuan nodded, and his wife left with Song Manli.
Song Lixin drove himself there; it was just him and his family in the car.
Once they left the military compound, Song Lixin's daughter complained, "My aunt's words and actions today were so inappropriate, and she had no sense of propriety at all. I feel ashamed for her."
Song Lixin's wife sneered, "She can't stand seeing Yiping and his wife doing well because her own son and daughter-in-law are unhappy. If she had any sense, she should be able to see that the old man and his wife are very satisfied with Yan Ruyi. Yet she keeps finding fault with Yan Ruyi. With such limited insight, it's no wonder she hasn't been promoted. It's been so many years, and she's still just a deputy section chief. She'll probably stay in this position until retirement."
She was promoted to deputy section chief because of her father's influence; otherwise, she wouldn't even have become a deputy section chief.
Song Lixin's wife and Song Manli have always been at odds. Since Song Manli lost face in front of everyone today, she naturally wanted to take the opportunity to make a few more sarcastic remarks.
Song Lixin still wanted to defend his sister, saying, "Alright, that's enough. She's always been like this since she was little, and no matter how much you say, she won't change."
His wife snorted coldly, "It's her business if she can't change, just don't drag us down with her."
Grandpa Song's branch has been on an upward trajectory, unlike theirs, which has been on a downward trajectory.
I don't know where Song Manli got the confidence to snatch Bai Yanruyi.
After seeing Song Lixin and the others off, Yang Shiyuan returned and sat down on the sofa.
Seeing that Grandpa Song was about to have a heart-to-heart talk, Yan Ruyi said to Song Yiping, "I want to go upstairs and find a book."
Song Yiping followed her upstairs.
His books are all in his old bedroom.
Although they didn't live here, his bedroom was redecorated before the wedding, with new bedding added, and big red "double happiness" characters pasted on the door, cabinets, and walls.
Song Yiping opened the door and said to Yan Ruyi, "The books are all here. What kind of book do you want to read? Do you want me to help you find it?"
Yan Ruyi whispered to him, "I don't want to read. I can't understand your books anyway. I just thought Grandpa wanted to have a heart-to-heart talk with my older brother. It might be about his personal matters. We're here, and he must feel uncomfortable. So he found an excuse to come up here."
Song Yiping: "It's the same old story, my brother's been numb to it for a long time."
Yan Ruyi had heard some of what Song Yiping had said about Yang Shiyuan, and she had her own opinions on the matter.
“I think my older brother is also at fault. It’s true that my aunt forced him to marry my sister-in-law, but he also slept in the same bed with her and they even have a child. If he really didn’t love my sister-in-law, why would he marry her and have a child? It can’t be that my aunt forced him to share a room with my sister-in-law, right? Now that he’s had a child, who is he trying to impress with this unwilling look?”
After saying that, he muttered to himself, "He can go find whoever owes him. My sister-in-law doesn't owe him anything. She's not more wronged than him."
"That's because my sister-in-law doesn't love him either. Before she married my brother, she had a boyfriend who was a teacher. Her family disliked his family background and forced her to break up with him. They insisted on pairing her with my brother. They were forced to get married by their families. They didn't have feelings for each other. It's already very difficult for them to treat each other with respect."
Yan Ruyi said, "Marriages in your wealthy families are so complicated."
Song Yiping: "Their family is their family, and our family is our family. What's so complicated about our family?"
Yang Shiyuan is still too soft-hearted. If it were him, he would absolutely not agree to marry someone he doesn't like.
When Yan Ruyi and Song Yiping came downstairs, Yang Shiyuan had already left, and only Fang Yuru was sitting on the sofa reading the newspaper.
Song Yiping: "Mom, why are you all alone?"
Fang Yuru: "Your grandfather went back to his room to rest, and your father went to the military headquarters because of some business."
After saying that, I called out to Yan Ruyi, "Ruyi, a while ago a classmate of mine went abroad, and I asked her to bring back two sets of skincare products. I'll use one set myself, and you can take the other set."
After Fang Yuru finished speaking, she went to the bedroom and took out both sets of skincare products, placing them on the coffee table.
