Chapter 141
The feast arranged by the Qiu family was very sumptuous, with a combination of meat and vegetables, filling the entire table.
Du Yunxin used the serving chopsticks to pick up some food for Zhou Jiani and said, "Xiao Zhou, eat more. Don't be polite."
"Okay, Auntie, you should eat quickly too. You've been busy all morning and it's been hard. Don't just focus on me."
Du Yunxin couldn't stop smiling. This girl knows how to talk.
After dinner, Qiu Zexun and Qiu Dongshu went to work. Zhou Jiani wanted to help clean up the kitchen, but Du Yunxin quickly stopped her and said, "Let Zeming do it. You can rest on the sofa for a while and have some candied fruit."
During the meal, they chatted for a while. Xin Jiamei knew that Zhou Jiani was leading the village to set up a factory. In addition, she had been to the south and had seen the world, so he didn't dare to look down on her. He warmly pulled her to sit on the sofa and said with a smile: "You are a guest today, so there is no reason for me to ask you to do anything. When you come in and officially become a member of the family, you will have your say."
He lowered his voice, winked at her, and said, "Are you planning to get married this year?"
Zhou Jiani didn't want to say more to Xin Jiamei, so she pushed Qiu Zeming's head and said shyly, "It depends on what Zeming wants."
Xin Jiamei whispered, "Don't just look at what he thinks. If you have the idea, then get married. I tell you..." She said meaningfully, "Zeming has been popular with girls since he was a child. There are a lot of girls in the courtyard who like him. If you don't keep a close eye on him, if you don't hurry up, there will be a lot of people watching him."
Zhou Jiani looked frightened and surprised: "Really?"
Seeing the aunt coming over to serve the dishes, Xin Jiamei pretended to be calm and reached out to give Zhou Jiani some candied fruit. After the aunt turned and went into the kitchen, she continued, "Of course not. Don't say I didn't warn you. If he doesn't agree, you can cry and argue with him, but don't follow the rural custom of just having a banquet. You need to get a marriage certificate. A marriage certificate is more reliable..."
Zhou Jiani pretended to be shy and said, "I'll listen to Ze Ming about this matter. Besides, I'm still young, so I'm not that anxious."
Xing Jiamei was extremely anxious and said, "Girl, you seemed to be very open and straightforward just now. You are a very capable person. Why are you hesitating at this crucial moment? Don't you want to marry into the family? Zeming is so handsome. If you don't hold on tightly, and someone else snatches him away, you will cry..."
Zhou Jiani lowered her head and hummed softly: "I'll listen to Ze Ming."
Seeing her like this, Xingamei smiled intriguingly. It seemed that he had some ideas, but was too shy to respond openly.
Qiu Zeming came out of the kitchen with his sleeves rolled up, his hands wet, and a rag in his hand as he came over to wipe the table.
When he raised his eyes, he saw his partner lowering his head and glancing at him, and even raised his eyebrows at him. This made Qiu Zeming's scalp tighten for no reason, and he felt like he was going to be unlucky.
But he said nothing, lowering his head to wipe the table. From the corner of his eye, he saw her affectionately holding Singamay's hand, calling her sister-in-law affectionately, and saying, "Sister-in-law, you are so kind."
When Xing Jiamei saw his brother-in-law come out, he didn't say anything.
Qiu Zeming listened to her with a grudge, raised his eyebrows to look at her, and said with a gentle look: "Let's go out for a walk in the afternoon and go to the movies in the evening?"
Xing Jiamei stood up with a smile and said, "It seems that Zeming thinks I'm in the way. You two can chat. I have to go to work."
He went to the kitchen again, said hello to Du Yunxin, picked up his things and left.
Du Yunxin asked her aunt to pack up slowly, then came out and called Zhou Jiani, saying with a smile, "Xiao Zhou, I'll show you around the house."
Qiu Zeming said: "Mom, I can just take Jiani to see..."
Du Yunxin glared at him, took Zhou Jiani's hand and went upstairs. When she came down a moment later, Zhou Jiani had a bracelet on her hand and a red envelope and a pair of small gold ingots in her pocket.
As soon as they went upstairs, Du Yunxin told her that the red envelope given in front of the eldest brother and his wife did not count. That was based on the standard given when Xin Jiamei first came to their home. She also gave her another one in private, and the jewelry in her dowry.
Zhou Jiani naturally refused, so Du Yunxin said, "If you don't want it, people will suspect behind my back that I'm giving you some money in private again. Since I have to bear this reputation, I might as well just do it. Take it!"
She has a clear distinction between close and distant relatives. She is willing to cooperate when the relationship needs to be maintained on the surface, but in private, she definitely prefers her son and his girlfriend.
