Chapter 5, Attending the Banquet

So I leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Let me tell you a secret"

Unfortunately, due to my mother's interference (I firmly believe that it is her meddling that has created such distinct factions), Jiang Li has been neglected

As I helped my mother peel the scallions, I said, "It's fine, after getting married we can be together every day." After getting married, I won't have the time to deal with him either... This is truly my heartfelt voice

I was probably so pleased by his compliment about my imagination that I lost my composure, and in a moment of mental lapse, I foolishly asked, "What about you?" As soon as I said it, I realized my mistake and immediately regretted it. Just as I was about to say something more substantial to remedy the situation, Jiang Li spoke up.

As soon as my mother mentioned this, she became enthusiastic; her greatest skill is not cooking, but rather exposing me!

My mother does not like to eat leftovers, nor does she like to waste food, so when cooking, she prefers to prepare according to the number of mouths to feed, unless there are special circumstances, such as when the appetite of a particular mouth is quite uncertain, though such situations are rare.

I placed a piece of red chili pepper into his bowl, tilted my head, and he cooperatively leaned in with his ear, so I explained: "I have a fear of language."

Jiang Li uttered an "en" and then ended the call. The two had agreed on the same thing, not even saying goodbye.

Then my mother stopped what she was doing, staring at my chopsticks, waiting for me to serve her some food. I really wanted to pick up that bone and give it to her, but I was afraid she wouldn't be discreet and would reprimand me on the spot, so I simply ignored her gaze and focused on eating.

I understand this; Bajie’s specialty is to turn the tables. Thus, I became quite agitated and angrily said: Speak quickly, I am very busy

Although I have a thick skin, I am still an old virgin, so I blushed and quickly placed a piece of winter melon into the bowl of the beautiful language teacher, saying in a mosquito-like voice: "Auntie, eat your vegetables, this is good for your beauty." As I spoke, I also placed a piece of bitter melon into the bowl of the handsome old man Jiang, giving him a slight smile: "Uncle, eat your vegetables, eat your vegetables, bitter melon helps to reduce internal heat." Older people generally need to cool down a bit.

My mother took my scallions and said with a face full of apology: "I thought you were with him, so I only made one person's meal"

I was lost in thought when Jiang Li suddenly leaned close to my ear and asked, "Where is your father?"

He chuckled softly, and it was clearly insincere. It seemed he was deliberately showing off his affection in front of his parents. I was at a loss for words; this kid was indeed putting in a lot of effort.

Fortunately, my mother is not completely confused yet. She probably fears that Jiang Li's family might look down on me and call off the engagement. So she mentioned a few representative things that wouldn't tarnish my image too much. As a result, everyone found common ground. The three parents eagerly revealed the less satisfactory yet endearing aspects of their children. Of course, they wouldn't mention anything too embarrassing, as no one is foolish.

I: "Actually, my mother is just like Jesus' mother; she can conceive without a man." I believe that some things can only be said by one person, and if someone does not want to speak, it is best not to ask at all, just like with matters concerning my father.

Although Jiang Li's mother appears to be relatively reserved and dignified, which woman in the world does not love beauty, especially a beauty like her? Therefore, her brows were filled with joy as she warmly exchanged beauty tips with my mother

I was just about to look up and chat with Uncle Jiang about the silly things Jiang Li did when he was young, so I could use them later in our banter. At that moment, however, I noticed that the three adults had stopped chatting and were looking at me and Jiang Li with ambiguous expressions. It was evident that Jiang Li's earlier affectionate gesture had pleased them greatly.

I have also calmed down, as it is said that most gay men do not have a fondness for women, so being looked down upon by him is perfectly normal. Therefore, I reminded him: "Well, you shouldn't interfere when others use it." What if a handsome man with a normal sexual orientation falls from the sky and lands on my head? Would I have the audacity to not let him use it?

I believe that her boyfriend will definitely accompany her in the evening, so there is no need for me to worry unnecessarily. Thus, I went to the banquet with my mother with peace of mind

My mother immediately smiled as she put the beef into her mouth, chewed it a couple of times, nodded, and said, "Very good, better than what I make."

My mother sharply exposed me: "You two are already quite fresh, having only met yesterday"

I feel that God created me just to provide people with another object of disdain, to satisfy their proud self-esteem... My future husband looks down on me, my best friend looks down on me, even my own mother looks down on me!... Shouldn't the United Nations consider awarding me a special contribution award?

Through our conversation, I learned that Jiang Li's parents are both retired high school teachers; his father taught mathematics and his mother taught Chinese. It is lamentable that during my college entrance examination, my mathematics score was fifty points higher than my Chinese score. At that time, writing an eight-hundred-word essay was more painful than constipation, which has led me to break out in a cold sweat whenever I see a Chinese teacher. ... Although the Chinese teacher in front of me is a kind and beautiful woman, who is also my mother-in-law, I ... . ... The trauma inflicted on me by the college entrance examination is irreversibly damaging, so I do not expect much anymore. Even though the Chinese teacher in front of me is a kind and beautiful woman, who is also my mother-in-law, I ... . ... The trauma inflicted on me by the college entrance examination is irreversibly damaging, so I do not expect much anymore. Therefore, when Jiang Li's mother looks at me, I can only smile at her without saying a word, and when I smile, the muscles in my face feel as if they are frozen.

After everyone exchanged greetings, my mother was the first to take her mother-in-law's hand and ask her how she maintains her skin

... ...

I have noticed that everything he wants to say to me is something that can only be said to me and should not be heard by others, no wonder he always acts in a flirtatious and sweet-talking manner, although I do not like it, I still have to accept it

He also said: "Please do me a favor in front of my parents and don't let them doubt my taste."

