Siheyuan: Cooking journey

I turned around inadvertently and saw the courtyard waiting there quietly.

His sight shifted slightly and looked outside the city wall.

She knew he loved fishing and knew roughly the location, but she was not sure if he was there today - after all, there were so many places to go.

How can we know?

Ran Qiuye bit her lower lip lightly, got in the car and drove out of the city.

It’s not clear, but this is the only clue.

......

It was quiet along the moat.

The fish float swayed slowly on the water.

He Yuzhu held the fishing rod in his hand, sat on a small stool, and observed quietly, but was not in a hurry to take any action.

The sound of brakes suddenly rang out.

He couldn't help but look sideways.

The setting sun is low, but still brilliant and splendid. The sunset glow dyes half the sky red, which is so beautiful that it brings a heart-stirring beauty.

Towards that light.

He Yuzhu narrowed his eyes.

In the sunset, a figure slowly walked towards them.

Little by little.

It becomes clearer and clearer, as if it comes with light and also as if it comes with the sunset.

Their eyes met.

He Yuzhu subconsciously tightened his grip on the fishing rod, his eyes became calm again, and he continued to stare at the float.

At this moment, the float was quiet, but somehow it felt like it was moving.

There was a gentle breeze.

There seems to be a breath of fresh air on the river bank.

His outline was reflected in Ran Qiuye's eyes.

Thousands of words vanished in this silence.

She walked forward gently, sat beside him, and stared at the fishing float together.

It's like a dream.

I recalled the scene I had imagined in my mind: he was reading and she was silently accompanying him.

He fished, and she accompanied him quietly.

The sun gradually sets and dusk is about to fall.

But the sunset becomes more and more gorgeous.

The sky is full of rose-like colors.

On the ground, two figures were stretched out long, summer passed, autumn came, and the winter solstice was approaching.

The end of the year is approaching.

The steel rolling mill is still operating as usual.

The night is dark.

The next door was still empty.

Qin Huairu stood in front of the window, frowning slightly. For several months, A Yuzhu went straight to the window after get off work.

From summer to winter, the weather gradually became colder and the river froze, but he still fished as usual.

It’s unbelievable, is fishing so attractive?

Qin Huairu's mood became increasingly heavy.

She wanted to tell him that there were more interesting things to do than fishing.

But she didn't even have the opportunity to let her children spend more time together and enhance their feelings. As a mother, she didn't know where to start what she wanted to do.

Fortunately, there was no one at home every day and Yu Li no longer came to disturb me.

It has been almost half a year, and that awful mother-in-law has not shown up. It seems that she has really disappeared.

What’s even more interesting is that the beautiful woman who came to see He Yuzhu last time was like a flash in the pan and has never appeared again.

Everything seems to be going in the right direction.

No one interferes, this is the ideal state.

Qin Huairu's guard was quietly let down.

In the past, I had specially raised my cousin Qin Jingru for that woman. Now, it was time to let her return to her own life.

Before driving her away, he used her one more time to test whether He Yuzhu had any intention of starting a family.

If not, that would be the best. Now there is no external interference, and the children can develop their emotions naturally. If that is the case, your cousin is a suitable choice, so give her a push first.

In this way, they can be considered as relatives and the relationship will be further strengthened.

Telling him about things more interesting than fishing is a secondary concern.

At least, if I have a wife, I can't go out fishing every day. Only when there is someone around can I have the opportunity to enhance my relationship!

Qin Huairu thought for a moment, then went to find an aunt, and the two of them whispered.

The old lady, with a smile on her face, went to find the old man.

An auntie said, "Boss, what do you think?"

"Ezi has been gone for so long, it's a good idea to find a marriage for Zhuzi. Zhuzi is already grown up, it's time for him to have a child." The old man pondered for a while, then asked, "You often meet Qin Jingru, what do you think of her?"

"She's a very simple girl, not bad."

The aunt thought for a moment and said with a smile:

"Of course she can't compare to Huairu. Just look at the young wives we know, who can compare to Huairu. It would be great if Huairu could get together with Zhuzi."

The uncle's expression was slightly restrained, then he relaxed and said seriously:

"Let's just talk about this in private, don't spread it out. Although Zhuzi is no longer the deputy director, he is still the canteen director after all, and he has status. It's not appropriate for him to be with Huairu."

"The boss."

An old lady looked at him with a smile.

"We all know what Huai Ru has been like over the years."

