A hundred flavors of life

Chapter 1463 Pengfei, you're not human! (Please subscribe!)
On September 30, 1988, the day before the National Day holiday, Zhuang Tunan, along with Li Jia and a young man who looked like a high school student, came to find Hua Shier and the others to go to the train station before noon.

Hua Shier, carrying his luggage, looked at the little boy and asked:

"This is?"

Zhuang Tunan said somewhat embarrassedly:

"This is Li Jia's younger brother, Li Wen. I figured since you have a place to stay, I'd invite them to come to Suzhou for a couple of days!"

Li Jia quickly said, "We're sorry to have troubled you. Li Wen, hurry up and say hello to your older brother and sister!"

Li Wen quickly greeted Hua Shier and the others.

Hua Shier quickly waved his hand with a smile: "No trouble at all, no trouble at all, aren't we all family here? What's the trouble!"

Lu Ming smiled and said to Li Wen, "I'm also going to Suzhou for fun. Now it's great, we can stay together, I'll have some company!"

Hua Shier asked Zhuang Tunan how Lin Dongzhe and Zhuang Xiaoting had contacted each other, and whether he needed to pick them up at Jiaotong University. Zhuang Tunan said that they had made a phone call and arranged to meet at the train station.

When the group arrived at the train station, they met Lin Dongzhe and Zhuang Xiaoting, whom they hadn't seen for a semester.

When Lin Dongzhe saw Hua Shier from afar, he opened his arms and went to greet him, wanting to give him a big hug.

Hua Shier also opened his arms to meet her, but just as they were about to embrace, he dodged Lin Dongzhe and hugged Zhuang Xiaoting instead.

"Good sister, did you miss your brother?"

This sudden change left Lin Dongzhe speechless, while everyone else burst into laughter.

Lin Dongzhe complained, "Pengfei, you're really not being fair! Tu Nan always comes to Jiaotong University to see us, but you, apart from meeting up for a few meals, you've never come to our school even once!"

Hua Shier released Zhuang Xiaoting, who was smiling broadly, and said with a smile:
"I heard from Tu Nan that you're with Xiao Ting. You lied to my sister. I was thinking that if I saw you, I would beat you up, so I decided not to go looking for you!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Shanshan exclaimed in surprise, "Really? Xiaoting, when did this happen?"

Lu Ming laughed and put his arm around Lin Dongzhe's shoulder:

"Well done, Dongzhe. I've seen you and Xiaoting exchanging glances for a while now. Our girl is so outstanding, I didn't expect you to actually win her over. But you're quite handsome yourself, no wonder our girl likes you."

Hua Shier glanced at Lu Ming; this guy had become increasingly eloquent since he started 'going into business'.

Lin Dongzhe and Zhuang Xiaoting blushed deeply. The former chuckled foolishly, while the latter hesitated for a moment with Wu Shanshan before angrily complaining to her brother:

"Brother, didn't you say you'd keep it a secret for me? How did Pengfei find out?"

Zhuang Tunan looked completely bewildered: "Didn't you guys say that yourselves? I really didn't say that!"

Hua Shier naturally knew that the two were together because he had read the original plot. However, he couldn't be sure of the time because of his involvement. But when he saw Dong Zhe and Xiao Ting standing closer than before, he was certain and spoke up to clarify their relationship.

Of course, he couldn't say that, so he immediately pinned the blame on Tu Nan:
"It's what your brother said. That time he invited him for drinks, he got drunk and blurted out the truth. He definitely won't remember it when he sobers up!"

Zhuang Tunan looked utterly confused: "Which time we drank together? I don't remember."

"That time!"

Hua Shier casually brushed it off, but even after boarding the train back to Suzhou, Zhuang Tunan still couldn't remember which time it was.
On the way back to Suzhou, Lu Ming and Li Wen were extremely excited about their trip. They looked around and chatted with the other couples, Hua Shier and Wu Shanshan, and Zhuang Tunan and Li Jia, who were also very relaxed. Only Zhuang Xiaoting and Lin Dongzhe were uneasy.

