Chapter 387: This Qin Huairu is too deliberate, too fake

Originally the Great Leader wanted Shazhu to cook for him, as he liked Shazhu's Sichuan cuisine.

Who knew Shazhu would be busy and not come, so Qin Huairu came instead.

This made both the Great Leader and his wife feel somewhat uncomfortable.

They hardly had any interaction with Qin Huairu.

On the other hand, Shazhu had come to cook for the Great Leader several times, and the Great Leader and his wife liked his Sichuan cuisine.

Previously, Shazhu had brought Qin Huairu over twice.

No one expected Qin Huairu to be so polite, as if she treated their home as her own.

Qin Huairu actually also wanted to maintain a good relationship with the Great Leader; being overly polite would instead create distance.

So, she was being somewhat deliberate.

She was acting like someone who had been on friendly terms with the Great Leader and his wife for many years.

It was precisely because Qin Huairu was too deliberate that it left the Great Leader and his wife with mixed feelings.

Logically, since someone came to cook for them, they shouldn't have anything to say.

But they had originally intended to call someone else, not Qin Huairu.

So, when the two were alone, they inevitably ended up discussing Qin Huairu.

"Do you think she can cook?"

The Great Leader's wife walked in and asked quietly.

"What is she doing now?"

The Great Leader let out a long sigh and asked.

"She's making soup, saying it was taught to her by He Shifu."

"Didn't I tell Secretary Chen? If Shazhu is unavailable, just forget it—why did she come over anyway?"

"She isn't even a chef."

"Secretary Chen told me she volunteered herself, saying she had learned cooking from Shazhu."

"Has Secretary Chen ever met Shazhu?"

"No, it was Qin Huairu who said He Shifu was unavailable."

Upon hearing this, the Great Leader's brows involuntarily furrowed.

"Do you think she might have said that on purpose, then come alone to get close to us?"

"That's possible; this person is quite scheming, not as simple as Shazhu."

"Don't you notice, her smile is very deliberate, feeling fake."

"Forget it, she's here now."

"If it doesn't taste good, we just won't invite her next time."

"Hmm, I think the same."

"Then you lie down first; I'll go check how it's going."

The Great Leader nodded.

About a quarter of an hour later.

Qin Huairu walked in holding a bowl of soup, beaming.

"Great Leader, come, try my soup."

"Thank you for your trouble, thank you."

Qin Huairu came to the Great Leader's bedside, placed the soup on the table, and said:

"Come, let's sit up and drink the soup; I'll support you."

The Great Leader's wife quickly said:

"Let me, let me; I can't trouble you."

Saying that, she stepped in front of Qin Huairu, supported the Great Leader, and leaned against the bed's edge.

Qin Huairu stood behind her, her smile freezing for a moment.

However.

When she turned around, Qin Huairu again wore a full smile and said:

"Great Leader, slowly, slowly, ah."

The Great Leader chuckled: "No, why do you talk to me like you're coaxing a child?"

If Qin Huairu's smile weren't so deliberate and gave off a fake feeling, her way of speaking would still be quite pleasing to the Great Leader.

As the saying goes, one does not strike a smiling face.

Naturally, the Great Leader wouldn't give Qin Huairu a cold look either.

"Look at what you're saying," Qin Huairu beamed.

"The older one gets, the more childlike they become."

"You're already eighty-seven."

"The three elders in our courtyard are only in their seventies, and I talk to them like I'm coaxing children too."

"Come, Great Leader, let me feed you the soup."

The Great Leader hastily waved his hands, saying: "No, no."

The Great Leader's wife lifted the soup and echoed: "Exactly."

"You coming to make soup for us already makes us grateful; how could we let you feed us?"

"Great Leader, Great Leader's wife, you really don't need to stand on ceremony with me; I'm happy to serve you."

The Great Leader and his wife exchanged a glance, neither speaking.

Then.

The Great Leader's wife sat on the bed and began feeding the Great Leader soup.

On the other side.

Xu Damao's home.

Xu Damao and Yu Haitang bought vegetables and cooked a meal, inviting several elderly people from the courtyard to come eat.

Jia Zhangshi didn't like staying at Xu Damao's home; after hastily finishing her meal, she said:

"I'm done eating, you all keep eating."

"I need to go back and daze for a while, I'm old."

Xu Damao nodded and said:

"Alright, then take your time."

Everyone also told her to take it slow.

She still felt quite pleased inside.

Second Aunt: "Haitang, help the old sister-in-law go back."

Yu Haitang: "Ah?"

Jia Zhangshi: "No need, no need, I can still walk, I can walk by myself, ah."

"You all eat slowly."

After Jia Zhangshi left not long after, Xu Damao put down his chopsticks and said:

"I'll say a few words, uh, Eldest Uncle, Second Elder, Second Aunt, Third Uncle, Third Aunt."

"I got married to Haitang and didn't invite you all for drinks; today this drink counts as making up for that for you elders, ah."

After saying that, he raised his wine cup.

Everyone else also raised their wine cups.

Xu Damao: "Come on, let's drink it."

Saying that, he clinked cups with everyone, Xu Damao tipped his head back and drained the cup.

He put the wine cup down, then Xu Damao continued:

"Um, I'll say a couple more things."

Saying this, Xu Damao looked toward Liu Haizhong and then said:

"Second Elder, I know you have especially strong opinions about me."

Liu Haizhong smiled and said nothing.

Xu Damao continued: "But that you could come to our home for this meal makes me especially happy."

Liu Haizhong grinned and said: "Let's not bring up those past matters."

Xu Damao nodded and said: "Fine."

After some thought, Liu Haizhong said: "I, Liu Haizhong, have summed up my experience in this lifetime."

"Just one character..."

Yan Bu Gui smiled and asked: "Come on, tell us, what character?"

Liu Haizhong made a gesture for the number two, laughed and said: "Two."

Everyone laughed upon hearing it.

Yi Zhonghai laughed: "Old Liu, that character of yours is a bit heavy."

Liu Haizhong shook his head and said: "Not heavy."

"As for me, you say, at home, my education issue."

"I'm always either hitting this or scolding that."

"Then I favor my eldest son."

"So what's the result?"

"Going back and forth, I ended up making myself 'two'."

Saying this, Liu Haizhong looked toward Second Aunt and asked:

"Old companion, you say, is that right?"

Second Aunt instinctively nodded and said:

"Yes, yes, but, but..."

Saying this, Second Aunt glanced at everyone, feeling somewhat embarrassed, and said:

"Don't say more, okay?"

"Don't say more, ah."

Liu Haizhong: "No, it's fine, fine fine fine fine, ah."

"After saying that, I feel relieved."