Chapter 23 Jiang Ran, seems to be from a small wealthy family.
At six o'clock in the morning, just as dawn was breaking, Jiang Ran went to Meng Lingxuan's house.
Meng Lingxuan also told Su Mu that if Jiang Ran ever bullies him in the future, he must tell him, okay?
Su Mu was moved and said yes.
He didn't know what Jiang Ran said to Meng Lingxuan. At that time, Su Mu was still fast asleep and had no idea that Jiang Ran had already gone to intercept Meng Lingxuan.
Meng Lingxuan replied: You don't need to know that. Just know that the best man position is still mine.
Su Mu didn't understand why Meng Lingxuan was so insistent on being the best man.
Jiang Ran was so drunk last night, it was past six o'clock. Did she sleep for a few hours or barely sleep at all? No wonder she slept until the afternoon.
It would be a lie to say I wasn't moved.
Sunlight filled the courtyard. The little gray ball of fur that Jiang Ran had brought back wrapped in her coat was now curled up in a cardboard box lined with old clothes, sleeping soundly on its back. Su's mother put it outside to bask in the sun. It had indeed grown a bit; it was no longer the frail creature it had looked when they first found it. Its little belly was round and full, and its gray fur was fluffy, making it look like a soft, breathing ball of flesh.
Father Su squatted down beside the cardboard box and poked the puppy, which just kicked its legs impatiently. "We need to give this little thing a name. We can't keep calling it 'little dog.' When it gets older, it'll think that's its name and won't be able to change it."
Mother Su nodded: "We must choose one."
Su's father then looked at Su Mu: "Xiao Mu, why don't you pick one out?"
"Let him get it." Su Mu gestured with his chin toward Jiang Ran. "He picked up the dog, so this sacred mission is entrusted to Jiang Ran."
Jiang Ran was stunned for a moment, seemingly not expecting the naming rights to fall to him. He walked to the cardboard box, squatted down, and, imitating Su's father, stretched out his slender fingers and gently stroked the puppy's fluffy, warm head. The puppy felt comfortable being stroked, making soft purring sounds in its throat, and instinctively rubbed its little head against his fingertips.
Jiang Ran pointed at the puppy's chubby body with her fingertip and said, "How about we name it Rou Rou (Meatball)? When it grows up, it can eat meat every day."
Su Mu: "Quite cute."
Su's parents also thought the name was acceptable.
Jiang Ran is so kind.
Su Mu thought to himself silently. From coaxing him without regard for his image last night to rushing to Meng Lingxuan's house early this morning, he found it increasingly difficult to find anything wrong with Jiang Ran. He was almost becoming Jiang Ran's absolute favorite.
As usual, Jiang Ran accompanied Su Mu to the factory, seemingly treating herself as Su Mu's personal bodyguard.
When they arrived at the factory gate, Uncle Zhao, the gatekeeper, was drinking tea from a thermos. He glanced up and saw Jiang Ran following behind Su Mu. She wasn't wearing sunglasses today, revealing her well-defined features and deep-set eyes.
Uncle Zhao's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed repeatedly, "Oh my, Xiao Jiang! I've finally seen his true face today! Amazing, amazing, he's a rare handsome man indeed!"
He put down his thermos: "My daughter is a teacher, just graduated, about your age, very quiet, and pretty..."
As he spoke, he pulled out his phone, pretending to search for WeChat IDs: "Why don't you young people add each other on WeChat, get to know each other, and become friends?"
Before Jiang Ran could speak, Su Mu stepped forward to block her way: "Uncle Zhao, this won't do."
Uncle Zhao: "Xiao Su, that's not right of you. It's one thing to not support your employee's life-long event, but why are you stopping him? I'm just doing a good deed."
Su Mu: "...Whether he works under me, makes friends, or falls in love, he must get my permission. I don't allow it now."
Uncle Zhao could only look at Jiang Ran: "Little Jiang, look how domineering your boss is..."
Jiang Ran: "I will listen to whatever Boss Su says."
One is an arbitrary rule, the other is unconditional obedience.
Uncle Zhao: "Little Jiang, Little Jiang, you don't look like you're here to work. You've... sold yourself to Little Su, haven't you?"
Jiang Ran's eyes were incredibly sincere: "Yes, it's sold. Now he makes all the decisions for me."
Su Mu nodded.
When Su Mu returned to the factory in the afternoon, he had just changed into his work clothes when Uncle Zhao, the gatekeeper, came over with a cheerful smile, holding up his phone.
