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On December 30th, which was a Friday evening, Mao Na called Hu Ruoyun to say that the next day, Mao Jie would be coming to Jiangcheng with his girlfriend, and she wanted 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 his 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 from Annan. At 10:45 AM, they finally spotted Mao Jie. He hesitantly introduced his girlfriend: “Sister, Hu Ruoyun, this is Sister Liu’s cousin…”
However, the girl greeted them confidently: “Hello, Sister and Brother-in-law…”
Despite the clarity of their relationship over time, Hu Ruoyun and Mao Jie had always referred to each other by name. Being suddenly addressed as "Brother-in-law" by this girl 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 Hu Ruoyun thought her eyes were too lively and flirtatious, and her words often carried a probing curiosity that felt somewhat frivolous.
As guests of Mao Jie’s girlfriend, Hu Ruoyun and Mao Na led them 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 office 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 portions, Mao Jie said, “This should be enough!”
Hu Ruoyun replied, “We’ll eat here for lunch; let’s do something more formal for dinner.”
Gao Meilan looked at their meals in astonishment: “Wow, Xiaojie, this is even more sumptuous than what you took me out for at a restaurant!”
After finishing their meal, they first dropped off Mao Na and Gao Meilan at 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; later she complained I didn’t take her out enough… Just when I was about to give up, she suddenly became enthusiastic again, and that’s how it happened. She’s from Mu Yuan County, graduated from vocational school, and works as an administrative clerk in our bureau. Her cousin’s husband is the deputy director of Jinan Electric Power Bureau.”
Back at the dormitory, upon hearing that Hu Ruoyun's brother had come to visit, everyone was very welcoming and quickly arranged a place for Mao Jie to rest on the bed originally occupied by Jie Bing.
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 people eagerly agreed.
Hu Ruoyun then quietly asked Mao Jie about their plans for the afternoon—whether they would accompany them to the zoo or a park.
Mao Jie hesitated slightly: “She mentioned wanting to check out Jiangcheng Department Store… She also said she liked the suit you bought me last year and wants to get one for her brother…”
Hu Ruoyun responded, “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 the others greeted their brothers and went to the Guesthouse to pick up Mao Na and Gao Meilan. They headed 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 bit behind, and Mao Na gently tugged at Hu Ruoyun. "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 browsed the men's section where Gao Meilan chose a pair of suede shoes for her father, costing 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 liking 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 boutique toy section, where they bought a bunch of items including electric cars, Barbie dolls, and stuffed bears.
Normally, it would be considered normal for a boy to spend money on a girl in such situations, but Gao Meilan's nonchalant attitude made Mao Na and Hu Ruoyun feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Taking advantage of the moment when she and Mao Jie went to the restroom, Hu Ruoyun handed Mao Jie 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 purchases, her excitement evident as she completely failed to notice that Mao Jie’s expression was somewhat serious.
In the evening at Jiangbei University’s cafeteria, five people from Hu Ruoyun's dormitory, along with Mao Na, Mao Jie, and Gao Meilan, reserved 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 etiquettes from her elder brothers in the dormitory. She reciprocated every toast with gratitude. Mao Jie had also 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 to try Daokou Roast Chicken...
Since it was the weekend and also New Year's Day holiday, everyone stayed out a bit later. When they ordered main dishes around nine o'clock, Mao Na quietly went to settle the bill but overheard the cashier saying, "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 happily finishing their meal, 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 responded, "You don't need to worry about what others think..."
Mao Jie interrupted him by raising his hand. "Now I understand what ancient people 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 I can't find that feeling with Gao Meilan...
I feel like she displays too much practicality; it's all too realistic!"
Hu Ruoyun put his arm around his shoulder. "Then just go with your feelings... If it doesn't work out, you can handle it how you see fit..."
Mao Jie finally smiled. "Now that's something a true friend would say... If you keep pretending to be indifferent or evasive, it would really disappoint me!"
The two then bought some fruit from a street vendor before heading back to their dormitory with their arms around each other's shoulders.
Ever since Jie Bing left, it seemed like the five people in their room no longer had clear distinctions between wealth or poverty; generally speaking, whether in class or during meals, they acted together. No matter who ordered a good dish, everyone shared generously.
When Hu Ruoyun and Mao Jie returned to their dormitory, they found several people animatedly discussing something. Upon 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 Sister Mona is your sister, and today you mentioned 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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