Chapter 21 Chapter 21 I like you and want to be a real couple with you...
The next morning, Kang He and Fan Jing went back to the mountain together again.
This time, the two stayed in the mountains for about ten days.
During this period, Kanghe made two batches of konjac tofu and sold them in the city. He also made more than four pounds of fern powder and eight pounds of kudzu powder.
I earned 100 coins from selling konjac and tofu, and 380 coins from selling vermicelli, for a total of 480 coins.
I only bought some food for daily use and spent thirty coins.
Including the more than 100 yuan he had left and the money he earned from selling mountain products last time, he now had more than 800 yuan in his hands.
Kang He originally thought he had saved a small amount of money, but when he calculated it, he found that he owed Fan Jing five strings of cash, or five thousand copper coins.
Compared with the two, eight hundred copper coins are really not a lot.
Thinking about it this way, it’s no wonder that Fan Jing and his family are frugal, otherwise how could they have saved so much money.
Fan Jing went up the mountain to recuperate for another five or six days. The pain in his arm was gone when he moved it. However, under Kang He's persuasion, he did not rush to go hunting immediately. However, it was much more convenient for him to do other things.
He set up a few new traps and learned how to weave a cage from Kang He, and caught a black sheep.
The sheep were easy to sell, but unfortunately the goat fell into a trap at night and was dead when the two men found it the next day.
Even if you rush to the city, the price is not as high as if you were alive.
Although the price was a bit low, fortunately the price of mutton was high, so I still sold it for more than one string of money.
Even if we didn't catch any other living creatures, just this sheep would have been enough to waste more than ten days' work.
Fan Jing was in a good mood. On the day he sold the sheep, he bought Kang He a new spatula and a colander.
The spatula originally in the wooden house was used by the old hunter when he was there. Over the years, the wooden spatula had chipped corners and was blackened.
There was no colander at the time, and Kang He always complained that it was difficult to scoop out the noodles when he was making them, so Fan Jing bought one for him.
It rained that day, and the two men had eaten all their dry food, so they took a few bundles of firewood and went down the mountain.
It is slippery on rainy days, and dry firewood absorbs water, so the more you carry the firewood in a coil, the heavier it becomes.
When I arrived at Fan's house, I was covered in rain and sweat.
The two men placed the firewood under the eaves outside the kitchen, then went into the house and took out a dry shirt to wipe their faces.
Chen came out of the house after hearing the sound. She was the only one at home. Today, Xiangxiu came from the county, and Qiaoer and Zhener took the two maids to play in the main house.
Father Fan didn't know where to go for a drink and fun. On sunny days he was busy working in the fields, and only had time to go out on rainy days.
Farm work in winter is not as busy as in other seasons. Although Chen would nag Father Fan a bit, she couldn't stop him from hanging out at other people's houses.
She was overjoyed to see Fan Jing and Kang Hejia coming.
She ran over happily: "Dajing, Dajing, come with Sanlang to the west room and take a look to see if the new house we made for you two is comfortable!"
The two of them hadn't even dried their hair when Chen urged them to go to the western storage room where Kang He had stayed for the night.
You won’t know until you go there, it has completely changed.
The room, which was previously cluttered with plows, wood, dustpans and other miscellaneous items and covered with dust, was now completely cleaned out.
All the clutter in the room was cleared out, the window frames were cleaned, and new window paper was pasted on.
A large pine bed was newly bought in, and a plain flower-topped cabinet was placed against the wall at the end of the bed.
There is a horseshoe-shaped kang table next to the window, and a dressing table next to it.
Everything is new.
Not to mention Kang He, even Fan Jing, who had lived in the Fan family for more than 20 years, felt a little unfamiliar with the house.
His brows furrowed. “Where did all these things come from?”
"Your father is quite capable. He likes to drink with people. Wang Xiantian is a carpenter. Your father took some wood to ask him for help.
Wang Xiantian used the scraps he had collected to make this large bed and dressing table. While the material wasn't great, the craftsmanship was decent, and the bed turned out quite presentable. He only charged three taels of silver for the bed and dressing table.
"The table was sent by your third aunt, along with five pounds of cotton. I took it to the shop and quickly made a new quilt."
The thing I am most proud of is the top-box cabinet, which is made of elm wood.
"Guess who sent it?"
Before Fan Jing could say anything, Chen said proudly, "This was brought from your uncle's family. It's worth quite a bit of money. Your aunt had been preparing it for your eldest cousin's wedding, but you got there first, so I gave it to you."
