Chapter 406
However, once Su Xiaoxiao entered the house, she immediately left Gao Lanwen and Chen Shuxuan behind in her thoughts.
She hadn’t had much interaction with these two before, and now there would be even less.
By the time Jiang Yexun finished his work in the kitchen and came out, six dishes and a soup were already laid out on the dining table.
Apart from four Northeastern dishes, two were authentic Shanghainese dishes.
Originally, Su Xiaoxiao’s grandparents had thought that Jiang Yexun was just being polite when he said he could cook, but that the food would only be passable.
But when they saw the dishes on the table, which were rich in color, fragrance, and taste, they were all stunned.
“Your cooking skills are really quite good,” Grandpa Gu murmured in admiration.
“It’s nothing special. Just practice makes perfect. If I had to make two more dishes, I wouldn’t be able to,” Jiang Yexun humbly replied.
Grandpa Gu and Granny Lin didn’t immediately respond. They each picked up a piece of food and tasted it carefully.
The rich, soft flavor made them nod approvingly. “This isn’t just practice making perfect, it’s talent in cooking!”
After all, there were very few men in the city who could cook, and to think that Jiang Yexun, from the countryside, would actually be willing to cook these dishes in the kitchen.
What was even more important was that he wasn’t obsessed with cooking; he was also capable of making money.
Looking around, not a single young man of his age could make as much money as he did.
Su Xiaoxiao listened to her grandparents praising Jiang Yexun and smugly swayed her head. “Men are naturally more talented in cooking than women. Otherwise, why are most chefs men, and so few women? Moreover, we’re used to flipping the pan while cooking. Women don’t have as much strength as men, so they can’t flip it like men do.”
“You little rascal, you’re getting benefits and still acting coy,” Granny Lin said, somewhat helplessly, as she gave Su Xiaoxiao a glare.
Su Xiaoxiao shrank her neck and didn’t dare to act smug anymore.
But no one else said anything more. The family happily ate the delicious dishes, finishing two bowls of rice and stuffing themselves.
After they sat back on the sofa, Jiang Yexun immediately went to wash and cut fruit.
Granny Lin then grabbed Su Xiaoxiao’s hand and, with some helplessness, said, “What were you thinking, child? Why did you mention the dowry and that little house in front of outsiders? These people are so jealous, you don’t know how they might gossip about you behind your back. If any envious person goes to report it, even if nothing serious happens, it’s still a huge hassle.”
“Right now, the people from the Disciplinary Office probably wouldn’t dare to meddle with my business after hearing my name,” Su Xiaoxiao said, widening her eyes and playfully blinking.
This time, it wasn’t just her grandparents who were curious, even Aunt Zhu Peini looked at her with a curious expression.
Su Xiaoxiao, of course, couldn’t tell them about her encounter with the spy and how she was framed by the Disciplinary Office director. But without thinking, she quickly invented another version.
“My brother is working with the National Security Office comrades to investigate the spies. Most of the people from the Disciplinary Office have been arrested. The remaining staff at the Disciplinary Office will probably tremble in fear if they hear about our Su family.”
Grandpa Gu and Granny Lin’s faces showed some pride as they smiled. “We were wondering why Hongchen didn’t come visit us sooner; it turns out he’s been busy. But he’s from the army, how did he suddenly get involved with the National Security Office?”
Su Xiaoxiao feigned a puzzled expression, tilting her head.
But Granny Lin still wasn’t fully reassured and said, “No matter what, you mustn’t show off your wealth.”
“I’ll show a little in Shanghai, but when we go back, I won’t talk about anything I bought here to the brigade. Back in the brigade, it’s still the usual three turns and one ring, plus two hundred yuan as the bride price,” Su Xiaoxiao quickly explained.
Granny Lin, seeing that Su Xiaoxiao already had a plan, felt much more at ease.
In the afternoon, Granny Lin and Grandpa Gu decided to nap, and Gao Lanwen took Su Xiaoxiao and Jiang Yexun out to buy some New Year’s goods and vegetables.
When they returned, the elderly couple had just woken up, and they could give Jiang Yexun all the recipes for the dishes that Su Xiaoxiao had loved since childhood.
In the evening, Su Xiaoxiao’s uncle got off work and once again pulled Jiang Yexun aside to ask all the essential questions.
After receiving a satisfactory answer, he issued another round of warnings, and only then did Jiang Yexun take Su Xiaoxiao home.
Because it was getting late and they had been out all day, he was worried that his little one might be exhausted, so he didn’t want to take up too much of her time and directly sent her back to the Su family’s house.
Even when they got to the stairs, he didn’t pull her into the hallway to be affectionate.
“By the way, I have something to take care of tomorrow, so I won’t be coming in the morning. I’ll try to come see you at dinner. Don’t run around by yourself at home. Although the spies seem to have been arrested, there might still be some who slipped through the cracks. You still need to be careful,” Jiang Yexun looked at Su Xiaoxiao and said, concerned.
“Mm-hmm!” Su Xiaoxiao nodded perfunctorily.
Her shiny black eyes were fixed on Jiang Yexun, looking at him intently, as if waiting for a kiss like a little baby animal.
Jiang Yexun swallowed hard, then reached out to cover her eyes.
“Good girl, don’t look at me like that. I have to go now. Don’t miss me, I’ll rush back as soon as I’m done tomorrow,” he said hurriedly.
He then pulled out a thick envelope full of money and tickets from his pocket and handed it to Su Xiaoxiao. “Buy whatever you want. If the money isn’t enough, just let me know. There are also foreign exchange vouchers inside; I exchanged them a few days ago.”
Without waiting for Su Xiaoxiao to say anything, he quickly turned and rushed down the stairs.
Su Xiaoxiao, a little weak in the legs, leaned against the doorframe. After resting for a moment, she looked at the thick stack of money in her hands.
Her lips involuntarily curled into a smile of joy.
Indeed, where a man’s money is, love is there.
The next day, Su Xiaoxiao woke up naturally. By the time she opened her eyes, the house was empty.
She leisurely washed up, reheated the congee and small dumplings on the table, ate, and hurried out the door.
Last time, she hadn’t had time to properly visit the junkyard because someone was with her.
This time, since she was alone, Su Xiaoxiao dove into the junk like a wild horse running free.
The weather was already quite cold, and with the New Year approaching, no one came to the junkyard.
Even Grandpa Zhai wasn’t outside with his radio, and he had shrunk into the back room, warming himself by the charcoal fire.
The Shanghai junkyard was much wealthier than others, and Su Xiaoxiao rummaged through stacks of plates and bowls taller than her, finding five Qing Dynasty official kiln pieces, three from the Song Dynasty, and one from the Tang Dynasty.
In books and newspapers, she also saw three or four scrolls of paintings and calligraphy, including works like the “Kuang Lu Map,” “Xishan Travel Map,” “Maolin and Distant Peaks,” personal letters, cursive script from Du Zimei’s travel letters, and a copy of the Tang Dynasty’s Huaisu’s “Holy Mother.”