CHAPTER 03 The Third Style of Blind Date: Reminiscing about Childhood Sweethearts

The neck of the cicada is a piece of lean meat, and it is particularly delicious when fried

The master was startled and slowed down, asking me: "Are you alright? Sister-in-law?"

I turned my head to look at him mechanically, and to my surprise, he smiled. "I didn't mistake you, that day I went to meet Brother Xia with my buddies, I heard he brought his girlfriend out for tea..."

I said, don't come looking for me anymore. My stubborn temper was provoked, and disregarding any sense of face, politeness, or the matter of coordinating work with my uncle, I spoke directly.

I took a deep breath and said to him: "No, I cannot eat."

Fortunately, your mother has stipulated that you must return home before 9:30

In my mother's words, "Love at first sight is something written in novels, portrayed in television; the two of you will develop feelings through more interaction."

He Gu ordered three dishes and a soup. By the time I arrived, he had already placed the order. Normally, he should have waited for me to arrive, shown me the menu, and then ordered, as that would be polite. He Gu smiled and said, "You definitely haven't tried it before, so I went ahead and ordered the dishes."

The young master was taken aback for a moment, then smiled again, raising his chin, "Sister-in-law, don't joke with your brother, isn't that Brother Xia?"

Elders often say that names like Iron Egg or Dog Sheng are names that are easy to raise. My mother named me Fu Sheng, does this mean that my luck will be very, very bad

My parents praised me repeatedly after my report, saying: "You did well, absolutely do not accept gifts casually! Although our family cannot be compared to theirs, we cannot let them look down on us. As for Fusheng, it is his business that Xia Changning is wealthy. In the future, do not accept any expensive gifts, do you understand?"

"Stop the car, I've arrived." After getting out, I told him word by word, "I am not your Xia Ge's girlfriend!"

Xia Changning paid no attention and drove away with a flourish

Knowing each other well and being well-matched with our family, moreover, having a son-in-law who is a doctor is the most convenient when someone in the family falls ill. Mother is very satisfied with He Gu's conditions

My parents are very disappointed

As I spoke, I saw that bug being bitten into pieces with a crunch by him, and my body couldn't help but shudder. Oh mother, I do not want to fall in love with this doctor

I did not tell them about Xia Changning, and I do not know what to say. My parents are quite honest teachers, while Xia Changning has a rebellious air about him, and we cannot provoke him. Moreover, I truly do not know which of his eyes found me appealing.

He Gu, are you sure you are looking for the right person to reminisce about your childhood sweetheart

As soon as he spoke, I couldn't help but lean against the car window and retch. The more nauseating it was, the more deeply it left an impression

Oh, the resentment! Can I just have a normal boyfriend?

It is terrible, I am going to be lectured by my mother. They say intellectuals are aloof, but I actually think it is because of their strong sense of self-esteem. My parents are afraid of what others might say. They do not oppose me finding someone with good conditions, but they are also afraid that others will say their daughter is being supported by a wealthy man. I lowered my head while eating, and while eating, I expressed my stance, "I won't accept gifts, especially expensive ones. What I mean is that I do not like him either."

Mother stared at me, her expression somewhat serious, "Fusheng, do you mean that if you are interested in him and like him, you can take his clothes worth five thousand yuan?"

Xia Changning looked at me for a while and said: "It's too late"

As he was speaking, a glass bowl was placed on the table. He Gu smiled and said, "This is the signature dish of the restaurant. No worries, even if you don't eat it, you can at least have a look. This dish is called 'Spring Tide Rising', and the soup is a sour broth, made with wine, similar to the preparation of drunken shrimp"

I will delicately tear off a grasshopper's leg as if I were eating a quail's leg My stomach is churning

The driver is a young man, who jokingly remarked as he saw me walking out, "Only the bold dare to enter the Food Temple. I've had several passengers who got in and then vomited."

I placed a red and black grasshopper and a segment of a cicada's neck in my bowl, while He Gu, beside me, was crunching on a click beetle, one bite at a time

Seeing that I had no interest in Xia Changning, my mother grandly introduced the second match for me

The parents from both families were engaged in a lively conversation, and they were all very satisfied

If we become in-laws, the two families are originally friends, and the mothers-in-law have a common language. Both families highly appreciate the professions of teacher and doctor.

This is not something I can just install as I wish. I truly cannot eat, not only can I not eat, but it also feels as if there are insects crawling all over my body

You wouldn't believe it, but these insects have a high protein content, and I have become addicted to eating them. This is stir-fried stink bug, which looks oily, but in fact, no oil is added when cooking; the stink bugs release their own oil. " He Gu said as he picked up a stir-fried stink bug with stiff limbs and tossed it into his mouth.

He Gu looked as if he was anticipating something fun, murmuring, "Just a moment, it will be ready soon. Look, it's moving! The name of the dish is quite fitting, isn't it? These meat maggots will start wriggling as soon as the wine awakens them, like a tide..."

I weakly waved my hand at He Gu and said, "I am going home"

As I spoke, I saw that bug being bitten into pieces with a crunch by him, and my body couldn't help but shudder. Oh mother, I do not want to fall in love with this doctor

His tone was somewhat flippant and tinged with sarcasm. I was already feeling quite frustrated today, staring at my toes and channeling my courage from my lower abdomen to my throat, I quietly said: "I don't want to go shooting, please don't come looking for me."

