After eating the white food in the cafeteria, Mrs. He and Xiao Niangao looked at each other, completely uninterested.
Yun Jin didn't force her: "If you can't eat, then don't. We'll find a restaurant to eat something good later."
Little Rice Cake then showed some compassion: "Sister, you eat this every day? You're so pitiful. Don't you ever want to eat braised pork, roast duck, four-happiness meatballs, or roast chicken?"
"Stop talking, stop talking, you can't stop drooling!" He Zizhen was heartbroken.
Mrs. He was amused: "If we had a kitchen, Grandma would cook you something delicious."
He Zizhen waved her hand: "Forget it, it's too much trouble. Besides, we rarely use open flames here. If we accidentally trigger the fire alarm and the fire truck comes, we'll have to pay a huge price."
Mrs. He: "......"
Little Rice Cake complained: "Studying abroad doesn't seem like a good experience!"
He Zizhen was deeply hurt again.
No one had a good lunch. He Zizhen was familiar with the area, so she took them to a street-side restaurant in a community outside the school to eat Chinese food. They had Mapo Tofu and stir-fries, which suited their tastes better than the white food.
The shop owner could tell they were from the same hometown at a glance, and he warmly communicated with them in Mandarin. He even gave them a plate of peanuts to eat, and the cucumber salad was incredibly authentic. Even Xiao Niangao, who doesn't like cucumber salad, couldn't help but eat a few more bites.
The person serving them the food was a handsome young man.
Upon seeing He Zizhen, the other person's eyes lit up: "He, are you having braised chicken again today?"
He Zizhen's face flushed, and she waved her hand, "I'm not eating today. My family and I are here to eat something else."
Mother He and the others watched He Zizhen talk to the handsome young man. Yun Jin noticed that the young man's smile never faded after he saw He Zizhen, and she raised an eyebrow.
He Zizhen introduced, "His name is Lin Chuming. He's from Shanghai, and we're exchange students at this school together." He Zizhen introduced Yun Jin and the others with a smile.
Lin Chuming greeted them politely, saying, "I still have work to do. Please enjoy your meal. Call me if you need anything."
Yun Jin nodded.
After he left, He Zizhen said, "This restaurant is run by his uncle. He often comes to help out when he has nothing to do. It's the only restaurant nearby, and international students from China come here to eat every few days."
Yun Jin nodded knowingly: "You two seem to have a good relationship."
“When I first arrived, my wallet was stolen, and he helped me get it back. You all need to be careful here, as the security situation isn't very good. Keep an eye on your belongings when you're out and about,” He Zizhen reminded them.
Mrs. He was alarmed: "You've been robbed?"
He Zizhen, who had let the cat out of the bag, nodded awkwardly and reassured everyone, "Grandma, don't worry, it's nothing. After that, I didn't carry a bag when I went out. I basically just carried it on my person so as not to attract attention."
Mrs. He breathed a sigh of relief: "Be more careful in the future. Fortunately, there are still six months left."
He Zizhen thought so too.
After eating and drinking their fill, He Zizhen had to continue to school, while Yun Jin and the others strolled around the neighborhood. Yun Jin took her camera and took many photos.
When we get tired, we go to the coffee shop for coffee, Mama He has tea, Xiao Nian Gao has water, and then we get a small cake.
If you see a nice shop, you can buy some things you like; once you leave, you'll have to spend money.
During this time, many people tried to chat up Yun Jin, wanting to ask her out for drinks or coffee, but Yun Jin refused them all.
By the end of the day, He's mother had gotten used to Yun Jin being approached. Every time she saw someone trying to flirt with Yun Jin, she would watch with the same amused expression as Xiao Niangao, watching them get rejected.
After school, He Zizhen couldn't wait to meet up with Yun Jin and the others. Lin Chuming stopped her and said, "My uncle's shop will have fish tomorrow. Didn't you say you wanted to eat sauerkraut fish? My uncle's sauerkraut fish is ready. You can invite your grandma and aunt to the shop to eat. It's on me."
"How could I let you treat us? We can eat by ourselves. Thank you, Lin!" He Zizhen waved with a smile, politely declining Lin Chuming's invitation to treat her.
Later, when she told Yun Jin and the others, Yun Jin immediately saw through it: "Does he like you and want to pursue you?"
He Zizhen was dumbfounded: "Huh? He's pursuing me?"
Yun Jin smiled and nodded: "Otherwise, why would someone help you entertain your family for no reason? I think he's interested in you."
He Zizhen blushed slightly: "Impossible, we are just ordinary alumni."
Mother He teased, "If it were just an ordinary friend, they wouldn't remember that you like to eat pickled fish."
He Zizhen's ears turned red this time: "He didn't tell me!"
"I think the timing isn't right," Yun Jin said. "If he doesn't make it clear, don't ask. If you have feelings for him, you can flirt with him first."
Thinking of something, Yun Jin asked, "Do you know anything about his family situation?"
Mrs. He frowned: "Shanghai is a bit far from Beijing. Grandma still hopes you'll find someone from Beijing."
He Zizhen: "...It's not even close to being settled yet, Grandma, don't worry, I definitely won't marry out, I'll stay here with you!"
Little Rice Cake just watches the show, offering no opinions. She observes whoever speaks, her eyes never enough to keep up. She looks here and there, listening to their back-and-forth banter, finding it all very amusing.
Over the weekend, He Zizhen and Yun Jin spent their time eating, drinking, and having fun. To verify whether that classmate Lin really liked He Zizhen, Yun Jin and her friends went to a restaurant to eat pickled fish. There was little pickled fish but a lot of fish.
Lin Chuming was very enthusiastic in receiving them, trying to win their favor by serving them tea and water and being very attentive to their every need. The way he looked at He Zizhen was much brighter than when he looked at others.
They would also tease Xiao Nian Gao, serving him a fried yogurt cake, which tasted very good and Xiao Nian Gao liked it very much.
Even his uncle and aunt were watching the commotion in the kitchen, occasionally coming out to take a look, their little actions not too obvious.
Even if Yun Jin hadn't reminded her, He Zizhen would have noticed it this time.
Lin Chuming was indeed interested in her.
Realizing this, He Zizhen became so nervous, shy, and flustered that she made eight hundred small movements every day.
Yun Jin could tell at a glance that He Zizhen also had feelings for him, but was just too shy to say it.
Taking this opportunity, Yun Jin asked Lin Chuming, "I heard you're from Shanghai. I just came back from Shanghai recently. Which part of Shanghai are you from?"
"In Lujiajiao." Lin Chuming was a little embarrassed. Although they were both in Shanghai, their place couldn't compare to the Bund across the river.
Yun Jin's eyes lit up: "That's a good place, it's quite nice."
Yun Jin, a person from later generations, certainly knew that the place was now a small fishing village, but it would become a financial center and a place where many people could make a living.
I never expected him to be from a family that benefited from land expropriation.
That area will be demolished soon; how much will be demolished depends on how much land their family occupies.
However, even if the first generation is demolished, it has nothing to do with me.
If He Zizhen and he are a possibility, it can only mean that Lin Chuming's conditions are not too bad.
They seem quite good themselves; those who can go abroad on exchange programs are all excellent students.
Lin Chuming was unaware that he was about to become a member of the "demolition-first generation." He was a little embarrassed by Yun Jin's praise, and it was clear that this aunt did not mean to belittle him.
Lin Chuming knew that He Zizhen was a girl from a wealthy family in Beijing. He considered himself a country bumpkin and liked her but dared not say it out loud, so he could only secretly pay attention to her.
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