Chen Jianye actually understood why the Ran family invited him over for dinner.
It was simply because he had a good relationship with Ran Qiuye, so Ran Father and Ran Mother wanted to meet him.
As Ran Father said, a grown daughter cannot be kept at home.
Since she couldn't be kept, as parents, they definitely had to help their daughter with the important matter of marriage.
Chen Jianye didn't overthink it; he wasn't set on marrying Ran Qiuye.
He just felt that Ran Qiuye was quite suitable to be a wife.
Of course, her shortcomings were also very obvious.
Ran Qiuye's parents were highly educated individuals, and the Ran family would be affected by the upheaval a few years later.
Chen Jianye felt it wasn't a big problem.
Ran Qiuye hadn't studied abroad yet; if he dated Ran Qiuye, the issue of her family background wouldn't be complicated, and she wouldn't be too affected in the future.
Moreover, Chen Jianye was confident that given a few years, he could reach a very high position with the help of the effort system.
Perhaps in a few years, he would go to Hong Kong to start a business.
In the 1960s, Hong Kong was in its golden age of booming development; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe it as having gold everywhere.
Meanwhile, the mainland was experiencing ten years of turmoil, where nothing could be accomplished.
Staying in the country would be a waste of time.
Therefore, Chen Jianye's attitude towards this dinner was very casual.
It was as if he was genuinely there just to eat.
He wasn't overly restrained.
He chatted with Ran Father for a while.
The kitchen door opened.
Ran Qiuye brought a large bowl of soup to the table.
"It smells so good, Auntie's cooking is really excellent."
Chen Jianye praised.
"Haha, this time Qiuye's mother really showed her true skills."
Ran Father chuckled and motioned for Chen Jianye to sit down and eat.
Chen Jianye didn't stand on ceremony, pulling out a chair and sitting down.
The Ran family's living conditions were very good.
They had a dedicated dining table and chairs.
This made Chen Jianye very envious.
Unlike him, he only had one dining table, and he also studied at the dining table.
Ran Qiuye successively brought three more dishes to the table.
A woman wearing an apron, with a kind smile and wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, walked out of the kitchen.
Although the woman was quite old, she had an excellent demeanor, giving off a feeling of steadfastness amidst turmoil.
"Hello, Auntie."
"Your cooking smells so delicious, it makes one's mouth water."
Chen Jianye stood up to greet her.
"Hehe, don't be so polite, please sit down and talk."
"Young man, do you drink? Would you like to have a couple of fenjiu (liquor) with Old Ran?"
Ran Mother asked with a smile.
When she smiled, the wrinkles on her face became more pronounced, yet it made her seem more approachable.
"I still have to go to the Library to read this afternoon, so I won't drink, perhaps."
"If Uncle wants to drink, I can have a couple of fenjiu (liquor) with him."
Chen Jianye politely declined a few times, but didn't completely refuse.
"Then you can have a couple of fenjiu (liquor) with me."
Ran Father was in high spirits.
His wife had made a large table of dishes today; it would be a waste not to have some fenjiu (liquor).
Ran Mother took out an unfinished bottle of fenjiu (liquor) and placed it on the table.
Ran Qiuye took out two fenjiu (liquor) glasses, poured half a glass into each, and holding them with both hands, placed them in front of Ran Father and Chen Jianye.
"Come, Jianye, have some food first to line your stomach."
Ran Father gestured.
"Thank you, Uncle."
Chen Jianye politely said, picked up his chopsticks, and took some food.
He praised every bite, and Ran Mother's smile never faded.
After a few bites, Ran Father raised his glass, and Chen Jianye accompanied him in drinking.
Throughout the meal, Ran Father and Ran Mother acted very normally, not asking Chen Jianye any personal questions.
Instead, they inquired about Chen Jianye's work, encouraged him, and told him to work hard and contribute to the nation's construction.
Ran Qiuye was secretly surprised; she had originally worried her parents would interrogate him at the dinner table.
She didn't expect the atmosphere to be so harmonious.
It turned out she had overthought things.
Half an hour later.
