Chapter 1049 Blind Date
The next day, as agreed, Hu Mian got up before dawn and arrived at the fishing village on time.
His home was not far from the fishing village, and to make it convenient for Zhang Qing'er to visit, Hu Mian specially borrowed an oxcart from the village chief.
Thinking of the twists and turns on his way home yesterday, Hu Mian sighed inwardly. Fortunately, his family members were reasonable. He told his parents about the matter, and they supported his decision.
The Hu family is not wealthy, but they are not starving either. Those who need help should be helped, and found money must be returned to its owner; this is a matter of character.
While studying, learning, and acquiring knowledge, one must not lose sight of one's fundamental principles as a human being.
Hu Mian arrived home late at night, but he couldn't sleep soundly. The thought of a woman visiting his home made him feel somewhat dazed.
"Sister Yue Sha, will you come with me?"
At the crucial moment, Zhang Qing'er chickened out.
Last night she began to regret it. She didn't understand Hu Mian. Her rash visit was too impulsive. What would the Hu family think of her?
"Should I go with them?"
Lin Yuesha hesitated, but after a moment's thought, she finally agreed.
Zhang Qing'er was older than her, unmarried, and still a young woman. She was shy and didn't know what to say.
Since that's the case, Lin Yuesha decided to go along.
Yesterday, Qi Heng tested Hu Mian and approved of his character. As for the Hu family, they were still completely clueless.
“Miss Zhang, you don’t need to worry. My fellow villagers told me that you know my sister-in-law, so I came to visit you.”
In order not to damage Zhang Qing'er's reputation, Hu Mian was thoughtful, so that the villagers would not gossip.
"Thank you, Scholar Hu."
Zhang Qing'er slowly lowered her head and said shyly.
Since she was visiting, Lin Yuesha prepared an eight-treasure box for Zhang Qing'er, containing snacks, cakes, and candies.
When villagers visit relatives and friends, they usually bring a few packets of snacks as a matter of etiquette.
A small gift carries great meaning, and it avoids giving something too expensive that would make the recipient uncomfortable, since the two families are visiting each other and the other party is expected to reciprocate.
Zhang Qing'er knew nothing about this, so she left it to Lin Yuesha to handle.
“Miss Zhang, there is straw and a set of bedding in the oxcart, and there is a shed outside to keep out the wind.”
Hu Mian got up early to decorate the oxcart, but unlike a horse-drawn carriage, the dirt road was a bit bumpy.
"good."
Zhang Qing'er smiled and agreed, then jumped onto the oxcart without any hesitation.
Hu Mian curled the corners of his mouth and looked at Lin Yuesha, seeking her opinion.
"You go ahead."
Qi Heng led a horse over; he wanted to personally escort his wife, not wanting to squeeze into the oxcart with the two of them.
"Husband, you rarely have free time, why don't you stay in the fishing village?"
After mounting her horse, Lin Yuesha looked back at Qi Heng. Qi Heng was tall, and she had to look up to see him clearly. It seemed that her husband had not slept well last night, and his face showed some fatigue.
"I want to go to the market."
Qi Heng paused for a moment, then made an excuse, firmly denying that he wanted to cling to his wife.
If Zhang Qing'er hadn't asked Lin Yuesha to accompany them, the couple planned to stay in the cabin for a few days to shake off these troublesome people and get some peace and quiet.
"I don't know if it's because the heated floor is so warm, but I feel a bit feverish."
Looking in the bronze mirror in the morning, Lin Yuesha was surprised to find that the corners of her lips were a little red and swollen. She applied two layers of powder, but there were still faint traces that she couldn't cover up.
Qi Heng lowered his eyes, looking guilty.
Last night he couldn't resist and took advantage of his wife while she was sleeping, but he won't say it.
"Husband, Xie Guangping's design of the heated floor is really good. Even with the doors and windows closed in winter, there's no need to worry about the heat escaping."
Lin Yuesha rubbed the corner of her mouth and changed the subject.
