69novels Chapter 104 The Feast at Hongmen
Chapter 104 The Feast at Hongmen
Gao Jie couldn't bear to look at her own son looking so worthless!
He took off his clothes to be used as a cushion. He used to be someone who couldn't stand even a little wrinkle in his clothes, but now he didn't even flinch when someone sat on his clothes. He was even offering to let them sit on him!
And those green beans! He used to never touch them, never even reaching for vegetables with green beans with his chopsticks. But now, people are feeding him with chopsticks, and he eats them with gusto! Haha!
Not to mention, he's also good at joking around. He teases and coaxes people, and his lips are always upturned. He looks at people with a doting expression no matter what they say. It's unbearable to watch!
Amazing!
She had never seen her son smile at a girl before. He always had a stern face, like an ice block. He would only talk to Tingting a few more times. She was worried that her son wouldn't know how to interact with girls. She thought that if any girl married him, she would suffer. He was cold and indifferent and didn't know how to say sweet words. Now that she thinks about it, she was just worrying for nothing. He was very good at handling things. He would carry her lunchbox and accompany her for walks. If she wanted the stars in the sky, she would probably find a ladder to climb up and pick them. He was not someone who would suffer.
But in ancient times, cousins were the ones who lived together; I've never seen cousins dating!
Sin!
What should we do...?
Gao Jie was so worried that her forehead was almost folded into three layers.
In the past, when she encountered something, she could consult her younger brother-in-law Zhang Mei. But now that Shen Qing is her brother-in-law's illegitimate daughter, she has to help keep it a secret from Zhang Mei. It's just adding to the trouble and chaos.
Gao Jie continued to follow her son, to see what the two of them were going to do next.
Cheng Zheng dropped Lin Shuyao off at the restaurant and stood outside waiting for her to finish get off work. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, he could see her clearly inside.
Watching her inside, always smiling, bowing and scraping to customers, bustling around like a bee carrying plates, he started calculating his savings. He figured he had to give her all of it, not wanting her to work so hard.
Cheng Zheng's mind was entirely on Lin Shuyao, so his usual vigilance naturally decreased. He didn't notice the teahouse across the street at all, where a gaze was fixed on him.
It's her biological mother, Gao Jie.
Gao Jie was inside the teahouse, ordered a pot of tea, and watched her son's figure across the street. At first, she didn't know what her son was doing there, but when she saw Lin Shuyao dressed as a waitress clearing the table for the customers by the window, she realized that her son was waiting for them to get off work.
After waiting for more than an hour, Gao Jie herself couldn't sit still anymore. She was tired and hungry. This kind of stalking work is not something ordinary people can do. But when she looked at her son, he was incredibly patient, still standing there, calm and unhurried.
It's unbearable to look at!
Gao Jie slammed her teacup on the table, got up to pay the bill, and stormed home.
She's still too concerned about saving face. She believes in keeping family scandals private and is used to hiding everything. If it were Zhang Mei in this situation, she would have dragged her son home this morning.
But she couldn't do it; she was too embarrassed to make a scene in public, so she could only sulk at home.
"Mom, what's wrong? You look so pale." Gao Tingting was reading a storybook on the sofa after finishing her meal when she saw her mother enter the house with a worried look on her face.
"It's nothing," Gao Jie replied casually, then suddenly remembered that her daughter and Shen Qing were close. Since she couldn't control her son, she might as well try to get through to Shen Qing. She rubbed her forehead and sat down on the sofa. "Oh dear, I'm so worried. The logistics department sent a big piece of beef, and we have guests coming over for dinner the day after tomorrow. I want to make tomato, potato, and beef brisket, the Soviet style, but I don't know how... Hey Tingting, doesn't your factory have a lot of Soviet experts? Do you know them? Could you ask them how to make this dish back then?"
"I don't speak Russian, how can I ask..." Gao Tingting didn't think much of it, racking her brains following her mother's words, when suddenly she slapped her forehead, "Hey, that's right, Mom! You've really asked the right person! Qingqing can cook Soviet food, and she's really good at it! She cooks all the meals for the experts at our factory, she's even better than that Chef Liu!"
