Seeing Xi Junjie's serious expression with a hint of nervousness, Zhenzhen's heart suddenly melted into a pool of water. She couldn't help but reach out and pinch Xi Junjie's face, with an unstoppable smile on her face.
Xi Junjie looked at Zhenzhen and smiled. He couldn't help but also smiled brilliantly, which actually looked a little silly.
Old Mrs. Li coughed twice and couldn't help turning her head away, feeling a little embarrassed. What a kid Zhenzhen is. In front of someone else's mother, could she not take advantage of someone else's son so blatantly
Ling Xiulan looked at her son's silly smile and felt her hands itching. She wanted to pinch his face a few times. When Xi Junjie was young, he had a sweet and cute smile. After he entered primary school, teachers and classmates liked to pinch his face. After being pinched so many times, Junjie stopped smiling and usually had a stern face and refused to let anyone touch him.
Seeing that Zhen Zhen was not satisfied with pinching Xi Junjie with just one hand and actually used both hands to pinch him and refused to let go, Ling Xiu Lan was immediately overjoyed. This was really a case of there being always someone stronger than you. Her face was pinched until it turned a little red, but she was still as happy as if she had picked up a gold ingot.
"Cough cough cough..." Wang Sufen couldn't bear to watch it any longer, and coughed hard for a while. Zhenzhen then realized that there were three onlookers in the room, and silently retracted her hand. Seeing that there were red handprints on Xi Junjie's face, Zhenzhen guiltily went up and wiped it twice, trying to cover up her own evidence.
Wang Sufen was too embarrassed to look at him. She had to touch him twice, and she was not satisfied with the advantage. What was that? Her father was right. Her daughter was too shameless.
Ling Xiulan almost laughed out loud when she saw this. Seeing her in-laws' embarrassment, she kept comforting them: "It's okay, young people in love are like this. Don't you know that when we were in France, young people there were so exaggerated in their love affairs that they wanted to hug and kiss each other on the street."
Wang Sufen trembled with fear, and said, "Stop talking, my dear in-laws. What if my daughter learns it? Can't you see that my daughter's eyes are already circling around your son's lips?"
Fortunately, Zhenzhen was not blinded by the beauty. She used her strong willpower to move her face away. Looking at the three faces with different expressions, Zhenzhen smiled awkwardly and said, "Well, Aunt Ling, let's have lunch here at noon. Junjie and I will go and make it."
Ling Xiulan has been able to taste her son's cooking quite often recently. Ever since Xi Junjie discovered that Zhenzhen had no resistance to delicious food, he would cook a few side dishes from time to time and bring them to her dates. Usually at this time, Xi Junjie would also make an extra portion for his greedy parents.
Ling Xiulan never tires of her son's cooking, and the two families are familiar with each other, so Ling Xiulan didn't hesitate to agree. Zhenzhen smiled, rolled up her sleeves and glanced at Xi Junjie: "Wait for me, I'll mix some nutrient solution for the peonies, and we'll go cook after watering the flowers."
When he heard the word "we two", Xi Junjie felt that he was a little bit floating again. Who made up this word? Why does it sound so pleasant
Zhenzhen ran out, and after a long time she came back with half a bucket of yellowish liquid. She stopped Xi Junjie's hand that wanted to help, and Zhenzhen poured half a scoop of "nutrient solution" into each pot of peony flowers. When she poured the last pot, the "nutrient solution" was just used up. While Zhenzhen went to put down the bucket to wash her hands, Ling Xiu Lan squatted nervously in the peony pot, observing the changes of the peony.
Although she knew that Zhenzhen would not be able to make the flowers bloom just by watering them with nutrient solution once, Ling Xiulan was too nervous about the flowers and wished that the peonies would bloom now so that she could breathe a sigh of relief. However, after looking around, the peonies did not seem to have changed. After squatting for ten minutes, Ling Xiulan felt her legs were a little numb. Just as she was about to stand up by holding on to the chair, a flower bud moved slightly. Ling Xiulan looked over nervously, but found that although the flower bud was still wilting, it seemed to be much more energetic. Ling Xiulan breathed a sigh of relief.
Seeing that it was already eleven o'clock, Zhenzhen put on her coat and went to the kitchen with Xi Junjie. Wang Sufen saw her daughter happily holding the boy's hand and walking out, and she really wanted to follow them. She was really afraid that her daughter would do something to the boy again if they were in a place where no one could see them.
