A handsome middle-aged man with a noble temperament nearby showed some appreciation for the girl who had just passed by: "What a coincidence! My son is also studying at Imperial Capital University and is also the top scorer in the college entrance examination in our Imperial Capital."
Li Muwu was not convinced when he heard this: "Does your son know how to fish?"
Xi Changbo was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously looked back, just in time to see his son coming around the corner with his schoolbag on his back. He quickly waved at him: "Junjie, come over and catch a fish for Dad."
Xi Junjie came back on the same bus with Zhenzhen today, but because Mingbei and Wang Xinwen were also on the bus, the two did not dare to sit together openly. After getting off the bus, Xi Junjie had to go to the newsstand to pick up the magazines he subscribed to, so he came back a little later than Zhenzhen.
Xi Junjie came over and called out, "Dad!" He then greeted the people fishing with him, "Hello, uncles."
"Oh, this is your son. He's so handsome." Among Li Muwu's limited vocabulary, this was the only way to praise someone's good looks. However, after looking at Xi Junjie's face, Li Muwu felt that his previous words were not enough. After thinking for a while, he added: "He's almost as good as my daughter."
Xi Changbo smiled and patted Xi Junjie on the shoulder: "This is my son, he is a student majoring in French in the Spanish Department of Imperial Capital University." He pointed at Li Muwu and Xi Junjie and said: "This is your uncle Li, he lives next door to us, and his daughter is also studying at your Imperial Capital University."
Xi Junjie's eyes lit up when he heard this. Needless to say, this person must be Li Mingzhen's father. He immediately smiled brightly and walked up to greet him enthusiastically: "Hello, Uncle Li, my name is Xi Junjie."
"Ah! Hmm!" Li Muwu looked at the exquisite young man in front of him and didn't know how to answer. When he was in Beicha before, people would call him Second Uncle or Second Uncle when they went out. This was the first time he heard such a solemn title like Uncle.
Xi Changbo was puzzled when he saw his son smiling at another person's father more enthusiastically than at himself. He turned his son's face and looked at him carefully, suspecting that he was a fake son.
Xi Junjie was just about to gain some favor in front of Li Muwu, but his father ruined his plan just after he finished speaking. His face instantly turned as dark as the bottom of a pot. Seeing the familiar expression, Xi Changbo breathed a sigh of relief: "Yes, this is my son. He has been like this since he was a child."
Li Muwu felt uncomfortable being approached by such a good-looking young man. Seeing the father and son of the Xi family staring at each other, he quickly breathed a sigh of relief: "Well, Old Xi, didn't you say your son can fish? Let him show us his skills."
Thinking of how Zhenzhen had shocked a group of people just now, Li Muwu couldn't help but feel proud. His daughter was pretty, good at studying, and excellent in all aspects. The more he thought about it, the more beautiful she became. When he was in Beicha, Li Muwu was always thinking about carrying more sacks to make money to support his family. He was so busy that he didn't even have time to talk. Now that he has a pension and lives a leisurely life, Li Muwu's personality is not as dull as before. After fishing with a few neighbors, he would also tell a few jokes. If he mentioned his daughter, he would talk at length and no one else could interrupt.
Xi Junjie glanced at Li Muwu, then took the fishing rod from Xi Changbo with gritted teeth. After hanging the bait on the rod and putting it down, Xi Junjie didn't know what to do and could only stare at the water in a daze.
Xi Junjie has been a very self-disciplined person since he was young. Whether he was abroad as a child or returned to the capital as a teenager, Xi Junjie strictly followed the plan in everything he did. However, pastimes like fishing were never on his schedule. Xi Junjie thought about it carefully and it seemed that Li Mingzhen was the only one who made him make an exception over the years.
Thinking of the girl he liked, Xi Junjie smiled. Li Muwu was dazzled by his smile and looked into the water in confusion: "Did you catch a fish?"
