Reborn in a small village in the 1990s

Chapter 263

These words made Ma Huaihua even more embarrassed, and she even dared not look Zhou Tianfu in the eye.

Cheng Jinxi watched Zhou Tianfu and Ma Huaihua interact, secretly delighted, feeling that the day she would hold her grandson was getting closer and closer.

Cheng Jinxi nudged Zhou Yuren next to her and whispered, "Look at these two kids, they're such a perfect match."

Old Ma had a few drinks and was a bit more relaxed. He was a straightforward person by nature, and he was in a good mood today. He raised his glass and said, "Come on, Old Zhou, let's have a drink!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuren also raised his glass and laughed, "Drink up!"

Zhou Tianfu also raised his glass, wanting to make a good impression on Lao Ma, "Come on, Uncle Ma, this time I'll toast you."

Old Ma was quite satisfied with Zhou Tianfu's performance and asked, "Tianfu, what are your plans for the future?"

Today is the day for the family to meet, and Lao Ma wants to get to know the man's side better and ask him if he has any plans.

Zhou Tianfu spoke frankly, "To be honest, Uncle Ma, I'm currently a scrap collector. Maybe this job doesn't seem very prestigious to some people, but the scrap I collect in the village and town can be exchanged for a decent income in the city. In the future, I might plan to develop my career in the city, where there are more opportunities. The development space in the village is still somewhat limited. I hope to make a name for myself in the city so that my parents can live a better life."

As soon as Zhou Tianfu finished speaking, Zhou Puren couldn't help but applaud and praise, "Well done, as expected of my nephew, you have ambition!"

Old Ma nodded in satisfaction. His first impression of Tianfu was that he was honest and ambitious. If his daughter married him in the future, he wouldn't have to worry about her having a bad life.

Cheng Jinxi couldn't help but feel secretly delighted when she saw her son like this. Look, this is her precious son.

Zhao Tingming couldn't help but sigh, "Young people should go out and explore more. There are more opportunities in the city, and it's the easiest time to make money. Tianfu is thoughtful, he wants to live a good life, he knows how to be grateful, and he wants to take good care of his parents. It's rare to find someone as good as Tianfu."

Cheng Jinxi smiled and joked, "Village chief, Tianfu isn't as good as you say. I don't expect him to amount to anything in the future. I just want him to be well and healthy."

Zhao Tiegang chimed in, "Big sister, who knows, Tianfu might be a great guy in the future. Look at Tianfu, he's handsome, knows some characters, is ambitious, and takes care of his family. What girl wouldn't like that?"

Upon hearing this, Ma Huaihua lowered her head even more shyly.

Upon seeing this, Cheng Jinxiang joked, "Look how you've made our young lady blush."

Seeing this, Cheng Jinxi nudged Zhou Tianfu beside her and said, "Son, why don't you go and comfort them?"

Zhou Tianfu blushed slightly. He scratched his head, not daring to look at Ma Huaihua, and said to Cheng Jinxi, "Mom, she's just shy. How should we comfort her?"

Hearing this, Ma Huaihua became even more embarrassed, and she murmured softly, "I'm not that shy..."

Although he spoke softly, the people next to him could still hear him, and everyone couldn't help but burst into laughter.

……

There were five or six empty wine bottles on the table. Old Ma, Zhou Tianfu, Zhao Tiegang, and Zhou Puren started drinking. His face turned very red from drinking.

Zhou Yuren was also drinking, but he drank less and remained somewhat rational.

As Old Ma drank, he became sentimental. "I still remember when my daughter was born, she was so tiny, not even as big as my palm. But in the blink of an eye, she's reached the age to get married. To be honest, I'm reluctant to let her go, but she's grown up and it's time for her to start her own family. I just hope that my daughter won't forget her old father in the future."

Ma Huaihua was touched. She went over and helped her elderly father up, saying, "Dad, what nonsense are you talking about? How could I ignore you? Even if I get married in the future, I will still take care of you. Just don't find me annoying then. You only have me as your daughter. If I don't take care of you, who will? I will take care of you in your old age and take good care of you."

Old Ma was a little tipsy, but he could still hear what his daughter was saying. He was deeply moved, his eyes reddened, and his vision blurred.

Seeing this, Cheng Jinxi quickly handed Old Ma some tissues. Ma Huaihua took the tissues and used them to wipe her father's face, saying helplessly, "Dad, look at you. If it weren't for me, who would take care of you?"

