Chapter 412: Deng Yunsong, My Parents Want You to Have a Meal at Home!

Chapter 412: Deng Yunsong, My Parents Want You to Have a Meal at Home!

In the capital city, Deng Yunsong and Pei Qinghua were holding hands and strolling together under the sunset.

After Deng Yunsong successfully confessed his feelings, their relationship shifted from colleagues to lovers, and holding hands came naturally.

This was the first time Deng Yunsong had held a hand other than his sister’s. The soft, boneless hand intertwined with his fingers felt so good that he wanted to keep holding her hand forever, until the end of time.

Neither of them spoke, both enjoying the accelerated heartbeat.

They walked aimlessly, not knowing how long, until the sky darkened, and they stopped walking at the same time.

Deng Yunsong looked at this flower-like beautiful object and took a deep breath, "Qinghua, I feel like I'm dreaming. Are you really my object now?"

Pei Qinghua smiled and asked, "What? Don't believe it?"

Deng Yunsong nodded, "There is a little disbelief. How could such an excellent girl like you actually be willing to be my object? I'm truly surprised!"

Pei Qinghua was flattered and said, "You don't have to be modest. You are a high-caliber graduate from Tsinghua University, and we work in the same unit. How could I not know your talent? And your personality is good, and you are down-to-earth, which makes you very likable."

"Thank you for the compliment!"

Deng Yunsong looked up at the sky and said, "It's getting dark. Shall we go back?"

Pei Qinghua nodded, "Mm, let's go back!"

Twenty minutes later, the two of them returned to the family courtyard, by which time it was completely dark.

Deng Yunsong, seeing no one around, said with a dry throat, "Qinghua, can... can I hug you?"

Pei Qinghua's heart was about to leap out of her throat. She suppressed the excitement in her heart and softly hummed.

With permission, Deng Yunsong reached out and embraced her.

The first time having close contact with the opposite sex, the stimulating feeling made Deng Yunsong almost unable to stop, and he held her for several seconds before finally letting go with great effort.

Pei Qinghua, experiencing the first strong embrace from a male, felt as intense as Deng Yunsong.

When Deng Yunsong let her go, Pei Qinghua, feeling flustered and disordered, said, "I... I'll go upstairs first. See you tomorrow."

Without waiting for Deng Yunsong's response, she quickly rushed into the family courtyard and disappeared into the darkness.

Deng Yunsong couldn't help but laugh, thinking about the feeling of just hugging her. It was truly wonderful, and just a few seconds of such pleasure were so refreshing. If they were to hug while sleeping after marriage, wouldn't that be even more refreshing?

The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. He decided to try and hug her again as soon as possible, then realize the dream of hugging while sleeping.

...

On Sunday morning,

At a certain ministry's family courtyard, Pei's mother was in the kitchen preparing bamboo shoots.

The fresh bamboo shoots were blanched and then soaked in cold water before being stir-fried with meat slices, making a dish that was one of the little daughter's favorites.

Since the little daughter started working, if there was nothing urgent at the unit, she would usually come back every Sunday, and this week should be no exception.

Therefore, Pei's mother had already prepared the little daughter's favorite dishes.

Once the preparations were almost done, Pei's mother heard the door open and knew it must be the little daughter.

Sure enough, Pei's mother stepped out of the kitchen and saw the little daughter carrying a big and small bag walking in.

Seeing her mother, Pei Qinghua greeted, "Mom, I'm back!"

Pei's mother, seeing the items in the little daughter's hands, surprised, "Daughter, what's going on? Why did you bring so many cans of gray water and cowpea, is it from a colleague?"

Pei Qinghua placed the items on the table and nodded, "Yes, apart from him, who else would have these things?"

Pei's mother frowned, "Daughter, you should be honest with Mom. Is this colleague pursuing you?"

Pei Qinghua poured herself a cup of water and took a couple sips before answering, "Mom, why are you asking this?"

Pei's mother said, "This is your lifelong matter, how can I not ask?"

Pei Qinghua said, "Dad has never said my lifelong matters should be decided by me, right?"

Pei's mother, with a pained expression, said, "Qinghua, Mom won't interfere with your free love, but at least choose someone with a good family background. How can you not find anyone with a good family background that suits you?"

Pei qinghua put down the cup and said, "Mom, you don't understand my colleague well enough to know his family background is poor."

Pei's mother said, "Didn't you say it yourself?"

Pei qinghua was puzzled, "What did I say?"

Pei's mother frowned, "You said he is from the countryside!"

