“Really?” Tian Fang pressed. “Son, you asked that girl out to watch a movie, and she didn’t show up?”
Fu Changzheng put down his newspaper. Seeing his brother-in-law keep picking on his son, he couldn’t help speaking up. “With rain this heavy, it’s understandable if the girl didn’t go. By the way, which girl is it?”
“I know! Brother-in-law, I know!” Tian Yu jumped in first. “Ah Xiao is thin-skinned he’s too embarrassed to tell you.”
“If you know, then say it,” Tian Fang rolled her eyes at him.
“You all know her…” Tian Yu deliberately kept them in suspense.
Tian Fang and Fu Changzheng exchanged a glance and started guessing nearby girls. Recently, their son had indeed been coming home more often than before.
“The girl from the back street, Fangfang?”
“Or Yuanyuan?”
Fu Xiao finally spoke up plainly. “Shen Wei. I like her and I’m pursuing her, but she hasn’t agreed yet.”
In truth, he felt he really should reflect on his personality if you like someone, you should say it out loud.
Keeping it hidden would only lead to the same outcome as in his past life never seeing the light.
Tian Fang and Fu Changzheng were both stunned.
Their son had always kept his thoughts to himself since childhood completely the opposite of his uncle Tian Yu.
“When did this happen?” Tian Fang asked. “Weiwei is a good girl. If you’re going to pursue her, do it properly. Her parents passed away early don’t bully her. And don’t always keep a cold face. Smile more. What girl would like someone who looks like an ice block?”
“Exactly!” Tian Yu chimed in. “Sister, if Ah Xiao had even half of my charm with girls, maybe Shen Wei would’ve already agreed to be with him.”
Fu Xiao thought they made sense and tried to smile.
Everyone: …
“Forget it,” Tian Yu held back a laugh. “Who are you trying to intimidate with that smile? You’re better off not smiling.”
“But it’s okay you inherited my handsome looks. As long as you put in more effort, I believe you’ll definitely win Shen Wei over.”
“Girls like gifts. Buy her flowers, a hairpin or something. And sweeten your words a bit.” Tian Yu saw that Fu Xiao was listening seriously and nodded toward the oranges on the table. “Good nephew, peel an orange for your uncle, and I’ll keep teaching you.”
“Girls like sweet talk, so praise her more tell her she’s beautiful, like a fairy descended from the heavens. Naturally, she’ll be delighted.”
Fu Xiao: …
Got it.
But he felt that words were still superficial. If you liked someone, it should be shown through real actions.
“Uncle, if you have time, help me look for a shop space somewhere with a good location, suitable for a breakfast business.”
If there were a shop, Shen Wei wouldn’t have to wake up so early every day and push a tricycle around.
“What do you need a shop for?” Tian Yu found him a bit impossible to reason with. “For that Shen Wei?”
“Let me tell you money is a good thing. It’s meant to be shown to women, not spent on them. Think about it: someone as cold as you spends a lot on a girl, and she still refuses to be with you wouldn’t you lose both money and the girl?”
“I’ll pay you a fee,” Fu Xiao said, knowing his personality. “Whether she ends up with me or not, I’m willing to treat her well.”
“Idiot!” Tian Yu agreed to help him find a shop for the sake of the fee. “You’re a complete fool.”
“If I were a woman, I’d trick you until you didn’t even have your underwear left!”
“Don’t worry,” Fu Xiao walked toward the kitchen, “even if you were a woman, I wouldn’t be interested.”
Tian Fang was preparing to fry meatballs. Seeing him roll up his sleeves, she said, “I can handle it myself. Go chat with your uncle.”
“Shen Wei sprained her ankle. I’m bringing her dinner tonight,” Fu Xiao said.
“Is it serious?” Tian Fang asked with concern. “Then once I finish frying these, take some over to her.”
“I’ll try making them,” Fu Xiao said. He had never really cooked before, but now he suddenly wanted to learn to cook for Shen Wei.
She didn’t need to know. Just thinking that Shen Wei might eat meatballs he made himself was enough to make him feel happy.
“Alright, Mom will teach you,” Tian Fang said, seeing right through her son’s thoughts. This was a good thing the blockhead was finally opening up.
If Shen Wei could really become her daughter-in-law, she would be more than willing.
Shen Jianming and his wife had both been very good people unfortunately, they sacrificed themselves for the country.
The daughter of heroes wouldn’t turn out badly.
She had heard that after Shen Wei cut ties with Shen Jianguo, she started a bun stall on her own.
She had seen her at the market once. Shen Wei had packed a few buns for her and absolutely refused to take any money. After that, she didn’t go again.
A capable girl.
“Son~ that meatball is as big as a fist Weiwei will be full after just one~”
“Turn it quickly, or it’ll burn!”
“Oh my, my son, how can you be this clumsy!”
Tian Fang hadn’t expected that while her son was excellent at leading troops in battle, he would be so hopeless in the kitchen.
Clumsy, yet hardworking.
He ended up frying an entire large basin.
At a glance, they were all oddly shaped. Fu Xiao picked out the better-looking ones and placed them into a thermal container, then said, “Let Uncle eat the rest.”
Tian Fang: …
Shen Wei looked at the meatballs in front of her and asked Fu Xiao, “Did Aunt Tian make these?”
Fu Xiao pressed his lips together and nodded.
Shen Wei took a bite. The taste was pretty good, but the shape was quite different from how Aunt Tian usually made them.
Everyone on Hongqi Street knew Aunt Tian was excellent at frying meatballs.
While Shen Wei was eating, Fu Xiao went out to the yard, filled up her water jar, and boiled some water, pouring it into a thermos.
Only after finishing everything did he quietly pack up the lunchbox she had used. “I’ll go now.”
“Be careful on your way.”
That night, Shen Wei lay in bed, listening to the sound of rain outside, her thoughts in a mess.
Admittedly, Fu Xiao was an excellent partner.
His looks and bearing stood out among his peers, and at such a young age he had already become a battalion commander, with a very promising future.
She remembered that in her previous life, Fu Xiao had remained unmarried, and many people had speculated that despite his tall and strong appearance, he was… incapable in that regard.
But from what she could tell, Fu Xiao seemed perfectly fine.
Being liked by such an outstanding man didn’t make Shen Wei feel repulsed at all but feelings were one thing, marriage was another.
She had wasted too much time in marriage in her previous life. In this life, she would never step into it so easily again.
The next day, since she didn’t need to set up her stall, Shen Wei slept in for once. After getting up, she moved her ankle it hurt less than yesterday.
Someone knocked on the door. She put on her shoes and slowly walked over to open it.
It was Aunt Tian.
“Weiwei, is your foot better today?”
“Much better.”
“Ah Xiao went back to the army and specifically asked me to bring you breakfast,” Tian Fang said.
In truth, what Fu Xiao had asked was for her not to tell Shen Wei that he had arranged for the food.
Her son might be dense, but as his mother, she had to be a little more tactful.