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On December 30th, which was a Friday evening, Mao Na called Hu Ruoyun to say that Mao Jie would be coming to Jiangcheng with his girlfriend the next day and asked Hu Ruoyun to join her in picking them up at the long-distance bus station.
Not only was Mao Jie Mao Na's younger brother, but even without that connection, Hu Ruoyun felt it was her duty to ensure a warm welcome for them due to their friendship.
As agreed, the two arrived at the bus station by 10 AM to wait for the bus that Annan would send. At 10:45 AM, they finally spotted Mao Jie, who hesitantly introduced his companion: "Sister, Hu Ruoyun, this is Sister Liu's cousin from our office..."
However, the girl greeted them confidently: "Hello, Sister and Brother-in-law..."
Despite having clarified their relationship with Mao Na long ago, Hu Ruoyun and Mao Jie had always addressed each other by name. Hearing himself suddenly referred to as "Brother-in-law" caught Hu Ruoyun off guard, and he responded vaguely along with Mao Na.
The girl’s name was Gao Meilan. She was tall with fair skin, but to Hu Ruoyun, her eyes seemed overly lively and flirtatious, and her words often carried a probing intent that felt somewhat frivolous.
As guests of honor, especially being Mao Jie’s girlfriend, Hu Ruoyun and Mao Na led the two out of the station square and hailed a yellow taxi to Jiangbei University.
At the Jiangbei University Guesthouse on University Road, they checked into a room using Mao Na's and Gao Meilan's IDs before heading to the school cafeteria for lunch.
Once inside the university, Gao Meilan exclaimed repeatedly: "This campus is huge! The library is taller than our County Government building!" "Look at how many people are in this cafeteria; it must be bigger than several restaurants on our street!"
She then asked Mao Na: "Sister, is your school this big too?"
In the cafeteria, Hu Ruoyun told Mao Na and Gao Meilan to wait while he took Mao Jie to get food. Watching as they filled their trays with fish and meat for five or six servings, Mao Jie said, "This should be enough!"
Hu Ruoyun replied, "We'll eat here for lunch and have something more formal tonight."
Gao Meilan looked at their trays in awe: "Wow, Xiao Jie, this is even more lavish than what you took me out for at a restaurant!"
After finishing their meal, they first escorted Mao Na and Gao Meilan back to the Guesthouse to rest before Hu Ruoyun and Mao Jie strolled back to Jiangbei University.
Hu Ruoyun asked Mao Jie, "How long have you two been together?"
Mao Jie replied, "About six months. Sister Liu introduced us. At first she thought I didn’t know how to charm people; then she complained I didn’t take her out enough... Just when I was about to give up on it all, she suddenly became enthusiastic again, and here we are now. She’s from Mu Yuan County, graduated from a vocational school, and works as an administrative clerk in our bureau. Her cousin's husband is the deputy head of Jinan Electric Power Bureau."
Back at the dormitory, when the brothers heard that Hu Ruoyun's friend had come over, they were all very welcoming and started preparing a place for Mao Jie to rest on the bed where Jie Bing used to sleep.
Hu Ruoyun said, "My sister and my brother's girlfriend are here too; we’re having dinner tonight at Xueyuan Restaurant. Everyone should come along to keep me company." A group of them eagerly agreed.
Hu Ruoyun then quietly asked Mao Jie about their plans for the afternoon—whether they would go to the zoo or a park.
Mao Jie hesitated slightly: "She mentioned wanting to check out Jiangcheng Department Store... and said she liked the suit you bought me last year; she wants to get one for her brother too..."
Hu Ruoyun replied, "Alright then; I'll go get some money for you this afternoon."
Mao Jie was a bit anxious. "No need, I brought nearly a thousand yuan!"
Hu Ruoyun replied, "It's fine, I'll just prepare in case we need it."
After resting until two-thirty, Hu Ruoyun and Mao Jie greeted their brothers, then went to the Guesthouse to pick up Mao Na and Gao Meilan, heading to the Jiangcheng Department Store located near the city center.
As soon as they entered the mall, Gao Meilan couldn't help but exclaim, "It's so beautiful in here..."
