The day after Qian Duoduo finished harvesting her rice, everyone came to Lu Fen's rice paddy with sickles the next day to help her harvest all the ripe rice.
Professor Yuan approached Qian Duoduo and proposed to extract a portion of her harvested rice for research. After all, the rice had been sprayed with excessive pesticides when it was just beginning to head, yet it still managed to grow into its current state, which piqued Professor Yuan's curiosity.
Professor Yuan wasn't the only one curious about this; other professors and mentors in the Department of Agronomy were also very curious. Upon receiving the rice from Qian Duoduo, Professor Yuan immediately took it to the testing center for testing.
The testing experiments had nothing to do with Qian Duoduo. She was currently waiting with her roommates at Shanhetun near the school gate. The chicken and ribs needed to be stir-fried first, and then stewed in a large iron pot for half an hour. Even with the windows open and an electric fan overhead, the heat from the stewing in the iron pot couldn't be dried. So the girls sat under the big tree in front of the restaurant, feeling that it was cooler there than inside.
Qian Mao got off the bus and was walking towards the place Jiang Sisi had mentioned when he saw a familiar figure ahead. He immediately called out, "Lu Yuan." Because of Lu Jiang, Qian Mao had dealt with Lu Yuan quite often. He smiled and said to Lu Yuan, "I heard that Duo Duo and Sisi went to the oil city with you guys during their vacation?"
Lu Yuan smiled and said, "Well, Duo Duo said she had never been there. It just so happens that my two older sisters were in Youcheng when they were sent to the countryside, and Sister Tian Rong is also from Youcheng. She knows a lot of people there, so she went."
Qian Mao laughed: "Did Duoduo and Sisi cause you any trouble?"
Lu Yuan smiled and said, "No trouble at all. Duoduo is a very thoughtful and independent girl. Even if she encounters some bad things, she can handle them with ease."
Qian Mao smiled and said, "You're talking about Tian Rong's family, right?"
Lu Yuan nodded: "We didn't expect to encounter something like this, and not just once. I think this is incredibly unlucky."
Qian Mao laughed: "When Sisi called me, she said that the old lady of the Tian family was a bit pitiful. Her eldest son wouldn't support her, and her youngest son couldn't support her either."
Lu Yuan glanced at Qian Mao, stopped in his tracks, and said, "Hey, Tian Rong's man is Tian Qing. We've met him. Old Mrs. Tian almost starved his child to death. No one would dare to keep someone like that by their side."
Qian Mao nodded and said, "That's true, it's too dangerous, especially since it's just a child."
Lu Yuan sighed and said, "At the time, we were all angry for the children. Only Duoduo remained silent about this matter. After all, it was Tian Rong's family matter, and Grandma Tian was Tian Qing's mother. It's just that Jiang was more kind-hearted and couldn't bear to see Grandma Tian's situation."
Qian Mao nodded, offering no comment. After all, his mother had said that neither he nor his aunt He Ying thought highly of Jiang Sisi, fearing she might become another Zhen Qiao. Qian Mao was surprised to receive such a assessment after only half a month at home, but he recalled how she was different from other girls he knew when he first met her, which was why she had caught his attention. At that time, Duo Duo had also said that Jiang Sisi was a little drama queen, which he had initially thought was just a nickname.
After her family tragedy, her clinginess became beyond her tolerance. She herself had a job and was sometimes available whenever needed, but he expected her to be available whenever he needed her too. How could that be possible? Moreover, since Vice Mayor Lu had risen to her current position, her work had become even busier, and business trips had become the norm. Her attitude towards her was not as good as before.
Sometimes when he called her, the frequency of arguments and cold wars increased, which troubled him a lot. Sometimes, after the two of them argued, Vice Mayor Lu could tell that he had been arguing and had tried to comfort him. The two older single men had once had a drink together, which was not exactly a heart-to-heart talk, but it made his longing for love fade a bit.
When Jiang Sisi called him to tell him about the dinner, Qian Mao wanted to talk to both Jiang Sisi and Qian Duoduo. He didn't expect to hear Lu Yuan say something sarcastic about Jiang Sisi here.
Based on his familiarity with Lu Yuan, Qian Mao was quite certain that Jiang Sisi had left a very bad impression on him during her stay in the oil city these past few days.
As the two walked to the restaurant entrance, they saw five people sitting under a big tree playing cards. Jiang Sisi sat on the side watching, while Qian Duoduo and Guo Ni had piles of cards in their hands, and Lu Fen and Tian Rong had very few. Lu Fen spotted Qian Mao and Lu Yuan and immediately threw down his cards, saying, "They're here, we're not playing anymore."
Guo Ni laughed and threw down her cards, saying with a smile, "The third brother is here!"
Jiang Sisi immediately greeted him with a smile. When she walked to Qian Mao's side, she saw that Guo Ni was still sitting there and said, "Guo Ni, Qian Mao is the mayor's secretary now. Why are you still sitting there?"
Her words silenced everyone present. Qian Duoduo smiled and said, "Third Brother, you're here. We've been waiting for you."
Qian Mao laughed and said, "Really? Then I'll punish myself with three drinks later."
Jiang Sisi: "Duoduo, this won't do. Your third brother is Mayor Lu's secretary, so he must know a lot of inside information. You shouldn't drink. Besides, drinking too much is bad for your health."
Lu Yuan and Lu Fen exchanged a glance, and Tian Rong also looked at Guo Ni and Qian Duoduo, but no one spoke.
Jiang Sisi smiled and said to Qian Mao, "Qian Mao, I heard that the stew in the iron pot here is delicious. We helped Duo Duo harvest rice, and Duo Duo said she wanted to treat us to this place. This is my first time eating something like this."
Qian Mao was taken aback when he saw Jiang Sisi like this. She kept calling him "mayor" and "secretary." Everyone knew what she was trying to say. Was this the same girl he had fallen in love with at first sight?
Qian Duoduo ushered everyone into the restaurant and led them to his table. The food in the large iron pot was already cooked. Qian Duoduo smiled and poured a bottle of Da Bai Li first for those who couldn't drink, especially Qian Mao. He said with a smile, "Third Brother, come on, let me pour you a glass. Your secretary must know a lot of inside information. We can't let you do anything against our principles. Come on, have a drink. It won't make you drunk, and it's perfect for the occasion!"
Looking at Qian Mao's somewhat unpleasant expression, Lu Yuan thought to himself: This is only because she is his own sister. This sarcastic and strange tea sister is not his own, and she is not targeting him. Otherwise, he would definitely be furious!
Jiang Sisi smiled and handed Qian Mao's glass over, saying, "Duoduo, you're so thoughtful!"
Qian Duoduo laughed and said, "Under your leadership, how could I be ignorant? Besides, I wouldn't dare to be ignorant, otherwise you would complain to my third brother, and he would punish me. I'm so scared."
Upon hearing this, Qian Mao's face immediately darkened.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
