I have ten trillion licking dog gold

"Hehe, simple food."

Fang Weiguo served the final dish, pickled fish, to the table, which also marked the official start of this long-delayed Chinese meal.

It's already 2:30.

"Don't mind if it's not to your liking."

Fang Qing wasn't idle either; she distributed disposable bowls and chopsticks. Deep down, Qing Gege was actually very gentle.

"If it suits his taste, then it suits mine."

It was obvious who "he" referred to, and Li Shurui took the initiative, saying, "Uncle and Aunt, you've worked hard, please have a seat."

"We've already eaten."

Pan Hui explained that even after several tens of minutes of adjustment, he still couldn't fully relax. According to Fang Weiguo, that was "being a bully at home."

"Yes, you eat."

"I've forgotten everything."

Li Shurui smiled shyly, then looked at the table full of fish and meat, "There are so many dishes, how can Fang Qing and I finish them all?"

"It's okay, we can't finish it now, we'll have to eat it tonight anyway."

Fang Weiguo instinctively responded; he was a hospitable person at heart.

Fang Qing broke the chopsticks apart. "She's leaving tonight."

Li Shurui tilted her head to look, "Huh?"

Don't underestimate it just because it's just an interjection.

It's actually quite the essence.

Fang Qing, who helped make the decision, naturally didn't stand on ceremony, but the Fang couple couldn't pretend to be deaf and dumb.

"Going back so soon? Since you're here, why not stay a few more days?"

Pan Hui, too embarrassed to speak, finally spoke up.

What does it mean to be simple and honest?

That's what simplicity is.

Fang Weiguo had no choice but to agree, "That's right, we're already here, there's no rush of a day or two."

"I was actually planning to stay for two days."

Li Shurui withdrew her gaze from Fang Qing's face.

"Yes, that's right."

Pan Hui smiled and then asked, "What would you like to drink? Peanut milk or a soft drink?"

Do you have any Coke?

Case solved.

No wonder the Taoist nun fell in love with sugary drinks.

"...There's no cola, only orange juice. Lao Fang, go buy some."

Pan Hui gave instructions to her husband.

"No need, orange juice is fine too, Fang Qing can drink it too."

?

?

The couple naturally heard those words, and heard them very clearly.

only.

They could understand each word individually, but they didn't quite understand how they were put together!
What does "can also be drunk" mean?
Can't we drink cola?
"Try the food."

Fang Qing spoke first, reaching for her chopsticks.

Li Shurui realized what was happening, gave her an apologetic look, obediently shut her mouth, and started unpacking the chopsticks.

Despite their doubts, the couple, with their minds in turmoil, didn't bother to think about it too much at this moment. Even though they had already eaten, they still had to entertain their guests, so they pulled out chairs and sat down one after another.

"You and Xiao Jiang are alumni?"

Fang Weiguo coughed lightly. He couldn't just sit there doing nothing; he had to at least talk about something.

"Yes, I'm a year below him."

"So, how did you two meet?"

Fang Weiguo wasn't just looking for topics to talk about; he was genuinely curious.

Who says older people can't be gossipy?

"We don't need to know each other."

Li Shurui smiled elegantly, "He's quite famous at our school."

"Oh? Is that so?"

Fang Weiguo looked very interested. "Was he a celebrity when he was in college?"

"He didn't tell his aunt and uncle, did he?"

No.

Fang Weiguo shook his head. "He's very low-key and never shows off."

Kindness is ingrained in our bones.

In this situation, Fang Weiguo did not say anything bad about that brat; on the contrary, he gave him face.

"Yeah, he's famous at Tokyo University."

Fang Weiguo chuckled, this time it seemed to be a genuine sentiment. He pondered, "In your young people's terms, what would you call a prominent figure?"

Li Shurui suddenly beamed with joy, making the elderly couple feel even more strongly about the girl's "signature".

"Yes, that's right, a prominent figure."

"So why is he so famous? Is he an excellent student in both character and academics?"

"Couldn't you at least let them have a bite of food?" Pan Hui reminded him.

Fang Weiguo, feeling embarrassed, said awkwardly, "You eat first."

Li Shurui picked up a piece of ham and said, "He is a good student and gets scholarships every year, but he is famous because of his girlfriend."

The couple stared at each other in disbelief.

"I mean, his ex-girlfriend."

Li Shurui quickly explained.

It wasn't that she deliberately wanted to bring up someone's dark history, but is it acceptable to lie in front of elders?
"His ex-girlfriend?"

Fang Weiguo was surprised.

"Uncle Fang, don't you know?"