But the future mother-in-law is here, and as a mother, she can't ruin her daughter's show. Wang Sufen took a bag of pine nuts with a lot of thoughts in her mind, and handed it to Ling Xiulan with a pair of tongs: "These are the pine nuts from our hometown. We fried them ourselves. Not only are they big, but they are also very fragrant. Try them."
In the yard, Zhenzhen held Xi Junjie's hand and ran very fast. After pulling Xi Junjie into the kitchen and closing the door, Xi Junjie suddenly smiled: "Zhenzhen, if you look like this, will I misunderstand what you want to do to me?"
Zhen Zhen ran with a slightly red face. She rubbed her face and looked at Xi Junjie: "You think too much. I just don't wear enough and feel a little cold."
"But, I suddenly want to do something to you." Xi Junjie stretched out his arms and hugged Zhenzhen's waist, pulling her into his arms with force.
Zhenzhen subconsciously put her hands on Xi Junjie's arms and held them tightly. Only then did she realize that although Xi Junjie didn't look fat, his body was very firm. She pinched his upper arms curiously, then reached out and pressed his chest. She could actually feel the shape of his muscles through his sweater.
The momentum that Xi Junjie had gathered with great difficulty was easily dispersed by Zhenzhen in a few moves. He looked at Zhenzhen with a red face, and gradually tightened his arms, pressing her body tightly against his own.
After dating for a few months, the two of them just hold hands at most. Zhenzhen touching Xi Junjie's face is only an occasional behavior. Xi Junjie was very bold this time to hold Zhenzhen in his arms.
Maybe it was because Zhenzhen looked at Xi Junjie with too much passion, Xi Junjie couldn't resist and pressed her into his arms. Zhenzhen stretched out her arms and wrapped them around Xi Junjie's waist, feeling the young body trembling slightly because of her actions.
"Why do you suddenly want to hug me?" Zhenzhen asked, burying her head in Xi Junjie.
Xi Junjie suddenly smiled. He lifted up Zhenzhen's face and looked at her seriously: "You have already taken the lead in confessing and holding hands. I think if I slow down, you might hug me first one day, so I took the initiative."
"Honestly." Zhen Zhen put her arm on Xi Junjie's arm and looked at him: "Did you want to hug me when we first started dating?"
Instantly, the tips of Xi Junjie's ears began to turn red again. He tried hard to control the heat on his face, hugged Zhenzhen's waist tightly and smiled softly: "Li Mingzhen, do you know what the biggest change in me is after being with you?" Looking at Zhenzhen's curious eyes, his gaze stayed on Zhenzhen's lips: "My skin is getting thicker and thicker."
Zhenzhen was just about to say that they had just come to the point when her lips were suddenly blocked. Zhenzhen felt the warm and trembling lips covering her mouth, but before she could taste it, the lips had already left her suddenly.
Perhaps knowing that his actions were too bold, Xi Junjie's ears not only turned red, but even his neck felt a little hot. Zhenzhen touched her lips, always feeling that something was not enough.
"Are you trying to take the initiative this time?" Zhenzhen's eyes were somewhat reluctant. Her gaze revolved around Xi Junjie's lips. She was seriously considering whether she should take the initiative as well. After all, with such a handsome face, it would be difficult for her to remain calm every day.
"Actually, I'm a little nervous." Xi Junjie said incoherently, "I'm worried that you'll be angry."
"We are lovers, aren't we?" Zhenzhen smiled and said, "We will get married in the future."
Xi Junjie's eyes immediately lit up like the moon on August 15th, and he nodded vigorously. After being hit by the light of the day, Xi Junjie had lost some confidence in himself. Zhenzhen's words were like a shot of adrenaline, and instantly made Xi Junjie feel relieved.
Looking at Xi Junjie's sunny smile, Zhen Zhen put her arms around his neck and said, "So it's better to get used to some things earlier."
Just as Xi Junjie was about to speak, he suddenly felt his neck being pulled down, and Zhenzhen stood on tiptoe to meet him before he could react. Compared with the light kiss just now, this kiss was a little deeper. Xi Junjie subconsciously put one hand around Zhenzhen's slender waist and the other hand held her head, and his lips came into closer contact with Zhenzhen. After tasting the sweet taste, Xi Junjie couldn't help but indulge in it.
