Chapter 997: Engagement
Lu Fengzhen has a particular fondness for the sauerkraut and lung slices; it suits her taste perfectly, with just a hint of spice, it’s truly distinctive.
While they enjoy their meal comfortably there, the men in the other room are equally satisfied by the food and drinks. Especially the hot pot, it’s the most favored.
"Brother Wei, your wife’s cooking skills are amazing. Which cuisine is this dish from?"
"She studied at university in S Province. Probably learned it there?"
"That’s truly impressive!"
Lv Beiguang can only handle a small amount of alcohol, just about two ounces, and Li Yunqiao is the same; the rest of the time everyone is focused on eating.
"Xiao Wei, your wife’s cooking is really good."
"Haha, she’s good at making everything tasty."
Everyone is satisfied with this meal. Li Honglin is just focused on eating, as he doesn’t get a chance to speak; with such delicious food, it’s better just to enjoy eating.
Tonight is so sumptuous, making Li Honglin even more excited for tomorrow’s engagement banquet; one couldn’t blame him for being so focused on eating because it’s incredibly delicious.
After dinner, Jiang Xinyu asked Zhang Qiu’e to give each of the men a bowl of milk tea to taste.
Shang Zhenkun was very fond of it and asked for a second bowl.
The women have already tidied up, with Li Xue and Jing Chu sitting together.
"Jing Chu, are you staying here tonight? How about coming back with me? You can also have a hot shower."
"No need, the men are staying in one room, and I’ll stay with Aunt Jiang."
"You should come with me. There are quite a few people here, including kids.
I can also bring Sister Xiao Li along? There’s room at my place."
Lu Fengzhen sincerely persuaded them as well.
Eventually, Jing Chu and Zhao Xiaoli were convinced and went back with the Li Family.
After tidying everything up, they finally rest.
Early the next morning, Yang Zhongyi and Wei Kaiyun went out to buy fried dough sticks, while the family makes lump soup.
The family enjoyed a wonderful breakfast. Shi Jing is now eagerly anticipating Cheng Lin and the others’ arrival.
After breakfast, Guodong went with Yang Zhongyi to fetch Jing Chu and Zhao Xiaoli back, since the Li Family would all be arriving soon, and their home was quite crowded.
They’ve already started preparing lunch. With four tables in mind, even though the main dishes have been arranged, chopping all the cold dishes will take a while.
Jiang Xinyu isn’t needed right now, so she is playing with the two kids.
Shi Jing and Jianbin are running around in the courtyard. Feifei is already absorbed in the book and won’t come outside no matter who calls.
Li Yungui and his group set off at five in the morning. This time, Jiushang is the one driving the tractor.
Arriving at Li Yunqiao’s house, there’s a flurry of activity. Worried they might be cold, they’re served noodle soup in large bowls—whether it fills them up or not isn’t really the concern.
Qu Xiaoli and Liu Cuilan are watching the children, admiring them. This is the Li Family’s first grandchild of the next generation.
Qu Xiaoli already knows the Lv Family gifted a watch and two outfits; these aren’t considered engagement gifts.
"Guodong is quite a good kid," Qu Xiaoli says with a smile.
Though Liu Cuilan isn’t very likable in personality, she knows there’s a time and place for everything. Although she’s somewhat envious of getting a watch for the engagement, she still believes that the educated youths aren’t as reliable as the local lads.
Just as last night, Wang Wugu stayed behind to look after the children, considering that Zheng Lihong is the eldest sister-in-law and should be present.
The Red Army kids can’t wait, but they remain seated in the living room as the adults haven’t stirred.
Qu Xiaoli asks Zheng Lihong to prepare Li Xue since it’s already past nine, and soon Guodong will come to pick her up.
"Second sister-in-law, the eldest sister-in-law looks so much prettier now, definitely well-nourished by the city," Liu Cuilan says enviously.
"For sure, her complexion looks great."
"Absolutely, her face is like a young girl’s,
but Honglin’s boy looks just like the eldest brother; he seems promising as he grows."
Jealous indeed, wondering when Xiang Dong will get married? She also wants to hold a grandchild. At ten o’clock, Guodong arrives; he walks over, as suggested by Li Yunqiao yesterday, to avoid any unnecessary trouble.
Guodong greets everyone accordingly. The young man is now firmly deemed the Li Family’s son-in-law. Qu Xiaoli beams as she looks at Guodong, the more she looks, the more she feels this young man is outstanding in every way.
After a bit of tidying, once Zheng Lihong finishes feeding the baby, the sixteen-member family, along with Guodong and Jiushang, making eighteen people, walk down the street. Li Yunqiao feels so proud; this is a big family, and if they all start their own families and have children, it’ll be even larger.
The two families aren’t too far apart; they arrive in about fifteen minutes.
The gate is wide open, and Lv Beiguang is waiting there, watching the time carefully, with a flawless posture. In the living room, three tables are set; the remaining table inside is prepared for Li Yunqiao’s brothers and the engaged couple.
Entering the main room, the Li Family sees the dishes on the table and are quite surprised—they’re incredibly lavish!
Though they got a taste last night, today’s formal banquet is even more sumptuous.
While the marriage isn’t primarily about material considerations, such a display brings great satisfaction.
It’s noteworthy that they even purchased a watch for the engagement!
Wei Kaiyun also came out warmly to invite Li Yunqiao’s three brothers inside.
After greeting Qu Xiaoli and Liu Cuilan, Jiang Xinyu goes into the kitchen to cook several dishes herself, acting as the main chef.
Lv Beiguang has already prepared the engagement gifts, ready to give 88 yuan, a piece of fine fabric, along with pastries and pork, all set on the living room table. A simple ceremony will make it all official for Li Xue.
The adults sit inside cracking sunflower seeds and chatting, while the kids are running around playing in the courtyard.
Each child has candy in their mouth, and Lv Beiguang has even filled their pockets with sweets, making them even happier.
About forty minutes later, all the dishes are served, and Jing Chu asks the kids playing outside to wash their hands.
Yang Zhongyi sees the girl he likes being so patient, making him very happy, as if she’s already agreed.
The kids have been eager for a while, but they’re well-behaved, only surrounding the table when notified they can eat. With so many kids, two tables are dedicated to them. The remaining people can fit at another table.
Back then, kids wouldn’t have had the chance to eat at the main table, but Lv Beiguang made sure the opportunity was given, endearing him to the future brother-in-law even more.
Even Liu Cuilan can’t help but marvel at how expertly the meal is prepared, unlike any she’s seen before.
She suspects it might be the Lv Family currying favor with the Li Family.
Usually, she isn’t close with Li Yunqiang’s brothers, so no one really minds her thoughts.