"Little Su, come here, let's shoot another clip together. Our Factory Heartthrob Diary hasn't been updated yet today!" Uncle Zhao has now become Su Mu's personal photographer. Although his equipment is just his old phone with a slightly cracked screen, his shooting style is extremely primitive: close-up shots, shaky camera shots, and no sense of composition whatsoever.
But it was precisely this rough realism, coupled with Su Mu's exceptionally handsome and clean face in this somewhat shabby environment, that attracted many fans.
The content is simple, just various scenes of Su Mu in the factory.
Traffic has been consistently good, with active likes and comments, even boosting small orders for spare parts in the factory. Even the usually serious and taciturn factory manager was tempted and quietly started his own video account, but unfortunately, it only lasted two days before it lost its impact.
Uncle Zhao marveled at the still slightly shaky video preview he had just filmed, giving Su Mu a thumbs up: "Little Su, I told you you were born to work in the internet industry! Look, just a casual shot, and the number of views and comments! It's magical, truly magical!"
Su Mu: "Really?"
He had no concept of terms like "internet celebrity" or "traffic." Making videos was just a passing fancy for Uncle Zhao at first, but it became a habit, so he just went along with it and never thought about making a living from it.
Jiang Ran stood to the side and said, "That's right. I think you can succeed at anything, it's just that... it would be better if there were fewer of those fans who tease you."
Su Mu's account has indeed attracted quite a few followers. The comment section is often filled with all sorts of bold and straightforward confessions and jokes, which Jiang Ran occasionally catches glimpses of, and her brows furrow in disapproval.
Uncle Zhao, who was listening nearby, shook his head repeatedly, giving him a look that said, "Young man, you don't understand!" He continued, "Xiao Jiang, you don't understand! In today's internet world, whoever wins over female fans wins the world! A lot of female fans means that our Xiao Su is charming and has a market! That's a good thing!"
Jiang Ran: "Having one high-quality fan is worth more than having many others."
He even wanted to take the opportunity to say something more romantic, such as, "Actually, I'm the fan 985 who has been silently watching and supporting you from the very beginning."
However, before he could say it, Su Mu complained, "By the way, speaking of fans, that ATM fan is the weirdest. Every time he comes to my live stream, he just showers me with gifts, and then occasionally lectures people in the chat, saying things like 'be careful with the chat,' 'behave yourself,' and so on. He has such a domineering attitude."
Uncle Zhao: "I told you long ago, he just wants to possess you."
Su Mu glanced at Jiang Ran, afraid he would get angry, and quickly distanced himself: "Uncle, don't talk nonsense. I feel like he's not here to watch the live stream, but just to cause trouble, throw money at people, and have a go at lecturing them. I don't like that kind of thing."
Jiang Ran: "…………"
Jiang Ran tried to cover it up: "Oh, really? There are people like that... That's quite strange."
Later, ID 6653365985 stopped posting and only sent money.
There's one more thing; I need to video chat with Jiang Ran's parents today.
Jiang Ran vaguely mentioned this matter yesterday, saying that her family had asked about it several times and it was time to give a formal report.
Su Mu was a little nervous.
Originally, Su Mu was taking Jiang Ran to visit his maternal grandmother. Su Mu's mother had specifically mentioned yesterday that his grandmother's birthday was in a few days, and since they had some free time, she wanted to take Jiang Ran over to meet her family and introduce her to the relatives in advance.
Su Mu's maternal grandmother had five children, which was considered a large family in those days. Su Mu's mother was the second oldest, with an older aunt, then an uncle, a younger aunt, and the youngest being the uncle. Su Mu planned to start with the family of his younger aunt, who was the easiest to talk to.
My aunt's house is at the other end of the village, an old-fashioned bungalow with a small yard in front where she grows some vegetables. Before we went, Su Mu gave her a heads-up in the car: "My aunt lives alone. If she says anything or seems a little strange later, don't take it too seriously."
“She had a traumatic experience in the past, and sometimes her speech is incoherent and unclear, but my aunt is a very good cook.”
Jiang Ran asked, "What's wrong with Auntie?"
Su Mu said, "My aunt was actually very smart when she was young. She was one of the most talented people in the village."
