Chapter 38: One-Sided Story

After confirming, Hua Youcai began to list his daughter’s shortcomings.

“Captain Hao, I won’t hide it from you, my daughter…”

“To put it nicely, she’s a foodie; to put it bluntly, she’s a glutton. She’s very picky about her food. She’ll eat a lot of what she likes, but won’t touch anything she doesn’t.”

A glutton, in the words of country folk.

Hao Li sat cross-legged, his eyes intently focused on Hua Youcai.

He listened as the father earnestly recounted Hua Yuanyuan’s flaws.

Foodie – that’s why her cooking is so delicious!

Hao Li nodded halfway, then stopped. Huh?

“She changes her mind constantly. What should we have for lunch? She’ll suggest several dishes from morning till noon, but changes her mind by lunchtime.”

He tried hard to suppress his laughter, but his eyes betrayed him. Sure enough, the young girl glared at him again.

Hua Youcai brushed away his daughter’s hand from his arm and continued.

“One minute she wants cabbage, the next oil cakes, then noodles, then dumpling soup. But when it’s time to cook, she gets lazy. After working all morning, she just wants a steamed bun…”

In short: not only gluttonous, but also lazy.

“She’s also bad with money, spending lavishly without a care… bicycles, watches, so expensive, she buys them without batting an eye, always in pairs…”

Hua Yuanyuan…, Dad, you’re something, you’ve painted your own daughter as a spendthrift old woman.

“She jumps to conclusions. She heard about greenhouses and insisted on building one. It cost a fortune! And after all that hard work, she didn’t sell a single one of those fresh cabbages; they all ended up in our bellies…”

Hao Li thought of the cabbage and shrimp dumplings he had for lunch, feeling ashamed. They ended up in his belly too.

The girl beside him pouted, her lips swelling until they could almost hold a soy sauce bottle.

Her expressive eyes darted around, like sparks of fire, clearly annoyed.

Her fair hands weren’t idle either; she had pulled at her uncle’s clothes, wrinkling them badly.

The young boy on the other side was already covering his mouth, barely suppressing his laughter.

“She acts like the boss at home, bossing everyone around, even about washing their faces and brushing their teeth.”

Hua Youcai changed his words, not daring to mention washing feet and changing underwear, saving his daughter some face.

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. You need to find a man who can accept your flaws.

Hua Youcai laid everything out about his daughter. If he could accept it, they would continue; otherwise, they would stop.

He had accepted that his daughter’s nature wouldn’t change.

What is there to change? Don’t force yourself. There is no need to change.

“Being clean-minded isn’t a problem, it’s actually good. It’s just that in our rural family, conditions don’t allow it…”

“Men don’t have as many issues; women are just more troublesome. That’s just how it is.”

“Captain Hao, my daughter is just like that. See if you can accept it before you go back and think about it.”

Hao Li had seen Hua Yuanyuan at her worst – dirty clothes, a face that hadn’t been washed in days, only her eyes were memorable, filled with intense hatred as she dealt with Wang Changjiang.

And at the train station, that lonely figure in the morning light.

Hua Yuanyuan was stunned at first, then fell into self-doubt. Is this person my father is talking about, really me?

She considered herself a great young person who loves life!

Seeing her father finally finish, she wanted to quickly defend herself, but her father sternly stopped her.

“Son, it’s your turn. Daughter, you wait.”

Hua Fangfang was suddenly called upon, looking bewildered.

He glanced at his father’s encouraging look and his sister’s threatening gesture, unsure what to do.

So he decided to avoid offending either side. “Brother Hao, although my sister is exactly as Dad said, she’s a good person. She made new cotton-padded clothes and quilts for Dad and me, bought us delicious food, and even bought me picture books…”

Hua Fangfang always says “ah-ah-ah” when she gets nervous.

“She likes raising chickens and pigs, but she doesn’t like cleaning, so she makes me clean the chicken and pig pens. And she’s very demanding; no smell allowed, it has to be cleaned frequently.”

Compared to his father, Hua Fangfang felt he had given his sister plenty of face, mentioning mostly positive things.

Hua Yuanyuan was already resigned to her fate. Whatever. Others have to put on an act during blind dates; she didn’t have to.

After her son spoke, Hua Youcai finally let his daughter speak. Why didn’t he let her interrupt earlier?

He was afraid that if his daughter opened her mouth, they wouldn’t get a word in edgewise. If she wanted to, she could talk the living into the dead.

Of course, most of the time, she was just too lazy to speak.

“Daughter, what did you want to say earlier? Say it!”

Look, Dad is such a great actor.

Hua Yuanyuan lazily lifted her eyelids, glancing at her father with disinterest.

“Fine, if you don’t want to say it, then forget it, Captain Hao…”

“Dad, who said I wouldn’t say anything? I was just thinking about how to say it, what’s the rush!”

Her bright red lips spoke quickly, and she pushed her father aside, taking his place.

Facing Hao Li directly, “Captain Hao, I have to clear my name. What my father said was one-sided.”

“I admit I’m a foodie and picky. Dad, Little Fang, you two avoid cooking and always make me cook, admit it?”

“Your cooking is terrible, you just want to eat my delicious food, and you’re even pickier than me…”

Hua Yuanyuan emphasized the cleanliness of the house, how they all dressed neatly, and that the family’s healthy diet was all her doing.

And the work in the greenhouse, feeding the chickens and pigs – mostly her.

She then checked with Hao Li to make sure he understood.

“Captain Hao, do you understand what I mean?”

And the exams… Hao Li’s expression turned serious, and after much thought, he replied, “I understand.”

“Then tell me what it means.”

…

The old saying is true: women are not so easily fooled.

“What you said is different from what you told your uncle.”

Hao Li saw a white finger waving in front of his eyes, feeling a little dizzy.

“No, I am a virtuous wife and mother.”

It didn’t matter if he didn’t understand; Hua Yuanyuan drew her own conclusion.

Three men…

Hao Li left in a daze.

After the three Hua family members’ barrage of words, he had heard so much that he hadn’t processed it yet. He needed to go home and think it over.

Hua Yuanyuan protested against her father; she didn’t cook dinner.

She went back to her room, lit the kang, and lay on the warm bed to read.

Although the rain had stopped, the ground was still muddy, so they still rested.

Because of her father’s unilateral decision, she hadn’t been able to ask many questions.

Her father told Hao Li to think it over. If he thought it was okay, they could continue to get to know each other; otherwise, they wouldn’t force it.

Hua Youcai had lowered his posture, realizing that Captain Hao was a good choice.

The opportunity was right in front of him; he had to seize it.

He was very satisfied. While talking about his daughter’s shortcomings, he kept observing Captain Hao.

There was no disgust, no surprise, just a hint of amusement.

He had already learned about Hao Li’s family situation indirectly through Xiao Zhang and others; there were no major problems.