The atmosphere in the dining room stiffened for a moment, caught somewhere between awkward and embarrassing.
Zhang Wenhua and Lin Jianzhi exchanged a glance, their faces burning as well. They opened their mouths, but it took them a long moment to find their voices.
The culprit, Xiao Cheng, acted as if nothing had happened. He thoughtfully removed the fish bones for Lin Aiyun, placed the meat in her bowl, urged her to eat, and then continued speaking as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Anyway, I’m estimating we’ll hear good news within a month or two. If you two leave, it’ll just be us youngsters left. What would we do then?”
“…”
This reason left the old couple with no words of rebuttal. At the same time, they knew Xiao Cheng was saying this deliberately to keep them here. After all, he had money—hiring someone to take care of Aiyun would be simple. And they wouldn’t be living that far away anyway; coming over would be easy.
But the thought of actually holding a grandchild in their arms was enough to make their mouths stretch from ear to ear.
“I’ve also figured out the schooling situation for my little brother. There’s a good school nearby with a solid reputation and academic atmosphere—A-Juan used to study there. Many teachers there have recommendation spots for the University of the Capital. As long as he studies hard, he’ll have a chance to go to university in the future.”
“Once the household registration is transferred, he can enroll.”
“Living here would be much more convenient—it’s only a ten-minute walk. If I have time in the morning, I can even give him a ride.”
After Xiao Cheng finished speaking, he noticed Lin Aiyun had already eaten the piece of fish. A faint smile curved his lips as he picked out another piece for her.
At the mention of university, Zhang Wenhua and Lin Jianzhi’s eyes went wide. In all the surrounding villages and towns, not a single university student had ever come out. If Kangzi could really go to university, they would do anything—it would be a blessing that made their ancestors’ graves smoke!
That settled all thoughts of moving out. What else was there in life but to see your family do well? With their children so well taken care of, they were overjoyed—why would they disrupt the balance?
“Thank you, Xiao Cheng! Kangzi, what are you standing there for? Say thank you to your brother-in-law!”
“Thank you, brother-in-law!” Lin Wenkang quickly added his thanks.
“Why thank me? We’re family—no need for that. And don’t be formal at home either. A-Juan and I have long considered you all our closest kin. If you still treat us like outsiders, you’ll break our hearts.”
Xiao Cheng set down his chopsticks; his serious expression was quite imposing. Zhang Wenhua and the others quickly nodded in agreement. Looking at his sincere face, the heavy stone that had been pressing on their hearts for so long seemed to lift a little, and they felt much lighter.
Only through genuine exchanges would relationships grow closer step by step.
After the meal, Xiao Cheng didn’t forget about Zhang Boli, whom Lin Aiyun had mentioned the day before. Carrying the iron bucket, he took Lin Jianzhi and Lin Aiyun out with him. The Zhang residence was quite close—just a few minutes’ walk away.
It was also a courtyard house, though smaller than the Xiao residence. But it made up for it with exquisite detail and a strong scholarly atmosphere.
Along the way, the pavilions, rockeries, and flowering trees complemented each other, painting a picture of beauty.
“This courtyard is lovely.” Lin Aiyun couldn’t help but exclaim. Noticing this, Xiao Cheng turned his head and smiled. “There’s no one to tend to that stuff at home. How about you, as the mistress, take charge of it when we get back?”
“Huh? At most, I can plant some flowers and herbs.” Designing a courtyard was far too professional for her.
“Then plant some!” Xiao Cheng thought of something and added, “I saw a big open patch next to the kitchen. If Mother likes it, why not turn it into a vegetable garden?”
“A nice courtyard like that, used for growing vegetables? That won’t do, that won’t do.” Lin Jianzhi waved his hands hastily.
“What’s wrong with that? Give Mother something to do. You can’t just go fishing every day and not let her have any fun. Besides, we have so many yards—one less doesn’t matter.”
Lin Aiyun chimed in. She also thought a vegetable garden at home would be a great idea—both practical and enjoyable. Once the seedlings grew, they could pick fresh vegetables whenever they wanted, much fresher than what you’d buy at the market.
“That’s right.” Xiao Cheng rubbed Lin Aiyun’s head approvingly. The words “our home” coming from her mouth made him feel warmer the more he thought about it.
Seeing them both say so, Lin Jianzhi scratched his nose sheepishly and didn’t argue further.
Before they knew it, they had reached the center of the courtyard and spotted Zhang Boli standing at a table, brush in hand, practicing calligraphy. Dressed in a sleeveless undershirt and shorts, he looked just like any ordinary old man at the street corner—but the refined elegance about him was impossible to hide.
Leaning in for a look, his brushwork was nothing short of masterful.
“Old Zhang, I’m here to return your bucket.” Xiao Cheng walked up and called out casually.
“Hey, no respect for your elders.” Zhang Boli set down his brush and smiled at Xiao Cheng. When he saw the two people following behind, his eyes crinkled with delight. “Brother Lin, little lady—you came too!”
“Brother Zhang.” Lin Jianzhi gave a warm, simple smile.
“Uncle Zhang, hello.” Lin Aiyun followed suit, greeting him sweetly.
“Good, good, good.” Zhang Boli said “good” three times in a row, then invited them inside for tea.
