Mrs. Brown's companions agreed with her, saying, "How embarrassing! We should keep our distance from her so that no one sees us and thinks we're with her!
"She even dares to bring those pickles here!"
After taking a deep breath, I was about to speak when a beautiful woman wearing sunglasses and striking red lipstick approached the table.
She glanced at the pickles on the table and asked the front desk, "Did you just receive these pickles? Can you send some to my room at dinner? My mom has been recovering here for a while, and lately, she has found that most pickled foods are not tasty enough to go with her meals."
The receptionist working at the front desk said, "I'm sorry, Ms. Klein, but these aren't our pickles. They were brought from the countryside by this lady."
The woman turned to Mrs. Cylon in surprise. "These were brought from the countryside? That means they're authentic and handmade, right?"
Revealing a shy smile, Mrs. Cylon said, "Yes, they're handmade. They were naturally fermented, with no additives other than salt and some spices."
"Oh my, this is something precious that can't even be purchased! Could you sell me some? My mom grew up in the countryside and craved food like this, but there's no way I can buy this just anywhere. This must be fate. Please, sell me some, ma'am."
Mrs. Cylon was flattered. "Oh, shucks. This isn't anything valuable. If you want to have some, just take it."
The woman smiled, taking Mrs. Cylon's hand without hesitation. "Then I really must thank you, ma'am."
With a smile, I turned to the front desk and said, "Please bring a few clean bowls and fill them for the beautiful lady."
The front desk quickly brought some bowls, filled them with pickles per my instructions, and placed them on a tray.
On the way back, I called my mother and told her what had happened. "Wow, son! You've got a girlfriend? What kind of woman is she?"
As expected, my mom got excited right away. If it weren't for Felicia bringing her mother here to introduce her to me, I'd planned not to tell my mother for at least another year.
But now, I had no choice but to tell her.
I recounted how I met Felicia, and my mother clapped in delight. "That's great! She must be a nice young lady. I like her already. I've told you before. When looking for a girlfriend, don't just focus on looks or her figure.
"Find someone with a good personality—modest and mature, like me. She doesn't need to be exceptional, just capable of being a good and helpful wife."
I smiled at her remarks. "I know. She has a great personality."
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