8mi Chapter 279: The He Family Tradition
Chapter 279: The He Family Tradition
When Cai Quanwu heard that He Daqing was a chef, his face was filled with genuine joy, and he kept being happy for his older brother. He Daqing looked at his younger brother, and initially thought of giving him a hand and teaching him good cooking skills, but then he thought again that a chef's skills could not be mastered in less than ten years.
Besides, Cai Quanwu and Xu Huizhen were doing quite well running their small tavern, so they suppressed the idea and just hoped that the two brothers would visit each other more often and help each other out.
The group chatted for most of the day, and before they knew it, it was time for the tavern to open for the afternoon. He Daqing, filled with reluctance, repeatedly told Cai Quanwu to visit him at courtyard house number 95 in the future. After receiving Cai Quanwu's affirmative reply, he reluctantly left with He Yushui, He Yuzhu, and Qin Huairu.
Zhang Lei checked the time and led his five wives back. Chen Xueru stayed at the tavern, presumably to tell the regular customers about the exciting family reunion that day.
Zhang Lei wanted to stay a little longer, but seeing that his wives had been running around all day and looked tired, he was afraid they would get too tired, so he insisted on taking them back to the No. 90 courtyard house.
As soon as Zhang Lei entered the courtyard, he saw Ye Shuqin busy packing her things; her belly was already slightly protruding, which was heartbreaking to see. He pulled Lou Xiao'e aside and asked somewhat embarrassedly, "Xiao'e, do you have any reliable housekeepers or elderly women who can cook in your area?"
Lou Xiao'e was taken aback, then turned to look at him: "Husband, what kind of person are you looking for? What kind of work will they be doing?"
"Look, Shuqin, Shuqi, and Shuhua are getting bigger and bigger," Zhang Lei pointed to his three pregnant wives, then looked at Lou Xiao'e and Ding Qiunan. "Neither of you can cook. We can't keep eating out every day, can we? I'm thinking of finding a reliable auntie to come and help with cooking and lend a hand."
Lou Xiao'e immediately nodded: "No problem. I'll talk to my dad tomorrow and ask him to help me find someone trustworthy, efficient, and reliable."
Zhang Lei nodded in satisfaction. Now they live in a detached house with their own yard. As long as they find a reliable person, it's neither troublesome nor do they have to worry about their family affairs getting out.
Hearing this, Ye Shuqi hesitated, but Ye Shuhua finally spoke up: "Honey, there's no need to trouble yourself, is there? We can still cook for ourselves now. Besides, back in our hometown, there are plenty of pregnant women working in the fields, cooking a meal is nothing."
Zhang Lei shook his head, his attitude firm: "No. Doing it your way is too risky. I can't let anything happen to the three of you; you're all my precious darlings."
These words were both cheesy and heartwarming, and the wives blushed, lowering their heads somewhat embarrassedly.
Zhang Lei looked at them and joked with a smile, "What? Are you shy already? Hasn't any of you been completely honest with me? We're all family, don't be shy."
Ding Qiunan rolled her eyes at him and scolded, "Honey, you're really shameless. If you said that outside, you'd be arrested as a hooligan long ago, and we wouldn't save you then."
Zhang Lei raised an eyebrow, feigning ferocity: "Fine, you dare not save me? Looks like I didn't punish you enough. I'll teach you a lesson tonight."
Terrified, Ding Qiunan quickly begged for mercy: "My lord, I was wrong, please forgive me!"
"No way, you have to sleep with me tonight!" Zhang Lei said with a straight face, but he was secretly overjoyed.
Lou Xiao'e chimed in gleefully, "Yes, she needs to be taught a lesson!"
Ding Qiunan instantly bristled, lunging forward to tickle Lou Xiao'e: "Fine, you dare betray me? See how I deal with you!"
The two wrestled and struggled, making a huge fuss. Zhang Lei watched with great interest, shouting "Go for it!" at the top of his lungs, filling the yard with laughter and cheers.