Zhenzhen was panting from the kiss, and finally broke free from Xi Junjie's arms, leaning against the wall and feeling her legs go weak. She covered her lips with the back of her hand and looked at Xi Junjie, whose eyes had become a little blurry. She couldn't help but wail in her heart: He is usually soft, cute, and caring like a little puppy, but how come he turns into a little wolfdog when I kiss him deeply? I can't stand the kiss anymore.
Xi Junjie took a few deep breaths and finally came back to his senses. He saw Zhenzhen leaning against the wall and looking at him with her big wet eyes, and his heart suddenly softened as if it melted into a puddle of water, wishing he could wrap her up completely.
"Don't lean against the wall, it's too cold." Xi Junjie reached out and pulled Zhenzhen into his arms, gently patting her back.
"You've been kissing me for too long." Zhen Zhen looked at him with accusing eyes: "I can hardly breathe."
Xi Junjie gently stroked Zhenzhen's slightly swollen red lips and pecked them lightly: "As you said, it's better to get used to some things earlier."
"So you're addicted to kissing, right?" Zhen Zhen reached out and pushed Xi Junjie's face aside. The slippery touch made her unable to resist pinching it a few more times. "Stop talking nonsense and hurry up to cook. If the meal isn't ready by the time, I'm afraid you won't be able to handle it if they ask about it."
Thinking of his future father-in-law's dark face, Xi Junjie shuddered and reluctantly let go of Zhenzhen's waist: "What do you want to eat?"
Zhenzhen's legs became weak from being kissed by Xi Junjie. She found a chair to sit down and pointed at the shelf: "I made a pot of chicken soup this morning. In addition to the knife fish you sent today, the rest are home-cooked dishes such as cabbage, potatoes, and tofu. We usually eat common dishes like these in winter."
Xi Junjie showed off his cooking skills at Zhenzhen's house every ten days or half a month, so he knew Zhenzhen's kitchen like the back of his hand. He took out the side dishes such as Jinhua ham, scallops, dried shrimps, and mushrooms from the cabinet with familiarity, and cut what needed to be cut and soaked what needed to be soaked. When Zhenzhen had rested, she came to help. The two of them washed the vegetables, cut the vegetables, cooked the vegetables, and added salt. They worked very well together.
After Xie Yanan's pregnancy stabilized, she and Mingxi moved back to their own home with Yuanxiao. After all, it was not a good idea to leave the house empty for too long. Old Lady Li asked them to wait until the twelfth lunar month to return to the courtyard to live together for a while, so that the family could reunite. Without Mingxi's family, in addition to Old Lady Li, Li Muwu, and Wang Xiufen, only Mingbei's family of three lived in the courtyard. There were few people eating, so Xi Junjie and Zhenzhen did not cook too many complicated dishes, but even the most ordinary ingredients such as cabbage, tofu, and potatoes could be turned into delicious dishes in Xi Junjie's hands. The soft, tender, and melt-in-the-mouth Wensi tofu alone made Zhenzhen doubt her life for a long time, and she always felt that the tofu she had eaten over the years wasted.
After drinking a small bowl of Wensi tofu soup, Zhenzhen sat on a stool with an empty bowl in hand, looking at Xi Junjie's long legs swaying in front of her: "Don't you want to change your dream? Like, become a chef or something?"
Xi Junjie placed a bowl of Wensi tofu on the table, turned around and half leaned over to look into Zhenzhen's eyes: "Yes, my dream now is to be your personal chef for life."
"Xi Junjie, you're really getting more and more shameless." Zhenzhen just stretched out her hand to pinch Xi Junjie's face when she suddenly saw Granny Li and the others walking towards the kitchen.
Zhen Zhen hurriedly pushed Xi Junjie away and put the empty bowl aside: "I guess they should come over to eat soon."
Xi Junjie didn't understand what was going on and thought Zhenzhen was shy, so he immediately smiled and reached out to pull her: "Turn around so I can see if you're blushing?"
The kitchen door suddenly opened. Xi Junjie's hand was halfway out in the air. Facing the gazes of Zhenzhen's grandmother, parents, brother and sister-in-law, and other relatives, Xi Junjie calmly stretched out his arm and said, "Zhenzhen, hand me the chopsticks. I'll take them to the table."
