Chapter 26

Listening to the song, the two of them completely forgot about time, lost in sweet fantasies. It wasn't until the phone rang that they were jolted back to reality.

Yuan Yuan fished out her phone, smiled sweetly at Wang Yong, and then leaned into his embrace to answer the call.

"Mom, it's me. Hmm, ah? Okay."

After hanging up, Yuan Yuan looked at Wang Yong with a worried expression. "My mom wants us to come back for dinner. She says it's all ready. What should we do?"

"Let's go! Come on!" Wang Yong was still a bit scared of his future mother-in-law. Images of picky mothers-in-law from the internet and TV shows flashed through his mind. He couldn't help but shiver. No, it can't be. Auntie said Yuan Yuan's mom is very easy to talk to. As long as we want to be together, they have no objections. But the stories of terrifying mothers-in-law kept popping up in his mind, making him feel uneasy.

Driving nervously to Yuan Yuan's building, Wang Yong's heart raced as he stood downstairs, feeling tense, anxious, and at a loss. Yuan Yuan noticed how nervous Wang Yong was, so she walked over, kissed him on the cheek, and took his hand, leading him into the building. Wang Yong was still dazed from the kiss, the cool, soft lips touching his face filling him with courage. Mothers-in-law can be reasonable too, he thought, and with this in mind, he tightly held Yuan Yuan's hand and followed her up to the third floor, stopping at the door marked 301.

"Knock, knock, knock." As Yuan Yuan knocked, Wang Yong suddenly remembered something and let go of her hand. "I'll go get something," he said, and quickly ran downstairs. The sound of the door opening behind him didn't stop him. It turned out that Wang Yong had just remembered something Auntie had repeatedly emphasized. If Yuan Yuan invites you to her home, remember to bring a gift. It doesn't have to be expensive, but you absolutely can't go empty-handed; it's a matter of basic courtesy. Phew! He almost made a big mistake, but he remembered just in time. At the car, Wang Yong pretended to open the trunk and quickly picked some fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, green beans, eggplants, scallions, cilantro, broccoli, garlic sprouts, lettuce, and radishes. When the trunk was almost full, he stopped and prepared to carry the vegetables upstairs in bags. As he was looking for some grocery bags, Yuan Yuan and a woman came over. Wang Yong immediately felt at a loss, opening his mouth several times but unable to speak, his face turning red with anxiety.

Yuan Yuan quickly came to her boyfriend's aid. "Wang Yong, this is my mom."

Wang Yong finally calmed down and said, "Auntie, hello. I brought some new varieties of vegetables from our farm. Please try them and give us your feedback."

Yuan Yuan's mother, Liu Huilan, was a high school Chinese teacher and a provincial-level distinguished teacher. She had a kind and gentle appearance, a soft and quiet intellectual woman. She had been worried when her daughter's fiancé suddenly ran downstairs after reaching the door, so she had followed her daughter, wearing an apron and slippers. When she saw the young man packing vegetables into bags, and then saw the pile of vegetables in Wang Yong's trunk, she was surprised. As a housewife who had been buying vegetables for decades, she could tell these were extraordinary. Hearing that they were new varieties not yet on the market, she remembered what Auntie had said about Wang Yong creating a beautiful and delicious vegetable. This must be it. This young man is thoughtful, remembering to bring some for us to try. These organic vegetables are not cheap! This pile could sell for a lot of money!

First impressions are important, and Wang Yong's first impression on Liu Huilan was very good. He was polite, honest, had a car, and had just become the village chief, which was quite an achievement for a young man. He seemed to get along well with her daughter, and such a son-in-law was hard to find. She was very satisfied with him. The three of them each carried a few bags and walked back upstairs. When they met neighbors, Liu Huilan happily told them, "This is my son-in-law, and he brought so many new varieties of vegetables he grew himself." She then insisted on giving them a half-meter-long cucumber and a few tomatoes. With a radiant face, she continued upstairs amid the neighbors' congratulations.

As soon as they entered, Liu Huilan called out, "Old man, come help!"

"Coming, coming," a man in his fifties, wearing an apron, came out of the kitchen. Yuan Yuan's father, Tian Fan Yu, looked at Wang Yong affectionately and said, "Wang Yong, right? You didn't have to bring so much. Next time, don't bring anything!" He took a bag of radishes from Wang Yong, looked at the vegetables, and said in surprise, "Did you grow these yourself? The quality is exceptional! Let's use the tomatoes to make a tomato and egg stir-fry, and half the cucumber for a cold dish. Oh, and the garlic sprouts and scallions, great, I love these. Give them to me, and you and Yuan Yuan can watch TV while I cook."

