Reborn in a small village in the 1990s

Chapter 262

Zhou Chunwen was annoyed by what Zhao Da'e said. She said, "Da'e, cooking is a skill. At least you won't go hungry and you can improve your meals. Now that I have the opportunity to teach you, why don't you learn it properly?"

Zhao Da'e made a face at Zhou Chunwen, "Big Cousin, you go ahead and cook. Big Cousin is going on a blind date today, so hurry up and cook. If you don't finish cooking these dishes before noon, you'll get a scolding from Auntie. You do yours, and I have to go do mine."

As he spoke, Zhao Da'e went over to the fire pit to put firewood in, and then took out some eggs from the fire pit. The eggs were roasted until they were blackened, but you could just peel them open and eat them warm and cozy.

Seeing Zhao D'e like this, Zhou Chunwen couldn't help but scold him, "I think you just want to be lazy and eat something. Fine, fine, go over there and help me prepare some more vegetables, wash and chop them. I'm going to make other dishes later."

Zhao Da'e responded, "I understand, Big Cousin."

Zhou Chunwen picked up the oil can beside him, poured oil into the pot, and waited a few minutes until the oil was 6% hot. Then he picked up the washed potatoes and poured them in. As soon as they were poured in, you could hear the frying sound. Zhao Da'e, who was standing next to him, couldn't help but swallow his saliva when he heard the sound. It smelled so good and he wanted to eat it.

Seven or eight minutes later, the potatoes were fried until the edges were golden brown. Zhou Chunwen took them out and set them aside.

Then Zhou Chunwen looked at the eggplants prepared next to her, took them over, and added them in small amounts several times. Zhou Chunwen urged Zhao Da'e to put some more matches into the fire pit. When frying these things, the fire cannot be too low. Eggplants will not absorb oil if they are fried over a high heat. After a while, Zhou Chunwen took out the eggplants and set them aside.

Next, add the bell peppers, fry them for a few seconds, then immediately remove and set aside.

The aroma wafted from the dishes prepared nearby, making Zhao Da'e's mouth water.

Zhou Chunwen scooped the oil from the pot into a jar, leaving only a little oil in the pot. Then he took the minced garlic that Zhao D'e had chopped, grabbed half of it, and threw it into the pot. He then stirred it with the spoon until it became fragrant. Next, he added the bell peppers and stir-fried them for a few minutes.

Then Zhou Chunwen poured in the sauce that Zhao Dage had prepared. After a while, the sauce thickened. When Zhou Chunwen saw that it was almost time, he poured in the other half of the minced garlic and stir-fried it evenly.

Finally, Zhou Chunwen picked up another plate and scooped most of the food into the pot. Then he picked up another plate to fill the pot. The food could fit on two plates.

Seeing that her older cousin had finished cooking, Zhao Da'e couldn't resist going over and picking up her chopsticks to try some, but Zhou Chunwen patted her on the shoulder. "What's the rush? Hurry up and put the food on the table. It's almost noon, and the people you're going on blind dates with are coming. I need to finish cooking quickly. Go get some water; it's still not enough..."

Seeing this, Zhao Da'e could only purse his lips. He was a little hungry, but getting to work was the priority.

Zhao Da'e went to fetch well water again. This time, she was going to wash the dishes. She put all the porcelain bowls in clean water, sprinkled some baking soda on them, and said that this would make them clean. Zhao Da'e washed them carefully, and then washed the teacups and wine cups until they were spotless.

During this time, Cheng Jinxiang arrived carrying Zhao Xiaojuan. Seeing Zhao Dage working, she instructed him, "Dage, work hard. Your older cousin is going on a blind date today. Maybe you'll have a sister-in-law in a few months."

Zhao Da'e replied, "Okay, Mom. Go wait in the west room for a while."

During this time, a number of people have gradually arrived.

First, Zhao Tingming arrived. When he came over, he saw Zhao Dage working and said with a smile, "Dage, you're busy."

Zhao Da'e nodded helplessly; she was indeed busy.

Cousin Zhou Tianfu had already arrived at the door, looking rather nervous. Zhao Da'e laughed beside him, "Cousin, don't be too nervous."

Zhou Tianfu glanced at Zhao Dage and quickly said, "I'm not nervous at all, Dage, you go and do your thing."

Zhao Da'e pouted and couldn't help but say, "Busy, busy, busy, I've been busy all morning."

As more and more people arrived, Zhao Tiesheng and Zhao Tiegang from the Zhao family also came, as well as Zhao Dage's maternal uncle Cheng Rongguo and aunt Zhu Yufeng. Next came Uncle Zhou Puren and his son Zhou Tianxiang, and the village chief, who was a scholar, was also invited.

When there are many people, it becomes lively.

