GBP Chapter 205 He Ci'en Returns Home
Chapter 205 He Ci'en Returns Home
Although Huo Benqin was gentle, she wasn't coy either. After Jingyan told her about it, she actually paid more attention to the person who delivered the eggs and carefully examined their appearance.
Upon closer inspection, she discovered that Rong Gang would indeed steal glances at her every time Dou Zhixiao checked the count. Seeing the tall, strapping young man looking like a thief, blushing as he peeked, she found it quite amusing.
After observing Rong Gang for two days, she thought he was a decent person. He had handsome features, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, and was also very tall, a head taller than most men in the area. She was quite satisfied with his appearance. As for his inner qualities... even after spending some time with him, she might not be able to see through him, let alone just a few glances.
When she got home, she told her sister and brother-in-law about it. They took it very seriously. Since they hadn't officially met yet, they had to sneak around to see each other. After discussing it, her sister and brother-in-law specially chose a weekend and came to the store early to wait for Dou Zhixiao and his family. They also helped serve the food, since it would be quite conspicuous if they just sat there doing nothing.
Rong Gang delivered the eggs at the usual time. As usual, he glanced at Huo Benqin a few times. He simply thought the girl was pretty and gentle. He also knew that she was a college student and educated, so he never thought about pursuing her, let alone that she could be his wife.
When Huo Benqin's sister saw him enter, she shoved the bowls and plates she was carrying into her brother-in-law's hands and said, "Take them to the kitchen." She then quickly followed Dou Zhixiao toward Rong Gang.
When Rong Gang saw Sister Huo, he thought she was a new employee at the store. He hadn't inquired about the situation at Jingyan's store, so he didn't know that this person was an unemployed staff member. He didn't feel awkward about being stared at and dutifully told Dou Zhixiao how many eggs there were and instructed him to keep the accounts.
Huo Benqin couldn't bear to look at her older sister's staring gaze. Were all married women so unreserved? Was it really okay to stare at someone like that? She covered her eyes and pretended not to know her, casually flipping through the account book.
Brother-in-law Huo came out of the kitchen quickly. He looked at Rong Gang and thought, "Well, his height is a bit of a concern." He took out a cigarette from his pocket and offered it to Rong Gang, who shook his head: "Thank you, but I don't smoke."
Brother-in-law Huo put the cigarette away, and Sister Huo was even more satisfied to see that he wasn't smoking: "Young man, how old are you this year? How long have you been here? Who else is in your family? Are you married?"
Rong Gang blushed at her teasing, his usually clear voice trembling slightly: "I'm twenty-five years old this year, and I've been here for over a year. I have a mother and a younger brother at home, and they're both here now. I don't have a boyfriend yet, but my aunt will help me find one. Sister, I really don't need your introduction, thank you."
All he wants to do right now is escape. Aren't the girls here supposed to be more reserved than those in Northeast China? Why does he find it so terrifying?
Sister Huo...
Seeing Rong Gang's retreating figure, she pointed at herself with a bewildered expression: "Am I that scary?"
Brother-in-law Huo, trying not to laugh, said, "He probably thought you wanted to recommend yourself, which scared the young man away."
Sister Huo… “Even if I were bold, I wouldn’t go so far as to recommend myself. I still have some pride.”
Huo Benqin was also amused by her older sister's actions, lowering her head to suppress her laughter, her shoulders trembling. Her older sister walked over and slapped her on the shoulder in an annoyed tone: "You little ungrateful thing, who am I doing this for? You've made me lose face completely, people will think I'm desperate to get married, sigh~"
Brother-in-law Huo came over and put his arm around her shoulder: "That kid has no taste, let's not argue with him. But he seems alright, honest, not the kind of person who messes around, so he should be reliable."
Sister Huo nodded in agreement: "Why don't we talk to Sister Yan and see when we have time, so our two families can meet and let the two kids get to know each other? As for whether it will work out in the end, that depends on how they get along."
There's no rush into marriage. We should get to know each other better first. We can't be trendy and divorce just because things don't work out. Marriage isn't a game; it's better to be cautious.
Brother-in-law Huo naturally had no objections, but he sighed, "If these two children get married in the future, their children will definitely be very good-looking."
Sister Huo didn't even bother to respond to him. She said to Huo Benqin, "Give your sister Yan a call. I'll discuss it with her. This kind of thing needs the elders to be involved to make it seem more serious. We women should have the proper reserve so that people don't look down on us."
