As soon as the door closed, Xue Ping slapped Xu Jin'an hard and whispered, "What nonsense were you talking about?"
Xu Jin'an felt deeply guilty towards Xue Ping. He patiently pulled her to sit down on the bedside and said earnestly, "Ping, I'm telling the truth."
"Are you crazy? Why would you give up a perfectly good job and go back to the countryside? What are Nuonuo and I supposed to do?"
Xu Jin'an didn't want to either, but he knew Xu Guihua's way of doing things very well. Once his elder brother's family had moved in, they definitely wouldn't leave unless he paid out of his own pocket to rent them another place. Normally, he might have swallowed this loss in silence, but now it was different.
Xu Nuo had anticipated that Xu Jinhong's family would act this way, and had spoken with Xu Jinan before going to Luxian County.
Xu Jinan told Xue Ping the truth: "Nuonuo and I discussed this matter."
Xue Ping wiped her eyes, still doubtful, and choked up as she asked, "Really? When did you two talk about it?"
He patted Xue Ping's hand, his eyes showing fatigue: "The night before Nuonuo went to Luxian Village, she guessed that Mother would definitely bring my eldest brother over, so we came up with a plan."
Xue Ping rolled her eyes: "What kind of strategy is this? You're going to go to Baici Village to farm? Why should you? Why should you go with them?"
Xue Ping became increasingly indignant, feeling both angry and pitiful towards Xu Jin'an. She poked his forehead with her finger and said, "Look at you! I told you not to be so stupid. You give people whatever they want, but you, even after being kicked out, still rush to give them money."
Xu Jin'an smiled, but deep down he was also upset, his eyes slightly red: "Let's not talk about this anymore. Mother and the others definitely won't let me go back to Baici Village."
"How so?"
Xu Jinan choked up, his face turning slightly red: "Well, if I go back, where will I get my salary to spend on them?"
Xu Jinan was telling the truth. Xu Guihua would never let him quit his job. Besides, there were only two mud houses in Baici Village. If Xu Jinan went back with her, wouldn't he have to share a bed?
Xu Jinhong's family all squeezed into the room where Xu Guihua was now living. Guo Ailian was worried and leaned closer to Xu Guihua to say, "Mom, you know, Uncle is really blinded by greed. He gave up a good job and went back to Baici Village."
If Xu Jin'an really goes back to Baici Village, then they'll have to go back with him. Otherwise, where will their whole family live? What will they eat?
Xu Guihua sat leaning against the foot of the bed, too angry to speak for a long time. Xu Jinhong lay silently on the bed, taking up a large portion of it, with Xu Jiangjiang sleeping next to him.
Xu Jinhong rolled over in frustration: "He's forcing us to leave."
His tone was sullen as he complained, "Mother, why are you getting angry at my second brother's daughter? Don't you know that my second brother and sister-in-law only dote on that one girl? You once scolded Xu Nuo, and Jin An immediately left with his men."
Xu Guihua will never forget this.
She was used to throwing her weight around in front of Xu Jinan and rarely made a mistake, but when it came to this money-loser, Xu Jinan would act like he'd gone crazy and argue with her at every turn.
She only said "worthless good-for-nothing," and Xu Nuo started crying her eyes out, as if she had done something terrible to her.
Xu Guihua stammered, "I'm just angry, you know, that good-for-nothing..."
"mother."
Guo Ailian stopped her, and Xu Guihua realized that her voice might be too loud, so she quickly lowered her voice: "She talked to me, her mother, like that, and she doesn't respect me at all. How can I not teach her a lesson?"
Guo Ailian thought to herself: You didn't even manage to teach him a lesson, and you even made Xu Jin'an say those things. Guo Ailian said: "It must have been her who encouraged my uncle to resign. Otherwise, why would he give up such a good job?"
It costs several tens of yuan a month. The company also provides quilts and clothes. I heard they even give gifts on holidays. Just look at the food in Xu Jin'an's kitchen; Guo Ailian and the others have never even seen it before.
Xu Yunyun chimed in, "My cousin also brought a lot of food; she carried that huge bag into her room."
Upon hearing about the delicious food, everyone patted their bellies, as the meeting had ended in a bad mood and no one had eaten dinner.
Guo Ailian called to Xu Yunyun: "Yunyun, go cook rice."
Xu Yunyun obediently went out to cook. Xu Nuo and Li Xian stayed on the rooftop for a while before going downstairs together to the state-run restaurant.
There were many people around, so Li Xian walked beside her, his tall figure protecting her completely.
The admiring glances from those around him made his expression grow even colder and more somber.
Only when you talk to her will that pool of ice melt into boiling water.
Xu Nuo is taking the college entrance exam next month, and Li Xian is a little worried about her: "Will they affect you?"
Xu Nuo shook her head. Her current level was more than enough to handle the college entrance examination. She dared not say that she would get full marks in every subject, but getting a good score was no problem.