Pei qinghua pouted her lips, "Mom, who said that being from the countryside means a poor family background?"

Pei's mother was taken aback, "What do you mean?"

Pei qinghua said, "It's just the literal meaning. My colleague is from the countryside, but I've known him for ten months, His economic conditions are much better than mine. Even if he is from the countryside, he is not financially disadvantaged."

Pei's mother asked, "How did you see that his economic conditions are better than yours?"

Pei Qinghua replied, "He takes me to restaurants every day, and it's been months. That's not something he could afford with just his salary, right? This indirectly proves that his family's economic conditions are not bad, doesn't it?"

"He has been taking you to restaurants for months?"

Pei's mother sensed something was off and asked, "Qinghua, are you dating him?"

This time, Pei Qinghua did not deny it but nodded and said, "Yes, he confessed to me a few days ago, and I accepted."

Pei's mother, excited, slapped her thigh and said, "Qinghua, such a big decision, why didn't you consult us first?"

Pei Qinghua helped her mother sit down and said, "Mom, don't get too worked up. It's just dating, not marriage yet."

Pei's mother, with a stern face, said, "You never listen to me. There are so many young men from good families in the capital. If you agree, I can easily arrange for you to meet them, and you can choose any one of them, who would be better than your colleague from the countryside, right?"

Pei Qinghua, helpless, said, "Mom, don't underestimate my colleague, okay? He graduated from Tsinghua University and was the top scorer in the college entrance exam in Guangxi. Do you think any of the young men in the capital could match that?"

"Th-that..."

Pei's mother was speechless for a moment and then said, "I admit, your colleague's personal conditions are quite good, and he does match you. But, to put it bluntly, our family doesn't ask you to marry into a higher class or even find someone from a similar background. However, at the very least, the man's family should not be too different from ours.

I'm not being materialistic; I'm doing this for your own good.

After all, if the family backgrounds are too different, problems will eventually arise. I've seen too many examples of this."

Pei Qinghua understood her mother's concern and hinted, "Mom, don't worry. We are well-matched, and there won't be the kind of problems you mentioned. Besides, his family isn't as bad as you imagine.

According to him, he has an even more outstanding older brother who graduated from Peking University, is only four years older than him, and is already a deputy director, with real power. Since you are also in the system, you should understand what that means, right?"

Pei's mother was taken aback, "Qinghua, is what you're saying true?"

Pei Qinghua smiled, "He told me this himself."

Pei's mother was stunned. If her daughter wasn't being deceived, she would have to reassess this young man from the countryside. Having one brother from Tsinghua and another from Peking University was already quite rare, and for his brother to be a deputy director at such a young age was almost unbelievable.

"Qinghua, how did his brother become a deputy director at such a young age? Does his family have other connections?"

"I didn't ask much about it, so I'm not sure. He just told me that his brother's rapid promotion was due to a fortunate opportunity."

"A young deputy director with real power can't just be due to luck."

Pei's mother pondered for a moment and said, "Qinghua, how about this: when your father comes back, I'll talk to him about this and have him investigate your colleague's family background. If his brother is indeed as outstanding as you say and his family isn't as poor as I imagined, I won't oppose your relationship."

Pei Qinghua frowned, "Mom, I don't agree. If you want to know more, I'll bring him home next Sunday and you can ask him in person. Conducting a secret investigation makes it seem like you don't trust him, which I think is inappropriate."

"You're my child, and I'm doing this for your own good. An investigation is necessary, not a matter of trust but of principle. It's like a matchmaker; any responsible parent would do this to check the other person's reputation."

Sensing Pei Qinghua's concern, Pei's mother softened her tone, "Of course, the investigation won't be as strict as a political review. It will just be a simple check to confirm that your colleague isn't lying. We won't delve into details."

Pei Qinghua, finding this reasonable, nodded, "Alright, but the investigation should be as you said, just a simple check to confirm he's not lying. Don't do a detailed investigation; it could cause problems if it gets around, given that we both work in the system."

"Rest assured, when your father comes back, you can talk to him yourself. He knows how to handle this. Also, remember to bring your boyfriend home for dinner next Sunday. I want to see what kind of young man has captured my precious daughter's heart!"

"Alright, but you have to promise not to make it difficult for him."

"It's not even a marriage yet, and you're already siding with him."

"Mom..."

"Alright, I promise not to make it difficult for him."

...

Monday noon.

Deng Yunsong and Pei Qinghua were dining at their usual spot.

While waiting for the dishes to arrive, Pei Qinghua said, "Yunsong, I told my parents about us being in a relationship yesterday. They want you to come over for a meal this Sunday. Is that convenient for you?"

