Chapter 64: What did they discuss with the Chen family...?
Guo Xiaohua finally got the braised pork hock she had been longing for to be cooked.
Knowing that he was making his customers wait, the stall owner, in addition to the braised pork hock, cut up some more braised meat as a bonus for keeping them waiting in line.
The portion is small, about four or five bites.
But the braised meat smelled delicious after being drizzled with their own braising sauce.
Holding the wrapped bag of dried lotus leaves, she was hesitating whether to walk back or stay here and wait for someone.
Just then, someone with sharp eyes spotted Guo Baiwen and Chen Baoyue walking towards them from the crowd not far away.
With a smile on her face, Guo Xiaohua tightened her grip on the lotus leaf bag in her hand and began waving her arms vigorously, "Brother! Sister Chen! I'm here!"
The three of them finally met up again in front of the braised meat stall.
Guo Xiaohua was so focused on her freshly cooked pork hock that she didn't notice the strange silence between the two of them.
She subconsciously touched the lotus leaf bundle in her arms, worried that if the pork hock got cold, it probably wouldn't taste as good as when it was fresh out of the pot.
After all, the second pot of food smelled different before it boiled and after it boiled.
But there were no tables, chairs, bowls, or chopsticks there for her to eat.
So she tugged at Guo Baiwen's sleeve, and as he looked down at her, she asked, "Brother? Shall we go back and see if Grandma has agreed on everything?"
Even if they hadn't reached an agreement yet, the foot restaurant still had bowls and chopsticks, so she could find a spot to borrow them and eat while she waited.
Knowing what Guo Xiaohua was planning, and that it was indeed getting late, I realized that...
Although he felt a pang of reluctance, he still turned his head slightly towards Chen Baoyue, not daring to look up, and asked, "Where is Miss Chen?"
When Chen Baoyue first arrived, she seemed somewhat lost in thought. Guo Xiaohua spoke to her for a few minutes, and it would take quite a while before she would respond.
Worried that she might have walked too much today, Sister Chen was also a little hungry and weak.
Guo Xiaohua was very generous. "Sister Chen, are you tired from walking? When we get to the foot restaurant, I'll share some pork hock with you."
"Hmm? Hmm," Chen Baoyue came back to her senses, embarrassed to say that she wasn't hungry, and just nodded in agreement with Guo Xiaohua, "Thank you, Xiaohua."
"Why are you being so polite with me?" Guo Xiaohua said happily, almost hitting herself with her own twin buns.
Guo Baiwen tugged at her arm and said, "Walk properly."
Guo Xiaohua pouted and ignored him, then pulled Chen Baoyue forward slowly, saying, "Let's go back to the foot shop."
"Hmm." Chen Baoyue was pulled along by Xiaohua, and while walking forward with her, she unconsciously took a turn to glance at Guo Baiwen, who was following behind them.
The hairband was still hidden in her sleeve, and it always felt especially hot to the touch.
She remembered that the last time she saw Guo Baiwen, they treated each other as friends because they were about the same height.
She hadn't noticed before when they were both half-squatting while she was helping repair arrows at the stall.
It was only when I looked closely that I realized he had grown almost half a head taller than me.
His face, which originally had some chubby cheeks, has become much more angular, perhaps because he has grown taller.
Look, it looks like it opened up all at once.
But how come she didn't seem to notice it at all before?
Three people were walking side by side on the same road, but each of them was thinking something different.
As he got closer to the foot shop, Guo Baiwen unconsciously shifted his toes and quietly slowed his pace.
Just as I was about to say something, I happened to hear a flower seller carrying a shoulder pole and baskets next to the inn calling out: "Flowers for sale, flowers for sale, Korean flowers are so lovely today."
The conversation that had been building up for so long was interrupted, leaving only the sound of Guo Xiaohua stepping forward to ask about buying flowers.
"Hey, flower seller—what kinds of flowers do you have now?"
"Little girl, look! These are bright red pomegranate blossoms! They're perfect for this time of year, and they can even ward off evil spirits on Dragon Boat Festival!" the flower seller called out. "They're all fresh."
"There are also hibiscus flowers, both pink and white."
"I also have lotus flowers that I just picked this morning. If you don't like them, I have lotus pods too!" Seeing the dried lotus leaf bundle in Guo Xiaohua's hand, the flower seller knew that she was a little girl who loved to eat, so he took out a few lotus pods that were covered by lotus leaves.