Zhenzhen quickly grabbed a handful of chopsticks and put them in Xi Junjie's hand without even counting them. She then took a stack of small bowls from the cupboard and walked to the dining table to distribute them to everyone.
Ling Xiu Lan looked at Xi Junjie sharply and saw that the tip of his nose was sweating and his ears were red. She knew that this boy didn't just want to pick up the chopsticks.
Since late autumn, the Li family has been eating in the kitchen. After all, the weather is getting colder and colder, and there is a certain distance from the kitchen to the main courtyard. If they carry the food back and forth, it will probably be out of heat before they get there.
Fortunately, the kitchen at home is big enough. According to the specifications of the former royal palace, this kitchen can easily accommodate twenty or thirty people. Zhenzhen tidied up the innermost part and put a dining table and chairs in it. When it was cold, the family could eat directly in the kitchen, and there was ready-made hot water for washing dishes, which was much more convenient than carrying things back and forth before.
After taking a sip of Wensi Tofu Soup, Ling Xiulan smiled and said, "The last time I ate this dish was during the Chinese New Year. If it weren't for Zhenzhen, I would probably have to wait more than a month before I can drink this soup again."
Zhenzhen smiled and glanced at Xi Junjie: "He must be trying to tempt me with this soup. I'll have to beg him next time I want to drink it."
Xi Junjie served Zhenzhen a bowl of soup and placed it next to her: "Don't beg me, I'm willing to make it anytime you want."
Ling Xiu Lan choked on the steamed bun and felt that her son's cheesy behavior was really unacceptable.
After drinking a mouthful of soup and swallowing the steamed bun, Ling Xiulan looked at Zhenzhen and asked with a smile: "I wanted to come over and tell you before, but I didn't know if it was appropriate?" Seeing that everyone was looking at her, Ling Xiulan said quickly: "I thought that since Junjie's grandmother is celebrating her 80th birthday, I should bring Zhenzhen over to sit with her and let her get to know Junjie's cousins. Do you think it's okay?"
According to the customs of Beicha, people usually meet each other's relatives after they get married. It's obviously too early for Zhenzhen and Xi Junjie to get married. But considering the relationship between the two children, it's only natural for them to get married after graduation. And since it's the grandparents' 80th birthday, it's okay for them to meet each other in advance.
Wang Sufen didn't dare to make a decision on such a big matter, and Old Lady Li didn't hesitate for too long. She looked at Zhenzhen lovingly and asked softly, "Zhenzhen, what do you think?"
Zhenzhen looked back at Xi Junjie, only to see him looking at her with a hint of expectation on his face.
"Of course." Zhen Zhen smiled at Ling Xiu Lan, "I'll trouble Aunt Ling to take care of me when the time comes."
"You are just talking nonsense." Ling Xiulan smiled from ear to ear: "You are my future daughter-in-law, who should I take care of if I take care of you? Besides..." Ling Xiulan smiled and glanced at Xi Junjie: "If I can't take good care of you, Junjie won't agree."
Xi Junjie grabbed Zhenzhen's hand from under the table: "Don't worry, I won't leave your side that day. If you can't get used to it, I'll take you away early."
Zhenzhen smiled brightly and squeezed Xi Junjie's hand under the table: "Okay!"
Under Zhenzhen's care, the wilted peonies recovered day by day. In just seven days, the originally wilted buds had returned to normal. All the black ones had fallen off, but new buds had grown, and the number seemed to be more than before.
There was no problem with Ling Xiu Lan's birthday gift. Zhen Zhen thought about preparing a gift for herself. Fortunately, she already knew the old man's preferences. Zhen Zhen spread out the blank scroll that had been framed in advance and prepared to paint a picture of "Turtle, Crane and Peony".
This painting is not difficult, but because it is a gift for Xi Junjie, Zhenzhen was particularly careful and spent seven days to finish this "Turtle, Crane and Peony Picture". Zhenzhen was hanging it on the wall to admire herself when Mingdong and Mingnan's families arrived.
When Grandma Li and Wang Sufen heard the noise, they came out of the house immediately to welcome them in. Grandma Li grabbed the candy bag and wouldn't let go, while Wang Sufen kept complaining to Mingdong that he didn't telegraph home earlier so that she could go to the train station to pick them up in advance.
