Chapter 314: Grown Capable

"Oh my, this girl is truly beautiful! Sixth Aunt, you have good fortune; your Wang family has good fortune..."

"Girl, how many people are in your family? What does your father do? Not bad, not bad. Those who eat public grain are never bad..."

"Is this his older brother? Oh my, look at you, look at you. Qiangzi didn't even introduce him. I'm Qiangzi's second brother. Smoke, smoke..."

After entering the main room, the Wang family was very polite to the Huang siblings. The wives and aunts pulled Huang Suwen to ask this and that, while the men handed cigarettes and water to Huang Gang.

Everything looked very normal.

But twenty minutes later, a "gurgling" sound broke this normality.

Li Ye heard it very clearly; it was Huang Suwen's stomach growling.

So he quickly said, "Sixth Aunt, can you talk about whatever you want later? Should we serve the meal first?"

"..."

The room fell silent. Li Ye noticed the strange expressions on several people's faces, as if they were somewhat ashamed.

"You haven't eaten yet? I say, Third Son, why are you so ignorant? There are so many restaurants on the road; how could you let the girl be hungry until this hour?"

Li Ye licked his lips, feeling that there was a reason his sister Li Yue had dragged him to the Wang family today.

If he hadn't followed them in, the Huang siblings would have been too embarrassed to speak up. Would he have let them chat all night on empty stomachs?

However, Li Ye was also a bit puzzled. When Wang Jianqiang left last year, his mother had made him a new cotton-padded jacket. At that time, Wang Jianqiang said he had figured it out—as long as he had prospects, he would inevitably be the pillar of the family. How was it that now...

Wasn't it that you had eaten and drunk your fill, and had a nice little drink, but didn't realize the young couple might not have eaten?

Li Ye didn't remember which country's scholar it was, but after visiting the Middle Kingdom, he said that the thing that touched him most in the Middle Kingdom was a greeting used between people—"Have you eaten?"

If you said you hadn't, then the next sentence would definitely be, "Come, let's eat together!"

In the words of that scholar—this is a great virtue!

Simple, tolerant, atmospheric, and kind. Sharing a portion of food is a respect for life.

This simple sentence is much more lofty than any benevolence, morality, love, or compassion.

But a group of relatives had been chatting for twenty minutes, so why hadn't anyone thought to ask, "Have you eaten?"

Thinking of the bone "crunching, crunching" in the mouth of the watchdog at the door, Li Ye suddenly realized.

Originally, the Wang family had prepared a good meal, but whether it was because Wang Jianqiang hadn't explained it clearly or not, Wang Jianqiang hadn't arrived home by dark, so they started the banquet themselves.

The main guest hadn't arrived, and they had finished eating themselves. Who would be embarrassed to ask?

Wang Jianqiang looked at his mother blankly, opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a word.

But everyone saw his eyes turn red.

If Wang Jianqiang had returned alone today, it wouldn't have counted for much.

After all, given the habits of the elders in Dongshan toward the younger generation in 1983, who cares if you don't come home to eat on time? Should a whole family of elders wait for one junior?

But today Wang Jianqiang brought Huang Suwen back, and he had sent a telegram in advance. Not serving the meal was one thing, but how could they blame him instead?

Actually, even decades later, this situation still exists.

A mother's unconscious complaint might hit the pain point of her son or daughter, causing them to burst into tears, and the mother still wouldn't know what was wrong with the child.

Seeing Wang Jianqiang's appearance, his father, Wang Daguang, roared at his wife, "What are you still blathering about? Didn't you see the child is hungry? Why don't you hurry up and make the food?"

"Oh, oh, I'll do it right now."

Fan Chunhua didn't dare to meet Wang Jianqiang's eyes now and hurried to busy herself with dinner.

Huang Suwen also hurriedly stood up, lifting her leg to follow, "Auntie, I'll help you!"

But Huang Suwen didn't even take a step before she felt her hem being pulled.

Looking back, she found Wang Jianqiang pulling her, signaling her to sit down obediently.

Li Ye, who had originally wanted to stand up to smooth things over, quietly retreated.

He felt that perhaps Wang Jianqiang could handle it himself.

Wang Jianqiang's aunts and sisters-in-law busied themselves poking open the stove to prepare the meal, asking Fan Chunhua where the meat and vegetables were.

But Fan Chunhua stammered.

It was Wang Jianqiang's second brother, Wang Yonggan, who was clever, hurriedly dragging over the few sacks Wang Jianqiang had just brought back and dumping the contents out.

