Ch 62: Daily Farm Life After Returning from Interstellar

Housewarming

On the day of Su Mu’s housewarming, the sky was clear and blue, and even the wind carried a refreshing coolness.

Most of her belongings had been moved to the new house in advance. Currently, she only had a small package and was walking towards her new home accompanied by Jiang Yao.

Su Mu’s parents were still in the small courtyard. They were guiding relatives and friends, planning to head to their daughter’s new home once everyone had arrived.

Su Chen and his wife, Wei Liu, and Grandpa Wei also came. Wei Liu came mostly for the celebration, while Grandpa Wei came to meet friends. He and Grandpa Gu were close friends, so when he heard that Grandpa Gu was here for recuperation, he rushed over.

Everyone brought their congratulatory gifts, crowding the spacious living room of the new house.

Most of their gifts were practical items, such as exquisite curtains, artistic plates, and even a smart cleaning robot.

This widened the horizons of the familiar villagers. They had never seen a machine specifically for sweeping before? The curtains were of a style they had never seen, yet they were really beautiful.

Su Mu’s elder uncle and aunt also came. They couldn’t understand the fuss Su Mu was making—how could a young girl like her build a new house and move in? To them, Su Mu should just obediently wait to get married.

In their eyes, all the family’s property should go to Su Chen, the male heir. As for the girls, they could bring in some dowry when they got married, but that was all. They weren’t willing to give any money.

Su Mu didn’t know they had such thoughts, but she could tell from their actions. After all, every New Year, she would accompany her mother back to her maternal family’s home, and her uncle and aunt’s disdain for girls was clearly evident in their words.

Actually, she was glad her family didn’t have more daughters to suffer this. They only had two male cousins, and their temperaments were mild and straightforward. They were nothing like her uncle and aunt.

It could be said that the bamboo shoots that grew in a crooked way turned out well.

Today, there was going to be a banquet for the guests. Some of the ingredients had already been prepared yesterday. Su Mu had invited a highly respected chef from the village to cook the dishes. The kitchen was already filled with the aroma of food, stronger than any previous feast. Even the relatives and friends chatting outside couldn’t help but sniff the air.

“Master Huang hasn’t been cooking in public for a long time, right? His skills have improved a lot.”

“I love his steamed pork ribs the most. They’re fatty but not greasy, tender and flavorful. Ah, just thinking about it makes my mouth water.”

“His beer duck is pretty good too. The duck meat is fragrant, with a hint of beer’s freshness. I wonder if we’ll have that dish today.”

“Of course, we must have it. How can a proper rural banquet not include these dishes?”

…

Su Mu’s parents were responsible for entertaining the relatives from their hometown. Su Mu was in charge of hosting the youngsters, like Wei Liu and the others.

As lunchtime approached, Fu Da arrived with Fu Qingming and Fu Ming, who were a bit late.

Due to the upcoming harvest of the additional acres of vegetables, he had been busy recently opening “San Mu Fruit and Vegetable Section” in various trendy cities. Therefore, his affairs were quite hectic. He rushed over to Huayuan Village after his morning meeting had ended.

Fu Qingming was also a cultured and knowledgeable old man. Su Mu introduced him to Grandpa Gu, Grandpa Wei, and the others. Soon, the group of elderly men happily engaged in conversation.

The younger crowd sat on the side, chatting away. Su Mu chatted with them while also looking after her sister-in-law, Jiang Yao, and Lin Li, fearing that the two of them might feel uncomfortable in this unfamiliar social setting.

Since the parking incident, she had grown closer to Lin Li. This time, for the housewarming, she invited Lin Li to help warm up the house.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Over the past few years, Lin Li had become more cheerful, and she could get along even with Jiang Yao, who was about to enter high school. There were no awkward moments between them.

Seeing this, Su Mu felt relieved and focused on conversing with Gu Shi and his friends. Well, mainly responding to Wei Liu and the others’ teasing.