"Will she be willing to give it up?"
Fan Jing frowned and asked Chen.
Chen smiled complacently: "Whether she was willing to part with her things or not, they are all here."
Earlier, Zhang Jingui said in a pretentious tone that Chen Sanfang did not treat Fan Jing to a banquet, disregarding Fan Shoulin's face, and was jealous that Chen's stepmother was biased.
Chen was annoyed by this matter and was thinking of finding a way to make her feel pain so that she could feel happy.
That day, the Li family in the village was slaughtering a pig and invited two people to help with the fire and cooking.
Zhang Jingui started bragging about how her son Dalang was praised by the teacher, how her daughter Xiangxiu was highly regarded by the master, and what knowledge she had gained since then, which shocked all the village women and men in the room.
Chen Sanfang changed his usual deaf attitude and praised Zhang Jingui.
Zhang Jingui felt even more proud of being flattered by her sisters-in-law, and her words became more and more arrogant.
Chen Sanfang took advantage of this opportunity to pretend to be weak, saying that the family was short of money and needed help and support from sisters-in-law like Zhang Jingui, and borrowed money from her in front of everyone.
Zhang was not willing to borrow money. She turned her eyes and said that she had just given Dalang a salary and a tutor, and Xiangxiu had not sent money home yet, so she had no money at the moment.
Chen Sanfang had known that she would do this, so she was very understanding and said that she knew that every family had its own difficulties, and that her sister-in-law would never brag to others about how good her life was and be stingy with her relatives.
Then he said that there were no decent items for the new house, and his sister-in-law was knowledgeable and asked if she could help him choose.
Zhang Jingui had just finished speaking in front of everyone in the room. After hearing what Chen said, he felt embarrassed that he neither lent money nor gave anything, so he tried to save face by saying that he would give a good cabinet to his nephew for his wedding.
Chen was waiting for her to say this, so she thanked her profusely and praised her sister-in-law to everyone. She invited everyone in the house to come to her house to see the nice cabinet that Zhang Jingui had given her, so that they could all admire it.
As soon as Zhang Jingui went out, she heard people praising her sister-in-law for being good and generous. Although she didn't want to give Chen anything good, she couldn't regret it, so she had to grit her teeth and send the cabinet over.
Chen was very pleased with the new house and had long wanted to show it off to her two children, thinking that they would be happy too.
"Zhen'er and Qiao'er carefully wiped every corner of the house with boiling water. After leaving it open for a few days, there's no trace of musty smell at all."
Kang He turned around and his brows relaxed unconsciously.
After cleaning up, this room was not only much bigger than Fan Jing's original cottage, but the most comfortable thing was that it was brighter and faced the sun, unlike the cottage which was dim during the day.
He said to Chen: "My family has taken great pains to make this house so nice."
After hearing Kang He's words, Chen felt even more relieved. She wanted to hear Fan Jing say something satisfying, but when she turned her head, she saw that Fan Jing had a frown on his face and did not look happy.
"What's wrong? What's not cleaned up?"
Seeing that Fan Jing looked unhappy, Chen's cheerful smile faded away.
"It's too much trouble."
Fan Jing's face not only looked unhappy, but even a little angry. After saying this, he strode out of the house.
“Huh?!”
When Chen saw Fan Jing going to his old house in silence, she was still confused and didn't know how she had offended this great god again.
Kang He's brows furrowed, and before Chen could get angry, he quickly spoke to comfort her, "He didn't catch much in the mountains, so he might be unhappy."
"Mom and Dad, my second and third sisters, you've put so much effort into this. I think it's wonderful. My eldest brother may not say it, but he definitely thinks it's even better than I do."
After listening to Kang He finish his words, Chen felt that her efforts were not completely in vain, and she felt a little better.
But it should have been a happy occasion, but her eldest brother's sullen face still made her feel a little uncomfortable. She couldn't help but complain to Kang He: "He thinks it's troublesome, but I didn't ask him to do it."
Kang He said nothing.
Chen was silent for a moment, thinking that it was Kang He who said that he didn't get any money when he went up the mountain this time, and he felt heavy-hearted when he saw so many things at home.
She calmed down a bit and said, "Big brother just has a stubborn temper. Sanlang, you should be more tolerant when you live with him."
"I know. He has other things on his mind, and it's definitely not about being unhappy about the new house."
