Wu Jiaan chatted with Han Chen for a few words, then looked at the clock on his wrist and said, "Let's go out first! The car is waiting outside!"
Leaving the train station, Xuemei saw the roads and rooftops covered in snow, more than ten centimeters deep in places. The snow on the road had been compacted by the passing cars and pedestrians, and had turned yellow instead of white.
Xuemei shivered, and the hot air she exhaled immediately turned into steam in the air. Xuemei had not yet adapted to the severe cold in Beijing, and she tucked her hands tightly into her cotton jacket.
Han Chen noticed Xuemei's movements and said, "It's much colder in Jing City than in Liujia Village this month. It will be better once we get in the car."
Xuemei nodded, and the two continued to follow Uncle Hu forward, watching Wu Jiaan stop in front of a jeep. Looking at the car in front of her, Xuemei suddenly realized that the Lin family's identity and status might be more powerful than she had imagined, and her heart became even more nervous.
After Wu Jia'an helped put the backpack and other things into the car, he opened the front door and sat in the driver's seat. Uncle Hu sat in the passenger seat. After Xuemei and Han Chen sat in the back, Wu Jia'an drove away.
The four people in the car were silent for a few minutes. Uncle Hu stretched his head and looked back a few times before he said, "Xiaochen, Xuemei, you have worked hard on this journey!"
Xuemei replied, "It's fine, Uncle Hu. We all slept in the car! Thank you and your husband for picking us up at the train station today. It's so cold, you must have been waiting for a long time!"
Wu Jiaan came here during the day yesterday, and went to the train station again after dinner to ask. He went home after finding out that their train would not arrive in the evening. After dinner this morning, Wu Jiaan and Uncle Hu came to the train station to wait.
Uncle Hu said, "Xuemei, we're all family. Don't be so polite. Your grandfather wanted to come pick you up today, but it snowed all night last night, and it's cold today, so we won't let him come. Your uncle and eldest brother have been busy since the second day of the Lunar New Year, so they really don't have time to come pick you up. Your aunt and the others are at home cooking!"
Xuemei quickly said, "Uncle Hu, we understand. It's a great honor for Han Chen and me that you two can come and pick us up. We can't dare trouble Grandpa, and we can't delay Uncle and the others' work. They are all serving others, and this is a big deal. Aunt and the others have worked hard too. Han Chen and I will thank them later."
After listening to Xuemei's words, Wu Jiaan and Uncle Hu felt that Xuemei was a good girl. She spoke and acted in a graceful manner, and they had a better impression of Xuemei.
Uncle Hu smiled and said, "Xuemei, I'm glad you understand. Han Chen, you're a very lucky boy!"
Han Chen said proudly: "Is that possible?"
Xuemei lowered her head a little shyly.
Xuemei only found out later that Uncle Hu's name was Hu An. He had been Grandpa Lin's bodyguard since he was a teenager and was still a guard until now, when he was 48 years old. Uncle Hu's wife passed away a few years ago, and his only son was said to have been kidnapped when he was a child. Now he was the only lonely man left in the Hu family. Since Uncle Hu's wife passed away, he moved to the Lin family. Uncle Hu watched Han Chen and the others grow up, and he treated them as his own children.
Next, Han Chen began to talk to Wu Jia'an and Uncle Hu about the interesting things that happened in Liujia Village. Han Chen told several embarrassing stories that happened when he first started doing farm work, which made Wu Jia'an and Uncle Hu laugh out loud.
Along the way, Xuemei listened to Han Chen and the other two talking while observing the differences of Beijing, the capital of the country. Xuemei found that the capital was much more prosperous, the houses and buildings were arranged in an orderly manner, and some were five or six stories high. People's mental outlook was much better, and the colors and styles of clothes were very new.
Half an hour passed quickly, and the car arrived at the gate of the military compound where the Lin family lived. Wu Jia'an stopped the car at the gate, got out, and saluted the soldier on guard. The soldier looked into the car a few times, found nothing unusual, and then handed Wu Jia'an his documents and other belongings.
After the gate was opened, Wu Jiaan continued to drive into the compound. As the car drove on, Xuemei first saw five or six rows of three or four-story blue or red brick buildings, each row had three or four floors; then she saw some small houses that were connected but separated by courtyard walls, and finally, she saw independent buildings. After passing three or four buildings, Wu Jiaan stopped outside the courtyard of a two-story building. Xuemei knew that they had arrived.
Han Chen and Wu Jiaan each carried a backpack, and Uncle Hu grabbed the sack, leaving Xuemei with empty hands.
Xuemei took a deep breath and felt less nervous before following Han Chen into the yard.
Uncle Hu walked in front and pushed the gate open, then shouted, "Chief, Xiaochen and his wife are back!"
After Uncle Hu opened the gate, Xuemei saw a two-story red brick house. The house alone covered an area of about 150 square meters, and the yard was about 30 to 40 square meters. Except for the snow in the aisle which had been shoveled clean, there was still thick snow piled up in other places.
As Xuemei walked into the yard, three children, two boys and one girl, ran out from the door of the house. Then a middle-aged woman in her forties or fifties came out. Xuemei thought that this should be Yu Qing, the wife of Lin Jianye, the eldest uncle of the Lin family.
Following behind Yu Qing was an old man who looked to be in his sixties. He stood straight, neither fat nor thin, about 1.7 meters tall. The wrinkles on his face were more prominent because of his smile, and half of his hair was white.
Xuemei knew that this was Lin Songguo, the grandfather of the Lin family. He was sixty-seven years old this year, but he looked in good spirits and health.
Xuemei then observed the two women in their twenties who came out behind Lin Songguo. One was taller and the other shorter, and the shorter one was holding a child in her arms.
While Xuemei was observing, Han Chen had already run up to the old man, hugged him and started talking. Yu Qing also brought two women to Xuemei and said enthusiastically: "Xuemei, I am your aunt, and this is your second sister and eldest sister-in-law. We are all very happy that you can come!"
Xuemei called out, "Aunt, sister-in-law, second sister, hello, I'm Xuemei!"
The woman holding the child smiled and said, "Mom, it's so cold outside. Let's talk to Xuemei first!"
Yu Qing patted his head and said, "Look at me, I'm so happy I'm silly. Xuemei, let's go inside first!"
After Yu Qing finished speaking, he took Xuemei's arm and went into the house.
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