Hu Ruoyun and Mao Na lagged a little behind, and Mao Na gently tugged at Hu Ruoyun's sleeve. "I feel like this girl is a bit..."
The second and third floors of Jiangcheng Department Store were filled with shoes, hats, and clothing. They first wandered through the men's section where Gao Meilan chose a pair of suede shoes for her father, priced at one hundred eighteen yuan. She stood there waiting for Mao Jie to pay while also picking out a suit for her brother that cost two hundred seventy-five yuan. Then she mentioned she liked a new coat that was over three hundred yuan...
Later, she suggested buying toys for her sister's child and they went up to the seventh floor's premium toy section where they bought a pile of items including electric cars, Barbie dolls, and plush bears...
Under normal circumstances, it would be expected for a boy to spend money on a girl, but Gao Meilan's attitude made both Mao Na and Hu Ruoyun feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Taking advantage of the moment when she went to the restroom with Mao Jie, Hu Ruoyun handed over the twelve hundred yuan she had withdrawn from the Agricultural Bank before leaving. This time, Mao Jie accepted it.
After wandering around for a while, Gao Meilan looked at the four of them carrying bags filled with items, her excitement evident, completely unaware of the serious expression on Mao Jie's face.
That evening at Jiangbei University’s cafeteria, five people from Hu Ruoyun's dormitory gathered with Mao Na, Mao Jie, and Gao Meilan in a private room. The classmates invited their guests to sit in the middle while beer and drinks were served. Everyone raised their glasses to express their goodwill.
Mao Na was the oldest and had learned many etiquette lessons from her dormitory brothers; she returned each toast graciously while expressing her gratitude. Mao Jie had been working for over a year and understood many social niceties. During the meal, he frequently clinked glasses with everyone and invited them to join him and Hu Ruoyun in Annan for some Daokou Roast Chicken...
Since it was the weekend and also New Year's Day holiday, everyone stayed out a little later than usual. By nearly nine o'clock when they ordered their main dishes, Mao Na quietly went to settle the bill but overheard the cashier say, "The total is 167... Someone has already paid—it's that big guy who speaks Sichuan dialect."
Mao Na returned and whispered this to Hu Ruoyun. Hu Ruoyun glanced at Cui Shuigen, who was still enthusiastically clinking glasses with Mao Jie as if nothing had happened.
After enjoying their meal happily, Hu Ruoyun first accompanied Mao Jie to drop off Mao Na and Gao Meilan at the Guesthouse. On the way back, Mao Jie asked Hu Ruoyun, "What do you think of Gao Meilan?"
Hu Ruoyun replied, "You don't need to worry about what others think..."
Mao Jie interrupted him by raising his hand. "Now I understand what the ancients meant by ' Deep Love Like Jian and Die' and ' Harmonious Melody of Qin and Se.' The way you and my sister look at each other shows such understanding. But right now I can't find that feeling with Gao Meilan... I feel like she's very pragmatic and too focused on material things!"
Hu Ruoyun put his arm around his shoulder. "Then just go with your feelings... If it doesn't work out, you can handle it however you want."
Mao Jie finally smiled. "Now that's what someone close should say... If you keep pretending to be indifferent about it all, I'd be really disappointed!"
The two then bought some fruit from a night market stall before heading back to their dormitory with their arms around each other's shoulders.
Since Jie Bing left, the five people in their room seemed to have blurred lines between wealth and poverty. Generally speaking, whether attending classes or eating meals together, they acted as one group; whenever someone ordered a good dish, everyone shared generously.
When Hu Ruoyun and Mao Jie returned to their dormitory, they found several people animatedly discussing something. Seeing them enter, the leader Zhao Jinpu looked around at everyone before speaking up. "Then I'll ask on behalf of everyone?"
Seeing everyone nod, he turned to Hu Ruoyun and said, "Third Sister, you've always said that Sister Mona is your sister, and today you mentioned that Brother Mao Jie is your brother. So what's the deal with Brother Mao Jie's girlfriend calling you 'brother-in-law' at the dinner table?"
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