"This year I was promoted."
Lin Xiaohui turned back in surprise, "Promoted?"
Wu Zheng nodded, not wanting to dwell on it. He reached out to take the vegetables from her hand, "Your sister must be waiting impatiently. Hurry home."
...
Zhang Xue had been paying attention to the movement outside. The next time she looked up, she saw Gu Xingdong and Li Weimin approaching through the window. She hurriedly stood up, turned off the TV, and then casually went into the kitchen.
"Li Shu, what can I do to help?"
Chen Li Shu saw through her little plan at a glance. After finishing a plate, she looked up and smiled, "They're here, aren't they?"
Zhang Xue chuckled sheepishly, "Nothing can escape your all-seeing eyes, Elder."
"Take this dish to the table." Da Feng Novel Network
"Sure thing." Zhang Xue took the plate and left the kitchen.
As soon as Li Weimin entered with Gu Xingdong, he spotted a tall girl with ear-length short hair. She wasn't stunningly beautiful, but she was pleasant to look at.
"Weimin, you're here? This is my classmate Zhang Xue. Zhang Xue, this is Li Weimin."
Chen Li Shu also came out of the kitchen with a plate of food. After the introductions, she smiled at Gu Xingdong and said, "The food is all ready. Go wash your hands, and we can eat."
Before long, they were all seated. Chen Li Shu had made four dishes and one soup. If it were any other day, Li Weimin would have eaten heartily, but today, with Zhang Xue present, he was particularly reserved.
Chen Li Shu and Gu Xingdong helped to initiate several topics, and everyone soon chatted merrily.
Meanwhile, the situation for Chen Liyuan at Shi's place was not going well. As soon as she entered, she was met with a show of dominance by Shi's mother.
"Mom." Shi Nan introduced with a smile, "This is my colleague Chen Liyuan, the one I told you about."
Shi's mother, knitting a sweater on the sofa, looked up at Shi Nan's words. Her gaze critically assessed Chen Liyuan. She was good-looking enough, but she'd heard she was just a vocational school accountant, and her family was from the countryside. What kind of decent children could the countryside produce? Her son was so outstanding, good-looking, and a university student who would soon be an engineer at the factory. What kind of girl couldn't he find? She wondered what manipulative tricks she had used to seduce her son, surely intending to climb the social ladder.
"I've never seen anyone come to meet elders for the first time empty-handed."
Chen Liyuan's face suddenly turned bright red.
Before coming, she had intended to buy a gift, but Shi Nan insisted they didn't have time and had dragged her over.
"Mom, it's just a casual meal. Besides, I was afraid you and Dad would be waiting too long. Liyuan was originally going to buy something."
"Forget it. We might not even like what the child bought. Has Xiao Min finished cooking? Let's eat quickly."
As soon as Shi's father finished speaking, a woman in her thirties came out of the kitchen, holding two plates. Her eyes swept over Shi Nan and Chen Liyuan. "Dad, it's just me and second sister busy. It wouldn't be right for us to order around Shi Nan when he's bringing a colleague home for the first time."
"This is my eldest sister."
Upon hearing Shi Nan's introduction, Chen Liyuan stepped forward, "Eldest sister, is there anything else I can help with?"
"I heard from Xiao Nan that you're from the countryside. The city uses gas tanks, and you wouldn't know how to handle them. It's better you don't. Just sit there and wait to eat."
Watching Elder Sister Shi toss that remark and retreat back into the kitchen, she left Chen Liyuan standing there with a troubled expression.
"My eldest sister is right, you wouldn't know how to handle it. Come and sit down and wait." Shi Nan came over, placed a hand on her shoulder, and led her to the dining table.
Watching everyone bustle about, Chen Liyuan felt like she was sitting on pins and needles. "Perhaps I should still help. I can sort vegetables."
She did know how to use a gas tank. When she was studying in town, Chen Li Shu had specifically gotten one for her and Gu Xing Ping to make cooking easier. However, given Elder Sister Shi's attitude, she felt that explaining it or not would make no difference.
"Everything is almost done. If you really want to help, you should have come an hour or two earlier so everything would be ready." Second Sister Shi also came out with two plates. Her gaze swept over Chen Liyuan, and when it landed on the handmade cloth shoes she was wearing, a hint of disdain flashed in her eyes.
As expected, she was from the countryside. Her family's conditions probably weren't good, otherwise, she would have worn a pair of leather shoes when visiting someone's home.
Chen Liyuan felt awkward again.
Before leaving work, Accountant Zhou had made things difficult, insisting she create a report, which had caused a half-hour delay.
"Since everything is almost ready, let's eat." Seeing Elder Sister Shi bring out another two plates, Shi's father said faintly.
Soon, Elder Sister Shi's family, Second Sister Shi's family, and Mr. and Mrs. Shi all took their seats.
"Try this. My eldest sister makes this braised pork belly especially delicious." Shi Nan said, putting a piece of meat into Chen Liyuan's bowl.
Shi's mother immediately became displeased. "Eat your meal properly. You clip a piece for me, and I clip a piece for you. What kind of behavior is this?"
Shi Nan immediately fell silent, looking dejected.
Chen Liyuan looked at the meat in her bowl, finding herself in a dilemma, unsure whether to eat it or not.
She suddenly regretted agreeing to come with Shi Nan. Although the Shi family had prepared six dishes, she felt that eating in the cafeteria with Xiao Liu was more comfortable.
"Xiao Chen, where is your hometown?" Elder Sister Shi asked.
"Qingshan Town, under the provincial capital."
"How many children are there in your family?" Second Sister Shi asked.
Chen Liyuan replied truthfully, "There are seven sisters, and I am the second eldest."
"Seven children?" Not only the Shi family members but even Shi Nan was a bit surprised that Chen Liyuan's family had so many children.
However, he quickly thought nothing of it; it was normal for rural families to have many children.
Shi's mother's face immediately fell. "Are all seven children girls?"
Chen Liyuan nodded.
"Our family only has Shi Nan as a boy. Family planning is very strict now, and with your family's situation, aren't you deliberately..." Shi's mother wanted to say she was deliberately trying to harm the Shi family, but she held back.
The expressions of others were also not very good.
"Seven children? The pressure must be immense, right? And you could still get an education. You've seen our family's conditions. My younger brother is simple-minded. With such a large family..." Elder Sister Shi didn't finish her sentence, but the meaning was clear.
The reason Chen Liyuan was seducing Shi Nan was to help take care of their family.
"Eldest sister, you've misunderstood. I am absolutely not pursuing Shi Nan for any other reason. Although my younger sisters are also attending school, I can already earn a salary and have never thought of using others' help."
Elder Sister Shi sneered. How much salary could one earn with just a few jobs? There weren't just one or two younger sisters below her, but five. Fortunately, she had asked today, otherwise, if someone from such a family married into their Shi family, the Chen family would be a bottomless pit.
"You have an elder sister above you. Is she married? From what you're saying, the burden of the family falls entirely on you? Does she not manage anything?"