When Jiang Youtao entered the room, the meal was already served and everyone was seated.
Jiang Youtao walked over to sit next to Gu Nianwei. Fu Shaohua on her right immediately handed her chopsticks and placed a glass of cool boiled water next to her.
It can be said that her preferences are well understood.
Gu Nianwei picked up a piece of soft stewed beef brisket and ate it: "Those three kids are here again?"
Zhong Qianxi hurriedly asked what was going on. She also brought some dishes today. The braised pork elbow on the table was braised by her. The taste was familiar. As soon as she tasted it, she knew it was the work of the chef of a state-owned restaurant.
Under the windowsill outside were two killed pheasants that she had sent.
Xu Manqiu admired Zhong Qianxi the most for her martial arts skills. She immediately told her about Yu Daya's family situation. Zhong Qianxi seemed to be thinking about something.
"I know that family too, and our unit would mention her family from time to time. The main thing is Zhang Shuixiu, she is not like a normal person."
"Sister Wang from my unit also said that her family was blackmailing another victim. She is talking about you, right?" Zhong Qianxi has read almost all the information accumulated by the Agricultural Science Station over the past twenty or thirty years. While reading the information, she will organize it according to her previous habit.
This greatly reduced the workload of her colleagues, and Zhong Qianxi became the most popular person in the Agricultural Science Station. Everyone loved to tell her about everything. Because she was not picky about food, no matter how bad the food in the cafeteria was, she would always support it. So every time she went to get food, the cafeteria chefs' hands would always give her more.
Zhong Qianxi ate well, and in just one or two months, her height increased and her chest became bigger.
Jiang Youtao was filled with envy, she had a flat chest when she first traveled through time, but after all the various enhancements over the past few months, her breasts had moved from A to B.
Her requirements are not high, just a little bit bigger. At least she wants the clothes to look the same from the front to the back.
Su Jianing sat right opposite Jiang Youtao. She was not empty-handed either. She held several bottles of wine, all of which were good wines. It seemed that they were Lu Xiangqian's collection.
"Yes, I am the victim." Jiang Youtao really didn't expect this. She always said before that it was always other people who became the victim, but the boomerang hit her and she became the victim in the eyes of others.
As expected, the ancients were not wrong. Who doesn't talk about others behind their backs? Who doesn't get talked about behind their backs?
Zhong Qianxi drank the wine in the glass as if it were water. "It's not that difficult. Next time you come, don't open the door for her. Don't give her anything. Don't say a word to her. If it happens too many times, she will be embarrassed."
The wine of this era was very strong, and Zhong Qianxi liked it very much. She took another sip and said, "But I heard that every time she went to ask for food and daily necessities, she didn't go willingly, but was asked to go by her mother. So although everyone disliked her, no one hated her that much."
What could a child do wrong? Yu Daya is only less than ten years old this year. The older brother is eight years old, and her younger brother is five years old. They are all still children. They came to other people's houses to beg in such a cold weather, especially on New Year's Eve. There must be someone behind it.
Jiang Youtao didn't care: "Forget it, just don't give them food in the future. I'm not really a pushover."
It's true that she felt sorry for Yu Daya, but no matter how much she felt sorry for her, she couldn't keep giving her food. She only gave her some food today but what about in the future? Wouldn't she ask for more and more?
Jiang Youtao still knew the saying: "A little kindness is rewarded with a big hatred."
Gu Nianwei raised her glass and wished everyone a happy new year.
Everyone raised their glasses and clinked them together.
The sound of firecrackers rang out in Xingfu Lane, sparsely and then ended after a while, but it added a bit of New Year flavor to this cold winter.
After the dinner, Fu Shaohua had to go back. He was very depressed, and it was Jiang Youtao who sent him to the entrance of the alley again.
Fu Shaohua took out the New Year's gift he had prepared long ago from his pocket: "This is my New Year's gift to you. I hope you will be better and better next year."
Fu Shaohua's father, Fu Wenyan, is the editor-in-chief of Capital University Youth Daily. He is a very romantic person and he would give gifts to Fu Shaohua's mother, Shao Qing, on every major holiday.
Sometimes it was a bunch of wild flowers in full bloom that he saw outside, sometimes it was an article he wrote, and sometimes it was a gauze scarf he bought with the private money he had saved for a long time.
The gift was different each time, and it was a big surprise for his mother every time.
Fu Shaohua used to think that his parents were particularly pretentious, but after meeting Jiang Youtao, he hoped that every day was a holiday so that he could give Jiang Youtao a lot of things.
He finally understood how his father felt when he saw his sweetheart's face full of surprise and joy when he gave a gift to his mother.
He was both excited and nervous, and also afraid that she wouldn't like it. His heart was beating so fast that it seemed like it was going to jump out.
Jiang Youtao was slightly stunned, then a little surprised: "I didn't prepare a gift for you."
Fu Shaohua stuffed the things into Jiang Youtao's hands and said with a smile: "It doesn't matter. Being able to have a lively meal with you this year is the best gift for me. It saves me from being alone."
Jiang Youtao accepted it, and Fu Shaohua took out a small cloth bag from his other pocket: "This is what my mother sent me. There are two small hairpins in it. It's an apology gift for you and Comrade Gu."
"My cousin offended you last time."
This time Jiang Youtao was really stunned. She never thought that Fu Shaohua's mother would apologize to them, let alone an apology gift.
