Shen Jingyan smiled faintly: "Hello, you already know my name, so I won't go into details."
Chu Chaoyang couldn't bear to take his eyes off Shen Jingyan. This girl was beautiful in every way, even her hair was delicate.
To make a better impression on the little girl, he proudly puffed out his chest and said:
"This year I was also recognized as an outstanding individual and received a certificate and bonus."
Just as Shen Jingyan was about to politely praise Chu Chaoyang, Shen Yuqin interrupted:
"There's also a bonus, that must be quite a lot of money, right?"
Chu Chaoyang glanced at Shen Yuqin indifferently and said lightly, "Not much, just fifty yuan."
"Isn't fifty yuan a lot?"
Upon hearing the word "money," Shen Yuqin's eyes lit up with longing. "It's equivalent to more than two months' salary for my dad!"
She glanced greedily at the magenta coat she couldn't wear and complained:
“My dad is busy all day long and doesn’t earn much. Even during the Chinese New Year, he can’t bear to buy me a new piece of clothing.”
In front of guests, or even her blind date, she complained about her father's low salary, which Shen Jingyan found unbearable.
If it weren't for Shen Honggang's hard work in supporting his family, you wouldn't even have enough to eat, and you wouldn't even have a roof over your head to shelter you from the wind and rain!
“My uncle’s salary is not low. Even an ordinary worker in the county earns more than 20 yuan a month.”
Chu Chaoyang nodded approvingly and said, "That's quite a lot. My monthly salary is less than thirty yuan."
He thought that Shen Jingyan was a very sensible girl who knew that it was not easy for a man to support his family, and that she must be a virtuous woman who could live a good life.
Unlike Shen Yuqin, who talks about money all the time and is only thinking about satisfying her own desires.
Bah, why did he have to compare Jingya and Shen Yuqin?
Are the two even comparable? That's an insult to Jingya.
Thinking of this, Chu Chaoyang wanted to look at Shen Yuqin even less.
Chu Chaoyang's words left Shen Yuqin feeling awkward.
At this moment, Shen Honggang walked in; he had been talking to Chu Jincai outside.
Chu Jincai and Shen Honggang had been brothers for many years, and Chu Jincai was also very straightforward, so he spoke his mind without reservation.
He and his wife, Tong Huijuan, both took a liking to Jingya, feeling that Jingya's personality was more suitable for Chu Chaoyang.
Of course, he didn't rule out the possibility entirely, saying that they would see what the child thought, and if Chu Chaoyang preferred Shen Yuqin, they wouldn't object.
Upon hearing this, Shen Honggang felt both a pang of sadness and a sense of relief.
What saddens him is that his own daughter is completely outclassed by Jingya, but what comforts him is that he treats Jingya like his own daughter and hopes that she will find a good home.
As soon as he entered the room, he saw Chu Chaoyang sitting next to Jingya, his eyes shining brightly as he looked at Jingya. Shen Yuqin was jumping around in front of him, but he didn't even glance at her. Instantly, he understood what was going on.
Indeed, Jingya is too beautiful and has an outstanding temperament. With her around, Shen Yuqin looks disheveled and has no temperament at all.
"Yuqin, go to the kitchen and help your mother wash the vegetables and cook a meal."
Shen Yuqin was trying to get Chu Chaoyang's attention when she turned to Chen Honggang with a sour face and said reluctantly:
"Dad, Chaoyang just arrived. If I go out, who will keep him company and keep him company?"
Chu Chaoyang said, "It's alright, you go ahead, I'll talk to Jingya."
He couldn't wait for the noisy and annoying Shen Yuqin to leave.
“I’ll go,” Shen Jingyan said, standing up. “Brother Chaoyang, you sit down, have some tea and some melon seeds. Aunt is in the kitchen, she can’t manage all the work by herself.”
She had barely moved a step when Shen Yuqin immediately took the seat she had just been sitting in, grinning at Chu Chaoyang.
A hint of impatience flashed in Chu Chaoyang's eyes as he stood up and said, "I'll go help out in the kitchen too. I often cook at home."
Shen Yuqin quickly grabbed his sleeve and said, "How can that be? Brother Chaoyang, you are a guest. How can you let a guest cook?"
While the two were still locked in a tug-of-war, Shen Jingyan had already stepped out of the main house.
She volunteered to help in the kitchen, not because she wanted to work, but to avoid Chu Chaoyang.
Anyone with eyes could see that Shen Yuqin's blind date had absolutely no interest in her, but instead was extremely attentive to Shen Jingyan.
Undeniably, Chu Chaoyang is a very good catch: a good family background, a good job, and impeccable looks and figure. With these qualities, he would be more than qualified to go on a blind date with the town mayor's daughter.
No wonder Chen Feng and Shen Yuqin clung to this family like mice guarding their food, doing everything they could to please them.
However, Shen Jingyan had no interest in him whatsoever, and she had even less interest in stealing someone else's blind date, even if that person was Shen Yuqin, whom she hated the most.
She was afraid that if she stayed in the room for too long, Chu Chaoyang would become increasingly enthusiastic towards her.
Since the other person was so nice, she couldn't just coldly refuse. But if they kept going back and forth, she was afraid that Chu Chaoyang would misunderstand and think that she also had feelings for him.
She didn't feel much when kissing a top-tier handsome man like Gu Zhiyun, who meets the aesthetic standards of all mankind. How could she possibly develop feelings for a man she had only known for less than two hours?
Strange, why would she think of Gu Zhiyun?
Upon entering the kitchen, Chen Feng and Tong Huijuan were washing vegetables and chopping meat, chatting and laughing, creating a rather harmonious atmosphere.
Upon seeing Shen Jingyan enter, Chen Feng immediately dropped the cabbage she was holding and shoved it into Shen Jingyan's hand.
"Jingya, why are you so late? Hurry up and wash the vegetables and chop the meat. These are for stir-frying, and those are for stewing. Be quick and efficient, don't keep your sister-in-law and her family waiting too long!"
After saying that, he became a hands-off manager, took Tong Huijuan's hand, and walked out.
"Come on, sister-in-law, let's go inside and have some tea. Jingya is fine here."
Tong Huijuan looked at the large bowl of unprepared ingredients, then glanced towards the kitchen doorway and asked:
"Why is only Jingya here? Doesn't Yuqin usually come into the kitchen?"
In this era, whether in the countryside or the city, women are expected to go into the kitchen, especially when guests come over and a lot of food needs to be prepared.
Chen Feng's expression tightened, and she quickly spoke up for her daughter: "Yuqin is usually very diligent! She does all the housework! Today, since Chaoyang is here too, she thought she'd chat with my nephew."
Tong Huijuan said "Oh," but in her heart she thought, "What do you mean by diligent and capable? He's gotten so fat, he probably's never even held a kitchen knife."
Jingya, on the other hand, was quick and efficient, didn't say much, and got to work as soon as she entered the kitchen. She was clearly a hardworking and thrifty woman.
Tong Huijuan's affection for Shen Jingyan grew even stronger.
"Sister-in-law, there are so many dishes, Jingya can't finish them all by herself. Why don't you go in and rest for a while, and I'll help Jingya out?"
Tong Huijuan was looking for an opportunity to talk to Jingya alone.
She was eager to know what Jingya's impression of Chu Chaoyang was.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com