Blind Date
Zhou Sirlang not only changed into a new outfit but also deliberately washed his hair. Zhou Dalang had already been informed by his wife about the meeting scheduled for tomorrow, and when he saw her, he couldn't help but smile.
Early the next morning, Zhou Dalang took Xiaozhen and a group of children to bring gifts to his uncle and father-in-law's house. Zhou Erlang and Zhou Sanlang also brought their wives and children back to their in-laws' homes. Text: ### The Zhou family was left with only Lao Zhoutou and his wife, along with their four children and Zhou Xi. ###
Early in the morning, Zhou Xi swept the courtyard and arranged everything neatly. Afterward, she took out the prepared snacks and candies and placed them on the table.
Upon seeing this, Xiaozhen said, "Put them away first. The guests won't arrive so soon."
Zhou Xi picked up a piece of snack and handed it to Manbao, saying, "We'll have to take them out sooner or later." Our family currently has an abundance of these snacks.
Xiaozhen felt a pang in her heart. How could they not have these snacks?
They didn't know, but she did. Currently, there was less than a dime in the money box at home, and that was the last bit of money from the yams the children had brought in.
The New Year was approaching, and this money definitely couldn't be touched. Indeed, Lao Si would need to borrow money from Zhou Xi to marry a wife.
If it weren't for the Winter Solstice, the daughters-in-law would all be returning to their parents' homes, and Xiaozhen might not even be willing to spend money on buying snacks.
She turned to look at her daughter, who was enjoying the snacks, and smiled slightly. She picked up a piece and gave it to Zhou Xi, then rearranged the snacks on the table so that they didn't appear depleted. "You should also have some."
This time, the matchmaker introduced a girl named Yao from Dali Village. Her cousin got married in their village, and she was considered a sister-in-law to Xiaozhen. She had to address the other party as "sister-in-law."
Of course, the person wouldn't be brought directly to the door; instead, they would first visit her cousin and then be escorted to the house by her cousin. The reason provided was the excuse of visiting her cousin, so that if things didn't work out, it wouldn't affect the reputation of both the man and the woman.
So, this was the second gate, and naturally, the guests wouldn't arrive so quickly.
Manbao was particularly curious about the girl whom her fourth brother was going to meet. This was her first time meeting a blind date, and she had no other option. When she was born, her third brother was already married, so she didn't have the chance to meet him.
She was particularly excited all morning. For this reason, she heartlessly refused Bai Shanbao's invitation to go to the river to look for wild duck eggs and chose to stay at home and wait.
Voices came from outside the main gate, and a familiar voice could be heard. Manbao was the first to jump up and run outside; even Xiaozhen, who reacted quickly, couldn't catch her.
She looked at Zhou Xi helplessly, and Zhou Xi hurriedly went out to greet them.
Manbao saw the person outside and called out, "Auntie Yao!"
Yao was Zhou Dahong's mother, belonging to the same generation as Xiaozhen. Her family resided in the center of the village, at a certain distance from Manbao's family. But the village was so small that everyone frequently encountered each other.
Seeing Manbao rushing out like a little calf, she smiled and said, "It's Manbao. Is your mother at home?"
"Yes, she is," Manbao's gaze landed precisely on the tall girl behind her, her eyes gleaming. "My mother is at home." Auntie Yao, please come inside.
Accompanying Yao were three individuals: a matchmaker whom Manbao was already familiar with, a young girl, and a woman of similar age to Yao, who was quietly assessing Manbao.
As Yao led them inside, she smiled and said, "My cousin's daughter came to see me today." "There's not much to eat in the winter, and I heard that your family made tofu yesterday, so I came to ask for a couple of pieces, and also to see how your mother is doing."
As she spoke, Zhou Xi had already followed and come out of the house. She greeted them with a smile, saying, "Auntie Yao is here." "Please come inside."
Yao smiled and introduced her sister-in-law, "This is the eldest daughter of the Zhou family."
Fang knew about it. Before arriving, she had already heard about the eldest sister in the Zhou family who had returned, unable to bear children, and had separated from her husband's family.
Although she was mentally prepared, after looking at the eldest sister and then at the child standing beside her with a smile, she still felt a little dissatisfied.
Once inside, all the excuses for the visit were presented, and there was no need to be overly subtle. Yao and the matchmaker, who were familiar with both families, facilitated introductions between them.
Zhou Xi had gone out to make tea at some point, and Zhou Sirlang brought it into the room, while Manbao was taken outside by Zhou Xi.
Zhou Sirlang blushed as he entered the room and served tea to everyone.
Manbao was not honest at all. She and her two brothers, Zhou Wulang and Zhou Liulang, were secretly eavesdropping at the door, thoroughly enjoying themselves.
After watching, they whispered to each other, "I think Fourth Brother looks like a young bride."
Zhou Wulang glanced at the blushing Yao and whispered, "But Yao doesn't seem like a mature husband either."
Xiaozhen didn't allow Zhou Sirlang to leave; instead, she had him stand to the side and listen to everyone's conversation.
Since it was a blind date, it was certainly not just idle talk. There were certain things that everyone had to clarify. The most concerning issue for the Yao family was Zhou Sirlang's character, particularly whether he still gambled.
Xiaozhen explained that the child had been lured and had made a mistake last year. Since then, he has changed and never repeated the same behavior.
Fang's expression improved significantly at that time, and she also talked about her daughter.
The matchmaker intervened, praising both the girl's and the boy's families, and then smiled at them, allowing them to engage in some free conversation.
Fang then turned to look at her daughter, who was lowering her head and blushing. Xiaozhen caught her eye and smiled, "Yao, being young, feels bored with us old folks." "I'll let my little girl take you out to play."
With that, she glanced at the door, and Manbao's little head quickly retracted. After a while, her head popped out again.
Xiaozhen smiled at her and beckoned, "Manbao, come and take your sister Yao out to play."
She said to Yao, "Don't be fooled by her young age." She knows the best places to have fun in the village.
Yao glanced at her mother, then blushed and nodded.
Xiaozhen then said to Zhou Sirlang, "You go with them, watch over your sister, and make sure she doesn't bully Yao, understand?"
This was to give the two of them a chance to be alone.
Zhou Sirlang smiled and agreed.
Yao glanced at her mother, and when her mother agreed, she blushed and got up to go out with Manbao and Zhou Sirlang.
With the children gone, the adults were more at ease, and Fang began to subtly assess the main room of the Zhou family.
Meanwhile, outside the courtyard, Manbao was looking up at Yao with curiosity.
Yao blushed as he was being looked at and asked in a low voice, "Why do you keep staring at me?"
Manbao said, "Yao, you're really beautiful."
Yao's face turned even redder, and she couldn't even look at Zhou Sirlang beside her. She stammered, "You shouldn't say that."
She turned and walked away, her face red.
Manbao was puzzled and looked up at Zhou Sirlang. "What's wrong with saying someone is beautiful?" Whenever I praised someone for their beauty in the past, they were always happy.
Zhou Sirlang couldn't understand either, and he blurted out, "Maybe she doesn't want to be beautiful?"