"Oh, what are you worried about? You know me well. Don't go too far. Taohua has gone through enough hardships. She has begun to learn to be strong, but she is still weak in nature. Those old memories have dealt a heavy blow to her. If she doesn't want to face them, please don't mention them again! And tell your second uncle to stop it."

Meng Zhehan paused and replied: "I understand what you mean, and I also know what I am doing. One thing is that I will never let Taohua get hurt."

"Remember your words, hang up...wait!"

Only then did Shen Yu remember to ask: "Where are you calling from now?"

"In Yanchong Commune."

"Is the post office closed?"

"That's none of your business."

Meng Zhehan suddenly chuckled, "I won't talk to you anymore. I'm going home to have a candlelight dinner with my sister Taohua - oh, it's a kerosene lamp dinner, it's also very romantic! Sister Taohua and I get along well, we have common topics, after dinner, we will sit around the stove and make tea, the aroma of tea, and talk heartily in the quiet night...ah, night talks in the mountain village, what a wonderful thing!"

"Meng Zhehan!"

Shen Yu gritted his teeth, as such a beautiful and pleasant scene emerged in his mind, and he felt itchy in his heart: I should be the male lead!

I shouldn't have been so careless and let this guy go to Linshui Village early.

When Meng Tao saw Zhang Guoqing and Meng Zhehan walking into the courtyard in the twilight, she couldn't help being a little surprised: today was only the ninth day of the first lunar month, and Meng Zhehan had arrived first.

Meng Zhehan touched Meng Tao's head and said, "My sister is getting engaged, how can I be absent as a brother? I must come back early. I just asked Guoqing's mother about the things needed for the engagement. Let's get up early tomorrow and go to the county town to buy them all."

Meng Tao smiled and said, "We already have some at home, and they are pretty good. There's no need to buy more. It would be a waste if there were more."

"What do you have? Let me see. I'd rather have more than less. I'm not afraid of wasting at this time."

"You must have come such a long way to come back. You should take a rest first and we'll see tomorrow. I'll get you some hot water to wash your face. The meal is ready, let's eat."

"Okay, my sister is so good, that's great! I can't bear to let her go, Shen Yu will get it for free."

As the two were talking, Jinniu wheeled his wheelchair to the door, saw Meng Zhehan, and shouted happily: "Big brother is back! Oh, I was wondering, I was listening to the radio, and I recognized big brother's voice!"

Several people were amused by his words.

We had fish for dinner, boiled fish made by Meng Tao. It was a very big black-back fish, weighing seven or eight pounds. All the seasonings were prepared, and a basket of tender cabbage leaves was washed. Zhou Cuiling and Wang Tiegen were originally invited to come for dinner, and Meng Zhehan and Zhang Guoqing happened to come, which was just right.

Meng Tao "bought" the fish from the commune during the day. When she passed by the grocery store, she saw the blackboard at the door saying that fish and cabbage were available today, so she made these two things. It seemed a bit monotonous, but they were both top-notch, with plenty of food, and the dipping sauce was awesome. Six people, plus Xiao Wangcai, ate and ate until they finished a big fish, a full basket of cabbage, and a pot of rice!

After dinner, they sat and chatted. Meng Tao ran to the kitchen from time to time to check the fire and prepare hot water for Meng Zhehan to take a bath. When Meng Zhehan came back from taking a bath, there was indeed a casserole pot on the small stove cooking digestive tea. The fragrance of the tea filled the room with warmth.

Meng Zhehan drank the warm and fragrant digestive tea, talked with Meng Tao and Jinniu, and occasionally teased Xiao Wangcai. He felt leisurely and comfortable. It was a pity that he forgot to bring his camera, otherwise he would take a few photos and leave them for Shen Yu to see, which would make him angry again.

He had special supply tickets, was young, elegant and handsome, and was warmly received by the salespersons no matter whether he went to a department store or a supply and marketing cooperative. As soon as he told them what he wanted to buy, they would immediately select and pack it for him, and Meng Tao and Zhou Cuiling had no chance at all.

I bought a lot of various fabrics, colorful quilt covers and sheets, headscarves, shoes and socks, and I even wanted to buy whole boxes of sugar cakes, melon seeds and peanuts.

Meng Tao couldn't stop him, so she didn't bother to care about him. He had money and used Huabei.

Zhou Cuiling said, "Ms. Meng, are you buying so much for your dowry? This is the engagement, not the wedding."

Meng Zhehan: "I have consulted your mother-in-law. According to our rural customs, when the man comes to give betrothal gifts during an engagement, we have to give back a little as a token of our appreciation. For example, the woman must prepare a set of clothing material for the man, or three sets if possible, and also give some to the future parents-in-law, uncle and sister-in-law, shoes, socks, headscarves, bed sheets, and quilt covers. As long as there is something, it is a token of our appreciation."

"The man needs to give a set of clothing materials to his parents-in-law and his brother-in-law and sister-in-law. They don't need to be given now. They will be given after the marriage."

"No, we have to give it. Our family is not short of money and has the conditions! We can't let the man's family look down on us. Since they are coming to our village to hold the engagement party, we have to follow the local customs and do as we do. The gifts we give in our village are also sufficient, decent and generous!"

Zhou Cuiling: “…”

Meng Tao was also speechless. It seemed a little abnormal that this city guy loved rural wedding customs so much.

When we returned to the village from the county town, it was already four o'clock in the afternoon. Shen Yu, Grandpa Xu, and Liu Yongsheng and his party had not arrived yet, but Meng Changshou had come. He was sitting at the eight-immortals table in the main hall, smoking a pipe, like an old ancestor.

Meng Tao originally guessed that Meng Changshou would not come. Even if he came, he might stubbornly bring his sons or grandsons with him, which would inevitably lead to a conflict.

But this time Meng Changshou only brought Meng Jinshan, which surprised Meng Tao.

After listening to Meng Jinshan's words, she realized that it was not just Meng Changshou who had come to his senses. More than a dozen people from the four branches of the old Meng family had also quarreled about coming to the engagement party.

It is not known whether Meng Changshou's four sons and daughters-in-law wanted to come, but the eldest grandsons and granddaughters were vying to come with the old man. Even Geng Liuju wanted to take advantage of Meng Tao's engagement to make a big fuss and establish her prestige as the grandmother, but she was scolded and stopped by Meng Changshou.

Although Meng Changshou had many complaints about Meng Taohua, he had his own rules and regulations. He had to maintain his dignity even at an old age. As his granddaughter from another family, he could ask Jinniu to show some filial piety, but he could not take advantage of her. Meng Changshou absolutely followed this point. Otherwise, he would not have asked Jinniu to build a new house by himself, and the house left by Meng Shengli would be given to Taohua, so it would definitely belong to Taohua.

Taohua got engaged and asked him, the great grandfather, to come to the banquet. According to Meng Changshou's idea, he didn't care whether Taochang invited anyone else or not. He planned to bring his four sons and several grandsons along. But the prerequisite was that they had to give a share of money. After all, they were Taohua's relatives from her mother's side, and raising some money would give Taohua face.

But Geng Liuju firmly disagreed, thinking that their family came here just to support Taohua, and they still had to give money? Why not go to heaven!

So after all the arguing, in the end, Meng Changshou didn't take any of them with him.

Meng Jinshan had to beg his parents and give them a one-dollar envelope before he could follow Meng Changshou.

(End of this chapter)