The two had barely stepped into the kitchen when they were nearly knocked over by Lin Wenkang, who came flying at them. It was Xiao Cheng who reached out and stopped him.
“Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, save me! My mom is going to beat me to death!” Lin Wenkang acted as if he’d found his pillar of support, scurrying behind Xiao Cheng in a flash, his hands gripping tightly onto his clothes.
Sure enough, with the tall and sturdy Xiao Cheng standing in front, Zhang Wenhua, rolling pin in hand, suddenly didn’t know where to strike. She could only plant her hands on her hips, take a deep breath, and shout with a twisted expression, “Lin Wenkang, you get out here! Not even the Heavenly King himself can save you today.”
Lin Wenkang pulled a long face, tears in his eyes as he pleaded, “Mom, I was wrong! It’s just that I’m not used to studying so hard yet—I’ve only just started! Give me a couple of days and I’ll definitely buckle down and learn.”
“Heh, do you even believe that yourself? Because I sure don’t.” Zhang Wenhua spat.
“I do!” Almost at the same time, Lin Wenkang nodded frantically, without a moment’s hesitation.
“…”
Everyone present couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Among them, Xiao Juan laughed the loudest. After she finished, perhaps out of a sudden “crisis of conscience,” she unexpectedly spoke up in Lin Wenkang’s defense.
“Auntie, learning isn’t something that happens overnight. Kangzi is under a lot of pressure too. Let’s take it slow—there are still a few days before school starts.” Xiao Juan walked over and took Zhang Wenhua’s arm. The latter took the cue and put down the rolling pin with a snort. “For the next few days, Lin Wenkang, you’re not going anywhere. You’ll stay in your room and read, got it?”
“Huh?” After letting out that sound, seeing Zhang Wenhua’s expression about to change again, he quickly straightened up and sat properly, saying, “Okay, Mom. Whatever you say goes.”
“Go outside and find your dad. Why isn’t he back yet at this hour?”
“Okay.” Lin Wenkang nodded and ran out.
“Brother, sister-in-law.” Xiao Juan greeted them obediently. It was clear from earlier that she was in a good mood—the smile on her face hadn’t faded at all.
Lin Aiyun’s eyes flickered. She stepped forward, took Xiao Juan’s hand, and led her to the dining table to sit down, speaking with hidden meaning, “You had so much fun shopping with Fangfang? Next time, take me along too. It’s been so long since I’ve gone out.”
“O-okay, sure.” A trace of unease flashed across Xiao Juan’s face. She covered it up by pretending to pour water.
Seeing this, Lin Aiyun frowned slightly and pressed on, “Where have you two been hanging out lately? I heard a lot of shops in town have closed down.”
“Just, you know, over on Jiangnan Road. Really? I didn’t notice—they all seemed open as usual.” Xiao Juan really couldn’t lie—her eyes darted around and she stumbled over her words.
Lin Aiyun didn’t call her out. She just nodded and changed the subject, and Xiao Juan visibly relaxed.
They hadn’t been chatting long when Lin Jianzhi and his son returned. The former hurried over to the table and sat down. “Brother Tian said the factory has a dedicated shuttle bus, but you have to catch it at a designated stop—twice a day.”
“He also said that if it’s convenient in the future, he can give me a ride over.”
“There are employee dorms, but they’re all full right now. We’ll have to wait for the new dorms to be built before we can apply.”
Having a job was better than nothing, and now that the transportation issue was solved, everyone was happy for Lin Jianzhi—especially Zhang Wenhua, who smiled as she brought out a pot of pickled fish from the stove.
“Old Lin, you better work hard. From now on, we won’t be short on fish at home.”
“Hehe, of course!”
Lin Jianzhi stood up to help her with the dishes. By then, Xiao Cheng had already filled everyone’s bowls and set them on the table, handing out chopsticks one by one. The first thing he did after sitting down was scoop a bowl of fish soup for Lin Aiyun and place it by her hand.
“Your favorite.”
Lin Aiyun took a sip and handed it back to him. “You have some too. The fishy taste isn’t too strong today.”
Xiao Cheng didn’t like fish with a strong smell, so he rarely touched them. But when Lin Aiyun offered it, he didn’t refuse. He took a big gulp from her hand, though his brow furrowed slightly. “Not bad.”
“If you don’t like it, don’t force it. Just have some food.” Lin Aiyun was amused by his expression. She took the bowl back, only to look up and find everyone else staring at them. When they noticed her gaze, they quickly looked away, pretending to be busy.
“My brother and sister-in-law are so sweet together.” It was Xiao Juan who spoke up, chewing on her chopsticks. After saying that, her expression dimmed for a moment, and a trace of loneliness flickered in her eyes.
“Why envy us?” Lin Aiyun didn’t give Xiao Juan a chance to dwell on the past. She nudged her shoe under the table and said with a smile, “You’ll meet your Mr. Right someday too. Everyone has to move forward.”
“Move forward?” Xiao Juan was momentarily stunned. Suddenly, she thought of all that had happened over the years. After that incident, she hadn’t seen Jiang Yan for years, but she’d always held onto him, believing it was because of her that he’d been sent to the military.
And since they loved each other so much, what did distance matter? It wasn’t a problem at all. As long as they held on, her brother would surely understand—he definitely wouldn’t insist on her keeping that promise from all those years ago.
She’d been waiting for him to come back, and finally, this spring, she got her wish.
