Chapter 226 Those people next door are quite influential.

"Okay, thank you, young master Lin." Smelling the aroma of the food on the tray, Ji Feng suppressed the drool that was about to come out and politely thanked Lin Wenqian.

"Don't be shy, if you don't have enough to eat, just come and get more..." Lin Wenqian felt embarrassed when he saw how polite the other person was.

Remembering Lin Luoxi's instructions before leaving—to take care of the neighbors' meals today—he added this last sentence before returning home.

"Wenqian, why are you smiling so happily?" Xie Hanchuan, who was going out to find Lin Luoxi in the morning, rushed back without stopping after receiving a message from Lin Wenqian via carrier pigeon.

Just as he was about to enter the courtyard to look for Lin Luoxi, he ran into Lin Wenqian, who was coming from next door, at the courtyard gate.

"Oh, my second sister is back today. My great-grandfather also brought a guest. My sister asked me to deliver the food to them, so I just got back." Lin Wenqian was also happy to see Xie Hanchuan return and answered Xie Hanchuan's question truthfully.

"Oh, your great-grandfather has guests." For some reason, Xie Hanchuan had a strange feeling and looked towards Lin Jize's house next door.

Because Lin Jize's courtyard was built entirely of yellow mud bricks, making it impossible to see inside, Xie Hanchuan had no choice but to give up.

"Stop looking. Those people next door, they look like they're someone important."

"They're going to be staying here for a long time, so if you want to see them, you'll always have a chance to run into them."

"You've been traveling all morning, you must be hungry. The food is just ready, come in and eat." Xie Hanchuan had been traveling all over the place because of his sister, so Lin Wenqian naturally wanted him to stay and eat.

"Didn't you say your sister was back? Why don't I see Luo Xi?" Xie Hanchuan nodded and entered the courtyard, scanning around, but he couldn't find Lin Luo Xi.

"Stop talking. My sister brought over a hundred farmhands back with her this time. She was worried that they wouldn't have a place to stay at night, so she led them up the mountain to cut timber and build shelters."

Lin Wenqian felt a headache coming on at the thought of his house suddenly having over a hundred more people, making it incredibly crowded.

"Why would she bring so many people back?" Could it be that Luo Xi is planning something big?

"I don't know about that. I haven't had a chance to say a word to her since she came back. She's been so busy." Lin Wenqian said with a look of resentment.

Seeing so many people suddenly appear in the house, he had a million questions he wanted to ask Lin Luoxi, but she was so busy that she hadn't even had a chance to eat, and then she went up the mountain to chop wood. He was too embarrassed to chase after her and ask her anything.

He took out bowls, ladled rice into them for Xie Hanchuan, and led Xie Hanchuan to the kitchen to prepare for the meal.

"Han Chuan, you're back. Come and sit down to eat..." Lin Dayou, who had finally had a moment to himself in the kitchen and was about to eat, greeted Xie Han Chuan with a smile.

"Uncle, you just ate too!" Xie Hanchuan asked with concern, looking at the rice bowl in Lin Dayou's hand.

"Yes, I just delivered lunch to the villagers and only now have a chance to sit down and fill my stomach." Lin Dayou raised his hand and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the towel hanging around his neck.

"Uncle, Wenqian said that Luo Xi brought back about a hundred people. Do you know what happened?" Xie Hanchuan asked Lin Dayou in a low voice while eating.

"Oh, about that? I heard my uncle mention it. He said that the family has too much land and needs people to look after it. When they saw that there were young people looking for work, Luo Xi simply invited them all back to work as farmhands."

Actually, no matter what the truth of the matter was, Lin Dayou always felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't figure out what it was.

In Lin Dayou's eyes, Lin Jize exists in his heart like a hero, and heroes do not lie.

"Oh!" Xie Hanchuan didn't believe Lin Dayou's explanation. He simply ate a couple of bites, put down his bowl, and prepared to go find Lin Luoxi.

"Han Chuan, why are you eating so fast?" Xie Han Chuan usually eats two or three bowls of rice before finishing, why is he eating so fast today?

"Uncle, I'll go see if Sister Luo Xi needs any help." With that, she quickly ran outside.

"Eat, eat, eat, you still eat! Look at Han Chuan, he knows to go and see if your sister needs help. But you, you're just eating without a care in the world."

Lin Dayou saw Xie Hanchuan run out, and then saw Lin Wenqian still engrossed in eating. He kicked Lin Wenqian in the calf, expressing his dissatisfaction.

"Dad, I've been busy all morning and I'm starving."

"I've only taken two bites, and you already don't want me to eat anymore? Am I even your biological son?"

"Besides, why is Brother Hanchuan in such a hurry to see his sister? You know what she's thinking."

Lin Wenqian, feeling slighted by Lin Dayou's preferential treatment, pouted in dissatisfaction, stuffed several pieces of meat into his mouth, shoveled a few mouthfuls of rice into it, put down his bowl, and rushed out as well.

He was afraid that if he moved any slower, Lin Dayou would keep criticizing him.

"Dad, I'll go out and see if Second Sister needs any help." Seeing that his eldest brother was being looked down upon, Lin Wentao stuffed his cheeks full, put down his bowl, and ran out.

"At least one of them has some sense," Lin Dayou said, taking an extra bite of meat with satisfaction as he watched Lin Wentao run out.

"Dad, then I..." Lin Luoning was torn when she heard her father's grumbling.

She wasn't full yet, but if she didn't go, her father would scold her for being tactless. Sigh!

"Why are you running? Hurry up and eat your food. You're not even as tall as other people's legs, and you still want to join in the fun..." Lin Dayou saw his little daughter looking at him with her big, wet eyes, and the words he wanted to say to her got stuck in his throat, so he changed his mind.

"Oh! Then I'll eat my fill, grow tall, and try to be as tall as my second sister next year so I can help her with chores..." Lin Luoning clenched her little fists, encouraging herself.

"Pfft, sure enough, a daughter is always the most thoughtful." Lin Dayou was charmed by his little daughter's cuteness and happily ate two more bowls of rice.

Lin Jize's Courtyard —

"Ji Feng, why don't you go out and see which talented young man dares to covet a remarkable woman like Miss Lin..."

Xiao Jingchen, who was eating in the main room, kept a close eye on the Lin family's movements and naturally heard Xie Hanchuan's voice as well as the conversation between the Lin father and son.

Moreover, judging from the tone of the Lin family father and son, it seemed that they tacitly accepted the other party's liking for Miss Lin, which made him extremely curious.

"Master, this is someone else's family matter. You should calm down and take care of your health."

I don't know if this master has changed his mind. He used to never say a word all day, but now he's like he's possessed. He likes to gossip and worry about other people's business.

As for Xie Hanchuan liking Lin Luoxi, Lin Jize knew a little about it.