"Later, you go with Zhang Qing'er to visit the Hu family, while I go to the market."
Qi Heng didn't plan to go to the Hu family's house; he would come to pick them up before dark.
"good."
The couple chatted for about an hour before Qi Heng took Lin Yuesha to Hujia Village.
The group met villagers at the village entrance, and someone immediately ran errands to deliver a message to the Hu family.
Hu Mian's elder brother and sister-in-law, along with their three little nieces, came out to greet him with warm smiles.
"It's cold, come inside and warm up."
Hu Mian's sister-in-law, Wang, took the initiative to invite Zhang Qing'er and Lin Yuesha to the main room of her house.
The Hu family's courtyard was somewhat dilapidated, but it was kept clean and tidy.
There were two large trunks in the room, and under the kang (a heated brick bed) were tables, chairs, and benches, on which were placed tea, melon seeds, peanuts, and other items.
"Come and try the sunflower seeds I made, and see how they taste."
Wang brought the plate of melon seeds to the two of them. These were not ordinary melon seeds; her husband had gone to the prefectural city to work once and brought back spiced melon seeds, which Wang loved to eat.
Without any ingredients, Wang figured it out at home. She first soaked the sunflower seeds in water and boiled them, then dried them. This way, the sunflower seeds wouldn't get her hands dirty, and they tasted better than when they were fried in an iron pot.
"That's the taste."
Lin Yuesha ate a few and gave her approval.
After she started making money selling spiced melon seeds and roasted peanuts, other small vendors began to follow suit.
It's actually not difficult to make, but if you miss a few ingredients, it won't taste as good.
The spiced melon seeds made by the Wang family are about 80-90% similar to the real thing, which is quite good.
Hu Mian's parents were working in the kitchen. They had killed a chicken early in the morning and were making chicken soup.
Fearing that Zhang Qing'er would feel uncomfortable, the two exchanged a brief glance, leaving the space to the young people.
“Last night my brother-in-law said a woman was coming to visit, and I thought I misheard.”
When Wang spoke of the surprised expressions on her family's faces, especially her parents, who rummaged through drawers and cabinets to bring out the best things, she estimated that all the food they had prepared for the New Year would be ready by today.
Over the years, matchmakers have come to the family to propose marriage, but Hu Mian is focused on his studies. His parents hesitated for a long time before finally rejecting the matchmakers.
As a result, Hu Mian's marriage became a major worry for his parents. When they heard that a girl was coming to visit, they were overjoyed.
Zhang Qing'er was a little nervous before entering the room. Hu Mian's sister-in-law, Wang, was quite talkative. After getting to know each other, Zhang Qing'er became much more lively.
Lin Yuesha sat to the side, feeling like she was accompanying her best friend on a blind date and incidentally getting a free meal.
“I’ve had three daughters and my belly hasn’t shown any signs of pregnancy. If I were in someone else’s family, they would have been anxious by now.”
Ms. Wang sighed, saying that she had met wonderful in-laws; other families would never be so open-minded.
"Sister-in-law, Mother wants you to go help in the kitchen."
Hu Mian forced himself to enter, his voice barely louder than a mosquito's buzz.
"Okay, I'll go right away."
Wang stood up, and Lin Yuesha, seeing this, resolutely refused to be a third wheel and made an excuse to go out.
Lin Yuesha, having taken a liking to Hu Mian, had to help Zhang Qing'er make a selection. During their casual conversation, one could also discern the Hu family's way of handling things.
Inside the room, only Hu Mian and Zhang Qing'er remained.
"Miss Zhang, have some tea."
Hu Mian took the initiative to refill Zhang Qing'er's tea. He sat in the chair, extremely nervous, unsure of what to do with his hands and feet.
Zhang Qing'er, who had been tense, couldn't help but smile when she saw the thin layer of sweat on Hu Mian's forehead. Hu Shusheng looked a bit dazed, but it was quite cute.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