After walking for a while, the two entered a state-run restaurant. It was unusually crowded and noisy today.
Li Xian found a corner seat, and Xu Nuo sat down before he went to order food.
He wasn't wearing new clothes today, but his old blue work clothes. Liu Yushan didn't know if it was because his mood had changed or what, but looking at him now, she felt that even these tattered clothes couldn't hide his air of a wealthy young master.
In Liu Yushan's mind, she already regarded Li Xian as a son of a high-ranking official who had made contributions to the countryside.
Liu Yushan smiled and said warmly, "Comrade, what would you like to eat today? We have roast goose, fresh."
As soon as Xu Nuo was away, Li Xian's expression turned cold and sullen, and his voice was indifferent: "I'd like a roast goose, two bowls of shredded pork noodles, and sweet and sour pork ribs."
A female member of the cultural troupe wearing a green military uniform glanced at Li Xian curiously when she saw Liu Yushan's good attitude. Seemingly surprised, her gaze lingered on him for a moment. Then, a fair-skinned and beautiful woman walked up and tugged at the man's sleeve.
The man turned around, his expression softening, and his voice became unusually gentle: "What's wrong?"
Xu Nuo whispered, "I also want to pack four meat buns."
Li Xian turned to Liu Yushan and said, "Add four meat buns, thank you, comrade."
When Liu Yushan saw Xu Nuo coming over, her smile faltered a little, and she asked, "Are you two dating?"
Xu Nuo shook her head quickly: "No, no, he's my cousin."
Her denial was so urgent that Li Xian paused in handing over the money, his eyelashes trembled, and he clenched his back teeth almost imperceptibly.
Liu Yushan was delighted and laughed, "So you two are relatives? Hey, I must say, you two really do look alike."
Xu Nuo gave her a sweet smile: "Thank you, comrade."
The female member of the performing arts troupe said impatiently, "Comrade, is it our turn to order yet?"
Liu Yushan changed her expression and said impatiently, "What's the rush? Get in line."
After learning that Xu Nuo and Li Xian were not a couple, Liu Yushan became unusually attentive. Before her number was even called at the window, she rushed over and said, "Comrade, you can go and pick it up now."
Li Xian politely thanked her, saying, "Thank you."
He stood up and said to Xu Nuo, "I'll be right back."
A moment later, Li Xian came over with some food: two bowls of shredded pork noodles, a bowl of sweet and sour pork ribs, and four meat buns to be packed up.
Steaming hot.
He transferred all the shredded meat from one bowl to another, stirred it a couple of times to let the steam from the noodles dissipate, and then placed it in front of Xu Nuo.
He whispered, "Eat."
"Okay." Xu Nuo took the chopsticks, her fair face close to the bowl, and ate the noodles earnestly.
Li Xian was worried that she wouldn't be able to eat the meat after eating the noodles, so he reminded her, "Eat the meat first."
"Hmm." Xu Nuo nodded with her cheeks puffed out, picked up some shredded meat from the noodles and put it in her mouth. There weren't many seasonings in this era, so although it was bland, it had its own flavor.
She leaned closer, her big eyes curving into crescents, and said in a low voice, "Your cooking is still the best."
Li Xian's lips curled slightly, he tightened his grip on his chopsticks, and said in a low voice, "I'll make it for you from now on."
Xu Nuo nodded, slurped up a mouthful of noodles, her cheeks puffed out, and chewed a couple of times before deflating. He handed her a handkerchief to wipe her mouth.
Liu Yushan deliberately walked over and heard Li Xian say softly, "Take another bite, and I'll remove the bone."
Xu Nuo took a bite, glanced at a plump aunt next to her, and muttered casually, "Li Xian, you just want to fatten me up like a pig."
Li Xian chuckled and put another piece of meat into her bowl.
So his name is Li Xian.
Liu Yushan gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, thinking to herself that he was so considerate to his cousin; if she were to become his girlfriend, she would be incredibly happy.
Xu Nuo happily ate dinner. When she returned, Xu Guihua and the others were eating noodles. When she saw Xu Nuo come back, Guo Ailian wiped her mouth and said, "Nuonuo is back. There are noodles in the pot. They were left for you and your parents."
Xu Jinhong had finished eating and gone back to his room. At the table were Xu Guihua, Xu Yunyun, and Xu Jiangjiang, who was staring at Xu Nuo with a resentful expression.
In his eyes, Xu Nuo was a bad woman who stole his candy.
Xu Guihua was holding a grudge and deliberately pretended not to see her.
Xu Nuo didn't mind, glanced at Guo Ailian and said, "No need, you guys eat the noodles. I brought meat buns for my parents."
Meat buns!
Xu Yunyun looked at the lunchbox in her hand and swallowed.
She hasn't eaten meat for two or three days.
Since Xu Guihua moved in, Li Xian has been unable to send anything over, so the family's living standards have returned to normal.
Meat is not eaten often.
Eggs were rationed and in limited quantities, so many people had already eaten them all long ago.
