☆ 23. Dad Is Back

The three of them walked into the alley and knocked on the door.

Qiuqiu had just finished picking vegetables and was playing in the yard. Ji Meng had bought her a box of small chess pieces, and she was playing by herself. Hearing the knock, she asked in a clear voice, “Who is it?”

Then she turned and called out to her grandfather and mother, “Grandpa, Mom, someone is knocking!”

“Hey, coming!”

Ji Meng had just picked up the boiled white-cut chicken, preparing to tear it into pieces. Her hands were greasy, so she couldn’t wipe them. Hearing Qiuqiu’s shout, she responded and turned to Ji Qinghe, who was getting ready to help her crush garlic, and said, “Dad, it’s probably Uncle Fu and the others. Can you go check?”

Ji Qinghe also heard it. He put down the knife in his hand, hurriedly washed his hands in the vegetable basin, and quickly came out to open the door.

At the door was Fu Junyan, who greeted Ji Qinghe as soon as he saw him. Fu Qiyan was behind him, also nodding to Ji Qinghe. Ji Qinghe responded with a warm smile and then chatted with Fu Yuanshan, who was next to Fu Qiyan: “I thought you would come a bit later.”

“We came over early to have some tea with you. Since we got back, we rarely have time to sit together and enjoy tea,” Fu Yuanshan replied with a smile.

He was reminiscing about the times they used to drink tea together during their leisure hours on the farm, recalling how those times were tough, but sometimes there were moments of relaxation.

When mentioning those past days, Ji Qinghe’s eyes also glimmered with nostalgia.

“Alright, but I don’t have any good tea here. It’s just what you can buy in the city. I hope you don’t mind.”

When Ji Qinghe was younger, he was picky about tea and would spend a fortune to buy good tea. After going through so much hardship, he had learned to make do with whatever was available.

“What being picky about? As long as we have something to drink, it’s better than the tea we had on the farm back then,” Fu Yuanshan said, waving his hand with a laugh, not mentioning that he had brought good tea himself.

“Hello, Grandpa Fu!”

Qiuqiu had seen Fu Yuanshan just last week and remembered him, so when she saw him, she politely came over to greet him.

“Hey, Qiuqiu, what a good girl! Here’s a gift grandpa prepared for you.”

A sensible child is lovable, and Fu Yuanshan, who hadn’t known about Qiuqiu’s existence during his last visit and had just come back from a meeting without bringing anything, specially went to his storage room to pick a peace buckle for her. He put it in a small box made of red wood and handed it to the little girl.

As Fu Yuanshan presented the gift, Fu Junyan quickly handed over his own gift too: “This is from your uncle.”

Out of affection for her, even though Fu Junyan hadn’t met Qiuqiu before, he had specially bought a gift for her, which was a gold bracelet with little bells on it, not knowing what the little girl would like.

Fu Qiyan, thinking of his childhood friend’s daughter, also prepared a gift, and now Fu Junyan was giving it to Qiuqiu together.

Qiuqiu didn’t immediately reach out for the gifts, instead, she tilted her head to look at her grandfather, Ji Qinghe.

Ji Qinghe had anticipated her reaction. With a gentle smile, he said to Qiuqiu, “Take it. This is a meeting gift from your Grandpa Fu and Uncle Junyan. Thank them.”

Only then did Qiuqiu extend her hand to accept it, politely thanking them: “Thank you, Grandpa Fu. Thank you, Uncle Junyan.”

“What are you thanking me for? Grandpa Fu likes you, so he’s giving you a gift. Don’t be polite with Grandpa Fu.”

Fu Yuanshan didn’t have any daughters, and the Fu family didn’t have many children, so it was rare to have a granddaughter. He genuinely adored Qiuqiu, knowing her background, and felt a greater sense of tenderness toward her. He couldn’t help but reach out to pat the little girl’s head and then introduced her to his grandson Fu Junye, who was standing behind him:

“Qiuqiu, this is your brother Junye. He’s just a year older than you, so you two can play nicely.”

Hearing his grandfather’s introduction, Fu Junye first called out to Ji Qinghe before looking at Qiuqiu.

Qiuqiu was wearing a new outfit made by her mother, a white collared lantern-sleeved shirt paired with khaki corduroy overalls, and a pair of little leather shoes with white socks. Her soft, fluffy hair was tied high at the back, with three little braids secured with a pretty floral bow, making her look particularly beautiful and cute.