Gao Jie replied with delight, "That would be great! Why don't you invite Xiao Shen over for dinner this weekend, and teach me how to cook Soviet dishes while you're at it?"
"Okay, I'll tell Qingqing when I'm at work tomorrow." Gao Tingting was also thinking of inviting Shen Qing over for dinner, which would be a good way to ease the tension between her mother and Shen Qing. After all, Shen Qing was her cousin. But there was something strange. "Mom, why are you suddenly trying to learn Soviet cuisine? Can't you cook beef in other ways? None of our family or friends like that stuff."
Gao Jie casually made up an excuse: "It's always good to have more skills. What's wrong with me learning some?"
Gao Tingting knew her mother had acted on a whim, and said, "Hehe, whatever makes you happy."
Gao Jie instructed, "By the way, don't tell your brother about Shen Qing coming to our house yet. And don't let Xiao Shen tell your brother either."
Gao Tingting was confused: "Why? My brother isn't home for dinner on Saturday?"
Gao Jie: "Of course he'll be there on the weekend, and he's the main character. Anyway, don't say anything yet. I'm afraid he won't let Xiao Shen come over, and I'm also afraid Xiao Shen will feel embarrassed and won't want to come. Anyway, just do as I say, remember?"
Gao Tingting, being rather dim-witted, didn't think much of it and simply said, "Okay."
She executed it very well.
On Saturday morning, Lin Shuyao came to the Cheng family home with Gao Tingting. Cheng Huazhang was away on a business trip, and Cheng Zheng had gone out in the morning and wouldn't be home until lunchtime, so he didn't know Lin Shuyao was coming.
"Hello, Aunt Gao." It was her first time visiting, and Lin Shuyao had brought some fruit and snacks. To be honest, she was nervous when Gao Jie invited her to dinner. But since Gao Jie was an elder, Uncle Cheng's wife, and Cheng Zheng's mother, she couldn't refuse, so she had no choice but to come.
"I didn't know what Auntie and Uncle liked to eat, so I just bought a little something." Lin Shuyao said with a smile, making polite remarks, and casually placed the things on the table by the entrance.
"Oh, Xiao Shen, you've come all this way. Why did you bring anything? Please, make yourself at home." Gao Jie was quite pleased to see that she had brought fruit and snacks. It wasn't that she was after the small gift, but rather that she felt Xiao Shen was quite considerate in her dealings with others and knew that she couldn't arrive empty-handed.
Gao Jie greeted her warmly, carried the things on the table to the kitchen, poured a glass of water from the kitchen, and handed it to Lin Shuyao, saying, "Have some water and rest for a bit."
"Thank you, Auntie." Lin Shuyao took the water, sat down on the sofa, and took a small sip.
Gao Jie sat down on the single sofa next to her and looked her over closely.
Lin Shuyao was dressed casually today, wearing a pink thin sweater layered over a white Peter Pan collar shirt. She had a slender back and waist, and her bust was not exaggerated. She wore gray trousers, and when she sat down, you could see that her legs were very straight and well-proportioned.
Her hair was braided and hung loosely over one shoulder. She had no bangs, and some natural wisps of hair fell down on both sides of her face. Her face was small and delicate, with red lips and white teeth, beautiful eyebrows and eyes, and skin as smooth and delicate as a baby's, without a single visible pore. It was fair with a rosy glow and had an incredibly healthy complexion.
It is indeed beautiful.
Gao Jie stared at her and sighed inwardly.
Let alone men, even a middle-aged woman like her found it beautiful and pleasing to the eye.
It's just that their social status is not respectable.
Hey.
"Xiao Shen, I heard you're very good at Soviet cuisine. We happen to have some guests coming for lunch soon. If you're rested, shall we go to the kitchen now? Could you teach Auntie a thing or two?"
Seeing that Lin Shuyao had finished drinking most of her glass of water, Gao Jie spoke up at the opportune moment.
"Okay, Auntie, I've rested enough." Lin Shuyao put down her water glass and stood up.
Gao Tingting also stood up: "I'll go learn too."
The three of them went into the kitchen together.