Chapter 679 Three Aunts Offer Suggestions 3
The bell for leaving get off work was like a charge horn. As soon as it sounded, the crisp sound echoed throughout the office area. Liu Haizhong was originally sorting out the documents on his desk. After hearing the bell, he immediately became as if he had been injected with a shot of stimulant. His movements became extremely fast. He quickly gathered the things together with his hands and put them away in an orderly manner. He looked so anxious that he couldn't wait even a second. After finishing, he walked briskly like a nimble deer and hurried towards the courtyard.
At this time, the setting sun has slowly set in the west, and the soft and warm afterglow is like covering the whole world with a layer of golden gauze, sprinkling on the bluestone road. The originally quaint and even slightly dim stone road instantly seems to be endowed with magical powers. Each stone slab reflects golden light, and this light extends all the way, also giving the ancient courtyard a layer of dreamy golden light, making the courtyard appear more quiet and full of charm in this evening.
As soon as he stepped into the slightly heavy gate of the courtyard, Liu Haizhong didn't even bother to take a second look at the surrounding scenery, and walked straight to Xu Damao's residence. His heart was like a mess at the moment, and it was like a ledger full of questions. He had been thinking about a series of questions to ask Xu Damao later, from the scene of the blind date at the beginning, to the content of the conversation between the two parties, to whether there was any possibility of further development in the future, etc. He didn't want to miss any details, after all, this matter was very important to him.
The house where Xu Damao lived was now filled with warm light, which shone through the cracks in the window onto the ground outside the house, as if conveying the warm atmosphere inside the house to the outside world. Liu Haizhong came to the door, paused for a moment, then reached out and knocked on the door with his knuckles. The knock was particularly clear in this quiet courtyard. After a while, Xu Damao's slightly surprised voice came from inside: "Oh, it's the second uncle, come in quickly!" There was a hint of surprise and a little enthusiasm in the voice.
After hearing the response, Liu Haizhong slowly pushed open the door and saw Xu Damao sitting at the table with a photo album on the table. One of Xu Damao's hands was gently resting on the album, and his fingers were unconsciously stroking the cover of the album. There was a smile on his face, and that smile seemed to hide many stories, and he seemed to be immersed in some beautiful thoughts. Maybe the photos in the album evoked his memories of the past, or maybe it was some sweet moments related to the blind date. People could feel that he was in a good mood at the moment.
"Da Mao, I just got off work and didn't even have time to catch my breath, I rushed to see you. Please don't think I came too suddenly." Liu Haizhong said as he slowly walked to the table and sat down slowly. His eyes were full of concern. His gaze was like two warm rays of light, falling directly on Xu Damao. He went on, "I just want to ask you how your blind date is going. I've been thinking about it. Please talk to me about it." As he spoke, he leaned forward slightly, as if he couldn't wait to know the details.
Xu Damao slowly put down the photo album in his hand, and the album fell on the table with a slight "click" sound, as if adding a different rhythm to the conversation in the room. He then reached out and held the teacup placed beside him. The cup body of the teacup still exuded a trace of hot steam, and the rising hot steam spread in the air, blurring a small area of vision in front of him. Xu Damao gently picked up the teacup, put the edge of the cup close to his mouth, tilted his head slightly, and took a sip of tea. The tea slid down his throat, and the warm feeling made him squint slightly, as if he was savoring the comfort brought by the tea fragrance.
Then, Xu Damao's face blossomed with a smile that showed a bit of ease and pride. He smiled and joked, "Oh, Second Uncle, look at you, you are really impatient. My matter has just started to make some progress, but you are already thinking about the future. But don't worry, this blind date went smoothly. The girl is really a good girl, with a gentle personality and very polite. We chatted so well, and she was quite satisfied with me. When she left, she blushed and told me that she was willing to look around with me. I was also very happy in my heart."
