Siheyuan: Cooking journey

Mother Lin sighed and said in a heavy tone, "Didn't I tell you before? She usually eats too little, almost as if she doesn't eat or drink at all."

"And except for sleeping time, every minute and every second is spent on work."

"Sometimes Granny Cai helps out with some extra work, and the money she earns is enough to pay the rent and other expenses. Plus, she's so frugal that she saves every penny she can."

Lin Qingqing touched her forehead and was speechless for a moment.

Although she grew up in a poor family, she and her mother never treated themselves badly in terms of food.

It is hard to imagine the meaning of Ruan Mei's near-hunger-strike lifestyle.

But then he thought about Ruan Mei's physical condition and hopeless living situation.

I can only sigh helplessly in my heart.

"Don't worry, Mom. I'm also very frugal. I'll use it when I need it."

Lin Qingqing said seriously: "Although saving money is a virtue, don't be too hard on yourself."

"No one can predict what will happen tomorrow, so it's always good to improve the quality of life a little bit."

"I understand your concerns. Don't worry too much about the investment."

"I've already told you before, my boyfriend happens to work in finance."

“He would provide me with some inside information, and I would analyze it before deciding whether to invest.”

"It's different from those people out there who just blindly follow others and make money by investing in stocks."

“The stock market is actually a complicated game, not as simple as it seems.”

"In short, please believe that I will not lose money."

Speaking of which.

Lin Qingqing is very confident. After all, most people buy short-term projects with extremely volatile data.

Her long-term investment target is a handsome and rich man.

As long as you continue to invest, your returns will continue to increase.

"Mom, let's go upstairs first..."

Lin Qingqing carried her luggage into the corridor. Seeing her so calm, Mother Lin's worries were reduced a little, and she followed behind with the remaining things.

After entering the elevator, Lin's mother asked, "Qingqing, didn't you say before that you could see your boyfriend? When can you see him?"

"Well, I have to ask this again..." Lin Qingqing said hesitantly.

In fact, I said that just to reassure my mother. Whether we can meet so soon is still a bit of a tricky issue to resolve.

They lived on the 16th floor, and the elevator quickly reached the destination. Lin Qingqing didn't say any more nonsense, picked up her luggage and got off the elevator.

"How long will it take?" Mother Lin followed out and continued to ask.

"Maybe in one or two days." Lin Qingqing said as she unlocked the door, "He's on a business trip in Hong Kong and has some unfinished business. I'll ask him about his specific free time before we talk. The earliest opportunity might be tonight."

"If it's at night, then we have to cook dinner. After all, it's the first time for them to come to our house, and we have to let them eat before leaving, otherwise it's not polite." After hearing this, Mother Lin suddenly became very anxious, "Is there a vegetable market nearby? I'll go buy some ingredients now."

"mom!"

Lin Qingqing was amused. "You have just been discharged from the hospital. You should rest more. Don't worry about it. I just said it is possible, not sure it will be tonight."

She comforted her mother, "Just relax, leave this matter to me."

After saying this, she continued to guide, "Come on, let's take a look at our new home."

Just as Mother Lin was about to speak again, she stepped into the room and was stunned by the scene before her - the room was well-lit, with large windows bringing in natural light, making the entire space bright and transparent;

The simple design style is not overly decorated, but gives people a warm feeling; the walls are flawless white, the floors are spotless, and there are all necessary furniture, including TVs and sofas.

When she first saw this environment, Mother Lin's eyes became moist. Compared with the harsh conditions of her old home, this place is obviously more suitable as a warm and sheltered haven.

"Mom, come back to your senses, go check your room..." Putting down the things in her hands, Lin Qingqing pulled her mother and walked towards the master bedroom.

When you open the door, you will see the bed is made out with brand new sheets and pillows; the dressing table is elegantly designed; and the small table beside the bed is placed with exquisite lamps and communication tools.

When he opened the wardrobe, he saw that it was filled with all kinds of carefully selected clothes - although not all of them were brand-name items, they were all the most fashionable styles for him to choose from.

"Satisfied, Mom?"

"I'm very satisfied..." As she spoke, tears welled up in Mother Lin's eyes. How could she not be moved by everything her daughter had arranged so attentively?

At this moment, she suddenly realized: No wonder she was not allowed to take too many things before going out, because everything she needed had been arranged properly. From today on, she would start a new life mode.

However, she knew very well that the real driving force behind this change was not achieved solely by her daughter's power, but was the result of her daughter's acquaintance with a special person.

Although there are stock trading activities in Hong Kong, she had never heard of her child being interested in such things before she went abroad. It was not until she met this boy during her further studies in the United States that she gradually mastered the knowledge and skills of stock investment.

Not only that, even the medical expenses needed for treatment were generously paid by the other party.

