Lin Xiazhu was displeased. If it weren't for her cousin's big day, she would have turned her back on him on the spot and cut off all ties.
“Aunt, I won’t say anything because of my cousin’s wedding today. You should do the same. Even if things are bad, the eldest daughter is now married into the Lin family and is your daughter-in-law. If you gossip at our doorstep, you’ll only be embarrassing the eldest son’s family.”
"I only said a couple of words, never mind, let's go eat." Zhao Yinxiu turned and went inside with a stiff face.
"Don't be angry," Xiao An said softly, taking her hand.
"I wasn't angry, but it really affected my mood. She can be quite annoying sometimes." The "she" here refers to Zhao Yinxiu.
"Xiao An, your hands are so cool, it feels so good to hold them." Despite the sweltering heat, Xiao An's hands were cool and refreshing, and holding them made one feel less irritable.
"What animal is cool in summer and warm in winter? Is it an air conditioner that can adjust the temperature for both?" Lin Xiazhu asked with a smile.
"I'm not a central air conditioner," Xiao An said earnestly and seriously.
"Then what are you?" She loved teasing him, and seeing his helpless sigh at the end would make her laugh loudly.
"I'm Xiao An." Xiao An looked up at the sky; the sun was really bright.
"I know you are Xiao An, but what kind of Xiao An are you?" Lin Xiazhu asked with a seemingly casual smile, and before she knew it, she had arrived at her doorstep.
Bodyguard Two wiped the sweat from his brow, while Bodyguard One placed the vegetables from the bamboo basket onto the table one by one. Bai Junbai was already sitting and waiting to eat.
“So many, there must be seventeen or eighteen dishes.” Bai Junbai’s voice was flat. He glanced at Xiao An and then fell silent.
"There are eighteen dishes in total. The best ingredients are wild boar and mutton, as well as fried bees and insects, and my favorites like stewed chicken with pork tripe and stewed peanuts with pork trotters..." These are all dishes with strong local characteristics.
"The chef's skills are quite good." Bai Junbai took a sip of soup and nodded in approval.
"It's the owner of 'Old Zhang's Snacks' in my neighborhood, Zhang Yu, you know him too. The chef is his mother. Today, Zhang Yu and the others are helping my uncle carry trays." Carrying trays means delivering the dishes, taking the dishes from the trays to each table.
Over the past few years, Zhang Yu has worked with Lin Shanfu on contract jobs, and their relationship has become very close. When Lin Shanfu's son got married, he brought Zhang Yu and the others over to help.
After dinner, the bodyguards rested on the sofa in the living room downstairs, while Lin Xiazhu and the other two went upstairs.
As soon as he sat down, Bai Junbai couldn't wait to know the answer. "Xiao An, what have you thought about it?"
Xiao An shook his head. "I don't want to leave Changhe County." Actually, he just didn't want to leave Xiao Zhu.
"You're reluctant to part with Xiaozhu and the others, aren't you? They can come back to Beijing with us if they want, and I'll make all the arrangements."
"I appreciate Mr. Bai's kindness. I will not leave Changhe County for the time being. I will finish high school in the county town, and of course, I will try my best to get into a university in Beijing." Lin Xiazhu immediately stated her position. She would go to Beijing sooner or later.
However, she wanted to rely on herself and didn't want to be taken away like a handout.
“I also want to finish high school before returning to Beijing.” Xiao An had already guessed Lin Xiazhu’s decision, so he didn’t want to leave immediately either.
Bai Junbai opened his mouth, for a moment wanting to use his superb talent for speaking to persuade Xiao An to agree to return to Beijing with him.
However, he ultimately said nothing. Xiao An was no ordinary child. He seemed excessively quiet, as if everything was following Lin Xiazhu's will, but wasn't that also his own will?
He did it because he wanted to, and no one could control his thoughts.
However, it was still necessary to have Lin Xiazhu do some ideological work with him. Bai Junbai gave Lin Xiazhu a deep look, and the meaning in his eyes was self-evident.
"Don't rush into a decision. We can reconsider this matter. Let's not talk about returning to Beijing today. Everyone should calm down first." After saying that, Bai Junbai got up to leave.
"I'm going back to the county town first, and I won't be leaving anytime soon. If you've thought it through, come find me at the Changhe Hotel."
After Bai Junbo left, only Lin Xiazhu and Xiao An remained in the living room. Xiao An looked at Lin Xiazhu, as if wanting to hear her opinion.
“If you want to hear the truth, then I hope you go back to Beijing. Your closest family is there, and you can receive a better education. I hope you can become a strong person.”
"Why do you have to become a powerful person? Are power and wealth really that important?" Xiao An's voice was very soft, and she looked straight at her.
"It's very important. If you're not strong enough, you can't protect the people you want to protect. Like what happened to Cha Cha a while ago, if it weren't for Chen Ziming's influence, we might still be in dire straits right now. How could we have come back so happily to attend our cousin's wedding?"
Lin Xiazhu sighed, raised her hand and patted Xiao An's shoulder. "Xiao An, I've always been very realistic, but also superficial and vulgar. Nobility and purity don't suit me. The environment I live in doesn't allow me to be too naive."
If you feel I've taken advantage of you or made you uncomfortable, you can forget me, forget all of us. Xiao An, I've always had flaws. I've also thought about simply being a carefree, innocent child, but that's just a dream.
Before the rainbow head incident, she wanted to live a peaceful and ordinary life. But reality taught her a lesson. She was unwilling to be trampled underfoot and unable to move, and she was unwilling to be suppressed and crushed by the powerful and rich in both her lives.
"Do you want to live the life of the upper class? Do you yearn for that kind of life?" If that's what she wants, he can work hard for her.
"I don't know how people in high society live. I just want my family and I to live happily. I don't want others to bully us at will..." She didn't want to be like in her previous life, where those so-called rich people could scold her whenever they wanted.
If she's unhappy, she'll drive her to desperation; if she disagrees with you, she'll bankrupt the factory where you work; and before you die, she'll come and humiliate you.
Yes, she had always harbored resentment, but she kept it to herself and didn't show it. If Yan Xin hadn't transmigrated into her mother's body, she wouldn't have forced herself to get along with her peacefully.
She might punch him flat, or like Chen Tiezhu, she once thought of punching him to vent her anger, although she never actually did it, but she always had that idea.
Looking at her slightly distorted face, Xiao An felt a pang of pain in his heart. He knew Xiao Zhu had a secret, but she never told anyone because she didn't trust anyone.
He didn't know what she had gone through before he came to the Lin family, but he firmly believed that Xiaozhu was kind, she was good, and she was the best in his heart.
"If I go back to Beijing, can you promise me one thing? You must get into a university in Beijing. You must keep in touch with me for the next three years. I will call you anytime and write to you regularly."
"You have to remember to answer the phone. If you miss it, remember to call back. Remember to reply to emails, and don't forget about me." Xiao An had never been so nagging before.
"You've already given me so many things to do, it's too much of a hassle. You know I have to work hard to earn money in addition to going to school, and you still give me so many things to do. Are you trying to kill me with exhaustion?" Lin Xiazhu laughed a few times, but then her voice choked with emotion.
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