Old Ma took the toilet paper, pushed Ma Huaihua out, and said in a sullen voice, "I don't need you to take care of me. Just take care of yourself. If I get old and can't move, don't worry about me either, so I won't be a burden to you."

Hearing this, Ma Huaihua stomped her foot angrily, "Dad, why are you always arguing with me? How old are you? You still talk like a child."

Ma Huaihua felt somewhat helpless, knowing that her own father was like that.

Xu Meihua laughed from the side, "Huaihua, your dad's just drunk, don't worry about him."

Old Ma insisted he wasn't drunk. Of course, drunk people never admit it. It wasn't that Old Ma couldn't hold his liquor; it was just that Zhao Da'e's third uncle was incredibly heavy drinker, downing a jin (500ml) of baijiu (Chinese liquor) without a problem. The key point was that Zhao Tiegang had drunk a jin and a half, while Old Ma had only had eight liang (400ml)...

Zhao Tiegang was fine, but Lao Ma wasn't doing so well. He was clearly drunk, and his speech was slurred.

Ma Huaihua felt a little helpless. She glanced at the people around her and felt quite embarrassed, but she didn't know what to do. She could only anxiously say, "Dad, why don't you go take a nap? People will laugh at us for this."

Everyone burst into laughter upon hearing this. Zhou Tianxiang jokingly said from the side, "Girl, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. Maybe we'll be family in the future. What's there to be embarrassed about?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Tianfu felt a little dizzy at the thought of possibly marrying Ma Huaihua in the future. He couldn't help but say, "Brother, don't tease me. I haven't even married Huaihua yet."

Old Ma, who was a little drunk, looked up at Zhou Tianfu after hearing his words and said in a serious tone, "Young man, let me tell you, if you really want to marry my daughter, you have to show your sincerity. But showing sincerity is not enough. If you dare to bully my daughter, I, Old Ma, will not be a pushover."

"Anyway, I won't hand my daughter over to you so easily."

Ma Huaihua blushed as she listened. She nudged Old Ma and said, "Dad, what are you saying? It's too early to talk about this now. We should talk about it when we get back."

She was quite embarrassed by being told it so bluntly.

But Zhou Tianfu, who was standing next to him, took it to heart. He chuckled and said, "Sister Huaihua, don't worry. If you marry me in the future, I will definitely treat you well."

Zhou Tianfu's words only made Ma Huaihua's face turn even redder. She turned her head away and pretended to be angry, saying, "Who wants to marry you? Who I marry is up to my dad."

That's what they say, but in reality, Old Ma will still listen to his daughter's opinion on who she marries.

He wouldn't let his daughter marry someone she didn't want to, no matter what.

After hearing this, Zhou Tianfu scratched his head, looking somewhat conflicted, and blushed with embarrassment. "Then, Sister Huaihua, I will try my best to make you want to marry me."

Hearing Zhou Tianfu say this, Ma Huaihua couldn't help but feel a surge of joy: This blockhead actually believes everything I say.

"You've had too much to drink too."

Zhou Tianfu didn't react for a moment, "Then, Sister Huaihua, what do you mean?"

Zhou Tianfu's reaction amused everyone present, causing them to burst into laughter. Zhou Puren laughed loudly and said, "Nephew, you usually seem quite clever, how come you're so slow on this topic?"

Cheng Jinxi said irritably, "Tianfu is like this because of his father. Back when his father was young, he was just as clueless and simple-minded, but he still managed to trick me into marrying him."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuren wiped his nose and couldn't help but explain, "I was quite clever back then, at least better than Tianfu."

Cheng Jinxi couldn't help but joke, "What do you have to compare with Tianfu? When you were Tianfu's age, you drank more than a pound of baijiu at my parents' house and didn't dare to say a word."

Zhou Yuren nodded helplessly, unwilling to argue with his wife about these things.

But Zhou Tianfu, the person involved, finally realized what was going on and exclaimed excitedly, "So, Sister Huaihua wants to marry me, Mom, am I right?!"

Zhou Tianfu was anxious to verify with Cheng Jinxi, but Cheng Jinxi laughed and scolded, "Don't talk nonsense. This is not something I can decide. You can go ask your sister Huaihua."

Zhou Tianfu's question made Ma Huaihua even more embarrassed. She stomped her foot, pretending not to want to talk to Zhou Tianfu, but her face was already very red. She pretended to be angry and said, "Asking me is useless. It depends on my dad's opinion."