At this moment, Mother Lin was filled with gratitude and wanted to express her gratitude to this noble man in person. "My dear daughter, please ask your partner when it is convenient for me. I also want to meet this person and thank him in person." In addition to expressing her gratitude, Mother Lin also wanted to see the good man her daughter mentioned with her own eyes.

But she also understood her daughter's strong self-esteem and unwillingness to bow down. If she wanted to meet him, she had to observe his performance carefully to see whether he was truly kind to her daughter or whether her daughter had to accept him reluctantly because of his illness.

Her daughter is not only her sweetheart, but also her most important support in life. No matter how her daughter says everything is fine, as a mother, she can't help but worry that she has suffered any injustice.

Especially when she thought about the fact that if this young man had really been with her daughter for such a long time, why had she never mentioned it to her daughter? This made Lin's mother even more suspicious, fearing that the young man was pursuing her daughter unilaterally, and her daughter only agreed to the relationship because of physical reasons and financial pressure.

"Okay, then I'll go see him now..." Lin Qingqing hesitated for a moment, and finally nodded in agreement. Since her mother had asked this question so many times, it was obvious that she couldn't let it go, and there was really no reason to refuse. The most important thing was that after being apart for a few hours, she really missed him a little bit...

"No need to wait," Mother Lin suggested eagerly, "It's noon now, let's meet while everyone is free for lunch. No matter how much of a workaholic someone is, they won't be busy at lunch time. If you can spare some time to come to our house in the evening, remember to call us in advance to let us know. I have to go out and prepare some refreshments to entertain the guests, so as not to appear to be ignorant of etiquette." After that, she went on to add a lot of things to note.

Lin Qingqing curled her lips helplessly, not knowing what else to say in rebuttal.

Over there in the living room.

He Yuzhu was resting on the sofa.

Zhou Xiaobai leaned comfortably on his shoulder and enjoyed the warm moment.

Two people were watching the TV series intently.

Suddenly, the doorknob made a sound, and then the door opened. Hearing the noise, Zhou Xiaobai looked towards the door reflexively, and when he saw that it was Lin Qingqing who came in, he smiled brightly, "Qingqing, you're back? Come and have dinner! He Yuzhu just made some hot millet porridge for us, it tastes delicious, come and have a taste!"

The food cooked by her boyfriend was naturally attractive, but Lin Qingqing had more important and urgent matters to deal with. "Xiaobai, there is something I need your help with."

After closing the door, Lin Qingqing walked to the sofa with a frown on her face, "I have a request, but we may need to talk in private."

Seeing this scene, He Yuzhu couldn't help but frowned and looked at Lin Qingqing in confusion, with a trace of uneasiness in his heart.

"No problem, let's go to the room and talk." Zhou Xiaobai didn't have too many concerns. He thought that Lin Qingqing wanted to talk about personal privacy and it was inconvenient for He Yuzhu to hear it, so he took her hand into the bedroom and closed the door.

Before leaving, he smiled and winked at He Yuzhu outside, with a mischievous look in his smile.

Even though this charming smile was right in front of him, He Yuzhu had no intention of appreciating it. He was thinking about what Lin Qingqing wanted to say to Zhou Xiaobai. Considering that the conversation inside the house might not be heard clearly, he stood up and listened quietly near the door. If he noticed that the content of the conversation was not right, he was ready to break in and intervene immediately.

"Xiao Bai, this is what happened. My mom insisted on arranging a blind date for me, but I didn't want to meet her at all. I have to concentrate on my studies now, and I don't plan to find a boyfriend. So I just casually told her that I already have one."

Unexpectedly, she actually remembered this sentence and kept talking about wanting to meet my "boyfriend" every day.

Lin Qingqing said with a troubled look on her face: "I don't have any boyfriend, it's all made up. Where can I find a suitable boyfriend?"

"I have already declined several times, saying I am busy with work and don't have time, but my mother is getting suspicious now and wants to introduce someone else to me. Her health is not very good, and I always refuse because I am afraid she will be unhappy."

"I was wondering if I could borrow your guy and pretend to be my boyfriend to meet my mom."

Zhou Xiaobai was stunned and asked in surprise: "Let He Yuzhu pretend to be your boyfriend?"

"Ah."

Lin Qingqing looked at her expectantly.

"But, this..."

Zhou Xiaobai looked hesitant.

Let the person she likes pretend to be her boyfriend, not her real boyfriend. Although she is willing to help Lin Qingqing, this matter will definitely delay a lot of time.

He Yuzhu was leaving tonight, so the two of them didn't have much time to spend together. He was reluctant to part with her for every moment, but it was difficult to refuse directly, and he didn't know what to say for a while.

"Xiaobai, I really have no other choice."

Lin Qingqing saw her hesitation and continued, "For me, it's not difficult to find a male classmate to pretend to be my boyfriend."

"But I'm worried that the person I'm looking for is unreliable and might take the opportunity to harass me."

"I think the one from your family is the most suitable."