Fu Junye had been raised by his younger uncle Fu Junyan, and he shared a common trait of being somewhat judgmental about appearances. When they arrived, his grandfather had told him to play well with his sister. He listened to his grandfather, and upon seeing Qiuqiu, who was even cuter than his cousins, he didn’t dislike her. A smile broke out on his handsome face:

“Hello, Qiuqiu. I’m Fu Junye. You can call me Brother Junye or just Brother Ye.”

After all, he was just a brother.

Qiuqiu looked at Fu Junye.

Fu Junye was very good-looking, with fair skin and clear, bright eyes that weren’t too big but had long, curled eyelashes.

Today, Fu Junyan had specially dressed him up, with a white shirt inside, a khaki diamond-patterned jacket outside, matching pants, and little leather shoes. His hair was styled, making him look handsome and charming.

Qiuqiu used to have many good-looking friends in the family compound, but none of them were as exquisite and refined as Fu Junye.

A boy like this, she had only seen in magazines, and she guessed it would be difficult to develop a friendship with him.

Qiuqiu silently thought this but obediently called out, “Brother Ye.”

Ji Meng came out after washing and drying her hands and felt her heart lift at this scene.

Although she had prepared herself many times, the influence of that novel had run deep, and seeing such a picture still made her unable to avoid worrying.

“Mengmeng is busy in the kitchen, you’re working hard,” Fu Yuanshan said with a smile as he saw Ji Meng come out. He raised his hand to point to Fu Qiyan and Fu Junyan, who had entered the yard with him:

“I brought you two helpers. These two kids have also experienced hardships and can cook, so feel free to give them orders.”

“No need, no need! The dishes are all prepared, I just need to stir-fry them. Brother Qiyan and Brother Junyan can go sit in the hall with you and Dad, I’ll be done here soon.”

Ji Meng quickly waved her hands, not daring to look at Fu Qiyan or Fu Junyan.

Everyone knew the purpose of gathering for dinner today, and while Ji Meng had no such intentions, she still felt awkward.

However, while she was avoiding looking at Fu Qiyan and the others, the two brothers were looking at her.

Ji Meng usually dressed casually at home, but it didn’t feel right to be too casual with guests.

So she put on a lake-green short knit sweater with a lace collar, paired with flared denim trousers.

The trousers were made from sturdy denim fabric, as suggested by Ji Meng, and they had a structured design.

Ji Meng was already tall, and wearing these trousers made her legs look even slimmer and longer, with a waist that could barely be grasped.

People with fair skin can pull off any color, and while lake green can be tricky, it made Ji Meng’s skin appear translucent. The sun shines on her through the big jujube tree in the yard, casting dappled light on her, enhancing her beauty and giving off a serene and pleasant vibe.

Fu Junyan pressed his hand to his chest, feeling his heart race. Unable to help himself, he glanced at his older brother and saw him staring in Ji Meng’s direction. Suddenly, a sense of crisis arose in him, and he hurriedly said:

“Stir-frying also needs someone to wipe the plates, right? Mengmeng, let me help you wipe the plates.”

As Fu Junyan spoke, he strode toward Ji Meng, deliberately blocking Fu Qiyan’s line of sight.

Noticing this, Fu Qiyan slowly withdrew his gaze, looking down and remained silent.

Fu Junyan insisted on helping, and since he was already in front of her, Ji Meng couldn’t refuse anymore.

She glanced at Qiuqiu with concern and instructed her, “Qiuqiu, play nicely with Brother Ye. Mom has prepared some cookies and cakes for you on the table, you can take them out and share them with Brother Ye.”

“Okay, sure.”

Seeing that Qiuqiu obediently agreed, Ji Meng pushed down her hidden worries and went to the kitchen, followed by Fu Junyan.

Fu Qiyan accompanied Fu Yuanshan and Ji Qinghe into the house to drink tea.

Qiuqiu listened to her mother and handed the gifts from Fu Yuanshan and Fu Junyan to her grandfather for safekeeping. She then went to get the cookies and small cakes that Ji Meng had specially made for her a couple of days ago, and she began to eat and play chess with Fu Junye in the yard.

Qiuqiu had just started learning chess, but Fu Junye had been playing for a year and was quite skilled.

Qiuqiu was eager to learn and had a spirit of not wanting to lose. What started as a game to entertain guests gradually became more serious as they played.

The two little ones didn’t mind the sun and played game after game in the yard until Ji Meng called them in after finishing the stir-fried dishes.

Ji Qinghe valued this gathering and had bought a lot of ingredients, including chicken, duck, fish, meat, and shrimp.

