Xiao Cheng didn’t stay home long before heading out again, saying he had things to take care of.
Lin Aiyun dug out all her embroidery supplies and spent the moing holed up in her room stitching. She only stopped when her neck became too sore to continue, then headed to the back courtyard to find Zhang Wenhua.
Not long after they had left the house that morning, Xiao Juan had also gone out to visit her classmates, leaving only Zhang Wenhua and Lin Wenkang at home.
Lin Aiyun found Zhang Wenhua in the kitchen, chatting with the two cooks while kneading dough—clearly preparing to make some dumplings. Seeing her arrive, Zhang Wenhua quickly waved her over: “What brings you here?”
“Just came to check on you.” Lin Aiyun greeted the other two women first, then asked, “Where’s Kangzi?”
“Gone out looking for his dad. Probably running wild somewhere outside by now.” Zhang Wenhua waved her hand dismissively. Boys that age loved being outdoors; keeping them cooped up at home was worse than torture.
Lin Aiyun nodded. Thinking of the news she’d heard this morning, she quietly mentioned it to Zhang Wenhua, whose expression immediately turned tense. “I wonder if the fighting will reach our village. And your aunt’s family in the county—life definitely won’t be as comfortable for them now.”
“Letters probably can’t get through to them right now. We’ll have to wait and see for a while. Don’t worry, Mom—nothing will happen. Our place is out in the boonies. Besides, who would want to harm ordinary folks?”
Hearing this, Zhang Wenhua’s anxious heart settled a little. She continued wrapping dumplings. Lin Aiyun, unable to sit idle, washed her hands and joined in. When they finished, she said, “There’s that open patch of land in front of the house. Xiao Cheng said if you like, we could turn it into a small vegetable garden.”
Unexpectedly, Zhang Wenhua’s reaction was almost identical to Lin Jianzhi’s—she shook her head vigorously.
“Oh, you’re not interested? Then I’ll do it myself!” Lin Aiyun knew her mother was saying one thing but meaning another. She grabbed a hoe from the kitchen corner and started heading out, startling Zhang Wenhua into rushing to stop her.
“Once the garden’s up, we’ll save money on vegetables. The land’s just sitting there empty anyway—might as well put it to good use. Don’t you think I’m right, Mom?” Lin Aiyun shoved the hoe into Zhang Wenhua’s hands, picked up another one for herself, and pushed her forward.
Hearing this, Zhang Wenhua’s own interest was piqued. After a moment’s thought, she nodded. “Alright. Let’s loosen the soil first, then check the market tomorrow for seeds.”
Who would have thought that after coming to the capital, her daughter and son-in-law would still let her grow vegetables in such a nice place—just to help her pass the time?
The thought warmed her heart.
The mother-daughter duo worked all afternoon and finally dug out a rough outline. Perhaps it was a touch of perfectionism, but the garden plot turned out square and neat.
Admiring their handiwork, both Lin Aiyun and Zhang Wenhua wore satisfied smiles. Zhang Wenhua dusted off her hands. “When your father gets back, tell him to go up the mountain and cut some bamboo to make a fence.”
Then she paused, realizing—where was there a mountain in the middle of the capital?
“Better ask Xiao Cheng. We’re not familiar with the area yet. It’ll come with time.” Noticing Zhang Wenhua’s awkwardness, Lin Aiyun nudged her shoulder, deliberately smearing a bit of dirt on her face, then darted away with a laugh. “Mom, go wash your face and hands—you look like a calico cat!”
“You little rascal!” Zhang Wenhua chased after her, swatting her backside a few times before they both ended up laughing and washing up at the faucet.
The two cooks were honest, straightforward, and cheerful—they had long since opened up once they realized the ladies of the house weren’t putting on airs. They joked around now and then, and the atmosphere was pleasant.
One was named Ding Hai’e, the other Zhang Lan. Since Zhang Lan shared the same surname as Zhang Wenhua and had a more outgoing personality, the two hit it off even more.
Both women lived not far away and came over to cook at mealtimes. They handled grocery shopping together, keeping each other in check and making sure there was no skimming.
When Zhang Wenhua mentioned wanting to build a fence around the garden, Zhang Lan quickly said, “No need to bother the master with that—I know where to get bamboo. There’s a carpenter in one of the alleys by the market who does just that. You can probably get a big bundle for a few dimes.”
Hearing this, Zhang Wenhua and Lin Aiyun exchanged a glance, both intrigued.
“Leave it to me—I’ll make sure the bamboo gets delivered here tomorrow.”
Seeing Zhang Lan so eager, Lin Aiyun smiled and said, “Alright then, thank you, Auntie Zhang. No need for you to pay—just deduct it from the household account.”
“Don’t mention it! It’s my pleasure.” Zhang Lan waved it off casually.
Before long, dinnertime arrived, and everyone trickled back in. The first to return was Xiao Juan, but her little mouth was pouted so high it could hang a soy sauce bottle. Lin Aiyun took her hand and asked with concern.
“It’s that Jiang…” Xiao Juan caught herself before she slipped, shook her head, and huffed: “I just ran into some rude person at lunch.”
Seeing she didn’t want to elaborate, Lin Aiyun went along and bad-mouthed the person for a while. Only when Xiao Juan’s mood had calmed did she lead her to the dining room. “You said yesterday you didn’t get enough dumplings—I had a few more made for you today.”