After saying this, I felt a bit braver and looked up at him. We are people from two different worlds; his friends, his social circle, are different from mine. Not being a girlfriend but being friends, I also find it inconvenient

He Gu felt very regretful. He sighed and said, "I was hoping to eat this and talk about the things we played with in our childhood. Never mind, if you can't eat it, don't force yourself. Let's go."

Only I do not feel the sensation of a heartbeat or blushing

I had made an appointment to have dinner at the Old Food Restaurant on Saturday night, and I had no desire to go to the shooting range with Xia Changning. I have no fondness for Xia Changning, so naturally, I did not take this matter to heart. However, if I had known in advance what we would be eating, I would have preferred to go to the shooting range with Xia Changning.

I ... ... I rely on!

That night, I had a nightmare, disgustingly dreaming that I fell into a cesspool, surrounded by white maggots. I also dreamed that Xia Changning fiercely said to me: "If you don't become my girlfriend, I will kill you!"

The ancient eyes were filled with memories, "At that time, I was thinking, how adorable you look while eating, and how delicious it seems, I couldn't help but eat one myself"

After a while, the dishes were served, including fish-flavored locusts, stir-fried cicadas, and deep-fried cicadas

So he was tempted to eat the grasshoppers by me

He Gu seemed to realize something, his face filled with embarrassment and apology. He wanted to say something more, but I had already called a taxi and gotten in, politely smiling at him as I said, "Goodbye!"

This person is He Gu, the son of my great-aunt. We lived in the same large courtyard when we were young. He is four years older than me and works as a doctor at the municipal hospital

He and I are indeed well-matched: similar family backgrounds, comparable levels of appearance, and personalities that are both relatively reserved.

He Gu picked up a grasshopper and placed it in my bowl, laughing as he said: "Fu Sheng, do you remember when we were kids and caught grasshoppers by the railway and roasted them to eat? I remember you tearing off the grasshopper's legs as if you were eating quail legs, eating it particularly delicately and elegantly, unlike me, who just chewed it loudly and ate it.

I find it somewhat amusing and exasperating, so I quickly corrected their statement: "It is not that taking his belongings would make him feel belittled, but rather that I have no interest in him; I do not like him."

My parents finally breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that their education of me since childhood has been very successful

This time, the blind date was relatively normal. My family of three had a meal with He Gu's family of three. He Gu himself was quite normal, neither too talkative nor too reserved. His appearance was average, the kind that you would lose sight of in a crowd in an instant

This statement is not incorrect; the childhood friend who left a deep impression on him by eating grasshoppers' legs is not me

I have already rushed out of the restaurant, vomiting uncontrollably. Maggots! He made me eat live, wriggling maggots

What? What is late?

My parents are looking forward to the progress between He Gu and me tonight, while I feel a wave of nausea and weakly say: "He Gu has someone he likes already"

"Hehe, as you grow older, you become more timid, right? It's fine, don't think about its appearance, just eat it; the taste is definitely good." Comrade He Gu was very persistent and considerate, picking up a cicada, removing its head and tail, and, like peeling a shrimp, placed the cicada's dark neck into my bowl

I stared at him in confusion, and Xia Changning smiled faintly, "It's almost 9:30, let's head back! I'll come to find you another day"

I have never been to this restaurant, but since he has ordered the dishes, I will wait with a smile.

I suddenly recalled the things we used to play together during my childhood. At that time, we were still in the town, and my mother had not yet transferred to the elementary school in the city. A group of children from school staff often played by the railway or the river. However, the particularly bold and adventurous little girl was not me, Ning Fusheng! I was merely following behind them, watching. The one who was savoring the grasshopper legs was not me either; I have never had any fondness for insects from childhood to adulthood.

He Gu ran out, looking puzzled and apologetic, and said to me: "Fu Sheng, aren't you particularly bold and fond of trying new and exciting things?"

I am not particularly introverted, nor am I very lively; I tend to speak more when I am with my close friends, such as Mei Zi, but I am generally quite quiet. I do not say much in conversation, and I only engage in polite small talk to avoid awkward silences

I was taken aback, and when I turned around, I saw Xia Changning walking towards me, and my mind went blank in an instant. I had turned off my phone today, deliberately not wanting to go to the shooting range with him. What should I say

I have interacted with Xia Changning three times, and he remains elusive and inscrutable to me. I do not understand why he referred to me as his girlfriend on the first day of our blind date, nor can I comprehend his attitude when he decided to be friends with me the second time. Tonight, he waited for me downstairs at my home again. Have I had any prior interactions with him? I have reflected on my experiences from childhood to the present, yet I still have no recollection.

I returned home feeling dejected

I reminisced for a long time, searching among the children I played with in my childhood, but I could not recall who He Gu was.

I curiously watched as he lifted the lid, revealing a layer of white substance floating on top

Forgive me, I truly cannot recall such matters. Even if I cannot remember, the events that have been forcibly imposed upon me still leave me feeling utterly ashamed.

Now I no longer have the strength to explain to him, I just want to stay as far away as possible from this antiquities shop that sells worms and maggots. The thought of those wriggling, rice-sized, white maggots makes me want to vomit again