As for Ji Meng, she didn’t have the intention of forming a marriage alliance with the Fu family, but she did value this relationship of social connection, as having a connection in society was also necessary. She had prepared a full ten dishes without any carelessness.

Having filmed food videos before, although her dishes might not taste exceptional, they certainly looked impressive.

As the dishes were served one by one, Fu Yuanshan was amazed.

He looked at the table, which was filled with hand-pulled chicken, marinated chicken feet, stir-fried shrimp, sweet and sour ribs, steamed sea bass, lotus leaf powder steamed pork, fish-flavored shredded pork, minced eggplant, and cucumber, along with old duck soup and a mix of meat and vegetable soups. Each dish was exquisite in color, aroma, and flavor.

“Did Mengmeng make all this?”

“Dad, aren’t these dishes fantastic?” Without waiting for Ji Meng to respond, Fu Junyan chimed in from the side.

“Mengmeng is amazing! I saw her cooking just now, and I felt embarrassed to show off my skills in front of her.”

As Fu Junyan spoke, his peach blossom eyes turned eagerly toward Ji Meng, who had just entered the hall after taking off her apron.

The more he got to know Ji Meng, the deeper he fell for her.

“Of course they’re good. There are very few state-run restaurants in the provincial capital that can make dishes like this,” Fu Yuanshan said without hesitation.

Ji Meng felt a little embarrassed by the compliment. “Uncle Fu, you overestimate me. My cooking skills are quite average, these dishes may look good, but I really don’t know how they taste.”

“They should be delicious. Junye likes the small cakes you made,” Fu Qiyan suddenly spoke up from the side.

His voice was calm and steady, as if discussing today’s weather.

Ji Meng looked up and met his composed and piercing gaze, suddenly at a loss for words.

Who was Fu Qiyan?

The male lead’s father.

The man who had once injured the male lead and kept him bedridden for half a month.

In the novel, he was described as a restrained and strict authority figure.

In the story, he had no regard for the original body, referring to her simply as someone unworthy of his attention.

He was also indifferent to his son, who often relied on the original body for comfort. Originally, he couldn’t be bothered to manage the situation, but later, realizing his years of negligence had consequences, he took control.

Fu Qiyan’s character was inherently cold and harsh.

Ji Meng had found this characterization somewhat intimidating while reading, and now, faced with the real person, she felt even more anxious.

“Then, shall we all try them?” Ji Meng forced a smile and replied.

“With such wonderful dishes, I’m suddenly feeling hungry. Mengmeng, hurry and sit down, let’s eat!”

Fu Yuanshan glanced at his older son, who had been silent for a long time and suddenly spoke, making everyone feel a bit confused. He then looked at his younger son, who was warily watching his older brother, and turned his gaze back to Ji Meng with a smile.

“Okay,” Ji Meng replied, moving to sit beside Qiuqiu.

At a round table, Fu Yuanshan and Ji Qinghe sat together, while Fu Qiyan sat next to his father. Fu Junye, rarely having the chance to be close to his father, sat next to Fu Qiyan. Qiuqiu had just played chess with Fu Junye, although she lost badly, she had become somewhat familiar with this boy and, wanting to find a chance to defeat him, chose to sit beside Fu Junye instead of her grandfather.

Ji Meng sat next to Qiuqiu, right across from Fu Qiyan, while Fu Junyan sat beside her.

Ji Meng’s cooking might not compare to restaurant dishes, but it had a homely feel, and everyone at the table enjoyed the meal.

When preparing the dishes, Ji Meng considered the children, ensuring that they were almost all non-spicy, so the two little ones ate happily.

It was unclear how Fu Junye had developed his bad, domineering personality in the novel, but the Fu Junye here was undoubtedly charming. He took good care of his sister, and when he had something delicious, he would share it with Qiuqiu so she could try it.

Watching him, Ji Meng felt he was still just a child and gradually separated her impression of him from that of the scumbag in the novel.

After the meal, they cleared the table.

Fu Junyan was very diligent, before Ji Meng could start cleaning up, he jumped in to help.

“Mengmeng, you sit down. It’s tiring to prepare a whole table of dishes. You rest, I’ll take care of the table.”

Ji Meng couldn’t let a guest do the work and quickly replied, “No, it’s fine, I’m not that tired. Brother Junyan, you take a break. I can handle it myself.”

Beside them, Fu Yuanshan enjoyed watching his son fawn over Ji Meng. At this moment, seeing Ji Meng as a potential daughter-in-law, he cheerfully said, “Mengmeng, you don’t need to be polite with this kid. Let him do some work, it’ll be good for him. You come over and chat with this old man.”

