Everything I bought on online shopping platforms was genuine.

The summer after graduating from high school marked a significant turning point. Before graduating, time was spent in 45-minute class periods.

After graduating from high school, time passed in months, especially after I went to university. I only realized a month had passed when my family sent me my living expenses.

Although Lin Mo has not yet graduated, time seems to be passing even faster, and in the blink of an eye, it is already the tenth day of the Lunar New Year.

If he were a regular office worker, he would have already gone back to work. Fortunately, he is still a student and doesn't work.

When Lin Mo woke up this morning, he found that Liu Ruyan and her mother Zhou Min hadn't gone out shopping. He couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Wow, what's going on today? You two didn't go out for a stroll?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Ruyan pointed to the somewhat gloomy weather outside and said, "Auntie said it's getting colder outside today. Let's see how it goes. If it's really not going out, we can go out this afternoon."

Oh, right, little brother, remember to wear the clothes, insoles, thermal underwear, and sweater I bought for you, otherwise they'll be a waste.

"Come on, it'll almost be March in a few days. How many more days can we wear these clothes? After March, it will warm up in April, and we can be in summer by May. Isn't it a bit late to buy warm clothes now?" Lin Mo rolled her eyes at him helplessly.

When the two of them came back yesterday afternoon, they had a huge pile of things, and he had to go downstairs twice to help them carry them all.

This includes, but is not limited to, the clothes of the three of them plus Liu Ruyan. Of course, it mainly includes the clothes of the three of them, from coats and pants to underwear and socks.

Liu Ruyan also bought a set; it wasn't expensive, only a few hundred yuan for the whole outfit.

You should know that Miss Liu has almost never worn such inexpensive clothes since she was old enough to understand things, but she still enjoys them immensely.

So what if the material is a little less than ideal? So what if the design is a little less than perfect? ​​The main thing is the fun of bargaining.

Besides, the clothes she bought were all quite nice, and most importantly, she was only wearing a white winter cheongsam this time.

Although it looks good, the fabric is good, and it's even expensive, it's still a bit inconvenient sometimes, especially when shopping at the market, as his mother, Zhou Min, is afraid of getting her future daughter-in-law's clothes dirty.

Liu Ruyan also felt that although her outfit was dignified and beautiful, it was too inconvenient to do things and too high-profile. When she and Lin Mo's mother went out, passers-by frequently turned their heads to look at her. Although she was used to being stared at like that, Zhou Min felt uncomfortable.

That's why she thought of getting herself a plain outfit. It just so happens that a relative of Lin Mo's is getting married in a couple of days, and she doesn't plan to wear her own clothes there. What if she gets them dirty during the banquet?
Of course, the most important point is that when other people get married, she tries her best not to steal the bride's thunder; it's better to keep a low profile.

"Just wear it if I tell you to, otherwise my aunt and I will just buy it and it'll gather dust," Liu Ruyan said, rolling her eyes at him.

Zhou Min, the mother, didn't say anything, but she glanced at her eldest son, and the meaning in her eyes was self-evident.

Lin Mo had no choice but to agree. Although the quality of the clothes was average, the style that Liu Ruyan had chosen for him was quite nice.

Of course, besides clothes, there are also daily necessities, ornaments, and ingredients—everything you could want.

Lin Mo was eating breakfast while fiddling with his phone. The group chat was starting to get lively.

Miss Yuan, Class Monitor Wang, He Xiaoyue, and Chuanmei took turns talking in the group chat, and photos were posted from time to time. The photos showed a hotel venue, decorated in a very festive manner, and there was also a poster that said it was Yuan Hua and Feng Xue's engagement ceremony.

The Sichuan girl naturally didn't go back; she could only watch the drama unfold in the group chat.

"Sister Ruyan, Sister Yuan is dressed very festively today!" Lin Mo sent over a selfie of Miss Yuan.

Sitting on the sofa, Liu Ruyan glanced at it and smiled, "That's normal, it's her brother's engagement, of course she has to dress festively."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Min, the mother, leaned over and saw on the phone a picture of a cute little doll wearing a red dress and a red cotton-padded jacket, with two buns on her head, just like a traditional Chinese New Year painting doll.

"Hey? Isn't this that girl who eats a lot? She's quite a character!" Mom recognized Miss Yuan immediately.

Liu Ruyan nodded: "Yes, today is her brother's engagement, and it's also the first month of the lunar year, so of course she has to dress festively!"

Soon, it was past 11 a.m., and the auditorium of a hotel in Jiangning was already full of guests.

Neither of them are ordinary people. In addition to their own relatives, they also invite friends with whom they have good business relationships. Both the bride and groom have friends who are also going to attend.

Although it was just an engagement, the event was bigger than most people's weddings.

At this moment, the squad leader Wang, Zhang Wei, Zhao Yun, as well as Jiang Feng, the cousin from the eldest uncle's family, his sister-in-law, and several other children from the uncle's family were all at this table. Their seats were neither too close nor too far; they had chosen a corner spot.

As for He Xiaoyue, well, she's sitting alone at a table right now.

As promised, Miss Yuan always kept her word and got a private table. Her seat was quite prominent, just to the left and slightly behind her grandparents' table—it couldn't be more conspicuous. Eight incredibly handsome waiters, each over 1.8 meters tall, stood guard around her, and a huge red sign on the table simply read: "Training Strategist."

