novelnext Chapter 32: A Mismatched Couple
Chapter 32: A Mismatched Couple
Zeng Lijuan then instructed Yu Wei, "Fruits and such don't keep well. Put them in the refrigerator when you get back, and eat them quickly before they spoil."
"Okay!" Yu Wei readily agreed and carried his things upstairs with Huang Xiaochuan.
When Yu Wei's mother, Zheng Aiying, saw the two younger brothers carrying back a large pile of things, she looked at them with a puzzled expression: "Where did all this stuff come from?"
Yu Wei gestured with his lips, indicating that Huang Xiaochuan should answer.
Holding the tea and snacks, Huang Xiaochuan explained, "Aunt Zheng, I came back from Suzhou today and brought some local specialties. My mom asked me to give some to your family."
Zheng Aiying said politely, "This is too much. You didn't bring all of it from my house, did you?"
Huang Xiaochuan waved his hand and said, "No, no, my mom just picked some up randomly. Aunt Zheng, please don't think it's too little."
"Alright! I won't stand on ceremony with your mother. Since you're here, don't leave. Play some chess with your Uncle Yu. I'll make cold noodles for dinner, so you can eat at my house. Yu Wei, go and tell your Aunt Zeng and Uncle Huang not to make dinner."
Before Huang Xiaochuan could even exchange pleasantries, Yu Wei had already dashed down to the first floor.
However, Huang Xiaochuan went home first to take a shower and change his clothes before going to Yu Wei's house to play a few games of chess with Old Yu. They chatted while playing, and both sides won and lost.
In the late afternoon, Yu Wei and Huang Xiaochuan went to the small shop at the entrance of the compound and brought back two bundles of beer. At this time, beer was mostly sold in bundles of ten, so people usually bought one bundle at a time.
With wine, there must be food. Zheng Aiying quickly made a few cold dishes and arranged for Yu Min to buy some cooked food from the food stall.
Once everyone had arrived and all the dishes were served, Lao Yu said, "Lao Huang, it's hot, let's have some beer to quench our thirst."
Old Huang, who enjoys a drink, was naturally more than happy to oblige. He couldn't handle baijiu, but he could easily drink three bottles of beer. He secretly glanced at Zeng Lijuan, and seeing that she didn't intend to stop him, he readily agreed: "This day is perfect for a little beer, so I'll have a little with you then."
Old Yu then called to the two young brothers, Huang Xiaochuan and Yu Wei, "You two should have some too, but don't drink too much."
Yu Wei had already prepared the beer glasses. He cheerfully placed the glasses in front of everyone and skillfully opened four bottles of beer.
After a few rounds of drinks, Lao Yu asked with concern, "Xiao Chuan, did you get your acceptance letter?"
"I'll pick it up tomorrow, today is Sunday." Huang Xiaochuan replied while busy slurping the noodles into his mouth.
"Now you're a proper college student, let's have a drink!" Old Yu offered to pick up his beer glass.
Huang Xiaochuan quickly filled his glass with beer, stood up, and respectfully replied, "Thank you, Uncle Yu. I'll drink this first!"
Zheng Aiying said enviously, "Lijuan, how did you raise your son? He's not only handsome, but also a college student at a top university. He's truly talented and good-looking. You've finally made it through!"
"You're the same way. I envy you. Both your daughters are college graduates, and Yuwei became a government official after graduation. You'll be enjoying your retirement from now on!" Zeng Lijuan also flattered Zheng Aiying.
"Why don't you let your Xiao Chuan be my son-in-law? My second son is only two years older than him anyway," Zheng Aiying joked, half-jokingly.
Yu Min, who was slurping noodles, unfortunately got caught in the crossfire. She thought to herself, "Forget it, this Huang family kid is just an empty shell. He does nothing at home, just like my precious younger brother. Marrying him is like finding a father for myself!" Unfortunately, she didn't dare to interrupt or argue in front of outsiders, and rolled her eyes in frustration.
Yu Wei was shocked and didn't even know how to drink anymore. What a joke! His best friend was really going to become his brother-in-law? How could they ever have fun together again?
Huang Xiaochuan, who had just finished a beer and was busy slurping noodles, was so startled by these words that he almost spat out the noodles in his mouth due to the carbon dioxide rising from his stomach. Fortunately, he managed to cover it with his hand in time, but tragically, a noodle still managed to pop out of his nose.
Huang Xiaochuan held the bowl of noodles with one hand and covered his mouth with the other, his face turning red, and a noodle was hanging out of his nostril. The scene was almost like a social death.
Huang Xiaochuan frantically searched for tissues to wipe his nose while annoyed that his mother-in-law had arranged the marriage. He also wondered why it couldn't be the eldest son, Yu Xiang.
Unfortunately, he could only keep it to himself; Huang Xiaochuan would never dare to voice this thought now.