“Earlier, your dad mentioned that you’ve taken over the big collective? How’s it going? If you need help, don’t hesitate to ask Uncle Fu.”

Upon hearing this, Ji Meng glanced at Fu Junyan, who was quickly stacking dishes to take to the kitchen. After a moment of hesitation, she decided to let it go, moving to get the kettle and pour tea for them as she replied to Fu Yuanshan:

“Yeah, I partnered with Meng Ling from the alley. We’re collecting waste cloth from the factory, and we’ve made a batch of hair clips, hair ties, fabric bags, and wallets to sell… so far, we’re able to cover our expenses.”

Ji Meng knew that Fu Yuanshan was asking out of kindness, so she didn’t hide her actual situation and spoke honestly. After thinking for a moment, she shared her next plans as well:

“There are over 80 people in the big collective, and relying solely on hair accessories and bags won’t be enough, so we plan to expand into clothing as well. We might not make it in time for this round of summer clothes, but we definitely don’t want to miss the second round.”

“We’ve already recruited some experienced craftsmen from the clothing factory for part-time work, and we’ve purchased a batch of summer clothing designs from tailors outside. Once this batch of accessories is done, we’ll start working on that.”

“I’m also in contact with leather processing factories and skilled leather craftsmen, preparing to produce some leather goods, like wallets and handbags…”

Ji Meng had a clear vision for the clothing factory project, she had big dreams and other ideas, but it wasn’t time to implement them yet, so she didn’t mention them. Even so, it was enough to astonish those present.

Fu Qiyan, who had been silent since the meal, looked up at Ji Meng at this moment.

“Old Ji, your daughter is truly wonderful, really wonderful!”

Fu Yuanshan said to Ji Qinghe, unable to help but sigh internally.

The children had been delayed.

If only they had stood up for themselves back then, the kids in their family wouldn’t be just achieving this little bit.

Fu Yuanshan glanced at his younger son, who was holding a stack of dishes at the door, hesitating to step out.

If this kid could bring Mengmeng into the family, it would definitely be a blessing for the Fu family.

As his gaze shifted, Fu Yuanshan inadvertently caught sight of his eldest son, Fu Qiyan, and noticed the direction and expression of his gaze, causing him to pause slightly.

Is Qiyan interested?

But they had already agreed at home… Fu Yuanshan felt a subtle uneasiness rising in his heart.

“Mengmeng, these ideas of yours are quite good. Your Brother Junyan is currently working in foreign trade, he knows quite a few people in the provincial capital. If you want to find a leather processing factory, just ask him to recommend a few.”

“Yes, I know several leather processing factories in the provincial capital, and I also know a couple of good leather craftsmen. I can take you to see them another day.”

At the door, Fu Junyan quickly chimed in.

Fearing that Ji Meng wouldn’t believe him, he mentioned the names of the factory directors he was acquainted with.

“The craftsmen at those leather factories are quite skilled, but there are also excellent ones in the private sector. For example, the masters at the cooperative shops that specialize in custom leather shoes, most of them have great leatherworking skills. The pair of leather shoes I’m wearing was made at a shop near the mountain road, and they used their own leather.”

Fu Junyan was inherently interested in individual craftsmanship. After the documents came through, he frequented the provincial capital and learned about various trades.

When he spoke about these, he could share them eloquently.

Upon hearing this, Ji Meng genuinely wanted to take a look. Since it concerned the future operation of her small project, she was quite serious about it. After quickly pouring the last cup of tea, she handed it to Fu Qiyan and hurried to join Fu Junyan at the door.

“Brother Junyan, you said the pair of shoes you’re wearing was custom-made outside? At the road intersection area? Which craftsman did you go to?”

Ji Meng first glanced at the shoes on Fu Junyan’s feet, then her gaze sharpened, and she couldn’t help but squat down.

The reddish-brown pointed leather shoes were made of first-layer embossed cowhide with a high-gloss oil finish, showcasing exquisite craftsmanship.

Ji Meng wasn’t particularly wealthy in her previous life, she could afford luxury brands but didn’t like to spend money on them. She wasn’t well-versed in high-end brands or handmade leather shoes, but she had at least browsed a few times. The shoes on Fu Junyan’s feet, from the quality of the leather to the craftsmanship, could definitely compete with those luxury brands.

So focused on examining the shoes, Ji Meng didn’t realize how close she and Fu Junyan had gotten, nor did she notice the odd posture of one standing and one squatting.