Within that single hour, He Yuzhu spoke at length about his views on economics, culture, history, art, and various other fields.
Although all these opinions had come from things he had read online and were merely a rote repetition of what he had found, they still left Lou Xiaoe's parents utterly stunned.
They had once also belonged to the capitalist class. The education they had received and the broader environment they had experienced had given them an outlook far beyond that of ordinary people.
Yet compared with He Yuzhu, the difference was simply like heaven and earth.
The knowledge and culture displayed by this young man were utterly astonishing!
In truth, this was not because He Yuzhu possessed any great ability. It was merely the essence compiled by elites from various fields over the past fifty-odd years, which he had repeated almost verbatim.
Lou Xiao'e's mother had originally been very fond of Xu Damao. After all, he was articulate, worked as a projectionist, had seen plenty of films, and possessed a certain amount of culture.
But compared with He Yuzhu now, he was simply a toad beside a white-horse prince.
Looking up at the wall clock, He Yuzhu saw that it was already a little after eleven in the morning and said with a smile, “Young man, it’s already mealtime. Stay and have a meal.”
There was actually a deeper reason for choosing to meet at 10:00 in the morning. If the person turned out to be unsuitable, they could simply dismiss him with a few words.
But if they took a liking to this son-in-law, they could have lunch together to build their relationship. By now, Lou Xiao'e's mother was completely satisfied.
However, Lou Xiaoe's father was no ordinary man. In the television drama, merely hearing a little news, he had decisively moved the entire family and avoided a great catastrophe.
Whether in knowledge or insight, he was an elite of his era. Lou Xiaoe's father was the true pillar of the family.
Although the young man before him was practically flawless, there was still one question.
Where had he gotten so many books for his daughter? In this era, finding and acquiring such books was no easy matter.
“You two sit down first. I know you’re a chef, but since you’ve come from far away as our guest, try my cooking today,” Lou Xiaoe's mother said.
In the past, Lou Xiaoe's mother had been a genuine heir to Tan Family Cuisine. Tan Family Cuisine was court cuisine, affordable only to the extremely rich and noble.
Although material goods were scarce now, with the things He Yuzhu had brought, they could still prepare several fine dishes.
Lou Xiaoe also followed her mother into the kitchen to help, leaving only He Yuzhu and Lou Xiaoe's father in the living room.
“Young man, where did you acquire those books? Books like these are very difficult to find nowadays. By the way, what is your family’s class background?”
It had to be said that Lou Xiaoe's father's concern was entirely necessary. His own family already had a capitalist background; finding someone with a bad class background as a match would be disastrous.
“My family has been agricultural laborers for three generations. I come from a poor and humble background,” He Yuzhu said with a smile.
Lou Xiaoe's father was tremendously surprised upon hearing this. He had originally thought He Yuzhu came from a scholarly family, so how had the son of three generations of farm laborers acquired so much knowledge?
“Yet listening to you today, you seem able to draw inferences broadly and know everything. Where did you learn all this knowledge?”
He Yuzhu knew they would ask such a question and had prepared his answer long in advance.
He smiled and said, “I’ve loved reading ever since I was little. When I was young, I followed my father through the streets and alleys. Whenever we arrived somewhere, I would always search everywhere for books to read.”
“As long as I had books to read, I was willing to work even without pay. Sometimes I would search through scrap-recycling stations as well. My father beat me quite a few times because of it.”
“I still haven’t broken this habit. I spend almost all my wages on books. Whenever I hear that someone has books they no longer want, I take money to buy them. I hope you won’t find it amusing, Uncle.”
Lou Xiaoe's father was moved to tears!
He had never imagined that such a diligent and studious young man existed in this world!
He did not love gold and silver, but the fragrance of books. He would rather live in hardship, even rummage through garbage heaps, than remain ignorant and uneducated!
“You’re certainly worth teaching... Get along well with Xiaoe in the future. I’ve spoiled my daughter; she has quite the young miss temper, so you’ll have to be more understanding.”
Hearing these two sentences, He Yuzhu felt the stone in his heart drop to the ground. This was practically the old father-in-law entrusting his daughter to him!
Not long afterward, the dishes were served. Lou Xiaoe's mother truly lived up to her status as an heir to Tan Family Cuisine; every dish was prepared to a very high standard.
During the meal, Lou Xiaoe's mother suddenly asked, “Young He, there’s someone named Xu Damao at your workplace. Are you familiar with him?”
He Yuzhu immediately shook his head and said, “Not familiar. We just know each other, and we don’t usually interact much.”
Lou Xiaoe found this strange upon hearing it. Xu Damao and He Yuzhu always clashed whenever they met; they were clearly extremely familiar with each other.
Moreover, they had such a deep grudge between them. Why hadn’t he said a few bad things about Xu Damao during the meal? Wasn’t this the perfect opportunity?
After lunch, Lou Xiaoe's family escorted him a long way before finally turning back.
Once they entered the house, Lou Xiaoe's mother said, “This young man is excellent. He doesn’t speak ill of others behind their backs, which is rare. I deliberately tried to draw him out, but he refused to say a single bad word about Xu Damao.”
“That’s right. To possess such a broad mind at such a young age, with knowledge and insight far greater than ours when we were young—I think this young man is a good choice,” Lou Xiaoe's father also said.
It was clear that the elderly couple had essentially accepted this future son-in-law!
He Yuzhu was truly delighted in both body and spirit. He had only transmigrated a few days ago, yet he had become the Canteen Director and secured a girlfriend. He was practically enjoying a spring breeze and swift horse hooves!
But he did not know that, at the same time, Xu Damao was also actively scheming.
Knowing that He Yuzhu had gone to meet the girl’s parents that day left him feeling as though countless claws were scratching at his heart. He prepared a gift and arrived at Lou Xiaoe's house that afternoon as well.
His plan was to win over Lou Xiaoe's mother. After all, during his previous two visits, Aunt Tan had formed a very favorable impression of him. He still had to take the route through the higher-ups.
Who could have known that this time, upon his arrival, Lou Xiaoe's family would have undergone such a dramatic change in attitude?
“Damao, daughters eventually marry and leave home. Xiaoe isn’t young anymore, and we’re getting old and can’t control her either. This matter still has to be decided by my daughter herself.”
The moment Xu Damao heard this, he knew things were going badly. His mother-in-law clearly did not want to interfere anymore. It must have been that damned Silly Zhu meddling!
“Auntie, don’t let He Yuzhu deceive you. His family has been agricultural laborers for three generations; he’s practically illiterate. Usually, he acts like a street thug and does nothing but fight!”
“Everyone at our workplace calls him Silly Zhu. Think about it—if he were a normal person, would everyone call him that? This man is truly no good. He’ll ruin Xiaoe!”
These words were meant to slander He Yuzhu, but unexpectedly, expressions of disgust appeared on Lou Xiaoe's parents’ faces.
By comparison, He Yuzhu did not speak ill of others behind their backs, showing how broad-minded he was. Xu Damao, on the other hand, disparaged people behind their backs, revealing his character for all to see!
“We’re tired and want to rest for a while. Make yourself at home. We won’t see you out!”
Lou Xiaoe's parents rose to their feet and left in a huff without even looking back!