"Ding ding..." Suddenly, a car with a military camera on it drove over from the side of the river. Li Muwu saw the familiar number on the license plate and didn't bother to watch Xi Junjie fishing anymore. He immediately packed up his fishing rod and said, "My brother is here."
Li Muwen also saw Li Muwu and several familiar faces nearby from the car, so he whispered an order.
The car stopped and Li Muwen got out to greet the people around him. Among the families living in this area, except for Li Muwu's family who were ordinary people, the rest were retired or current high-ranking officials. Although they seemed to be having fun fishing together happily, each of them had some power behind the scenes.
Li Muwen now holds a very high rank in the military. Although these people who were fishing have retired and are no longer in the military, they still have their connections and know something about Li Muwen. They all greeted him and exchanged a few words.
The car had stopped at the gate of the old Li family. Xue Wenhua got out of the car, holding a handbag and waiting for Li Muwen with a smile. Li Muwen was not particularly familiar with them, so after saying hello, he asked Li Muwu to go home with him. Seeing Li Muwu carrying a fishing rod and looking very happy, Li Muwen smiled and asked him: "There is a pond in the backyard with a lot of fish in it, why don't you fish at home?"
Li Muwu touched his head and smiled: "It's boring to sit alone at home fishing. It's so lively to come out and play with them and chat."
Li Muwen hadn't expected that his brother could actually get along well with that group of people. He couldn't help but ask with a smile, "You've been fishing for about a month. Have you caught two fish in total?"
Li Muwu gestured and told Li Muwen: "I didn't catch much, but our Zhenzhen is very capable. Just now, Zhenzhen caught two big fish in just a few minutes, which stunned them all. They are so envious of me. Let me tell you, there is a carp this big and a catfish this long. They said they will stew eggplant for dinner."
There aren't many fish in the Beiyang Lake, so these people usually can't catch more than two fish a day. Occasionally they catch one or two, but they weigh only a little over a pound at most. So they were in awe when they saw Zhenzhen catch such a big fish.
Li Muwen remembered that he had eaten such a dish in Beicha before. It happened to be this month. He took Li Muwu, who was seven or eight years old, to a small ditch on the mountainside and caught a catfish weighing two kilograms. At that time, there were a lot of eggplants in the vegetable garden at home. Old Mrs. Li stewed the catfish and eggplants together. So many years have passed. Although I can't remember the taste of that pot of fish, I still remember the feeling of eating that pot of food. Although my life is better now, many dishes that I ate in my hometown are no longer available. The various stews in small towns are not presentable in places like the imperial capital. Especially Xue Aihua is a person who loves face, and he is particularly particular about food.
Li Muwen suppressed his chaotic mood and showed a bit of aftertaste on his face: "I haven't eaten it for many years. I want to try this dish again."
When they reached the gate, Li Muwu called her sister-in-law. Xue Aihua nodded with a polite smile on her face: "Are all the children back from school?"
"I just got home, just like you guys." Li Muwu said as he walked into the door.
Now that his mother has finally arrived in the capital, Li Muwen comes to the courtyard once a week unless he is too busy at work. Sometimes he comes alone, and sometimes he comes with Xue Aihua. If the army is on holiday, he brings his son and grandson with him as well.
Two guards followed behind, one carrying two roast ducks ordered from Quanjude, and the other holding a box of hairy crabs. Old Mrs. Li was listening to the radio in the yard. When she saw Li Muwen and his group coming in from the hanging flower gate, she immediately smiled and waved, "Are you here? I thought you would be here tomorrow. Wenwen, hurry to the kitchen and tell Zhenzhen to make two more dishes."
Li Muwen smiled and said, "Don't worry, I brought roast duck and crabs, we just need to stir-fry two vegetables."
There was a table and four chairs in the yard. The chair that Old Lady Li was sitting on was specially custom-made by Li Muwen. One could lie on it and rock back and forth, which was perfect for cooling off in the yard in the summer.