Xiao Cheng was the least formal of them all, picking up his teacup and drinking as if he were in his own home. “This is my wife, and this is my father-in-law. You’ve already met them, so I won’t go into too much detail.”
“You lucky brat—you actually managed to marry such a beautiful and sweet wife. Your parents must be smiling in their graves.” Zhang Boli clicked his tongue in admiration, then, remembering something, asked, “By the way, what were you doing in Jiangming Province? Good thing you came back in time—this morning’s paper said fighting has broken out over there!”
“Just went to see a doctor and do some business. Lucky for me, I ran into my wife there, had the wedding banquet, and came back.” Xiao Cheng kept it brief, glossing over the situation there.
But Zhang Boli caught onto something and frowned: “See a doctor? What illness? When did you get sick?”
Xiao Cheng, who had always been as strong as an ox and rarely fell ill in his life, had been sick and gone all the way to Jiangming Province for treatment?
“Nothing serious. I had Uncle Jiang track down a renowned doctor from Shanghai. I was going to go to Shanghai, but with the fighting there, the doctor had fled back to his hometown—so I followed. I’m fully recovered now.”
Seeing that Xiao Cheng didn’t want to elaborate, and since he was fully healed, Zhang Boli didn’t press further.
“Where’s my aunt? Haven’t seen her in a while—I’d like to say hello.” Xiao Cheng looked around.
Zhang Boli waved his hand. “Bad timing. She left not long before you arrived—went out to play mahjong.”
“Then I’ll come back another time.” A hint of a smile flickered in Xiao Cheng’s eyes as he casually mentioned, “By the way, my wife is a real master at embroidery. How about having Auntie give her some guidance sometime? See if she qualifies for the national embroidery association.”
Lin Aiyun, who had been quietly drinking tea and listening to their conversation: “?!”
Why hadn’t Xiao Cheng discussed this with her first? But when she looked over and met his meaningful gaze, she understood—he was surprising her!
She was both amused and touched, and a flicker of anticipation and nervousness stirred within her.
“Oh?” Zhang Boli clearly hadn’t expected this topic. When he heard Lin Aiyun was an embroidery master, his eyes lit up. “When your aunt gets back tonight, I’ll talk to her about it. She’ll be over the moon.”
“She’s been wanting to meet your wife ever since she heard you got married. She was planning to wait until the wedding banquet, but it looks like she can’t hold out that long. How about this—tomorrow morning, little lady, come by again and have a good chat with your aunt.”
“Alright, I’ll definitely come tomorrow.” Lin Aiyun’s long lashes fluttered, concealing her joy, though she didn’t forget to glare at Xiao Cheng. “It’s not as exaggerated as Xiao Cheng makes it sound. I’m no master—I just like to embroider now and then.”
Zhang Boli watched their sweet back-and-forth and smiled as he sipped his tea.
They chatted a while longer before Zhang Boli invited Lin Jianzhi to stay and make fishing bait together—once the afternoon sun wasn’t so harsh, they could go fishing. Watching them enthusiastically discuss what to use as bait, Xiao Cheng and Lin Aiyun took their leave and headed home. It was only a short walk anyway, so they weren’t worried about Lin Jianzhi getting lost.
“Why didn’t you tell me about this first?” The moment they were back in the bedroom, Lin Aiyun turned and pointed at Xiao Cheng.
Xiao Cheng naturally knew what she meant. He caught her finger and pressed it to his lips, kissing it instead of answering her question: “Are you happy? Auntie is the vice president of the national embroidery association. With her recommendation, you’ll definitely get in.”
“You’re so sure I can make it?” Lin Aiyun didn’t say whether she was happy or not, but it was written all over her face—ever since they left the Zhang residence, the smile hadn’t left her eyes.
“Of course.” He nodded without hesitation.
“What if I don’t get in?” Honestly, just having this opportunity made her happy enough. And being able to meet the teacher who had guided her embroidery in her previous life made her a thousand times happier.
But naturally, anyone facing something akin to an “exam” would feel nervous—she was no exception. Right now, she was worried about whether she could pass Auntie’s test and successfully join the association.
After all, her embroidery skills had never been professionally evaluated.
Xiao Cheng lifted her sun-kissed, slightly flushed face and said seriously, “I believe in you! Though I’m no expert on embroidery, I can still tell whether something has value.”
“Your embroideries, in my eyes, could sell for a high price! Besides, you’ve already sold a few pieces before. If they were in the capital, you could raise the price even more.”
But of course, that had been just a small county town with limited purchasing power—raising the price too high would kill the market.
With Xiao Cheng, the “shrewd businessman,” giving his affirmation, Lin Aiyun finally relaxed the breath she’d been holding.
“Even if you don’t get in, making friends with like-minded elders and peers will only benefit you. So it’s all advantages, no disadvantages. Just go for it—I’ve got your back.” Xiao Cheng ruffled her hair, cheering her on.
“Thank you, husband.” Lin Aiyun stood on tiptoe and planted a kiss on his cheek.
Xiao Cheng’s eyes darkened, his Adam’s apple bobbing noticeably. He was about to pull her in and deepen the kiss when Lin Aiyun had already hurried away, saying as she went, “I haven’t embroidered in days—I need to get my touch back.”
“…” Fine. He’d collect his due at night.
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