Chapter 60

Cheng Jemin sat calmly across from Gu Xixi and her mother, his mind preoccupied with a passage from his notebook: "One should strive to be a flower, which is almost the highest realm of human interaction. Make those who oppose you understand you, make those who understand you support you, make those who support you loyal to you, and make those who are loyal to you defend you. Allow some people to dislike you, but don't let them hate you. If they do hate you, make them fear you. Of course, all of this requires your wisdom and personal character to support it."

Cheng Jemin pondered this passage repeatedly, thinking about how to deal with Gu Xixi's mother.

"The countryside is nice, the air is very fresh," Zuo Xinlan said calmly, sipping her water elegantly.

As a smart girl, how could Gu Xixi not understand her mother's reaction? From her mother's every move, she could tell that her mother did not like Cheng Jemin. She was using this gentle and proud manner to tell the man she loved: "Your family background is not good, don't even think about turning from a sparrow into a phoenix!"

"Mom, Jemin works at the Water Conservancy Bureau. This morning, he even made a speech representing the agricultural support officials!"

Zuo Xinlan nodded. Although she had a prejudice against this boy, she had to admit that he was quite handsome. Perhaps there was a reason her daughter liked him. But even so, she could not tolerate her daughter plunging into a pit of fire for so-called love!

"Xiao Cheng, I remember when I went to the countryside, what impressed me most was the oatmeal steamed buns and the steamed cured meat."

"Are they steamed buns made from oatmeal?" Gu Xixi asked curiously.

Zuo Xinlan looked at her beloved daughter with a complex expression and said bluntly, "You've never been to the countryside, how could you know what it's really like!"

"Oats are a plant grown on hillsides. The poorer and thinner the soil, the better the oats taste. They don't need watering during the growing process; the locals say they rely on the sky. Of course, there's no water to irrigate them in the village. When harvesting, the locals rub the oats by hand to remove the grains. The awns have very fine hairs that can cause itching and redness when they touch the skin, making it very uncomfortable. They usually don't eat them, but during festivals, they are very useful."

"During the New Year, the production team would slaughter a pig. We, the educated youth, would volunteer to go to the bamboo forest to collect bamboo and cut cypress branches and wormwood to smoke the cured meat. It was a rare delicacy. After returning to the city, I never ate anything as delicious again!"

Zuo Xinlan told her story calmly, and the atmosphere was good. However, Cheng Jemin, a man who was both rough and meticulous, could sense that Zuo Xinlan had a deeper meaning behind her story.

Although Zuo Xinlan did not express this deeper meaning directly, her slightly upturned lips and the faint smile on her face all told him that she was looking down on his poverty.

Cheng Jemin felt a surge of anger, but his reason reminded him not to lose his temper! The twenty years of life experience recorded in his notebook now played a significant role in restraining him. He tried to maintain a smile and said calmly, "When Aunt went to the countryside, it was indeed very poor. But in recent years, with the country's policies increasingly favoring the countryside, the situation in rural areas has improved a lot!"

Zuo Xinlan smiled ambiguously. To win without fighting was the way of doing things she most admired. Today, she had come to meet Cheng Jemin not by chance but after careful consideration. She had to do this; she could not tolerate her pampered daughter going to that distant place.

What could a newly graduated country boy offer besides a腔 of enthusiasm and overestimating himself?

Zuo Xinlan had seen many people. From the moment she saw Cheng Jemin, she judged that this young man might have some talent. She guessed that he had probably come from the countryside to attend university and, after being influenced by city life, his deep-seated inferiority complex had been masked by a feigned disdain and arrogance.

She wanted to anger him, to hit his soft spot, making him withdraw voluntarily. As long as she mastered this skill, this presumptuous young man would likely end the relationship on his own.

However, what slightly annoyed her was that the young man was proving to be a bit difficult to deal with. This made Zuo Xinlan even more unhappy, fully confirming her suspicion that he had ulterior motives. How could she let such a person get close to her pure and innocent daughter?

"The country is increasingly focusing on agriculture, rural areas, and farmers. I believe the countryside will get better and better," Zuo Xinlan said with deep emotion. "I still have a deep affection for the countryside. The experience of going to the countryside is a memory that I will never forget in my life."

"At that time, there were ten of us in our educated youth group. The longest anyone stayed was five years, and some of the educated youth even got married in the countryside."

Facing Zuo Xinlan, Cheng Jemin felt more uncomfortable than facing a world-class expert. He truly felt like a trapped beast. If Zuo Xinlan had just shouted that they were not suitable, Cheng Jemin would not have felt so uncomfortable, but she didn't. She was telling a story in a gentle and engaging manner.