This wasn't just polite talk. Su Mu's memories of his aunt's youth were mostly pieced together from occasional mentions by his mother and grandmother. His aunt was beautiful, not in a gentle, demure way, but with a bright, vibrant energy in her eyes and brows that seemed determined to never give up. She was also diligent and quick; there was no task she couldn't handle, whether it was farm work or household chores. Back then, matchmakers practically wore out her door.
Later, my aunt got married. Her husband's family lived in a neighboring village and were quite well-off. However, her husband's family held many deeply ingrained beliefs from that era and that place: they had to have a son to carry on the family line. After my aunt married into the family, she gave birth to a big, healthy boy as her first child. That period was probably the most fulfilling and busiest time of my young aunt's life.
However, fate can sometimes be cruelly unreasonable. When children are two or three years old, they are just learning to walk and are full of curiosity about everything. One day, my aunt's mother-in-law was playing with her grandson in the yard, probably busy hanging clothes or doing other chores. Without warning, the little, unsteady figure somehow got close to the abandoned well in the yard, hastily covered only by an old wooden plank. The plank wasn't sturdy; the child bumped into it, and by the time the adults noticed, it was too late.
The well is deep, and the water is cold.
From then on, my aunt seemed to have lost her soul. She neither cried nor made a fuss; she would just sit blankly all day or wander aimlessly around the village, muttering things that no one could understand.
Later, her speech gradually deteriorated into illogical and incoherent statements, sometimes lucid and sometimes confused. Unable to stay at her in-laws' house, and with her husband having an affair, and also afraid of taking responsibility, she eventually gave them a sum of money to settle things.
My aunt was taken back to her parents' home. She got better later and has been living alone ever since. Su's mother visits her every few days. That clever and bright-eyed girl was almost left behind forever by a sudden misfortune.
The car drove away from the center of Sumu's village and turned onto a newly built, fairly smooth cement road. The houses on both sides of the road gradually became more orderly, mostly two- or three-story buildings built in the last two years, covered with white tiles, and some even had stainless steel security windows that gleamed dazzlingly in the sunlight.
Occasionally, you can see small courtyards enclosed by walls, planted with flowers and trees, or storefronts with signs that read "Farmhouse Inn" or "Specialty Supermarket".
Su Mu said to Jiang Ran, "What you see now is what a new rural area looks like. With government support, many people have gone out to work and earned money, and then came back to build houses. The roads have been paved, and streetlights have been installed."
“I wouldn’t dare bring you back like this,” Su Mu said. “If it weren’t for our family’s attitude… being somewhat special, you would probably have been kicked out by my parents with a broom the moment you walked in.”
Jiang Ran said, "Actually, I came prepared to be kicked out."
Su Mu: "Young Master Jiang, you really have the courage to snatch food from a tiger's mouth."
Jiang Ran raised an eyebrow.
This is no exaggeration. Su Mu has seen how the village treats improper relationships between men and women, especially when it involves someone like him bringing a man home.
Saliva can drown a person, let alone sticks.
Jiang Ran: "Our child is truly a lucky star."
If it weren't for this child, Su Mu wouldn't have returned at this time. He might still be in City B, maintaining an ambiguous relationship with Jiang Ran. Su's parents' attitude would also be very different now; although worried and conflicted, they are ultimately more accepting and caring.
The child was indeed the unexpected event that changed everything.
Su Mu: "Young Master Jiang, I didn't expect you, a city person, to adapt so well to this place."
Su Mu had seen and heard far too much. In this place where he was born and raised, enlightenment and feudalism, tolerance and narrow-mindedness were intertwined like sand and soil mixed together in the land.
When Su Mu was in school, several girls of the same age in the village only went to junior high school, or even graduated from elementary school, before their families wouldn't let them continue their studies.
The reasons are varied: the family can't afford it, and the younger brother also needs to go to school; it's useless for girls to study so much, it's more sensible for them to get married early and help support the family; going out to work can earn money...
He used to have a female classmate who was a top student, always ranking among the top in the grade. After the summer vacation of his second year of junior high, she never appeared in the classroom again. It was said that her parents had forcibly taken her to a factory in the south to save money for building a new house for their family.
The year Su Mu graduated from high school.
He didn't throw away any of his books.
Then he took them all back and gave them to her.
His more recent memory is from his university days. One winter vacation, he went home for the Chinese New Year. A distant relative in the village was celebrating their birthday, and they had set up several tables for a feast. He went to the banquet and saw the girl in the noisy courtyard. She was holding a crying baby, about a year old, and had an even smaller baby strapped to her back with a baby carrier, babbling and drooling.