Wang Xinwen led the guards to deliver the food to the kitchen. Zhenzhen had just put the catfish into the pot when she heard that her uncle had brought roast duck and crabs. She washed her hands and went to receive them. The roast duck was already sliced and neatly placed in a box, still slightly warm. There was a box of sauces and a box of lotus leaf pancakes. Even the scallions and cucumbers were neatly cut and placed in the box.
The sliced roast duck was placed on a plate, with the meat at the bottom and the roasted, crispy duck skin on top. After two plates of roast duck were placed, Zhenzhen washed her hands and went to open the box of crabs.
When she opened the foam box, she saw a dozen hairy crabs with claws tied on them. Zhenzhen's eyes lit up immediately. She picked one up and it felt heavy in her hand. Just from the weight, she knew that the crab must be very fat.
Fresh crabs don't need too much seasoning, they are very delicious just by steaming them. Brush the crabs clean under the faucet, and put them in the steamer with their bellies facing up. Lao Li's family has a large steamer with two layers, eight crabs per layer, which is just enough to hold a box of crabs. The catfish in the pot is stewed until it is 70% to 80% cooked, Zhenzhen puts the eggplant in, and starts to cut the green onion and ginger into shreds to prepare the dipping sauce.
Wang Xinwen and Xie Yanan were both pregnant, so Zhenzhen took over the kitchen work whenever she was at home and asked them to help out. Nowadays, the vegetables grown in the garden are all fresh and juicy. You can pick a basin of cucumbers and persimmons and eat them directly after washing them with water. But thinking that my aunt was coming today, it would be inappropriate to bring a large basin, so Xie Yanan cut the persimmons into pieces and put two spoons of sugar on them; cut the cucumbers and cabbage leaves into shreds, put some fried minced meat and blanched vermicelli on top, and then drizzle chili oil on them, and then just mix them when you want to eat.
Zhenzhen was very skillful, and she had practiced cooking with Mr. Zhang every day during the summer vacation, so she prepared a large table of dishes in less than an hour. The temperature was a little cool at night, so Mrs. Li directed Mingxi and Mingbei to carry the large table to the front hall and moved a lot of chairs over.
A large pot of steamed crabs was served with dishes of ginger vinegar. Zhenzhen also heated a pot of rice wine and put it in hot water to warm it. Mingxi, Mingbei, Xie Yanan, and Wang Xinwen helped to bring the dishes to the table. Old Lady Li had already sat down with her two sons and two daughters-in-law.
Li Muwen washed his hands and helped Old Lady Li peel a crab and handed it to her: "Mom, please try it. Is it fresh?"
The crab in Li Muwen's hand was full of crab roe. Having a granddaughter who knows how to eat, Mrs. Li's taste became more picky. She didn't dip it in vinegar, but took a big bite of the crab roe first. In September and October every year, crabs are the most plump. Mrs. Li nodded repeatedly with a mouthful of crab roe: "Delicious, fragrant! The crab flavor is very strong!"
Li Muwen watched his mother eating happily and said quickly, "There's still some at home. How about I come back with me to stay for two days? I haven't stayed at my house since you guys moved in."
Xue Aihua's expression did not change at all when she heard this. She nodded and agreed, "There is a nanny at home to cook and clean the house. You can just enjoy yourself when you go there."
Old Lady Li drank a sip of warm rice wine and waved her hand with a smile: "Mom knows you are filial, but Mu Wule and I are used to living together, so we will feel uncomfortable if we move to a new place."
Xue Aihua looked at Li Muwen's expression of loss, smiled faintly and said nothing.
Actually, Xue Aihua is not a stingy person. Usually, Li Muwen would take food and daily necessities from the courtyard, and even bought a TV, and she had no objection. It was just that she had been used to a quiet life all her life, and she felt that it was too noisy when there were too many people at home. When Mrs. Li first came to the capital, the courtyard had not been cleaned up yet, so she also stayed at Li Muwen's house for a few days. Mrs. Li felt particularly tormented during those days. She also knew that Xue Aihua was not unfilial, but it was the first time for the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law to live together in so many years. They were very polite and distant to each other. Although they had everything they needed, they didn't have the comfort of home. Mrs. Li felt very uncomfortable living there.
