Chapter 85 Chapter 85 There is a girl named Xiaofang in the village.
Xiao Fangfang is a carefree person. When she couldn't see her beloved big cart, she simply forgot about it and her second uncle, whom she had called all the way last night. She just focused on running around the village with her brothers and sisters.
Lin Nanjiang was woken up in the morning by his daughter pinching her nose. As soon as he got off the car last night, his father and brothers kept him at the table and chatted until late at night. When he returned to his small home just across the wall, his wife had already fallen asleep with their daughter in her arms.
The little girl was protected by her mother on the inside of the wooden bed, sleeping like a calf, without any anxiety or discomfort from the sudden change of environment.
He was once again healed by the mother and daughter. He quickly washed, changed into pajamas, and went to bed, contentedly falling asleep next to his wife.
Unexpectedly, as soon as little Fangfang woke up, she was full of energy to bother the adults. She just left her mother, who was closest to her, alone and climbed over mountains and rivers to the middle to bother her. It can be seen that this little cotton-padded jacket is only caring towards her mother, but becomes leaky when it comes to her father.
Lin Nanjiang felt sad, but looking at his wife sleeping peacefully on the other side, he couldn't bring himself to say anything like "let his daughter bother her mother". He had to bear everything silently, climbed out of bed with difficulty, wrapped himself in thick cotton clothes and trousers, and didn't even bother to take care of his hair that was a mess. He picked up the little one who was flopping on her back on the bed, and wrapped her in layer upon layer of sweaters and red cotton jackets in the same way. Then he carried the little one who weighed at least five pounds to the main room.
In the main room next door, Lin's father was still elusive. Lin's mother had been busy since she got up until now. She finally found time to eat breakfast, and then she had to clean the earthen stove to prevent the fire from going out, and keep breakfast warm for others.
After secretly cursing the careless young man in her heart, Lin's mother prepared to carry two large buckets of dirty clothes to the pond at the entrance of the village to wash them.
Their family had a pressurized well with clear water, warm in winter and cool in summer. In winter, she was too lazy to go to the village entrance to wash a few clothes, so she could simply wash them at home without freezing her hands. But today, she had gathered all the spare clothes for the third child, both adults and children, and, adding the fourth child's, filled two large buckets, which she had to carry to the pond on a shoulder pole.
Just as she was about to go out with the laundry detergent and washboard, she saw the father and daughter with the same messy hair coming in. Mother Lin quickly put down her work, wiped her clothes twice, and held out her hand. "You're up so early! Our little Fangfang is really hardworking and much more sensible than your father and uncle! Grandma just made you some egg custard. Let's eat it while it's hot."
Lin Nanjiang reminded, "Mom, she hasn't brushed her teeth or washed her face yet."
Mother Lin wanted to retort that it was pointless to be fussy about brushing the teeth of such a young child, but Lin Nanjiang had already quickly taken out a toothbrush and toothpaste specially for the little one. He had all the necessary equipment and money spent. She simply swallowed her words, took the things he handed over, and began to brush her granddaughter's teeth herself, unskilled but not clumsy.
After all, she is a heroic grandmother who raised a bunch of little kids. Even though Qian Juxiang is such a careless person, she can quickly adapt to Liu Suqin's child-raising habits.
Of course, as long as Lin's mother wants to do it, she can do it well.
She gently and carefully brushed the child's teeth and washed her face, put on her lunch bag, took out the egg custard that had been kept warm from the pot, and carefully asked Lin Nanjiang if the child could eat soy sauce and salt now. After getting the answer to add appropriate amounts, she poured some soy sauce and sesame oil into the bowl, mixed well and cooled it down, and then put the egg custard of just the right temperature into Xiao Fangfang's open mouth one spoonful at a time.
One eats and the other feeds, and they cooperate in perfect harmony as if they have done so thousands of times.
Although Xiao Fangfang started eating independently at an early age, she was the family's favorite after all. There were five or six adults at home surrounding her. While being independent, she was also accustomed to being taken care of by her elders. Facing the personal care of her strange grandmother, she behaved very naturally and calmly. In the eyes of Mother Lin, this was a sign that her granddaughter was close to herself. She was happy and her movements became gentler.
After eating a bowl of egg custard, the child patted his belly and called out in a baby voice, "Grandma, I'm full."
