Yang Donghu looked at the people at the door carefully. There were only two people, one old and one young. They should be the girl and her mother.
The older one among them was not thin at all, and could even be considered plump. She did not look like the poor girl who could not afford to eat as the matchmaker said.
On the contrary, the young girl standing next to her is slim and light-bodied. Even wearing a thick cotton jacket, she still looks delicate.
Zhu Cuilan hid the displeasure on her face and politely asked everyone to sit down: "It's okay, we just got here not long ago."
"I heard from the matchmaker that Aunt Zhao is a real person. Today I see that she is indeed a good person." The woman pulled the young girl to sit down and spoke.
Zhu Cuilan followed up her polite remarks and continued, "Well, no, no, let's not waste these empty words. Let's get the children to know each other first."
The woman seemed to have just realized something and pointed at the girl, saying, "Right, right, right. Let's focus on business today and catch up some other day. This is my girl, Li Ruyue. She'll be nineteen after the New Year."
"Oh, what a pretty girl! Her face is so fair," Zhu Cuilan exclaimed, then pointed at Zhao Fangyu beside her and said, "This is my son, Zhao Fangyu. He will be 22 after the New Year."
Zhao Fangyu was reluctant, but he still had to show proper courtesy and called out politely, "Auntie."
Li Ruyue's mother, Zheng Lan, smiled and said "Hey" to Zhao Fangyu, praising him, "You are a very sensible young man, and you look very energetic."
"These are some of our relatives. They just happened to come over to visit each other. Let's stop chatting. Waiter, the food can be served. Let's eat and talk."
The banquets at Meishanlou have always been impeccable. Even if the price is only 440 coins per table, it is still packed.
There were four cold dishes as appetizers, followed by four meat dishes and four vegetable dishes, a total of twelve plates, and two hot soups.
In addition to the braised fish and scallion chicken that are available in other restaurants, they also have a specialty dish, braised pork elbow.
One pork elbow weighs two and a half kilograms, with a glossy reddish-brown color. The skin has been stewed until it is extremely tender and you can tear off a piece with chopsticks. It melts in your mouth, and the lean meat inside is not dry at all and is very tasty. It is worthy of being the signature dish of Meishanlou.
It is said that we can eat and chat at the same time, but on ordinary days, who would be willing to come to such a good place to eat? A meal would cost a lot of money. It is so hard to have a good time without spending money, so of course we have to eat more.
By the time everyone finally slowed down their chopsticks, the food on the table had been almost gone in no time.
"I believe the matchmaker has already told you my requirements. To be honest, my daughter is the apple of my eye. How can I not feel bad? If I didn't really have difficulties, how could I propose such a condition that disregards my daughter?" Zheng Lan wiped her tears with a handkerchief while speaking, as if she had suffered a great injustice.
The two aunts and Zhu Cuilan were obviously moved. They were all real people who loved their children, and were most touched by such things.
"We are all unfortunate people, and I understand you," said Zhu Cuilan.
Zheng Lan's face was filled with grief. "My son's leg cannot be moved. Our family really can't afford twenty taels. Fortunately, my daughter is filial and said she would marry whoever can give money to save her brother. My poor daughter, I am so sorry for you."
This performance was truly moving, but Yang Donghu always felt something was wrong.
Look at the girl's clothes. Although it is a new jacket, it doesn't fit her well. The sleeves are broken and the waist is not right.
It would be understandable if she said that her family was poor and couldn't afford to buy suitable clothes, but when Zheng Lan said that her daughter was the apple of her eye, Li Ruyue's smile was too stiff, as if she was trying to smile on purpose.
Li Ruyue didn't say a word the whole time, and her expression was wooden. She didn't look like the one who was favored at home. Instead, she looked a bit like Yang Donghu's previous state, cautious and timid.
Zheng Lan kept saying that she loved her daughter, but she didn't even carefully consider what kind of man her daughter was looking for. The whole time she was emphasizing the twenty taels of silver with Zhu Cuilan.
It seems that marrying a daughter is not important, money is the most important, and they even have to specifically say that the daughter is willing.
Something is wrong, very wrong. There must be a big problem here. It is definitely not as simple as Zheng Lan said.
Zheng Lan played the role thoroughly, and when she saw that the situation was almost heated, she cried, "Aunt Zhao, I think you are an honest person, and I am relieved that my daughter will marry you. If there is no problem, let's find a time to finalize the matter."
Yang Donghu really wanted to ask, "How could you tell they were good people just by eating a meal together? That's too hasty."
He quietly pulled the corner of Zhu Cuilan's clothes from under the table, fearing that she would be confused by Zheng Lan's words and make an impulsive decision.
Fortunately, Zhu Cuilan did not agree easily. The grudge between the Yang family and Zhao Luochuan still made Zhu Cuilan suspicious.
"I know my leg injury really can't be delayed, but we've just met, and the two juniors haven't even spoken yet. Isn't it a bit hasty to make a decision like this?"
The two aunts who came with them also felt that it was inappropriate. It was too hasty to get married right after they met. They hadn't even calculated their horoscopes or chosen an auspicious date. Moreover, the men who were in charge of both families were not at home, so it was not proper to get married in such a hurry.
"It's not casual. You have seen my daughter. She is good-looking and has a calm personality. Most importantly, she is filial. When we are older in the future, we will definitely not treat you badly." Zheng Lan said anxiously.
The more Zheng Lan acted like this, the more uneasy Zhu Cuilan felt. She always felt that something was amiss. She insisted, "It's still too fast. Besides, this is a big deal. My husband is not here, so I don't dare to make such a decision casually."
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