Fortunately, after only a few days, Mrs. Li led the second son's family to move into the courtyard, and she was completely relieved. Mrs. Li has lived with Li Muwu and Wang Sufen for their entire lives, and they are very compatible with each other in terms of temperament, personality and living habits. It is no exaggeration to say that in Mrs. Li's heart, Wang Sufen is basically equivalent to her own daughter, and the other daughters-in-law cannot compare.
Li Muwen said this more than once, but seeing that Old Lady Li remained unshakable in her attitude, he could only smile helplessly.
Xue Aihua used to be a military doctor. Although she is now retired, her years of work habits have made her pay great attention to health preservation. She doesn't eat cold things like crabs. She won't touch the messy bowl of catfish stewed with eggplant. The roast duck is greasy and the salad is too cold. Fortunately, Zhenzhen cooked a pot of red dates, lotus seeds and red beans porridge. Xue Aihua drank a bowl of porridge and ate some stir-fried vegetables, so she didn't go hungry.
Xie Yanan and Wang Xinwen were pregnant, so Zhenzhen wouldn't let them eat crabs, but other dishes were fine. It was the first time Wang Xinwen had eaten roast duck since coming to the capital. Xie Yanan held a lotus leaf pancake in her hand and gently taught Wang Xinwen how to wrap the roast duck with it.
Wang Xinwen took the roast duck wrapped by Xie Yanan and took a bite. The crispy duck skin and the sweet noodle sauce with moderate sweetness had just the right texture, and the cucumber and green onion shreds inside just relieved the greasiness of the roast duck. After Wang Xinwen finished one, she couldn't wait to wrap the second one.
The two sisters-in-law were eating roast duck while talking and laughing quietly. Xue Aihua's eyes were warmed by their harmonious appearance. Holding hot tea in her hand, Xue Aihua smiled reservedly at Wang Sufen and said, "Yanan and Xinwen seem to have a really good relationship."
Wang Sufen raised her head, glanced at her two daughters-in-law, and immediately said with a smile on her face, "Not only the two of them, Guihua, Xiaoxi and the other four have always been very good. When we were in Beicha before, the children rushed to do any work after they came back for the New Year. No one refused to do anything. They are all honest people."
"Honest people..." Xue Aihua muttered, somewhat dazed. She had never paid attention to the virtue of honesty before. Even when choosing daughters-in-law, she always paid attention to family education, rules, and behavior. Although both daughters-in-law met Xue Aihua's requirements, the relationship between the sisters-in-law and the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law was too focused on rules and politeness, and lacked intimacy. Looking at Li Muwu's family, Xue Aihua always felt that her family lacked a bit of fireworks.
Xue Aihua sighed softly after taking a look at the smiling Li Muwen. No wonder her husband always liked to go to the courtyard. In fact, it was not only because Mrs. Li lived here. Li Muwen probably liked to come here because of the harmonious and friendly Li Muwu family. Thinking of her husband always saying that the family was cold, Xue Aihua was a little worried. If she and her daughter-in-law were asked to sit together and talk about family matters in such a warm and friendly way, she really couldn't do it.
Li Muwen held up his wine cup and clinked it with Old Lady Li and Li Muwu, then drank it in one gulp. He then picked up a piece of catfish with chopsticks, took a bite of the fish meat with relish, and immediately praised it with great enthusiasm: "This is the taste!" It is not known whether Li Muwen drank too much or was really thinking about his childhood: "This is the taste of the catfish stewed with eggplant that my mother made when I was a child. When I was fighting outside, I often thought of this dish she made for me."
Old Lady Li was cracking crabs in her hands, looking at Li Muwen with a cheerful look on her face: "If you like it, eat more. This is what Zhenzhen caught from the river in front after school."
Li Muwen was delighted when he heard this, and looked at Zhenzhen with a very loving look in his eyes: "I just heard from Muwu that Zhenzhen has this skill. I only knew that she was good at hunting, but I didn't expect that she could also fish."
