Returning to the county opera troupe in 77

Chen Xiangdong personally helped clean the pig's head, working on it for the entire afternoon.

He split it open, blanched it, and put it in a pot, using all his skills to create a variety of dishes from a pig's head.

Cold pig ear salad, braised pig face, braised pig head meat, stir-fried pig tongue, cold pig snout salad, and finally a pig brain and egg soup, a whole table full of pig head feast.

Ge Ronghua sat in the main seat, with Lu Meiyin and Liu Dezhu sitting next to her.

Liu Dezhu was dressed very neatly tonight, wearing a dark blue Zhongshan suit, his small hair was combed slicked back, and he sat there properly with his hands on his knees.

Lu Meiyin noticed that the Zhongshan suit looked familiar, and it seemed to be similar to the one Qiao Haizhu wore at the social gathering that day.

Although it wasn't his mother-in-law who came in person, his second aunt was like half a mother to him. Liu Dezhu was like a new son-in-law meeting his mother-in-law for the first time, showing a bit of awkwardness and nervousness.

Although Lu Meiyin's face was flushed with embarrassment, she couldn't hide the joy in her eyes and brows. She would glance at Liu Dezhu, who was as well-behaved as a primary school student, from time to time, and then quickly look away to chat and laugh with Ge Ronghua.

Ge Ronghua looked at the table full of delicious dishes, then at Liu Dezhu, her prospective son-in-law, and her smile never stopped from the moment she sat down.

"These dishes look absolutely delicious. Did your apprentice really make them?"

Ge Ronghua picked up a piece of braised pig's head and put it in her mouth. After chewing it a couple of times, her eyes lit up, and she nodded repeatedly in praise: "This taste... is probably no worse than what state-run restaurants make, right? Ordinary rural banquets can't make such a flavorful dish."

Liu Dezhu felt proud to be praised for his delicious food, but he had to keep a straight face. He chuckled and waved his hand, saying, "That kid just messed around with his own ideas. He can't possibly compare to a professional chef."

Lu Meiyin smiled and scooped up a bowl of soup with a small spoon, pushing it in front of Liu Dezhu: "This soup smells delicious, it'll be good to nourish your pig brain."

Liu Dezhu just grinned and said, "Do we really need to patch up our foreheads? If you dug them out, they'd be more than two pigs' worth."

"You're such a fool," Lu Meiyin said with a laugh, rolling her eyes at him. "You're only good at comparing your brains to a pig's."

Seeing the two of them being so intimate, Ge Ronghua's face lit up with a smile. Although things hadn't worked out with Sun Zhan Dou, Liu De Zhu, whom her niece genuinely liked, had appeared on this side, so she could finally put her mind at ease.

Chen Xiangdong squatted at the door of Lu Meiyin's dormitory with a bowl in his hand, listening to the bursts of laughter coming from inside. He finished the last bite of braised pork in his bowl, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up.

These two have been secretly dating for so many years, and now they can finally openly admit it.

I am the number one contributor to bringing together a couple in love and making them a perfect couple.

He chuckled, got up, dusted himself off, grabbed the bowl in one hand, and strolled over to the front yard.

The stars hung sparsely overhead, and the moon above the treetops resembled a smiling mouth, its curves seemingly happy for Liu Dezhu.

He looked up at the moon and casually muttered, "The moon rises above the willow branches, a rendezvous after dusk... It's a pity there are no willows in the courtyard, only a few big poplars, what a spoilsport."

After saying that, he hummed a little tune and walked briskly towards the front yard.

But after taking only a couple of steps, he suddenly stopped. In the shadow of the big poplar tree at the base of the front yard wall, there seemed to be a shadowy figure moving about.

Chen Xiangdong squinted and looked over, and sure enough, he saw a man and a woman standing in the shadowy shadows.

The two were standing close together; the man had his arm around the woman's waist, their heads close together, whispering something to each other.

Who could it be so late at night?

He hesitated for a moment, intending to pretend he hadn't seen it and walk around it. After all, it would be awkward for both of them to be caught having a secret rendezvous.

But just then, the man seemed a little impatient and moved forward, his hand reaching inappropriately towards the woman's thigh. However, the woman pushed him away breathlessly and muttered something under her breath.

Moonlight filtered through the trees, illuminating the man's face for a fleeting moment. Upon seeing the man's appearance, Chen Xiangdong's eyes widened in surprise:

Qiao Haizhu?!

Who else could that woman be? The answer is obvious—Lin Qiuyue from the cotton mill!

Chen Xiangdong was surprised. The social gathering had only been over for a few days, and that coward Qiao Haizhu had already hooked up with Lin Qiuyue so quickly?

In the corner, Qiao Haizhu was not annoyed at all by being pushed away. Instead, he leaned closer and whispered something, which made Lin Qiuyue chuckle. She then raised her hand and gently patted his chest.

But just as she withdrew her hand, her peripheral vision seemed to sweep over unintentionally, and she suddenly noticed a figure standing next to the pillar.

Lin Qiuyue froze, her eyes widening instantly.

"Ah!" she gasped, instinctively pushing Qiao Haizhu, who was rubbing against her neck like a ram, away. "Someone saw us!"

Before Qiao Haizhu could react, he was pushed and stumbled. Following her gaze, he saw Chen Xiangdong hurriedly hiding behind a pillar, his head disappearing in a flash, leaving only a sliver of his clothing dangling by the pillar.

Holy crap, we've been spotted!

Chen Xiangdong hid behind a pillar, his heart pounding. He couldn't help but curse under his breath: "Damn it! These two have pretty sharp eyes..."

Behind her came Lin Qiuyue's low, embarrassed voice: "It's all your fault! How embarrassing! You had to drag me here, now someone's seen us!"

Then came Qiao Haizhu's embarrassed explanation: "It's nothing, it's nothing. People will find out about us sooner or later."

But before he could finish speaking, another muffled thud was heard, like a hammer hitting his chest.

Then, a series of rustling footsteps faded into the distance until they disappeared completely.

Chen Xiangdong waited a while longer before slowly peeking out from behind a pillar. Only after confirming that the two men had run away did he breathe a sigh of relief.

He couldn't help but mutter, "That son of a bitch Qiao Haizhu is just a reckless fool in a hurry to be reborn, eager to take down that wicked woman Lin Qiuyue..."

Since the social gathering, Qiao Haizhu's enthusiasm for teaching has plummeted. He seems to have lost his soul all day, and he even trips over his own feet when he walks. It turns out that his mind is completely on Lin Qiuyue.

Recalling his past life, after their marriage, Qiao Haizhu was always bruised and battered, his eyes devoid of light, looking utterly pathetic. A smirk crept onto his lips, a hint of schadenfreude in his smile: "Heh heh, wait until you two get married, then you'll have your day to cry..."

As he spoke, he emerged from behind the pillar, patted the wall dust off his clothes, picked up the bowl, and walked towards the pool.

Because of these two illicit lovers, the dishes still haven't been washed.

"I've seen two couples get together tonight," he chuckled, muttering to himself. "Looks like this social event does have some use after all."