Pointing to the lotus seeds inside, she said, "Look, each one is so fresh, and they taste so sweet."
Guo Xiaohua's gaze was indeed drawn to the lotus seeds. She looked at the pomegranate blossoms, then at the lotus seeds, wavering between them, when Grandma Guo called out to her from the direction of the foot shop, "Xiaohua—"
She looked up abruptly and saw her grandmother waving at her.
Now that's good, there's no need to hesitate anymore. Guo Xiaohua quickly took out her purse. "Six pomegranate flowers and six lotus pods, how much for both?"
Over there, Grandma Guo and the Chen couple came out of the foot shop together.
His expression was normal, and it was impossible to tell what they had just discussed.
Chen Baoyue walked over to him, and Chen Zhonghua reached out to help her tuck a stray hair behind her ear. Seeing that she was carrying quite a few things, he asked, "Did you have a lot of fun today?"
"Hmm," she nodded, about to say something, when she saw Xiaohua stuff something into her mouth again. "This is—"
"Sister Chen," Guo Xiaohua smiled happily, but was also a little embarrassed, "We originally agreed to eat pork hock together, but it looks like we won't have time. Fortunately, these seasonal lotus seeds are also delicious. I bought too many, so I can share some with you."
She also bought pomegranate flowers according to the number of people.
They immediately gave each person a flower.
The bright red pomegranate blossoms and the silk flowers made from spun thread have different textures.
Chen Zhonghua held the flowers and examined them for a while, then couldn't help but exclaim, "I haven't worn such bright flowers in many years."
Hearing this, Chen Baoyue and Chen Youtian both glanced at her. Chen Baoyue then took her arm and said, "Mother, shall I put it on for you?"
Fresh flowers have a limited shelf life, so you should wear them while they are still fresh.
Chen Zhonghua smiled but didn't say anything. He simply put the flower on Chen Baoyue's head and said, "You're so young, and you're always busy following your father and uncle around, looking all dirty. It's time for you to dress yourself up."
After saying that, she took the lotus seeds from Chen Baoyue's hand and said, "These tender lotus seeds are perfect to eat at this time of year, and they're not bitter."
Grandma Guo said with a smile, "I didn't know that Xiaohua and your Yue Liang got along so well."
This was the first time Chen Baoyue had been called 'Moon' by someone outside her family. Feeling a little embarrassed, she glanced at Guo Baiwen before saying, "Grandma Guo, Xiaohua is a very nice person."
The fact that the three children get along so well makes Grandma Guo's words seem quite true.
Chen Zhonghua glanced at Chen Youtian, nodded, and said, "Then we need to go back and discuss today's matter again. If there are no unexpected events, Youtian will also be going to the county town in a couple of days."
"Then, I can tell you the location of our home and village."
Grandma Guo nodded and said affirmatively, "This is a big matter, and we should think about it carefully. I'll wait for news from your family."
"Whether it succeeds or fails, it won't damage the relationship between our two families."
These words softened the expressions of the group considerably.
Chen Zhonghua smiled and said, "It's getting late today, and the road up the mountain is long, so we'll head back first." With that, he took the hands of Chen Baoyue and Chen Youtian.
Grandma Guo also took Guo Xiaohua's hand, "Our shop has been selling sweets these days. It was all Wenzai's idea. We just happened to run into him today. We didn't bring anything with us."
"Next time I come to the county town, I'll definitely bring you some to try."
Chen Youtian laughed upon hearing this, and glanced at Guo Baiwen, who was inexplicably straightening his back, saying, "That's great, the moon loves sweets the most."
"Next time I go to the county town, I will definitely visit your shop."
"Alright, it's getting late, let's head back."
"Hey, please be careful on your way back."
After saying goodbye, the two groups went their separate ways.
Guo Baiwen watched as Grandma held Guo Xiaohua's hand the whole time. In the end, she couldn't resist and ate all the braised meat and pork hock before getting on the oxcart.
For this, he received a sharp rap on the forehead from Grandma Guo.
"You've eaten so much, you can't eat dinner when you get back!" I've been eating like this all day, my stomach is about to burst.
The oxcart slowly made its way back to the county town, and they were almost home.
Guo Baiwen finally found an opportunity.
He looked at Grandma Guo, who was busy opening the door, hesitated for a while, and then asked a question the moment he stepped inside.
"Grandma, what did you talk about with the Chen family before?"
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