CHAPTER 426: CHAPTER 419: WHEN IN ROME

"Mayor Tian, bringing your friend for a meal?" A somewhat plump middle-aged woman greeted Tian Xinhua with an authentic Huang Yuan dialect.

"Um, she’s my fiancée." Xinhua introduced Sisi to his colleagues, and Sisi also smiled and waved hello to them generously.

"Mayor Tian’s fiancée is really pretty, her face is like a jade plate, truly exceptional!"

The plump woman kept praising Sisi, but inside she felt a bit regretful; she had planned to introduce her niece from her maternal family to the new mayor, but she didn’t expect him to already have such a beautiful fiancée!

Ah, what a pity!

Tian Xinhua smiled, had Sisi sit down, while Old Xu had already prepared breakfast—corn porridge and some slightly blackened steamed buns, probably mixed with some other grains.

Sisi scooped a spoonful of porridge and took a sip, frowning slightly—the porridge was too coarse. At this time, the cornmeal wasn’t really flour, but just roughly ground old corn on a millstone, simply crushed into pieces, very rough.

After only a couple of sips, Sisi couldn’t eat any more. Seeing her expression, Xinhua knew she didn’t like it, and without a word, he poured her bowl of porridge into his own and started gulping it down.

Old Xu didn’t say anything, but in his heart, he thought Mayor Tian’s fiancée was a bit too delicate. Only their government canteen had corn porridge to offer; if it were the villagers, they’d have to eat sorghum flour every day, which would be really tough!

Sisi nibbled on a steamed bun in small bites—although a bit coarse, it was still palatable. After eating one black bun with some salty pickled vegetables, she didn’t eat anymore, leaving the rest of the meal to be finished by Xinhua and Old Xu.

Tian Xinhua had to deal with the aftermath of water theft today and didn’t have time to accompany Sisi, so he looked at her apologetically, feeling he wasn’t a good fiancé.

Sisi waved her hand nonchalantly, "It’s okay, Brother Xinhua, you go ahead with your work. I’m fine by myself."

Xinhua felt a bit stifled; this heartless girl, while he was reluctant to part, she seemed quite comfortable.

Sisi noticed the change in Xinhua’s expression and whisperingly said a few words into his ear, making Xinhua’s eyes light up, and he left happily.

After sending off her fiancé, Sisi returned to Xinhua’s dormitory. She initially wanted to show off her domestic skills by tidying up for him, but seeing that his place was well-organized and even cleaner than her own room, she went to the next room instead.

This room was arranged by Old Xu as her temporary accommodation here, which is really just for show. How could Xinhua possibly let her sleep elsewhere?

It’s just to deceive those neighbors next door; after all, she and Xinhua were only engaged. If people knew they were cohabiting before marriage, the gossip would drown them.

Since she didn’t plan to stay, Sisi briefly tidied up, made the bed, then took the car keys and left. The food in the canteen was too unpalatable; she needed to buy some stuff for the kitchen so she could cook for herself.

On the corridor, many women were cooking, and the air was filled with the aroma of food. These women felt a bit restrained when they saw Sisi; they had all heard that Mayor Tian’s bride-to-be had arrived, looking like a fairy, and now seeing her in person, it proved to be true. She wasn’t just beautiful; even her clothes were lovely, outshining those worn by the ladies in town.

Sisi smiled and said, "Sisters are cooking!"

"Yeah, have you eaten yet, young lady? Why not come over to my place and have a bite?" A woman in her thirties invited Sisi warmly.

The woman was tall and slender, with a long face. Although her skin was a bit dark, her facial features were quite delicate. Looking at her clothes, it was clear she dressed better than the other few women; her family’s conditions must be quite good.

"Thank you, sister-in-law. I’ll go out to buy some things; I won’t trouble you. I’ll come and try your cooking another time when I’m free."

Sisi politely declined and exchanged a few more pleasantries before heading out to start the car and drive away.

A few women popped their heads out to see the car had disappeared and couldn’t help but click their tongues enviously. A woman dressed rather provincially said, "Mayor Tian’s daughter-in-law really has style, being able to drive a car. Her family must be so rich!"

"You’ve got no clue. Can you drive a car just because you have money? I bet Mayor Tian’s daughter-in-law comes from a family of high-ranking officials," the long-faced woman said with certainty.

"How high-ranking? Higher than Secretary Hu’s position?" the provincial woman curiously asked.

The long-faced woman snorted with laughter, "Look at your knowledge. You know nothing beyond Mijia Town. What are officials here compared to the real big shots? The real high-ranking ones are in the big cities. Didn’t you see the Luo character on Mayor Tian’s daughter-in-law’s car plate?"

"I... I can’t read," the provincial woman said, embarrassed.

The long-faced woman gave her a scornful look, losing interest in continuing the conversation. She went back to preparing lunch, but her heart was no longer at ease.

She had originally thought that her family was among the upper echelon in Mijia Town. Her husband was the deputy mayor, and she was a primary school teacher. With two incomes, they naturally had more money than others, and everything from food to clothing was better, giving her a strong sense of superiority.

But having just seen Mayor Tian’s daughter-in-law, all her feelings of superiority crumbled into dust instantly. The brand-new dacron shirt she was wearing seemed like burlap next to the stylish and beautiful clothes of the other woman.

And that shiny watch, the lovely jewelry, and handbags all made the long-faced woman extremely envious. That’s why she had previously invited Sisi over for a meal so warmly, thinking that someone as well-off as Sisi would surely give something in return after eating.

Unfortunately, she was turned down. The long-faced woman couldn’t help feeling regretful. However, she didn’t lose heart - after all, her home was so close to Mayor Tian’s. There would be plenty of opportunities in the future!

Sisi came back a little after three in the afternoon, carrying a large heap of items, including pots, pans, ladles, stoves, and even some honeycomb coal.

The residents on the second floor saw Sisi with her large and small bags and came over to help. Many hands make light work, and they quickly tidied everything up.

"Little sister-in-law, why did you buy so many things? That must’ve cost quite a bit of money?"

The same provincial woman looked enviously at the brand-new supplies. They were so pretty, and thinking about the old junk she had at home left a sour taste in her mouth.

Little sister-in-law?

Sisi was stunned by this address, feeling like she was hit by a thunderbolt, and awkwardly laughed. "Sister-in-law, my name is He Sisi. Just call me Sisi in the future."

"Sisi, that’s a pleasant name. It has a city ring to it."

The provincial woman said with a laugh, but inside she had her thoughts: City people have such strange names. What’s wrong with them? Naming her Sisi, it sounds just like "death" [si], not auspicious at all.

Sisi just smiled, handed out bags of snacks she had just bought to the women who had helped, and they all went back very satisfied. Before leaving, they warmly invited Sisi to visit their homes.