Chapter 31: He Yuzhu's Blind Date

On Sunday morning, He Yuzhu got up early and started washing his hair and changing clothes; the black leather shoes on his feet were polished to a shine, and Li Qiang even lent him his family's bicycle.

"Zhuzi, why are you all dressed up so neatly today?" Yan Butgui asked curiously upon seeing He Yuzhu's outfit.

"I'm going to cook for the leader's family," He Yuzhu casually made up an excuse and left the siheyuan.

At the alley entrance, He Yuzhu found Yang Fen waiting for him there; the two feared others finding out, so they deliberately walked separately, with Yang Fen arriving at the alley entrance first to wait for He Yuzhu.

"Sister-in-law," He Yuzhu called out sweetly.

"Zhuzi, you look great today, you're all spiffed up and seem more energetic," Yang Fen praised.

"Sister-in-law, please don't say that," He Yuzhu said, feeling a bit embarrassed from Yang Fen's praise and scratching his head.

"Let's go, don't let the young lady wait for us," Yang Fen said, then rode ahead on her bicycle; He Yuzhu followed on the bicycle he had borrowed from Li Qiang.

The two arrived at the gate of North Sea Park; Wang Meipo and company hadn't arrived yet, they waited about ten minutes, then Wang Meipo led a mother and daughter over.

"Zhuzi, let me introduce you. This is Yu Li, this is her mother; Yu Li is the He Yuzhu comrade I mentioned to you. This is his sister-in-law Yang Fen, though not a blood relation," Wang Meipo emphasized Yang Fen's identity while introducing them.

"Hello, Comrade Yu Li," He Yuzhu greeted proactively.

"Hello, Comrade He Yuzhu," Yu Li replied, blushing.

"Alright, you two go for a walk in the park; we'll chat here," Wang Meipo said, deliberately giving them a chance to be alone.

"Okay, Comrade Yu Li, let's go for a walk in the park," He Yuzhu said with a smile.

"Fine, you don't need to be so polite; just call me Yu Li," Yu Li said, blushing.

"Auntie, what do you think of Zhuzi?" After He Yuzhu and they left, Yang Fen smiled and asked Yu Li's mother.

"Although he looks a bit old-fashioned, he seems honest and reliable; I have no objections, it's up to Xiao Li's opinion." Although Yu Li's mother wasn't too satisfied with He Yuzhu's appearance, He Yuzhu had good qualities; it was also not bad for her daughter to find such a match.

"Auntie, you're absolutely right; Zhuzi is honest, not like other young people with all those tricky thoughts. Besides, once Yu Li marries in, she can manage the household without mother-in-law conflicts." Yang Fen said, picking only the good points. Actually, Yang Fen wasn't wrong either; in the 1950s-60s, daughters-in-law had to watch their mother-in-law's face, and Qin Huairu is a good example.

"Whether she manages the household or not doesn't matter; as long as the two of them can live well, that's fine." Yu Li's mother spoke especially well on the surface; even if she wanted her daughter to manage the household, she couldn't admit it so bluntly, or people would surely say her family was greedy.

He Yuzhu and Yu Li strolled around the park for a long while, and both were fairly satisfied.

"Yu Li, it's almost noon; let me treat you to a meal," He Yuzhu said, remembering Li Qiang's advice not to be too stingy.

"No need to be polite; I'll eat with my mom later," Yu Li said, still feeling a bit embarrassed about letting He Yuzhu treat her to a meal.

"Don't be polite; besides, I still need to thank Wang Meipo and my sister-in-law," He Yuzhu said, having already told Yu Li about Yang Fen's identity.

"Alright then, let's just have something simple," Yu Li also couldn't refuse further.

"Shall we go for roast duck or hot pot lamb?"

"Let's have roast duck," Yu Li said.

"Okay."

The two arrived at the park gate and found Wang Meipo and company.

"Auntie Wang, sister-in-law, auntie, it's almost noon; let me treat you all to a meal," He Yuzhu said with a smile.

"No trouble, we'll just go back and eat," Yu Li's mother hurriedly said.

"Auntie, don't be polite; from now on we're family, let's go eat together," Yang Fen said, seeing Yu Li and He Yuzhu's expressions and knowing they had already agreed, she was just smoothing things over.

"Then let you go to the expense," Yu Li's mother also stopped insisting; she could see her daughter's attitude, and if she weren't satisfied she wouldn't have agreed to He Yuzhu treating them to a meal.

"Alright, let's go for roast duck," He Yuzhu said with a smile.

"Anything is fine," Yu Li's mother said politely.

Although Yang Fen and He Yuzhu came by bike, Wang Meipo and Yu Li's mother-daughter pair came on foot; now the two bikes can't carry three people, so the five of them could only push the bicycles together.

Arriving at Fully Gathered Virtue, He Yuzhu ordered a roast duck and several side dishes. Besides He Yuzhu, the remaining few were all female comrades; they ate little, actually because they were too embarrassed to eat much.

Even before finishing one roast duck, He Yuzhu ordered three more to go, and also packed up the remaining less than half a duck together.

"Yu Li, Auntie Wang, and sister-in-law, I've ordered a few more; take them home for your families to try, this remaining half duck. I'll bring mine back for my sisters," He Yuzhu said, handing out the three roast ducks respectively to the three people.

The three said they didn't want any; back then a roast duck cost eight yuan, ordering just one for a meal was already enough, but packing three more made these four ducks amount to a regular worker's monthly wage—how could they feel embarrassed to take them?

"Alright, don't be polite with me; take them home for your families to try—I've already bought them, and they won't let me return them," He Yuzhu said with a smile.

"Then we thank you, Zhuzi," Wang Meipo said, taking the roast duck with a smile; she had thought just getting a free lunch at noon was already nice, but didn't expect an extra gain.

"Zhuzi, I don't need to take any," Yang Fen said, waving her hand.

"Sister-in-law, you can't be polite with me either; take it home for Huan Huan and Le Le to eat," He Yuzhu said, the people he should thank most being Yang Fen and Li Qiang—he wouldn't hesitate even if it were one duck or ten.

"Alright," Yang Fen also could only take the roast duck and hang it on the bicycle handlebars.

Yu Li's mother saw they all had taken some; if she didn't take any it would be hard to justify, so she just took the roast duck He Yuzhu handed over. Although she verbally said she didn't want it, both Yu Li and her mother were deeply moved by He Yuzhu's gesture, showing he wasn't stingy, and also indicating his financial situation was decent—otherwise who would splurge on four roast ducks at once?

He Yuzhu and Yu Li had agreed to see a movie together next Sunday, after which the group finally parted.