The bottle was covered in English letters. Yan Ruyi wasn't very familiar with these high-end skincare products and didn't know what brands they were.
Fang Yuru opened a bottle, scooped out a little, and rubbed it on Yan Ruyi's hands.
"I like it. It's not greasy, suitable for summer use, and smells nice too. You can try it and see if it works well. If it does, I'll ask her to bring back two more sets when she goes abroad next time."
Yan Ruyi rubbed it on her hands. It was a lotion-like product, not greasy at all, and the fragrance wasn't very strong; it was a light rose scent.
Yan Ruyi doesn't really like strong, overpowering scents; she prefers subtle, almost imperceptible fragrances.
"My skin gets a bit oily in the summer, and this works really well for me. I also like the scent."
"You can take this set. I'll tell her later that she can bring two more sets with her next time she goes abroad."
"Thank you, Mom."
Song Yiping didn't think his wife's skin was oily; it was fair and clean, which was quite nice.
However, he couldn't get a word in edgewise when the ladies were talking, and wisely refrained from doing so.
Several days have passed in the blink of an eye.
When Yan Ruyi got off work and came home, she saw Du Miao squatting at her doorstep playing with Dahua from afar.
She called out, "Miao Miao."
Du Miao ran over and said, "Sister Ruyi, I received my acceptance letter."
Yan Ruyi was also happy for her, "Congratulations."
Du Miao chuckled, "My grandma said she's going to treat the neighbors to dinner. She's already prepared at home. You and your brother-in-law can go over together after he gets off work."
Grandma Li's son passed away early, and her daughter-in-law remarried. She raised Du Miao alone from a young age, and life was difficult. The neighbors helped her a lot.
Grandma Li felt really bad about it.
She was overjoyed that her granddaughter had been admitted to university, and wanted to take this opportunity to treat everyone to a meal to thank her old neighbors.
Yan Ruyi said to her, "Okay, I'll leave the car at home first, and I'll be there in a bit."
"Why don't you go over with your brother-in-law in a little while? Otherwise, he'll be worried when he gets home and doesn't see you."
"I'll leave him a note."
Du Miao also likes kittens very much. She said that there was fish and meat at home today, so she took Da Hua away to eat fish and meat.
Yan Ruyi didn't go straight home. Instead, she rode her bicycle to a delicatessen and bought two pounds of braised beef and two pounds of cold pig's ears.
After returning home, she left a note for Song Yiping: "Grandma Li invited the neighbors to dinner, and I went over early to help. You should go over too when you get back."
After writing it down, I pinned the note to the door frame and took the braised beef and pig's ears to Grandma Li's house.
Sister-in-law Hua, Sister-in-law Wan, and an aunt surnamed Wu have all arrived.
They all came early to help Grandma Li.
Yan Ruyi placed the braised beef and pig's ears on the cutting board. Grandma Li scolded, "You said you were inviting me to dinner, but you all brought your own food."
Yan Ruyi said, "I was just passing by and bought two things on the spot."
He then asked Sister Hua and the others, "What can I do?"
Aunt Hua knew she couldn't cook, so she handed her a bunch of chives, saying, "Pick these chives, we'll fry them with eggs later."
Sister-in-law Wan moved a small stool for Yan Ruyi, and Yan Ruyi sat on the stool to pick chives.
Grandma Li used a grater to shred radish, preparing to fry some vegetarian meatballs later.
Grandma Li, "Miaomiao said that you don't have to pay tuition to go to university. Ruyi, you went to university. Is what Miaomiao said true?"
"No need to pay. There's only a book fee and a meal fee. But the government provides a subsidy of 35 yuan per month. When Miaomiao starts school, she can submit a certificate of family financial hardship to the school, and the school will waive her accommodation and meal fees."
“Then I’m relieved. I can’t read either, and I don’t know what university is like. Miaomiao said I don’t need to pay tuition, but I’m afraid she’s hiding it from me and trying to find a way to pay the tuition herself.”
Aunt Hua said, "Miaomiao wouldn't hide something this big from you. She's such a sensible child. Now that she's been admitted to university, you've finally made it through. You can just wait to enjoy your granddaughter's blessings from now on."
