1990s: Spring Water Family

Chapter 137 The Gu Family Tradition: The Daughter-in-Law Comes First
"Smashing the camera?"

Gu Bin pondered deeply, then suddenly realized: "So it was that day. So many things happened after we left. It's a pity we couldn't see them with our own eyes."

"You may feel sorry for me, but I don't."

Grandma glanced at him with a half-smile: "I not only saw her smash the camera, but I also saw another good show."

"What's the show?"

When Gu Bin met his grandmother's teasing gaze, his heart skipped a beat, and a bad premonition welled up inside him.

"I really didn't expect this before."

Grandma teased him with a smile, "My precious grandson, you really are a chivalrous woman. You can't bear to see a young girl suffer even the slightest grievance. You feel so sorry for her when she bites her lip so small, you wish you could stick to her and heal her wound with your mouth."

"Cough cough."

Gu Bin's ears turned red, and he coughed twice, covering his mouth with his hand.

Lin Xiyu also recalled the scene at that time, and her cheeks burned.

"Hey"

Grandpa was completely bewildered: "Healing wounds with the mouth? What's going on? Why am I the only one who doesn't know? What are you hiding from me?"

"I've only seen it with my own eyes once."

Grandma rarely saw her grandson so embarrassed, and she found it all the more amusing, so she decided to tease him: "As for how he heals his wounds in private, I have no idea."

"Cough cough."

Gu Bin couldn't listen any longer and had to interrupt, "Grandma, lunch today is on me. It's the spring water banquet at Minghu Tower. Order whatever you like."

"That's what you said."

Grandma covered her mouth and laughed: "Grandma is going to try all the famous Shandong dishes, so don't feel bad about it."

"I don't feel bad."

Gu Bin made a serious statement.

"What are you waiting for?"

Grandma raised her eyebrows and smiled contentedly: "It's getting late, let's hurry up and go."

"Hey."

Grandpa became increasingly puzzled: "What kind of riddle are you trying to tell me?"

"Old man, stop dawdling."

Grandma smiled and nudged him, saying, "It's rare for your grandson to treat us, so we should have a good meal. We can ask you anything when we get to the hotel."

"Okay, I'll do as you say."

Grandpa, who was used to listening to Grandma, nodded in agreement without thinking: "I haven't tried the Spring Water Feast yet. I heard that there's an improved version of stir-fried pork kidneys, served cold. This is a good opportunity to try it out."

"Is the cold pork kidney salad delicious?"

When Grandma saw that Grandpa had agreed, she happily pulled him outside.

"It's said to be quite delicious."

Grandpa smacked his lips a few times: "Old Zhang, who played chess with me at Jiefang Pavilion, had his grandson's wedding banquet at Minghu Tower before the New Year. I heard it from him, so it should be true."

"That's it."

Grandma beamed, "Let's order the cold pork kidney salad this time, I want to try it too."

"You like pork kidneys, so I'll have one of each."

Grandpa laughed and chimed in, "Anyway, it's not like we're paying; your grandson is treating."

"I can see it."

Grandma was all smiles, chatting and laughing with Grandpa as they left the courtyard together.

"Hey, hey."

Gu Bin looked at the elderly couple who were talking to themselves and rubbed his temples in exasperation.

"Your maternal grandparents have a very good relationship."

Lin Xiyu found it interesting, and her resentment towards her grandmother lessened somewhat.

"Grandpa is older than Grandma, so he always gives in to her."

Gu Bin wholeheartedly agreed: "As far back as I can remember, they've always been like this, never arguing with each other."

"so good."

Lin Xiyu's eyes revealed envy.

"From now on, I'll give way to you too."

Gu Bin saw through her thoughts and jokingly said, "In our Gu family tradition, the daughter-in-law is supreme, and women are superior to men. Just like how Grandpa doted on Grandma, I will dote on you in the same way."

Lin Xiyu felt a sweet warmth in her heart, but before she could return his sweet smile, she was already feeling happy.

Grandma suddenly turned around, smiling and urging them, "You two hurry up, don't be so lovey-dovey in broad daylight."

Lin Xiyu's heart skipped a beat, and her smile froze on her face.

"Why are you interrupting when the young couple is having a conversation?"

Grandpa's teasing laughter came from the front.

"How did I interrupt?"

Grandma retorted, dissatisfied: "They were talking so loudly, without any regard for others. Why can't I say something?"

"Okay, okay, if you say it's okay, then it's okay."

Grandpa quickly gave up and fell silent.

Lin Xiyu was both embarrassed and ashamed, and covered her eyes with her hands.

"Grandma has a fiery temper, you'll get used to it."

Gu Bin was worried that she might fall because she couldn't see the road clearly, so he reached out and supported her arm.

Lin Xiyu, fearing that someone might overhear, turned her head away and ignored him.