Finally, Lin Dongzhe spoke up with an awkward laugh:

"Brother Pengfei, could you please not tell Aunt Ling and my mom about Xiaoting and me yet? I'm afraid they might not be able to accept it!"

Zhuang Xiaoting nodded repeatedly: "Brother, let's postpone this for another two years, and let us decide ourselves when we graduate, okay?"

Hua Shier nodded with a smile, and the two of them finally felt relieved.

When the group arrived in Suzhou and returned to Textile Lane 3, as soon as they entered the courtyard and saw Huang Ling and Song Ying greeting them, Hua Shier's first words were:

"Congratulations, Auntie and Aunt Song! You two are going to be in-laws!"

Everyone else was stunned. This guy is so stupid!
The four adults from the Zhuang and Lin families were stunned. Huang Ling clutched her heart:

"Pengfei, don't scare your aunt. What did you mean just now?"

Zhuang Xiaoting and Lin Dongzhe, with expressions of "Who am I? Where am I?" from Hua Shierchao, pointed:
"They're dating! Congratulations!"

The four adults from the Zhuang and Lin families wore two distinct expressions. Song Ying and Lin Wufeng looked delighted, their expressions of satisfaction as they gazed at their son, who had grown up and was now savvy enough to "steal the cabbage" (a metaphor for finding a lucrative opportunity). Their eyes, however, held the typical in-law gaze of parents looking at their daughter-in-law, filled with immense satisfaction.

Huang Ling and Teacher Zhuang were completely different; they were struck dumb, as their daughters had found a boyfriend from the neighbor's mischievous boy.

That mischievous monkey who used to lie on the ground like a maggot when he was little?

Doesn't recalling this make you want to vomit blood? What kind of taste do they have?

Song Ying held Huang Ling's hand:

"Sister Ling, I'm so excited I don't even know what to say! I've always felt we were destined to be together, and look, we're practically in-laws now!"

Huang Ling's hands were trembling:
"Let's go inside first, or the food will get cold."

Hua Shier smiled and said, "Auntie, I'll take Shanshan back to the Wu family first, then come over for dinner!"

Zhuang Tunan, Zhuang Xiaoting, and Lin Dongzhe all thought to themselves, "What a beast! He thinks he can just run away after setting off the firecracker?"

Lin Dongzhe grabbed Hua Shier and pulled him aside, saying, "Pengfei, you're not human!"

"A banished immortal from Kunlun has descended to the mortal realm!"

Hua Shier made up for it himself.

Zhuang Xiaoting also came over angrily and said:

"Xiang Pengfei, you promised so readily, why didn't you tell me when you got back!"

Hua Twelve clicked his tongue twice:
"You're not calling me 'brother' anymore, huh? You have no conscience. I'm making things clear for you, isn't it all for your own good? This has to be resolved sooner or later, so a short, sharp pain is worse than a long, drawn-out one!"

"Once you get through today, you two won't have to hide anymore, and you can be together openly. See how good I am to you two? Take it and don't bother coming back!"

He turned around and beckoned to Huang Ling:

"Aunt, stop worrying about Xiaoting. Didn't you see your future daughter-in-law is here too?"

One sentence shifted Zhuang Chaoying and Huang Ling's attention to Li Jia, which made Zhuang Tunan and Li Jia blush deeply.

Hua Shier hurriedly told Wu Shanshan and Lu Ming to leave.

When they arrived at the Wu family's doorstep next door after their long journey, Lu Ming complained:

"Brother Pengfei, you're too ruthless! You kill them but don't bury them!"

"Eh~"

Hua Shier said matter-of-factly, "That's how I do things!" Lu Ming:
Only Wu Jun was present at the Wu family home. Upon seeing his older sister return, he excitedly exclaimed, "Sister, you're back!"

He saw Hua Shier and called out, "Brother Pengfei!"

Hua Shier glared at him: "Why are you calling me Brother Pengfei? Call me Brother-in-law!"

This guy used to call me brother-in-law when he needed something, and Pengfei when he didn't. He's the kind of person who only uses people when he needs them and doesn't use them when he doesn't.

Wu Shanshan pinched Hua Shier in embarrassment: "What nonsense are you talking about!"