"I was thinking that Miaomiao has made something of herself. When I'm gone and see Chengfang down there, I'll have done my duty to him."
Sister Hua said, "I'll have Miaomiao burn some incense for her dad later. Miaomiao is so successful, let her dad be happy too."
Sister-in-law Wan said, "You know, people always have to compare themselves to each other. Grandma Li, you're so devoted to your son and granddaughter, but look at the family in front of you. I've never seen an old woman like that before."
Aunt Wu's house was quite far from Zhao's, so she asked Sister-in-law Wan, "Old woman, won't you ever calm down?"
Sister-in-law Wan said, "She's still not quiet. But I think it'll be over soon. The wife Yushu found this time is much more shrewish than Baoling. Last time she argued with the old woman, the old woman even tried to hit her, but Yushu's wife pushed her to the ground. The old woman sat on the ground crying and cursing, and neither of the couple paid any attention to her."
Besides Yan Ruyi, Wan Dasao's family was the closest to the Zhao family.
Sister-in-law Wan basically broadcasts the Zhao family's situation live every day.
When Zhao Yushu's previous wife, Li Baoling, first married into the family, she had a good relationship with Sister-in-law Wan.
Li Baoling was soft-hearted and was driven away by Granny Zhao. Sister-in-law Wan felt sorry for Li Baoling.
Now that Granny Zhao is being tormented by her daughter-in-law, she feels a sense of satisfaction watching it all.
Aunt Wu asked curiously, "Yu Shu has been gone for so many years, and he hasn't said how he's been doing all these years?"
Sister-in-law Wan said, "His wife told me that he had been working in a mine. She met him there. She said that he stopped being crazy when they met. Yushu didn't say exactly when he stopped being crazy, and we couldn't ask him."
Du Miao called out from the yard, "Grandma, I've bought the wine."
Grandma Li said, "Put it on the table, then clear the table and plate the dishes that can be served on plates."
Aunt Wu, "Why did you buy alcohol?"
Grandma Li said, "When men get together, they always have to have a drink or two, right?"
Sister Hua said happily, "My husband hasn't touched a drop of alcohol for half a year, he's going to be ecstatic this time."
Sister Hua's husband is prone to drunken outbursts, and his behavior is quite unusual. He likes to run away. Once, he got drunk and ran away. The family searched everywhere and finally found him sleeping soundly by the roadside.
Sister Hua kept an eye on him and rarely let him drink alcohol.
Aunt Wu asked Yan Ruyi, "Does Commander Song usually drink alcohol?"
He doesn't usually drink alcohol.
Sister Hua said, "Commander Song doesn't smoke or drink, and he's hardworking at home, unlike my husband, who wouldn't even pick up a fallen oil bottle at home. Ruyi is so lucky to have married such a good man."
Everyone started praising Song Yiping.
Just then, Song Yi came over.
The men from the other families also came.
Sister Hua and the others knew that Grandma Li's family was struggling financially, so they didn't come empty-handed. One family brought eggs, another brought meat...
When Song Yiping arrived, he brought another case of Jianlibao.
It was said that Grandma Li was hosting the dinner, but in reality, her family only provided the venue.
The dishes for the dinner party were prepared with the help of Sister Hua and the others.
Grandma Li knew that these neighbors genuinely cared for her and her granddaughter, and her eyes welled up with tears. During the meal, she had Du Miao toast everyone twice.
After we finished eating, it was already dark.
Hua Sao's husband had drunk too much and tried to run away again, but Hua Sao dragged him home, threw him on the bed, and locked the door.
Song Yiping didn't drink much. When he got home, he hugged Yan Ruyi and rubbed against her, saying, "Wife."
Yan Ruyi pushed him away, "You reek of alcohol, go take a shower."
Song Yiping kissed her again, then took his pajamas and went to take a shower.
After they had both washed up, Song Yiping turned over and hugged Yan Ruyi, his voice hoarse as he asked, "Wife, you've left by now, haven't you?"
Seeing that Yan Ruyi nodded, he covered her with his large hands and teased her with fiery gestures.