Gu Bin found it amusing and let out a pleasant laugh.

-

Minghu Tower.

"What? Old Man Fu wants to pay a bride price?"

The harmonious atmosphere was shattered shortly after the four people sat down in the hotel's private room by a loud voice that was eight octaves higher.

When the grandfather heard his beloved grandson say that the in-laws would pay the bride price, he glared at him and became unhappy again: "You are surnamed Gu, and you are my grandson. Why should old man Fu compete with me for it? No way, I must pay the bride price. My grandson's engagement cannot be overshadowed by outsiders."

"What outsider?"

Grandma smiled and scolded, "If your grandfather hears you say that, they'll start arguing again. No matter what, Xiaobin is still his grandson. Even though he has our surname Gu, that doesn't erase the fact that we're blood relatives."

"The one with the surname Gu is my grandson."

Grandpa only believed in his own reasoning: "When we transferred the household registration, we agreed that Xiaobin was our own grandson and would inherit our family property. In the future, the old courtyard house on Wangfuchi West Street would also be adopted into his name."

“Family property is another matter.”

Grandma patiently reasoned with him: "Xiaobin didn't become your grandson for the family fortune. His engagement bypassed the Fu family and didn't allow the elderly couple to participate. It's just not right."

"They're here, what am I supposed to do now?"

Grandpa was still indignant: "I raised my grandson, am I supposed to give him to them in front of the old neighbors? That would be a slap in my face."

"How about this?"

Grandma tried to communicate with Gu Bin: "Tell your grandfather that the two families should hold separate banquets."

"Row"

Gu Bin had expected this, and smiled good-naturedly: "Anything is fine, as long as Grandpa and Grandfather are happy, we juniors are happy to oblige."

"Kobayashi, what do you think?"

Grandma was delighted to hear this and looked at Lin Xiyu with a smile.

Lin Xiyu was flattered: "Like Gu Bin, I'm fine with anything, as long as you're happy."

"Xiaolin is a sensible and good child." Grandma was very satisfied with her attitude: "You know, our family situation is a bit special. My husband is good in every way, except for one thing: he has old ideas and is old-fashioned. He is obsessed with having a grandson, to the point of being obsessed."

"Gu Bin is so outstanding, everyone would want a grandson like him."

Lin Xiyu reacted quickly and gave a clever answer.

"I like to hear that."

Grandma was delighted to hear this, and her gaze became even kinder: "My Xiaobin is one of a kind. I'm not bragging, but in our entire old town, in terms of looks and intelligence, there's no one else like him."

"Uh-huh."

Lin Xiyu smiled and agreed, "That's what I think too."

"Speaking of which, Xiaobin's excellence is all thanks to my old man's excellent upbringing."

Grandma took the opportunity to soothe Grandpa: "His grandfather really cared about him, taking care of him in every way. He never missed a day of his intellectual development and how to conduct himself in the world. I couldn't understand any of the things they talked about, like the ranks, the Warring States strategy, or the Thirty-Six Stratagems."

"I don't understand either."

Lin Xiyu feigned composure, but inwardly she was screaming like a groundhog.

While she was playing in the mud, jumping rope, and playing hide-and-seek as a child, others were learning martial arts, the Warring States Policy, and the Thirty-Six Stratagems.

With such a huge disparity, it would be strange if they weren't manipulated and played like fools.

"That `s a deal."

Seeing that his grandmother and Lin Xiyu were chatting happily, Gu Bin secretly breathed a sigh of relief: "I'll talk to Grandpa and the others about this tomorrow. Xiyu, when you go home, ask your grandmother when it would be best for both sets of elders to meet."

"Uh-huh."

When Lin Xiyu heard that the two families had met, her cheeks burned again, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of unreality.

She and the boy she had a crush on for many years were about to get engaged.

My dream has come true, and it's happened so quickly.

Is she really not dreaming?

-

"Springs are the soul of old Jinan. The clear springs add a lot of charm to this ancient northern city."

"The Spring Water Banquet is known for its innovation, blending the charm of springs, water, and food, combining beautiful scenery, delicious flavors, and stunning visuals to create exquisite spring water cuisine."

"The exquisite dishes of the Spring Water Banquet are not only delicious but also have auspicious meanings. The dish that is now on the table is called Black Tiger and Cattail Playing with Oolong. This dish is a typical innovative dish that perfectly combines two relatively independent dishes."

"According to the Jinan Quick View, the cattail shoots from Daming Lake were famous throughout the world in the past. They resembled water chestnuts in shape and tasted like bamboo shoots. They were planted all over the lake and were a delicacy among the vegetables of several northern provinces."

"Milk Soup with Cattail Shoots, made with milk broth and cattail shoots, has a milky white broth and cattail shoots that are light, delicious, crisp, tender, and fragrant. It is known as the best soup dish in Jinan."

