"Living in the North for so long has changed my personality. I don't like too many twists and turns. Besides, coming here with my fiancé is an open and honest thing. We aren't running away together like a secret couple, so there's nothing shameful to hide." Zhu Yanyi said with a smile.
"That's right, little sister. Your thinking is correct. Marriage is free now. As long as you like each other and your parents don't object, it's great to be together," the man sighed. "But some people just like to play that 'running away' game."
"Old Liu, can you really 'play' at running away? Don't talk nonsense," someone at the same table said.
"I'm not talking nonsense. The girl next door ran away. She was only seventeen last year. She ran off to a southern city with a man in her thirties. Guess what? That man already had a wife. She lost face and came back recently. Her belly was huge, maybe six or seven months pregnant. Her family is worried now. They don't know if they should keep the baby or not."
The man sneered. "If I had such a troublesome daughter, I would beat her to death."
"That's true. That daughter is so troublesome. It's embarrassing," others in the room joined in.
"Actually, society is good now. But life is better, so girls have shallow eyes. If it were a few years ago, when food was a problem, who would think about running away?" a man in his fifties said.
"People are never satisfied," everyone agreed.
"I think it's lack of education. If education is enough, girls can protect themselves. Then there would be nothing to say," a young woman at the same table said.
The girl looked about twenty, with a ponytail, looking very energetic.
"A Lan, don't talk nonsense," the man said.
"Uncle, I'm not talking nonsense. Our living environment is so good now. If everyone studied hard, we would have chances to go out openly, just like that young lady. She must have gone to Beijing because she studied well, right?" The young girl looked at Zhu Yanyi.
Zhu Yanyi nodded with a smile. "I did well in the college entrance exam, so I went to Beijing."
"See? If you study well, you can go anywhere. Those girls who run away mostly don't want to study. Such people are really bad," the young woman said with disdain.
"That's why we have nine-year compulsory education. It's so good. At least everyone won't be illiterate," the man laughed.
Zhu Yanyi drank beef soup and gnawed on bones while listening to their gossip.
After leaving the beef restaurant, Yan Aohan smiled. "It seems your Yong City is quite interesting."
"It's just gossip," Zhu Yanyi smiled.
Yan Aohan nodded. "We still have some time before we get home. If you are sleepy, you can sleep on the chair for a while."
"Driving at night is tiring. I'm not in a hurry. Talking with you helps relieve fatigue. It's good," Zhu Yanyi said happily. They chatted all the way home, arriving after one in the morning.
They didn't wake anyone up. They quietly went up to the third floor, showered, and went to sleep.
Actually, they weren't tired, but it was midnight, so they had to rest.
Early the next morning, Zhu Yanyi went downstairs and saw Zhu Shunye organizing things. "Dad, what are you doing?"
"Your grandfather's birthday is in a few days. We usually aren't here, but now we are. Even though it's a small birthday, we should send some gifts. So I'm organizing them," Zhu Shunye said. Then he added, "By the way, what time did you get home last night?"
"A little past one." Zhu Yanyi made some vegetable rice cakes in the kitchen and started eating. "I didn't see Aohan early in the morning. Did she go out?"
"Do you think everyone is a little lazybug like you? I asked Aohan to help bring some vegetables back," Zhu Shunye said, looking at Yan Aohan with disdain. To be honest, if this wasn't his own daughter, he would be disgusted too.
Zhu Yanyi glanced at Zhu Shunye. "Dad, just keep teasing me." She smiled. "Anyway, my personality is like this because you spoiled me."
"How did I spoil you? What does it have to do with me?" Zhu Shunye absolutely refused to admit it.
"It doesn't matter if you don't admit it. I remember that my personality is because you spoiled me." Although the father and daughter were bickering, it was full of warmth.
"Stop talking nonsense. Finish your rice cakes quickly and come help me count things. I need to see if anything is missing," Zhu Shunye scolded with a smile.
Zhu Yanyi finished eating happily and came to help. "Grandpa's birthday is small, why are you preparing so many things?"
"Your grandfather is sixty-nine this year. Next year he will be seventy. In our place, birthdays ending in nine for the elderly must be celebrated carefully," Zhu Shunye explained with a smile.
Zhu Yanyi knew this. It was a local custom. For example, at sixty-six, they had to eat sixty-six pieces of meat bought by each daughter. Of course, not big pieces, but cut very thin. Otherwise, how could one person eat sixty-six pieces of meat in one meal? She didn't know the meaning behind it.
Two days later, Zhu Shunye took Xie Xinlian, Zhu Yanyi, and Yan Aohan to Xie Zhong's house. Since it wasn't a major birthday, Zhu Xinfu, as the father-in-law, didn't need to go.
Xie Zhong saw the gifts Zhu Shunye brought and looked helpless. "It's not a big birthday. Why did you come? Isn't this reminding the King of Hell that I'm sixty-nine? He can prepare to take me."
Zhu Yanyi laughed. "Grandpa, children love birthdays."
"Children love birthdays because they want to grow up quickly. The elderly don't like birthdays because they know they get one year older. They are one step closer to the Hall of the King of Hell," Xie Zhong said. Zhu Yanyi laughed loudly.
"Whether you celebrate or not, we brought the gifts. You can't make us take them back, can you?" Zhu Yanyi asked playfully.
Xie Zhong glanced at Zhu Yanyi. "You child, you really don't know how to speak. Since the gifts are here, how can I send them back? Of course, I will accept them."
Qi Qiao'er heard this and said directly to Zhu Yanyi, "Your grandfather is an old child. Don't mind her."
Zhu Yanyi laughed loudly.
"Sister Ani, did you bring gifts for us when you came back?" Xiao Tianyun asked seriously.