flstandardbreds Chapter 116 I refuse to believe you won't treat us!
Chapter 116 I refuse to believe you won't treat us!
Ye Nuan didn't quite understand what this meant.
She didn't understand until Sister Xiang Lan came over with her child.
"There are all sorts of people in the family compound, not everyone is as well-mannered as you. If you really hold a banquet, you'll make such a mess that it won't be cleaned up for three days!"
Ye Nuan didn't believe it: "It can't be that exaggerated."
“I know you don’t believe me, but you have to look at how many kids live in this family compound! Take Tian Guihua’s family for example. She has a lot of kids, and relatives from her hometown often come over. They can stay for a month or two without leaving. And she’s so shameless. If she goes to a banquet, she’ll bring her whole family.”
Ye Nuan chuckled: "Isn't she supposed to be one of the aunties in charge of our compound? How could she be so shameless as to do this?"
"What's the big deal! Everyone's struggling to make ends meet. Don't be fooled by the fact that men seem to earn a lot of money. Who doesn't have elderly parents to support and children to raise? Who doesn't have a few poor relatives? If your own brother asks for money, will you lend it to him or not? If your own sister can't survive, will you help her? Every family has its own troubles!"
Ye Nuan agreed with this statement.
She simply never imagined that holding a banquet in the family compound could be so frightening.
"Let me tell you, there was a woman who didn't believe in superstitions. She always thought that getting married was a great joy, and she was afraid that others wouldn't know who her husband was, and that someone would covet him. So she insisted on having a banquet in the courtyard. Well, she was shrewd enough to only prepare three tables. But when the day actually came, before the people she invited even arrived, a bunch of teenagers had almost eaten up all the food on those three tables."
Ye Nuan's eyes widened: "Is that so? Don't the adults in your family care?"
Xiang Lan rolled her eyes: "What do you think? It was all those shallow women in the family who invited them. Some just came with the kids to eat and drink, then wiped their mouths and left."
Oh my God!
That's too outrageous!
No, that's too shameless. The host family is really too pitiful.
Ye Nuan then thought about it and realized that everyone was having a hard time these days.
Moreover, many soldiers marry women from the countryside, and it would be an exaggeration to say that half of them are illiterate.
Moreover, nowadays every family can have children. Three or four children is considered a normal family, and five or six is quite common. On the contrary, couples with only one or two children are considered to be a poor family because they have too few offspring.
A table that can normally seat ten people usually consists of two families when hosting a dinner party. Some families bring their own elderly and young children, so a whole family might fit at one table.
Therefore, treating someone to a meal is really unreliable.
Now Ye Nuan understood, but she felt that even if she didn't invite a wedding banquet, she should at least invite some of Gu Hanchuan's superiors or close comrades to have a meal together!
Xiang Lan nodded: "That's a good idea. And you don't even need to say anything, someone will definitely jump out and ask you to treat them."
"Huh? What does that mean?"
"Before, because you were cooperating with the investigation, no one dared to bother you. Now that the case is closed, some people are bound to get restless."
Ye Nuan thought about it carefully and realized that she didn't know many people here. Xiang Lan was one of them, mainly because she lived next door.
As for Tian Guihua, she is someone I dislike, and I wouldn't invite her even if I were to treat someone to a meal.
Xiang Lan's words were confirmed that very evening, not even the next day.
Ye Nuan thought the person looked somewhat familiar, but she wasn't quite sure if she recognized him.
"Who is this auntie?"
"Oh, I live in the row in front. My surname is Zhai, and my husband is Du Haifeng, the commander of the Second Regiment. You can just call me Sister-in-law Zhai."
Ye Nuan quickly said, "Oh, it's Sister-in-law Zhai. Is there something you need?"
If it weren't for the fact that the other man was of a similar status to Gu Hanchuan, she really should have called him "auntie."
Judging from his age, he was even older than Xiang Lan.
Zhai Hua was exchanging pleasantries, while Ye Nuan was drawn to the gray hair on the other person's head. So, how old was this person?
"Xiao Ye, your sister-in-law is asking you, when are you having a party?"
Ye Nuan was nudged by Zhai Hua before she looked away: "What kind of guests are you inviting? My Gu Hanchuan hasn't been promoted, there's nothing to celebrate, so why would you need to invite anyone?"
Zhai Hua looked unconvinced: "Isn't your marriage a joyous occasion?"
Ye Nuan then realized and said, "Oh! So that's what it is. But we've already had a wedding at home and a banquet."
"How can that be the same? You've moved here now, and you two are getting married, aren't you going to have a wedding banquet?"
Ye Nuan blinked, looking innocent, and said, "So, every couple who moves in has to have a wedding banquet?"
"Of course! You have excellent taste, choosing Xiao Gu as your husband. Let me tell you, Xiao Gu has a very bright future ahead of him!"
That sounds a bit awkward no matter how you look at it.
Ye Nuan smiled and said, "Then I'll go back and ask. Although I've lived here for two months, I'm still not familiar with some of the local customs. Thank you for reminding me today, sister-in-law. When did you move here, sister-in-law?"
Zhai Hua said proudly, "I've been with the military for over ten years, but I didn't get a proper house with the military until seven years ago. Before that, I lived in the dormitory building there, and it was practically borrowed from the army."
Ye Nuan nodded, understanding what she meant.
"So you held your wedding banquet at the dormitory building? That place isn't very big, could it fit a banquet?"
Zhai Hua's face stiffened, and her eyes flickered as she said, "This child, we didn't have banquets back then. Every family was struggling to make ends meet, it was a difficult time. How could we afford to have a banquet? You two are much better off now, and I heard you're a doctor? Tsk tsk, you two both have jobs, you must be living the best life in our compound!"
Ye Nuan smiled, taking it as a blessing from the other party.
"Thank you, sister-in-law. I'll head back now; the men at home are waiting for dinner."
"Okay, let me know when you've decided on a date, and I'll come over early to help out."
"I appreciate your kindness, sister-in-law, but we're not well-off right now, how could we possibly afford to host guests!"
Zhai Hua's face darkened instantly. She had just praised the couple for both receiving salaries, and then she said their conditions weren't good enough. Wasn't that blatant lying?
But Ye Nuan had already left, and Zhai Hua spat on the ground without any politeness: "Hmph, so young, how can you be so stingy? I don't believe you won't treat us!"
After Zhai Hua finished speaking, she turned around and went to find Tian Guihua.
That evening, Ye Nuan mentioned Zhai Hua to Gu Hanchuan. Gu Hanchuan gave a brief introduction of her, saying that she was always trying to take advantage of others and would try to get a piece of anything good to eat.
“She didn’t come to our house before because we weren’t married, and I sometimes didn’t eat here, so she was embarrassed to let people say she was taking advantage of young people. But now that we’re married, she’s suddenly showing up again, she’s probably after our wallets!”