Chapter 691 Three Aunts Offer Suggestions 3
Xu Damao was in a very depressed mood all day, just like the sky covered with dark clouds, heavy. He didn't know why, but he felt like there was a big stone blocking his heart, and he felt uncomfortable no matter how hard he tried. He kept going back and forth in the room, walking to one end and then to the other, his steps seemed a little chaotic, as if only by walking like this could he slightly relieve the tangled and irritable emotions in his heart.
Suddenly, there was a rapid and loud knock on the door. The "bang bang bang" sound was like the sound of a drum, which was particularly abrupt in this room that was originally as quiet as a dead water. Xu Damao was immersed in his own messy thoughts, but he was suddenly startled by the sudden knock on the door. He was like being electrocuted, and his body swayed several times, and he almost fell off the chair. He quickly reached out and held the armrest of the chair tightly. It took him a while to recover. He couldn't help muttering, "Who is it? Knocking so loudly, it scared me, really." While complaining, he walked slowly towards the door reluctantly. His steps were so slow, as if there was a flood or a beast waiting for him at the door.
When he opened the door, hey, it turned out to be He Yuzhu standing at the door. He Yuzhu's face was full of mystery and excitement, and his eyes were shining, as if he was hiding some big secret. He Yuzhu was impatient, and without waiting for Xu Damao to ask what was going on, he grabbed Xu Damao's arm without saying a word, and his strength was quite strong, causing Xu Damao to stagger. Then, while pulling, he said, "Da Mao, don't be so sad here, there is something good for you!" Xu Damao was confused by this sudden situation, his eyes were wide open, and his mind was full of question marks. He didn't know what to say. But his arm was tightly held by He Yuzhu, so he had no choice but to stagger forward. The walking posture was so awkward, just like he was drunk. He kept asking, "What's the good news? Zhuzi, please explain it clearly. You are so unreasonable that I am even more unsure."
He Yuzhu pulled Xu Damao all the way to the yard. At this time, quite a few people had gathered in the yard. Everyone was standing there, talking and laughing. The originally lively atmosphere suddenly became a little different after seeing Xu Damao coming. Everyone cast strange looks at him, some of them with a smile in their eyes, and the smile seemed to hide all kinds of meanings, which made people unpredictable. Xu Damao was even more confused by this scene. He scratched his head subconsciously, and his eyebrows were wrinkled into a lump. He looked at everyone with a puzzled face, thinking to himself: "What is going on here? Why are there so many people here and looking at me like this? Is there really something going on?"
When He Yuzhu saw this, he cleared his throat, deliberately raised his voice and said loudly: "Da Mao, everyone sees that you are worried about the matter with Lou Xiao'e recently, and your brows have never relaxed. We are all neighbors, and we see each other every day, and we all want to help you. So, a few of us have decided to organize an outing, and we are going to invite Lou Xiao'e as well. When the time comes, you two can spend more time in the beautiful scenery of the suburbs, and have a good chat. Maybe the relationship will slowly develop, and the matter between you and Lou Xiao'e might be successful!" After saying that, He Yuzhu looked at Xu Damao with a smug look on his face, as if he had already seen the beautiful picture of Xu Damao and Lou Xiao'e reconciled.
When Xu Damao heard what He Yuzhu said, his eyes instantly widened, like two copper bells, and his eyeballs almost popped out of his eye sockets. Unexpectedly, a look of surprise first appeared on his face, and that surprise was like a flower that suddenly bloomed in spring, spreading from the corners of his mouth to the corners of his eyes. His originally frowned brows suddenly relaxed, and the whole person seemed to be instantly injected with a strong vitality, and suddenly became much more energetic. But then, this surprise was mixed with some disbelief. He tilted his head slightly, and the expression on his face became a little complicated. His brows wrinkled slightly unconsciously. It was like a little deer running around in his heart. He was expecting, but also afraid that this was just a false joy, so he asked hesitantly: "Really? Are you really going to help me? Is this possible?" The voice was trembling slightly because of excitement and nervousness, as if he was afraid that this was just a beautiful dream of his, and it would be shattered with a slight touch.
At this moment, Yi Zhonghai came forward with steady steps. With a kind yet serious expression on his face, he walked to Xu Damao and gently patted him on the shoulder, his gesture full of concern and expectations from an elder for a younger generation. Then, he spoke earnestly, "Da Mao, about this matter, everyone sees you sighing about the matter with Lou Xiao'e recently, and they feel sorry for you, so they want to help you. But you have to know that feelings are a complicated matter, and the key is to rely on you to manage it with all your heart. This outing is really a good opportunity, and it's in front of you. You have to seize it firmly, and you can't be as unruly as before. You have to put away those bad habits, and let Lou Xiao'e see your changes, and see your shining points and advantages, understand?" As Yi Zhonghai spoke, he looked at Xu Damao with burning eyes, his eyes full of expectation, as if he hoped that through these words, Xu Damao would truly understand the importance of this opportunity.
