country bumpkin

Chapter 370 New Friend Xia Mili

Time flies, and in just a few days it came to the 28th of the year.

Bai Yan's engagement banquet and wedding were held together. The wedding was held in the morning, and the engagement gifts were delivered to Bai Yan at noon.

The engagement and wedding were held on the same day, saving Lu Teng's family the expense of a separate banquet. Fortunately, Lu's mother wasn't senile and didn't cause any trouble on the wedding day.

If the wedding banquet is held smoothly and in a lively manner, both families will feel proud.

The day after we got married was the 29th of the lunar year, which is New Year's Eve. This year, there is no 30th.

Bai Yan will be spending the Chinese New Year at her mother-in-law's house this year, which will be the first time she has spent the New Year away from her parents.

Lu Teng knew she would find many things difficult to adjust to, so he took extra care of her. He stayed by her side the whole time, never leaving her side.

Looking at her good-for-nothing son, Lu's mother felt a surge of resentment. But since it was the Lunar New Year, she couldn't say anything.

After a while, the New Year's Eve dinner began, and the table was full of delicious dishes that emitted an enticing aroma, but Bai Yan had little appetite.

Looking at the dishes on the table, she thought of the signature dishes her mother made during Chinese New Year at her parents' home, and those familiar flavors seemed to still linger on her tongue.

In a daze, she seemed to see her childhood New Year celebrations, with her family sitting around a small table, her parents' faces beaming with happy smiles, a warm and beautiful scene.

"Yan Yan, eat more." Lu Teng's voice pulled her back to reality from her memories. She looked at her concerned husband and forced a smile. "Okay, I'll eat."

Although Lu's mother didn't say anything, her expression turned somewhat unpleasant when she saw Bai Yan's absent-minded look.

At night, lying in bed, Lu Teng noticed Bai Yan's low spirits and gently held her hand. "If you miss your parents, give them a call. Don't keep it to yourself." Bai Yan's eyes reddened, and she nodded.

She dialed her mother's number and, upon hearing her mother's familiar voice, could no longer hold back her tears, telling her mother how much she missed her.

After hanging up the phone, Lu Teng hugged her tightly and comforted her gently. Bai Yan gradually calmed down and slowly drifted off to sleep in his warm embrace.

The next day was the first day of the Lunar New Year. Lu Teng got up early and went with his father to visit a family of relatives.

Bai Yan didn't wake up until they returned from their New Year's greetings. Lu's mother was still seething with anger; if they argued on the first day of the new year, everything would go wrong for the entire year.

The old lady was holding her breath, unable to exhale or swallow, and her face turned black with anger.

Lu Teng and his son returned before they started eating breakfast. They would have finished long ago if they hadn't been waiting for Bai Yan to join them.

The first meal of the new year should naturally be eaten together as a whole family, for this is considered auspicious.

The food was brought over, and everyone started using their chopsticks.

The atmosphere at the dinner table was somewhat oppressive. Lu's mother kept a sullen face, and even her occasional actions of picking up food were tinged with resentment.

Fearing the atmosphere would become too awkward, Mr. Lu broke the silence with a smile: "Yan Yan, are you getting used to spending the New Year here with us?"

Bai Yan quickly nodded, "Dad, I'm used to it, everything is great here."

Lu Teng chimed in, "Mom, Yan Yan missed her family last night, so she stayed up late. Don't take it to heart."

Lu's mother snorted, "A new daughter-in-law should act like a new daughter-in-law, how can she sleep in so late."

Bai Yan blushed, lowered her head and said softly, "Mom, it's my fault, I won't do it again."

Lu Teng also came to the rescue, saying, "Mom, maybe it's because of the pregnancy. Yan Yan wasn't this sleepy before."

Thinking of her future grandson, Lu's mother managed to suppress her temper.

Just then, a commotion suddenly came from outside the door. It turned out that Lu Teng's cousin's family had come to pay their respects for the New Year.

As soon as my aunt walked in, she exclaimed, "Oh, dinner's served! It's so lively and festive on the first day of the Lunar New Year, it's wonderful!"

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Lu's expression softened, and she quickly invited them to sit down. This unexpected visitor broke the awkward atmosphere at the dinner table.

Everyone started chatting and laughing, and the new year seemed to bring a fresh atmosphere amidst the lively atmosphere.

At Yunya's home in the urban village, the adults were constantly visiting each other to exchange New Year's greetings.

Yunya called Zhang Haiyan and Zhang Haiying to go shopping and buy snacks in the city center. Zhang Haiyan also invited her neighbor Xia Mili to come along.

In this way, Yunya made a new friend, Xia Mili. She has an older sister named Xia Migu and a younger brother named Xia Milui.

Yunya wondered why her parents had given her such a name. But it did sound rather nice.

Xia Mili is about the same age as Zhang Haiyan, but she has a college diploma and knows more than Yun Ya and the others.

She seems very approachable, with small eyes, a small mouth, and a round face, making her look very cute. She gives off a gentle and refined vibe.

She speaks softly and gently, has a calm temperament, and is methodical in her work; she is indeed more likable than the average girl.

The four girls walked onto the street and looked around. Everywhere they looked, there were stalls selling goods.

Yun Ya's eyes lit up immediately, and she pulled the others along. "Come on, let's see what good food and fun things there are."

They wandered among the stalls, and Yunya saw a sugar painting vendor and insisted on buying one.

Zhang Haiyan also wanted some, so Yun Ya smiled and bought a butterfly-shaped sugar painting. Then she asked the three of them which design they liked, letting them choose for themselves, and said she would pay for it.

The three girls didn't stand on ceremony with her and each chose their favorite sugar painting. After Yun Ya paid, the four of them ate their sugar paintings and continued strolling around.

Xia Mili was walking at the very back when she was drawn to a stall selling handmade jewelry. She picked up a small hairpin and examined it closely.

Zhang Haiying teased from the side, "Oh, you've got your eye on this? Buy it and dress up beautifully." Xia Mili's cheeks flushed slightly, but she still put the hairpin down.

As they were browsing, they suddenly heard an argument coming from not far away. Curious, they went over to take a look and found that a stall owner and a customer were arguing.

The customer felt the items were too expensive, but the stall owner refused to lower the price.

A kind old lady couldn't help but step forward and say, "Everyone, calm down. It's the first day of the Lunar New Year, everyone wants to have a good time. Stop arguing. The stall owners can give a little less, and the buyers can pay a little less, and that will settle things."

Both the stall owner and the customer felt a little embarrassed after hearing this, and in the end, the stall owner sold the item to the customer at a slightly lower price.

The argument was resolved just like that. The four girls smiled at each other, realizing that taking a step back really could open up a whole new world. They continued to stroll happily through the streets.

Upon arriving at the entrance of the department store, Yunya searched everywhere for Liu Jing and Xuan Mei, with whom she had made an appointment.

Those colleagues from the countryside couldn't possibly come to the city for fun that day. Only Liu Jing and Xuan Mei, who lived relatively close by, could come.

Yunya waited for a long time but didn't see the two of them. She was a little disappointed. She hadn't expected that Liu Jing, who had suggested the gathering, would not have come herself.

"Doesn't she want to see Xuanmei?" Yunya wondered.