"The sea cucumbers are sourced from the spiny sea cucumbers produced on the Shandong Peninsula. They are of superior quality and rich in nutrients."

"The master chefs combined the best soup and the best nutrition to create this Black Tiger Cattail Playing with Oolong, which highlights the local food culture."

-

The dishes were served, and Lin Xiyu used the opportunity to explain the names of the dishes to the two elderly people, drawing on the knowledge she had gained while filming the documentary.

"Good, well said."

Grandpa found it amusing and gave it a very enthusiastic compliment: "Xiao Lin truly lives up to his reputation as the image ambassador of Jinan, the City of Springs. The name of this dish is so catchy that it makes your mouth water even before you start eating it, and it leaves you wanting more."

"What Black Tiger and Cattail Playing with a Dragon?"

Grandma curled her lip dismissively: "It's actually just sea cucumber and cattail soup in milk broth."

"That's called elegance."

Grandpa chuckled and bickered with his wife: "As the saying goes, it's not wine that intoxicates, it's the mood. The same goes for food. The same dish can evoke different feelings when eaten in different places or with different people."

How are you feeling right now?

Grandma glanced at him sideways, looking as if she was about to kill him if she didn't say a good word.

"Beautiful, absolutely beautiful."

Grandpa picked up a piece of cattail shoot with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth, chewing it with relish: "With such a beautiful wife and such delicious food, how could I not be happy? It would be even better if there was a pot of fine wine too."

"Why drink alcohol in the middle of the day?"

Grandma was happy inside, but she still complained a lot: "Who's going to carry you home if you get drunk?"

"I come."

Gu Bin flattered, "Grandpa, drink as much as you want. This meal is on me. I have to make sure you enjoy yourself."

Drinking alone is no fun.

Grandpa smacked his lips a few times, a little regretfully saying, "If only your dad were here, he could have had a couple of drinks with me."

"I'll drink with Grandpa."

Lin Xiyu suddenly spoke, drawing everyone's attention to herself.

"You're drinking?"

Not only the maternal grandparents, but even Gu Bin showed an extremely surprised expression.

"I drank it."

Meeting his surprised gaze, Lin Xiyu nodded: "My alcohol tolerance is not bad."

How much can it be?

Gu Bin frowned: "One cup or one small bowl?"

"How about a drink?"

Lin Xiyu pointed to the teacup in front of her and added, "Baijiu (Chinese liquor)."

"This cup requires at least two ounces. Can you handle it?"

Gu Bin, fearing she was forcing herself to drink in order to please her grandfather, looked worried and said, "Don't force yourself if you can't drink."

"Xiao Bin, you don't understand."

Grandpa gave him a disdainful look: "Anyone who dares to say they can drink baijiu (Chinese liquor) must have a good tolerance. Judging from this little girl's posture, she could easily drink half a jin (250ml), let alone two liang (200ml)."

"I can drink, but whether I'll get drunk is another matter."

Gu Bin was still worried: "If she's really drunk, I really won't be able to carry the two of us."

"Let her drink it."

Grandpa was annoyed that he had spoiled the fun: "You have no sense at all! Xiao Lin wants a drink, and you have to keep making excuses?"

"I'm afraid she'll get drunk."

Gu Bin was both amused and exasperated: "It's not like what her grandmother told her."

"Trust me, I can do it."

Lin Xiyu said confidently, "I won't let you get implicated. Grandma knows my alcohol tolerance. During the New Year, when she's in a good mood, she'll let me have a few drinks with her."

"Your brain..."

Seeing that she didn't appreciate his efforts, Gu Bin was extremely frustrated: "Did you just get drunk and become stupid?"

"How dare you talk like that, child?"

Grandma patted his shoulder and scolded him with a smile, "Xiao Lin is much better at handling things than you. He knows how to make your grandpa happy. Unlike you, you're such a blockhead, all you do is make us angry."

"Ah."

Gu Bin scoffed, then laughed in exasperation: "You treat me like a treasure all the time, but you turn into a blockhead the moment you stop me from drinking? Fine, I don't care anymore. Drink if you want, but don't blame me if you get drunk."

"I'll take responsibility if he gets drunk."

Grandma glared at her, her fierce side fully revealed: "You brat, you're always running to her house, trying to please her grandma. What's wrong with getting her to have a meal and a drink with us?"

"Cough cough."

Gu Bin coughed twice, his ears turning red, and was completely defeated.

-

When Lin Xiyu's maternal grandmother was young, she endured many years of hardship alone in her hometown in Shanxi. She drowned her sorrows in alcohol and unintentionally developed a high alcohol tolerance.

Her two daughters and one son all inherited her drinking capacity. To say they can't drink a thousand cups would be an exaggeration. They can drink half a jin of 56-proof Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) without any problems or getting a headache.