Zhenzhen smiled at Li Muwen while wrapping the roast duck: "Uncle, you know where we are. When I was a kid, there was nothing to do. We just went up the mountains and down the rivers to chase roe deer, chase rabbits, and go fishing."
"Really." Li Muwen laughed: "If I hadn't heard from your grandma, I wouldn't have guessed you were so wild just by looking at your appearance. By the way, you've been studying at Imperial University for a semester. How are your grades? Are you adapting?"
Although Li Muwen came over for dinner every week, he only asked about his nephews and nieces' studies at the beginning of the school term and never mentioned it again. When Xue Aihua heard him asking about school, she looked up and looked at Zhenzhen with a little concern.
Of her husband's brothers, the only one Xue Aihua liked was Li Muwu's family, because all five of his children were successful and all were college graduates. Li Musen's family was honest and decent, but they had no ambition. As for Li Mulin's wife, Xue Aihua ignored her because she looked like a petty bourgeois.
Picking up the wet towel on the table and wiping her hands and mouth, Zhenzhen smiled particularly happily: "It's good. After the start of the semester, I applied to the school to study multiple majors at the same time, majoring in journalism and minoring in French and economics."
When Zhenzhen was studying two more majors, she did bring it up at home, but Mrs. Li and the others didn't understand and just told her not to overwork herself. Zhenzhen didn't tell Li Muwen about it, either, fearing that she wouldn't be able to take care of all three majors and it would be embarrassing to say it later. Now that she has received the special scholarship, Zhenzhen doesn't hide it anymore and must share her happiness with the whole family.
As expected, when they heard that Zhenzhen had taken three majors, Li Muwen and Xue Aihua both frowned: "Although all three majors are good, how can you balance them? Don't bite off more than you can chew. We should study one course well."
"The three majors have common public courses. I didn't miss any of the journalism courses except the unimportant ones. I also taught myself some of the economics and French courses. If I didn't understand something, I would ask the professor twice a week. Fortunately, I didn't miss too much." Zhenzhen said with a smile, but the slight smugness on her face was seen through by Mrs. Li at a glance: "How did you do in the final exam last semester? Did you get first place for me?"
Zhenzhen immediately answered, "I ranked first in journalism, second in French, and fourth in economics. Because my grades in all three majors were good, the school gave me a special scholarship."
"Special prize?" Old Lady Li opened her eyes wide and asked excitedly, "Is it better than the first place?"
"Yes!" Zhenzhen held up three fingers: "There are only three people in the whole school who received the special scholarship."
"Oh my god, she is worthy of being my granddaughter!" Old Mrs. Li's eyes narrowed into slits with joy. She immediately raised her glass and said generously: "Let's drink one for our daughter who is the top scholar in the imperial examination."
Li Muwu was the first to raise his glass in cooperation with Old Lady Li: "I'll have something to say tomorrow when I go fishing. Today, when I said that Zhenzhen was the top scorer in the college entrance examination in Heilongjiang Province, Old Xi next door was not convinced and said that his son was the top scorer in the imperial capital college entrance examination. Now that my daughter has received a special scholarship, she should be able to crush his son."
"Next door... Old Xi..." Zhenzhen looked unhappy and subconsciously looked in the direction of Xi Junjie's house.
Li Muwu slapped his thigh and said, "That's his family. I saw his kid today. He's quite good-looking and friendly. He kept pulling me to call him Uncle Li. I was completely confused." Seeing Zhenzhen's strange expression, Li Muwu picked up a cucumber and took a bite. "Hey, no, you two are both studying French, so do you know his kid? Did he get a scholarship?"
"I know him!" Zhenzhen smiled and replied, "He got a first-class scholarship, but he got first place in the French major."
"Oh, he got first place in the exam?" Li Muwu was a little worried after hearing this: "Then how should I play the flute tomorrow?"
The author has something to say: Thank you all for your votes, I love you guys
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