Du Yunxin also had to go to work. She hadn't taken a day off tonight, so she found someone to cover for her. She also invited Zhou Jiani to dinner at home that evening. Zhou Jiani had already roughly figured out her future mother-in-law's straightforward personality, so she simply said, "Auntie, I won't come over tonight. Zeming and I are going to have roast duck, and then we'll go to the movies. But I'm going back a day later than originally planned. If it's convenient for you tomorrow night, I'll come and bother you again."
Du Yunxin said happily, "That's convenient, so convenient. I'll definitely come over tomorrow night."
Zhou Jiani agreed.
After Du Yunxin went to work, Qiu Zeming and Zhou Jiani also went out and took her to the department store on their bikes.
On the way, Zhou Jiani told him about the red envelopes and gifts Du Yunxin had given him privately. Qiu Zeming said, "Just take it. Don't be polite to my mother."
Zhou Jiani was too embarrassed to admire the pair of small gold ingots and bracelets in public, saying, "These are too expensive, and the red envelope they gave me is a bit too big."
She reached into her bag and quietly opened it to take a look at the red envelope. There were ten big unity notes and one hundred yuan in it. If you move it forward ten years, this amount of money would not be a small red envelope for a meeting.
The one that was given to me by the eldest and second husband of the Qiu family before contained two pieces of paper.
Two for Mr. Qiu and five for Old Man Qiu.
Qiu Zeming: "It's okay, my mom has money."
Zhou Jiani was afraid of him: "You are really my biological son."
The department store here is much larger than the Qiyang Department Store. In Zhou Jiani's eyes, it is a treasure house full of treasures, but there are too many people inside, and it looks like there is no way to squeeze in.
Zhou Jiani took a deep breath and said, "Did they find something rare? Why are there so many people?"
Or is it that there are always so many people in Capital Department Store every day?
A female comrade who was squeezing in nearby said enthusiastically, "Today, a batch of skirts and sandals from Haishi arrived. They are all the latest models. I heard there is also a batch of silk skirts. Silk skirts are usually only available at the Friendship Store..."
Zhou Jiani sighed: "You came at a really bad time." With this attitude, there was no way she could get it.
Qiu Zeming pulled her out and said, "There are several shopping malls in the capital. The largest one is definitely the department store in front of us. It has the most everything, but looking at the situation, it's hard to even shop, let alone browse. How about we go to a few other stores and have a look? If you want to buy something, I have some foreign exchange coupons here. I'll ask someone to take us in and buy something from the Friendship Store."
Zhou Jiani just wanted to buy some more clothes, but there would definitely be no stock available in the next two days. She would go shopping alone next time she had the chance.
But since Qiu Zeming brought foreign exchange certificates, she didn't hesitate and said, "Then let's go to other shopping malls or tourist attractions. We'll go wherever we can and then go to the Friendship Store to buy things tomorrow."
"good!"
The two of them went shopping elsewhere for the whole afternoon, took some photos in front of the Forbidden City, and went to the zoo, but they were short on time and didn't explore the area thoroughly.
We had roast duck in the evening and then went to the movies.
On the other side, Qiu Zexun and his wife finished washing up and sat on the head of the bed to talk.
Xin Jiamei: "Hey, do you think Mom will secretly give money to Qiu Zeming's partner? You can't really have the same standards as me, right? I don't believe it!"
Although she received double the amount from both mothers-in-law, her biological mother-in-law, whose family was not well off, only gave her a two-yuan red envelope, which was not as generous as her step-mother-in-law's, who gave her twenty yuan at once. Of course, this generosity might have been deliberately done to impress others, but she still got the upper hand.
The second brother's partner is obviously closely matched with someone else, but he must be receiving financial support in private.
Qiu Zeming twisted his lips and said, "Just give me some money. After all, there's a difference between close relatives and distant relatives."
Singamei leaned over and snuggled against his chest, saying, "There are differences, there are differences. There's nothing we can do about it. We just need to stick together and live a good life."
Qiu Zexun patted her shoulder and said softly, "You should have seen my situation at home today, right? I am the eldest son in the family, but do I have the status that an eldest son should have? Humph, no."
Qiu Zexun had a self-deprecating look on his face: "From grandpa to mom and dad, everyone knows about Zeming's girlfriend, but they've kept it a secret from us."
Being on guard against him in such matters is like treating him as an outsider.
Xin Jiamei said, "Mom said Qiu Zeming came back too late last night and was very busy this morning, so he didn't have time to talk to us."
Qiu Zexun asked, "Do you believe it?"
Singame naturally didn't believe it.
Qiu Zexun: "This is why I didn't want to move out in the first place..."
If he moves out, it will be inconvenient for him to obtain resource information, but his father-in-law and mother-in-law have put pressure on him, and his stepmother has also said something. If he doesn't move out, it will seem like he is staying put, and people will inevitably think that he is greedy.
Xingamei pouted and didn't respond. She was a little resistant to the suggestion.
When she first chose Qiu Zexun, her first condition was that she wouldn't have to take care of her mother-in-law after marrying him. How could she possibly compromise for that?
