At lunch time, Lin Xiangyi and Xie's mother Lin Shan had lunch in the main hall.

After eating and drinking happily, the baby stopped making noises when put in the crib. He opened his big clear eyes blankly and curiously, looking at the adults who were eating, making funny jokes and waving his little hands occasionally.

"Aying, are you home?" a voice came from outside the door.

"Who is it?" Lin Xiangyi asked.

"I guess your aunt is here," Xie's mother couldn't help but put down her bowl and chopsticks, got up and went out to open the door.

It really is Aunt Zhao.

Aunt Zhao didn't come alone, she brought a woman who looked to be in her thirties.

After they chatted animatedly for a few minutes at the door, Xie's mother welcomed them in.

Lin Xiangyi looked at the two of them. Aunt Zhao and Mother Xie were sisters. I heard that they were three years apart in age, but they looked more than ten years apart.

The wrinkles on his face were like the ravines eroded by time on the Loess Plateau. His hair was wrapped in blue cloth, his body was slightly hunched, his face was dark, but his deep-set eyes revealed a kind and gentle light.

The woman who was brought had short hair, was tall and strong, had bronze skin, and had firm and clear eyes. She looked like a very capable woman.

"Xiangyi, this is your aunt and her daughter, your cousin Shengnan," Xie's mother happily introduced Lin Xiangyi as soon as she welcomed Aunt Zhao and her cousin in.

Lin Xiangyi has never met them.

Aunt Zhao married far away, in the next county, deep in the mountains. Transportation was inconvenient, and the journey had to be calculated on a yearly basis.

Xie Qingxiao and Lin Xiangyi were in a hurry to get married and did not inform them.

During the Chinese New Year, Lin Xiangyi was pregnant again and did not come to visit.

Lin Xiangyi smiled and took two steps forward to greet him: "Aunt, cousin Shengnan."

"Oh, it's very nice," Aunt Zhao replied with a smile.

"This is Xiangyi?" Gao Shengnan asked in surprise, "Aunt, it's just like what you said, she looks like a fairy! I thought you were exaggerating."

Lin Xiangyi: “…” It’s obvious that when Xie’s father and mother went to pay New Year’s greetings, they must have praised her in front of them.

"Now that you've seen it with your own eyes, you don't think it's an exaggeration, do you?" Xie's mother said proudly.

Gao Shengnan: "It's not an exaggeration, it's just that I am short-sighted, hahahaha~"

This laughter is simply magical.

Lin Xiangyi couldn't help laughing either.

Although it was the first time she met this cousin, it was not the first time she heard of her.

After confirming that Aunt Zhao would come to help take care of the child, Xie's mother briefly told her about Aunt Zhao's family affairs.

Aunt Zhao, like her parents, only had two daughters, and they married into a poor family in a remote area.

Fortunately, her husband, Uncle Zhao, treats her well. Neither of them favors boys over girls and they are very good to their two daughters.

But Uncle Zhao was short-lived and died of illness ten years ago.

At this time, people without sons were easily exploited. Aunt Zhao, who only had two daughters, was no exception. After Uncle Zhao passed away, her parents-in-law and her uncle's family bullied them and wanted to occupy their house.

Gao Shengnan, who was 20 years old at the time, stood up resolutely, argued with her grandmother and uncle's family, and threatened to die, in order to protect her family's house and land.

Her eldest sister is already married, and she has been protecting Aunt Zhao all these years.

Her original name was not Gao Shengnan, but she changed it to her name later. She wanted to prove that she was no worse than men.

Her reputation for having a tough personality spread. She is already 30 years old this year, and some of her peers who got married early have even become grandmothers, but she has not yet married and has become what people call an old maid.

After hearing her story, Lin Xiangyi admired her cousin very much. When she met her in person today, she found that she was indeed as good as her reputation said.

What a nice personality!

“Cousin, you said the same thing as my mother,” Lin Xiangyi blinked.

Gao Shengnan immediately glanced at Xie's mother, and looked at Lin Xiangyi with curiosity: "What's the same? What did my aunt say about me?"

"She is cheerful and capable, an exceptionally outstanding girl," Lin Xiangyi said with a smile.

"..." Gao Shengnan was embarrassed, "What? Auntie thinks too highly of me. How can I be so outstanding? Xiangyi, don't believe it. I am nothing."

"Please don't say that, cousin. I'm not saying that to please you," Lin Xiangyi said sincerely, "Although I just met you and it's a bit exaggerated, you are indeed straightforward and generous."

"Really? Okay, hahaha~" Gao Shengnan could no longer be modest.

Everyone: “…”

"Pfft," Lin Xiangyi couldn't help laughing.

The others laughed too.

Aunt Zhao gave her daughter a light spanking, showing that she had not learned any modesty at all.

"Hey, everyone, stop standing here. The food is getting cold. Put your luggage down and eat quickly," Lin Shan said with a smile.

Aunt Zhao: “What is this?”

Xie's mother: "This is my in-law, Xiangyi's father."

"Hello, in-laws."

"Sister-in-law, please sit down. I'll go get two sets of bowls and chopsticks."

"Dear relative, please don't move. Just look after the child with Xiangyi. I'll go! I'll cook some dishes by the way," Xie's mother said hurriedly.

“No need, there’s quite a lot of food here,” Aunt Zhao said quickly.

She and Gao Shengnan were quite shocked when they saw the meat dishes on the Xie family's dinner table, even though Xie's father and mother had given them a general idea of ​​the family's current situation when they visited them during the Chinese New Year.

I know that Xie Qingxiao and Lin Xiangyi’s business have improved their family’s conditions a lot, but I haven’t seen it with my own eyes.

Now I finally feel it. It's not that the conditions have improved a little, it's that they have improved too much! Who would fry so much meat in the middle of the day?

"Yes, there are still dishes. I was just worried that you wouldn't be able to finish them. I'll be ready soon!" Mother Xie waved her hand, went into the kitchen, took out two sets of bowls and chopsticks, and served two full bowls of rice to Aunt Zhao and Gao Shengnan.

"It's okay, let's eat first," Lin Xiangyi teased Happy, looked up and saw that Aunt Zhao and Gao Shengnan wanted to wait for Xie's mother to come out before eating, so she called them.

While eating, we chatted: "Aunt, how is your foot injury? Is it healed?"

"It's almost ready," Aunt Zhao and Gao Shengnan were indeed hungry, so they stopped being shy and picked up their chopsticks to start eating.

"I heard it's quite far away. How did you get here?"

Gao Shengnan replied: "Walk, and when you get to the county, take the bus to your county, and then take the ox cart."

"Still need to walk?" Lin Xiangyi asked with concern, "Aunt, are your feet okay?"

Aunt Zhao: "It's okay. Walking is a bit tiring, but luckily Shengnan is very strong and can carry me occasionally. It's not that bad if there are ox carts or buses behind us."

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiangyi wanted to give Gao Shengnan a thumbs up.

During the Chinese New Year, when Mr. and Mrs. Xie came back from visiting Aunt Zhao, they said that the mountain road to their home was very long and took two or three hours to walk.

"So what time did you leave home?" Lin Shan asked.

Gao Shengnan: "We left home at six o'clock because we were afraid that the sun would make it difficult to walk." It's already past twelve o'clock.