Chen felt that Kanghe was just being polite, but she was glad that Kanghe didn't take it too seriously.
Kang He and Chen said, "I'll go see him."
"Ai."
Kang He walked to Fan Jing's room and the door was not closed.
A man was sitting on a stool in front of the window, twirling his bow and arrow quickly.
Kang He stood at the door for a while, and when he saw that someone had clearly seen him, he didn't call him in.
He opened his mouth and said, "I'm coming in."
Fan Jing didn't say anything and continued to play with his bowstring with his head down.
Kang He went into the house alone. He knew in his heart why Fan Jing was unhappy.
The whole family took the trouble to prepare all these things for him, and everyone was full of expectations for this event.
It was clearly a happy occasion, but Fan Jing was the only one who knew that his son-in-law was an uneasy person.
Given Fan Jing's personality, he would not tell the Fan family that he would be leaving in a while, he would just ask his family not to worry about his marriage.
The two sides don't understand each other and are looking for resentment.
Kang He didn't expect that the Fan family would do this.
It’s pitiful that all parents in the world are concerned about each other. After all, they were thinking about Fan Jing, but things didn’t go exactly as he expected.
Kang He knew that no one else could understand Fan Jing's inner struggles and worries better than anyone else. He had caused him to have a lot of worries for no reason, and he didn't know how to persuade him.
He took out a small paper package the size of a thumb from his pocket, squatted down, peeled it open, and handed it to Fan Jing who was sitting.
Looking at the frosting, Fan Jing's eyebrows moved slightly and he glanced at Kang He.
He thought that this man called him brother when they were in the mountains, but now he was treating him like a child.
Fan Jing was worried that his family had gone to such great lengths to arrange this marriage that it went beyond his original intention.
If it were simple, it wouldn't be that troublesome for Kanghe to leave.
It just so happened that the family wanted to be lively and have face, so they made it known to everyone that the Fan family had a live-in son-in-law.
The more proud you are now, the more annoyed you will be when it comes.
Fan Jingzhi knew that his family was also happy for him, so they made careful preparations.
But he had no way to tell his family about Kang He's situation. Given his father and Chen's personalities, they would definitely not let Kang He leave and would have to hide his household registration deed.
It was something that could have ended amicably, but it turned out to be difficult to resolve.
He also had no intention of hating Kang He.
Kang He had to go to the Fan family only because his family forced him to do so; he had no choice.
Seeing Kang He doing this and taking care of his emotions, he took the icing in his hand and put it into his mouth.
"Fan Jing."
Kang He suddenly called out to the person sitting in front of him.
He looked at the pair of eyes looking at him, his mind was a little blank, and he opened his mouth completely according to his heart.
"Maybe we can... give it a try?"
"Try what?"
Kang He's Adam's apple slid slightly: "Try, try to get along like a real couple."
When he slipped down the cliff in the rain and Fan Jingning broke his arm to save him, he felt a mixture of emotions, perhaps out of gratitude to his savior for escaping death.
The night that Sun Dasheng mistook him for Fan Jing, he beat up the old pervert, perhaps out of indignation and disgust towards this group of lecherous people.
But when he saw Fan Jing talking to the young man from the Qin family that day, the overwhelming jealousy and worry in his heart forced him to recognize his own heart.
His care and concern for Fan Jing had long outweighed the guilt he felt for the injuries he caused.
It's just that this is the best excuse to feel at ease being nice to Fan Jinghao.
A good excuse to stop him from asking why.
But now that he understood his feelings and the Fan family had done this, he was unable to comfort Fan Jing, so he decided to speak out his thoughts and take this opportunity to fight for himself.
"If you're willing, can we give it a try and become a real couple?"
After Kang He realized what he had said, his mind became clear again and his voice gradually became weaker.
He was very uncertain. Now he was penniless and living under someone else's roof. It was not a good time to express his feelings.
Even if people outside say bad things about Fan Jing, only he knows that those people simply don't understand him.
If you spend some time with him, your thoughts will become like his.
Isn’t the young man from the Qin family the best example?
He had a blind date with Fan Jing, but it didn't go through due to family reasons. However, it is undeniable that he developed feelings for Fan Jing because of his proximity to him.
Anyone who gets along with him for a long time will like him.
For this reason, Kanghe is not the only choice.
Originally, he thought that when he had saved enough money and Fan Jing gave him the property deed, he would explain his intentions to Fan Jing.
