Emerging from the kitchen, Lin Xiaoguai saw Jiang Xiaomei holding an apple, tremblingly peeling it with uneven thickness in the skin, the exposed flesh forming a strange polyhedral shape.
"Alright, let me do it." She couldn’t help but laugh as she took the apple from her hand.
Jiang Xiaomei was efficient in every household chore but always struggled with peeling fruits. She used to complain about her fingers being too thick and not agile enough. Yet now, even though her fingers had slimmed down, the problem still persisted.
"You’ve given us a good laugh, with fruits like apples and pears that need peeling, Xiaomei always struggles," Mrs. Jiang apologized to Mrs. Yi.
Mrs. Yi slightly frowned, but seeing Jiang Xiaomei skillfully pour a cup of tea for Lin Xiaoguai, her expression quickly relaxed. "It’s fine, everyone has their weaknesses. Our Dongxia still can’t wash socks clean."
"Mom!" Yi Dongxia was somewhat annoyed to have her shortcomings revealed in front of so many people.
"See, you won’t even let me speak," Mrs. Yi said with a laugh.
Everyone laughed amicably.
At that moment, Lin Xiaoguai cored the apple, cut it into small chunks, and arranged it on the coffee table with toothpicks for everyone to eat.
"You’re really ingenious. I’ve never seen anyone eat apples before," Yi Chunxia said to Lin Xiaoguai with a smile.
Lin Xiaoguai realized only then that this way of eating fruit wasn’t common in this era and smiled. "It’s nothing ingenious, I’m just lazy. Sorry to amuse you."
"I think it’s great, it keeps your hands from getting sticky," Mrs. Yi surprisingly chimed in.
Lin Xiaoguai paused and then laughed. "I’m glad you like it, Auntie."
Soon it was time for dinner. Lin Xiaoguai and the other women helped serve the dishes and set the table. Mrs. Jiang called out, "Come on, sit down, don’t be shy."
Mr. Jiang’s cooking was beyond question. Everyone was extremely satisfied with the meal. After dinner, the men gathered at one table to play cards while the women watched and chatted about daily life.
Taking the opportunity, Lin Xiaoguai pulled Jiang Xiaomei into her room and asked, "Weren’t we going to discuss the engagement date? How come I just heard that it’s already been decided?"
Jiang Xiaomei blushed. "Auntie had Yi Feng’s fortune told. They said that if he doesn’t settle his lifelong affair before his 28th birthday, there might be complications with the marriage. His birthday is in November, and there isn’t much time to prepare. With only a few auspicious days available, both families discussed and picked the best one."
Could it really be like that?
Lin Xiaoguai was slightly astonished but realized that even in future generations, many people would do the same. It wasn’t about being superstitious but rather having a "better safe than sorry" attitude.
She frowned and then asked, "Coming to the Capital this time, must have nearly spent all of your parents’ savings on buying the house, and they still need to buy a tricycle for business. Plus, you have your engagement and later your wedding and dowry to prepare for. Do you have enough money?"
"Dad said it’s tight, but our wedding wouldn’t be till next year at the earliest. That can wait." Jiang Xiaomei didn’t hide anything.
"In that case, when my family moves next time, I’ll give you 3,000 yuan," Lin Xiaoguai decided without a second thought.
"No, how can I take your money?" Jiang Xiaomei quickly shook her head.
"Consider it a loan. You can pay it back whenever," Lin Xiaoguai glared at her.
Jiang Xiaomei looked troubled. "If you decide on your own to lend money to my family, won’t Shen Chi be upset?"
"He won’t. He doesn’t interfere with these matters. Even if he knew, he wouldn’t mind," Lin Xiaoguai said, feeling a sweet sensation in her heart involuntarily.
As they left the Jiang family’s house and the car started, Lin Xiaoguai couldn’t help but ask, "What do you think of Yi Feng?" She thought Shen Chi, having talked with Yi Feng earlier, must know more than she did.
"He’s alright," seeing Lin Xiaoguai widen her eyes, he couldn’t help but laugh, taking one hand off the steering wheel to rub her head. "A man who can manage daily life, quite family-oriented and responsible. But his ambition isn’t very strong; he’s content with his current life situation."
Lin Xiaoguai sighed in relief and laughed. "That’s good, as long as he is good to Xiaomei, ambition is secondary."
Shen Chi’s expression stalled momentarily, feigning indifference, he asked, "You don’t like men with ambition?"
"Not really, I just think whether a man is ambitious or not isn’t important, as long as he can provide for his wife’s basic needs."
Shen Chi scoffed, "As long as basic needs are met, sounds simple. Nowadays, having enough to eat and wear isn’t a hard problem. But that’s how the world is. If you don’t have power or influence, people might bully you, and even if you are in the right, there’s no way to resist."