Ye Linchen took some time to visit the most famous general store in Jiangcheng and bought a lot of local specialties, including vacuum-sealed cured fish, cured meat, and braised duck made with a secret sauce.
When Gu Jingran's parents came to Jiangcheng last time, they praised these dishes highly at the dinner table, saying that they couldn't find such authentic flavors in Beijing.
Ye Linchen kept it in mind, and since he was going this time, he naturally had to bring it along.
Let the two elders eat their fill.
Before we knew it, the day of departure arrived.
Gu Jingran drove his car to pick her up early in the morning.
Ye Linchen stuffed the two large suitcases he had packed into the trunk, and then sat in the passenger seat, holding the cardboard box containing local specialties.
As the car started, her heart began to pound.
I was both nervous and excited.
The flight from Wuhan to Beijing takes nearly four hours.
Ye Linchen had brought a book with her, intending to read it on the way, but after the plane had been flying for a short while, her eyelids started to droop.
Seeing her head nodding, Gu Jingran lowered the back of his seat.
"Sleep with me for a while, I'll wake you when we get there."
Ye Linchen didn't refuse, leaned on his broad shoulder, and quickly fell asleep.
She didn't know how much time had passed before the announcement on the plane woke her up groggily.
"Ladies and gentlemen, our plane has landed safely at Beijing Capital International Airport..."
She rubbed her sleepy eyes and followed Gu Jingran off the plane. The two of them pushed their luggage carts toward the exit.
Beijing's airport is much more popular than Wuhan's airport.
Crowds thronged everywhere, and the sounds of broadcasts and conversations mingled together, creating a lively atmosphere.
Just as Ye Linchen stepped out of the gate, before he could even see his surroundings clearly, he heard someone calling out from not far ahead, "Jingran! Xiaochen! Over here!"
Ye Linchen looked in the direction of the sound, his heart skipped a beat.
Gu Jingran's parents were standing in the crowd waiting to pick them up at the airport, waving vigorously in their direction.
Ye Linchen immediately smiled and quickly followed Gu Jingran over.
"Xiao Chen!" Huo Yunlan jogged over and grabbed Ye Linchen's hand.
She pulled Ye Linchen close, looking him up and down, and said with a pained reproach, "This child, how come you've lost so much weight? Your face is so thin! Did Jingran bully you? Tell Auntie, and Auntie will stand up for you!"
Such enthusiasm made Ye Linchen feel a little uncomfortable, but the trepidation of "an ugly daughter-in-law meeting her in-laws" was greatly reduced.
She quickly shook her head and said shyly, "No, Auntie. I'm probably just too busy with my studies and don't eat on time, so I look a little thinner."
Standing to the side, Gu Yuanshan remained relatively calm. He turned to look at Gu Jingran and nodded, "Jingran has lost weight and gotten quite tanned. Is it because you've been too busy at the company, working non-stop and haven't had time to rest?"
Gu Jingran quickly explained, "It's almost the end of the year, and I was thinking of finishing up the projects I had on hand so I could go back to Beijing for the New Year, so I was working a bit harder."
"What do you mean by 'a bit too strict'?" Huo Yunlan immediately chimed in, her gentleness towards Ye Linchen turning into "disdain" for her son in an instant. "When have you ever come back and not said the same thing? I've never seen you have a proper rest for a single day! I heard from your Uncle Wang that you're often so busy that you forget to eat, and when your stomach is upset, you take medicine to suppress it. You young people, taking advantage of your good health, just mess around recklessly, you really don't know how to cherish yourself at all!"
Once she opened her mouth, it was like turning on a talking box, and she began to list all of Gu Jingran's "crimes" in a long, rambling manner.
Gu Jingran cleared his throat awkwardly and gave his father a pleading look.
Gu Yuanshan understood immediately and quickly pulled his nagging wife aside, stopping her from continuing: "Alright, alright, the children have flown all the way here and must be tired. Are you just going to let them stand here in the cold wind listening to your nagging? It's several degrees below zero outside!"
Huo Yunlan then realized that she had fallen into her old habit again, and smiled apologetically at Ye Linchen: "Oh dear, look at me, once I start talking I can't stop. I forgot you guys are still here in the wind, quick, get in the car."
Without further ado, the couple took the loose luggage from Gu Jingran and Ye Linchen, one on each side, and led the way.
Ye Linchen and Gu Jingran followed behind, exchanged a glance, and both saw a barely suppressed smile in each other's eyes.
Gu Jingran shook his head slightly, his expression seemingly a little helpless, but deep in his eyes shone a tenderness of being cared for by his family.
The Gu family was clearly quite well-off in Beijing. They were picked up in a gleaming black Santana, complete with a chauffeur.
In the airport exit of the 1990s, there weren't many private cars to begin with, so this clean and tidy sedan stood out in the crowd.
When the driver, Lao Zhang, saw them arrive, he immediately got out of the car, quickly opened the trunk, and helped carry the large pieces of luggage up one by one.
Huo Yunlan stood by the car like a supervisor, watching as Lao Zhang carefully put away all the luggage. Then she turned her head and waved to her husband: "Lao Gu, you sit in the front, the passenger seat. Xiao Chen and I will sit in the back. Let's have a good chat."
How could Gu Yuanshan possibly say "no"?
He happily agreed, opened the passenger door, and got in.
Huo Yunlan warmly invited Ye Linchen and Gu Jingran to get in the car: "Quickly, get in the car, the heater is on, come and warm up."
Once everyone was seated, Lao Zhang stepped on the gas, and the black Santana smoothly drove out of the airport.
As the car drove out of the airport area, the scenery outside the window gradually changed from desolate to bustling. Ye Linchen sat by the window, curiously observing this city that was both familiar and unfamiliar.
In both her previous and current lives, she had only ever seen the capital of her motherland on television and in newspapers.
This was her first time visiting this ancient city.
The wide road, the torrent of bicycles, the shops with various signs hanging on the roadside, and even the unique, dry, and cold air mixed with the smell of coal smoke, all felt novel to her.
Seeing her high spirits, Gu Jingran lowered his voice and began to introduce her.
"This is the Third Ring Road, and we're heading into the city now. Further ahead is the Zhongguancun area, where many universities and research institutes are located. The widest one there is Chang'an Avenue..."
Ye Linchen listened very attentively, nodding from time to time.
Seeing the two children being so affectionate, Huo Yunlan was overjoyed and couldn't help but interject, "Xiao Chen, is this your first time in the capital?"
Ye Linchen nodded and said longingly, "Yes. Actually, when I took the college entrance exam, my first choice was a university in Beijing, but unfortunately, something unexpected happened and my choice was changed, so I couldn't come."
Huo Yunlan's heart skipped a beat, as if she understood something.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
