Chapter 154
After Jian Li entered her third year of high school, she no longer had any vacations.
The Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day are both normal school days. The original seven-day holiday is reduced to three days, which is a "privilege" exclusively for senior high school students.
After being tortured by schoolwork all day, Jian Li went to the photo studio that her family often went to after school as Wang Mengmei had instructed her yesterday.
Jian Feng was a little late. When Zhao Chunlan saw her son-in-law, she asked him about his well-being with a look of concern.
Jian Feng was confused and asked Wang Mengmei quietly, "Why is our mother so polite today?"
Wang Mengmei: "She bought too many things and was afraid you would scold her."
Jian Feng: “!!!”
He looked horrified and asked cautiously, "What did she buy? A house?"
Wang Mengmei couldn't bear to watch: "Hurry up and take a photo."
The family of three stood behind the chair. Zhao Chunlan changed into new clothes, sat on the chair, and tried to open her cloudy eyes to look at the camera.
After taking the photos, Jian Feng politely said that he would invite his mother-in-law to dinner outside.
"We have to make it when we get home. It's too troublesome. Let's eat something different outside."
The family got in the car again and went to look for a restaurant.
Zhao Chunlan looked at Wang Mengmei several times on the road, but Wang Mengmei remained unmoved.
After getting out of the car, Zhao Chunlan quietly pulled her aside and said, "Why don't you call your brother and the others?"
Wang Mengmei must be crazy to ask Li Xia and Wang Yuexi to come and spoil her appetite.
"If you want to eat it, then eat it. If not, I'll make you a bowl of noodles."
Zhao Chunlan: “…”
"How did you become like this now?"
Ox-hearted and left-handed! He is both independent and stubborn!
Wang Mengmei was too lazy to argue: "Do you want to eat or not? This restaurant your son-in-law found is very expensive. If you don't want to eat, forget it."
Zhao Chunlan: “…eat.”
Wang Mengmei is in this line of work and is very familiar with the delicious food in the city. She found this restaurant that specializes in fish.
Zhao Chunlan ate a few pieces of fish that the lady had removed the bones from, and then she started to eat only roast duck.
"This fish is really hard to eat."
She doesn't know how to eat fish, and Taocheng isn't near the sea, so the only occasions she eats fish are either frying fish during the New Year or drinking at a banquet.
The roast duck, however, was to her liking. The soup made from the duck bones was also very tasty.
Jian Li was so hungry that she left in a rush, without even having time to say a word.
Wang Mengmei and Jian Feng both picked up some food for her with concern. Jian Feng didn't even eat his rice, but focused on picking bones and peeling shrimps for the young lady.
Zhao Chunlan looked at him with tears in her eyes, thinking that if she was treated well by her daughter now, what would she do if she didn't want to get married in the future?
After thinking about it, I decided not to say it.
It's a good thing for the daughter-in-law that the son-in-law loves the children.
If Jian Feng really wanted to give up on Jian Li and have another boy, he might as well not have Wang Mengmei. After all, the girl is 40 years old this year. Damn girl, she refused to have a baby when I asked her to. Whether she will live a good life in the future depends on the man's conscience!
Zhao Chunlan thought so in her heart but said nothing.
Wang Mengmei and Jian Feng were the only ones at the table who asked Jian Li how she was doing at school today.
Jian Li stuffed a lot of food into her mouth before she finally satisfied her hunger. Studying is a physically demanding job, and Jian Li felt sore in her arms and wrists every day, and she was hungry.
"It's pretty good. My composition was even praised."
Jian Feng proudly picked up a few peeled prawns for his daughter: "Even if you are good at Chinese, you still have to work on math. You said before that your classmate's mother found a one-on-one tutor for her. How about Daddy find a math tutor for you too?"
Jian Li took a sip of duck bone soup and said, "Don't mention it. Cheng Yu recently took a month off. She plans to go over her progress with a tutor at home before attending classes. Our classes are all over the place. I can study on my own without a tutor."
Wang Mengmei pushed her husband and said, "Let her listen to her."
Jian Li has never caused her parents any worries about her studies. At this point, parents only need to do the logistical work and give her frequent encouragement.
After finishing the meal, Jian Feng first sent Jian Li back to school, then sent his wife and mother-in-law home, and then drove out again.
Zhao Chunlan looked at the sky outside and asked, "Is Xiaofeng still so busy? Did he raise his salary?"
Wang Mengmei packed up the new clothes she bought today: "It's just like that."
Neither good nor bad.
"By the way, Yuexi and the others didn't say what time they'll go tomorrow?"
Zhao Chunlan: "Yes, I said, I told you to pick her up at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning."
Wang Mengmei curled her lips and said, "Okay."
It’s better to go earlier than later, so as to avoid being blamed for all the effort.
"Let me make it clear first. I am just a visitor. I don't know what is going on between Chengcai and this girl. I won't do anything to help out."
She is just a driver. If it weren't for driving, Wang Mengmei wouldn't even want to attend.
Zhao Chunlan: "...You don't have to say anything, but please don't talk about the car."
Wang Mengmei's eyebrows immediately raised: "What? Are you still planning to let me lie to the girl and say that the car belongs to Wang Chengcai?"
This is a marriage fraud, and Wang Mengmei is determined not to do it.