The table was laden with chicken, duck, fish, meat, and all sorts of delicacies. A group of business tycoons around them would glance at the girl from time to time, trying to guess her identity.

The relatives on both sides were much better; they all thought the two were their children's friends and gave them advice, which eventually led to the two successfully establishing a relationship.

In addition, young people nowadays have many ideas, and it's not shameful to do some strange and unusual things, so no one asks about it.

At this moment, He Xiaoyue was extremely embarrassed. She wanted to run away, but Miss Yuan told her that all the other seats were taken. Moreover, He Xiaoyue herself was reluctant to leave these eight handsome men who were all over 180cm tall, so she sat down with her head down.

The process isn't as complicated as a wedding, but it still has some steps: the emcee gives a speech, the soon-to-be-married couple enters together, and they each give a speech.

Since it wasn't a wedding, the soon-to-be-married couple opted for a classic black and red outfit, without suits or wedding dresses, but they still looked quite appropriate.

Then came the on-the-spot flower presentation and proposal, the exchange of engagement rings, the signing of the marriage certificate, followed by speeches from both sets of parents, and then a family photo.

The process was completed quickly, seemingly casually, but those in the know understood that many business changes would follow, given that both the Yuan and Feng families had substantial businesses.

At the main table, Miss Yuan did not sit down, but stood behind her maternal grandparents.

"Yuanyuan, why is there only one girl at that table? Who is she?" Old Master Jiang asked, glancing at He Xiaoyue's group.
Upon hearing this, Miss Yuan laughed and said, "That's my friend. Grandpa, let me tell you, my brother didn't want to go on blind dates and wouldn't even chat with the girls. It was my friend who pretended to be my brother and chatted with my sister-in-law online, making her happy. That's how they got together. We really have to thank him!"

"Oh, I really have to thank this girl properly," Miss Yuan's grandmother nodded and smiled.

Although the old lady didn't know what a "proxy strategist" was, she did know what a matchmaker was!
On the wedding day, the matchmaker is a distinguished guest, and must be accompanied by the immediate family members of both sets of parents.

"Then why is she all alone? Hurry up and have your brother find someone to keep her company," Grandpa Jiang said hastily.

To this, Miss Yuan laughed and said, "It's alright, Grandpa, I've arranged everything. After my brother and future sister-in-law go over to toast her, I'll bring my cousin and my cousin to keep her company. There won't be any awkward silences. Come on, Grandpa, I've recently gotten some good stuff. I heard you have a sensitive stomach, why don't you try some?"

As she spoke, Miss Yuan placed a bowl in front of her grandfather. The bowl contained a milky white liquid that was still steaming.

Upon hearing this, Grandpa Jiang nodded, acknowledging his thoughtfulness. He then looked down and asked in confusion, "This is... soy milk?"

Miss Yuan shook her head: "This is authentic old Beijing douzhi (fermented mung bean juice). I know Grandpa, your stomach isn't very good, so I specially asked a friend to bring it to you. I heard it's pretty good."

However, after trying it, I found that it didn't taste very good. They said I didn't know how to drink and didn't know how to enjoy it.

I thought to myself, my grandfather is an old-generation revolutionary; he's seen all sorts of strange and unusual things, he's very knowledgeable. That's why I wanted you to try it!

Upon hearing this, the old man smiled, picked up the bowl, and took a sip. Immediately, his expression turned serious, and he held the food in his mouth without swallowing, as if he were having some kind of internal struggle.

Seeing this, Miss Yuan's eyes lit up. She knew that she had only tasted this stuff once and couldn't stand it for a second before spitting it out. Her grandfather had been able to endure it for so long. Indeed, the older generation could endure hardship. Amazing!
Then Miss Yuan opened her phone and played some background music.
[I can't escape my connection with Beijing, the weather is unpredictable, sometimes cloudy, sometimes sunny, and all sorts of people are eyeing me~ It's all about saving face~~]

Sure enough, upon hearing this, whether the old man didn't want to lose face or had successfully negotiated with the soy milk in his mouth, he closed his eyes and swallowed it in one gulp.

Fortunately, the old man was among those who experienced the natural disasters of that time. People of the older generation who lived through that period have a great sense of awe for food.

To avoid wasting food, the frugal old man swallowed what was in his mouth. He swore that he had never suffered like this during the famine years.

The old man then took a deep breath, his expression complex. He sighed and looked at his little granddaughter with a hint of grievance. After a long while, he finally spoke, "Are you sure this is authentic old Beijing douzhi?"

Miss Yuan nodded repeatedly: "It must be! My friend specially brought it from the old porcelain market. It's absolutely authentic!"

Hearing this, Grandpa Jiang sighed helplessly and said, "Life isn't easy for the elderly in the capital!"
"Alright, Grandpa appreciates the gift. Take it back to your dad later, don't waste food, you hear me? Grandpa doesn't have much of an appetite today!"

It has to be said that Miss Yuan is really Grandpa Jiang's favorite child. Even so, he was still comforting his little granddaughter, afraid of disappointing her and hurting her feelings.
Since that's the case, and we can't waste food, we can only leave it to the son-in-law. Whoever's daughter made it, they should bear the consequences.

As for why his daughter didn't drink it, it's because Grandpa Jiang felt sorry for his daughter.

Soon, a bowl of soy milk appeared in front of Comrade Lao Yuan.

Miss Yuan: "Dad, Grandpa asked me to bring this over to you, saying you should try it!"

Comrade Lao Yuan: ? ? ?
(End of this chapter)