Song Yiping has now become an expert in this field, and soon Yan Ruyi was also engulfed in flames.
My whole body felt like it was lying on waves, rising and falling.
The last big wave crashed in, and my body trembled.
Before one wave subsides, another one strikes...
When Yan Ruyi woke up the next day, the sun was already high in the sky.
She picked up the alarm clock from the bedside table and saw that it was almost 9 o'clock, so she hurriedly got up.
Song Yiping pushed open the door and came in. Yan Ruyi glared at him and said, "It's all your fault. You said you didn't want it anymore, but you insisted on doing it again."
Feeling a little guilty, Song Yiping fawned over his wife, bringing her the clothes and helping her get dressed.
"Anything going on today?"
Yan Ruyi was put to work and enjoyed the dressing service provided by Commander Song. "I made an appointment with Huihui to go shopping. We'll meet at the intersection of Xiexi Road at 9:30. You stay home and behave yourself. I'll bring you something delicious when I get back."
Song Yiping replied, "I respectfully obey your command, Madam."
Yan Ruyi smiled and kissed him on the cheek.
After shoveling down a few bites of breakfast, Yan Ruyi hurriedly left.
When we arrived at the intersection of Xiexi Road, it was exactly 9:30.
Luo Huihui was already waiting for her at the intersection. When she saw her arrive, she affectionately took her arm and said, "Didn't you say you wanted to learn to swim last time? Let's buy a swimsuit together today."
"You want to learn too?"
"Jiang Hao can swim, and he said he can teach me."
"Okay, let's go shopping first, and then we'll go to the department store to buy a swimsuit."
The store where Yan Ruyi used to buy clothes was on Xiexi Road.
Previously, there were only two or three clothing stores on Xiexi Road, but in the past two or three months, several new stores have opened, and Xiexi Road has become a clothing street.
However, Yan Ruyi still prefers to go to the place she used to frequent.
The clothing store has a nice name, called "Nianhua Women's Clothing Store". The owner is a woman surnamed Cheng, and Yan Ruyi calls her Sister Cheng.
The clothes in her shop are all sourced from Guangcheng. She has a good eye and the clothes she gets are more stylish than those in other shops.
Today is Sunday, and the store is quite crowded. When Yan Ruyi and Luo Huihui arrived, Sister Cheng was introducing the newly arrived clothes to two customers.
Yan Ruyi and Luo Huihui come here often. Sister Cheng is quite familiar with them. She said to them, "You two take a look and see for yourselves. If you see something you like, take it down and try it on."
Luo Huihui said, "Sister Cheng, you go about your business and don't worry about us."
The store is currently selling summer clothes. Luo Huihui pointed to a pair of jeans and nudged Yan Ruyi, saying, "These jeans will definitely look good on you."
There are so many people wearing jeans on the street these days, especially the wide-legged kind.
Ye Hongzhen calls these pants "sweeping pants".
A few days ago, her second brother bought one, but he wore it for one day and then stopped, saying it was too tight around his buttocks.
However, Yan Ruyi was quite willing to try it out. So she called out to Sister Cheng, "Sister Cheng, could you find me a pair of jeans in my size that are hanging on the wall?"
Because Yan Ruyi comes often, Sister Cheng has already memorized her size. "You can fit into the one hanging on the wall."
Come over and take off those jeans.
Yan Ruyi took it to the fitting room to try it on.
It's called a fitting room, but it's really just a corner separated by a curtain.
To prevent someone from suddenly barging in while you're trying on clothes, someone usually has to stand guard outside.
The dressing mirror was on the outside, and Yan Ruyi came out from inside.
Luo Huihui: "These pants look good on you, so let's buy this pair."
She pulled Yan Ruyi in front of the dressing mirror, "Take a look for yourself."
It really looks good. It's tight from the hips to the thighs, and gradually loosens down from the knees. The cuffs are flared, but not too wide, and they don't drag on the ground.
Yan Ruyi already has long legs and a beautiful leg shape, and wearing this makes her look even taller and more graceful.
Sister Cheng then brought her a light yellow batwing shirt, which, when paired with the shirt, made her exude a youthful vibe.
