Lu Chaoyang and his friend Chen Yiming went to a bar for drinks. As soon as they sat down, they saw Hao Bin delivering drinks to the next table. Both of them looked surprised.
"Hao Bin?" Lu Chaoyang asked in disbelief.
Hao Bin turned around and was initially taken aback when he saw Lu Chaoyang, but quickly regained his composure, having forgotten that Lu Chaoyang was an official here.
Chen Yiming, who was next to him, should have worked with him in the Ministry of Revenue.
"What a coincidence," Hao Bin said casually.
Lu Chaoyang stood up and grabbed his arm to make him sit down.
"Weren't you going to marry the Chen family's daughter? Why are you working here?" Lu Chaoyang asked, and Chen Yiming nodded in agreement.
Hao Bin's fiancée, Chen Bingbing, is the daughter of Chen Youliang, a local tycoon. Their marriage was arranged by a matchmaker and was considered a perfect match. Both of them approved of the marriage.
Hao Bin had assumed that the two of them were already married and that he could focus on preparing for the imperial examinations. He never expected to run into him here.
"She ran away from home, so I came out to look for her," Hao Bin said without any hesitation.
Lu Chaoyang and the other man were both shocked. What? Has she gone mad? Hao Bin comes from a scholarly family, is a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations), and is the dark horse of this year's examinations. Everyone who knows him is optimistic about him.
I really can't imagine what kind of woman would do something so foolish, abandoning a man with a bright future and running away from home.
While Lu Chaoyang was surprised, he wondered how to comfort his former best friend.
"Hao Bin, out of kindness, I suggest you stop looking for her."
Hao Bin remained unmoved; finding her was his last chance to win her back.
"She's a talented woman?" Lu Chaoyang didn't understand.
Hao Bin shook his head. She didn't know many characters and couldn't be considered a talented woman.
"She's as beautiful as an angel?" he continued to ask.
Hao Bin shook his head. He had never seen her in person, and the woman in the portrait didn't look like a great beauty; at most, she could be described as having delicate features.
Chen Yiming was stunned. Why was Hao Bin still pursuing someone who was neither a talented woman nor a beauty?
Hao Bin didn't want to explain. His family didn't understand him, and neither did his friends. His stubbornness kept him going. He just wanted an answer: why did she leave?
His departure without saying goodbye left both families to suffer from suspicion and torment.
"Hao Bin, I don't know what to say. I can only wish you find her soon. But if you're not going to look for her, why are you staying here to work?" Lu Chaoyang asked.
Hao Bin looked ashamed and didn't want to tell anyone that he had run out of money. He stammered for a long time without being able to explain why.
Chen Yiming guessed that he was in trouble, so he pulled Lu Chaoyang's arm and gestured for him not to ask any more questions.
"Alright, everyone has their own difficulties, don't ask anymore." Chen Yiming raised his glass and invited him to raise a glass together, "Cheers to our chance encounter with a kindred spirit."
Lu Chaoyang was good at reading people's expressions, and seeing that he didn't want to answer, he stopped asking.
"Okay, cheers."
The two of them drank their wine, and Hao Bin breathed a sigh of relief and walked away to greet the guests at another table.
Standing in front of the counter, Yuan Doudou saw three people talking enthusiastically not far away and guessed that Hao Bin was no ordinary person either, which matched her previous guess. Hao Bin's temperament was evident, and he was obviously not an ordinary person.
Hao Bin is efficient and hardworking, always busy from morning till night without ever slacking off.
Yuan Doudou initially had Lu Xi guide Hao Bin, teaching him to make some simple side dishes. However, Hao Bin learned too quickly, and within three days, he was able to independently complete each dish. Of course, Yuan Doudou's help was involved. She had written recipes with pictures when she wasn't busy, so that any smart person would know how to make them at a glance.
One day, Yuan Doudou was taking Tangtang for a walk in front of the door when Sister Juan from next door came over and looked at Hao Bin wiping the table in the front hall with a pleased expression.
"DouDou, I'm not trying to be mean, but you have such good taste. Look at all the shops on this street, which one has someone as handsome as you?"
As Sister Juan spoke, her eyebrows practically flew to the sky, and her eyes gleamed with a sharp light.
"I didn't do it on purpose. It was all by chance."
Sister Juan chuckled and said, "I'd like to ask you if he's single. I have a niece who's looking for a husband. Could you ask her for me?"
Yuan Doudou laughed; so that's what it was all about.
"Sister Juan, you might be disappointed." Yuan Doudou picked up Tangtang to keep her from running around. "He came out to find his fiancée."
"What?" Sister Juan was shocked, her jaw almost dropped.
"Who knew he was such a romantic?" Sister Juan's gossipy manner was just like that of a bystander.
Yuan Doudou didn't want to criticize people behind their backs, so she could only remain silent, looking at Tangtang in her arms, who kept babbling.
"Mommy, have some candy."
An old man selling candied hawthorns walked by, his straw bundles piled high with bright red candied hawthorns, making one's mouth water.
"Okay, Mommy will buy it for you."
Just as Yuan Doudou walked up to the old man, intending to ask him for candied hawthorns, she heard a familiar voice coming from behind her.
"DouDou, I'm back."
Yuan Doudou's heart raced, her cheeks felt warm, and tears welled up in her eyes with excitement.
She turned around and saw the person she had been longing for. A month had passed, and his beard had grown back, and his cheeks had become thinner.
"Tangtang, look, who is it?" She hugged Tangtang and looked at Anrong with a smile.
An Rong stepped forward, picked up Tangtang, and pressed her cheek against her rosy little face. The smile on her lips reached her eyes. In the month since they last met, Tangtang had gained a lot of weight and grown taller.
Yuan Doudou took good care of her; her hair was styled in two small buns, without a single stray hair, and the buns were tied with red yarn.
She was wearing a lace-trimmed jacket, which, though not brand new, was exceptionally clean, without a single stain.
Tangtang was held in my arms, looking just like a glutinous rice ball, fragrant and soft, making her all the more lovable.
"Father," Tangtang said, surprising everyone.
An Rong was so surprised that he was speechless and didn't know what to say.
Yuan Doudou was also surprised. She had taught Tangtang to call him "Daddy," but she didn't expect that after a month, Tangtang would still recognize An Rong with his stubble.
"Oh, my good daughter." An Rong's eyes reddened with joy.
An Rong hugged Tangtang even tighter, and Tangtang giggled as his beard tickled her face.
"Alright, it's windy outside, let's go back." Seeing the deep affection between the father and daughter, Yuan Doudou felt very gratified, and her longing for An Rong slowly subsided at this moment.
An Rong smiled and nodded, holding Tangtang in his left arm and Yuan Doudou's hand in his right, and steadily walked towards the tavern. Just then, he saw a strange man mopping the ground, and his eyes darkened.
"Brother Anrong, you're finally back." Lu Xi came out of the kitchen carrying a basin, and her eyes lit up when she saw Anrong.
An Rong nodded, her gaze still fixed on Hao Bin. Seeing that the man had an extraordinary air about him and looked to be about the same age as herself, she became suspicious.
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