After hearing what Yi Zhonghai said, Xu Damao nodded his head in a hurry, nodding vigorously, as if he was afraid that others would not see his determination. Then, he puffed out his chest, like a soldier about to go to the battlefield, and said loudly with full confidence: "Uncle, don't worry! I will definitely perform well. I have secretly sworn in my heart that this time I must let Lou Xiaoe look at me with new eyes. I must let her see that I, Xu Damao, am not the ignorant person before. I will definitely show my best side. Just wait and see!" The voice echoed in the yard, and it seemed particularly loud. When the people around heard it, some of them couldn't help but smile with satisfaction, as if they all approved of Xu Damao's energetic appearance.
During the next few days, the whole yard was extremely lively. Everyone was busy preparing for the outing. Everyone had their own responsibilities, hoping that the outing would go smoothly.
The women gathered in the kitchen early and started their busy work. The kitchen was really busy. Some women held kitchen knives in their hands and cut all kinds of fresh vegetables neatly. The knives rose and fell rhythmically on the chopping board, making a "da da da" sound. After a while, the originally whole vegetables were cut into uniform and beautiful shapes.
Some stood in front of the stove, skillfully waving spatulas to cook, the oil in the pan "crackling", and with the various seasonings added, the tempting aroma wafted away all at once, making people drool; and some clever women carefully made various snacks, their fingers were as flexible as dancing, kneading the dough into delicate shapes, and then putting them into the oven or steamer, the aroma of the snacks gradually spread. These various aromas intertwined together, like an invisible big net, slowly covering the entire yard, filling every corner of the yard with the smell of food, as if the yard had become a world of delicious food that made people salivate.
The men were not idle either, they gathered together and discussed the transportation options. Everyone expressed their opinions, some said that taking the bus was convenient, some said that riding a bicycle was comfortable, and some said that walking was better, which would both exercise and save money.
However, after a heated discussion and careful consultation, everyone finally decided to rent a few horse-drawn carriages. After all, renting a horse-drawn carriage is not only fun, but also allows everyone to experience the slow and retro way of traveling, as if they were traveling back in time. It also ensures that everyone has a seat, so there is no need to worry about someone being left behind or being squeezed on the road. How comfortable it is. After everyone decided on this idea, they quickly sent someone to contact the horse-drawn carriage rental company. Everyone's face was filled with anticipation, as if they had already seen the joyful scene of the outing that day.
Xu Damao was not idle at all. He was always thinking about this outing. He felt that this was an important opportunity to improve his relationship with Lou Xiaoe, so he prepared for it from morning till night. He first went to the barber shop at the entrance of the alley, which he often went to. As soon as he entered, he gestured to the barber, muttering that he wanted a particularly lively hairstyle, as if he was going to attend some important ceremony. The barber was also a skillful man. After listening to Xu Damao's request, he took the scissors and carefully trimmed his hair, trimming here and there, and each time was very careful. After a while, a neat and lively hairstyle appeared on Xu Damao's head. The hair was neat and tidy, and it looked refreshing. Xu Damao looked left and right in the mirror, nodding with satisfaction.
After leaving the barber shop, he hurried back home and dived into the closet to start searching. The closet was in a mess, with clothes thrown everywhere. After a long time, he finally found a set of relatively decent clothes. But he felt that this was not enough, so he brought another basin of water and washed the clothes carefully. He scrubbed the clothes very seriously, not leaving any corners. After washing, he carefully wrung the clothes dry and took them to the yard to dry. When the clothes were dry, he found the iron, put the clothes on the chopping board, and slowly and gently ironed them flat. While ironing, he checked for wrinkles. His focused expression was as if he was carving a rare treasure. When the clothes were ironed flat and there was no wrinkle, he folded the clothes and put them aside with satisfaction.
That's not all. Xu Damao practiced smiling in front of the mirror from time to time. He stood in front of the mirror, grinning to show his eight teeth, trying to put on a sunny and friendly smile, and then pursing his lips slightly to show a subtle and gentle smile. While practicing, he kept muttering some topics to chat with girls, such as the interesting movies he watched recently, the new things that happened in the alley, and so on, repeatedly thinking about how to say it to please girls. He looked so serious, as if this outing was a turning point in his life. If he didn't grasp it well, he would never have another chance. He was immersed in this tense and expectant atmosphere.
Finally, the day of the outing arrived. It was still light in the morning, but everyone couldn't hold back their excitement and came to the gathering place early. Everyone's face was filled with anticipation and excitement, and they were chattering about how to play in the suburbs. The excitement seemed to overturn the usually quiet gathering place. Xu Damao was even more nervous. He clenched his hands tightly together, and his palms were sweating. The sweat beads came out one by one, making his palms wet. His eyes kept looking around, looking here and there, and his neck stretched out, hoping to see Lou Xiao'e's figure as soon as possible. His heart was beating like a little rabbit, "beating".
After a while, Lou Xiao'e came. She was wearing a light blue dress, the color of which was just like the clear spring sky, fresh and elegant. The hem of the dress swayed gently with her steps, as if it had a different rhythm of its own. Her hair was draped softly over her shoulders, like black satin, shining softly under the sunlight. Occasionally, a few strands of hair were gently blown by the breeze, adding a bit of agile beauty. She had a faint smile on her face, and that smile was like a blooming flower, delicate but gentle, so beautiful that people couldn't take their eyes off it, as if everything around her had become her foil, and as long as she stood there, she was the most beautiful scenery.