Moreover, they have moved out to live their own life during this period. Although the house is not as big as the one in the compound, it is just the two of them and they don’t have the pressure of their parents-in-law. It is so comfortable.
In the compound, besides her parents-in-law, there is also her father-in-law. Mr. Qiu is too majestic. Whenever he is at home, she dare not speak loudly. How can she be as comfortable as she is now?
She couldn't understand Qiu Zexun's thoughts. The Qiu family's status was there, and the family resources were there. Even if Qiu Zexun was not born to his stepmother, he was still the legitimate eldest son of the Qiu family. How could their family be left out?
Besides, Qiu Zeming went to the countryside and he couldn't use the family's resources. Even if Zexun couldn't go to the army, all the resources in the hands of his father-in-law and grandfather would have been poured into Zexun. It's a pity to think about it.
The most important thing right now is to have a child as soon as possible, and try to have a boy. If you have more children, the family’s actual resources will definitely be divided according to the number of people in the future.
Xin Jiamei raised her head and said, "Oh, right, today I asked the second son about his girlfriend's marriage, and she's such a fool. She kept pushing the issue onto Qiu Zeming, saying it was all up to him. Don't you think she's stupid? Doesn't she have any ideas of her own? With someone so cunning, she'd have to get married quickly and get him with her when she's talking to someone like Qiu Zeming. And she actually said there's no rush, that she's still young, and that there's no set marriage age in the countryside?"
Qiu Zexun raised an eyebrow and said, "I guess he's embarrassed to say it. This visit to our house has brought the relationship out into the open. Isn't the rest of the story a natural progression? I heard my parents discussing it the other day. Zeming's girlfriend has come to visit, and both sets of parents are about to meet. At this point, if they don't mention it, I guess the girl's parents will be urging them to get married. The wedding will be by the end of the year, or at the latest, another year later."
After getting married, it is not easy for the second son to return to the city.
Singama: “Really?”
Qiu Zexun nodded.
Xing Jiamei tutted, "You were just pretending." Then she said shyly, "Zexun, don't worry. I will definitely get pregnant this year and give birth to your Qiu family's eldest grandson."
Qiu Zexun smiled and slowly lowered his head: "This matter is the most important!"
Elsewhere, Qiu Zeming escorted Zhou Jiani to the entrance of the guesthouse. It was too late for him to go up, so the two of them stood at the entrance and talked. Zhou Jiani also said, "Today, your sister-in-law tested me, hinting that I should quickly capture you and get married as soon as possible..."
Qiu Zeming didn't think his girlfriend was confessing her feelings for him, so he quickly cheered up and said, "Don't listen to her nonsense. If I have to catch you, I'll find a way to keep you. Although I really want to get married, I still don't want to ruin your life plan. Besides, she's testing your attitude for the boss so that she can judge what I think."
Of course Zhou Jiani knew that her sister-in-law had three thoughts in mind and it was clearly written on her face. She also created a sense of crisis for her. Is she the kind of person who would have a sense of crisis?
but……
"Your sister-in-law said that you've been popular with girls since you were little, and that there are a lot of people in the courtyard who like you?"
Qiu Zeming said seriously, "There aren't even a handful of men and women my age in the entire compound, and she didn't grow up in the compound, so how would she know? My mother is just my stepmother-in-law, there's no way she could tell her this. Comrade Xiao Zhou, don't believe everything you hear."
Zhou Jiani was very satisfied with this answer. She nodded, raised her hand and poked him in the chest, then raised her leg and kicked him, saying, "Anyway, if you change here, I will break your legs."
Qiu Zeming's body stiffened, and he said hurriedly, "Don't worry, Comrade Xiao Zhou, even if the sky falls, this place won't change."
Zhou Jiani put her hands behind her back and raised her chin: "Okay, you should go back too. Come pick me up tomorrow morning for breakfast. We'll go shopping for another day and then we'll go home."
After watching Zhou Jiani enter the guesthouse, Qiu Zeming stood for a while, looking up at the window on the second floor, and saw the light on in a room. He waited for a while until the window opened and Zhou Jiani poked her head out.
Zhou Jiani waved at him: "Go back!"
Qiu Zeming also waved his hand: "I'm back, please close the window."
He rode away, looking back every few steps. When he returned home, his mother was still waiting for him on the sofa. Seeing him come in, she asked about their afternoon shopping and tomorrow's plans, nodded and said, "Bring Xiao Zhou back for dinner tomorrow night."
Qiu Zeming: "Got it!"
The next day, the two of them spent the whole day out playing.
Zhou Jiani bought herself a few more sets of clothes from the shopping mall outside, and Qiu Zeming also took her to the Friendship Store to buy her a skirt and a pair of leather shoes.
They went to Qiu's house for dinner in the evening, and took the train back to Bin County the next day. They returned to the brigade on the same day as Li Jingdang.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
