Chapter 416
“Uncle, this is the result of our discussion just now. I also have my own affairs, so I can’t return to Shanghai for the time being,” Su Xiaoxiao quickly repeated her situation.
Gu Jianhua furrowed his brow tightly as he listened but knew that she was making sense. In the end, he could only helplessly agree, “Then we’ll have to trouble you, Xiaoxiao. Don’t worry, our family will definitely remember your kindness. If anyone makes you unhappy or treats you badly, I’ll break their legs right away.”
“Thank you, Uncle,” Su Xiaoxiao immediately responded sweetly.
Zhu Peini, who had been watching her husband agree, quickly added, “Then I’ll call Zhiwei and Lijun.”
“No need to hurry, let’s first get lunch ready,” Gu Jianhua quickly said.
With eight people to feed at home today, they needed at least two or three people to cook in order to be on time.
But Jiang Yexun stepped forward and raised the corner of his mouth, saying, “I’ll do it. Just so happens I can cook some dishes Xiaoxiao likes to eat. You guys can check if I’ve made them well. If I don’t have anyone to guide me when we return to the Northeast, I won’t know how to make them.”
The reason he gave was particularly good, and his attitude was sincere.
The satisfaction of the Gu family members with him increased significantly.
“Alright, then come with me. Xiaoxiao loves the red braised ribs I make. Every time I make them, she ends up eating a second bowl of rice,” Gu Jianhua said with a smile.
Zhu Peini immediately took the money and was about to call the supply and marketing cooperative.
Su Xiaoxiao was afraid her two cousins would reject it again on the other end of the line, so she followed her aunt to persuade them directly.
Sure enough, after Zhu Peini spoke to her cousins, they immediately firmly opposed.
Su Xiaoxiao tried to reason with them for a while, and finally, she was able to convince them.
Zhu Peini, noticing that they had run out of fermented black bean paste and seeing the huge crowd in the supply and marketing cooperative, turned to Su Xiaoxiao and said, “Xiaoxiao, you wait here. I’m going to buy some fermented black bean paste and will be right back. Is there anything else you need? I’ll bring it for you.”
“Aunt, I don’t need anything,” Su Xiaoxiao obediently shook her head.
After Zhu Peini squeezed inside, Su Xiaoxiao stood by the public phone, thought for a moment, and then dialed a number.
The familiar voice soon came from the other end.
“Hello, is it Grandpa Zhang? It’s Su Xiaoxiao.”
Upon hearing her voice, Grandpa Zhang immediately laughed heartily, “Oh, it’s Xiaoxiao! Why are you calling us at this time? Is something wrong?”
“Not really. I’m getting married to Yexun this weekend, so I just wanted to let you and Granny Wang know in advance.”
“Married? You’re getting married so soon? Why didn’t you say so earlier? If you’d told me earlier, your grandma and I could have gone to Shanghai to attend your wedding!” Grandpa Zhang sounded a bit upset on the phone.
Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t tell him that she had been suspicious of the Zhang family people, so she had only dared to share the news after everything had been resolved. She could only awkwardly smile and explain, “There were some things at home, and we weren’t sure about the wedding date. Now that everything has settled down, we’ve set the wedding date.”
“Then you’re getting married the day after tomorrow? Isn’t it a bit rushed?” Grandpa Zhang asked, a little worried.
“It’s just a simple dinner with two tables, nothing too complicated. So it’s still doable,” Su Xiaoxiao explained.
Grandpa Zhang sighed regretfully but then said, “Well, when you two kids come to Beijing, I’ll have another two tables set for you.”
“Thank you, Grandpa Zhang,” Su Xiaoxiao didn’t decline.
Although she still wasn’t sure who the mastermind behind everything was, she felt that getting to know more people would be beneficial.
And when they went to Beijing, Su Xiaoxiao planned to take her brother along and see how Peng Huijing would react.
“By the way, now that you mention it, I just remembered. Your grandma and I sent you some New Year’s gifts a few days ago. It should arrive in the next couple of days. There’s quite a lot, so ask your brother and Jiang to come with you to pick it up, alright?”
“Got it, thank you, Grandpa Zhang,” Su Xiaoxiao thanked him obediently before hanging up the phone.
She stood there for a while, and soon after, Zhu Peini came out holding a bottle of fermented black bean paste in one hand and two bottles of orange soda from Jiangcheng in the other.
Because the supply and marketing cooperative was so crowded, she had been squeezed around to the point of looking quite disheveled.
Su Xiaoxiao quickly went up to her and helped straighten out her clothes and hair.
“Oh my, people in there were about to fight over the goods,” Zhu Peini said, feeling a bit exasperated.
Su Xiaoxiao smiled and said, “What can we do? There are so many of us Chinese, and the demand for New Year’s goods is huge. If you wait too long, things like peanuts, sunflower seeds, and candy will be sold out. Especially fruits—those are limited in sales every day. If you wait too long, there won’t be any left for the New Year.”
These days, people liked to visit others’ homes during the New Year.
If it was discovered that a home didn’t have the usual New Year essentials, that family would be the topic of gossip for the entire year.
No one wanted to lose face, especially since these things had symbolic meaning for a prosperous and smooth year.
“We’ve prepared everything this time, so we don’t have to worry. I even bought you two bottles of soda. You can drink them when we eat later,” Zhu Peini raised the two glass bottles.
Su Xiaoxiao immediately leaned against her and coquettishly said, “Aunt, you’re the best to me!”