I was married off to a disabled hero in lieu of marriage; my in-laws doted on me and I aspired to gr

Before the celebration banquet was even finished, Lu Han took Xia Yun back to the guesthouse.

Those young workers never stopped drinking, and with Director Tang also present, they insisted on getting him drunk before they would stop.

The machine factory's guesthouse was very clean, with one bedroom and an outer living room furnished with a soft sofa.

"I'll cook you some authentic Shanghainese food at the guesthouse kitchen tonight."

Lu Han filled a basin with cold water for Xia Yun, wrung out a towel, and handed it to Xia Yun to wipe her sweat.

"No need. Actually, I can try Huailin cuisine, just use less chili."

Xia Yun wiped her sweat; it was really hot today.

"You're willing to eat Huailin cuisine?" Lu Han was overjoyed.

"Yeah, you have to get used to it."

"Yunyun, would you like to come to Huailin?" Lu Han asked impatiently.

"After you left Shanghai, Dad saw how upset I was and relented, wanting you to come back to Shanghai and offering to transfer you to a new job. I'm here to discuss this with you."

Xia Yun spoke quietly, and Lu Han frowned.

"When I got to Huailin, I understood. You wouldn't go back to Shanghai. I've never seen you so radiant in Shanghai. Huailin suits you better."

Xia Yun said softly that in Shanghai, Lu Han was completely颓废 (颓废 is a difficult word to translate directly, but it implies a state of listlessness, apathy, and a lack of self-esteem) and self-conscious.

In Huailin, he seemed to have found fertile ground to grow, and thrived like a fish in water.

"Yunyun, I've never denied my abilities. I can do very well in Shanghai. It's just that Shanghai is full of talented people and has a lot of interpersonal relationships, so no one is willing to give me a chance."

As the old saying goes, gold will always shine, but how can gold shine if it's always covered in dust and left to languish in a deserted corner? Yunyun, I love you, and I love Huailin Machinery Factory. If you can't come to Huailin, we'll still be best friends, and I'll wish you all the best. 'Yunyun, I love you, and I love Huailin Machinery Factory. If you can't come to Huailin, we'll still be best friends, and I'll wish you all the best,' Lu Han said with a somber expression."

"I talked a lot with Chen Hong today. She likes Yang Zheng. Yang Zheng is from a top university and is highly regarded by Professor Dong. If he stayed in Shanghai, he would definitely have a great future. But for Chen Hong, for love, he is willing to return to Huailin University. I am also willing to return to Huailin University for love," Xia Yun said, her head down.

"Yunyun, are you really willing?"

Lu Han was overjoyed, but then his expression darkened: "Will your father agree?"

Xia Yun looked up, her face flushed: "Lu Han, I suddenly understand a principle. We can't ask for too much; we can only strive purely for one thing. Yang Zheng's thoughts are very simple. No matter how outstanding he is, all his efforts are for the future when he returns to Huailin and serves the machinery factory."

And I want you to stay in Shanghai, I want you to give up your dreams for me. I want too much, but in the end, it will all be for nothing. Now, I don't want anything, I just want your love.

"Yunyun, I love you, it's in my bones." Lu Han hugged Xia Yun emotionally.

"If I come to Huailin, I will still need to work. Can you arrange a suitable job for me?" Xia Yun asked softly.

"Of course, I'll go find Director Tang right away." Lu Han released Xia Yun and headed to find Tang Ping.

"Look how anxious you are. Director Tang is still drinking. Let's go tomorrow."

"Look at me, I'm so happy I'm dizzy."

After calming down, Lu Han was still a little worried: "Yunyun, are you really sure? Huailin is not even a tenth the size of Shanghai. Forget about the International Hotel, we don't even have pretty dresses."

"Shanghai is great, but Shanghai is without you. In the days and nights since you left, I've been completely lost. I went to Professor Dong to ask where you went, and he said that we have no future. Everyone measures love with status and interests. Who knew that without you, the food at the International Hotel really wouldn't taste good."

