When Gu Wei returned home in the afternoon, he saw Gu Jianguo tidying up several large blocks of soybean paste wrapped in newspaper on top of the kang cabinet in the east room.
These cube-shaped soybean paste blocks were made by washing, boiling, and mashing soybeans before the Lunar New Year. They haven't fully fermented yet; the official fermentation date is the 18th day of the fourth lunar month.
Once the green mold is cleaned off, the mixture is broken into small pieces and placed in a jar. A layer of soy sauce residue and a layer of salt are added, along with an appropriate amount of clean water. The mixture is then exposed to the sun every day. A layer of gauze is placed over the jar to prevent debris and dust from being blown in. After more than a month of sun exposure, the soy sauce color changes, and it is ready to use.
Don't be fooled by the seemingly simple method; not everyone can make a delicious sauce.
Gu Jianguo is absolutely top-notch; his food is so delicious you'll want to keep eating it.
Gu Wei was already looking forward to eating the egg sauce and meat sauce made with the new sauce.
Knowing that Gu Wei had a habit of washing his hands as soon as he got home, Gu Jianguo immediately put on his shoes and got out of bed to help him put warm water into the enamel basin.
After washing his hands with soap, Gu Wei dried them with a towel while talking about how he no longer needed to hide the fact that he had a boyfriend.
"Why don't you suddenly stop hiding it?" Gu Jianguo asked, puzzled. "Did something happen to you in the city?"
[A book-reading app recommended to me by a friend I've known for ten years, Yeguo Reading! It's damn good! I use it to read aloud and listen to books while driving or before bed to pass the time. You can download it here: yeguoyuedu]
Gu Wei gave a thumbs up, "Grandpa, you really are a prophet."
He told the story of Aunt Chen.
After listening, Gu Jianguo scratched his forehead and chuckled helplessly, "The old lady specially came all the way from the city to get her hair permed. Isn't that her real intention? She came for you! Luckily, you actually have a girlfriend, otherwise, she's the deputy director's mother-in-law, and you might easily offend her..."
“Yes, there are way more barbershops in the city than at the Forestry Bureau,” Gu Wei added with a sigh. “I really didn’t expect her to be so persistent. Is she addicted to introducing people to potential partners?”
Gu Jianguo understood these older women better than Gu Wei. "Of course they're addicted! And you're good-looking and good at making money. Maybe someone will secretly take a liking to you and ask her to help introduce you to someone."
After chatting for a while, Gu Wei went back to his room.
Gu Jianguo thought for a moment, took out the small kraft paper bag containing the photos from the biscuit tin, and then went to the front.
There was no one in the shop at the moment, but Li Guizhi was not idle. Her nimble fingers flew up and down, twisting the patterns of the twisted dough sticks.
The adult black vest is already taking shape.
Zhao Zhengying was also knitting a small red sweater, only missing half a sleeve. Judging from the size, it was clearly meant for Zhao Zhengyuan's daughter.
Only Lin Yu was leaning on the counter, writing and drawing in a junior high school Chinese textbook.
Seeing her husband enter with a radiant face, Li Guizhi tugged at the ball of yarn and asked with a smile, "Gu Wei, have you eaten?"
“He’s already eaten in the city,” Gu Jianguo continued with a smile. “I just took out photos of Gu Wei and his girlfriend again, and they look more and more like a perfect match.”
Li Guizhi's expression froze.
Although she didn't understand why she was suddenly making such a big deal out of having a boyfriend, she guessed that it must have been at Gu Wei's behest, so she kept quiet.
"My brother Gu has a girlfriend? What happened recently? We had no idea!"
Zhao Zhengying was taken aback and subconsciously glanced at Lin Yu.
Lin Yu was also extremely shocked, and even involuntarily stood up, staring straight at the paper bag in Gu Jianguo's hand.
Gu Jianguo had anticipated this reaction from others, so he took out the photo and handed it to them, explaining, "The two of them have been dating for a while now. We were worried that the distance between them would make things unstable, so we didn't tell anyone. Only our family knew."
"No wonder!" Zhao Zhengying exclaimed loudly upon seeing the beautiful, elegant, and poised girl in the photo. "She's so beautiful, like a movie star! And the photo together is great too, they really do look like a married couple!"
Lin Yu stared intently at the photo, the woman in it seemingly from another era, her face contorted with self-loathing. She clenched her fingers, suppressing the sharp pain in her heart, and forced a smile, agreeing, "She really is beautiful, and she's quite a good match for my brother Gu..."
She now understood why Gu Wei hadn't started dating that college student surnamed Qin.
Which man wouldn't want a prettier wife, especially since Gu Wei himself is handsome and has good qualities?
Not long after, Gu Hongjie and Lin Hang returned happily, carrying their schoolbags.
The two were in different grades and classes, and Lin Hang often missed school due to health reasons, so they rarely saw each other and always went their separate ways.
I happened to run into him at the entrance of the teaching building today.
Lin Hang also knew that Gu Wei had returned, and missed him, so he came along.
As a result, upon entering the store and seeing his sister's expression, the precocious Lin Hang immediately sensed that something was wrong.
When Li Guizhi showed him the photos, he immediately understood.
Lin Hang examined the two photos without making a sound.
The conclusion is that Brother Gu's girlfriend is very beautiful, and the two are very much in love.
Since that's the case, he needs to make his sister give up on him as soon as possible.
Gu Wei was playing with the snuff bottles that Hou Yongxian and the others had collected in the room.
First, I heard a dog barking, and then I saw Gu Hongjie and Lin Hang enter the yard together.
Gu Wei then put his things away, got up, and left the room.
Lin Hang saw Gu Wei and greeted him with a smile, "Brother Gu."
Gu Wei had always been sympathetic to Lin Hang, and said in a gentle tone, "Xiao Hang is here."
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