So tonight, Xu Yunyun rummaged through her drawers and found a radish. She cooked noodles and added lard, which was a pretty good dinner for them, since they usually ate a mix of coarse grains.
But compared to meat, it's insignificant.
Upon hearing that there was meat, Xu Jiangjiang exclaimed, "I want meat buns! Give me meat buns!"
Guo Ailian glanced at Xu Nuo, thinking of getting a meat bun from her, and said with a smile, "Nuonuo, look, your little brother wants to eat one too. You must have extra, right? Why don't you give him one to try?"
She was treating him like a three-year-old. Xu Nuo glanced at Xu Jiangjiang and shook her head: "Meat buns are so expensive, I didn't buy many, I can't give them to him."
Guo Ailian's smile froze: "Nuonuo, you..."
Xu Jiangjiang cried, "You stingy person, I want to eat meat buns, meat buns!"
Hey, sorry.
She's unwilling to give anything; she's stingy even with a single noodle, let alone a steamed bun.
Xu Nuo ignored her and walked into Xu Jin'an's room.
Xu Jiangjiang started crying and wailing again, and Xu Nuo coldly reminded Guo Ailian: "I'm going to take the college entrance exam. My grandfather specifically told me to study hard a few days ago. If he finds out that it's so noisy at home, he will definitely make you move out immediately. I won't be able to do anything about it then, since this is my grandfather's house."
Guo Ailian's face turned pale and she went cold, but Xu Guihua immediately carried Xu Jiangjiang back to her room.
After closing the door, Xu Guihua spat out, "Damn thing."
Xu Jiangjiang was still wailing, "Meat buns, meat buns."
Xu Nuo entered Xu Jin'an's room and handed him the lunchbox: "This is what I bought for you. Eat it yourselves and don't give it to anyone else."
So Xu Jin'an and Xue Ping, who had just been looking worried, happily ate the meat buns that their beloved daughter had brought back. Li Xian was afraid that there wouldn't be enough to eat, so he also bought two tea eggs and some corn. The two of them were extremely satisfied with their meal.
Xu Jinan wiped his mouth, stood up and smiled, "Nuonuo, do you want to take a bath? Dad will boil some water for you."
"Later, let me tidy up my things first."
He could still faintly hear Xu Jiangjiang crying out "meat buns!" Xu Jin'an was also a little annoyed. The awkwardness of eating alone vanished instantly. He said to Xu Nuonuo gently, "Nuonuo, call Dad when you need to boil water."
Xu Nuo's room was locked. She took out the key from her small bag and opened the door. Xu Yunyun came up and said, "Cousin, can I come to the room to play?"
Xu Nuo refused decisively: "It's inconvenient, I need to study."
Xu Yunyun said, "Cousin, I also want to go to university. I can study with you."
"You want to take the exam?"
Xu Yunyun nodded: "I want to."
Xu Nuo blinked her long eyelashes twice: "Wait a minute."
As she went inside, Xu Yunyun was full of anticipation for what delicious treats Xu Nuo would bring her, but to her surprise, Xu Nuo came out with a few books, and Xu Yunyun's smile froze.
"Here's a book, take it."
Since she herself had said she wanted to study, Xu Yunyun had no choice but to accept: "Thank you."
Xu Nuo rarely spoke more to her than said, "If you really want to study, that's great. If you can get into a good school in the future, you can at least find a job."
Without listening to what Xu Yunyun was saying, he went inside and closed the door.
Xu Yunyun had dropped out of school for several years and no longer wanted to go to university. She threw her books on the coffee table in annoyance.
...
After Li Xian and Xu Nuo parted ways, Li Xian went to Songgu Lane.
When Eighth Master saw him arrive, he flicked his pipe on the ground and said leisurely, "You rascal, I sent someone to look for you a few days ago, and you only came today."
Li Xian sat down in the chair, stretching out his long legs, and said in a calm voice, "I've been busy these past few days."
Eighth Master didn't care whether Li Xian was really in trouble or not. In any case, Li Xian was reliable and had never let him down in crucial moments. Compared to others, he felt more at ease entrusting things to Li Xian.
Moreover, Li Xian nowadays doesn't entirely rely on him for a living.
Eighth Master squinted and took a puff.
The younger generation is truly formidable.
You need to be careful about what happens the day after tomorrow.
Li Xian nodded: "Yes, I'll bring Liu Chun this time."
"Liu Chun has followed you a few times and has learned a lot. It's good to take care of him. That bald guy last time was a complete idiot. It's a good thing you're quick-witted."
Otherwise, they would have been arrested.
Li Xian became somewhat agitated when the matter was brought up.
"Eighth Master, I have something to discuss with you."
Eighth Master gave him face and sat up straight: "Go on."
Recalling Xu Nuo's aggrieved expression, Li Xian's eyes flashed with a hint of malice.
“There’s a guy named Xu Jinhong who mortgaged a house to you at the casino.”
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