I suddenly understood that since my father did not come today, when Jiang Li's parents return, they will definitely ask Jiang Li, "What happened to Guan Xiaoyan's father?" Since I am already Jiang Li's wife, he surely cannot be unaware of this matter. It would be unacceptable for him to respond with, "Wait a moment, let me ask." Even if we do not expose ourselves, our marriage would still be questioned, and his parents might think that I do not trust their son. They would probably not want a daughter-in-law like that.

My mother instantly blossomed like a radiant trumpet flower and rewarded me with a glance, saying, "Xiao Yan always speaks nonsense"

At this moment, Jiang Li placed a piece of beef into my mother's bowl, speaking in a tone that was both gentle and polite: "Auntie, please try this beef and see how well it is stewed"

Soon, he replied to me: "Bajie?"

My mother's voice accompanied by the sizzling sound of cooking came through: "If it's delicious, I'll go!"

Jiang Li: Is it inconvenient to answer the phone

Jiang Li sat beside me, and he suddenly leaned over to my ear and whispered, "Are you jealous of how beautiful my mother is?"

I was furious and sarcastically remarked: "Sorry, the goods have been sold and are non-refundable"

Thus, the arrangement at the dining table changed, and Jiang Li and I were left out.

I pondered that what she actually meant to say was, "Make do with the fact that my cooking can be compared to yours," but in front of her son-in-law's family, she felt embarrassed to be self-indulgent

He said: "I never expected to marry a foolish wife"

In order to fully play the part, Jiang Li listened to my words and affectionately patted my head, and the two of us fell silent thereafter

Jiang Li made a sound of acknowledgment, waiting for the continuation.

My mother disdainfully took in my anger, then pulled out some noodles and began chopping vegetables. Although I am half a head taller than her, her presence absolutely towers over mine by more than a head.

Very well, there are several missed calls. I opened it and to my surprise, this guy is still haunting me.

I: "You must be missing me and wanting to hear my voice, right?" Anyway, he is gay, so it doesn't matter to tease him a bit

Jiang Li sent a knowing glance and then leaned in to whisper, "I need to fulfill my obligations"

Jiang Li's parents appear to be younger than I had imagined. Upon seeing his father and mother, I felt a sense of relief; no wonder Jiang Li is so good-looking, it must be a genetic issue! His mother is indeed a great beauty; although she is older now, one can still faintly discern her former charm. Especially her skin, which is remarkably well-maintained. His father is also quite handsome, exuding a sense of maturity, stability, and wisdom that only older men possess, along with a sense of experience, the last term being used in a positive sense. His mother is indeed a great beauty; although she is older now, one can still faintly discern her former charm. Especially her skin, which is remarkably well-maintained. His father is also quite handsome, exuding a sense of maturity, stability, and wisdom that only older men possess, along with a sense of experience, the last term being used in a positive sense

I : `` ... ... ''

I am truly at a loss for words this time

Wiping sweat, I, I, I, I... I was merely saying that your taste is rather discerning

He calmly stated: "I never thought of withdrawing, because I never intended to use it in the first place"

I felt inexplicably guilty and did not dare to return his call, so I sent him a text message, taking the liberty to be proactive: Why do you always take advantage of my absence to mess with my phone?

It is Jiang Li again

So I raised my phone to my ear again and said to Jiang Li: "It's settled, you can decide the time and place. My mom doesn't like Western food, anything else is fine, but the key is that the chef's skills must be absolutely top-notch, as my mom is very particular about her food."

Originally, as a woman, I should have joined the beauty camp, but considering that this might neglect Jiang Li's father, well, I have always been a sensible child, so I politely struck up a conversation with Uncle Jiang

"Wait a moment," I covered the phone and shouted towards the kitchen, "Mom, we're having a feast tonight, someone is treating us, are we going or not?"

The location for dinner is not far from my home; it is a Chinese restaurant that my mother often praises, although she has only been there once. Because of this, my mother has already shown a smile of satisfaction even before meeting Jiang Li. I kept reminding her from the side, "Mom, be a little more reserved"

As soon as I made a sound, Jiang Li over there answered the phone

I truly believe that Jiang Li is quite remarkable; he seems to be the one who controls the entire situation, able to change everyone's direction with just a few words. I wonder if he is like this at work as well. If that is the case, then his BMW should not be rented, right

I sweat: "How can we always stick together? We need to maintain some freshness." Who would want to be with him!

Thus, Jiang Li obsequiously revealed the truth behind her words: "Surely, I cannot compare with your stewing skills; Xiao Yan even praised your culinary art to me."

My mother has indeed returned. At this moment, she is busy cooking in the kitchen. As soon as she sees me, her first words are: "Aren't you with Jiang Li?"

Jiang Li: "You certainly have quite an imagination... Find a time to bring your family to have a meal with my family."

Jiang Li then said, "Auntie, over the years, has Xiao Yan caused you a lot of worry?" As he spoke, he did not forget to cast a seemingly indulgent glance at me, misleading everyone’s perception.

I checked the messages, and there is only one, which is from Jiang Li: What exactly are you doing

Uncle Jiang is a very talkative person, amiable and fond of laughter. When he smiles, he is very kind-hearted. In short, he is much better than his son

I hesitated for a moment and calculated that the cost of the call would not exceed one yuan, so I generously decided to call him.

Indeed, it was Jiang Li who thought things through more thoroughly. I felt relieved and leaned over to say, "I got divorced when I was in my second year of high school."

I walked back to the living room with my head down, leaning on the sofa to watch television. Glancing at the phone beside me, I picked it up to see if anyone remembered me

At this moment, I really want to flip the table in anger and rise up in rebellion. Xiao Qiling (my mother's name), you truly are my biological mother. Are you so eager to send me away?

He seems unwilling to discuss this issue with me in depth, so he got straight to the point: "So, when would it be convenient for you? How about tonight?"