Deng Yunsong was somewhat surprised but mostly delighted. When a girl introduces a boy to her parents, it's a sign of how serious she is about the relationship. He immediately responded, "Yes, it's convenient. Of course, you've already met my dad, so it's only right for me to meet your parents."

Pei Qinghua glanced at him and said, "That's different. When I met your dad, we were just colleagues. Now, we're officially meeting the parents as a couple, which is a big step."

Deng Yunsong smiled, "For me, meeting the parents is a good thing. Tell me, what kind of gifts should I prepare for your parents?"

Pei Qinghua shook her head, "You don't need to prepare any special gifts. Just buy some fruits or candies and cookies."

Deng Yunsong said, "That won't do. This is the first time meeting your parents, I can't be so casual about it."

Pei Qinghua playfully scolded, "Who are your parents?"

Deng Yunsong chuckled, "Isn't that inevitable? Tell me, what are your parents' hobbies? I'll prepare a gift for them."

Pei Qinghua glanced at him, not bothering to correct him, "My dad likes drinking tea, and my mom likes singing."

Deng Yunsong said, "Tea is easy to find. I have some specialty red broken tea from my hometown. But your mom likes singing, which is a bit tricky. Who are her favorite singers?"

Pei Qinghua smiled, "My mom likes listening to Beyond's music. Do you know Beyond?"

Deng Yunsong nodded, "Of course, they're a Hong Kong rock band. I also enjoy their music, especially the song 'Glorious Years' that their lead singer, Wong Ka-kui, wrote for a South African leader last year. It's one of my favorite songs."

Pei Qinghua was surprised, "I didn't expect you to share a common interest with my mom. 'Glorious Years' is also one of her favorite songs."

Deng Yunsong said, "Sending a music album would be perfect, but I guess your mom already has all of Beyond's albums?"

Pei Qinghua laughed, "Yes, she has all of them."

Deng Yunsong spread his hands, "In that case, I'll have to stick to conventional gifts."

Pei Qinghua comforted him, "Don't worry about the gifts. It's not that important."

Deng Yunsong asked, "What about your elder brother and his wife, and your second brother and his wife? What are their hobbies?"

Pei Qinghua smiled, "My elder brother and his wife, and my second brother and his wife, don't work in the capital. So you don't need to worry about their hobbies. This time, I'm just introducing you to my parents."

"Alright, I understand. I'll do my best to make a good impression on your parents."

"I'll be watching. I believe you can do it."

...

In the future Shuangwang Township, the tradition of celebrating a child's first month was becoming less and less important. Many people, even if their first child was a son, would just make a simple offering to the ancestral spirits and invite their relatives for a meal to mark the occasion.

However, in the early 1990s, the entire Shuangwang Township still placed great importance on the first-month celebration.

Especially if the first child was a son, families with the means would often have a grand celebration, inviting all relatives and friends to a feast. The scene was comparable to a wedding banquet.

In many cases, the grandeur of a grandson's first-month celebration even surpassed that of a son's wedding.

Deng Shirong had another grandson, and while he intended to have a grand celebration, the previous grand wedding of his second son had already been lavish. Therefore, he decided not to have a grand celebration this time but to invite close relatives and respected clan members to celebrate.

Even though it wasn't a grand celebration, they still planned to have about twenty to thirty tables, which required early preparation.

Thus, as Er Gou approached his first month, Deng Shirong returned to make the necessary arrangements.

...

At noon,

In Naye Village,

Zhang Qi was having lunch with her children.

Due to the dietary habits passed down through generations, the lunch in Naye Village was either congee or a variety of root vegetables like sweet potatoes, taro, cassava, and yams. Unless there were guests, this was their usual diet all year round.

Zhang Qi's family was currently having the most common meal: sweet potatoes.

Looking at her six children seated before her, Zhang Qi smiled with satisfaction. She had finally made it through the tough times.

Thinking back to ten years ago, she had given birth to five daughters in a row, earning harsh scolding from her mother-in-law. When her fifth daughter was born, her mother-in-law even refused to cook for her, making those times extremely difficult.

Fortunately, at that time, Uncle Jiu couldn't bear to see her suffer. Not only did he bring her a bowl of egg and longan sugar water, but he also severely scolded her mother-in-law, which finally made her life a bit easier.

When she gave birth to her sixth child, her belly finally did her proud by delivering a son, and her life improved significantly. Her mother-in-law's attitude toward her also became much better, unlike before when she would scold her for only giving birth to daughters.

