'Behave yourself,' Xiao Zhijie, who had been dropped off near Liangjiahe Middle School, patted Feng Yiping on the shoulder and then went cheerfully to wait for Zhang Qiuling.
How excited was this guy right now? Like a little kid, he kicked the street trees with his feet to make the snow on them fall.
'Come on!' When he dropped Wang Changning off in front of Meijiawan, he also patted him on the shoulder and said something like that.
'Okay, I'm leaving now, I can't stay here long.'
From here, he could see the family in front of him, one of whom he also called uncle, who was now seeing them off at the door and looking over in their direction.
As for why he didn't take Wang Changning home, it was because when they got to his house, they would at least have to have dinner before leaving, and he really didn't have time today.
However, the way these two behaved reflected one thing: visiting your girlfriend's parents' home is really no easy task. They were acting as if they were sending Feng Yiping off to an important exam.
In fact, it could be considered a long exam!
Feng Yiping took it in his stride. This visit was actually unofficial, not yet at the level of the two families. If a junior high school student went to her house, that would be a very formal occasion, because the second day of the first lunar month was the custom of the son-in-law going to the father-in-law's house.
The snow stopped early this time, it stopped at noon yesterday. If it had rained for another day and a half, then it would have been better to go directly to her family's house in town. Going to her hometown, not to mention anything else, it was inevitable that everyone would gather around like they were rare animals.
Feng Yiping was going to Huangjiapu, where Huang Jingping's family lived, for the first time. It wasn't actually very far away. It wasn't long after leaving the township and heading up the provincial road that the road forked into two. Going left was the road to Feng Yiping's village. Continuing further, Huang Jingping said that if you walked for about twenty minutes, you would reach Huangjiapu, and if you walked for another hour or so, you would reach the neighbouring province.
There were a few scattered houses on both sides of the road, and many of them were still tiled houses. Feng Yiping observed and discovered an interesting phenomenon: wherever there was a bamboo forest, there would be a nearby house, which might be a single household, or at most two or three.
Water drips from the eaves of every house. The kitchen is always on the side of the house with the roof that melts faster in the snow. The area around the chimney is completely clear of snow, revealing the dark green tiles underneath. White steam rises from the top, looking like smoke or fog. At this time of year, it looks quite warm.
All the way, Feng Yiping's phone never stopped ringing, and Huang Jingping called every few minutes, anxiously. Fortunately, there were few cars on the road, so Feng Yiping could stop to answer the phone at any time.
Finally, he saw the car parked on the side of the road in the distance. Next to it was Huang Jingping, wearing a red coat and with her long hair streaming out. Against the backdrop of the snow-covered mountains, she looked even blacker and redder, and her face was hard to make out.
He was sure that it was Feng Yiping's car, and she was jumping up and down, waving her hand.
Not far ahead, where the mountain and the water meet, there is a row of regular houses along the provincial road. On the adjacent hill, there are houses of different heights, scattered like building blocks everywhere.
Huang Jingping ran over with a smile, took Feng Yiping's hand, and said, 'I was afraid you had passed by. How come I feel like you've gained weight after just a few days apart?'
'Your mother's cooking is still the best!' Feng Yiping said with a smile.
'Well, then I must learn from your aunt if I get the chance. I'll tell you first, there are quite a few people waiting today, but don't worry, no one will give you a hard time.'
'Then I'll rely on you today,'
'No problem, just follow me,'
followed Huang Jingping, drove to the threshing floor by the pond at the entrance to the village and parked, carrying the gifts from the boot. At this time, the door of a neighbouring house opened and a young boy dashed out, seeing Feng Yiping. He didn't dare come forward, so he just shouted, 'Sister Ping,'
'Xiao Wu, keep an eye on my car for me, don't let anyone scratch it, and come to my house for lunch.'
A middle-aged woman came out of the house, smiling and looking at Feng Yiping and asking, 'Jingping, is this your boyfriend?'
'Auntie Qi, this is Feng Yiping. Come over to my house later!'
Feng Yiping followed Huang Jingping like this, smiling and greeting people he didn't know along the way. He noticed that Huang Jingping, who always deferred to him, was at ease in her own hometown. Even when some young wives, who looked a little tipsy, made fun of them, she was able to deal with it easily, as if she were in her element.