Zhou Puren joked, "Nephew, you're not bad. You're almost at the age to go on blind dates. I'm looking forward to your wedding."

Zhou Tianfu blushed slightly and said somewhat awkwardly, "Uncle, how can it be so fast? I don't even know if the woman will be interested in me."

Zhou Puren smiled and waved his hand, saying, "My nephew is good-looking and has good character. The woman will definitely like you."

Zhou Tianxiang chuckled beside him, "Look at Tianfu, he's embarrassed. You'd better be more energetic later, show some skill, don't get so nervous you can't say a word."

Cheng Jinxi laughed from the side, "This child has been embarrassed all day, ever since breakfast."

Looking at Zhou Tianfu, Zhao Tiesheng couldn't help but recall the scene when he and Jinxiang went on a blind date. He was just as embarrassed as Tianfu. He never expected that several years would have passed in the blink of an eye. Time really flies.

Soon the woman's family arrived, including Old Ma, his mother Xu Meihua, and his daughter Ma Kuihua, along with a large group of other relatives. Zhao Da'e didn't know who they were, but he didn't need to. They were all new relatives, and he had to keep them company.

When Cheng Jinxi and Zhou Yuren saw Old Ma's family arrive, they were all smiles and quickly stepped forward, saying, "We've been waiting for you! Relatives, relatives, come in quickly!"

Ma Huaihua, with her hair in a braid, hid behind her grandmother and glanced shyly in Cheng Jinxi's direction. When she saw Zhou Tianfu in front of her, her face couldn't help but turn red. When she saw that Zhou Tianfu was also looking in her direction, Ma Huaihua couldn't help but lower her head and hide behind Xu Meihua, not daring to look Zhou Tianfu in the eye.

Zhou Tianfu was the same; when he saw Ma Huaihua's appearance, he couldn't help but lower his head and dare not look directly at her.

But the image of Ma Huaihua came to mind: a head of braids, pretty, with bangs, and she didn't look as fat as people said; in fact, she was quite thin.

Seeing Zhou Tianfu's embarrassed expression, Cheng Jinxi couldn't help but laugh and scold, "Look at you, so pathetic! We just made eye contact, why are you so embarrassed?"

Zhao Tiegang laughed heartily from the side, "Big sister, don't talk about Tianfu anymore. When I married my wife, I was even more shy than Tianfu. Just let them get to know each other slowly."

Upon hearing this, the people around him laughed heartily.

Old Ma glanced at Zhou Yuren's basic situation: four single-story houses, corn on the corn cob next door, and a large yard outside. It didn't look shabby. The other party was also quite hospitable and had invited quite a few people, so he should be well-liked. Old Ma nodded in satisfaction.

Only then did he lead his entire family over.

"How about we eat and chat? It's cold, so we can have some warm drinks together," Zhou Yuren warmly invited.

Old Ma didn't refuse. He already knew Zhou Yuren, and the matchmaker's words weren't false. He also thought Zhou Tianfu was decent-looking. So they decided to have a meal together and talk things over.

Cheng Jinxi glanced at Ma Huaihua behind Xu Meihua and smiled, "This must be Huaihua. The little girl is really pretty."

Hearing that she was being talked about, Ma Huaihua felt a little embarrassed, but still obediently greeted, "Hello, Auntie."

Seeing Ma Huaihua so shy, Xu Meihua shook her head helplessly, "This child is just easily embarrassed."

Cheng Jinxi felt nothing was wrong; in fact, the more she looked at the child, the more she liked her. She said, "It's normal for girls to be shy. They won't be shy after spending more time with her!"

"If only we could become a family," Cheng Jinxi thought happily to herself.

Zhou Tianfu understood the implication in Cheng Jinxi's words perfectly. He nudged Cheng Jinxi and said in a embarrassed whisper, "Mom, how can you talk like that?"

Cheng Jinxi responded, "What's wrong with me saying that? I'm just stating the facts."

Zhou Yuren patted Lao Ma on the shoulder and said, "Lao Ma, don't stand here. The tables over there are all set up. Let's go sit down and eat."

Cheng Jinxi realized what was happening and quickly said, "Yes, yes, yes, come and sit down. Look at my memory, you must be starving too. Come on, come on."

Everyone tacitly arranged for the two main characters to sit together. Zhou Tianfu was a little reserved, but he still mustered up his courage and said to Ma Huaihua, "Hello, Sister Huaihua."

Ma Huaihua blushed slightly, lowered her head, and softly replied, "Yes, hello Brother Tianfu."

The two main characters were speaking politely to each other, as if neither of them felt comfortable.

But Zhou Tianfu thought that Ma Huaihua was not only beautiful, but also had a nice voice.

Zhao Da'e brought over several dishes from the kitchen and then obediently sat at the children's table, which was where she should sit. The men who were drinking sat together, while the children's table was occupied by women and children who did not drink.