“Shi, I didn’t expect you to move so fast,” Wei Liu said with a chuckle. He could be considered a matchmaker for the two, so he had his own thoughts. Both of his buddies were off the market now, leaving him still single. He felt envious!

Gu Shi seemed pleased, “Of course, you single guys should speed up too.”

Suddenly, his shoulder was slapped forcefully twice. He turned his head to see Su Chen, who wasn’t exactly friendly-looking. Gu Shi’s attitude immediately became respectful, “Elder Brother.”

The onlookers, including He Fu and the others, found this scene quite interesting.

Su Chen’s eyes caught his sister’s nervous expression. He sighed helplessly and earnestly said to Gu Shi, “You better treat my sister well. If I find out you’ve hurt her, don’t blame me for not being polite!”

Gu Shi’s demeanor was serious, “Elder Brother, rest assured, I will never hurt her in this lifetime.”

Su Chen patted his shoulder again, and everything was understood without words.

Su Mu placed her hand into Gu Shi’s, and they exchanged a smile.

Everyone collectively shrugged their shoulders. Well, they hadn’t even had a meal yet, and they were already getting a taste of dog food.

Fortunately, the kitchen was efficient. In no time, all the dishes were ready.

Relatives and friends were seated at a total of five tables. A group of young people, including Su Mu, were at one table. Su parents accompanied Grandpa Gu, the village head, and a few other influential figures at another table. The remaining relatives chose to sit with familiar faces, creating a lively and festive atmosphere for the housewarming feast.

Indeed, the master chef who had wielded the ladle for decades had prepared dishes that were truly exceptional. Combined with Su Mu’s vegetables, the flavors were even more extraordinary.

Even Master Huang couldn’t help but exclaim that this was the most outstanding banquet he had ever prepared. Grandpa Gu, Grandpa Wei, and the others had certainly tasted many delicacies, but it was this simple rural feast that suited their taste buds. The presentation was not exquisite, and the cooking style was relatively rustic, yet it didn’t stop them from wholeheartedly enjoying the meal.

Su Mu’s table was no different. Everyone eagerly grabbed the dishes they found interesting and started eating. Once they were halfway full, they found time to chat.

“It’s true that there are hidden talents among the common people.”

“Hey, these ribs are fragrant but not greasy. If I have them with rice, I could eat three big bowls.”

Su Mu just smiled at their remarks. They were just excited about the novelty.

As usual, Gu Shi only picked vegetables. Su Mu used a public chopstick to add two pieces of duck meat to his plate. “These are ducks raised in the lychee grove. The taste is different from those bought elsewhere. Give it a try.”

Gu Shi looked at the two pieces of well-cooked duck legs in his bowl and pinched her hand, “Then I really need to give it a taste.”

He wasn’t averse to the poultry raised in Su family. The duck meat had a faint beer flavor that balanced out the gamey taste, and it was both savory and tender. He savored each bite.

Seeing him eating with such enjoyment, Su Mu served him some chicken as well, filling his small bowl before stopping. Gu Shi glanced at her and helplessly remarked, “You’re becoming quite adept at climbing the pole.”

“It’s because you always eat vegetables. You need to eat more meat to gain weight.” Su Mu’s boldness in front of him was growing. He was still too thin. She had seen him once before, and his calves were even slimmer and more proportionate than hers, just a bit too slender. Otherwise, he would have been even more attractive.

After some thought, Gu Shi pushed two pieces of vegetables back to her and smiled, “Then you should accompany me.”

Su Mu had no choice but to reluctantly eat the vegetables in front of her with a pout.

The banquet lasted for about an hour, and the satisfied relatives gradually left. Su Mu’s table was thoroughly cleaned up, leaving only a table of uncles drinking and chatting. They had no intention of leaving for now.

Mother Su, aunt, and Grandma Li were tidying up the table. Su Mu went to help, and Jiang Yao and Lin Li followed suit. Even Gu Shi and the other men were assisting with cleaning.

The lively housewarming banquet came to an end. From today onward, Su Mu would live in this little castle.

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