Only soup and liquids were left on the dining table.
Chen Jianye and Ran Father's glasses were completely empty.
"Jianye, let's have some more."
Ran Father's cheeks were flushed, and he was in high spirits.
"Uncle, we've already had one more glass; we can't have any more."
Chen Jianye said.
"Hey, you're right, we've already had one more glass, what's half a glass more?"
"Let's have some more."
Ran Father was very enthusiastic and wanted to drink more.
"Don't drink so much. Jianye is too polite to tell you, but as an elder, you should know better."
Ran Mother said unhappily.
Her face was stern, like a teacher scolding a student.
Ran Father's face showed a hint of embarrassment.
"Uncle, Auntie has already spoken. Let's have one last sip, and then no more, how about that?"
Chen Jianye said with a smile.
"Okay, I'll listen to you."
Ran Father nodded.
Chen Jianye opened the fenjiu (liquor) bottle cap and poured a mouthful for himself and Ran Father.
The bottle of fenjiu (liquor) was exactly finished.
The two clinked their last glasses.
Ran Father made tea, invited Chen Jianye to drink tea to sober up, and chatted casually.
Ran Mother, meanwhile, took Ran Qiuye to clear the dining table.
"I believe that in the next three to five years, there will definitely be a large-scale rectification movement in the country."
As they chatted, the topic of conversation between Chen Jianye and Ran Father touched upon politics.
"I don't think so. The country is in ruins awaiting reconstruction; we must vigorously develop production capacity."
"A rectification movement is not the most urgent thing."
Ran Father waved his hand.
"It is precisely because we need to vigorously develop production that we need vigorous rectification."
"As the saying goes, 'no destruction, no construction.' If the shackles from the top to the grassroots are not swept away, policies cannot be implemented, and the foundation of governance naturally cannot be discussed."
Chen Jianye debated.
"No, the problems you mentioned can be addressed gradually. How many years has it been since our country was founded?"
"In every dynasty of our country's history, great order followed great chaos, and now it is..."
Ran Father cited classics, and his words were more convincing than Chen Jianye's judgment.
Chen Jianye, as a transmigrator, didn't refute him either.
Scholars, you see, are like that; they rigidly apply past experiences.
If he could predict the future, the Ran family wouldn't have waited until '65; they would have fled long ago.
"Jianye, can you still go to the Library to read? Or should I send you back first?"
Ran Qiuye finished in the kitchen, heard Chen Jianye and her father talking nonsense, and walked over to ask.
"Oh, if you hadn't reminded me, I would have forgotten; I still need to borrow books from the Library."
Chen Jianye quickly stood up.
"Comrade Jianye, are you leaving already? Stay a little longer."
Ran Father tried to persuade him to stay.
"No, thank you, Uncle and Auntie, for your hospitality. I really have something to do."
Chen Jianye waved his hand, his attitude firm.
Ran Father and Ran Qiuye saw Chen Jianye to the door together.
"Jianye, I'll go back to the Library with you."
Ran Qiuye sat on the back seat.
"Okay, hold on tight."
Chen Jianye turned the direction, waved to Ran Father, and rode away.
Ran Father watched Chen Jianye leave with Ran Qiuye, a fatherly smile appearing on his face.
He closed the door and returned to the coffee table.
"How was it? Is this child okay?"
Ran Mother sat at the coffee table, washing her tea cup.
The two had a clear division of labor.
One worked in the kitchen, and the other probed Chen Jianye.
Probing is a very sophisticated technique.
Because people can disguise themselves, what they say is not necessarily the truth; one must learn to discern their true thoughts through their words.
"I think he's fine."
Ran Father took a sip of tea, very satisfied.
"You had a good time drinking with him, so of course you think he's fine."
Ran Mother said irritably.
"See, you're always like this. If I didn't drink with him, could I tell what kind of person he is?"
Ran Father also became unhappy.
After drinking, under the influence of alcohol, emotions are amplified.
If it were before, Ran Father would have endured Ran Mother's scolding and it would have passed.
But not now; after drinking, a man must be supreme, how could he be controlled by an old woman?