But Jiang Yan had changed. He no longer spoke gently to her, no longer went along with everything she wanted. He’d even grown cold and distant. On the rare occasion they met, he said no more than three sentences to her.
It was as if everything back then had been nothing but her own wishful thinking.
Can love really be faked? She didn’t believe it.
All this time, she’d been trying to get close to Jiang Yan to ask him why—why the sudden change? But he never said a word, always maintaining his silence. It wasn’t until today that he finally spoke to her for the first time in days. Even though what he said was for her to leave and not come back anymore.
The words weren’t exactly pleasant, but at least it was some progress. So she was happy.
But now her sister-in-law was saying she needed to move forward. Was moving forward the only way to have a future? Xiao Juan suddenly began to question the persistence and devotion she’d held onto all these years.
“That’s right—there are plenty of men out there. Are you afraid you won’t find one who truly cares for you?” Seeing Xiao Juan waver, Lin Aiyun pressed her advantage. “As girls, we can’t put ourselves in a humble position. If this one doesn’t work out, there’ll be another.
“If your brother weren’t genuinely good to me, I wouldn’t even give him a second glance.
“Besides, Juan, you’re outstanding and beautiful—you’ve been raised with love and care. Why lower yourself for a man who doesn’t like you or cherish you? Why go running after someone who gives you the cold shoulder?
“Give it enough time, and he might even start to find you annoying. Juan, I know my words are a bit harsh, but the truth isn’t always pretty.
“And think about it—has your brother ever stopped you from doing anything you wanted to do? So why is it that when it comes to you and him, your brother absolutely refuses to agree?”
This was practically laying everything out in the open. Xiao Juan’s grip on her chopsticks tightened, her heart pounding in her chest, her breathing growing heavier. It took a long while before she finally calmed down.
“Thank you, sister-in-law. I’ll think about it carefully.” Xiao Juan instinctively looked up at Xiao Cheng. He was picking bones out of the fish with his chopsticks—since he didn’t like eating it, he was obviously doing it for Lin Aiyun.
That was true—ever since they were little, Xiao Cheng had always doted on her. No matter what, he’d always take her side. But when it came to Jiang Yan, he was unusually resolute. He’d rather argue with her than give in.
If it were about family background, that couldn’t be it—he’d married someone who wasn’t a social match himself. So that possibility was out. Then could it be about character…
Xiao Juan swallowed hard. In her heart, she’d always seen Jiang Yan as that gentle older brother who’d been by her side since childhood. Had he really changed over all these years apart?
Thinking of this, Xiao Juan felt her mind in a jumble. She couldn’t seem to land on the real issue. She wanted to ask Xiao Cheng directly, but she was afraid of the answer.
In the end, she never mustered the courage to speak.
The others, not knowing what was going on, exchanged glances and silently lowered their heads to eat the food in their bowls.
Lin Aiyun shot Xiao Cheng a look and pressed her lips into a smile. “It’s best if you can figure it out yourself. Here, have some more of this bok choy—you helped with this too.”
“I just helped sprinkle a few seeds—it’s all Auntie and Uncle’s work.” Xiao Juan held out her bowl to catch the vegetables Lin Aiyun served her. The green bok choy was coated with a layer of minced garlic—it looked incredibly appetizing.
“That’s still helping.” Zhang Wenhua also picked some meat for Xiao Juan. After a moment’s hesitation, she said, “Juan, why put up with being mistreated by someone else? We’re all standing behind you. If something happens, you can come talk to us. I may not have many skills, but when it comes to arguing with people, I’ve never lost in this village.”
She didn’t know all the ins and outs—she’d only caught snippets and assumed Xiao Juan was being treated coldly by someone. Her heart ached, and she reached out to stroke Xiao Juan’s hair.
“I’m fine. Who could possibly bully me? If anything, I’d be the one bullying others.” Xiao Juan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, though her eyes stung slightly. She knew Zhang Wenhua genuinely cared about her.
“I know you’re tough. Now eat your food.”
The emotions Xiao Juan had just been building up collapsed in an instant. She shot a glare at Xiao Cheng, then silently shoved rice into her mouth. But her mind kept circling back to what Lin Aiyun had said.
Maybe she really should start looking forward.
She’d been running all over the south and north ends of town lately—it was exhausting.
After the meal, the whole family went out together for a rare stroll around the lake. Lin Aiyun and Lin Jianzhi were both starting their first day of work tomorrow, making them the center of attention.
Especially Lin Jianzhi—at his age, this was his first real job. He was so nervous he didn’t know what to wear. Afraid that dressing too well would invite gossip, but also afraid that dressing too shabbily would make people look down on him. He was agonizing over it.
It was Xiao Cheng who suggested dressing normally—factories weren’t that particular.
“I want a job too. I’ve been lazing around at home for a year or two now. The family doesn’t have much money left, and I can’t just keep eating for free, right?” Seeing everyone chatting so lively, Xiao Juan quickly raised her hand to share her idea.
“What kind of work do you want to do? What can you even do?” Xiao Cheng frowned. “The family isn’t as… poor as you think. We can still support you.”
“I can do anything! I’m a high school graduate—why would I be afraid of not finding a job? Plus, I want to help out. I’ve been stuck at home so long I’m about to grow mold.” Most of the friends around her had already been pushed by their families to go to work, and she didn’t have many people left to hang out with.
If it weren’t for Jiang Yan, she probably would have started working at the family company long ago.
Leave a Reply