Chapter 461: Meeting the Prospective Bride
Chapter 461: Meeting the Prospective Bride
Around ten o'clock, the second aunt-in-law from my mother's side and her niece from her maternal side arrived.
The two of them brought a chicken, a goose, a basket of goose eggs, a bag of fruit, and a large bag of homemade shrimp chips and sugar rings.
Zhou Mu: "Why did you bring so many things? Last time we visited your place, we already brought back a lot of stuff."
The second aunt-in-law laughed, "It was prepared by Ah Ling. I only brought a basket of goose eggs to mooch off you."
Xu Ling was also an honest person. She shyly replied, "It was my mother who prepared these, not me."
Zhou Mu joked, "You're too kind! There's no need to bring anything when visiting me. If you keep being so polite, I won't need to raise chickens and geese anymore if you come often!"
Second Aunt-in-law: "Then I'll come to mooch off you often, Auntie."
"Come as you please! I'm happy to have you here."
Jiang Xia took some fruit, nuts, and cookies, placing them on the coffee table and inviting them to eat.
The second aunt-in-law looked at Jiang Xia's belly, "It seems even bigger than during Chinese New Year. I remember when I was pregnant with Wen, my belly wasn't as big as Xia's."
Zhou Mu then held up three fingers and whispered to her, "She's expecting triplets."
The second aunt-in-law's expression froze.
Xu Ling also stared at Jiang Xia's belly in surprise.
After her initial surprise, the second aunt-in-law smiled and said, "Ah Lei is so lucky!"
Zhou Mu laughed, "He's lucky to have such a good wife, that's why."
Jiang Xia merely smiled.
She glanced at Xu Ling; her features were well-proportioned, not as delicate and beautiful as Lei Yuzhen's, but she was still quite pretty and pleasant to look at, the kind of person who grows on you the more you see them.
At that moment, Zhou Guodong and Dong Shu arrived.
Dong Shu called out from outside, "Is Guihuan home?"
Zhou Mu immediately stood up and went outside, "Yes, come in!"
Zhou Guodong carried a large bucket of fish and shrimp and placed it in the courtyard.
Zhou Mu: "Why did you bring fish too? We went out to sea today as well."
Zhou Guodong: "We just returned from the sea, and the catch is fresh, so I brought some for you to try, Auntie."
"Please come in and sit down!"
The two of them went inside.
Zhou Mu introduced them with a smile, "This is my aunt-in-law, and this is her niece, Xu Ling. This is my second aunt, and this is my nephew, Zhou Guodong."
When Zhou Guodong entered, both parties noticed each other.
Zhou Guodong and Xu Ling quickly glanced at each other.
Xu Ling looked up briefly before lowering her head, her face slightly flushed.
Zhou Guodong also dared not look for long and averted his gaze, his ears slightly red.
Zhou Mu laughed, "Ah Ling, would you like to take a walk by the sea and pick some seashells to take home?"
Dong Shu followed up with a smile, "Let Ah Dong take you! He's the best at identifying seashells. Ah Dong, why don't you take Ah Ling?"
Zhou Guodong turned to Ah Ling, "Shall I take you for a walk by the sea?"
The tide hadn't receded yet, so there were no seashells to be found. Zhou Guodong couldn't bring himself to mention seashell collecting.
Ah Ling looked up at him briefly, her face flushing as she replied, "Okay."
And so, with flushed faces, the two of them left.
After the young couple went out, Zhou Mu began preparing lunch. She said to Dong Shu, "You and Guodong should stay for lunch today. I'll slaughter a chicken."
Although it was a meeting to consider a prospective bride, the second aunt-in-law was still family, and they had come from far away, so it was only right to prepare a meal.
Dong Shu said, "There's no need to slaughter a chicken. I already prepared a chicken and a duck this morning, and I bought some meat. I'll go get them."
Her family had fallen on hard times and owed a lot of money. Despite their situation, they still came to meet the prospective bride, and Dong Shu felt that they were decent people. She attached great importance to this meeting, so she had caught the chicken and duck the night before and slaughtered them early that morning, waiting for their arrival at half past ten.
And how could Zhou Mu expect to have her mother-in-law introduce a potential partner for her son, and then not contribute financially or otherwise?
Dong Shu hurried back home to fetch some chicken and duck.
Zhou Mu still needed to slaughter the chicken and goose.
Xu Ling brought back a chicken and a goose, but it would be awkward to return the entire gift, and it wouldn't be right to keep it all. It was customary to return half or a quarter of the gift.
After experiencing a new year, Jiang Xia also became familiar with the local customs.
If someone brings a chicken, you should return half or a quarter of it as a gift.
Depending on whether they eat at your home, you return a quarter or half of the gift. This is called reciprocity.
So, Zhou Mu and the second sister-in-law started slaughtering the chicken and goose together.
Jiang Xia washed the vegetables.
With no one else around, the second sister-in-law spoke up, "Isn't Yu Zhen working at your mother's clothing factory now?"
Jiang Xia nodded, "Yes! Is Yu Zhen used to the work? Is it hard?"
The second sister-in-law replied, "She's used to it. How could she not be? Where's the hardship? She loves that job! And she's found a suitor from the city, apparently from a wealthy family. Yu Zhen came home last week with new clothes, a new watch, and a new necklace, all gifts from her suitor."
As she spoke, the second sister-in-law hesitated, wanting to say more.
She had a feeling that the man was a fraud, but seeing her eldest sister-in-law so eager to catch this wealthy suitor, she didn't dare speak up, fearing she might be wrong.
Noticing her hesitation, Jiang Xia asked, "What's his name? I'll see if I know him."
"I heard Yu Zhen calling him 'A Cheng', but I don't know which city he's from. Xia Xia, do you know him? Is this 'A Cheng' reliable?"
Jiang Xia was from the city, so if she knew him, she might have some idea if he was trustworthy. But Jiang Xia truly didn't know, and could only say, "There are many people named 'A Cheng'. I'll pay attention and see if I can find out who he is."
The second sister-in-law breathed a sigh of relief, "That would be a great help. When a woman marries, it's like a second life. It's best to be clear about these things."
Zhou Mu agreed, "Yes, it's better to be sure."
Jiang Xia also felt she should go back to the city to find out more.
Currently, Ye Xian, Wang Yang's sister Wang Mei, and another classmate had already started working there. Who else was still in touch with Lei Yu Zhen?
Moreover, the purchasing job was one that could easily earn some extra money.
She needed to ask if there was a person named 'A Cheng'.
At this moment, Dong Shu arrived with a large basin of chicken, duck, and meat, along with a basket of vegetables.
They didn't bring up the topic again.
Zhou Mu asked, "Why did you bring so much food? I have some here too."
Dong Shu laughed, "The more, the merrier. You can also try the vegetables I grew."
An hour later, Zhou Guodong and Xu Ling returned together, having found no seashells.
But it was clear that they had become more familiar with each other.
They helped with the cooking together.
Dong Shu watched Xu Ling work, and she was very efficient. Her hands, accustomed to farm work, indicated her diligence. Dong Shu was quite satisfied.
The second sister-in-law also quietly observed Zhou Guodong. He chopped meat with skilled knife work, and he washed his hands thoroughly before working, showing his cleanliness and diligence.
The second sister-in-law was also satisfied.
Jiang Xia noticed that during the meal, Zhou Guodong even helped Xu Ling pick up a piece of food she wanted but was too far away from. This confirmed her suspicion that there might be something between them.
(End of Chapter)
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