At that time, if Fan Jing saw that he was not useless and could earn money to support his family, he might be moved and willing to keep him.
Unlike today, he was a poor boy who only had one tael of silver left after emptying all his belongings.
But at this point, he really didn't want to see Fan Jing caught in a dilemma, and in this situation, apart from confessing his own thoughts, he had no other words to comfort Fan Jing.
“Try to be a real couple…”
Fan Jing murmured and repeated it, perhaps because he heard something unbelievable, he was distracted for a moment, as if trying to understand Kang He's true meaning. After a moment, his brows were furrowed.
He didn't know the cowardly thoughts in Kang He's mind, as if he had never been good at guessing other people's thoughts.
He just felt that Kang He's words were too compromising. He knew that Kang He was not a selfish person who only cared about himself.
His attitude towards what happened today may have made him feel even more guilty.
Out of guilt, he, a man, could abandon his self-esteem and face and take care of him like an old nanny in the mountains.
Today, of course, he might force himself to give up the idea of leaving because of guilt, and marry an unfeeling and domineering young man.
Fan Jing would never do anything that would ruin someone's future. He suddenly stood up and said with a cold face:
"Don't worry about anything at home. I will explain it to them when the time comes."
"You don't need to feel burdened. If it weren't you, anyone else would do the same thing. Not only for you, but also for their own face."
"If you can't bear to see this, I'll take your deed back later. You can leave the Fan family first and return it when you have enough money."
Fan Jing spoke a lot in succession, completely different from his usual silent self.
The more Kang He heard, the colder his heart became. He had expected Fan Jing to reject him, but he had never expected that he would even be willing to give him the deed of citizenship in order to reject him.
His mouth felt bitter as he said, "I'm not saying this because of what your father and Madam Chen did, nor because I feel guilty."
"It's just because of you, Fan Jing, because of who you are."
"You are good, I like you, and I want to be with you. Even though I know you have flaws and shortcomings, I can accept them and am happy to accept them."
"You can reject me, it's your freedom. But don't doubt my sincerity. I'm not doing this for anything else, not for what you said..."
Kang He told him what was in his mind and walked out silently.
It was still raining outside. In the middle of winter, even at the foot of the mountain, one could feel a chill.
Everything was wet and messy, and people's mood seemed to be obscured by rain and fog.
Kang He raised his hand to wipe the raindrops dripping from his hair. He was so confused that he didn't know what to do or where to go.
Perhaps, he really shouldn't open his mouth and speak his mind right now. If he didn't say anything, perhaps they could still maintain their previous harmony.
Now that the truth has been made clear, I can no longer pretend to be deaf and dumb.
At this time, Fan Jing in the room had a serious look on his face.
He had not yet recovered from what Kang He had just said.
Feelings are originally a sticky thing. Given Fan Jing's simple temperament, if he doesn't make things clear, he may never figure it out in his lifetime.
Just like the boy from the Qin family who had a blind date before, he clearly had feelings for Fan Jing, but he was shy and never told Fan Jing clearly whether he liked him or not.
So from beginning to end, Fan Jing just treated the person as someone he had met before.
Nowadays, Kang He spoke so clearly that even those who didn't understand him could understand what he meant.
Even though he understood Kang He's meaning, he didn't know what to do for a moment.
Normally, people rarely talk to him, let alone a man saying such things to him.
The words about wanting to be with him and liking him were all uttered by Sun Dasheng last time.
Although both of them said the same things, Fan Jing knew that his state of mind was very different.
What Sun Dasheng said was vulgar and malicious, and it was disgusting to listen to.
But Kanghe... After a while, Fan Jing came back and realized that the tips of his ears were a little red.
Fan Jing felt that his reaction was very strange, and his heart was extremely confused, as if he was in a pool of stagnant water and someone suddenly threw a big rock into it.
He couldn't explain why these emotions came about.
When he encountered something that he didn't want to mention anymore but couldn't solve, he would feel confused and worried, so he would kick off his shoes and lie down on the bed.
In the past, he could fall asleep with his eyes closed, and everything would be fine when he woke up.
But this time, no matter how hard he tried to clear his mind, it was no use. The longer he lay there, the more confused he became.
"What's up? Are you still not happy?"
Chen lit a fire in the kitchen and prepared to cook dinner when she saw Kang He standing alone under the eaves, staring into the yard in a daze. She got up and called him.