"Oh, you're full already." Mother Lin smiled, her eyes narrowed into slits. She wiped the egg off her cheek with a cotton handkerchief. Her movements were gentle, and her voice was so soft that it seemed to drip with water. "Grandma also bought milk for my dear. Can I open a bottle for you to drink slowly?"
The child shook his head and emphasized again: "I'm full."
Seeing that he was so articulate and coherent at such a young age, Lin's mother no longer felt unhappy about being rejected. Instead, she found him even more admiring.
He put down his bowl and chopsticks, held his little granddaughter in his arms for a long time, calling her his darling, caressing her little face and hands lovingly, and combing her hair bit by bit with his fingers.
Then, Xiao Fangfang tied her shiny black hair into two sky-high braids with red ropes, and paired it with a cotton-padded jacket with big red flowers. She immediately transformed into Xiaofang, a native of the village. She was completely different from the fashionable and exquisite little princess who looked like a doll yesterday.
Lin Nanjiang turned around and saw his daughter's new look, and couldn't help but burst out laughing, "My daughter, the nickname your mother gave you is really appropriate. Now you really have become Xiaofang."
It wasn't enough to just tease her, she also started humming, "There's a girl in the village named Xiaofang, she's pretty and kind..."
This song was released this year. The owner of the audio store across the street loves to play it for promotion. Lin Nanjiang has listened to it so many times that he is almost numb to it and can hum a few lines at random. But it is the first time for the children in his hometown to hear this song. At first, they didn’t understand the funny point of Uncle San, but after singing the first line of the lyrics, they all understood it. Coupled with the light and catchy melody, the little kids immediately followed Uncle San and sang "Xiaofang, the village girl" one after another.
When Xiao Fangfang saw so many people calling her, she couldn't respond at all, so she just clapped her hands in response.
This was like giving them the beat, and the little kids were encouraged and sang more vigorously, singing the two lines of lyrics over and over again without getting tired of it.
Mother Lin glared at the culprit speechlessly, "Look at what you've done, do you still act like a father?"
After saying this, she returned the little granddaughter to her careless father and gave him several detailed instructions. Then, Mother Lin finally went out carrying two buckets of dirty clothes.
Lin Nanjiang was looking at this group of noisy little kids with a smile, as if he was looking at the soldiers he brought with him.
He had these nephews and nieces called over by someone. Seeing that everyone was present, Lin Nanjiang began to distribute fruit jelly candies, a handful to each person, plus two yuan in pocket money. After giving out the gifts, he immediately made a request, "Now that you've received your reward from Third Uncle, I'm going to assign you a task. Take your little sister out to play these few days. Be careful not to let her get hurt, and don't let other children bully her. Remember to bring your sister back when it's time for dinner. Can you do that?"
The boys took the candies and couldn't wait to peel off the candy wrappers and stuff them into their mouths, giggling and promising to complete the task. Only the oldest girl took the initiative to step forward, reluctantly and hesitantly extending her right hand holding the pocket money, "Uncle San, I'm the eldest sister, it's my duty to take care of my younger sister. I won't pay you, and I will take good care of her."
Lin Nanjiang patted his niece's head and said with a smile, "Our Yanyan has grown up and is already a big sister. Then Third Uncle will hand her over to you. Take good care of her and have fun. During the Chinese New Year, Third Uncle and Third Aunt will give you the biggest red envelope!"
Lin Yanyan had never experienced such a big deal before. She was so stunned that she forgot her original position. She picked up her little sister and almost issued a military order, "Don't worry, Uncle San. I promise to bring my little sister back the same way she left home!"
The other children gathered around cleverly, wanting the little sister to go with them. Some even asked Lin Nanjiang directly, "Uncle San, I've taken good care of my little sister. Do I have a big red envelope too?"
"Yes, as long as you perform well!" Lin Nanjiang is not short of money. With a wave of his hand, he tricked a group of flower protectors for his daughter. Little Fangfang went out with her brothers and sisters like a star. Her back showed that she didn't even look back, as if she didn't want to leave.
Seeing that the little guy happily left his old father behind, Lin Nanjiang was not sad. He stretched and prepared to go back to hug his wife and take another nap.
But when he took off his coat and climbed onto the bed quietly, Liu Suqin just turned over and opened her eyes. "Where's my daughter?"