Xia Yun shed tears. During those days and nights, she couldn't even maintain a normal life. In her heart, there was only Lu Han.

"Yunyun, believe me, I won't let you down. I'm going to make a name for myself for you in Huailin."

"I believe you can do it. Even Director Tang appreciates you so much, and I'm very proud of you."

"If this experiment succeeds, the entire machine factory will be transformed. Everything I've learned will be put to use. Yunyun, do you know that kind of joy?"

"I know you have all these skills but nowhere to use them, which is why you're suffering in Shanghai."

"Yunyun, I'm so happy." Lu Han hugged Xia Yun, wishing time could slow down, just a little bit more.

To prepare Shanghainese cuisine, He Chunxiu bought a pound of white sugar and spent the whole morning tinkering in the kitchen, finally managing to cook a table full of dishes.

"What have you done? The cabbage is sweet."

Chen Yan was extremely dissatisfied. "Is this what you call food?"

"The young lady has come all the way to Huailin, and she's not used to the food. We need to cook authentic Shanghai cuisine to keep her here," He Chunxiu advised.

"So, what are we having for lunch? This fish and this duck are both sweet."

Even if you want to keep the girl, you can't have a table full of sweet dishes, can you?

"I bought some pickled vegetables, so we'll eat pickled vegetables."

"you……"

Chen Yan felt a deep sense of powerlessness; he couldn't eat a single bite of the lavish feast on the table.

Lu Han and Xia Yun brought many gifts, and the one they gave to Chen Yan was a set of Shanghai silk loungewear.

Silk is light, breathable, smooth, and soft. Chen Yan, who suffered burns all over his body, felt cool and comfortable wearing silk clothes.

What was given to He Chunxiu was a set of Shanghai brand cosmetics, including perfume, face cream, and lipstick.

He Chunxiu couldn't stop smiling: "How could I possibly use perfume and lipstick? Shanghainese people are so particular!"

"Mom, I'm here for you." Chen Hong was quite pleased.

The gift given to Chen Gang was a Shanghai brand watch, which Chen Yan absolutely refused to accept, as it was too valuable.

Xia Yun said, "Chen Gang, wear it. It was a gift for my dad, obtained through corruption, so it's not particularly valuable."

Chen Yan was taken aback. This was another rebellious daughter.

The gift given to Chen Hong was a dress with a blue background and floral print. The fabric was drapey and lustrous, and it was even prettier than the dress Xia Yun was wearing.

"Sister Xia Yun, the clothes in Shanghai are so beautiful!"

"If you wear this to Yang Zheng, he'll be completely mesmerized," Xia Yun joked.

He Chunxiu chimed in, "Of course! My Honghong is so beautiful, she's the perfect match for Yang Zheng."

Chen Yan helplessly touched his head. His daughter was only sixteen years old, and all her acquaintances and friends knew that she was going to marry Yang Zheng.

Alas, daughters are like birds that cannot stay at home once they grow up; she's already gone before she's even fully grown.

Everyone loved the gifts Xia Yun gave them. Chen Gang fiddled with his watch, while Chen Hong tried on clothes and even used her mother's perfume and lipstick.

"Miss Xia, thank you for the gift. Come, try my Shanghai cuisine. If it's not authentic, tell me and I'll improve it."

He Chunxiu welcomed Lu Han and Xia Yun to the dining table and opened a few bottles of drinks.

Lu Han placed a piece of duck meat on Xia Yun's plate. Xia Yun took a small bite and looked on with delight: "Teacher's wife, this duck is even better than the one at the International Hotel! How did you make it? I want to learn."

Is this...is it delicious? Chen Yan couldn't resist picking up a piece. It was sweet, hard to spit out, and hard to swallow, so he had to take a sip of tea and force it down.

"Really? Oh my, I don't need to learn. Just come to my house whenever I want to eat." He Chunxiu was overjoyed.