Under the bright lights at the entrance of Hongyun Grand Restaurant, Liú Xǐ'ér's face looked a bit sallow, as if she had been lacking nutrition and sustenance for a long time.
She was a little thin, but it didn't detract from her beauty at all.
This woman was truly something else; it was a no small miracle that such a "vixen" could come from the countryside.
Especially with her delicate and pretty face, and her figure that couldn't be contained even by her old clothes.
Zhū Lìshēng felt blood rushing to his head, unsure of where to put his hands or feet.
His mind was filled with a classic rhyme: "Good for childbearing, twins, my type, boy-girl twins..."
But this woman was too shy!
He was a grown man, after all; he couldn't let a young lady take the initiative.
He glanced at Liú Xǐ'ér, who was still sitting in the back of the three-wheeled cart, her head almost buried in her chest, and felt this girl could suffocate herself.
"Shēngzǐ!"
Youngest Uncle's wife, Zhū Fèng's voice was like a string of firecrackers. She rushed over and forcefully pulled Liú Xǐ'ér off the cart.
"Look who Auntie brought for you!"
Zhū Fèng pushed Liú Xǐ'ér towards Zhū Lìshēng, and the girl stumbled, almost falling into his arms.
"Didn't you always say you liked our Xǐ'ér? Here, I brought her to you with a bit of coaxing and trickery. The rest is up to you!"
After speaking, Zhū Fèng winked at Zhū Lìshēng.
Three black lines formed on Zhū Lìshēng's forehead.
When did I ever say I liked her?
This is pure "fabrication, underhanded tactics, groundless invention, sheer imagination... This is slander, defamation!"
He looked at Liú Xǐ'ér's face, which was practically bleeding with embarrassment, and her slightly trembling shoulders. Before he could retort, his words changed.
"Ahem! Don't worry, Auntie, leave it to me."
Zhū Lìshēng gritted his teeth, took a step forward, and extended his rough hand.
"Hello, Liú Xǐ'ér, my name is Zhū Lìshēng. We... should have met more than once, but we've never spoken!"
His hand hung in the air, and the moment became very awkward.
Liú Xǐ'ér refused to look up, her hands tightly twisting the hem of her clothes.
"Oh, you child!"
Zhū Fèng couldn't stand it anymore. She grabbed Liú Xǐ'ér's hand and forcefully stuffed it into Zhū Lìshēng's large, dark one.
"It's just a handshake to get acquainted, what's the big deal! Xǐ'ér, where's your usual feisty spirit?"
Why are you acting like a shy bride today?
Could it be that you... really like our Shēngzǐ?"
At these words, Liú Xǐ'ér couldn't hold back any longer.
She suddenly looked up, not at Zhū Lìshēng, but with her watery eyes glaring at Zhū Fèng.
She seemed to have forgotten that her hand was being held by a man, eager to defend herself.
"Auntie Fèng, you're talking nonsense! I... I don't like... like..."
She stammered "like" for a long time, but couldn't finish her sentence. Her raised head drooped again.
Her small hand, held by Zhū Lìshēng, was soft and smooth, just a bit cold, and a layer of thin calluses could be felt.
"Alright, alright, you don't like him, you don't like him!"
Seeing a glimmer of hope, Zhū Fèng laughed even more heartily. "Not liking him doesn't stop us from freeloading! What's our goal today? To eat him out of house and home!"
As she spoke, she saw Zhū Lìshēng still holding the girl's hand and couldn't help but laugh in exasperation.
"Let go! I told you to just shake hands, are you going to keep holding on? Making a spectacle of yourselves on the street, aren't you ashamed!"
When we go inside later, you two can touch each other as much as you want in private!"
Both Zhū Lìshēng and Liú Xǐ'ér's faces turned crimson, sweating profusely.
Married women were indeed formidable, with too much firepower!
It was only right to act coy after getting the advantage.
"Got it!"
Zhū Lìshēng quickly let go, made a gesture as if to invite her, just like on TV.
"Two supreme VIPs, please come in! The main seat! You must take the main seat!"
"Pfft..."
Liú Xǐ'ér was finally amused by his strange behavior.
When she smiled, it was like a ray of sunshine breaking through on a cloudy day, leaving Zhū Lìshēng somewhat dazed.
...
The largest private room on the second floor of Hongyun Grand Restaurant.
Zhū Lìshēng deliberately arranged for Liú Xǐ'ér to sit beside him, with his Auntie Fèng on the other side.
Eldest Aunt Zhū Quánxiāng and Second Aunt Zhū Quánxiù sat together, their eyes occasionally darting towards Liú Xǐ'ér.
Zhū Quánxiāng nudged Zhū Quánxiù with her elbow and whispered, "This girl looks nice, just a bit thin and too honest. I'm afraid she'll be taken advantage of in the future."
Zhū Quánxiù smiled and nodded. "She's very good. She looks decent and would be a good match for Shēngzǐ."
At the men's table, Youngest Uncle Liu Wénqiáng was already drunk.
Bare-chested, with one foot on a stool, he was spewing saliva everywhere.
"Let me tell you all! That king grass carp from this afternoon, over forty catties!"
That guy, with a flick of its tail, created waves a meter high! If I hadn't been a good swimmer and grabbed its waist, it would have escaped!"
Zhū Dàzhuàng, listening nearby, rolled his eyes and whispered to Zhū Xiǎomáo, "He's at it again. Shēngzǐ was the one who caught the fish."
Zhū Xiǎomáo put a piece of pork rib in his mouth and mumbled, "Let him brag. He gets restless if he doesn't boast."
Zhū Lìshēng's eldest cousin, Tián Wá, whose real name was Tián Yǒuzhì, but few in the village used it or even knew it, was called Tián Wá by everyone. He was specifically called by Zhū Lìshēng to help with the procedures for converting the fish pond into a fishing ground.
This eldest cousin was the most educated among all of Zhū Lìshēng's relatives and had achieved the most through his own efforts.
He currently worked in a government unit in the county. Although he was just a clerk, he was considered stable employment within the system, not to be underestimated.
Due to significant differences in thinking and perception, despite being cousins, they were the type of relatives who could only exchange three sentences when they met, and any more would lead to awkward silence.
With Eldest Aunt as the intermediary, their relationship remained in a state of being neither close nor distant.
Zhū Lìshēng also knew that without Eldest Aunt, they probably wouldn't even bother with him, as their levels were too far apart.
This eldest cousin was a rather serious person, focused on important matters, and never joked around.
He sat there, wearing glasses, looking refined, and his brow furrowed imperceptibly as he watched the noisy crowd.
He occasionally picked up his teacup and took a sip, not speaking or joining in, just observing everyone.
He was completely out of sync with the atmosphere.
The entire private room buzzed with human voices, clinking glasses, and lively chatter, as if it had nothing to do with him.
Meanwhile, Zhū Lìshēng was a bit flustered, unsure of where to begin.
He hadn't drunk much today and was being extremely attentive, constantly serving food to Liú Xǐ'ér.
"Have a chicken leg."
"This fish is good, no bones."
Liú Xǐ'ér just kept her head down, eating small bites from her bowl, her cheeks always flushed.
Zhū Fèng watched from the side, growing anxious, and continuously kicked Zhū Lìshēng under the table.
"What's the point of just serving her food? Say something!"
"Say... say what?"
"Ask about her family situation! Ask what she likes to eat! You blockhead!"
Just as Zhū