"It's okay."
Kang He said something, and he seemed a little stiff:
"Let me cook. What dishes do you have at home?"
"We don't have anything good to eat at home today. I'll go to the fields and pick some winter mallow to make soup with, and cut up some bacon to stew with the radishes. Is that okay?"
Chen was very happy and asked him what he was going to cook. In ordinary families, the girls and boys would be busy at the stove, while the men would sit with their legs crossed in the main room drinking and waiting for food. Who would ask him about cooking?
Even if he was good-natured, he would just help light the fire under the stove.
In the past, Chen was the only one who decided what to eat at home. Now that Kanghe came home, Chen thought his dishes were delicious, so she asked for his opinion.
Kang He nodded and agreed. In fact, he was not very concerned about cooking. He just wanted to find something to occupy himself and did not want the Fan family to find out that there was anything wrong between him and Fan Jing.
"Mother, mother!"
The two of them had just entered the kitchen. Kang He's hair was still a little wet, so he thought of taking a shower with hot water first.
Qiao Yatou came calling from outside, saying she was coming home.
Chen stuck half of her head out of the open window next to the kitchen and asked, "What's going on?"
"Has Big Brother and his brother's family arrived?"
"I'm back. There's firewood under the eaves."
When Qiao'er heard that the person had really returned, she ran in joyfully. Seeing Kang He under the stove, she called out sweetly, saying, "Uncle Wu was passing by my eldest uncle's house and said he saw my eldest brother and my husband coming down the mountain together."
"Sister Xiangxiu said she had never seen her brother-in-law. Grandpa, grandma, and uncle all said they wanted to see him. Today, sister Xiangxiu happened to be visiting, and the whole family was very lively. They asked us to go to uncle's house for dinner."
Qiao'er came back specifically to bring a message, and Zhen'er had already asked her to stay over there to make the fire.
"Sister Xiangxiu brought back a pig's trotter. My uncle asked my aunt to burn the hair off and stew it tonight."
When it comes to eating meat, Qiao'er becomes greedy. It doesn't matter whether she eats at home or at a relative's house. As long as she can have some meat, she will be happy.
"I see. It's a rare occasion that your aunt is so generous as to invite all the relatives over for a meal. Let's all go. Your father is probably drunk at someone's house, so go help pick the vegetables first. Tell your grandparents that your eldest brother and his husband just came down the mountain, got caught in the rain, need to clean up and shower, and will be back later."
When Qiao'er saw that Chen agreed to go, she happily went back to the main house.
"You came here instead of playing at home and went up the mountain. It was hard work. But it's been almost a month since you came here, and your grandparents, uncle, and aunt in the main house haven't seen you yet. They keep talking to me about you."
Chen said to Kang He, "We are at home now, so we should go meet them. After all, we are family."
Kang He felt that what Chen said was right. Relatives should be seen, but he couldn't become a relative even if he wanted to.
It was not easy to agree rashly. He was concerned about Fan Jing's intentions and asked, "Can Da Jing come over?"
Chen laughed and said, "You are so shy to meet a relative. You should ask Dajing to accompany you."
But it's a good thing you want him to come along. He's not afraid of his parents, nor of his relatives. If anyone makes him unhappy, he'll smash the bowl and throw the chopsticks."
Kang He laughed out loud when he heard what Chen said.
"The water is hot. Take a shower. I'll go talk to Dajing."
Kang He nodded, and Chen went into the house to look for Fan Jing. He also took clean clothes and water to the bathroom to take a shower.
After washing, he came out and saw Fan Jing standing under the eaves.
Their eyes met, and Kang He slowly put down the empty bucket in his hand.
He whispered to Fan Jing, "Can I go?"
Fan Jing didn't say anything, just nodded slightly, and went to get some water to take a shower.
Kang He stared at the man's back, as if he wanted to stare a hole in his back.
While he was packing, Chen was opening and closing boxes in the kitchen, and was worried about what to pack to take to the main room.
At this moment, Kang He came out of the house and said, "Mom, this bag of kudzu powder is good. Can you give it to grandpa and grandma later?"
For the elderly with bad teeth, drinking kudzu powder mixed with boiled water is good for the body and tastes good.
Kang He thought that although he had no chance to become a real relative, he was a considerate person at heart and knew that he couldn't go to see his elders empty-handed. However, he had no preparation in advance, so he had to take out the kudzu powder he brought down from the mountains.