Hearing this, Xiao Juan immediately put those unhappy thoughts behind her. She clung to Lin Aiyun and Zhang Wenhua, refusing to let go, and chattered on: “Auntie and Sister-in-law are so good to me! Oh, I brought back a roast duck for you all—it’s delicious. You must try it later.”
Just then, Lin Jianzhi and Lin Wenkang returned as well. They’d been out in the sun all afternoon and were drenched in sweat, their faces and necks red. Zhang Wenhua quickly wet a towel and handed it to them to wipe off.
“Good luck today—caught quite a few fish.” Lin Jianzhi was carrying a large bucket, with a big black fish splashing about inside, sending up droplets of water.
“At the rate you’re fishing, that lake will be empty in no time!” Zhang Wenhua couldn’t help teasing him when she saw his smug look.
Everyone else laughed. Lin Jianzhi wiped his face and chuckled, a little embarrassed, and retorted, “I don’t go fishing every day.”
His gaze swept past the roughly formed little vegetable patch, and he exclaimed in surprise, “You got this done so quickly?”
“Yeah, Xiao Lan is going to buy some bamboo tomorrow, and you’ll make a nice fence to enclose it.” Zhang Wenhua unceremoniously assigned Lin Jianzhi a task.
“Alright, I’ll make it beautiful for you.” Lin Jianzhi puffed out his chest and agreed on the spot.
They chatted for a while longer, but when the food was getting cold and Xiao Cheng still hadn’t returned, Lin Aiyun told everyone to go ahead and eat. The dishes that night were plentiful and everyone ate heartily, with the roast duck Xiao Juan had brought back being so good that even the bones were sucked clean.
After the meal, Xiao Juan led them out for a walk around the neighborhood. They had just gotten back and were at the gate when they ran into Xiao Cheng, who had just stepped out of the car.
“Brother!” Xiao Juan, sharp-eyed, spotted him first and dashed over like a whirlwind. She then noticed Zhou Jin standing nearby, holding a large box. Curious, she asked, “Brother Zhou, what’s that you’re carrying?”
“Wedding invitations.” Zhou Jin answered honestly.
Xiao Juan nodded and withdrew her gaze. “Remember to give me a few—I have some friends I need to send them to.”
She turned to find Xiao Cheng, but he was no longer beside her. Looking up, she saw him striding over to Lin Aiyun. He was saying something, a faint smile on his face.
“My brother sure values his wife more than his sister, huh?” Xiao Juan couldn’t help feeling a bit jealous, but she was also happy to see them so close.
Zhou Jin didn’t dare to respond to that and simply kept his head down, playing dead. Xiao Juan glanced at him and then asked with a smile, “Brother Zhou, I heard your family introduced you to a girl—are you getting married soon too? What’s she like? Is she pretty?”
Now Zhou Jin nearly buried his face in the ground. How had word spread to Xiao Juan already? He stammered for a long time without getting a word out.
The others had overheard this too. Zhou Jin had stayed in Nangou Village with Xiao Cheng for so long that they all regarded him as a younger generation and a friend. Hearing such big news, everyone was eager to ask questions.
“Xiao Zhou really is at the age to get married. It’s good to marry early—you’ll have someone to care for you, warm or cold.”
“Right, what’s the girl like? Do you like her?”
“Stop it, Xiao Zhou is shy—he’s blushing!”
Finally, Zhou Jin said helplessly, “We’ve only met once. Nothing is set in stone yet.”
“Laughing at others, are you? After your sister-in-law and I finish our business, I’ll take you to meet your fiancé. His side called today to ask about you.” Xiao Cheng saw Zhou Jin flustered and rarely stepped in to rescue him.
“What!” Xiao Juan’s eyes went wide, her expression one of reluctance. “What fiancé? I’ve never even met him, and I’m supposed to be tied down in marriage? That’s feudal dregs! Everyone advocates for free love now—brother, how can you still cling to old rules!”
“That’s a marriage your mother arranged for you.” Xiao Cheng’s eyes went cold. Seeing her react so strongly, he knew she still harbored feelings for that Jiang Yan kid, and a surge of anger rose in him. “There’s a limit to how much you can throw yourself at someone who doesn’t care. Don’t forget what you promised me!”
Hearing his harsh tone, Lin Aiyun quickly tugged at his arm in disapproval. “Talk to her properly—no need to yell.”
At this, Xiao Cheng took a deep breath and didn’t speak again, though his expression remained grim as he stared at Xiao Juan.
Xiao Juan bit her lower lip, knowing full well what Xiao Cheng meant. But her eyes burned with unshed tears, and she stubbornly refused to back down. Just before she broke down crying, she ran into the house.
“A-Juan!” Lin Aiyun called out worriedly, then said to the others, “I’ll go check on her.”
“Alright, Aiyun—hurry.” Zhang Wenhua urged her, also watching Xiao Juan’s retreating figure with concern. Even she felt daunted by the sight of Xiao Cheng’s stern, scolding demeanor, let alone a young girl like Xiao Juan.
But since they didn’t know the whole story, it wasn’t their place to interfere in the siblings’ quarrel. All they could do was offer a few words of comfort.
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