Zhou Chunwen was busy in the kitchen for a long time, and only finished when she brought out the last dish.

After she finished her work, she went to sit at the children's table. Zhou Chunhong and Zhao Yongbo, Zhao Da'e's cousin, were also there.

When Zhao Yongbo saw Zhao Dage, he said, "Big sister, when are you going home? When you're not at the Zhao family home, no one plays with me."

Zhao Da'e patted Zhao Yongbo's head and said, "Yongbo, be good. I think I won't be able to go home until later."

Seeing this, Zhao Yongbo could only lower his head in disappointment. "You're not at the Zhao family's house, and my mom has gone to my maternal grandfather's house. I'm so bored being home alone. My grandmother has been nagging lately. She told me not to play with you recently because she's afraid you'll corrupt me."

“But I think my older sister is good; she won’t lead me astray.” After saying this, Zhao Yongbo touched his chin with a hint of melancholy.

Zhao Da'e patted Zhao Yongbo on the shoulder and said, "Then don't listen to Grandma's nonsense. You can continue playing with me. Come on, little brother, have some meatballs."

As he spoke, Zhao Da'e picked up a meatball and put it into Yongbo's bowl.

Zhao Yongbo swallowed hard as he smelled the aroma of the food. Since his second aunt passed away, he had rarely had a decent meal. Although his grandmother could cook, her food was not as good as his second aunt's.

Zhao Yongbo tasted the meatball and his eyes lit up immediately – it was delicious!

Zhao Yongbo couldn't help but say to Zhao Da'e, "Big sister, these meatballs are really delicious, you should try some!"

Zhao Da'e smiled and served Zhao Yongbo a few more dishes that she thought were delicious.

There's a dish of stir-fried potatoes, eggplant, and green peppers, as well as braised pork.

Among them, she thought the "Three Treasures of the Earth" was delicious. She added some sauce to the rice and mixed it in. The taste was simply amazing and very fragrant. Zhao Da'e couldn't help but start eating. She had been busy since morning and was starving. Now she could finally have a proper meal.

Zhao Tiesheng glanced at Cheng Jinxiang furtively. This time, he could finally look at Cheng Jinxiang calmly. The previous times he went to Cheng Jinxiang's parents' house, he was turned away twice. Cheng Jinxiang stayed in her room and refused to see him, so he had to return empty-handed. The last time he went to see Jinxiang, he was also treated with a cold face. He hadn't seen her smile in a long time.

Now, Cheng Jinxiang has become more plump and her skin is even better. This is his wife. It's a pity that his wife is ignoring him now. Zhao Tiesheng always feels a little bad.

Cheng Jinxiang sat next to her older sister, and Zhao Tiesheng quickly followed suit and sat down next to her.

Cheng Jinxiang said impatiently, "What are you doing here? These are all women's tables."

Zhao Tiesheng didn't think it was a big deal. He said, "I'm sitting with my wife. If there's a problem, no one will say anything about me."

Cheng Jinxiang was furious when she saw Zhao Tiesheng's shameless attitude, and turned her head away, not wanting to pay any attention to him.

Zhou Yuren poured wine into his glass, stood up, looked at Lao Ma, and said, "Come on, Lao Ma, let me toast you."

Old Ma returned the toast, chuckling, "Old Zhou, you're too kind."

After saying that, Old Ma glanced at Zhou Tianfu and said, "This must be Tianfu."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuren secretly kicked Zhou Tianfu, signaling him to get up quickly, "Hurry up and pour some wine for your Uncle Ma."

Zhou Tianfu quickly got up and poured wine into Lao Ma's glass, but because he was too nervous, a little wine spilled out. This action made Ma Huaihua, who was next to him, unable to help but lower her head and smile.

Zhou Tianfu was standing nearby, and seeing Ma Huaihua laughing at him, he felt a little embarrassed. Seeing how nervous Zhou Tianfu was, Zhou Yuren couldn't help but say, "You're usually very composed, how come you're being so clumsy now?"

After saying that, Zhou Yuren looked at Lao Ma and said, "Lao Ma, I'm sorry you had to see this."

Old Ma shook his head and laughed, "It's nothing, it's nothing. He's just a young man, and Tianfu isn't clumsy. He seems to be quite clever."

Zhou Tianfu blushed slightly upon hearing this. He had just drunk two small cups of wine to embolden himself. Zhou Tianfu stared at Ma Huaihua for a long time, making her feel embarrassed. She blushed and whispered, "Wh...what's wrong? Is there something on my face? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Zhou Tianfu shook his head. His face was also red after drinking, and he didn't know if it was from shyness or from drinking. He explained, "No, there's nothing on your face. I just think you're so beautiful, Sister Huaihua, that I couldn't help but take another look."