Sister Cheng said, "Ruyi is such a natural clothes hanger. If you were to model for my shop, I could sell several more sets of clothes."
Yan Ruyi was very satisfied with herself. "Sister Cheng, I'll take this outfit."
Because Yan Ruyi is a regular customer, Sister Cheng gave her a discount; the jeans and batwing shirt cost a total of 15 yuan.
Luo Huihui originally wanted a set too, but because she has a large bust and wide hips, it would make her look particularly robust, so she didn't buy it.
Yan Ruyi asked Sister Cheng to pack up the clothes, and then continued watching with Luo Huihui.
Just then, two people came in; it turned out to be Shen Zhimin and Tang Yanna.
Shen Zhimin and Tang Yanna also saw them. Tang Yanna's eyes widened. "What are you two doing here?"
Luo Huihui rolled her eyes. "What, is this your family's business?"
Looking at the radiant Yan Ruyi, Shen Zhimin felt a pang of sadness.
Yan Ruyi is already married, and to someone he can't afford to offend.
At the entrance of the Cultural Relics Bureau, the one look Song Yiping gave him was enough to terrify him for the rest of his life, and it also made him give up any thought of getting back together with Yan Ruyi.
He tugged at Tang Yanna, "How about we go check out other stores?"
Tang Yanna: "No, I'm right here."
Shen Zhimin suppressed his irritation and accompanied her as she strolled through the store, but his eyes kept glancing towards Yan Ruyi.
Yan Ruyi didn't think anything of it, but Luo Huihui felt it was bad luck and said to Yan Ruyi, "Ruyi, let's go."
Sister Cheng came over, smiling, and said, "Didn't see anything you liked?"
"No, it's just that I didn't check the almanac before I went out today. I'll come back another day."
Sister Cheng could also tell that the two of them didn't get along with the couple who had just come in.
She's a businesswoman, and even if Yan Ruyi and Luo Huihui are regular customers, she wouldn't kick them out just because of them.
He smiled and said to Luo Huihui, "I'm going to Guangcheng to buy goods next Wednesday. You and Ruyi can come over next weekend."
Yan Ruyi thanked Sister Cheng and then came out with Luo Huihui.
Luo Huihui: "What bad luck, to run into those two."
Yan Ruyi also found it strange, "Wasn't Shen Zhimin brushing the grave with a small brush? Why is he back?"
"I heard from people in our compound that he's going to marry Tang Yanna. I guess he's here today to buy his wedding clothes. Tang Yanna is really determined to hang herself on Shen Zhimin's tree. No one can persuade her otherwise. It's fate. Every pot has its lid."
Yan Ruyi also admired Tang Yanna for this.
For the sake of great love, let us rise to the challenge!
Luo Huihui's emotions always came and went quickly; in the blink of an eye, she was happy again.
"Let's go buy swimsuits."
The only place that sold swimsuits was the department store, so the two went there.
There are many styles of swimsuits available now, including one-piece and two-piece suits.
Both of them bought one-piece swimsuits; Yan Ruyi's was blue and white striped, while Luo Huihui preferred bright colors and bought a bright red one.
It was almost noon when I came out of the department store.
Luo Huihui: "A new noodle shop opened on Huanghe Road. Jiang Hao and I went there last week. Their three-delicacy noodles are delicious. I'll treat you to some."
Yan Ruyi pushed her, "Lead the way quickly."
Luo Huihui took two steps and then stopped. "Your Commander Song is home alone. He won't have any complaints, will he?"
"I already told him when I came out that we'd have lunch out together today."
Luo Huihui was relieved.
Huanghe Road is near the department store. Luo Huihui and Jiang Hao had been there once before. Luo Huihui took Yan Ruyi and took a shortcut.
"Go through this alley and you'll reach Huanghe Road. That noodle shop is right across the street."
This area belongs to the Erdao District Subdistrict Office. It is an old residential area with some old houses and low courtyard walls. When you pass through the alley, you can see what's inside the courtyard.
Yan Ruyi glanced at it unintentionally and pulled Luo Huihui back, "Huihui, wait a moment before you go."
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