Free Web NovelChapter 337: Chapter 336: First Accept 2 Women, Then the Female Ghost and the Banshee Will Be Easier to Accept
What kind of Dao is he cultivating?
The Dao of Dual Cultivation? The Path of Joyful Union?
Li Man’s head was full of questions. But the scene was too awkward, so she instinctively looked away. She decided not to disturb them right now, planning to find a chance to ask about it later.
But unfortunately, her best friend beside her also knew Gu Zhao. Recognizing him at a glance, she immediately tugged on Li Man’s sleeve and pointed to his table. "Sister Man, isn’t that your son?"
Li Man had no choice but to follow her friend’s finger and look at Gu Zhao, only to see that he was also looking at her.
"Yes!" Li Man gritted her teeth and nodded.
Gu Zhao winced. He never imagined his esteemed mother would not only come to this street but also walk into this very restaurant.
Yangcheng had so many old restaurants, and this place was far from both his home and Xiao Ya’s neighborhood. What were the odds of running into her here? It was too much of a coincidence!
Gu Zhao looked up toward the entrance. Xiao Ya and Jiang Shishi naturally followed his gaze and saw a woman who looked to be in her thirties staring intently at them.
Clearly, Gu Zhao knew this woman.
Xiao Ya and Jiang Shishi didn’t guess that the woman was Gu Zhao’s girlfriend, since they had known him since before he graduated.
Jiang Shishi asked in a low voice, "Your sister?"
Xiao Ya wiped her hands with a napkin from the table, a little nervous. "A cousin from your mom’s side or your dad’s side? Will she tell your parents?"
Thanks to the Elixirs and Medicinal Wine Gu Zhao had given her, Li Man’s five senses were now very sharp. Although still within the range of a normal person, she was able to clearly hear the two girls’ hushed questions.
Her Majesty, the Mother, was greatly pleased!
However, the woman next to Li Man didn’t hear them. Seeing Gu Zhao with a girl on each arm, she felt a pang of regret, but her heart was also filled with curiosity. She looked inquisitively at Gu Zhao and the two women beside him.
She knew Gu Zhao; after all, he was tall, handsome, and polite. She had a very deep and positive impression of him, or else she wouldn’t have thought of setting him up with someone.
But what was this situation before her now?
These two women were bright and beautiful, their expressions were natural, and their eyes were clear. Their fashion sense was excellent, too. They didn’t look like they were in *that* line of work, but why were they both being so openly affectionate with Gu Zhao at the same time?
The woman came from a good family and, being in her forties, had enough life experience to tell at a glance that both girls were respectable. Suppressing her burning curiosity, she tugged on Li Man’s sleeve. "Sister Man, why don’t we find another restaurant?"
"We’ve already seen them. Let’s go over," Li Man replied calmly, then walked toward their table.
Gu Zhao stood up. Xiao Ya and Jiang Shishi, looking slightly nervous, followed suit. "Hello, Sister!"
Li Man tried to hold it in, but she just couldn’t. The corners of her mouth lifted into a smile as she looked at Gu Zhao. "Aren’t you going to make some introductions?"
Gu Zhao sighed. "This is Xiao Ya, and this is Jiang Shishi. They’re both musicians in the Yangcheng Folk Orchestra."
Li Man’s eyes lit up.
The Yangcheng Folk Orchestra, much like the Yangcheng Art Song and Dance Ensemble, was a proper state-affiliated institution. In the eyes of ordinary people, such organizations weren’t part of the entertainment industry; their members were considered artists.
Then Gu Zhao introduced Li Man to the two women. "This is my mom."
This! Is! My! Mom!
The four words echoed in Xiao Ya and Jiang Shishi’s minds like the toll of a great bell, leaving them so stunned they couldn’t react for a moment.
"’Mom!’" Jiang Shishi repeated.
"’Mom?’" Xiao Ya questioned.
Then, both of them snapped to their senses. Their gazes toward Li Man were now a mixture of three parts shock, three parts smiles, three parts ingratiation, and one part fear.
"Hello, Auntie!" the two women chorused, bowing slightly, momentarily at a loss for what to do.
"Mom, Aunt Zhao, please have a seat. I’ll order a few more dishes."
Gu Zhao, however, seemed unfazed, casually inviting the two to sit down.
’I didn’t expect to run into them, but what’s done is done,’ he thought. ’If I can’t even handle the situation with Xiao Ya and Jiang Shishi, how am I supposed to deal with Zhuo Qingyan and Li Qingshuang later?’
’First, get Mom to accept two women. Then, getting her to accept a Female Ghost and a Cyan Bird Fairy should be a little easier, right?’
’One step at a time, moving forward methodically.’ Gu Zhao felt his approach was exceptionally mature and steady.
Gu Zhao: (◔◡◔)
Gu Zhao scanned the QR code to order, picking two dishes his esteemed mother loved. Then he passed the menu to Aunt Zhao. "Please, see what you’d like to eat."
"I’m fine with anything, you can just order whatever." Zhao Feifei waved her hands dismissively. The priority right now was to listen to the gossip; ordering food could wait.
But how could Li Man possibly start interrogating them here?
So she just casually inquired about the two girls’ hometowns and family backgrounds before steering the conversation to topics women talk about, even bringing up her friend Zhao Feifei’s daughter-in-law.
"Zhang Xinyao? We know her," said Jiang Shishi. "She’s with the Folk Song and Dance Ensemble. She’s an amazing dancer. We’ve seen her sometimes when we perform together."
The Folk Orchestra and the Song and Dance Ensemble were both under the umbrella of the Yangcheng Art Troupe, and they sometimes had joint performances, so it wasn’t strange that they knew each other.
"Zhang Xinyao is as beautiful as her dancing is exquisite. She’s the star of the dance troupe," Xiao Ya chimed in with praise, making Zhao Feifei beam with delight. She even invited them to the wedding.
However, Xiao Ya and Jiang Shishi used their unpredictable performance schedules as an excuse and didn’t accept the invitation.
But upon hearing about their performances, Li Man asked about the folk orchestra’s upcoming schedule and quietly committed it to memory.
...
The seafood feast went on without any awkward moments.
As the conversation deepened and they saw that Li Man wasn’t asking any uncomfortable questions, Xiao Ya and Jiang Shishi began to relax.
One hailed from a scholarly family, the other from a family of merchants. Both were poised, clever, cheerful, and beautiful. They were also sweet talkers, which kept a constant smile on Li Man’s face.
Li Man’s smile never faded for the entire meal. Afterward, however, she became conflicted.
Xiao Ya was quiet and gentle, while Jiang Shishi was enthusiastic and cheerful. Each had her own merits, and both were ideal daughters-in-law in her eyes. But having them both appear at once threw her into a state of indecision.
From the scene she had witnessed upon entering and from her observations during their chat, she could tell that both young women were interested in her son.
’That kid... what did he do to deserve this?’ Just as Li Man had this thought, she remembered her son’s abilities. ’Actually, if he revealed just a little of what he can do, he’d definitely be very attractive to girls.’
"Sister Man, your son is really something!"
After leaving the restaurant and parting ways, Zhao Feifei couldn’t help but say to Li Man, "Those two girls are so beautiful, and they’re both chasing after your son!"
Li Man couldn’t suppress a smile. In a half-joking, half-serious tone, she complained, "That rascal... they’re both such wonderful girls. It wouldn’t be right to let either of them down. How is anyone supposed to choose!"
Zhao Feifei was speechless.