Fang Weiguo shook his head repeatedly, almost like a rattle drum, "How would I know?"

"His ex-girlfriend was his classmate, and their relationship was a big deal at school, known to everyone."

This girl.

What an open and generous heart!

She can talk about her boyfriend's past relationships without any reservations.

Pan Hui's impression of her improved again, but at the same time, she felt a little awkward, since her current status was that of the man's elder.

"Is this kid really that much of a womanizer?!"

Using public resources for private gain.

It was absolutely a case of using public office for private gain.

Fang Weiguo frowned and said with dissatisfaction, "There's no need to deliberately endure it anymore. I'll change the form of address appropriately."

"Back then, he wasn't a womanizer."

This sentence.

It is also quite meaningful.

However, the couple still couldn't understand it.

"It's rare to see a girl as magnanimous as you these days."

Pan Hui forced a smile.

Li Shurui looked over and said, "Auntie, you flatter me. Everyone has a past, because no one grows up all at once. As someone who came later, it would be unreasonable for me to nitpick about his past."

As a man, these words touched Fang Weiguo even more deeply.

Looking at this girl whose inner qualities seemed to be no less than her outward appearance, his feelings became even more complicated.

This kid has a really good eye.

Pooh!
You have such good taste, how come you can't see your own daughter? You're clearly blind!
Logically, at this point, it would be natural to praise the other person, for example, saying that someone is lucky to have found such an understanding girlfriend. But the difficulty lies in putting words into practice. The Fang couple both know what they should do, but the problem is that neither Fang Weiguo nor Pan Hui can bring themselves to say such things.

"You're revealing his privacy; be careful he doesn't get angry."

Fang Qing seemed to sense her parents' predicament and promptly spoke up to defuse the situation.

"His uncles and aunts are like his parents, they are not related to him."

Li Shurui paused, then added, "But it would be best if you, Uncle and Aunt, kept this a secret for me."

"..."

"..." "..."

Fang Weiguo's expression suddenly turned somewhat unpleasant, or more vividly, it could be described as—dejected.

Look at this girl.

Then look at my daughter, whose emotional intelligence is questionable.

It seems like the loss wasn't entirely unjustified.

What happened?

My daughter was quite clever and mischievous when she was little, no less so than others. How come she's different now that she's grown up?

"Pour some orange juice for Xiao Li."

Pan Hui nudged her husband's arm, then smiled and asked Li Shurui, "You don't mind, do you?"

Li Shurui smiled and said, "Auntie can be called whatever you like."

Fang Weiguo poured a glass of orange juice and handed it to Li Shurui, who stood up, took it with both hands, and then placed it in front of Fang Qing.

"I don't want any, thank you."

Fang Qing put it back, and then served herself a bowl of seaweed and pork rib soup.

It was a humble abode, but the food was still quite plentiful.

Fang Weiguo stopped there, putting down the large bottle of orange juice, deciding not to pry any further.

"Qingqing, did you win the lawsuit?"

Pan Hui changed the subject, "We saw the news. The hospital director was arrested, and other officials were also held accountable."

No lawsuit was filed.

After Fang Qing responded, Li Shurui added, "If we go to court, Fang Qing probably won't be able to come back so soon. The autopsy results are out, and it's a clear case of medical malpractice. The responsibility lies entirely with the hospital. The facts are sufficient and the evidence is conclusive. Such a public incident is something the government has to handle."

"Sigh, that child has suffered so much. Fortunately, he got justice for himself and his parents."

Fang Weiguo sighed softly, then asked, "How is that family? Are they alright?"

Fang Qing took a sip of seaweed soup. "They are very strong."

“After experiencing something like this, it will probably be difficult for them to heal for the rest of their lives. I hope they can think more positively.”

Pan Hui muttered to herself.

Fang Weiguo nodded, "Life still goes on, and people always have to look forward. They are still young, and they can have children in the future."

"The best way to comfort the people you love most after they leave is to live well in their place, until you are very, very old."

The couple's gazes shifted simultaneously.

Li Shurui's pupils regained focus. Holding her chopsticks, she chuckled and said, "This is what Jiang Chen told me back in college."

"you……"

Fang Weiguo seemed to have realized something.

“My father passed away from a heart attack when I was a junior in college. He was there for me during that most difficult time.”

The couple were slightly taken aback.

"I'm sorry..."

Fang Weiguo quickly apologized.

"It's ok."

Li Shurui's voice was warm and gentle. "Learning how to say goodbye is the most important lesson in life."