"Nothing else matters. Having someone who cares about you is better than anything else. She swore to God that she would respect us as she would her own parents."

"I haven't forgotten, and you certainly haven't forgotten either. We watched Zhuzi grow up."

"If it works, that would be the best. I don't believe you haven't thought about it this way."

The uncle frowned for a moment, but he couldn't help laughing and shook his head.

"It's not suitable. Zhuzi has a grudge against Huairu. Besides, if Zhuzi marries Qin Huairu, it will not be good for his reputation. It's not like he can't find a wife. There's no need to do this."

The aunt looked slightly gloomy.

"What do you mean there's no need to do this? Are you trying to say that Huairu is a widow and Zhuzi will be laughed at if he marries her?"

"Humph, what's wrong with being a widow? Huairu is good-looking and kind-hearted. How can she be inferior to others?"

When she first acknowledged her relationship, didn’t you also say that she had a purpose?

"Over the years, we have all seen clearly whether Huairu has ever taken advantage of our family in the slightest."

"Just explain the knot in your heart to Zhuzi;

"The most important thing is that Huairu can give birth. She gave birth to three children in one go. She is still young, so it will be no problem for her to give birth to another one or two." "Moths are also good, but, alas..."

The lady couldn't help but sigh: "She left without leaving any son or daughter for Zhuzi;"

"If the child is around, Zhuzi's life will be easier. He won't have to fish all day. He just wants to find something to rely on."

"Hey……"

The uncle sighed, thought for a long time, and finally shook his head;

"Let's not talk about Huairu and Zhuzi. Huairu wants to introduce her cousin to Zhuzi, but she obviously doesn't have that intention, so let's not get involved.

"When Zhuzi comes back, I will talk to him about Qin Jingru. If he agrees, the better it is, the sooner the better, and we should hold the wedding before the New Year." The aunt thought about it and felt that it made sense.

If Huairu really wanted to do this, it would be a pity not to let her cousin and Zhuzi know each other. "By the way, head of the family, please tell Zhuzi that we can have New Year's Eve dinner together and celebrate the New Year together..."

inside the house.

Steam rises and the fragrant boiled fish is served on the table.

He Yushui's face drooped, and she was about to cry. She said aggrievedly:

"Brother, can we not eat fish?"

Nowadays it’s good enough to have something to eat. Be content and don’t be picky.

He Yuzhu glared at her indifferently.

"Yes, but..."

He Yushui felt even more aggrieved.

"We have been eating fish for a long time. In the past few months, there has not been a single day without eating fish. I am not being picky. I mean, fish are so lovable. Can we let them go and keep them for a while?

"We finally survived the winter, and when spring comes, small fish will be born. But you insisted on digging a hole in the ice to catch them. I'm really worried that you might catch all the fish in our moat, and we'll have nothing to eat in the future."

He Yuzhu had a nonchalant expression on his face.

"The river is gone, but there's a big lake in the distance with plenty of fish."

He Yushui was speechless. He picked up a piece of fish and tasted it. He immediately smiled and picked up another piece with chopsticks.

Her brother told her that there was a big lake, so she felt relieved. She could eat fish every day without worrying about running out of food in the future.

"I'm eating..."

An old man knocked on the door and walked in with a smile.

"Master..."

He Yuzhu and He Yushui stood up to greet him, exchanged a few pleasantries and invited the old man to dine with them. The old man briefly explained the purpose of his visit.

"Qin Jingru has been in the hospital for half a year. You should see her often. If you are willing, go and register tomorrow and get married before the end of the year."

"I have never thought about getting married. Sorry to trouble you, sir."

He Yuzhu remained calm and responded calmly.

"elder brother……"

He Yushui couldn't help but persuade her: "I think Qin Jingru is pretty good, why don't you get married? I still want to hold my little niece."

"I'm not in a hurry. I've already been married once."

He Yuzhu glanced at her and said calmly:

"You're already 23, it's time to find someone. Just worry about yourself first."

He Yushui widened her eyes and motioned to her brother to see how big and obvious her eye roll was.

"Yushui should really consider finding an in-law."

The uncle looked agreeable.

"No, my brother said he would support me forever."

He Yushui rolled his eyes and continued to eat, pretending not to hear anything else said.

"I didn't say that, don't spread it."

He Yuzhu couldn't help but correct him, "You're old now, you should get married. There's no point staying at home all your life."