Besides, this matter had nothing to do with Fu Shaohua's mother. She pushed the small cloth bag back to Fu Shaohua: "Take it back and thank Auntie for us. Tell her that we are fine and there's no need for an apology gift. It's just a little quarrel between young people."
Fu Shaohua put it directly into Jiang Youtao's cotton monkey pocket: "Just keep it, it's not a valuable thing. My mother works in a headwear factory in the capital, and this is the product from their factory."
"My mother has this temper. From childhood to adulthood, as long as we bring things to her, she will handle them fairly. Shao Hongnian came in front of you and said those words, and it was on the occasion when I first introduced you to my friends. She thought Shao Hongnian was deliberately making trouble."
"She had already taught Shao Hongnian a lesson the day I called her back. You should take it. If you don't, she will be upset. Besides, the money for these hair accessories came from Shao Hongnian. You can take it without worry."
After saying this, Fu Shaohua waved at her and left with a cheerful step.
After walking a few steps, he ran back: "Taotao, my birthday is the 20th of the first lunar month, don't forget it."
Without waiting for Jiang Youtao to speak, he walked away.
Jiang Youtao walked back after she could no longer see his back. As she walked, she thought that she would probably not forget the 20th day of the first lunar month for a long time.
When they returned home, Zhong Qianxi and the others had moved the battlefield from the kitchen to Jiang Youtao and the Xu Manqiu's room. There was a small table on the kang, and Gu Nianwei, Su Jianing and the other three were sitting on either side, playing poker.
Jiang Youtao joined the battlefield and played five-player poker.
In the second half of the night, Zhong Qianxi drank too much and fell asleep. Su Jianing and Xu Manqiu were sleeping soundly with their heads close together. Only Jiang Youtao and Gu Nianwei were still awake.
Jiang Youtao took out the apology bag that Fu Shaohua said his mother had given him.
The two hairpins inside were poured out. They were two eagle-beak hairpins inlaid with pearls and pink and green glass diamonds, which emitted a dazzling light even under the dim light.
Gu Nianwei leaned against the wall and raised her eyebrows at Jiang Youtao: "Did Fu Shaohua give it to you?"
Jiang Youtao shook her head, put the two on the table, and said to Gu Nianwei: "No, he was asked to give it over to us. He said that this is an apology gift from his mother to the two of us, saying that Shao Hongnian offended us some time ago."
Gu Nianwei picked up one of the hairpins and played with it in her hand: "Give it back. It's just a small quarrel, why are you making such a big deal out of it?"
Jiang Youtao thought so too. She took the hairpin back mainly because Gu Nianwei was the person involved in the incident and she had to tell her.
Gu Nianwei didn't want it, which was just what she wanted. She didn't want it either. She had the melon-eating system, so she didn't have any jewelry. "I'll find a chance to give it back to him tomorrow. He ran too fast just now, and I didn't chase him when it got dark."
Put the two hairpins back into the small cloth bag.
Jiang Youtao opened the gift Fu Shaohua gave her. It was a silver pendant with patterns of peach blossoms and peaches on it, and the workmanship was very delicate.
It weighs only about four or five grams. It's not expensive at all, but it's also valuable at the same time.
But the best thing is the thought.
Just knowing how to give gifts to your loved ones during the New Year makes him better than many boys in later generations.
Jiang Youtao pretended not to hear Gu Nianwei's teasing, found an empty seat and fell asleep. When she woke up, it was already bright outside.
When she opened the curtains, she saw a layer of white snow on the ground outside.
The sounds of children wishing a happy new year could be heard in the alley. Su Jianing had already gone home early. She had to do her part in the performance.
Not long after Jiang Youtao got up, a group of children came to her house to wish them a happy new year. Jiang Youtao gave them a handful of melon seeds and some candies.
The children got the delicious food and left happily.
Gu Nianwei and Xu Manqiu were making dumplings in the house while Jiang Youtao and Zhong Qianxi went out to sweep the snow in the alley. Gu Hanqing from next door also came out to sweep the snow. She smiled politely at Jiang Youtao and went back to the house with the broom.
Zhang Yubing's wife came up to Jiang Youtao and whispered to her, "Tang Wan from Tang Dalin's family in Tongfu Lane is engaged to a soldier. Did you know about this?"
Jiang Youtao exclaimed. She had read the book with Tang Wan as the protagonist from beginning to end, and there was no soldier in the book.
Where did this soldier come from?
Zhang Yubing's wife likes to gossip with people like Jiang Youtao who know nothing: "It is said that he is from the Hongqi Commune next door. On the 29th, he met Tang Wan when he went back to his grandmother's house. She was knocked unconscious on the road by her idiot brother. It was the soldier who saved her."
"Look, he just rescued her and she's already relying on him."
Before Jiang Youtao could react, Zhang Shuixiu came with her three children. She pulled the three children in front of Jiang Youtao. Yu Daya couldn't stand and staggered and knelt down.
"Teacher Jiang, I'm here to thank you. Thank you for taking care of Daya for so long."
Jiang Youtao pulled Zhong Qianxi back to the house and slammed the door shut. She couldn't treat this kind of person well. She could kneel if she wanted. It had nothing to do with her.
Zhang Yubing's wife rolled her eyes and walked away, saying as she walked away that it was unlucky for someone to come and cause trouble so early in the morning on New Year's Day, and she wanted to go home and jump over the fire basin.