Her clothes were a bit old, and the clarity and shyness in her eyes were long gone from those days in the classroom.
She saw Su Mu, paused for a moment, then smiled somewhat awkwardly. Through the noise of the crowd and the steam of the food, she said, "Su Mu? I heard you got into a university in Jiangcheng? That's great, I really envy you."
Her voice wasn't loud and was quickly drowned out by the surrounding noise. But Su Mu heard it clearly.
She apologized to Su Mu, saying that she hadn't needed the books.
That sentence, and the way she unconsciously bounced the crying child in her arms upwards while she spoke, and then turned to pat the one on her back.
Su Mu said it was okay, as long as she could be happy.
The car stopped under the old locust tree in front of my aunt's house. Most of the locust tree leaves had fallen, and the bare branches stretched towards the gray sky.
Su Mu and Jiang Ran got off the bus carrying large bags and small packages, which had been prepared in advance: some pastries, fruits, and a set of skincare products and a lipstick that Su Mu had specially bought for them in the county town.
Hearing the car, the aunt leaned out, her hair casually tied in a bun at the back of her head, a few stray strands falling around her cheeks. She paused for a moment upon seeing Su Mu, then a smile bloomed on her face.
"Xiao Mu! Why are you here again? Didn't you just come the other day?" Her gaze then fell on Jiang Ran behind Su Mu, her eyes filled with undisguised curiosity and scrutiny. "Who is this? He's really handsome."
Su Mu: "Auntie, this is my college classmate, Jiang Ran. He happened to be visiting, so I brought him to see you."
"College classmate?" Auntie's gaze lingered on Jiang Ran's face for a few seconds. She stared at Jiang Ran, her smile froze for a moment, and her voice suddenly became soft and gentle, with a dreamlike murmur, "Yangyang... Yangyang? You've grown so much!"
"Yangyang" was the nickname of my aunt's son who died young.
When my aunt's mental state was particularly bad, she would occasionally call any teenager around Su Mu's age that. Later, she gradually got better, but if she didn't see Su Mu for a long time and suddenly saw him, she would sometimes still call him by the wrong name in a daze.
Jiang Ran had obviously heard it too, but his expression remained unchanged; he showed neither surprise nor embarrassment at being mistaken for someone else. He stepped forward and bowed slightly: "Auntie, hello, my name is Jiang Ran, I'm Mu Mu's college classmate. Sorry to bother you."
Auntie blinked, her eyes refocusing, and the smile on her face returned to its normal warmth, even carrying a hint of embarrassment: "Oh! Jiang Ran! Look at my memory... Come in, come in, Xiao Mu's classmate, what a rare guest! Auntie is going to cook something delicious for you today! Oh dear, you've come all this way, why did you bring so much stuff? That's too much of a waste!"
The main room was dimly lit, and the furniture was old-fashioned. It was fairly tidy, but there was a certain... Su Mu placed the things on the octagonal table against the wall, picked up the beautifully packaged paper bag containing skincare products and lipstick, and handed it to her aunt: "Auntie, this is for you. I also bought you some cosmetics; see if you like them?"
My aunt took the paper bag, but didn't open it immediately. She just ran her fingers along the smooth wrapping paper and said, "Really? But I haven't worn makeup in a long time."
She raised her hand and touched her cheek.
Su Mu: "My mom's dance troupe is going to perform at the temple fair in a few days. It'll be very lively. We'll drive over to pick you up so we can go see the show together. You can put on some makeup and go looking your best."
"The temple fair..." Auntie said, "Your mother insisted that I go and dance too, but I refused. I don't know how to dance that at all; I'd only make a fool of myself..."
My aunt went to prepare the meal.
"Isn't it dangerous for my aunt to live alone?"
Su Mu leaned close to Jiang Ran's ear and said, "It's not like we haven't tried. My aunt lived with my grandma for a while, but the two of them just couldn't live together. One complained that the other was nagging and controlling, and the other complained that the other was sloppy and unhygienic. They had a small argument every three days and a big argument every five days. It was always chaotic. In the end, they lived separately. Being far apart allowed them to talk to each other in peace."
"Distance makes the heart grow fonder. Sometimes, being too close can be torture."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ran reached out and gently put her arm around Su Mu's shoulder: "After we return to Jiangzhou, we'll live on our own. We won't live with our elders; it will just be the three of us, together."