Just then, the door opened, and Zhang Min returned from get off work. Upon seeing Wu Shanshan, she affectionately called her "sister." Although they weren't biological sisters, they had grown up together and had a bond.

Wu Shanshan took out clothes she bought for her younger brother and sister-in-law and some local delicacies she brought back from Shanghai from her luggage:
"These are clothes I bought for you. They're all trendy styles this year. Try them on and see if they look good. Don't hesitate to wear them; I'll buy you more for the New Year!"

Hua Shier also took out the gift she had brought: "This is a gift from my brother-in-law, you can take it and play with it!"

He gave Xiaojun a model airplane, which is popular with boys these days. He gave Zhang Min a set of imported hairdressing tools, including electric clippers and various scissors.

Wu Jun and Zhang Min both liked it very much.

But the siblings knew that Hua Shier's gift was valuable, and while they were struggling with their decision, Wu Shanshan smiled somewhat shyly and said:

"You two know my relationship with Pengfei. He'll be your brother-in-law sooner or later, so you can accept whatever he gives you without worry!"

The siblings happily accepted the gift, each saying, "Thank you, brother-in-law!"

Looking at the brother and sister, Hua Shier sighed inwardly, thinking that they were much better than Wu Jianguo and Zhang Amei.

After chatting for a while at the Wu family's house, Zhang Min talked about Wu Jianguo and Zhang Amei. The couple had been in Shanxi Province for more than a year. At first, they would send money home, but after learning from their correspondence this year that Zhang Min had been promoted from apprentice to full-time and started earning money, they stopped sending a single penny home.

Wu Jun's living expenses are now paid from Zhang Min's salary.

Wu Shanshan was so angry that tears welled up in her eyes: "How could they do this!"

Hua Shier took out a stack of ten-yuan notes, worth over a thousand yuan, and without counting them, stuffed them directly into Zhang Min's hand.

"Xiaomin, take this money. They won't take care of your living expenses from now on; your sister and I will!"

After he finished speaking, he added to Wu Jun:
“Xiaomin has started earning money on her own and knows how hard it is to earn money, so she won’t spend it recklessly. That’s why I’m keeping this money with her. If you have a legitimate reason for needing the money, just ask your second sister for it!”

Wu Jun nodded understandingly.

Zhang Min quickly refused: "Brother-in-law, I have enough money!"

"What do you mean by 'enough'? Girls your age are all dressed up in fancy clothes. Look at your sleeves, they're all frayed."

Hearing Hua Shier say that, Zhang Min also felt wronged, and her eyes turned red.

Wu Jun tattled on the side:
"Sister, brother-in-law, I know why Mom and Dad stopped sending money home. My second sister started dating someone and wrote to Mom and Dad saying that they looked down on her boyfriend because he didn't have a stable job and wanted her to break up with him. My second sister didn't agree, so they stopped sending money!"

"Hey, what a jerk!"

Hua Shier said to Xiao Min, "Bring him out sometime so your sister and I can see him. If he's a good guy, your sister will stand up for you!"

Xiao Min nodded gratefully.

Zhuang Tunan came over and called Hua Shier and the others to come over for dinner.

The Zhuang family's house was too small, and it wasn't practical to take Xiaomin and Xiaojun with them, so Hua Shier simply took out fifty yuan and let the siblings go out to eat.

When they returned to the farmhouse, they saw Li Jia sitting next to Huang Ling, while Song Ying sat on Huang Ling's other side, holding the latter's hand and telling jokes non-stop.

As soon as Hua Twelve and his companions sat down, he laughed and said:
"Aunt Song has been strong-willed her whole life, and she's really going all out for her son's marriage!"

This one sentence made Huang Ling, who was sullen, laugh out loud and complain:

"You're always causing trouble!"

Song Ying laughed and said, "Pengfei, don't talk nonsense. Lingjie and I have been on the same side for so many years. We sisters have a great relationship. If she's unhappy, Lin Dongzhe will have to step aside, believe it or not!"

Laughter erupted again at the table. Huang Ling thought about how Song Ying was always the first to help her whenever she needed it, and she felt touched. She was no longer so opposed to Lin Dongzhe and Zhuang Xiaoting's relationship.