At this moment, Ye Shuqin walked over and looked at them helplessly: "Husband, how old are you? You're still acting like a child. Hurry up and help me bring out the dishes. Let's eat."
Upon hearing "Dinner is served," everyone immediately quieted down and got up to help, some carrying dishes, others clearing the table, and soon a table of food was set.
Halfway through the meal, Zhang Lei suddenly burst out laughing.
Everyone was startled by him. Ye Shuqin put down her chopsticks and asked suspiciously, "Honey, what mischievous idea are you thinking of now? You're laughing so happily."
Zhang Lei shook his head, his eyes full of laughter: "This time it wasn't a bad idea, I just thought of something really funny and couldn't help it."
Lou Xiao'e immediately leaned over, asking curiously, "What's so funny? Tell us!"
Zhang Lei cleared his throat and began to analyze in a serious tone: "I just thought about the He family and found it very interesting—all the men in their family love other men's wives."
Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned, their faces filled with astonishment.
Zhang Lei continued, "Listen to me. The first one is He Daqing. When Zhuzi and Yushui were little, he ran off with the widow. The second one is Cai Quanwu, whom we just met today. His wife, Xu Huizhen, also married him with her child. And then there's He Yuzhu. Before he was injured, he always had feelings for Qin Huairu, a married woman in the courtyard."
After he finished speaking, everyone was so shocked that their mouths dropped open. Upon closer inspection, it was indeed true! The men of the He family all preferred widows or married women. They were all women who had been married before. No matter how you looked at it, it gave off a "traitorous" vibe, which made people laugh.
Ye Shuqi looked incredulous and pressed, "Master, are you saying the He family has this kind of tradition?"
Zhang Lei put down his chopsticks, smiled and nodded: "At first I didn't believe it either, but after meeting Cai Quanwu today, and then thinking about He Daqing and Sha Zhu, it all makes sense, doesn't it? The men in the He family probably really have this preference. I just wonder if Sha Zhu's grandfather was also like that."
Ding Qiunan, standing to the side, curled her lip, somewhat unconvinced: "Honey, what you're saying is too far-fetched, isn't it? There's no such absurd thing as a family tradition. It must just be a coincidence."
Zhang Lei waved his hand, looking certain: "Whether it's a coincidence or not, the situation is what it is, that's just how it is."
Seeing his confident and smug look, the others couldn't argue anymore and could only lower their heads and continue eating.
Halfway through the meal, an unexpected incident occurred—Lou Xiao'e and Ding Qiunan suddenly covered their mouths at the same time and began to gag.
The sudden commotion startled everyone in the courtyard. Zhang Lei quickly stood up, patted the two men on the back, and asked anxiously, "What happened to you two? Are you alright?"
Lou Xiao'e waved her hand, and after a moment, said, "It's nothing, it's just that what you said just now made me feel a little nauseous."
Zhang Lei was still worried and asked again, "Are you really alright? Should we go check on her?"
Ding Qiunan blushed slightly and said hesitantly, "Honey, I... I probably won't be able to stay with you tonight."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Lei instantly realized what was happening, his eyes lighting up as he blurted out, "You and Xiao'e, you two aren't pregnant, are you?"
Lou Xiao'e suddenly realized what was happening, covered her mouth, and exclaimed in shock, "No way? Husband, I...I'm pregnant?"
The two looked at each other, their eyes filled with uncertainty. Ding Qiunan composed herself and said, "Judging from their reactions just now, it should be about right."
Zhang Lei immediately pressed on, his gaze sweeping across their faces: "Did you two have any other reactions? Like suddenly having a strong craving for something, or feeling nauseous or disgusted at the sight of something?"
Ding Qiunan rolled her eyes at him, her tone tinged with helplessness: "Honey, what you're saying is all old superstition. We have to believe in science."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Lei thought to himself: Believe in science? Believe in science my ass! I'm a time traveler, why are you talking to me about science?
He didn't dare say it aloud, but he kept thinking it to himself while still smiling and continuing to ask about the two people's physical reactions. In his heart, he was overjoyed—the family was about to have a new member.