A family of three.
That sounds really good.
Su Mu originally wanted Jiang Ran to go back as soon as possible.
"Never mind," Su Mu told himself. "I'll wait until I've seen my grandmother and visited all the other relatives before I think about it."
After having dinner at my aunt's house, on the way back, as we approached Su Mu's house, we passed a harvested rice field, where a few free-range chickens from several farmhouses were pawing at the edge of the field.
A brightly colored rooster strode ahead, followed by several hens munching away.
Su Mu pointed out the window with his chin: "Look, haven't you ever seen a lively, free-roaming chariot?"
Jiang Ran looked in the direction he indicated: "Now I see it."
Back at Su Mu's house, they made an appointment with her aunt to pick her up during the temple fair in a few days. After answering a few questions from Su's mother about "how is Auntie's spirits?" and "have you packed your things?", the two went back to their room.
The afternoon light streamed through the window, casting warm dappled patterns in the room. Su Mu sat on the edge of the bed, watching the hands of the wall clock slowly approach six o'clock. The tension that had been temporarily suppressed returned, even more intense than before.
"Should I... change my clothes for the video call? Dress up a bit?" Su Mu looked down at his old gray T-shirt and felt that his outfit was too casual and not formal enough.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ran put down her phone and looked up at him. In fact, Young Master Jiang had become even more relaxed than this genuine country bumpkin lately, and he hadn't combed his hair up at all. He reached out and rubbed Su Mu's shoulder: "No need. Just like this, it's fine. It's comfortable, it's real. My parents are very easygoing people."
Su Mu still chose to believe Jiang Ran's words and did not rummage through the closet for the perhaps more presentable outfit.
At exactly six o'clock, the notification tone for the video invitation sounded on time.
The screen lights up, and the picture is clear and stable.
On the other end of the screen was clearly a meticulously arranged study or living room, with a dark solid wood bookshelf and several elegant green plants in the background. Jiang's father sat there, dressed in a well-tailored dark gray suit, his hair was neatly combed, his sideburns were trimmed, his face was serious, and his eyes were sharp. Even through the screen, one could feel the calm and composed aura of someone who had long held a high position.
Jiang's mother sat beside him, wearing a finely crafted, dark green cheongsam embroidered with subtle patterns, loosely draped with a matching silk shawl, and a string of lustrous pearls around her neck. She had clearly put on makeup carefully; her eyebrows and eyes were delicate, her lips elegant, her hair neatly styled, and a gentle, dignified smile graced her face.
The two sat upright, the background was exquisite, and their clothes were appropriate. Even the lighting and angles seemed to have been carefully considered, exuding a solemn and formal atmosphere.
And on this side of the screen...
Su Mu was wearing a faded gray short-sleeved T-shirt, and Jiang Ran sat next to him, also wearing a simple black short-sleeved T-shirt. Behind them was the somewhat old wall of Su Mu's room, painted with beige paint, with several faded old posters pasted on it.
Jiang Ran remained relaxed, waving at the screen and greeting them naturally: "Dad, Mom."
Su Mu listened to his father's "Dad, Mom," then looked at the powerful, impeccably dressed parents on the screen, who looked like they were going to a charity gala. He then looked down at his and Jiang Ran's outfits, which probably cost no more than two hundred yuan in total.
Su Mu had only one thought in his mind: he shouldn't have believed Jiang Ran's nonsense.
Su Mu said, "...Hello, Uncle and Aunt."
On the screen, Jiang's mother's polite and elegant smile suddenly deepened, and her eyes softened. She leaned forward slightly and said, "Mumu, just call me Mom from now on. Auntie sounds too formal."
Su Mu: "…………"
Su Mu then understood from whom Jiang Ran inherited her tendency to say surprising things and act unpredictably.
Jiang's father, on the other end of the screen, also spoke. This middle-aged man, who looked dignified, composed, and imposing, pushed up his glasses and spoke with the decisive and pragmatic style typical of a businessman: "Mumu, don't worry, whether it's a boy or a girl, there will be a reward, cash or a house, your parents have it all ready for you."
Su Mu: "…………"
It's an overly blatant money offensive.
Su Mu then remembered that Jiang Ran seemed to come from a small wealthy family.
-
A note from the author:
Little Wooden Head: I really feel like I'm marrying into a wealthy family. [Scared]
Young Master Jiang: Mom and Dad, you've never said such sweet words to me before. [Rolls eyes]
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