She immediately glared at Lin Dongzhe: "Dongzhe, I don't object to you being friends with Xiaoting, but you need to be mindful of boundaries."

Lin Dongzhe immediately stood up to express his determination:
"Don't worry, Aunt Ling, I'll listen to whatever you say from now on. Your words carry more weight with me than my mom's!"

Song Ying was so angry she almost exploded:
"You little rascal, most people forget their mothers after marrying a wife, but you haven't even done anything yet and you've already forgotten your old mother, have you!"

Even Teacher Zhuang, who had become serious and unsmiling after learning that her daughter had a boyfriend, couldn't help but twitch the corners of her mouth.

Huang Ling continued speaking to Pengfei:
"I haven't finished yet. I'm not a very forgiving person. Just thinking about all the naughty and unreliable things you did when you were little gives me a headache. If you're going to be with Xiaoting, you'll have to change your personality. If you're still so unreliable, I won't let Xiaoting marry you!"

This time, Zhuang Xiaoting couldn't help but cover her face; "Mom, what are you saying? I never said I wanted to marry him."

Hua Shier chuckled inwardly. "Zhuang Xiaoting, you dare to say that? In the original story, you secretly got your marriage certificate behind your family's back."

After dinner, Hua Shier and Zhuang Tunan took out the gifts they had bought for their parents in Shanghai. The slightly awkward atmosphere from before was immediately dispelled by these thoughtful gifts and the laughter that surrounded them, and the small room was filled with peace and warmth.

With both families accepting Dongzhe and Xiaoting's relationship, there was no need to hide anymore. During the three-day holiday, the three couples, along with Lu Ming and Li Wen (the two "burdens"), had a great time in Suzhou.

Go to a teahouse to listen to Pingtan (a type of storytelling and ballad singing), go to Songhelou to eat squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, go to Canliyuan to enjoy the snow, and stay at Canliyuan.

Hua Shier and Wu Shanshan also took the time to meet Zhang Min's boyfriend. The former privately calculated that this young man was a reliable person, would have benefactors from his wife's family in his life, and would become very wealthy after the age of thirty.

"A noble person from your maternal family?"

Hua Shier was speechless. That was me!

He told Zhang Min that the young man was a good person, and that he and Wu Shanshan both agreed to the two of them being together. He also encouraged Zhang Min to bravely fight against Zhang Amei, saying that since they were already earning their own money, what was there to be afraid of?

Zhang Min nodded vigorously. In her eyes, Pengfei and her sister Wu Shanshan were the most outstanding people. She was extremely happy that her relationship with her boyfriend was recognized by her sister and brother-in-law.

Once the National Day holiday was over, Hua Shier and a few others returned to Shanghai. He left a clone at the school to teach while he went back to his villa.

When Gu Xiaojiao saw Hua Shier return, she was overjoyed and bought a lot of ingredients, including an Australian lobster, abalone, and hairy crabs. These ingredients probably cost more than a thousand yuan.

The girl said she would treat Hua Shier to a big meal, and complained that he was just scaring people. After that day, she searched for a long time but couldn't find the so-called online loan record.

While cooking, Gu Xiaojiao said, "You paid for that money yourself, right? I'll pay you back, but it will take some time."

Hua Shier said nonchalantly, "Is that all? You didn't have to go to all that trouble."

Gu Xiaojiao put the hairy crabs into the pot to steam and said with a smile:

"Of course, that's not all. The rent here is supposed to be paid annually, but it's due soon. I was cheated out of all my money by the potato seller. I wanted to talk to the landlord and pay one month's rent first, but he said there was no rush and that I could pay next year."

Gu Xiaojiao was laughing so happily:
"Do you think the landlord has gone mad? In previous years, she would be stingy even when asked to lower the rent, how come she's being so generous this time!"

Hua Shier was speechless, thinking to himself: You're the one who's crazy, you're the one who's stingy!
Thank you to 08a and Little Tiger of the Demon Realm for the donations, and thank you to all the brothers who voted with monthly tickets and recommendation tickets. Thank you so much!