After washing up, Gu Zhiyuan bought breakfast and ate it all by himself. Xu Ningyan still hadn't returned.
With time running out, I had no choice but to head out to work.
Pushing her bicycle, she bumped into Xu Ningyan, who was about to come in with a smile on her face.
When she saw Gu Zhiyuan, she held up the basket in her hand to show him.
Inside were tender cucumbers with yellow flowers and covered in thorns, plump purple eggplants, and a few chili peppers. At the very bottom, there was even a piece of pork belly two fingers wide and a large carp weighing a pound, which was still lively and wagging its tail.
Xu Ningyan was still marveling, "As expected, the supplies in the capital are more abundant. Aunt Wang is really something; we managed to snatch these things without much effort by following her! When you come back for lunch, I'll make braised carp and stir-fried pork for you."
In this weather, fish and meat can't be kept overnight. The two of them aren't short of supplies; they can eat meat every few days in Jingshan County, so Xu Ningyan is used to it.
Gu Zhiyuan didn't think it was a waste. He knew that Xu Ningyan didn't have any other hobbies, except for a love of good food, which wasn't a problem.
What kind of man is he if he can't even meet this simple request from the woman he likes?
Besides, he was also craving Xu Ningyan's cooking, so he naturally had no objections. He left a message saying to cook more for lunch and hurriedly rode his bike to work. If he didn't leave soon, he would be late.
Xu Ningyan was thinking about going to the Gu family's house that night, and she wondered if she would still have an appetite when she saw those people from the Gu family.
No wonder Gu Zhiyuan asked for more food at noon; he probably thought Gu Zhiyuan wouldn't have an appetite when he got home in the evening.
Put the purchased vegetables in a bowl, add some water and keep the fish alive.
After washing my hands, I went to eat the breakfast that Gu Zhiyuan had left for me. Today's breakfast was a local specialty of Beijing: fried liver and steamed buns from Qingfeng.
I finished eating slowly, washed the lunchbox, and then washed and hung up the clothes I had changed out of yesterday.
Seeing that it was still early, I turned on the radio and listened to some revolutionary model operas. Then, I read a book for a while under the pomegranate tree in the courtyard.
Aunt Wang from next door came over with a stool and some of her own vegetables.
We said we were picking vegetables together, but we were really just chatting.
The vegetables Xu Ningyan bought didn't require much preparation, but the vegetables Aunt Wang bought required time to prepare.
A large bunch of water spinach, and half a bag of edamame.
Aunt Wang is a thrifty and hardworking woman. She can cook water spinach in two ways: she picks off the tips and stir-fries them, and then she removes the leaves from the stems and cuts them into small pieces. She stir-fries them with fermented black beans and millet peppers, making them both appetizing and delicious with rice.
The edamame beans have to be shelled one by one. The edamame beans inside are also excellent when stir-fried with pickled mustard greens. Especially today, she managed to snag a pound of fatty pork, rendered the oil, and used the cracklings to cook the edamame beans, making it even more fragrant.
Xu Ningyan helped peel edamame, and somehow the conversation turned to meeting the man's parents that evening.
Aunt Wang perked up. She knew Xu Ningyan was the child of a martyr, so she figured no adult had given her any instructions or explanations in this regard. Otherwise, would she be sitting here so quietly helping to shell soybeans? Shouldn't she be picking out clothes to wear tonight when she meets her future in-laws?
Shouldn't you pick a few generous and presentable gifts to give when you visit?
To be fair, if it were her family, and her capable son insisted on marrying a girl from the countryside, she and Old Ma would probably have a hard time getting past him.
Since Xiao Gu seems to have his own ideas, his parents might not be happy and might find fault with him.
Otherwise, why would Xiao Gu live outside instead of living with his parents?
It's possible that she moved out because she had a falling out with her family over this marriage.
When this young lady, Xu, goes to meet her boyfriend's parents, will they give her a good look? Won't they find fault with her in every way?