Zhao Chunlan's anger weakened a little: "I didn't ask you to lie. We are just talking now. We just don't need to tell the higher-ups when the time comes."
Wang Mengmei: "I think you and Li Xia have forgotten what happened in the past. You are just giving me nonsense advice here."
In the early years, some poor families in Wangjiazhuang would borrow furniture when they were looking for a date at the end of the year in order to get married.
Borrow all the tables, chairs and benches, and even borrow two bicycles to put at home to show off.
Later, he really deceived his wife. He tried hard to keep the truth a secret before the wedding and even used a lot of money to host the banquet. Then he explained everything to his new wife the day after the wedding.
At this point, divorce is almost non-existent and most people just have to accept it.
But for the rest of her life, the new daughter-in-law will always point at her mother-in-law's husband and curse him.
Wang Mengmei warned: "If you really want to succeed, then you can say whatever you want. I think the girl is pretty good and is willing to meet you, so you should be honest. Otherwise, you will just have to endure the day after marriage."
Zhao Chunlan nodded and said, "I just said it casually... We definitely won't lie to others."
Wang Mengmei snorted softly: "You are the best."
…
The next morning, Wang Mengmei got up early to pack her things. Although she was going there to make up the money, she still picked out a brown coat and washed her hair. In order not to steal Li Xia's limelight, she did not bring any accessories.
Zhao Chunlan put on yesterday's new clothes, and the two of them went to the hotel to wait for someone at around nine o'clock.
Li Xia and Wang Yuexi yawned as they opened the door, complaining, "It's so early."
Wang Mengmei: "It's still early? Hurry up and pack up and go an hour earlier."
Go early, pay the money first, familiarize yourself with the hotel layout and menu, and then see if there is anything inappropriate, so that it will be easier to negotiate when people arrive.
Li Xia put on her clothes, which made Wang Mengmei's eyelids twitch.
The words rolled around in my mouth for a few times, and finally I asked: "Change your clothes."
No one knew where Li Xia found this dress, it looked very old. Wang Mengmei was surprised because she had never seen Li Xia wear such old clothes before.
Li Xia came to her senses now, thinking back to yesterday when Wang Mengmei had directly left the couple in the hotel and she was so angry that she didn't even want to give them a good look.
"I'm wearing this, you don't understand."
Wang Mengmei really didn't understand.
As the boy's parents, you should at least be clean and generous to show your respect, even if you don't have to wear luxurious clothes to show your wealth, right?
What kind of logic is it to wear an old-fashioned dress with torn collar?
Wang Mengmei said something but was retorted by Li Xia, so she simply stopped talking.
But when the couple finished packing, Wang Mengmei asked: "Where are the things you bought?"
Li Xia said unhappily, "We are waiting for you to take us there, and we don't know where to buy gifts."
Wang Mengmei: "...So, you two came here yesterday and have been staying in the hotel ever since, right?"
Li Xia remained silent.
Wang Mengmei really wanted to quit.
What kind of people are these!
Did the woman violate the law of heaven?
Wang Yuexi saw that his second sister looked unhappy, and quickly tried to smooth things over: "We really didn't expect the market to be so big. We couldn't find the place when we got here, so we thought it was early today, so we still had time to go buy something later."
He quickly poked Li Xia, and Li Xia nodded reluctantly.
Zhao Chunlan also said timidly: "Mei, just take us to buy some. Just buy a little. It's enough if we show our appreciation."
Wang Mengmei said in a light tone: "The intention is the intention, and the attention is the attention. The two families have not met yet. No matter how much intention you have, it will be useless if the other party doesn't feel that you are being taken seriously."
Li Xia gritted her teeth.
Wang Mengmei looked at the time and resigned herself to taking them to buy gifts.
Fortunately, nothing went wrong this time. She bought two packs of cigarettes, a bottle of good wine, and some health products. Wang Mengmei still thought it was a bit shabby, so she added a regular gift box that was in the car.
Wang Mengmei glanced at Li Xia, whose heart was bleeding, and asked, "Is the money ready?"
According to Taocheng custom, when meeting for the first time, there must be some expression of gratitude. After the agreement is made, another time must be chosen to give the betrothal gift.
Although we won’t talk about the betrothal gift today, giving one thousand is not too much since we are meeting for the first time.
Li Xia nodded with a frown on her face.
Wang Mengmei didn't know whether it would work out or not. In her opinion, if it didn't work out, it would be normal, and if it did work out, it would be lucky. Anyway, as an aunt, she had done what she was supposed to do.
"What about success?"
Wang Yuexi continued: "He said he would wait for us early at dinner time."
Wang Mengmei frowned. Wang Chengcai was a more decent kid than Li Xia, but he had no opinion of his own.
At this time, instead of staying with your parents to help them buy things, you go your separate ways?
"Okay, that's it."
Wang Mengmei drove to the hotel.
This time the hotel was chosen by Wang Chengcai. It is located near his school and is a relatively upscale hotel.
Li Xia was upset as soon as she got out of the car, thinking that the place her son found was too expensive.
When they met, Li Xia screamed before Wang Chengcai could even finish greeting Wang Mengmei.
"You bought so many things? And they are so expensive? Are you crazy?"
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