The two houses weren't far apart, just a few steps away.
She worried that her aunt would prepare a huge feast to entertain them, and she wouldn't be able to manage it all by herself.
Jiang's father happened to be home early, so Jiang's mother thought she should hurry over and help out.
They filled a basket with pomelos, then closed the door and set off.
The social circles in the small town are not wide. Everyone calls each other "XX's dad" or "XX's mom". It's so convenient to recognize people through their children.
So, the locals only know two things about the Jiang family: their orchard and their cotton.
On the way to my great-uncle's house, we were bound to run into some acquaintances.
The first thing they say is, "Wow, Mianmian seems to have grown taller again!" "Mianmian is getting prettier and prettier, I really don't know how your parents raised her!" "Mianmian, are you having fun at university? When are you graduating?"
In the eyes of these elders, he was still a child.
I simply answered whatever was asked, leaving the rest of the questions to Jiang's parents.
When they arrived at his great-uncle's house, Jiang Mian's face was almost frozen with smiles. These uncles and aunts were so enthusiastic that he almost couldn't handle it.
Once inside the uncle's house, there was another round of pleasantries.
For example: "Now that you're here, why did you bring anything?"
For example: "It's all because Mianmian is such a filial child. When she heard that the pomelos in the orchard were ripe, she insisted that I bring some for Uncle to try."
Jiang Mian, who was dragged into taking the blame for no reason, could only smile and say while enduring her uncle's loving gaze, "Since I've already brought it, please don't be shy, Uncle."
"He's definitely a college student now; his way of speaking and acting is quite different."
Auntie came out of the kitchen, holding a cup of tea, and handed it to Jiang Mian: "Wait a little longer, Auntie is already cooking. Since you're back today, your uncle caught some fish and shrimp in the river."
Jiang Mian smiled sweetly: "Then I must try my aunt's cooking."
"Oh! So good!"
The older woman looked at him and liked him more and more.
Jiang's mother had already rolled up her sleeves: "Auntie, I'll help too."
While someone was busy in the kitchen, Jiang's father and great-uncle sat in the yard, smoking and chatting.
Jiang Mian looked around but didn't see Meng Su. She asked towards the kitchen, "Auntie, where did Su Su go?"
"They've probably gone out to play. They'll be back after dinner."
She turned to Jiang's mother and started nagging, "She's in high school now, but she's still like a wild girl. She's been out all afternoon and hasn't come home yet."
Jiang's mother laughed and said, "She's still a child. Let her play if she wants to."
The aunt felt resentful: "She's never home now, so if she gets married, she probably won't even bother coming back to her parents' house."
"Look at you, you've gone off on a tangent again. Su Su is still so young, she's still in school, and now you're bringing up her marriage."
Jiang's mother couldn't stop shaking her head.
"If you ask me, you're lucky. Mianmian is a blessed child. Not only is she beautiful, but she's also obedient and sensible," the auntie sighed, then shook her head. "My little one, I just can't control her anymore. Her dad spoils her rotten!"
Listening to her nagging, Jiang's mother joked, "You only think about the little one all day long, have you forgotten about your eldest?"
"Not to mention that."
Speaking of her eldest son, the aunt complained again: "I don't know if that brat is dating someone outside. He called a few days ago and said he wouldn't be coming home for the New Year this year. He's going to travel to another place. Apparently, he's going skiing in the north. Skiing in the dead of winter? Isn't he just bored?"
At this point, the aunt sighed again: "The eldest was quite obedient when he was little, but now that he's grown up, he's started to rebel. And the younger ones are even worse; none of them are easy to deal with. I think I must have owed them something in my past life."
Sure enough, Meng Su returned just as the food was served.
Upon entering and seeing Jiang Mian, he was overjoyed: "Mianmian, when did you come back?"
"I just got home today."
The aunt poked her daughter's head with her finger and said, "You can't even tell the difference between elders and juniors anymore. You should call her 'Brother Mianmian'!"
"Pshaw!" Meng Su stuck out her tongue. "I won't call him that. I like calling him Mianmian. Besides, he's only three years older than me, okay?! Why do I need to call him 'brother'?"
"You're such a little devil, I can't be bothered to talk to you, you're all spoiled by your dad."
The uncle, who was caught in the crossfire, could only smile and say, "Come, come, everyone, sit down. Don't be shy. Mianmian, eat more river fish later. I heard that eating more fish is good for your health and also helps with brain development. I specially caught a lot of fish for you."
Meng Su helped bring out the dishes and, upon hearing this, retorted, "Dad, you don't know this, do you? Fish only have a seven-second memory. What kind of brain-boosting benefits can eating them provide? Be careful you don't end up with dementia."
"What nonsense are you spouting, kid?!"
The aunt wanted to give her a beating: "She's getting more and more unruly as she gets older, talking nonsense about everything."
Then he urged Jiang Mian's family, "Eat more, everyone. Don't listen to this girl's nonsense. So many people in our town eat fish, and no one has gotten mentally disabled from it."
Meng Su snorted, "I saw that in a book."
"The book also says that students should study hard and make progress every day. Have you done that?"
Upon hearing her mother about to start nagging about her going to the comic convention again, Meng Su immediately stopped while she was ahead. She sat down, picked up her rice bowl, and said, "Uncle Jiang and Aunt Jiang, please don't be shy, eat more. Mianmian, you should eat too, we'll go play together later."
The aunt really wanted to crack open her brain to see what she was thinking all day: "All you do is play! The teacher said in the group chat that you have your monthly exams coming up soon, and instead of studying, you're just running around playing!"
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