Cheng Jemin focused his mind and put on a serious listening face, but he was actually quite nervous inside.

"When the educated youth returned to the city, do you know how many of them were still with their village husbands and wives?" Zuo Xinlan asked, pointing to the steamed buns. "Xiao Cheng, this VIP room claims to sell the same buns as the hall, but in reality, they are different. Try more of them."

Facing Zuo Xinlan, who seemed warm but was actually cold, Cheng Jemin nodded politely, putting one in Zuo Xinlan's and Gu Xixi's small plates, and then ate one himself.

"Drink some water, don't choke!" Gu Xixi, seeing Cheng Jemin eat, tenderly held his cup and made him drink water.

Zuo Xinlan glared at her daughter fiercely. The sense of superiority she had just felt vanished instantly.

You little brat! Enjoy your tenderness now, but you'll suffer in the future!

"Ah, when we returned to the city, all the educated youth who had married in the countryside got divorced. The adults were fine, but the children suffered!" Zuo Xinlan sighed, looking a bit sad. "At the time, we didn't understand, but as we got older, we realized that love is beautiful, but marriage is comprehensive. Different living habits and social circles mean that after the passion fades, many insurmountable barriers appear between the two people!"

Zuo Xinlan's gaze fell on Cheng Jemin. "Xiao Cheng, when I first saw you, I felt that you were a talented and responsible young man. Do you understand what I mean?"

Cheng Jemin, of course, understood Zuo Xinlan's meaning. She was using this subtle way to tell him that he could not give Gu Xixi happiness, that his background, habits, and everything about him did not match Gu Xixi.

Rapidly organizing his thoughts, Cheng Jemin was about to refute her, but Gu Xixi, who was beside him, was already anxious. "Mom, you are a leader. How can a leader not look at problems with a forward-thinking perspective? The main reason those uncles and aunts didn't persist was the cultural differences between them!"

"Jemin, do you think I hit the nail on the head?" Gu Xixi looked at Cheng Jemin with a playful expression.

Cheng Jemin nodded. "Yes, what Xixi said makes sense."

Seeing this, Zuo Xinlan couldn't help but get angry, but she took a deep breath and tried to calm down. She said softly, "Xiao Cheng, from the moment I met you, I knew you were a discerning and reasonable person. If you have any difficulties in the future, feel free to come to me. I am willing to help you to the best of my ability. But, you can also help me. Xixi is still very innocent and naive, and she tends to make impulsive judgments. If you like, no, if you cherish the friendship between you, you should consider her, put the present aside, look to the future, and make Xixi happy, isn't that right?"

Before Cheng Jemin could speak, Zuo Xinlan interrupted him. "I know you want to say that you can do it, but let me finish. I only have Xixi as a child, but in our large family, she is the fifth.

"Xixi has three older cousins and one older cousin sister. All four of them are married. Xixi's eldest sister-in-law is the daughter of Mayor Zou; her second sister-in-law is the daughter of Deputy Director Chen of the Finance Department; her third cousin is the son-in-law of Secretary Li of the Provincial Party Committee; and Xixi's cousin sister is married to the son of Minister He of the Propaganda Department. Some things you may not understand now, but in our family, there are things that my husband and I cannot accept. I ask you to understand..."

Before Zuo Xinlan could finish, Gu Xixi interrupted her urgently. "Mom, what are you saying here..."

Zuo Xinlan's words were like daggers, each word piercing the heart. Although she spoke very tactfully, the underlying message was clear: "Cheng Jemin, don't overestimate yourself; Xixi is not someone you can aspire to!"

You, a poor country boy, wanting to enter the Gu family? Isn't that a delusion?

Although Cheng Jemin had matured a lot from the diary of his previous life, at this moment, he still felt a burning flame in his heart.

"Xixi, I just wanted to tell Xiao Cheng the actual situation of our family," Zuo Xinlan patted her daughter's head and turned to Cheng Jemin. "Xiao Cheng, I believe you will understand my concerns."

"I understand your feelings, Aunt, but I want to tell you a fact: Xixi and I truly love each other."

Zuo Xinlan seemed to smile with relief. "Yes, Xiao Cheng, you're right. It's because I know this that I believe you will, for Xixi's sake, be less self-centered and help Xixi find true happiness."

PS: It's the weekend today, so I'm updating early. Wishing everyone a happy weekend! Don't forget to vote!

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