Under the leadership of Uncle Jiu, life in the village had been getting better and better.

Although her family's shares in the passenger transport company and the food company were not substantial, they were no longer short of money. In fact, their savings were almost reaching 100,000 yuan, which, while not particularly impressive in Naye Village, would have made them eligible to be the wealthiest family in other villages.

To be honest, Zhang Qi could not have dreamed of living such a good life ten years ago.

All of this was thanks to Uncle Jiu.

Without Uncle Jiu, even if she had given birth to a son, her family would still have been poor, and her daughters would have had no chance to go to school.

In a way, Uncle Jiu had completely changed the fate of her family and was a great benefactor to them.

Zhang Qi, peeling a sweet potato, looked at her eldest daughter, who was 18 years old, and said, "Elder Sister, have you thought it through? Do you want to work as a ticket seller on the buses for the clan's transport company, or do you want to work in the clan's factory?"

Deng Dajie swallowed the sweet potato in her mouth and said, "Mom, I want to work as a ticket seller on the buses."

Zhang Qi said, "I heard that being a ticket seller requires courage and the ability to speak up, unlike working in a factory where you just need to do your job."

Deng Dajie replied, "I know, and I can do it."

Zhang Qi nodded and said, "Alright, since you've made up your mind, I'll talk to the clan and let you work as a ticket seller."

Deng Dajie smiled and said, "Thank you, Mom."

Deng Erjie then said, "Mom, I'm not cut out for school. After this semester, I don't plan to continue. I also want to work as a ticket seller like my sister. Is that okay?"

Zhang Qi looked at her second daughter and sighed, "Er Sister, you need to think carefully. In the past, many girls in our village were not allowed to go to school even if they wanted to. Now, you have the chance to study as long as you can pass the exams. Are you sure you want to give it up?"

Deng Erjie said, "Mom, I know it's a rare opportunity, but studying also depends on talent. Only Third Sister seems to have the talent for it. The rest of us are just wasting time in school."

Zhang Qi said, "I've given you the opportunity, and whether you can seize it is up to you. Just don't blame me in the future."

Deng Erjie happily said, "Mom, you agree?"

Zhang Qi said, "Uncle Jiu said that studying depends on self-motivation. Even if I force you to study, it won't do much good. You decide for yourself. If you want to study, do it seriously. If you don't, then don't. But you're still young, so you can't start working as a ticket seller until next year or the year after."

Deng Erjie said, "I understand, Mom."

Soon, lunch was over.

Zhang Qi took her pipe to the door, preparing to smoke a few pipes, when she saw Uncle Jiu approaching. She quickly greeted him, "Uncle Jiu, have you eaten?"

Deng Shirong smiled and said, "Yes, have you eaten?"

Zhang Qi smiled and said, "Just finished. Uncle Jiu, come over and sit down. Let's have a smoke first."

Deng Shirong walked over and sat on a bench, saying, "I just had a smoke. You go ahead, I came mainly to discuss something with you."

Zhang Qi asked, "Uncle Jiu, what is it? Tell me!"

"Ancestor Jiu!"

At that moment, Zhang Qi's children also came out and greeted Deng Shirong.

Deng Shirong smiled and said, "Elder Sister, this is related to you, come and sit down to listen."

Deng Dajie, hearing this, was somewhat surprised but obediently responded, "Okay, Ancestor Jiu."

Deng Shirong did not beat around the bush and said directly, "Zhang Qi, here's the situation. I just had a grandson, and my son Yunheng works in Fujian. When the child is a month old, my second daughter-in-law will definitely take the child to Fujian, and it will be difficult for her to take care of the child alone.

Therefore, I plan to find someone in the village to go with her to Fujian to help take care of the child and do other tasks within her capabilities. The salary will be 300 yuan a month, and I will treat her well if she does a good job.

I thought about it, and I believe your eldest daughter is a good candidate. Do you agree to let her go to Fujian to help me take care of the child?"

He chose Zhang Qi's eldest daughter for a reason. Despite being only 18 and unmarried, she had been helping to take care of her younger siblings since she was young, and her experience in childcare was better than many women.

Moreover, Zhang Qi's eldest daughter had grown up under his watchful eye, and he knew her character well.

Therefore, he felt more at ease having her go to Fujian to help with the child.

Zhang Qi, hearing this, was pleasantly surprised and said, "Of course, I agree. This is a great opportunity. Elder Sister, thank Ancestor Jiu."

Deng Dajie was equally delighted and said, "Thank you, Ancestor Jiu. I'm willing to go."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end