"It's so clean and white! Where does the good powder come from?"
Chen was overjoyed when she saw the kudzu powder that Kanghe took out.
"It was made in the mountains."
"You are a very clever child, making such fine powder. This kind of powder would fetch a lot of coppers in the city."
Although Chen was obviously happy with the bag of kudzu powder, she didn't ask Kang He to keep it. If she didn't take something from the other side when she met them later, they would have to talk about it.
In addition to the kudzu powder, a large black carp was tied up and the two turtles were taken away together.
For a country family, an ordinary meal is considered quite impressive.
The three of them went to the eldest son's house together. Chen kept talking all the way, so Kang He had no time to think about Fan Jing.
Fan Jing was always unsociable and silent, and no one knew what he was thinking.
The place where Fan Shoushan, the head of the Fan family, was located was not far away and could be reached in just a quarter of an hour, but Kang He found the journey somewhat painful.
The main house was the old residence of the Fan family. The courtyard and houses were much larger than those on Fan Shoulin's side.
After several renovations, the roof is covered with black tiles, unlike the thatched roof at Fan Shoulin's place.
At the beginning, the two brothers each found a wife and lived together as a family. They lived in harmony for two years.
Later, the two brothers' wives gave birth to children one after another, and Fan Shoushan's wife gave birth to a boy.
Fan Shoulin's wife only gave birth to a son, Fan Jing. She also suffered injuries during childbirth, and the doctor advised that she must be cared for and not have children for the next three or four years.
Mr. and Mrs. Fan were always partial to Zhang Jingui. Under the same roof, many chores were done by Fan Jing's mother.
Seeing that Lingniang has not given birth to a child and will not be able to give birth for a while, it is even more deceiving.
Lingniang is gentle and kind, and Fan Shoulin is also a useless person. Although he knows his wife's grievances, he has no say in front of Mr. and Mrs. Fan, and dare not mention the matter of dividing the family. The three of them can only suffer in silence.
The only one is Fan Jing, who has been tough since childhood and has been fighting with his cousin since they were young.
Mr. and Mrs. Fan often take sides, which doesn't help their cousin much.
When he was six years old, Fan Jing knocked out two of his cousin's teeth and almost broke his penis.
Zhang Jingui cried and wailed, but it also made Grandma Fan very heartbroken.
The family quarreled for most of the night, and later they invited the village head and elders to come, and then they divided the house.
When Chen Sanfang got married, the family had been separated for several years. Although she also suffered from the favoritism of Mr. and Mrs. Fan, she was not living under the same roof every day, so her life was not much better.
Besides, her personality is not as gentle as Lingniang's. She is much more aggressive, quarrelsome and cunning, and she doesn't suffer as much as Lingniang.
Even so, Fan Shoulin has no ability, no skills, and he is not the kind of person who would say nice things.
Unlike Fan Shoushan, he can play the gong. The "playing" mentioned here does not only mean that he can say nice things to please the elders, but also that he is a gong player. Whenever there is a wedding or funeral, they will invite him to play the gong.
Although it is a low-class profession, a skill that can make money in poor times is a good skill.
It doesn't cost much to be invited once, but if you meet a wealthy family like that, the reward money is enough to invite several families.
Look, he earned money and sent his son to school to learn how to read and write.
No matter what they compared, Fan Shoulin's family could not compare. Therefore, no matter how powerful Chen was, she often felt ashamed in front of the eldest wife.
After this conversation, we arrived at the old house of the Fan family.
"Auntie is here!"
A girl in a pink cotton-padded jacket came to the yard and opened the door. She looked about sixteen or seventeen years old.
She has big eyes, a small mouth, her hair is combed in a new style and pinned with two silk flowers, she looks very pretty.
"I haven't seen Xiangxiu for a while. You look even prettier now. You've grown into a big girl."
Xiangxiu said, "Auntie just knows how to tease me."
Just as he finished speaking, a voice came from the kitchen: "Your aunt is a rare guest. She came here so late. If she comes any later, the food will be on the table."
Chen Sanfang heard Zhang's voice and retorted, "Everyone knows how capable my sister-in-law is. She can prepare a table full of dishes in less than an incense stick of time."
Seeing this, Xiangxiu was afraid that the two would start arguing again, so she changed the subject. She looked at the unfamiliar man following Fan Jing and asked Fan Jing:
"Brother Dajing, I haven't been home for a while. I saw someone I don't recognize today, but you didn't introduce him to me. How can I call him?"