Huo Benqin picked up the phone in the shop and dialed Jingyan's number. Jingyan was at home busy making pumpkin and red bean paste cakes with Sister Wang. After receiving the call, she washed her hands and said, "Sister Wang, I'm going to the shop. You can take your time making the pumpkin cakes. Don't let the children eat too many later, as they contain glutinous rice flour and can cause bloating."
Sister Wang nodded: "Okay, I understand. You should go quickly. You must have something urgent to tell me. Don't delay. I can take care of the children at home."
When Jing Yan arrived at the store, Huo Benqin's sister and brother-in-law were still helping to serve dishes. Jing Yan smiled and said, "Since you're here, please sit at the cashier. It would be too much trouble for you to help with the work."
Sister Huo handed the empty plate in her hand to her brother-in-law, walked over and smiled at Jing Yan, "Sister Yan, we've met your nephew who came to deliver the eggs. We think he's a nice young man. When do you think we should meet up so the two of you can get to know each other properly?"
Jing Yan smiled and said, "Okay, I'll arrange it. You two have to work, so how about this, let's both come to my house next Saturday. Xiao Dou can cover for you at the shop for a day. It's always more comfortable at home."
Sister Huo was also very happy, and that they had time to meet again. This also showed that she valued her own child. It is said that the eldest sister is like a mother. Now that the two sisters depend on each other for survival, she, as the older sister, must take care of her younger sister's affairs.
After setting the time, Sister Huo didn't linger and left the shop with Brother-in-law to go home. Jingyan didn't go home either, but went to the chicken farm to find her third sister.
Jingxian was shocked when he heard Jingyan's words: "This girl is willing to be on the same page with Ronggang? Do her family know about my family situation? It's about my divorce from your brother-in-law."
Looking at her sister who had lost her confidence, Jingyan felt a pang of sadness. Her third sister used to be the most radiant and outgoing of the sisters, and she was always the one who couldn't stand others. When did she become so insecure? In her previous life, because everyone was in bad circumstances, she only remembered that her third sister was more silent later on. She never expected her to become so insecure.
She held Jingxian's hand: "Third sister, our Ronggang is quite outstanding. He's a handsome young man, and he speaks and acts appropriately. His sister and brother-in-law both like him, and his brother-in-law has a very high opinion of our child."
Divorce is so normal these days, and people don't seem to care. Huo Benqin is also an orphan with only an older sister. Although she looks gentle and delicate, she's actually quite strong-willed. If they get together, Rong Gang will be the one being controlled.
The reason I didn't mention it before was because I felt that someone with a high level of education might not be interested in someone like Ronggang, who doesn't have a high level of education. I'm not worried about anything else, but since the girl doesn't mind our son's low education level, then I guess we don't have much to complain about.
Jingxian was still a little worried: "Our Ronggang has a bad temper, you know. Even though he doesn't hit people when he gets angry, his eyes and brows can still be quite frightening."
Jing Yan shook her head and laughed: "Sister, you really don't understand your own son. Rong Gang's temper is such that he becomes strong when faced with a strong opponent, but becomes weak when faced with a weak one. Huo Benqin can handle him. As long as you, as his mother, don't feel sorry for your son being controlled by his wife in the future, that's fine."
Jingxian thought about it and realized it made sense. Every time he lost his temper, it was to protect his family and argue with others. At home, he had never lost his temper except for once when he beat up his younger brother. With that thought, he suddenly felt confident: "Okay, then let's go see him together next Saturday."
The meeting a week later went smoothly. Rong Gang was like a well-behaved golden retriever throughout the meal, with gentle eyes and a face that turned red to the roots of his ears when he looked at Huo Benqin. Huo Benqin was a little nervous at first, but seeing that he was even more shy than she was, she felt much more relaxed.
Both sets of parents were very satisfied. The older sister felt that this family was hardworking, and with Jingyan's help, they even set up a chicken farm, ensuring that her younger sister wouldn't suffer from hardship in the future. The family was simple, and the mother-in-law didn't seem too difficult to get along with.
Jingxian also promised that after the marriage, the young couple would live on their own. After deducting the expenses for Rongqiang's schooling and living from the income from the chicken farm, and the 30,000 yuan to be repaid to Jingyan, the remaining profits would be split 50/50 between the mother and son. In the future, she would not need her children to support her if she had money, and she could just visit them during holidays.
As for Ronggang's share of the profits, the couple can discuss it themselves in the future. Whether they want to buy a house or invest in land, she, as the mother, will not interfere.