"Pillar……"

The uncle looked at him seriously:

"As for the rain, ask your aunt to help find out. There's no rush.

"As for your matter, you should think about it carefully. Qin Jingru is a good girl. The moth has left and may rarely come back in the future. You are not a child anymore. You still have a long time to live in the future. You can't live alone."

"I have never thought about getting married. It's fine to live alone."

He Yuzhu shook his head calmly and said nothing more.

The uncle frowned and looked at him for a while. Seeing that he was determined, he sighed:

"Think about this matter again. I won't advise you any more."

After a pause, the old man smiled again:

"But, the New Year is coming soon. I asked you to come before but you didn't. This year, it's just you and Yushui. Let's have the New Year's Eve dinner together. Then Huairu and the two children can bring their old mother over, and it will be lively and fun."

"no need."

He Yuzhu looked calm.

"elder brother."

He Yushui couldn't help but persuade: "Let's celebrate together, it will be more lively."

"You go ahead, I won't go."

He Yuzhu glanced at her and said calmly, "I don't like crowds."

"Zhu Zi, come out for a moment, I have something to tell you..."

The old man frowned, looked at He Yushui, called him outside, and said seriously:

"You haven't been here for the New Year. Do you have any opinion about Qin Huairu?"

“I think you shouldn’t look at people with old eyes;

“I told you at the beginning that I knew Huairu didn’t know how to be grateful at that time, and I recognized her for a purpose;

“I also know that the reason you suddenly stopped supporting her family was because of this;

“But over the years, your aunt and I have given her many things, and she has never accepted them;

“Even when the steel mill was closed for a few times and she had a hard time, she never calculated or was greedy;

“Not only that, even though she wasn’t doing well, she never forgot to give us small gifts like gloves and scarves during festivals;

"Although it's not expensive, it's a token of your thoughtfulness to think of us. I won't talk about the past. I hope you can look at her now. People change."

"At that time, her mother-in-law was in charge of the family. She had no choice but to take care of some things. She had to support several children, so it was normal for her to be a little scheming.

"But ever since her mother-in-law was unhappy with her beating the children and took Banggeng to the countryside out of spite, she has changed a lot. She has taught Xiaodang and Xiaohuaihua well, and as a mother, she also practices what she preaches.

“Your aunt and I saw all this clearly;

“I’ve seen you ignore her family over the years, and I’ve been wanting to talk to you about it for a long time;

"Anyway, after so many years, as a man, I hope you can be more generous, put aside some of your prejudices, and get to know her again."

He Yuzhu couldn't help but look at the old man and shook his head:

"Nothing else, I just don't like crowds."

After saying that, he turned around and went back to the house without saying anything else.

The old man frowned, and it took him a while to relax.

He thought that He Yuzhu could understand these words to some extent.

It's always good to listen a little.

The old man was in a good mood and walked back to the house in small steps.

An old lady came over and saw that he looked happy. She smiled and said, "Look at you, did you succeed?"

"No."

The old man shook his head.

"No?"

The lady asked in confusion: "You didn't agree? Then why are you so happy?"

"Zhu Zi said he had never thought about getting married."

The old man leaned over to her ear and whispered: "... go and find out what Huairu thinks..."

"Okay, I'll go right away."

The auntie smiled widely and hurried to find Qin Huairu.

"He Yuzhu has never thought about getting married!"

Qin Huairu was overjoyed. Just as she expected, how could the man who already had someone he loved marry another woman so easily? She shouldn't have believed Yu Haitang's previous messy analysis.

It’s great not to get married, there’s no chance with women outside.

But staying with him was different.

No matter you are an iceberg or a piece of steel, having a child as a bridge will make you fall in love with the child's mother little by little, and love will grow over time and eventually melt your heart.

The more Qin Huairu thought about it, the happier she became, but she didn't show it on her face. Instead, she sighed and said:

"Alas, I thought Jingru would marry him, but he didn't agree. I don't know how to tell Jingru."

"It's just right that Zhuzi disagrees..."

The lady smiled and looked at her, then leaned close to her ear and whispered:

"You and Zhuzi are a good match. Your uncle and I want you two to be together. What do you think?"

Qin Huairu's eyes lit up, her heart fluttered, and her pretty face flushed. She said, "Auntie, what are you talking about? I'm a widow raising a child. How could He Yuzhu fall in love with me? There's no possibility for the two of us."