Fan Jing said calmly: "Kanghe."
Xiangxiu knew Fan Jing's temper and couldn't help but tease him, "Isn't it rude of me to call him Kang He too?"
Kang He didn't expect to get a name from Fan Jing. He was afraid that if the girl teased him a few more times, Fan Jing would tell the truth.
At this moment, he quickly took over the conversation and called out, "Sister Xiangxiu."
Xiangxiu smiled, glanced at Fan Jing, and then called Kanghe "brother" in a crisp voice.
Several people went in together. Kang He was introduced and first called his uncle Fan Shoushan and then his aunt Zhang Jingui.
Then Chen took Kanghe to meet Mr. and Mrs. Fan.
The two old people heard the noise outside and knew that someone was coming, but they didn't go out to see. They just sat cross-legged on the kang in the room.
"Dad, Mom. I brought Kang Sanlang here to talk to you."
Grandma Fan on the kang had poor eyesight and her eyes were half closed. She didn't even lift her eyelids when she heard Chen's voice.
It was Fan Ye who only said "hmm" indifferently after a long while.
Both of them had stern faces, looking dignified and like elders who were not to be trifled with.
"Who is Kang He? Come forward and let us see what he looks like and what kind of person he is."
Kang He was not afraid. He walked forward and respectfully called them Uncle Fan and Grandma Fan.
He also presented the things he had prepared to the two elders.
“I’m still taking things.”
This Grandma Fan said her eyesight is not very good, but she is very sharp-eyed when she sees something good.
I saw Kang He brought a big bag of white kudzu powder, which weighed at least half a pound and was very heavy.
His sagging eyelids opened a little further.
Kang He spoke carefully and smoothly, saying what he had been thinking about on the way: "I should have come to see grandpa and grandma earlier, but I rushed to the top of the mountain because of the season. I came here in a hurry and didn't prepare anything decent. I only brought some flour I made in the mountains. I hope grandpa and grandma don't mind."
"After a while when it's cold and we can't go into the mountains anymore, I'll go to the city and buy some good food to honor my grandparents."
A bag of kudzu powder costs more than twenty copper coins in the city, and it can buy a square of the best pork. How could anyone complain about it?
Mr. and Mrs. Fan thought that the child was quite considerate. He knew that the old man and the old woman had bad teeth, so he prepared these delicious foods for them.
They had never met Kang He, and only heard Zhang Jingui say that he was a simple-minded boy. They had no expectations of him, thinking that if Da Jing looked like a good man, he would definitely be a good person.
In the past, the boy from the Qin family was both talented and good-looking, but people looked down on the Fan family, and they didn't think such a good person would come to them.
Unexpectedly, when she met him this morning, she found that he was tall, handsome, and attentive, not as bad as Jingui said.
Holding a steamed bun of flour, the two old men lost their pretentious demeanor in an instant.
"We are a family and we will meet sooner or later. The work in the mountains is important. It would be a pity to delay it."
"My grandparents are so considerate. If I were in another family, I wouldn't find such loving and caring elders."
"Look at how Sanlang can talk like that."
Grandma Fan made Kang He happy.
She took Kang He's hand and asked him to sit next to the warm kang. She said, "You are so hardworking. You are willing to go up the mountain with Da Jing right after coming home. It's cold up there. Are you used to it?"
"I'm strong and healthy, so I don't feel cold. Winter is coming, and the weather is cold, so grandpa and grandma should take care of their health."
"It's winter now, and we seldom leave the house. There's a fire burning under the kang, so even our old bones don't feel the cold."
Zhang Jingui was originally happy to watch the two elders scolding their new brother-in-law, but she didn't expect that after a few words, they became more affectionate.
After eating a mouthful of soup, he turned around and left the house.
Chen was also happy to see that the second child, who had always been partial to the four members of the first wife's family, had finally been cheered up by Kang He. She said:
"Sanlang is such a family-oriented kid. He even caught a big black carp from the mountains and didn't even want to kill it. He brought it over for the whole family to eat. He also gave two soft-shelled turtles to my father-in-law and mother, saying he wanted to make soup with them to nourish your stomachs and bodies."
"Sanlang can still make soup?"
"They only make some mediocre side dishes for home consumption, which are not presentable to the public."