"She went out to play with her older brother and sister," Lin Nanjiang reassured her. "They promised me they would take good care of her. It's nothing, just go back to sleep."
Liu Suqin really had nothing to worry about. The eldest child of the Lin family was already in junior high school, which could be considered half an adult in the countryside. Not to mention small things like taking care of their younger siblings, they could also do laundry, cook, fetch water, and take care of their parents.
The children were playing in their own village, and Lin Nanjiang, the elder, personally went there to give them instructions and entrust them with their care, so naturally everything was safe.
She raised her child delicately in the city and adapted to local customs. The children in her hometown were all running and playing outside, and her daughter was happy to do so. Liu Suqin naturally didn't mind giving her a complete childhood.
But she wasn't worried about her daughter. She was also really full of sleep. She turned over and said she wasn't interested in sleeping with him. But Lin Nanjiang thought she was going to get up immediately. He stretched out his long arms and hugged her into his arms, holding her tightly with both hands, "Sleep with me for a while, my dear."
"You think you're three years old and still need someone to sleep with you."
Lin Nanjiang buried his head in her neck and whimpered like a spoiled puppy. Liu Suqin was so itchy that she wanted to run away. "Let go. I have to call my parents later."
"My second brother-in-law personally sent our parents back to their hometown. What is there to worry about?" Lin Nanjiang insisted on not letting go.
"You should show some concern, and tell them that we will be going back to my parents' home on the second or third day of the first lunar month."
"Hey, aren't you going back before the New Year?" Lin Nanjiang had just finished asking when he figured it out. "Well, I came back late this year, and I just separated from my mother-in-law and the others. I can go back after the New Year."
"Yes, and ask mom and dad to distribute the gifts we bought in advance so that the children can have a happy New Year." Liu Suqin was not too stubborn. While getting study materials for her eldest nephew, she also brought them popular toys from outside, using a combination of big sticks and sweet dates to avoid stimulating the children's rebellious psychology.
Lin Nanjiang agreed with his wife's arrangement, but still refused to let her go. He advised, "After lunch, I'll go with you to make the call. Your parents just got home now and they're probably busy cleaning up. Don't go and cause them trouble."
Liu Suqin was helpless, "Okay, but I really can't sleep."
Lin Nanjiang wasn't actually that sleepy, so he took the opportunity to suggest, "Wife, since we both got busy at the end of the year, we haven't had this much time to ourselves. It would be nice to stay awake and chat."
"What do you want to talk about?"
Lin Nanjiang suddenly had an idea and immediately thought of a good topic. "Speaking of going to the station to pick up our second brother-in-law last night, do you think he has changed a lot?"
Liu Suqin asked cooperatively, "Really? What's changed?"
"His whole spirit and energy are different, haven't you noticed, wife? Brother-in-law is much more eloquent now than before. Of course, he's not the kind of sweet talker. He's still as down-to-earth and reliable as before when it comes to what he says and does. It's just that he seems to be much more tactful and experienced in dealing with people. It's not that he didn't understand these things before. To use your words, he was quite a bit of a jerk before, but now he's probably standing up..." Lin Nanjiang kept talking, and suddenly realized halfway through, "Oh, by the way, this is only the second time we've been back to our hometown for the New Year since we got married. You two haven't had much contact, so it's normal that you haven't noticed any changes in my second brother-in-law."
Liu Suqin seemed calm, but she was already applauding in her heart. If anyone said that the biggest change was this man in front of her, he was the one who deserved to be revisited after three days of absence. He had made rapid progress in just a few years, and now he had a sophisticated eye for people. His evaluation of his second brother-in-law was also very insightful.
She was not familiar with her second brother-in-law in this life, but the two families were quite familiar with each other in her previous life. She was raising the child alone here, and her second aunt Lin Dongmei was a kind-hearted person. The help she gave to her younger sister was no less than that given to her uncles and second uncles who lived in the same village. Also, because they were of the same sex and generation, some of Liu Suqin's minor postpartum ailments that were difficult to talk about were also solved with the help of Lin Dongmei.
In short, the aunt and sister-in-law are close, and the two families are also familiar with each other. Liu Suqin knows the situation of her second sister's family better than others.
