Her eyes were large and bright, with slightly upturned corners, and she looked at him timidly with a hint of sadness and shyness.
Su Mingfu felt his heart skip a beat, then pound violently as if it were about to burst out of his chest.
He had never seen eyes like those before.
It looks like it's filled with watery light, or like it's hiding stars, making it impossible to look away once you see it.
Time seemed to freeze at that moment.
Su Mingfu stood there blankly, forgetting even to breathe.
He felt his cheeks burning, his palms sweating, and he felt as if he were nailed to the ground, unable to move.
"This...comrade?"
The woman's voice was as soft as a breeze, tinged with a hint of hesitation.
"Excuse me... is this the Su Jianguo family's country?"
Su Mingfu suddenly realized what was happening, took a deep breath, and almost choked on his own saliva.
He hurriedly raised his hand to wipe his face, feeling that his palms were covered in sweat.
"Yes, yes!"
He quickly cleared his throat.
"This is Su Jianguo, and I am his son, Su Mingfu."
The woman lowered her head slightly, a faint smile appearing on her lips.
"Oh, it's Comrade Su. I'm the new neighbor next door; my mother-in-law's surname is Zhou."
Su Mingfu then noticed that the woman was holding a small cloth bag in her arms. Her fingers were slender and long, and her nails were neatly trimmed, but there were no decorations on them.
She looked so plain as to be almost shabby, yet somehow she was captivating.
"I...I'm called Xiaomei."
The woman continued, her voice growing softer and softer.
"We're out of salt when we cook at home, and I was wondering if I could borrow some..."
Su Mingfu felt his heart skip a beat again.
Borrowing salt?
Such a simple thing?
He practically jumped up in response.
"Of course! You wait here, I'll go get it right away!"
After saying that, he turned and rushed towards the kitchen, almost tripping over the threshold.
In the kitchen, Wang Xiulan was kneading dough when she saw her son burst in, and she frowned.
"What are you doing? So careless!"
"Mom, where's the salt?"
Su Mingfu didn't bother to explain; his eyes searched the kitchen thoroughly.
"It's in the cabinet, take it yourself."
Wang Xiulan didn't even look up.
"What do you need salt for?"
Su Mingfu has found the salt jar, a heavy, rough earthenware pot.
He picked it up, thought for a moment, then found a clean bowl and filled it to the brim.
Is that enough?
He muttered to himself and poured some more, until the salt in the bowl piled up into a small mountain.
Wang Xiulan then looked up and saw her son's unusual behavior, her brows furrowing even more.
"What are you going to do with so much salt?"
"The new neighbor next door borrowed it!"
Su Mingfu ran out without looking back.
"We can't be stingy when they ask for something for the first time!"
Wang Xiulan called out something from behind, but Su Mingfu could no longer hear her.
He carefully held the bowl of salt, afraid of spilling a single grain, and quickly walked back to the courtyard gate.
Xiaomei was still standing there.
She saw the bowl in Su Mingfu's hand, and her eyes widened slightly.
"This...this is too much..."
"Not much, not much!"
Su Mingfu quickly replied.
"We have plenty of salt at home, we'll have more if we need more!"
Xiaomei smiled, this time a genuine smile, her eyes curving into crescents, revealing two small dimples.
Su Mingfu was stunned, and the bowl in his hand almost tipped over.
"Thank you, Comrade Su."
Xiaomei took the salt bowl, and her fingers inadvertently touched the back of Su Mingfu's hand.
In that instant, Su Mingfu felt as if an electric current was coursing through his body from the point of contact, causing him to freeze completely.
"I...I'm called Su Mingfu."
He stammered as he repeated his name.
Xiaomei laughed again, this time aloud, her laughter as clear and crisp as a wind chime.
"I understand, Comrade Su Mingfu."
She deliberately dragged out the tone, with a hint of teasing.
"I will remember to return the salt."
No need to pay it back!
Su Mingfu blurted it out.
"I mean... this little bit of salt isn't worth much..."
Xiaomei's eyes sparkled, as if she could see right through Su Mingfu's thoughts.
She tilted her head slightly, a wisp of hair falling down, shimmering with a golden halo in the sunlight.
"Well... let me invite you over for dinner another day, as a token of my gratitude."
Su Mingfu felt like his heart was about to jump out of his throat.
He opened his mouth, but no sound came out; he could only nod vigorously.
Xiaomei smiled again, but this time there was something in her smile that Su Mingfu couldn't understand.
Xiaomei's figure disappeared outside the courtyard gate.
Su Mingfu was still standing there dumbfounded.
"Third Uncle, what are you looking at?"
Da Mao had somehow run up to his legs and looked up at him with a curious expression.
Su Mingfu then seemed to wake from a dream, looked down at his nephew's innocent eyes, and was speechless for a moment.
He squatted down and rubbed Da Mao's head.
"N-nothing, Third Uncle was just thinking about something."
What are you thinking about?
Da Mao persisted, her little hands tugging at the hem of his clothes.
Su Mingfu's gaze unconsciously drifted back to the courtyard gate, where there was no one.
He suddenly felt a void in his heart, as if a piece of him had been ripped out.
"Does Third Uncle like that auntie from earlier?"
Xiao Mao also joined in at some point, and said something surprising.
Su Mingfu's face flushed red instantly, and even his ears felt hot.
He waved his hands frantically.
"What nonsense are you talking about! What does a little kid like you know about likes and dislikes!"
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