Seeing Chen's promotion, Kang He was impressed. Wanting to help her improve her reputation, he said, "If Grandpa and Grandma don't mind, I'll kill a turtle and make a bowl of soup for you two to try. It will also help me make up for not being able to honor Grandpa and Grandma these days."
"Oh my, what a filial child."
So Kanghe went outside to kill the soft-shelled turtle. Xiangxiu was also surprised. She didn't expect that her brother-in-law could also cook soup.
The whole family seemed to be over there, watching Kang He cooking.
Fan Shoulin went to another house for a drink and came back. Seeing that the house was closed, he guessed that everyone had come there.
It was Fan Jing who opened the courtyard door when they came in. The whole family was in the kitchen watching Kang He cook.
From time to time, you can hear Chen's happy and proud voice.
"Is Sanlang cooking again?"
Father Fan asked Fan Jing.
"Um."
Fan Jing responded.
Upon hearing this, Fan Shoulin quickly ran to the kitchen. After a while, along with the aroma of food wafting from the kitchen, there was also a proud chattering voice.
Fan Jing didn't go in to join in the fun.
He leaned against the door and glanced sideways at Kang He, who was preparing food in an orderly manner on the stove while chatting and laughing with everyone in the room.
I thought to myself, he really knows how to please people.
Before coming, Chen told him that she was worried that the people from the first wife's house would make things difficult for him, but her worry was completely unnecessary.
He withdrew his gaze and looked outside.
Would Kang He really like him as he said?
At night, we originally planned to make only a turtle soup for Mr. and Mrs. Fan, but in the end, most of the dishes were from Kang Hezhi.
Life is good in the eldest wife's house, and there are many kinds of seasonings on the stove.
Kang He roasted a pig's trotter, made a soft-shelled turtle soup, and cooked the herring sourly.
There were three meat dishes, two vegetarian dishes, one cold-mixed radish, and one stir-fried cabbage.
Zhang Jingui felt that she had lost the limelight as the protagonist today, but she had to admit that Kang He's dishes were delicious.
Before the meal was served, two bowls of good meat were prepared and packed separately to be saved for Fan Xingye who was still in school today.
Father and grandmother Fan love their eldest grandson very much. He is the apple of their eye. They even left a bowl of the soft-shelled turtle they made specially for them for him.
At night, everyone at the table had a delicious meal, and the two brothers of the Fan family started drinking.
Kang Hejiao asked the two elders to sit next to him. He didn't put much food into his mouth with chopsticks, but ate more with Grandpa Fan and Grandma Fan.
Fan Jing is always silent and just eats his meal in silence.
During the meal, he drank with his uncle and father, but for some reason, he ate a lot today and drank three or four bowls in a row.
It was not until Kang He put some food into his bowl that the two of them looked at each other and stopped eating.
When we left Dafang's house, it was already dark.
Mr. and Mrs. Fan were so happy that they packed two kilograms of cotton to take away.
Fan Shoulin and Chen were really proud of themselves.
Zhen'er and Qiao'er were also happy. The two little girls each received two Xiangxiu and their own colored silk flowers.
After the man left, Zhang Jingui, who had lost the upper hand today, said to her husband:
"Getting a live-in son-in-law is like getting a gold ingot. The second son and Chen Sanfang are now standing up straight. They used to be so quiet when they came over, but now they are talking like boiling water, chattering non-stop."
Fan Shoushan said with a hint of alcohol in his mouth, "Second brother, your family has no sons, and now we finally have a son, how can you not be happy?"
"It would be fine if they were happy, but Dad and Mom are also soft-hearted. They can coax Kang Sanlang into a trance with just a few words and a bag of kudzu powder, as if we didn't give him anything good. A bowl of turtle soup makes them love him so much. Xiangxiu has never come home without bringing them cakes, and it's not as if he loves Xiangxiu this much."
Xiangxiu came out after washing the dishes and heard her mother complaining.
She said nothing, thinking to herself, who taught her grandparents to only love their son, their father, their second uncle, and their eldest grandson?
Her brother has never given his grandparents any delicious food or good things to show his filial piety, but his grandparents still love them like the apple of their eye.
Now that there is a brother-in-law who is good at talking, coaxing and capable, how can grandparents not love him.
Although Fan Shoushan felt a little neglected today, he felt that it was a good thing that the Fan family had a new handsome man.
"If you're unhappy, just say what you want to say. Don't let your parents hear it."
Zhang snorted and finally stopped talking.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