"Mom, no need to be so troublesome. Dumplings when leaving, noodles when returning. Just cook us a few bowls of noodles!"

"Noodles? That... right, right, right, let's eat noodles. Big sister-in-law, you boil the water, and I'll make the dough..."

"Don't make the dough. I have dried noodles at home. I'll go get them right now..."

"Good, good, thanks to you, big sister-in-law, today..."

Fan Chunhua was busy, never realizing the coldness in her son's words just now.

Noodles are the easiest and fastest meal, and they were ready in ten-plus minutes.

Li Ye and Li Yue didn't sit at the table, saying they weren't hungry, so three large bowls were served.

Wang Jianqiang picked up his chopsticks and started eating, large mouthful after large mouthful, eating fast and urgently.

Huang Suwen poked him and whispered, "Slow down, it's hot..."

But Wang Jianqiang still finished it in one go.

Then, not waiting for Huang Suwen and Huang Gang to finish eating, he got up and said to Li Yue, "Sister Xiao Yue, after Brother Huang and Sister finish eating, please trouble you to send them to the county guesthouse!"

Li Yue looked at Wang Jianqiang and nodded in agreement.

She suddenly felt that Wang Jianqiang was different from before.

If the Wang Jianqiang from half an hour ago was still a bit "blockheaded," what Li Yue saw now was clearly the "grandeur" vaguely similar to that of Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng and Li Ye.

Li Yue suddenly felt immense pressure.

After going to the capital, Li Yue felt Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng's transformation, and now it seemed even Wang Jianqiang had grown up.

Wang Jianqiang gave Huang Suwen a few more instructions, and Huang Suwen nodded obediently.

Then Wang Jianqiang said to his mother, "Mom, I have something to discuss with Master this time I'm back. You come with me."

Fan Chunhua asked suspiciously, "You're discussing something with your Master; what am I going for? Besides, it's so late. Can't you go talk tomorrow? Isn't it annoying to go to someone's house so late?"

Wang Jianqiang shook his head and said, "We'll talk today. Anyway, my brother is going home too. My Master definitely isn't asleep."

Fan Chunhua still wanted to refute, but Wang Jianqiang had already gone out to push the bicycle.

Fan Chunhua, who had been fierce for most of her life, suddenly felt a bit guilty.

Because she felt she couldn't "handle" her youngest son anymore.

According to the traditions of Dongshan rural areas, the eldest son or the youngest son usually provides for the elderly. Previously, Fan Chunhua wanted the eldest son to provide for her, but for the past two years, she had wanted the youngest son to do it.

Why? The youngest son earned a lot of money!

When the big river is full, the small river is full. If the son is well-off, how could he make things difficult for her?

But if she couldn't handle him...

Fan Chunhua shuddered and said to her second son, "Second Son, you come with me."

Wang Yonggan said, "What am I going for? Third Son wants to discuss something with Uncle Zhongfa. I'll..."

"Stop talking nonsense, hurry up and push the bike. Otherwise, are you going to let Xiao Ye take me?"

"Fine, fine, fine. I don't know what's wrong with you today, being ordered around by Third Son all day."

"I..."

Fan Chunhua was stunned and finally realized that the way Wang Jianqiang spoke to her just now was just like the Second Uncle of the Wang family.

The Second Uncle of the Wang family was Wang Jianqiang's second uncle and the "man of the scene" for the Wang family.

Whenever there was a major event in the Wang family, they were accustomed to asking the Second Uncle for ideas. If there were weddings or funerals, it was also the Second Uncle who presided over them. Although he wasn't "the only one who had a say," he had great influence throughout the Wang family.

And the way Wang Jianqiang looked just now was exactly like the style of the Second Uncle of the Wang family.

【Impossible, I watched Third Son grow up; how could he have such prospects?】

Fan Chunhua felt she had seen wrong.

But Li Ye, who was on the side, saw it clearly.

Wang Jianqiang had indeed "grown capable."

If the Wang Jianqiang who had just "joined the group" to sell malt sugar two years ago was a blockhead, then after going to the capital, Wang Jianqiang was a typical "stupid bird."

He liked learning from Li Ye, liked reading, and even because he was in charge of the warehouse, he started teaching himself accounting.

Two years of day and night without stopping—to tell the truth, it was almost enough to graduate from a technical secondary school.

Not to mention that he was with people with high comprehension like Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng and Ma Qianshan all day; it would be strange if he didn't grow capable.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 315 =====