"I seriously suspect that you rushed into getting engaged to Song Cheng just so you could sleep with him as soon as possible." Zhang Yu teased him when she came to the Lin family for dinner on the 28th of the lunar year.

"Be confident, get rid of your doubts. I'm in such a hurry to get engaged to Song Cheng so that I can sleep with him openly, hahaha." Lin Chacha made no attempt to hide her thoughts.

Zhang Yu: "..." It's unbearable to look at.

"Little bamboo, take care of your sister! Look at her, how is she like a girl?" Zhang Yu was both amused and exasperated, and his good friends joined in the teasing.

Song Cheng glanced at Cha Cha gently before continuing to work in the kitchen.

"How is she not like a girl? She started dating at fifteen, got engaged at twenty, and will be getting her marriage certificate in a few months. Who among you can compare to her? Zhang Yu, why don't you find me a girlfriend?" Lin Xiazhu said with a laugh.

"Don't underestimate me. I have a girlfriend now. You wait, I'll definitely marry her before Cha Cha gets married next year." Zhang Yu chuckled shamelessly.

Wow, look at him, he seems serious.

"When did you start dating?" Lin Xiazhu's curiosity was piqued.

"It's been almost half a year. She's a really nice woman. She's very good to my mom. My mom and my sister both like her very much." Zhang Yu's face seemed a little red. Because he often sunbathes, his skin is dark, so it's not very noticeable that it has turned red.

"I know, I've met Sister Xiaomei. She's a really nice person, and her cooking is especially delicious." Zhang Yu's mother still rents Lin Xiazhu's house to run a snack shop, and business is pretty good.

Zhang Yu's maternal grandfather was too old to help at the snack shop, so his mother hired someone to help. That person was Xiao Mei's mother, who was from Shanhe Town. Her father had passed away early, and the mother and daughter depended on each other for survival. Xiao Mei dropped out of school after graduating from elementary school to work outside.

In the first half of the year, Xiaomei's mother was in poor health and there was no one to take care of her at home. Xiaomei had no choice but to quit her factory job and come back to take care of her mother. However, there was no income at home, and it was not a good idea to just sit around and eat until the savings ran out. So Xiaomei's mother introduced Xiaomei to Zhang Yu's mother's shop to take over her position.

At that time, Zhang Yu's mother had not yet found anyone to help, so Xiao Mei went to help, which made Zhang Yu's mother very happy.

The saying "poor children learn to be independent early" is not just a saying. Xiaomei is very capable. She is diligent and efficient in her work, and she is also a good cook. When she helped out at the snack shop, Zhang Yu's mother had a much easier time.

When Zhang Yu returned, he met Xiao Mei. They got to know each other and somehow fell in love and started dating.

"Why didn't you bring anyone with you today? I could have met you too." Lin Xiazhu was happy for Zhang Yu. This guy was already twenty-seven or twenty-eight, which was considered old in the countryside. His mother had always worried that no one would want him.

"I'll bring her over to pay New Year's greetings, and we'll get engaged in the spring." Zhang Yu scratched his head awkwardly.

"Why not just hold it at the end of the year? I won't be home in the spring." Lin Xiazhu felt a little regretful that she couldn't attend Zhang Yu's engagement party in person.

"Xiaomei will only be twenty next year. We'll get engaged and register our marriage together then, and have the wedding banquet at the end of the year... no, on National Day." They're in a hurry to get married in front of Lin Chacha.

"You're so happy about it. You're like an old cow eating young grass. Such a beautiful young girl, and you, a pig, have taken her." Lin Xiazhu said disdainfully.

"Xiao Zhu, what nonsense are you talking about? Come here, come over here and take a closer look at me. I'm still young, how am I old?" Zhang Yu waved his hand, looking like he was determined to prove himself.

Lin Xiazhu laughed and scolded, "Dream on! I don't even want to look at your old, chubby face. Alright, stop fooling around. I'll give you a big red envelope later, so don't say I didn't give you one."

Zhang Yu didn't stand on ceremony with her, "The red envelope has to be big, I won't accept a small one."

Just as they were laughing and joking, a phone rang. Lin Taozi came over with her mobile phone and handed it to Lin Xiazhu: "Big sister, here's your phone."

Lin Xiazhu glanced at the caller ID; it was an international call. She greeted everyone and went upstairs to answer the phone. It was Xiao An calling; he hadn't called for three months.

However, there wasn't much to say usually. He would just ask how she was doing and tell her to take care of herself, so much so that Lin Xiazhu stopped looking forward to his calls a few years ago.

"Hey, Xiao An," Lin Xiazhu greeted first.

"Xiaozhu, I'm about to board the plane. I should arrive in Beijing by tomorrow night," Xiao An's cool voice came through.

He's finally coming back. It's been more than six years since they last met, and Lin Xiazhu has gotten used to not seeing Xiao An every day. Now that he's coming back, Lin Xiazhu's reaction is normal, and she doesn't feel much emotional turmoil.

"Okay, I understand. I won't be back in Beijing until after the New Year. See you then, and have a safe trip." That's how the chat ended.

Xiao An wanted to say more, but didn't know how to start, so she thought she would wait until she got back.

Lin Xiazhu didn't tell anyone that Xiao An was coming back. Xiao An had already left Changhe County and belonged to the Bai family in the capital. Lin Xiazhu didn't want to make a decision on her own and reveal his whereabouts.

In Beijing, at 10 p.m. on the 29th of the lunar year, Bai Zhengping and Bai Junbai went to the airport to pick up the old man. The old man had returned with them. His condition had been very bad for some time, but he had suddenly become energetic these days and insisted on returning to China.

Unable to dissuade him, Bai Ruan had no choice but to take him back to China. In fact, the doctor had already told them that it was a miracle that the old man had survived this long. He wanted to go back to the fields, so they took him back to China. The time was about right.

Bai Yang pushed his luggage out of the exit, while Bai Ru'an pushed Old Master Bai in front. Old Master Bai looked to be in good spirits, with a slight smile on his old and thin face. He looked satisfied after getting off the plane.

Bai Zhengping and Bai Junbai were both on edge, but dared not show it, trying their best to make their smiles look natural.

"dad."

"grandfather."

The two walked over and called out at the same time.

"Zhengping, Junbai, you're here. Come on, let's go home with Xiao'an." The old man smiled and reached out to grasp their hands.

Grandpa Bai passed away after the Lantern Festival. The day he closed his eyes was exactly the sixteenth. He passed away peacefully with a smile on his face. When Xiao An went to see him in the morning, she found that he was gone.

He passed away at the age of 104.

When he finally had some time, his mind was incredibly clear. He stopped looking at Bai Ru'an and calling him Junsong. He knew that this was his great-grandson, Bai Ru'an. The old man was already satisfied and had no regrets about finding Bai Junsong's son.

Lin Xiazhu had been back in Beijing for four or five days, but she hadn't visited the Bai family yet, so she hadn't met Xiao An. She had been planning to go in a couple of days, but then she received a call from Xiao An telling her that Old Master Bai had passed away.

On the phone, Xiao An's voice was calm, without a trace of sadness, but Lin Xiazhu's heart couldn't help but clench. Xiao An had been with Grandpa Bai for six years, and their bond was deeper than most people's. He must be very sad now.

"Wait for me, I'll be right there." After hanging up the phone, Lin Xiazhu took a taxi to the Bai family's house, worried about Xiao An.

What could she do? No matter how cold she seemed, she couldn't deny that she actually cared about him a lot deep down.