'Fourth Grandma, come to dinner at our house tonight!' She turned to an elderly person next to her who had gone out to see Feng Yiping and said, pointing to the house above them, 'That's my house.'
Feng Yiping nodded with a smile. Along the way, he had brought out the same old routine. When he spoke to people and said hello, he was slightly bashful. This was the face he used in places where he was not very familiar.
He is very good at putting on this act, and it is very convincing. People who don't know him well will definitely think that this is an inexperienced young guy, and definitely won't know that on the inside he is a seasoned old fox.
Huang Chengzhong, with his neatly combed hair and wearing a semi-long black overcoat of the kind favoured by civil servants in the countryside, is standing in the doorway at this time, smiling broadly as he looks over.
'Happy New Year, Uncle!' Feng Yiping greets him.
'Come in,' Huang Chengzhong said, lighting a firecracker hanging on the clothesline in front of the door with a cigarette in his hand. Huang Qinping ran out from inside with her hands covering her ears, only to look back and run back inside again. "Mom, my sister and her friends are back!'
'How is everything at home?" Huang Chengzhong formally shook hands with Feng Yiping.
'They are doing well. It's been a few years since I last saw you, but you're still looking so energetic,'
'No, I'm just getting older every year!'
At this point, Huang Qinping led a neatly groomed middle-aged woman to the door. 'Mom, this is Yiping,' Huang Qinping introduced.
Feng Yiping knew without her introduction that this must be her mother. Between their eyebrows, they both had the shadow of their mother.
'Hello, auntie!' Feng Yiping greeted her politely.
This was the first time Huang's mother had seen Feng Yiping up close, and after taking a good look at him, she nodded. He really was quite a good-looking young man.
'Don't just stand there in the doorway, come on in!'
'Yes, come in,' Huang Chengzhong took the things from Feng Yiping's hands, 'this time I won't say anything, just come empty-handed in the future.'
'Yes, just come, what else do you need?' Huang's mother also said.
'It's just a little something for you and for Jingping's grandfather,' Feng Yiping thought to himself. After this time, there was no way he would come empty-handed.
The kitchen was warm as spring, just like home. There was a fragrant smell from the pinewood burning in the fireplace.
The first thing he did after sitting down was not drink tea. Huang's mother brought him a bowl of sweet wine and boiled eggs with ginger and brown sugar. This was actually the treatment for a son-in-law. This kind of thing is usually reserved for the son-in-law.
'Thank you, Auntie,' Feng Yiping stood up and took the bowl with both hands.
'You're welcome, just sit down. Have a bowl to warm your body, it's freezing in this snowing weather,'
isn't it? Feng Yiping and the others have an old saying: you can't warm up the snow. The specific reason may not be clear to many people, because they haven't studied physics, but this is common sense that everyone in the countryside knows.
There is actually a saying about three eggs in a bowl. In this situation, the number two is not a good omen, because it seems to be related to the fact that we men all have two of something.
Of course, the specific reason may not be this. Feng Yiping seems to have heard it from a cousin who had just returned from his mother-in-law's house when he was a child.
Huang Qinping also took a bowl and drank very gracefully, but from her eyes, you could tell that she was definitely not a goody-two-shoes.
'What should I call you?' she asked with a smile.
'What do you mean? Of course you can call me brother,' Huang Qinping didn't give her sister a chance to respond.
It was a little sweet and a little greasy, but Feng Yiping ate it with great relish. At this moment, it was not good to have the slightest hesitation, as Huang's mother was smiling and watching over there.
Huang Jingping nudged him, 'It's fine if you can't finish it all,'
'No, auntie's cooking is delicious!'
Huang Jingping couldn't help but laugh. It was delicious, but she could see that Feng Yiping was shoveling it into his mouth.
'You must be 1.8 metres tall,' Huang's mother asked.
'I measured 1.8 metres without my shoes,' Huang Jingping answered for him.
'Is the custom-made quilt still a bit short?'
'It's fine, the quilt cover is 2.3 metres long, just throw a blanket over the foot end at night,' Huang Jingping said.
Knowing that Feng Yiping was coming to the house, after she got home, she went to town with her mother to order a quilt cover and quilt.
Is this today not letting me go back?
'Yiping, are you warmer? If you're warmer, let's go, Jingping's grandfather is still waiting at home!' Huang Chengzhong said.
Okay, here comes the main event.