The couple were lost in thought. Their daughter and son, who never spoke a word in front of them, always acted like children, just like before. But now, this girl made them truly feel the difference in their social standing and level of thinking.

The younger generation in the compound, and even the young people in Shacheng, are either thinking about making money or organizing card games and drinking; they wouldn't have such an understanding.

"Jiang Chen taught you this too?"

Fang Weiguo asked jokingly.

"correct."

Li Shurui nodded with a smile, "That's why I admire him so much. He was younger than me when he went through all that. I really don't know how he got through it... Oh right, it must be because he had his uncles and aunts, and Sister Fang Qing with him."

"No no no."

Fang Weiguo quickly denied it, "We didn't do anything..."

Pan Hui's expression was complicated. Many of her stories would evoke pity even in an outsider. "That child carried it all by himself. We, who have lived for decades, cannot compare to him."

Fang Weiguo nodded unconsciously, sighing, "Fortunately, Heaven has eyes. Isn't this a case of 'the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitter cold'? By the way, you haven't visited his parents' graves yet..."

"Not yet."

Fang Weiguo looked at his daughter.

Pan Hui remained silent.

"Qingqing, take some time to take Xiao Li to see your Uncle Jiang and the others."

Fang Weiguo finally spoke.

He didn't want to do it out of personal desire, but what makes humans the most intelligent of all beings is that they are not swayed by selfish desires.

From an objective point of view, this girl is absolutely a very good girl, and any elder would be satisfied with her.

Ugh--

Fang Weiguo sighed inwardly, his emotions surging and indescribable.

"Ah."

Fang Qing calmly agreed, showing no sign of anything amiss.

Although she believed her husband had done nothing wrong and that it was the right thing to do, how could a mother not feel sorry for her daughter? Pan Hui took apart a pair of disposable chopsticks, picked up a piece of pickled fish, and put it in her daughter's bowl.
“Your dad hasn’t been in the kitchen in ages, and he has to maintain a certain image in front of you all.”

Fang Weiguo blushed and looked at Li Shurui awkwardly, "What nonsense are you talking about? I used to be the one who cooked."

"Then tell me, how many years ago was that?"

"There are guests here. Look at yourself. Don't you have any manners as an elder? Aren't you afraid people will laugh at you?"

"It's okay. My parents used to bicker all the time. Our house was always so lively back then."

Including Fang Qing.

Li Shurui's words brought smiles to everyone at the table.

Only through resonance can a true sense of intimacy be created.

"Xiao Li, you should try some too. I don't cook often these days, so I don't know if I still have the skills."

Without being polite, Li Shurui picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of fish belly, and put it in her mouth under Fang Weiguo's expectant gaze.

"what about the taste?"

Li Shurui chewed slowly and carefully, and after a while, she said, "Uncle Fang, do you want to hear the truth?"

"What you're saying is absolutely true."

Fang Weiguo pretended to be serious, "Say what you mean, be fair, open and just."

"The acidity is a bit too high."

They really don't stand on ceremony.

Pan Hui suppressed a laugh, but at the same time, she couldn't help but glance at the sauerkraut fish cooked according to the proper procedure.

She might grumble, but she never really meant to intimidate anyone. Her tone and approach were always within reasonable limits. She was merely "supervising" the whole time, at most—

It's just that I added a little too much pickled cabbage.

It shouldn't be too sour, right?

"Pickled fish still needs to have a bit of a sour taste."

After Fang Weiguo and others, who claimed to accept objective opinions, gave their critiques, they then said they no longer accepted them, turning to look at their daughter who had also tasted his work.
"Qingqing, what do you think?"

"good."

All right.

The two judges disagreed.

Fang Weiguo slapped his thigh and said, "I knew it! How could it be sour? I grew up by the water, and fish is my specialty. I'm very confident in my ability to cook fish."

We're family after all.

Hey.

My daughter is the most loyal.

It didn't seem like she was being biased; she genuinely thought the food tasted good, because Fang Qing actually picked up another piece with her chopsticks.

Pan Hui couldn't stop it.

My little cotton-padded jacket is indeed my little cotton-padded jacket.

"My tastes may be a little different from Fang Qing's."

Li Shurui explained with a smile.

"What's different? Aren't they all normal flavors?"

As a father, Fang Weiguo naturally saw his daughter's intentions and was deeply moved. As a chef, how could he not know that the fish was indeed a little sour? Not wanting his daughter to suffer alone, he said to Li Shurui, "Little Li, our Shacheng is a land of fish and rice, and fish is a local specialty. You must eat more of it."

Ugh.

What an ungrateful wretch! (End of Chapter)