Nowadays, people don't have a strong attachment to wedding homes, and renting a house for marriage is not uncommon. Sister Huo felt that this family was down-to-earth just by listening to Jingxian's plans for the future, and she was even more satisfied with them.
"Let them date for now. When their feelings are right and they want to get married, we can talk about these things later. I'll also tell you the inside story: when our parents passed away, they left some money for my sister and me. We spent most of it on living expenses and schooling. I don't want the rest, which is about a thousand yuan. This money will be given to Xiaoqin as her dowry. It's not much, but it's a token of our appreciation."
Huo Benqin then spoke up, "Over the years, I've worked for Sister Yan and accumulated about ten thousand yuan in savings. If we get married, this money will be used for our little family."
Upon hearing this, Rong Gang felt even more inadequate in his own circumstances and quickly retorted, "You can keep your money yourself, but I'll still have to earn money for household expenses."
Huo Benqin smiled and said, "Okay~"
Rong Gang and Huo Benqin officially started dating. Every day, he would pick her up and drop her off at get off work on time. Of course, he didn't neglect his work at the chicken farm. He could also check on his girlfriend while delivering eggs.
Although he didn't have much money, he would always give her a hair tie one day, a bunch of wildflowers the next, or buy her a pound of candy to eat a few pieces when she was free. These weren't expensive things, but they made the girl feel very warm.
While the two were deeply in love, He Ci'en finally returned on October 18th.
At 28, he was indeed no longer young. Perhaps because he had been working in a research institute, he had a strong scholarly air about him. Wearing a beige trench coat and carrying a backpack, he could easily be mistaken for a student if he were to enter a university.
As soon as I entered the house, I saw Jingyan picking tomatoes and eating them in the yard. My eyes reddened: "Auntie, I'm back."
Jing Yan looked towards the door with surprise and quickly went to greet him. He Ci'en wanted to bury his head in Jing Yan's arms like he did when he was a child, but unfortunately, it was Jing Yan who was burying her head in his arms now. This kid must be 185 cm tall by now.
Jingyan asked in confusion, "Have you grown taller again?"
He Ci'en shook her head: "No, when I came back before, I would always put my arm around my uncle's shoulder. I haven't been able to get close to you since the college entrance examination. Every time I get close to you, my uncle is always watching over me. It's rare that I can get close to you without restraint this time. Aunt, I'm not saying anything bad about my uncle, but he's watching you too closely."
Jingyan shook her head: "You, how old are you, still vying for attention? Alright, hurry up and come inside. Where's your luggage? Why are you only carrying a backpack and a bag? You shouldn't have so little stuff."
"Most of them were mailed back, sent directly to my grandparents' house. I came back directly, but I haven't visited my grandparents' house yet. I wanted to come back first to see my uncle and aunt, as well as Zhizhi and An'an. An'an is already in high school, and I don't know if he can keep up with the courses. If he doesn't understand something, I can tutor him since I'm back."
“They’re still at school. By the way, do you remember your high school classmate Shen Rongrong, the one who got excellent grades?” Jingyan pulled his arm and led him into the house, asking as they went.
He Ci'en thought carefully for a moment, then shook her head: "Shen Rongrong? That sounds like a girl's name. I don't remember her."
Jing Yan... well, He Ci'en was indeed very indifferent during high school, so it's possible she didn't take it to heart.
"Auntie, is there something you need to say about her? Does she also work at the Aerospace Research Institute in Haishi?" He Ci'en thought this person was her future colleague, which was why her aunt mentioned her.
Zhang Jingyan shook her head: "She studied naval command, she's an officer."
"Oh." He Ci'en's tone remained calm and composed.
Jing Yan sighed: "That young lady is beautiful. She's now a post-war staff officer at the Haishi Naval Command. Didn't you mention on the phone that you were getting old and wanted to find a wife?"
During the National Day holiday, I happened to run into them at the restaurant. The Shen family still remembered you. They were talking about how you've been doing lately, and when they learned you weren't single, they suggested you two try dating. If it works out, it would be a wonderful story.
He Ci'en frowned: "Auntie, you said she's my high school classmate? Then she should be about my age. She hasn't found a boyfriend all these years?"
"They dated during college, for two years, and then for two more years after they started working, a total of four years. They were originally planning to get married, but when Rongrong went to the man's house, she found out that the family might not be very good. After thinking it over, the young woman decided to break up with him, which is why things have been delayed. Do you mind that she dated someone before?" Jingyan asked.