Zeng Lijuan first glared at her good-for-nothing son, then smiled and responded to Zheng Aiying's joke: "I think it's fine. I like both of your daughters. I would be more than happy if Yu Min were to become my daughter-in-law."
Yu Min forced a smile and then glared at Huang Xiaochuan, wishing she could kick him to death.
Huang Xiaochuan felt utterly wronged! He thought to himself, "What does this have to do with me? Do you think I'm happy about this?!"
Fortunately, Old Huang couldn't stand it anymore: "Why say these things in front of the children? How old are they! You mothers just like to talk to yourselves. Children have their own choices. Do you still think it's all about arranged marriages?"
Huang Xiaochuan silently applauded Lao Huang in his heart, quietly poured himself a glass of beer, then clinked his glass against Lao Huang's and drank his own beer.
Respect the old man Huang!
The two mothers continued gossiping, while Lao Huang and Lao Yu drank and chatted.
After Huang Xiaochuan and Yu Wei finished eating and drinking, they slipped out for a stroll to digest their food and cool off. Anyway, they didn't need to clean the table or wash the dishes, since Yu Min was there.
Yu Wei kicked a pebble far away, then asked Huang Xiaochuan, "What day do you plan to register at school?"
Huang Xiaochuan casually put his hands in his shorts pockets and replied nonchalantly, "I'll check the time on the notice. I plan to go there two days early to buy some sleeping mats, blankets, washbasins, toothbrushes, towels, and other necessities near the school."
Yu Wei asked, somewhat puzzled, "Didn't your family prepare these things for you?"
Huang Xiaochuan stepped onto the curb, took his hands out of his pockets, and spread his arms to maintain his balance. He used the curb as a balance beam, something he hadn't done in a long time. But he didn't stop talking: "Tch! What can't you buy in Shanghai? Just bring some money. Carrying blankets and pots and pans, making a racket like you're fleeing a disaster, makes it inconvenient to take a bus."
Somewhat tempted, Yu Wei scratched his head and hesitated, "That must cost a lot of money, right?"
While maintaining his balance, Huang Xiaochuan casually said, "A quilt and bed sheet don't cost much. Besides, it's hot now, so we don't need a quilt yet. We can buy one when the weather gets cooler."
Yu Wei felt that his good friend Huang Xiaochuan was acting differently after returning from Suzhou. He had given him such an expensive monkey stamp without batting an eye. Yu Wei had a lot of questions about him, and now he finally had a chance to ask him about it.
"Xiao Chuan, tell me honestly, where did you get that monkey stamp? Why do I feel like you're really rich now?"
Yu Wei's words immediately reminded Huang Xiaochuan. He wanted to slap himself a few times. He had lived two lives, how could he still have this problem? He became arrogant as soon as he had a little money. Now look what happened, how was he going to explain it?
What to do? He could only use his uncle as a scapegoat. Fortunately, Yu Wei knew that he had a township entrepreneur uncle.
"Ahem! I happened to run into my uncle when I went back this time. He closed a big deal, and because I did well on the college entrance exam, he was so happy that he gave me a big red envelope. Don't tell your family! This is my secret stash of money. If my mom finds out, it will all be confiscated." Huang Xiaochuan made up a reason and then asked Yu Wei to keep it a secret.
Yu Wei listened and wholeheartedly agreed, "That's right! That makes sense now."
However, he still asked curiously, "How big a deal did your uncle close? How much was a big red envelope?"
"Tens of millions! It was an export order, and they gave me a 10,000 yuan bonus."
Upon hearing this, Yu Wei froze, exclaiming in shock, "Holy crap, they gave you ten thousand?!"
Seeing Yu Wei's reaction, Huang Xiaochuan patted his chest and thought, "Damn it, it's a good thing I only said 10,000. If I had said my uncle gave me 220,000, you would have been on cloud nine!"
Yu Wei, who quickly regained his senses, excitedly hugged Huang Xiaochuan's neck and shouted, "Damn, you're a total tycoon now!"
Huang Xiaochuan, mimicking Yu Wei, shook off his arm and said with a look of disgust, "Can't we keep our distance in this heat? Aren't you afraid of getting heat rash?"
Yu Wei stubbornly clung to Huang Xiaochuan: "Don't worry, just buy me prickly heat powder if I get prickly heat."
Huang Xiaochuan laughed and cursed, "Get lost, stop disgusting me, okay?"
Yu Wei suddenly thought of something and reminded Huang Xiaochuan, "Let me tell you, if you say you'll buy your luggage after you arrive in Shanghai, your mom will definitely suspect you."
Yu Wei's words really reminded Huang Xiaochuan, and he realized, "Oh right, if I don't bring anything, I'll definitely be exposed."
Huang Xiaochuan gets a headache just thinking about going to school, carrying a straw mat under his left armpit, a blanket under his right armpit, a quilt and a washbasin on his back, and a hot water bottle, shoes and a change of clothes in his hands.