She remembered that her second brother-in-law took the driving test in the early 2000s. She didn't know why he didn't join the current relatives in the transportation business. After getting his license, he worked at the bus station for two years. He heard that driving a taxi was okay, so he switched jobs and became a taxi driver. In fact, this industry had long passed its golden age. It was no problem to support the family, but he couldn't think about getting rich.
Fortunately, he later took out a loan to buy a private car, catching up with the best years for online ride-hailing. As soon as he made money, he bought two houses in the city, a large one for his son's wedding and a two-bedroom one for the couple to live in.
The housing price increase at that time was not exaggerated. Compared with her family, she saved a lot of money.
Of course she envied her second sister's family, and her second sister might also envy her powerful relatives. The gap between them was too big.
Moreover, even if we don't compare him with his promising brothers and sisters, my second brother-in-law had a rather bumpy life when he started working again in his forties. At that time, he was probably focused on making money to buy a house and get his son married. This is very different from his current state of being full of confidence and striving for a career.
How to say it, he has not accepted his fate yet. Men say that they do things for their wives and children, but it is actually very easy to tell whether it is for their families or to realize their own ideals and ambitions. He Shengli is now clearly in a state of expectation for life and the future.
Lin Nanjiang's choice of words was really precise. His second brother-in-law had indeed become visibly stronger. With this kind of energy and spirit, even without cheating or anything like that, he was definitely stronger than in his previous life.
Liu Suqin thought a lot, but remained silent. "From what you said, my second brother-in-law has changed for the better. Although I'm not familiar with him, he and my second sister get along very well. If he develops well in the future and can lead my second sister and nephew to a good life, that would be a good thing."
"Yes, it's a good thing." Lin Nanjiang smiled, "My wife is really beautiful and kind-hearted. I live a good life myself, and I hope that my family and friends can live a good life too."
Liu Suqin accepted his flattery without hesitation, "Of course not. Is this the first day you discovered that I am kind?"
The couple flirted on the bed for a while longer, until Mother Lin washed their clothes and hung them out under the eaves one by one. When she came back, she found breakfast still simmering on the stove. Even the laziest fourth child had gotten up to eat and went to the back of the house to chat and brag with others. The third child and his wife hadn't made any noise. Mother Lin couldn't help but come over and call out, "Nanjiang, Suqin, you two should get up and eat something. I'm going to start making lunch soon, so the stove won't keep you warm."
Liu Suqin immediately glared at the culprit and told him to go explain to his mother. She then quietly got up and put on her clothes.
The couple quickly washed up and sat at the dining table in the main hall to eat. Then they saw Lin's mother and the fourth son Lin Nanhe come in one after another. They looked at each other tacitly and guessed that Lin's mother was in a hurry to urge them to get up, not just to let them eat breakfast.
Sure enough, the next second, Lin Nanhe came up to them and handed them an envelope without saying anything. "Third brother, third sister-in-law, I didn't make much money this year, so I can only pay you back one thousand first. I'll try to pay back the remaining two thousand next year."
Liu Suqin gave Lin Nanjiang a look and silently gave the stage to him.
Lin Nanjiang then began to argue with his younger brother to the extreme. One of them refused frantically, saying that they were not in a hurry to use the money, and that his younger brother's food and accommodation expenses in the city were not low, so he just needed to take care of himself first, and it didn't matter when the money was paid back. The other one insisted on paying, as it was the rule to settle the account at the end of the year. Unfortunately, he had limited funds, so he could only pay back as much as he could.
Lin's mother also tried to persuade him, "Third brother, you should just take the money. You know your brother's character well. Ever since he came back, there's been a long line of people waiting to play mahjong with him. If I hadn't been keeping a close eye on him, he would have lost all his money long ago."
Lin Nanhe admitted embarrassedly, "They all said that I made money outside, and they insisted on dragging me to the poker table. Third brother, if you take the money, I will have nothing to lose."
"Okay then, don't be so distant with your brother in the future." After going through all these procedures, Lin Nanjiang reluctantly accepted the envelope. Seeing this, Liu Suqin called it troublesome and once again sighed at her foresight. She pushed all these matters of her husband's family to him, and she only needed to smile. How easy it was.
