To please others? It's better to please yourself.

A month passed, and Xu Jing'an and Shen He continued their interactions, which made Sister Zhao very happy.

Knowing that Xu Jing'an loves sweets, and since Shen He's workplace is close to a shopping mall, he often takes time to buy some milk candy.

Nowadays, when people talk about milk candy, they are referring to White Rabbit milk candy.

The predecessor of White Rabbit Creamy Candy originated from the "Aipish Candy Factory" in Shanghai in 1943. The packaging used a red Mickey Mouse pattern and it was named "ABC Mickey Mouse Candy". The pattern was changed to a white rabbit in 1950.

At that time, milk was a scarce food. Milk and milk powder were the main ingredients in White Rabbit milk candy. Many families would soak the milk candy in hot water and drink it as milk.

There's even a saying that "seven White Rabbit milk candies are equivalent to a glass of milk." It's now impossible to verify whether this highly strategic marketing statement truly reflects the sentiments of consumers or is simply a marketing tactic.

However, thanks to the rumor that "seven White Rabbit candies are equal to a glass of milk", White Rabbit candy was regarded as a nutritious food and accompanied a generation's growth.

Following the current trend of dating, Xu Jing'an also knitted a thick black crew-neck sweater for Shen He.

Shen was so happy that his eyes narrowed. Everyone in the company knew about it, and a bunch of people teased him about it.

End of march

As the weather turned cold, Xu Jing'an refused to ride Shen He's bicycle home and chose to take the bus instead.

Along the way, there were vegetable markets and grocery stores with red banners hanging at their entrances, and cars loaded with cabbages came and went on the streets.

Along the roadside and at the entrance of alleys, piles of Chinese cabbages are stacked into small mountains, with signs on top indicating their grade and price.

People, dressed in cotton-padded coats and holding food ration books, formed a queue dozens of meters long. They stamped their feet to keep warm while discussing the quality of the dishes.

As soon as Xu Jing'an arrived at her workplace, she was notified that the steel plant was organizing a unified purchase and distribution of winter-stored vegetables, but she would have to transport them back herself.

The steel mill is a large factory with an annual output of 60 tons of steel, and it is impossible to take care of every employee.

Currently, the most common seasonal vegetables available in the market during winter are only Chinese cabbage, radish, and scallions. First-grade vegetables are rationed according to population, with 20 jin per person. Second and third-grade vegetables are of slightly lower quality, but there is no limit on quantity, and the price is much cheaper than first-grade vegetables.

Xu Jing'an ordered 200 jin of cabbage, 100 jin of radish, and 20 jin of scallions. Almost everyone else bought several hundred jin of cabbage and several dozen jin of scallions.

Upon receiving the message, Shen He rode his bicycle over and carried the vegetables to his home.

Xu Jing'an was also busy: picking out the less desirable cabbages to make a full vat of sauerkraut; washing and draining the radishes to make pickled vegetables (pickled radish, eight-treasure pickled vegetables, five-spice radish strips); pickling salted eggs; and soaking pickled garlic and Laba garlic.

Shen He, worried about the cold water, took over washing and chopping the vegetables. Xu Jing'an immediately felt extremely sorry for him, but still encouraged him to continue with gentle words.

He then sent Shen He to the outskirts of the city to dig up three sacks of yellow soil, which he poured into several broken wooden boxes he had salvaged from a junkyard.

Plant garlic cloves, and grow bok choy and chives next to the stove in the house, then cover them with straw mats. Sprout soybeans and mung beans grow next to the stove.

Shen He looked at Xu Jing'an, who was busy working alongside him, and felt particularly at ease.

"An'an," Shen He looked at Xu Jing'an, "let's get married."

Xu Jing'an turned her head and saw his eyes, which were filled only with her, bright and full of passion and determination.

"Okay," Xu Jing'an agreed with a smile. Her eyes were also filled with Shen He, and she looked at him intently.

After agreeing to marry him, Shen He urged her to meet his family. Xu Jing'an arrived at their door carrying two pounds of apples she had snatched from the grocery store the day before.

"Hello, Uncle and Aunt," Xu Jing'an greeted them politely, handing them the apples. "I brought you some apples, please don't mind."

"Apples are hard to come by these days," Mrs. Shen said happily as she took the apple and led Xu Jing'an to the table. "Sit down quickly. It's so cold in winter. Drink some water to warm yourself up." She then poured Xu Jing'an a bowl of brown sugar water.

Shen He helped bring out the prepared food. During the meal, Shen's mother kept using serving chopsticks to put food on her plate.

Mr. Shen spoke very kindly: "How are your parents and family members? Are they in good health?"

Xu Jing'an replied, "They're both fine, in good health. We correspond every month, but it's inconvenient to meet because we live far apart. It takes five or six days to travel back and forth by train."

Mother Shen sighed, "Oh dear, that's quite a distance."

Xu Jing'an smiled and said, "My parents and older brother are all factory workers. My sister-in-law gave birth to triplets last year, and they are just over a year old and have just started walking. With three children all at once, the whole family is almost overwhelmed."

Mr. and Mrs. Shen were overjoyed to hear this: "That's right! Once there's a child, everyone in the family has to be busy, and no one can be idle."

Shen He sat down beside Xu Jing'an and poured her some more hot water. Xu Jing'an took it and continued, "I also have a younger brother who started high school last year, but school's closed now, so he's at home!"

"Yes, that's how it is now. Let's wait for further notice!" Mr. Shen nodded.

Shen's mother then added, "Your brother is quite obedient, but can he stay put?"

Xu Jing'an chuckled, "What do you mean by 'obey'? Last year, when schools were closed and people traveled all over the country, no one could stop them from going out. When they finally came back, they were limping and leaning on a cane all the way back from Beijing."

Upon hearing this, everyone laughed.

"When I got home, the soles of my shoes were all worn out, and it was almost Chinese New Year. It's been almost a year since I came back, and I won't go out no matter who calls me."

Mother Shen laughed heartily, "He's still a child. He has to suffer a little to grow up."

Shen He had explained the Shen family situation to Xu Jing'an: Shen's father worked at a grain station, and Shen's mother worked at a bank. Shen He's eldest brother, Shen Yue, was still unmarried and serving in the army, only returning home for limited periods each year.

Both parties were satisfied with the meeting.

Xu Jing'an came over today, and both of Shen's parents took the day off to be home. Judging from their profiles, Shen's parents seemed like good people, and after their first meeting, they were indeed quite agreeable. They were very warm and welcoming towards her, and it was clear they weren't faking it.

Xu Jing'an is quite satisfied with her future in-laws.

Shen's parents were also satisfied with Xu Jing'an. After all, the family were all working-class with no financial burdens, the girl had a good job, and she was pretty. Moreover, it was a matchmaker personally introduced by Sister Zhao, a relative of Shen's mother, and Shen's mother herself had agreed. Besides, if she wasn't a good person, would they introduce her to their own family?

As a mother, I look forward to my son getting married and starting a family. But to be honest, I feel a little sad and bitter when my son gets married. But I can't help it because of the long time that has passed!

She'd been urging them for seven years, from age 20 to 26, so she was mentally prepared. Most importantly, she'd been washing the sheets for her second child almost every other day for the past two months! She was genuinely terrified something might happen to the baby!

If anyone dares to stop her second son from getting married now, she'll grab a rolling pin and storm their house. In this freezing weather, is it easy for the kids?