Over here, Lao Ma had drunk too much and felt nauseous.

Cheng Jinxi immediately called Zhou Chunwen over to make a pot of tea. Old Ma drank two bowls of tea and then calmed down.

Xu Meihua couldn't help but scold, "Look at you, you've drunk so much. How are you going to get home? I told you to drink less, but you wouldn't listen. Are you satisfied now that you're like this? If you throw up later, I'll give you a good beating when we get home."

The Xiang family came here today just to have a nice meal, but if they drink and act crazy, and even vomit, it will be a loss and they'll make a fool of themselves.

Zhou Yuren stepped forward and spoke up for Lao Ma, "Auntie, it's alright. If Lao Ma gets drunk, Tianfu and I will take him home. It won't be a problem."

Zhou Tianfu quickly stepped forward and said, "Don't worry about that. If Uncle Ma gets drunk and can't get home, I will personally take him home."

Cheng Jinxi looked at her son, who seemed to be experiencing the first stirrings of love, and couldn't help but feel overjoyed. She knew that her son was genuinely interested in the daughter of the Ma family.

Moreover, judging from the way the Ma family's daughter acted, she seemed to have feelings for her son as well. She thought there was definitely a chance between the two of them, so when the matchmaker came to make demands later, she would agree no matter what.

Cheng Jinxiang ate some food and then stopped eating, just watching from the side. She felt that her nephew was almost certainly going to get married.

Zhao Tiesheng, who was a little drunk, became much bolder. Taking advantage of Cheng Jinxiang's lack of vigilance, he grabbed her hand and couldn't help but say, "Jinxiang, will you come back with me?"

“We’ve been husband and wife for so many years. I really can’t get used to you leaving. How can you bear to see me all alone at home, living without you? How can you be so heartless? Even a day as husband and wife is worth a hundred days of kindness. There’s no reason why couples can’t get along. No matter how angry you are, you should have calmed down after more than a month.”

“I know you’ll have resentment towards my mother, but don’t worry, as long as you come back, I’ll persuade her to stop targeting you. Go back to the Zhao family and let me take good care of you, okay? Think about our little daughter who was just born not long ago. She needs a father too. Can you bear to see her without a father?”

Zhao Tiesheng spoke so earnestly that Cheng Jinxiang was momentarily dazed, and she was somewhat tempted.

But Cheng Jinxi and Zhao Da'e overheard these words, and Cheng Jinxi was the first to object, "I disagree."

After saying that, Cheng Jinxi tugged at her younger sister, telling her to stay away from Zhao Tiesheng, and then said to Cheng Jinxiang, "Sister, have you forgotten the hard days you had in the Zhao family? You even had a fight with your mother-in-law a few days ago. If you go back this time, she might target you again. Anyway, you're not having an easy time, so why go back?"

Zhou Yuren, who was standing next to him, just smiled, glanced at Cheng Jinxiang, then at Zhao Tiesheng, and said nothing.

Zhao Da'e turned around and said, "Mom, I don't want you to go back either. I don't want Grandma to pull my ears anymore, it hurts so much."

Zhao Tiesheng was initially pleased to see Cheng Jinxiang wavering, but upon hearing Cheng Jinxi's words, he became furious. Everyone else advised couples to stay together, not separate, but this woman was his wife's sister, and he couldn't say anything to her.

If he were to say something, he would definitely not get any credit, and Jinxiang might even hate going back to the Zhao family with him even more.

But he never expected that his eldest daughter would say the same thing. Logically speaking, since the goose had lived in the Zhao family for so long, it should have sided with him. But the result was so bad that he was lucky he wasn't driven mad.

Zhao Tiesheng immediately retorted to Zhao Da'e, "What nonsense are you talking about? Your grandma never pulled your ear."

Zhao Da'e pouted and said, "Grandma did pull my ear once. If my mom hadn't stopped her, my ear would have been torn to pieces."

Zhao Tiesheng was annoyed by Zhao Dage's behavior, so he waved his hand and said, "What's wrong with your grandma pulling your ear? Besides, you're her granddaughter, so she knows what she's doing. She's not going to really hurt your ear."

Seeing Zhao Tiesheng say this, Zhao Da'e pouted in dissatisfaction, "It's not like I pulled your ear, of course you'd say that. Besides, what kind of occasion is this? What were you thinking saying these things? I asked my third uncle to invite you over for drinks, and you pull this stunt, really."

The adults nearby couldn't help but laugh out loud when they heard this.