The three arrived at the state-run restaurant, where many people were already eating dinner. Xiao Yu, with his sharp eyes, noticed a tall man following behind his sister and father. He stood up, waved to Xiao Xue, and called out, "Sister, sister, Mom and I are here."
When Xiao Xue saw Xiao Yu waving and calling out "Sister," she walked over to the table where Xiao Yu and his mother were sitting, followed by Xiao Yu's father and Gu Moting.
"Mother, Xiaoyu, this is the man who saved me, Comrade Gu Moting." "Comrade Gu Moting, this lady is my mother, Comrade Li Mei, and this boy is my younger brother, Comrade Xiao Yu." Xiao Xue introduced her mother, Xiao Yu, and Gu Moting to each other.
"Hello, Aunt Xiao!" Gu Moting bowed slightly to Aunt Xiao and greeted her. After Aunt Xiao responded, he half-squatted down and extended his right hand to the boy in front of him, Xiao Yu, saying, "Hello, Comrade Xiao Yu."
Xiao Yu was a little surprised. He didn't expect this tall man to squat down and reach out to greet him. He quickly reached out and shook Gu Moting's hand. "Hello, Brother Gu Moting. My name is Xiao Yu. I am Sister Xiao Xue's younger brother."
"Hurry up and sit down to order," said Xiao's mother, looking at the tall, handsome, polite, poised, and well-mannered man before her. She was very satisfied. She thought to herself, "If only this man were my son-in-law!" But the thought quickly faded. "Oh! What am I thinking? Xiaoxue will be getting married soon. No matter how good this man is, he can never be with my Xiaoxue."
"Little Gu, take a look at this menu. See what you like to eat, and order whatever you see." Xiao's mother handed the handwritten menu to Gu Moting.
Gu Moting took the menu with both hands. "Uncle Xiao, Aunt Xiao, I'm fine with whatever I want to eat. You two should order, since you're locals, you know which dishes are good." Gu Moting handed the menu to Mr. Xiao, who was sitting with his wife, so he asked them to order.
Alright, let's order. Please forgive us if there's anything you don't like. Mr. Xiao flipped through the menu for a while and called the waiter over to order. Mr. Xiao ordered: "Braised pork, sweet and sour fish, shredded pork with celery, home-style tofu, stir-fried shredded potatoes with vinegar, tomato and egg soup, sesame flatbread, and rice."
"Xiao Gu, let's order these dishes for now. We can order more if we're still hungry when the food arrives." Mr. Xiao was worried that ordering too much would be wasteful. He said that nowadays, we should conserve food and finish all the food on the table, leaving not a single grain of rice or vegetable uneaten, so as not to waste food.
While waiting for the food to be served, Xiao's mother and Gu Moting started chatting. "Little Gu, where are you from? What do you do for a living?" Xiao's mother asked about Gu Moting's hometown and occupation.
"Aunt Xiao, I'm from Beijing. I have grandparents, parents, an older sister, and a younger brother. I'm twenty-five years old and a soldier, currently a battalion commander." Gu Moting finished speaking in one breath.
The four members of the Xiao family were somewhat stunned. Mr. and Mrs. Xiao exchanged a glance; Gu's words sounded so much like a son-in-law's first meeting with his future in-laws. Xiao Xue was stunned because she hadn't expected Gu Moting to mention his family members. When she first met him, she could tell from his appearance and demeanor that he was a soldier. Xiao Yu was surprised that Gu Moting was a soldier.
Just then, the waiter arrived and broke the silence. After all the dishes were served, Mr. Xiao invited everyone to start eating, but no one continued the previous conversation.
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