In the Meng family courtyard, a sumptuous dinner was ready. The cold dishes were placed on the table, the hot soup pot was bubbling on the stove, and the rich aroma of wine and meat made everyone salivate.

There was a big pot of stewed potatoes with pork bones, and white radish and tofu were also put in to cook. There was also a basket of washed tender yellow cabbage as a reserve, as well as braised pork, stewed chicken with mushrooms, steamed sausages, ham, beef jerky, and a big bowl of fried soybeans. Xu Guoliang opened the bottle cap and poured wine, and he couldn't help smacking his lips. He Huijuan slapped him twice, for fear that his saliva would splash out.

Zhou Shi'an, Captain Bao and two other brigade cadres were invited to drink. They first went to see Meng Jinniu to express their condolences, and then came to the main hall, where everyone sat around to eat.

The food and wine were really too rich. If it were any other day, Captain Bao would have to give them a lecture, educating the young people to always remember to be hardworking and simple, and not to covet enjoyment. But today Jinniu was discharged from the hospital, and in two days the educated youth would return to the city to celebrate the New Year. They must have saved up for a long time to prepare this table, so Captain Bao did not spoil the fun. He raised his glass and said a few polite words. Everyone drank one glass, and then they started eating.

Meng Jinniu ate alone in his room and left a kerosene lamp for him. The food was the same, but there was no wine because he couldn't drink now.

Zhou Cuiling also came and sat with Meng Tao. It was a bit crowded with so many people, so the two of them huddled in a corner and talked in low voices while eating.

With the leaders and elders present, everyone behaved very well. Fortunately, Captain Bao and his men were very tactful and knew that young people were different from them. After eating and drinking a few glasses of wine, they all left.

Now things were much more casual, and the atmosphere at the dinner table suddenly became lively. After a while, some young people from the village came in, visited Meng Jinniu, and then came to the main room to drink. Six or seven young men came one after another, including cousins ​​Lin Dagang and Lin Erhu. Meng Tao and Qian Xiaoyun went to the kitchen to steam two more bowls of sausages, cut some ham, and fried another large bowl of soybeans.

Xu Guoliang bought four bottles of wine before and drank almost all of them. Now he ran to the agency store to pick up four more bottles of wine. His bold words that tonight's wine is all-inclusive really cost a lot of money.

Later, three girls came, but they didn't sit at the table. They just grabbed a handful of soybeans and chewed them, then sat around the drinkers, watching the fun and chatting.

Among the three girls was Zhou Cuimei. She kept her eyes on Meng Tao. Meng Tao thought she wanted to talk to her, so she walked over to them to greet them. However, Zhou Cuimei acted as if nothing had happened and said nothing.

Meng Tao was puzzled. Seeing that Zhou Cuimei looked not very well, she was not as lively and talkative as before and seemed to be thinner. So she secretly asked Zhou Cuiling. Zhou Cuiling said, "The marriage was not concluded. She likes the man very much."

"Is it because she is looked down upon by others?"

"It would have been fine if he didn't like her, but he was interested in her at first. The two of them even met at the commune market and talked twice, watched a movie together, and developed feelings for each other. But later it didn't work out. The guy immediately started dating a girl from the neighboring village. I heard they were getting along pretty well. Sister Cuimei must have felt very bad."

"Since both parties are interested, why can't it be successful?"

"Because of Zhou Cuilian."

Zhou Cuiling pouted, "Zhou Cuilian is a scum. My other cousin's marriage was not successful because of her. Zhou Cuilian said she was going to the city to live with her aunt. What a lie! She did get a job as a temporary worker in a paper box factory. I don't know how she did it, but she lived with a married man, Liang Tiezhu! They rented a house and lived like a couple. They were found by Tian Xianglan. What kind of temper is Tian Xianglan? She made a scene on the spot. I heard that she fired Liang Tiezhu's job. Liang Tiezhu was also stubborn. He claimed that he wanted a divorce and would not come back with Tian Xianglan. He took Zhou Cuilian and ran away to become a vagrant. Tian Xianglan was like crazy. She ran back to the village and went to Zhou Cuilian's house every day to smash and make trouble, cursing... After Cuimei's boyfriend's family knew about it, would they still like Cuimei? They broke up immediately."

Meng Tao was speechless for a while.

But Zhou Cuimei kept looking at her, which meant something: "Why is Zhou Cuimei looking at me with such a weird look?"

Zhou Cuiling also looked over after hearing this. Zhou Cuimei immediately turned her eyes away. Zhou Cuiling said, "I guess so. Didn't her brother want to talk to you before? You refused."

"What kind of excuse is that? If it's not suitable, you won't let people refuse it?"

"Don't be upset. I'll talk to Sister Cuimei when I get back."

Zhou Cuiling originally wanted to stay, and promised to talk to Zhou Cuimei, so she followed them.

The three female educated youths cleaned up and washed the dishes. Meng Tao took a basin of hot water and was about to take it to Jinniu for washing, but Jiang Xiaodong snatched it away. Zhao Ming said, "We will take good care of Jinniu, you don't have to worry."

Meng Tao apologized, "I'm sorry to have caused you trouble."

Zhao Ming smiled: "It's okay, who hasn't encountered difficulties?"

When Jinniu was unable to move in the hospital, it was Zhang Fu who took care of him. Now that he is back home, he is wearing a splint and can move around with the help of crutches, but he still cannot go to the toilet outdoors. Zhao Ming found an old wooden barrel to hold some wood ash and put it in the corner of the room for him to use. He takes it out every day to empty it and clean it, so it won't smell bad.

Late at night, Jiang Xiaodong came out of the house and saw Zhao Ming washing his face and brushing his teeth by the small flowerbed. He walked over and said, "I don't plan to go back this Spring Festival."

Zhao Ming: "Why? Didn't your grandfather say he was sick? Your family sent you some money for the trip."

"It's not convenient for peach blossoms to take care of Taurus."

"You stayed for this? There's no need. Taohua could have solved this problem in the hospital. Now that she's back, there are plenty of people in the village. Why would she be embarrassed? Believe it or not, if we didn't live in her house, she would have immediately spent money or exchanged things to find one, two, or even more people to take turns accompanying Jinniu."

Jiang Xiaodong: “…”

This is something Meng Taohua would really be able to do.

Zhao Ming added: "If you stay, everyone will see what you are thinking."

Jiang Xiaodong: "Can't I have this thought?"

"Yes. But since you stayed to take care of Taurus for the sake of Peach Blossom, you must express your feelings decisively and not be ambiguous."

"...I'm unsure and think Taohua might not accept it."

"Then why take the risk? Just like Xu Guoliang said, we won't even have friends by then, so why bother? This can't be rushed. Look at how busy Taohua is: Jinniu's affairs, the upcoming guests, an old friend who used to work with her grandfather. She's now thinking about what to prepare and how to receive these elders and distinguished guests... How can she be in the mood to accept your pursuit? There's a 90% chance that you'll be rejected, so you'd better take your time."

Jiang Xiaodong was silent for a while, then nodded and said, "You're right, I've thought about it, but I'm worried that there will be some changes."

Zhao Ming: “…”

In life, changes can happen at any time, and he cannot predict them.

(End of this chapter)