bestfiction Chapter 61 Soap Opera
Chapter 61 Soap Opera
Many people in town recognized Wang Manni. Along the way, people kept greeting her, "Nini's back?"
"Hey! You're back!"
"Hey, Nini's back!"
"Hey, I just got back!"
This made Wang Manni act like a celebrity walking the red carpet, waving and greeting people all the way.
Chen Yu asked Wang Manni, "Do you know all these people?"
Wang Manni smiled and shook her head. "No, they call me Nini, which means they know me. But actually, most of them recognize me but don't know my name. Only a small portion of them know how to address me."
Wang Manni's home is located deep in a small alley. It looks somewhat like a renovated traditional courtyard house, with many twists and turns, and you have to pass through a porch to enter the courtyard.
"Nini, you're back... Nini, you brought a friend back?" Wang Manni's mother became somewhat reserved upon seeing that Wang Manni had brought a stranger back.
"Yes, these are company leaders who are just passing by and have a couple of days of sightseeing."
"Hello Auntie, we're also Wang Manni's friends. My name is Chen Yu, this is Zhong Xiaoqin, and this is Wang Wenwen. We're here to celebrate Wang Manni's birthday and visit this town. We've heard it's picturesque, and it truly lives up to its reputation!" Chen Yu had a good impression of all the main characters' parents in the drama, except for Chen Yunqiu. Of course, in this life, Chen Yunqiu was alright; at least she didn't abandon Sun Suying and run away.
Chen Yu's attitude was very good, which made Wang Manni's mother very happy. "Good, good, Chen, and these two young ladies, come in quickly and sit on the sofa for a while. I'll make you some tea!"
Although the tea wasn't a rare or expensive variety, it tasted quite good, and Chen Yu liked it very much. It might be related to the water, or it might be related to his mood, but he genuinely found it delicious. Much better than Gu Jia's "Empty Mountain Tea."
"This tea is good, Xiaoqin. Let's take two catties back with us when we leave tomorrow." Wang Wenwen also thought it tasted good and discussed buying some with Zhong Xiaoqin.
"Great! I see there are so many interesting things here. Let's take some back so that all the elders in our family can try them!"
Just then, Wang Manni's father came in. "Do you also think this tea is good? This is Silver Needle, from Changshan. I have a friend who deals in tea, and we happen to have some at home. Take it with you when you leave."
Chen Yu didn't want to take advantage of the situation. "That's too much trouble! How about this, we'll buy it at three times the market price!"
“How could I take your money? Besides, I didn’t pay my friend when I got it from him. It’s settled!” Wang Manni’s father seemed very enthusiastic.
"Alright then, Uncle Yi."
"It's nothing. Let me tell you, you have to rely on your friends when you're out in the world. Having more friends means having more options!"
Wang Manni couldn't stand it anymore, "Oh, Dad! Having more friends means having more options!"
"Is this what I was just talking about?"
Wang Manni didn't correct him, but looked at Chen Yu and said, "Professor Chen, that's just how my dad is, please don't take it to heart!"
"Uncle is doing well."
Just then, they heard Wang Manni's mother's voice outside, "Nini, dinner is ready. Call your friend over to sit down."
"Let's go, Professor Chen, Wenwen, Xiaoqin, let's try the home-style dishes here!"
There are usually two reasons why local cuisine doesn't become popular nationwide. The first is that the ingredients are unique and only available locally. The second is that people from other places are not used to the food, and only locals, who have been eating it since childhood, gradually get used to it and like it.
Quzhou cuisine probably has both. If Wang Manni's family owned a restaurant, Chen Yu probably wouldn't want to go a second time.
In contrast, Zhong Xiaoqin and Wang Manni ate with great relish, while Wang Wenwen, like Chen Yu, was picky about the food. It seems that only northerners are not used to this dish.
Fortunately, there was steamed fish to ease the awkwardness.
In the afternoon, the four of them found two covered boats and began to drift with the current. Chen Yu and Wang Wenwen rode in one boat, while Zhong Xiaoqin and Wang Manni were in the other.
The group drifted downstream in a boat and soon arrived at a small lake, where the scenery seemed even more beautiful.
Sitting on the boat, aboard that small vessel, the world before them would undergo a tremendous, transformative change. The small boat swayed gently on the calm water, its draft about half a meter. Chen Yu and his companion sat comfortably in the center of the boat; if they leaned forward slightly, their eyes would almost be level with the water! At that moment, the world before them seemed to be lifted high, becoming incredibly vast. It was like returning to childhood, looking up at adults.
Chen Yu exclaimed, "Isn't this much more interesting than a European cruise?"
Wang Wenwen immediately understood and rolled her eyes at Chen Yu, "There's no need to say such things. Manni just wants to see for herself."
"That's true and it's not true. There are so many things we haven't seen, and we don't need to see them all."
"Fine, fine, I can't argue with you!" Wang Wenwen looked at Chen Yu with deep affection. Ten years had passed, but her love for Chen Yu had only grown stronger.
As they were talking, Chen Yu suddenly felt a tremendous force coming from the bottom of the boat, and the boat began to shake violently. Wang Wenwen and Chen Yu were caught off guard and did not grab the handrails. They were thrown off the boat by the sudden shaking and fell into the water with a splash.
Chen Yu and Wang Wenwen are both from the north and neither of them likes swimming. They have never learned to swim and are now stuck in the water, struggling aimlessly.
Chen Yu felt that the more he struggled with his hands and feet, the deeper he sank. Soon, his entire head was submerged in the water. Just then, Chen Yu felt someone pulling him and grabbed the person without hesitation. Because Chen Yu had sunk so much from his frantic struggle, he could only hold onto Wang Manni's legs.
Wang Manni had only ever heard of people clinging tightly to drowning victims when attempting to rescue them, rendering the rescuers unable to move and ultimately endangering both. She'd never witnessed it before, but now she was finally fortunate enough to see it for herself!
Because her legs were being held, she could only paddle with her hands and couldn't use all her strength to float upwards, so she couldn't pull Chen Yu out of the water and could only barely keep herself breathing.
If they waited any longer, Chen Yu would probably be full, and there would be no point in pulling him ashore. Wang Manni took a deep breath, quickly submerged, and sank into the water with her eyes open. Finding Chen Yu, she fed him the breath she had just inhaled, temporarily satisfying his need for air. His grip on Wang Manni's legs loosened, and Wang Manni took the opportunity to break free. Using both hands and feet, she quickly rose to the surface. Instead of getting too close to Chen Yu, she swam rapidly behind him, grabbed his not-so-long hair (barely enough), and forcefully pulled his head up.
Chen Yu finally gained the freedom to breathe, which was much more enjoyable than his financial freedom! He greedily inhaled a large mouthful of air, and then coughed violently, coughing up a lot of river water.
Once Chen Yu calmed down, Wang Manni spoke up, "Teacher Chen, don't struggle. Let me hold your upper body so it will be easier to get you ashore."
Recalling what had just happened, Chen Yu felt a little embarrassed. There was great terror between life and death, and even with Chen Yu's sixty years of experience, he couldn't remain calm.