Wang Yong and Yuan Yuan were shooed out of the kitchen and sat on the living room sofa. Liu Huilan, who had brought Wang Yong a few bunches of grapes from the kitchen fridge, watched the two of them holding hands on the sofa and went back to the kitchen to share her joy with her husband. To be honest, the couple had been very worried about their daughter's marriage. Their daughter, who had been their beloved child since childhood, was gentle and not very sociable, making her marriage a constant source of concern. They had tried to set her up a few times, but most of the candidates didn't pass their scrutiny, and the few who did, Yuan Yuan didn't agree to. Now, seeing her daughter and Wang Yong so close, they finally felt relieved.

The couple, in high spirits, took turns showing off their best dishes. They couldn't neglect their son-in-law's first visit. Wang Yong sat on the sofa, and Yuan Yuan, having taken off her coat, revealed a white sweater. She lazily laid her head on Wang Yong's lap and started reading a book on the Five Dynasties from the library. Lying on the sofa, Yuan Yuan's body showcased stunning feminine curves. Her high chest, shapely buttocks, slender waist, and long, straight legs made Wang Yong's mouth dry. Yuan Yuan and Wang Yong were similar in that they were cautious about love but would give their all once they fell in love, believing in true love as described in fairy tales, living happily ever after.

Wang Yong gently stroked Yuan Yuan's smooth, white face, looking at her quietly reading on his lap. The thought of marrying such a beautiful, kind, and understanding woman filled him with happiness, and all his earlier nervousness and worries vanished.

"Dinner is ready, come and eat!" Liu Huilan called from the dining room.

The two of them quickly got up to help set the table, get the bowls, and arrange the chairs. The table was full of dishes, with chicken, duck, fish, cold and hot dishes, sweet and spicy, all kinds of flavors, and the aroma was inviting. Yuan Yuan secretly picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork and fed it to Wang Yong, just as Tian Fan Yu came in with a fish. Seeing this, Tian Fan Yu, to avoid embarrassing them, said with a smile, "Wang Yong, try Uncle's cooking. This sweet and sour pork is a must-have at our New Year's dinner." The two of them, blushing, smiled at each other, and Wang Yong took a bite. It was sweet, sour, and tender. Pleased with his son-in-law's praise, Tian Fan Yu's face lit up.

During dinner, Tian Fan Yu took out a bottle of ten-year-old Maotai and insisted on drinking with Wang Yong until they were both drunk. However, under the protest of Liu Huilan and Yuan Yuan, they were limited to one glass each, and the bottle was taken away by Liu Huilan. Tian Fan Yu grumbled about not being able to enjoy the good food and drink to his heart's content, which earned him another round of scolding from the mother and daughter.

The vegetables Wang Yong brought received unanimous praise, especially from Tian Fan Yu, who loved dipping vegetables. He kept praising the cucumbers and lettuce, saying he had never tasted such delicious vegetables, even better than those from five-star hotels. Liu Huilan loved the tomato and egg stir-fry, almost finishing the whole dish before realizing it. Yuan Yuan enjoyed the pickled radishes, which were crispy and sweet. In the end, the three of them, except for Wang Yong who ate some fish and pork, focused on the vegetables, determined to finish them all.

After the meal, the four of them were so full they could barely move. Wang Yong was stuffed from the meat and vegetables the elders kept piling on his plate, while the other three were genuinely full from the delicious food. They chatted at the table, and perhaps because they had heard about Wang Yong's background from Auntie or Liu Jun, they avoided discussing it. Instead, they focused on Wang Yong's current endeavors. When Wang Yong mentioned that a five-star hotel in Beijing had signed a contract to buy his vegetables at a minimum price of twenty yuan per pound, the couple was amazed. This meant that a cucumber, which usually costs about two yuan, could sell for twenty yuan, and each cucumber weighed nearly five pounds, making it worth a hundred yuan. This made the couple consider renting land in the countryside to grow cucumbers, as it was so profitable. This also made them even more satisfied with their son-in-law, who could earn a substantial income so easily, ensuring their daughter would not suffer in the future.

Tian Fan Yu also shared many life and career tips with Wang Yong and offered to introduce him to some students in the government. Although Wang Yong was not interested in politics, Tian Fan Yu didn't think it was a bad thing. Politics was not for everyone, and it was too dangerous, with one wrong step leading to a lifetime of regret. Wang Yong, being honest and straightforward, was not suited for politics, and a village chief was not a significant position. With the help of their connections, they could ensure Wang Yong's position as village chief was secure. Their greatest hope was for the young couple to live a happy and peaceful life without financial worries.

Wang Yong stayed at Yuan Yuan's house until around four in the afternoon, and then, with the family's reluctant farewell, he drove home. Looking in the rearview mirror at Yuan Yuan still waving at him from the door, Wang Yong felt a deep sense of reluctance. He almost turned the car around, but at the last moment, he steeled himself not to look back, feeling empty even as he left the city.