"That's good, that's good!" When Liu Haizhong heard this, his slightly frowned brows instantly relaxed, and a relieved smile appeared on his face. That smile was as bright as a blooming flower. A big stone in his heart finally fell to the ground, and his heart, which had been hanging in the air before, was now much more stable. After all, Xu Damao's lifelong event was a big event in the courtyard in his opinion. However, as soon as his heart was at ease, his mind began to think about the next thing again, and then he asked again: "Then according to this progress, the marriage should not be far away, right? Think about it, if these two people get along well, then they have to consider getting married. At that time, holding a wedding banquet in our courtyard, the scene must be very lively, and everyone can get together and have fun, how great it is. But this requires careful planning, from the placement of tables and chairs, to the arrangement of dishes, to the invited guests, all of these are things that require attention."
After hearing this, Xu Damao nodded slightly, shaking his head up and down, and he seemed to agree with Liu Haizhong's words. He looked expectant, and his eyes seemed to be shining with longing, as if he had already seen the lively wedding scene. He said slowly, "Yes, I was thinking about this. Holding a wedding banquet in the yard feels different from outside. It's lively and friendly. Everyone in our yard, young and old, can participate. What a great atmosphere. But if we want to hold a wedding banquet, we have to trouble everyone. We will definitely have to ask everyone to help arrange it. As for the chef, I think we still have to hire a professional. We can cook at home, but if we prepare meals for so many guests, our skills are not as good as those of the chefs. We still have to let professionals do professional things, so that we can ensure that everyone is satisfied with the food."
After hearing what Xu Damao said, Liu Haizhong narrowed his eyes slightly, as if he was thinking about something carefully in his mind. After a moment, he showed a very approving expression on his face and nodded heavily. The amplitude of the nod was quite large, as if he wanted to show the degree of his approval of this matter through such an action. He said, "That's right, this matter must not be vague. Think about it, food is the most important thing at the wedding banquet. The guests come from far away to attend your wedding. If they are not satisfied with the food, it will affect their mood and make it seem that our wedding is not well organized, right? So, we must find a chef with good skills, and make the dishes look good, smell good, and make the guests eat to their heart's content and leave a lingering fragrance in their mouths. In this way, your wedding will be more face-saving, and everyone will praise this wedding for being well organized."
At this point, Liu Haizhong paused for a moment, his eyes showing a serious look, and then continued: "How about I go and ask around tomorrow? I've been around the streets and alleys around here for quite a while, and I know quite a few people. I'll go door to door and ask which chefs have a good reputation and excellent craftsmanship, and then select the reliable ones for you, and then we can pick the most suitable one from them. What do you think?"
"Then I'll have to trouble you, uncle. I'm relieved that you can do this." Xu Damao stood up quickly, his face full of gratitude. He bowed slightly, as if he was expressing his most sincere gratitude to Liu Haizhong. His tone of voice was also particularly sincere. Then, as if he suddenly remembered something important, his eyes lit up, and he patted his head gently with his hand and said, "By the way, there are also venue layout, tables, chairs and benches. These are things that cannot be ignored. Whether the venue is well decorated or not, it directly determines the overall atmosphere of the wedding. It must be festive and beautiful, so that people will feel lively and full of joy as soon as they enter. As for the tables, chairs and benches, the number must be sufficient and the quality must be guaranteed to be solid, otherwise the guests will not be comfortable sitting, or there will not be enough seats, which will be troublesome. So these things must be prepared in advance, so as not to be in a hurry at that time, and it will be bad if it makes a mess."
"Don't worry, I will consider all of these." When Liu Haizhong heard this, he immediately straightened his back and patted his chest vigorously with his hands. The "bang bang" sound seemed to add some confidence to his promise. He said confidently: "The wedding in our courtyard is everyone's business, so we can't be careless. When the time comes, we will discuss it together and consider every aspect carefully, from the decoration style of the venue, to the arrangement of tables and chairs, to those small details. Let's think about it carefully and make the wedding a grand one, so that everyone in the courtyard will be happy, and the guests from outside will envy the liveliness of our courtyard."
The two of them talked back and forth, discussing the details of the wedding, from the types of flowers to be used on the wedding day, to what kind of wedding candies to prepare, to how to arrange the wedding procession, etc., not missing any small details, the scene was so lively, as if the wedding was about to be held in front of them. Unconsciously, the night was like a piece of black silk, slowly covering the entire courtyard, and the sky outside was getting darker and darker. Until the night deepened and the surroundings became extremely quiet, they felt that it was getting late, and each of them stood up and prepared to leave.