Lin Nanhe had matured a lot this year. While paying back the money, he also prepared a gift for his niece: a thin gold bracelet embellished with a few small gold beads and a bow pendant. The design and workmanship were both quite delicate. Lin Nanhe explained sheepishly, "I don't have much money this year, so I can only buy the lightest bracelet. But I'll be a regular employee next year, and my salary, plus other subsidies, might double. Then I'll buy our Fangfang a beautiful gold bracelet!"
Gifts, no matter how big or small, are all thoughtful. Moreover, Lin Nanhe knew how to cater to her preferences and specially prepared gold jewelry. Naturally, Lin Nanhe and Liu Suqin would not object. The two brothers exchanged pleasantries again. Liu Suqin finally joked, "Compared to a gold bracelet, Fangfang might prefer to have a little aunt next year. You have to work hard."
In a word, he successfully made his brother-in-law drunk, and finally abandoned them and fled.
Mother Lin gave her an appreciative look and wanted to pull her aside to have a good chat about this, but unfortunately there was not enough time as it was time to prepare lunch for the family. Mother Lin had to look at her daughter-in-law with regret and took the dishes they had used to eat to the kitchen.
Lin Nanjiang casually stuffed the cash and bracelet into his wife's coat pocket and invited her, "Do you want to go see how your daughter is having fun with her brothers and sisters?"
Liu Suqin thought for a moment and said, "You go and take a look. I'll pack my luggage first. Apart from our spare clothes, everything else is still piled up in the main hall."
Given their popularity in the village, they would definitely be surrounded by villagers if they went out, and would not be able to return until mealtime, so how could they have time to pack their luggage?
Lin Nanjiang also knew her concerns and said with a smile, "Okay, let's split up. I'll go get my daughter and bring her back for dinner."
The couple's popularity is not just talk. I don't know what a grand occasion it is when Lin Nanjiang goes out. Anyway, Liu Suqin, who is packing her luggage at home, is not idle either. The young girls, young wives, aunts and grandmothers in the village take turns to visit her house.
But they were all fellow villagers, so there was no need to entertain them specially. Liu Suqin continued to fold clothes while chatting with them. She didn't expect that Quansheng's mother, Aunt Jiang, would come again.
Lin Quansheng didn't specifically call to tell them that he wouldn't be coming back, but he did do something to save face by asking them to help bring back a thousand yuan.
Last night, when everyone was crowded at the Lin family's house waiting for Lin Nanjiang to come back, Lin Quansheng's parents were also there. Lin Nanjiang handed the one thousand yuan directly to Aunt Jiang in front of everyone, and said that her son had something to do in Shenzhen during the New Year and would not be back this time.
As for what happened, we have to call Lin Quansheng himself.
Aunt Jiang and her husband looked unhappy at the time. Her husband later tried to trick Lin Nanjiang into talking while drinking, but failed. So she found Liu Suqin again and tried to find out the situation indirectly.
Unfortunately, they had agreed on a statement before returning, and Liu Suqin always answered, "I don't know, I'm not clear," and "She doesn't know much about their men's affairs." When they continued to pester her, she defeated them with magic and asked back with a smile, "I didn't expect Aunt Jiang to care so much about Brother Quansheng. It seems we misunderstood before."
Lin Quansheng's parents' behavior can be used to deceive outsiders. Everyone in the village knows each other. However, every family has its own problems. As long as they don't commit murder or arson, everyone is quite tolerant and will not make any comments openly.
But when Liu Suqin started to speak in a sarcastic tone, she was immediately followed by others who were equally dissatisfied. With one person saying something after another, Aunt Jiang, who cared about her reputation, was forced to leave.
As a friend, this is all Liu Suqin can do. The only one who has to face and solve these problems is Lin Quansheng himself.
There was nothing she could do, nor did she worry about it. She squeezed out the discordant elements and continued to happily watch the show with her fellow villagers.
In short, this New Year was very comfortable. There was no need to go to work, wash clothes or cook, and even no need to take care of the baby. Little Fangfang just had fun with her brothers and sisters, doing parkour during the day and falling asleep as soon as she touched the pillow at night. The couple didn't even need nursery rhymes and stories to soothe the child before bed. Liu Suqin was so relaxed that she started to follow Lin Nanjiang to the card table, and learned the Chinese quintessence under his hands-on teaching.
So on the third day of the first lunar month when they returned to their parents' home, both mother and daughter had the same look of reluctance on their faces.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