As soon as the holiday started, Zhenzhen had cleaned up the house. The bedding was ready, and there were also tables, wardrobes and other things in the house.
Mingnan’s two children were not too old, so it was not a big deal. Just like the last time they came, they still slept in the same room. Shuijiao and Shaobing slept in the same bed, and the two little brothers were jumping on the bed with joy.
When it came to Mingdong, it was much more troublesome. Roubao was only two years younger than Zhenzhen, but he was already a grown man. Looking at the heavy schoolbag on his back, you could tell that he was a student who would take the college entrance examination next year. Tangbao was a girl, so it was not appropriate for her to sleep in the same room with her parents and brother. Zhenzhen simply settled her in her own room, letting Roubao sleep in a separate room, and Doubao sleeping in the same room with Mingdong and his wife.
Roubao and Zhenzhen grew up together. Although Roubao has called her "Aunt" since he was little, they are closer than real siblings.
Roubao pushed open the door and saw that the room Zhenzhen had prepared for him not only had a desk and a desk lamp, but there was also a bookshelf with a row of books on it.
Roubao couldn't help but put down his schoolbag and walked to the bookshelf, where he saw that it was filled with the latest exercise books newly published by the capital, covering all subjects. Zhenzhen bought all the books with different covers, a total of five sets.
"Roubao, do you like this New Year's gift?" Zhenzhen couldn't help but smile jokingly when she saw Roubao flipping through an exercise book.
"Aunt, I'm already so old, can you please stop calling me by my nickname?" Roubao raised his head and looked at Zhenzhen helplessly.
"I was the one who gave you this nickname." Zhen Zhen sat on a chair beside her: "Isn't it bad to dislike the nickname I gave you in front of me?"
When talking about this, Roubao was even more helpless: "How old were you at that time? You were so greedy that you actually named me Roubao..." After a pause, Roubao added: "Well, it's not bad after getting used to it. At least it's not called Da Cha Zi or Yu Mi Mian or something like that."
"That can't be done. I, your aunt, have such high taste." Zhen Zhen looked at him and laughed, "If the name is not nice, it will damage my reputation in Beicha."
"That's right. There is still a legend about you in Beicha." Roubao put down the exercise book and took out the textbook from his schoolbag.
Zhenzhen was excited when she heard this. She usually came and went in a hurry when she went to Beicha. Except for staying with Li Mingzhong for a while, she never went anywhere else. Therefore, she didn't know what the neighbors said about her.
Wrapping her long hair around her hands, Zhen Zhen fantasized happily: "Is he praising me for being extremely smart, beautiful, or something like that?"
"Not really." Roubao said coldly, "But there are some who praise you for your bravery."
Zhenzhen's fingers paused for a moment, feeling that it was a bit strange to praise herself with such words. Roubao could hardly hold back his smile: "They say you are extremely brave, able to lift a 400-jin wild boar with your bare hands; you are an excellent swimmer, and when you jump into the water, the fish will scare themselves to the shore..."
Zhen Zhen's face immediately turned green: "It's true that people forget about me after I'm gone. When I left Beicha, everyone praised me as the female top scholar. It's only been a short time, and they made me into a female Li Kui. Who did this?"
"I don't know who wrote this, but many people who haven't seen you have created a lot of new images for you." Roubao smiled, his eyes narrowed. "As for those of us who are familiar with you, we are a little skeptical about life. We think there may be many deviations in our brains. We always feel that maybe you are not as pretty as we remember. With your skills in climbing mountains and diving into rivers, you are definitely a female Li Kui."
"Go ahead and insult me." Zhen Zhen tapped Rou Bao's forehead with her slender finger: "You don't have to make up excuses to frame me. Wait for me to tell your uncle and let him deal with you for me."
This time, Roubao was really shocked: "No, aunt, how old are you? You dare to get married secretly, aren't you too impatient?"
The author has something to say: I have been wondering whether I gave the meat buns a name at the beginning. I always feel like it has a name, haha.
In fact, in Heilongjiang Province, the youngest aunt is called Lao Gu, but I was afraid that people would not be used to reading it, so I changed it to Xiao Gu.
I’m too sleepy. I’ll just do a rough search of the bugs first and revise it tomorrow morning.