After imagining a whole bunch of tragic dramas like "A wicked mother-in-law picks on a weak, innocent, and helpless country daughter-in-law," "Heartlessly breaking up a loving young couple," and "A star-crossed couple being kicked out of their home," I realized that I was in a terrible predicament.
Looking at Xu Ningyan, Aunt Wang felt more and more sorry for her. At this moment, it was only natural that she, being a righteous person, needed to step in.
He stopped picking the vegetables and said, "Comrade Xu, when a woman visits a man's house for the first time, she has to be reserved, you know? We can't be too eager! Remember, you have to be humble when you marry a wife, and proud when you marry a daughter! If you're taken advantage of on your first visit, you'll be taken advantage of for the rest of your life, you know?"
“Listen to what your auntie says, she’s very experienced! Just remember this: when you go to the man’s house, you’re a guest, but you’re going to be their maid! Some men’s families want to give their prospective daughter-in-law a hard time on her first visit, so you’d better stay calm!”
"Remember this: whatever it is, if the elders in your family want to try your cooking, or if Comrade Gu says that his parents and sisters are too busy and asks you to come into the kitchen to help out, just ignore them! Who asks a guest to come into the kitchen to help on their first visit?"
"And don't be so diligent after meals. At most, just help carry the dishes to the kitchen! Don't be silly and roll up your sleeves to wash the dishes and pots! A woman has to wash dishes for the rest of her life after she gets married. It's not too late to wash them after you get married! We can't spoil their bad habits!"
“Remember this: families who truly understand etiquette and value their sons will prepare everything perfectly for your first visit. That’s what respectable people do! If anything goes wrong, it’s because they’re not satisfied.”
"Girl, you're the daughter of a martyr, with impeccable family background and a job, what are you afraid of? Even without your parents' support, you have to stand up for yourself! It's precisely at times like these that you can't bow your head and let others look down on you! Do you understand?"
Xu Ningyan really didn't have any experience in this area, although it wasn't her first time visiting the Gu family, as she was there to rescue Jiang Yuan.
However, rounding up, in the eyes of the Gu family, it was probably her first time visiting.
We really have to listen to Aunt Wang.
He immediately wanted to pull out his notebook to write it down, and blinked his big eyes at Aunt Wang: "Auntie, I've got it! What else should I pay attention to?"
They were so eager to learn!
This fully satisfied Aunt Wang's desire to teach.
Having only sons in the family, they were incredibly experienced in welcoming daughters-in-law. Seeing that Xu Ningyan was genuinely listening, they became even more enthusiastic, wishing they could impart all their experience to her.
After whispering and imparting their lessons for a while, they concluded: "Comrade Xu, just remember one thing: if you need anything, go to Comrade Gu! You're his girlfriend, and he took you home, so naturally, he'll handle everything! If his family likes him as their son, and they know he's adamant, then whether they like it or not, they'll have to smile at you on the surface!"
"Anyway, don't feel sorry for Comrade Gu, or worry that he'll be caught in the middle and suffer for his sake! He's the one who wants to date you, he's the one who wants to marry you. If he can't even handle his own parents, what's the point of him getting married? Besides, they're family, so even if the parents argue with their son, they won't really get angry. But you're an outsider. If you get involved, then it'll all be your problem!"
"Did you remember what the old lady said?"
Aunt Wang asked the last question.
Xu Ningyan gave a final summary: "Remember, when you go to the man's house, be reserved and don't offer to do chores. Don't let them look down on you! Be generous and natural, and match their attitude to yours! If there's anything, let the man talk to his family. Don't feel sorry for him, and remember that you are an outsider. Don't get involved in the man's family's affairs! Am I right?"
Aunt Wang slapped her thigh, her face beaming with joy: "You're such a clever girl! That's exactly what I was saying! You young people are so smart and capable after you've all gone to school. I've been nagging you for ages, and you've got it all figured out in just three sentences!"
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