Chapter Sixty-Nine: Little Side Dish Liu Siyuan

Bah! All men are just big, clumsy oafs—there's no fault in that saying at all!

On her way home by bicycle that evening, Xiaoyu was unusually excited. The latest round of “office storms” had been rather exhilarating, after all!

When she arrived home, Silly Zhu had already prepared all the ingredients, just waiting for everyone to arrive before starting to cook.

Xiaoyu hopped off her bike and, as usual, went straight to the kitchen to help Silly Zhu with the preparations.

In this era, a woman's daily life revolved around money, rice, oil, and salt—cooking and washing, the endless chores of the household. No matter who she was, if she was a woman, she would know how to manage the home.

Even someone like Lou Xiao’e, the pampered daughter of a wealthy family, still had to help Xu Damao wash his underpants!

Unlike those delicate modern girls with princess attitudes and no princess fortunes—really, they ought to be sent back to the sixties to learn a thing or two!

When the Chen family had all assembled, the eldest sister-in-law finally returned, bringing along her close friend Liu Siyuan and her family.

Chen Dashan, the patriarch, greeted them warmly. Once the Liu family were seated, Madam Chen served a pot of hot tea.

Even though Liu Siyuan’s father was a middling official, he treated Chen Dashan with utmost respect.

Such was the influence of an eighth-level worker. Some might ask, “He’s just an eighth-level worker—what influence could he possibly wield?”

If you think that, you’re sadly uninformed. In the sixties, every eighth-level worker was a national treasure.

Remember the first Red Flag sedan? It was crafted by eighth-level workers, painstakingly hand-finished with files and blades. The precision of those hand-made parts deviated by no more than 0.1 millimeters—a standard no first-generation lathe could match back then.

Now, among the millions in the capital and the hundreds of factories, there were fewer than a hundred eighth-level workers in total.

In an age where reputation was everything, why was Yi Zhonghai, despite his bad name, still able to keep his job and live steadily? Because he was an eighth-level worker, of course!

If it had been Liu Haizhong instead, the Red Star Steel Mill would have fired him long ago. A seventh-level worker? They wouldn’t have kept him on for New Year’s.

Compared to Yi Zhonghai, Chen Dashan undertook even more prestigious projects. The precision components he personally crafted were all essential parts for the “Peacemaker”—in modern terms, Chen Dashan was a hands-on nuclear elite.

Silly Zhu had done the wisest thing by asking Chen Dashan to meet the in-laws. Given Silly Zhu’s intelligence, he couldn’t have come up with the idea himself—it was probably the old deaf lady who gave him the tip.

Once the pot of tea was finished, Silly Zhu brought out the last dish and, announcing “All the dishes are ready!” called everyone to the table. Chen Liang led the way, supporting Liu Siyuan, whose steps still faltered ever so slightly.

Chen Liang had already said that this woman was trouble, but Silly Zhu refused to believe him. Now, look what happened—he’s forced to wear the blame.

As soon as she arrived, Liu Siyuan clung to Chen Liang with a burning gaze, as if she wanted to devour him whole. Left with no choice, Chen Liang took her out to a secluded spot in the backyard to set things straight.

But as soon as they got there, Liu Siyuan threw herself at him, clinging to his arm and pouring out her feelings, swearing she could never live without him.

This left Chen Liang at a loss because he retained Chen Erlengzi’s memories and knew that she had a mild masochistic tendency. After being punched once by Chen Erlengzi and whimpering for ages, she had cut off all contact. Who would have thought that, after two years, her condition had only worsened!

This made Chen Liang’s scalp tingle. But looking at Liu Siyuan, who stood before him like a willing offering, Chen Liang was no clueless fool like Chen Erlengzi. Weighing the choices between beast and something less than a beast, he gritted his teeth and chose to be a beast!

Grabbing Liu Siyuan by the head, he gave her a fierce kiss, then gave her a resounding slap on the behind. “Speak up—what exactly do you think of Silly Zhu?”

“Brother, I’ll do whatever you say!” Liu Siyuan, two years older than Chen Liang, now stood beside him as meek as a kitten, eyes half-closed in utter contentment after his kiss.

“Then marry him. I have no chance of marrying you now,” Chen Liang said, giving her another smack that made her bite her lip to stifle a moan.

“It’s settled. After you bear Silly Zhu a son to carry on his line, I’ll take you on a real adventure,” he declared, ignoring Liu Siyuan’s aggrieved look.

“But, brother, what if I have a daughter?” Liu Siyuan tried to plead once more.

“Then keep trying. Until you give him a son, I won’t touch you!”

Chen Liang felt he could still salvage the situation. He didn’t really want to mess up Liu Siyuan’s life—maybe, after she bore a son, she’d recover.

Chen Liang was no saint, nor did he pity Silly Zhu’s misfortunes. It was just that the risk of entangling himself with Liu Siyuan was far too high to be worth it.

After their talk, Chen Liang led Liu Siyuan back just as Silly Zhu announced the dishes were ready. Chen Liang took his seat, and the three families enjoyed the lavish feast Silly Zhu had painstakingly prepared—four cold and eight hot dishes.

Only Silly Zhu remained oblivious to the twisted relationship between Chen Liang and Liu Siyuan. If he knew, he’d have poisoned Chen Liang’s dish instead of serving him a feast! He’d make sure that banquet was his last!

Thanks to Chen Liang’s words, Liu Siyuan—the cool, aloof fairy before her family—agreed to go with Silly Zhu the next day to register their marriage.

This made Silly Zhu overjoyed, though who knows if he’d regret his decision once he learned the truth!

After the harmonious family dinner, Silly Zhu cheerfully escorted Liu Siyuan home. On the way, Liu Siyuan, thinking of bearing him a son, even managed a rare smile in his direction.

Since the marriage would be registered the next day, Madam Chen and Liu Siyuan’s mother set the wedding date for the twenty-second of the first month, just four days later, on a Sunday.

When Silly Zhu returned, Chen Liang, unwilling to face his blissfully ignorant friend, took Xiaoyu early to rest.

Still unsatisfied from the afternoon, Chen Liang rummaged through the supermarket and finally, unable to resist, brought out the ultimate weapon—a bikini.

Holding the tiny scrap of cloth in his hands, Xiaoyu was so embarrassed she could barely speak. This man was truly incorrigible.

But since Chen Liang was her dearest husband and brother, no matter how shy, Xiaoyu still dove under the blankets to change into it.

Once she was ready, she shot Chen Liang a flirtatious look, and he, turning into a ravenous wolf, dove under the covers after her.

As for Silly Zhu in the next room, he couldn’t care less now—let them have their fun. Four days from now, he’d show them all why the Lord of Horses had three eyes!

In his mysterious confidence, Silly Zhu was already pondering what to name his future child.

If only he knew what expression he’d have if he ran into Chen Liang at the bathhouse that day...