No sooner had Jiang Shuya agreed to stay for dinner with Zhang Xiaohui than she received a phone call from her mother-in-law, who asked her to have dinner together at the "Luyuan Hotel" near the ferry crossing that evening. Jiang Shuya paused, thought for a moment, and then loudly declined.
In a flash, she remembered a similar dinner party in her past life, around the same time. That meal cost over two thousand yuan. It seemed her mother-in-law was trying to make her a sucker. She couldn't let it happen again, so she refused decisively. "Since you like to show off and be so generous," she thought, "then go ahead and pretend to be rich!" Sure enough, not long after, her mother-in-law arrived, speaking vividly, "Xiaoya, your aunt and uncle brought you grapes today, so it's only right that you treat them to a meal. It wouldn't be right for you not to show up! Hurry up, let's go! Don't keep them waiting alone."
Seeing her mother-in-law trying to pull her away, Jiang Shuya remained unmoved and said, "You go and eat by yourself! I already promised Sister Hui that I would eat here. As for helping to deliver the grapes, Sister Hui has already returned the favor, so let's not bring that up."
Just then, Xiaohui heard her mother-in-law's voice and came out of the kitchen, greeting her warmly: "Auntie, the food will be ready soon, please eat here too!"
Seeing that Jiang Shuya seemed to have seen through her thoughts, the mother-in-law shook her head helplessly, said a polite word to Zhang Xiaohui, and left.
At this moment, Zhang Xiaohui brought out a table, placed several side dishes she had prepared on the table, and took out a bottle of wine, saying that it was homemade wine. She poured half a bowl for Jiang Shuya and said with a smile, "You are still breastfeeding, so it is not good for you to drink too much. I poured you half a bowl to satisfy your craving and let you taste my cooking. However, my wine is not very strong, and I usually drink it as a beverage."
Looking at the light dishes on the table, most of them were cold dishes, with bright green and appealing colors, which were perfect for this hot summer day, both refreshing and cooling.
Jiang Shuya was indeed a little hungry. Seeing that it was just the two of them, she asked, "Where's your son?" Zhang Xiaohui picked Tangtang up from her arms and said softly, "He's been staying in Dageng with his grandma these past few days. I've been so busy that I haven't had time to take care of him."
As he spoke, he instructed her not to be shy, as there wasn't much food, and she should just eat whatever she wanted.
Jiang Shuya didn't stand on ceremony and picked up her chopsticks to eat. The dishes were refreshing, and the side dishes were sour and spicy. After tasting a few dishes, she exclaimed, "Sister Hui, you have such good cooking skills! Your dishes are so delicious. Did you study cooking before?"
It's no wonder Jiang Shuya asked that question. You can see from the color matching, the plating, and the white slices of meat that are thinly sliced, evenly thick, and of uniform length. It's not something that can be easily done without training.
She truly admired him; even though she never cooked, he could still discern the nuances of different cuisines.
"I studied for a few years. When I first came to Jinling City, I worked as a waitress, mainly in the vegetable preparation area, learning how to cut vegetables and plate them. Later, I secretly learned various cuisines from my master for a few years." Zhang Xiaohui patted Tangtang in her arms and said nonchalantly, while she started eating herself.
Jiang Shuya glanced at the dishes on the table and asked, "Sister Xiaohui, which type of cuisine are you better at? I know of Huaiyang cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, Anhui cuisine, or Hubei cuisine."
"Both are popular, but none are particularly refined. The most commonly served dishes are Huaiyang cuisine and Anhui cuisine." After all, we live in the Jiangzhe region, which is close to Anhui, so naturally we eat these kinds of dishes more often.
Zhang Xiaohui sighed again: "When I left home, I wanted to learn a skill so that I could make a living in the future. I learned to cook, and I wanted to open my own restaurant someday. It doesn't have to be big, just enough to make a living. I'm a very easily satisfied person."
After she finished speaking, she looked up at the sky, which was full of stars, and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye with her hand.
"Do you still want to?" Jiang Shuya asked Zhang Xiaohui. Zhang Xiaohui nodded, her eyes showing determination.
Jiang Shuya picked up the wine in her bowl and said solemnly, "Sister Hui, you will definitely achieve it, as long as you want to do it... I toast you, you are very good and capable."
After saying that, she picked up the bowl and drank it all in one gulp. Zhang Xiaohui had drunk more and was a little drunk, her face flushed. Looking at Jiang Shuya's beautiful face, her delicate features, and her refined and elegant demeanor, she was very envious and murmured, "Xiaoya, with a face like yours, many people must be in love with you!"
Jiang Shuya was at a loss for words when asked this question. At that moment, she wasn't thinking about such things; she was pondering new ways to make money, and was interrupted just as she was deep in thought. After a moment of contemplation, seeing that she was being asked so seriously, she pretended to tilt her head and think for a while, recalling that no one in this life had ever admired her.
After thinking about her past life, she suddenly said, "It really happened. During my school years and after graduation, there was a very outstanding and handsome boy who confessed to me twice. Many people liked him, including my cousin who wrote to him. But he wrote to me and said he only liked me. Does that count?"
"And then what happened?" Zhang Xiaohui was eager to know the answer.
"I rejected him firmly. It's simple, he's not my type," Jiang Shuya said nonchalantly.
"I know, you like your current...husband, Huang...what's your husband's name again?" Zhang Xiaohui rested her chin on her hand, blushing as she continued to tease.
Jiang Shuya fell silent. At this moment, she was reluctant to mention this person. She shook her head and stopped talking.
Perhaps thinking of their past ignorance and unbearable circumstances, the two people, who shared the same plight, understood and comforted each other. On this quiet night, they drank and chatted, taking turns holding Tangtang, singing, and making her laugh, until Tangtang fell asleep and it was already late before they remembered to go home.
The next day, when she woke up, she saw her mother-in-law sitting at the door with a worried look on her face. When she saw Jiang Shuya come out with Tangtang, she immediately stood up and said in a gentle voice, "Xiaoya, yesterday's meal cost more than two thousand. I was thinking of raising ten thousand to pay back your aunt in a pinch, but you see, I'm still five thousand short. Can you lend me some to tide me over?"
"I'll make it up to you when I have money." Jiang Shuya was taken aback: "Mom, we don't have any grapes left to sell! You haven't paid Auntie back yet! ...You should explain to her quickly; I'm sure she'll understand. By the way, I don't have any here. I need them; Tangtang is almost nine months old and will be weaning soon. I need to buy her formula, and a can of formula costs several hundred yuan."
Jiang Shuya was speechless. They say you won't go poor from eating or dressing, but you will if you don't plan ahead. Her mother-in-law was a prime example. Seeing Jiang Shuya's decisive refusal, her mother-in-law angrily said, "If it weren't for you, would I have spent that much money treating your son-in-law and his family to dinner yesterday? They lent us money and saved Hao Hao's life; it's not unreasonable for them to treat us to a meal!"
"Help!" Jiang Shuya glanced at her mother-in-law, her heart filled with doubt. In her previous life, she had paid for the banquet herself, so there shouldn't have been any arguments about it now. Why was she suddenly asking for help? What happened to Huang Minghao?
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