Liu Haizhong hummed a little tune and walked briskly on the way back to the house. He was in a very good mood and his face was always filled with a happy smile. He thought that if Xu Damao's wedding could be held smoothly and lively, it would definitely bring a lot of laughter and joy to this courtyard. At that time, everyone in the courtyard would sit together, eat the wedding banquet, and chat about family matters. The relationship between neighbors would definitely be closer, and the whole courtyard would be filled with deep warmth. This was really a happy thing.
As for Xu Damao, after Liu Haizhong left, he did not go to rest immediately, but walked slowly to the window and gently pushed it open. The night wind blew in, bringing a hint of coolness, but he was unaware of it. He just looked quietly at the vast starry sky outside the window. The stars twinkled, as if telling a beautiful story. Xu Damao's eyes were full of longing, and beautiful pictures of his future married life kept emerging in his mind. Thinking about living in this courtyard with his beloved girl, every day was full of sweetness and warmth. The corners of his mouth rose slightly unconsciously, immersed in the beautiful vision of the future.
On the other hand, Yi Zhonghai was also not in a hurry to go home, as he was also concerned about a major event in the courtyard - He Yuzhu's marriage. Although He Yuzhu was usually carefree and informal, marriage was no joke after all, and Yi Zhonghai, as the eldest uncle in the courtyard, naturally had to worry more.
The afterglow of the setting sun had completely dissipated, the night was as dark as ink, and warm lights were lit in every household in the courtyard. Yi Zhonghai walked steadily towards He Yuzhu's hut under the moonlight. He was looking forward to He Yuzhu's marriage, but also a little worried. After all, He Yuzhu's straightforward personality might make him feel overwhelmed in handling such a delicate task as marriage.
In He Yuzhu's small room, the lights were dim and warm. He was sitting at the table, holding a cookbook in his hand, frowning, as if he was studying something. Yi Zhonghai knocked on the door gently. He Yuzhu looked up and saw that it was an old man. He quickly stood up to greet him: "Hey, old man, why are you here? Come in!"
After Yi Zhonghai entered the house, He Yuzhu quickly poured a glass of water and handed it to him. Yi Zhonghai took the water and looked around. Seeing that the house was tidy and orderly, he felt relieved and said, "Zhuzi, you are not young anymore. You have to hurry up and get married. I heard that you are getting along well with that girl recently. How is it going?"
When He Yuzhu heard this, he smiled honestly: "Uncle, don't worry about it. She and I are doing fine, and we are heading towards marriage."
"That's good, that's good." Yi Zhonghai nodded, and then changed the subject, "But, Zhuzi, have you thought about the wedding? Weddings in our courtyard have always been organized by everyone together. What are you going to do?"
He Yuzhu scratched his head and chuckled, "Uncle, I'm just thinking about it. I plan to prepare the wedding banquet myself. Don't you know my cooking skills? I guarantee that everyone will enjoy the feast and be full of praise!"
Yi Zhonghai frowned when he heard this: "Zhu Zi, your idea is good, but how can the groom cook for the wedding banquet himself? This is against the rules, and it also shows that our hospital does not take it seriously. You have to find a professional chef, so that the guests can enjoy the meal and your wedding will be more prestigious."
He Yuzhu was a little unhappy when he heard this: "Uncle, you underestimate me. My craftsmanship is well-known in the hospital. Don't worry, I will definitely make the wedding banquet beautiful."
Seeing this, Yi Zhonghai patiently advised: "Zhu Zi, I know you are good at cooking, but this problem cannot be solved by your good skills. Think about it, on the wedding day, you have to be busy entertaining guests and handling various trivial matters. How can you have time to cook? Besides, the guests come to the wedding to see the bride and groom, not to see you cook. You have to focus on more important things."
He Yuzhu felt that what the uncle said made sense, but he still felt a little unwilling: "Well... well, uncle, I'll do whatever you say. But where can I find a chef?"
Yi Zhonghai patted He Yuzhu's shoulder and said, "Don't worry about it. I'll help you find out. There are always a few good cooks around our courtyard. I'll go ask tomorrow to see who is willing to take on this job. Just prepare for your wedding with peace of mind. Leave the rest to me and everyone in the courtyard."