It was obvious that Li Shuhe's answer was written all over her face.
Aside from a touch of melancholy, there is more anticipation and hope for the future.
“I like him, and he likes me too,” Li Shuhe said softly. “Besides, Qingwen works in Beijing and will definitely stay here to develop his career. As for spending money to support his parents, that’s only right, and I can understand him.”
Xu Ruantang felt that today was probably some kind of sighing convention.
She had sighed countless times in her heart; she felt so frustrated!
She smiled helplessly and said, "So, when have your two families decided on the engagement date?"
Given Li Shuhe's determination and her eagerness to commit, the engagement probably won't be too far off.
Sure enough, Li Shuhe replied with a smile, "It's settled. Qingwen's family will stay in Beijing for a while. My father set the engagement date for October 1st."
Less than a month later, Xu Ruantang could only subtly remind her: "Then you should spend more time with their family. Shen Qingwen said that their family will all go back to the Northwest. Are you sure they will go back? Has anything changed?"
Li Shuhe nodded affirmatively, "Of course! There's nowhere to stay if we don't go back. Qingwen's wedding room is just a small three-bedroom apartment, it's very small."
As they talked, the topic veered off course.
Li Shuhe talked about her plans. After the Shen family returned, she planned to renovate Shen Qingwen's house.
Add some new furniture, replace the bed with a new one, and buy a large wardrobe.
The clothes Shen Qingwen is using are too small; they don't fit her clothes at all.
"That way, we can get married next year, and the house will be decorated according to my wishes, so it will be comfortable to live in." Li Shuhe's face was full of anticipation.
Xu Ruantang shook her head. "Women in love are really not to be trifled with. You should wipe your drool; it's dripping down."
She thought for a moment and then asked seriously, "Don't you work in the cultural troupe? Is Shen Qingwen's house far from here?"
"It's alright, I took the bus here in the morning, it only takes an hour."
After peeling all the garlic, Xu Ruantang carried it into the kitchen.
The two were busy in the kitchen when Wang Xiuxiu suddenly slapped her forehead, "I forgot to buy beer! Stir-fried chicken tastes best when it's stewed with beer!"
Xu Ruantang put down the garlic and volunteered, "I'll go buy it. What else do we need? I'll buy it all."
These countless sighs today can only be suppressed with alcohol.
Since we've already eaten beer-braised chicken, a little bit of baijiu (Chinese liquor) won't make a difference.
Li Shuhe stayed home to look after the two children, while Xu Ruantang went downstairs to buy wine. Seeing peanuts, she bought some more as well.
Thinking about the hot weather, he bought a few popsicles before returning to Wang Xiuxiu's house.
As soon as you enter, the aroma of stir-fried chicken wafts out, and the smell of chili peppers fried in hot oil is simply irresistible.
The beer was delivered to the kitchen and used immediately.
Wang Xiuxiu's face turned red from the heat, and her forehead was covered in sweat.
Xu Ruantang found another towel in her bathroom, rinsed it with cold water, and placed it around her neck.
"Thanks, it's hot inside. Just wait outside, it'll be ready soon." Wang Xiuxiu moved quickly, grabbing a towel and wiping her face without even looking.
Xu Ruantang and Li Shuhe were sprawled on the sofa eating popsicles, while Xiao Bao watched longingly, ignoring Lu Xiaozhao's calls.
"You want some too?"
Xiao Bao didn't answer, so he licked his lips and stuck out his tongue, just like Li Shuhe.
Xu Ruantang found it amusing, "Xiao Bao, you said eat, eat."
Li Shuhe chimed in, "Yes, if you say so, you can have it."
Xiao Bao is already one year old, so we should teach her more words every day.
Xiao Bao blinked his big eyes, still staring at the popsicle, and after a long while, he let out a soft "Cheers."
The sound was very soft; you couldn't hear it unless you listened very carefully.
Xu Ruantang and Li Shuhe laughed so hard they were doubled over.
Xiao Bao looked on and smiled, revealing four big teeth, two on the top and two on the bottom.
If a child does what they promised, they should keep their promise.
Li Shuhe stretched out her hand. Xiao Bao looked at the popsicle that was emitting cold air, then looked at Xu Ruantang next to her, and carefully stuck out his tongue and quickly licked it.
After she finished licking, Li Shuhe withdrew her hand.
Xu Ruantang laughed and said, "I can't give him any more. His digestive system isn't fully developed yet. Next year at this time, whatever I eat, I'll share it with my baby!"
She smiled, and Xiao Bao smiled too; it was incredibly cute.
Three women and one bottle of wine; they curse half the night when they mention men.
What's more, there were four women. They fed the two children first, and then the children played until they fell asleep.
I gently carried the child back to the room and onto the bed, and that's when the conversation started.
To everyone's surprise, Liu Xue was the first to complain. After downing a small glass of baijiu, her face flushed, she waved her hand and said, "My husband sends most of his monthly allowance home."
She laughed self-deprecatingly, "He even said that daily expenses don't amount to much money, so his mother shouldn't worry about it!"
Xu Ruantang couldn't help but retort, "From now on, when your brother-in-law is hungry, just tell him, 'Come on, face northwest and open your mouth wide!'"
Upon hearing this, everyone laughed.
Wang Xiuxiu chimed in with a laugh, "That's right, you can have him tie his neck up, and whichever way the wind blows, he can suck in that direction, and he won't have to spend a single penny, he'll just be saving money!"
After a burst of laughter and a moment of silence, Wang Xiuxiu patted Li Shuhe on the shoulder and said, "Girl, you're the only one here who's not married yet. You absolutely must keep your eyes open before you get married."
Xu Ruantang patted Li Shuhe on the shoulder, "Right! Especially your wallet, you'd better hold on tight, don't be silly and give it all away. If you cry later, you'll have nowhere to cry!"
Liu Xue nodded vigorously, "Yes, yes, I was so naive. I thought that if we were a couple, what's mine is yours. And what happened? They send their money home and even say they don't need to spend money to live, haha..."
Li Shuhe didn't quite understand. She turned to look at Xu Ruantang, "Isn't Chen Ji quite good to you?"
Xu Ruantang waved her hand, "You don't understand. A woman needs to have her own confidence. This confidence can come from her family who truly loves her, from the money she earns from her work, and from her ability to support herself."
If you have no support behind you, then work hard on your own. The most authentic way is to get what you want from yourself.
She paused for a moment, "But never, ever can we place our hopes on an illusory 'good' word."
"Silly girl, he's good to you, so he can be good to others too!" Wang Xiuxiu took a sip of her drink and laughed. "Isn't that the most basic requirement for finding a partner? I can be good to you too!"
Li Shuhe laughed along, but clearly disagreed with their views. "Sister-in-law, Ruan Ruan, why are you so pessimistic?"
I think you're overthinking it. Isn't life just about two people wanting to be together and working hard to be together, like one bowl becoming two bowls, and then three bowls?
As long as two people are of one mind, they will naturally work together towards the same goal, and their lives will get better and better.
Li Shuhe felt that it wasn't as exaggerated as they made it out to be, as if marriage were some kind of monster.
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