Chapter 29 Ask him for assist fee
Si Yan was notified to return to the old house for dinner.
Li Jiawei had just returned from a trip to Yunnan. She had brought a lot of gifts with her. While in Yunnan, she had heard that her cousin Si Yan had really found her a sister-in-law. As soon as she got home, she couldn't wait to go to the old house and urge the old lady to call her cousin back as well.
The Si family is a family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners. The eighty-year-old grandfather and grandmother are still strong and healthy, and the grandfather occasionally visits their own clinic for consultations. Both Si Yan and Li Jiawei were raised by the grandmother and have a particularly deep bond with them.
The Si family consists of two siblings, Si Guoqing and Si Yuqing. Both Si Guoqing and his wife are professors of Traditional Chinese Medicine, constantly busy with lectures and consultations. Si Yuqing studied pharmacy and is deeply involved in drug research and development at a research institute, while her husband, Li Chengye, works in the health sector. Li Jiawei is the only one in the family who studied fine arts, making her the sole exception to the medical profession.
As Si Yan entered the old house, he heard Li Jiawei chattering like a lark, chattering non-stop around the old man and his wife. She recounted the artisans she'd encountered in the alleys of Lijiang, and how the starry sky of Shangri-La was so bright you could see your reflection in it... The two elderly people listened adoringly to their granddaughter's travel stories, smiles etched in the wrinkles of their eyes.
Seeing Si Yan enter, Li Jiawei's eyes lit up immediately: "Brother, where is my sister-in-law?"
Si Yan's face turned serious: "You called me back just for this? I'm busy."
"Brother, you are so heartless. You forgot about your sister now that you have a wife! I even brought gifts for you and your sister-in-law."
"Thanks in advance." Si Yan changed the subject, "How did you gain from your trip to Yunnan?" Before leaving, Li Jiawei insisted on going sketching to find inspiration, and he even specially sponsored the travel expenses.
"Brother, you're right, I've gained a lot!" She immediately took out her cell phone and showed her sketches like a treasure.
"Well, there's progress. Keep it up." Si Yan said after taking a glance.
"Perfunctory! You didn't even look carefully!" Li Jiawei curled her lips in dissatisfaction.
Si Yan spoke frankly, "Let your sister-in-law... let Su Nian teach you someday. She studied fashion design and can draw better than you."
Li Jiawei didn't care about her cousin's blow. Instead, she became interested: "Okay, okay! How about tomorrow? How about we go see the lotus flowers together?"
Si Yan then regretted that he had spoken too quickly and dug a hole for himself.
"Bring the gift." He changed the subject.
Li Jiawei took out two exquisite boxes from a bag beside her, and when she opened them, she found two pieces of silver jewelry inside - a simple and elegant sterling silver bracelet and a pair of enameled silver cufflinks.
"I spent a huge amount of money to buy it. It's very thoughtful of me!"
"It's thoughtful of me." The old lady tried to smooth things over with a smile, "Weiwei has prepared gifts for everyone." She loved seeing this pair of young brothers being so friendly and respectful to each other.
Si Yan took out his phone to transfer money: "Tell me, how much is it?"
"No, no!" Li Jiawei waved her hands quickly, "Just let me accompany you and sister-in-law to appreciate the lotus tomorrow..." Li Jiawei said softly.
Si Yan was helpless: "I'll ask, but let me make it clear first, I haven't won Su Nian yet, so you are not allowed to interfere."
"Don't worry! I will help you!" Li Jiawei patted his chest and promised.
The old man beside him happily handed over a red envelope: "Here, use it as travel funds."
Li Jiawei reached out to take it, but the old man suddenly withdrew his hand and stuffed the red envelope into Si Yan's hand: "Let your brother take it, and you two can spend it together."
"Grandpa is partial!" Li Jiawei muttered softly, but a smile flashed in his eyes.
That's why Si Yan said last night that he would take Su Nian to the western suburbs to appreciate the lotus.
The next day, the morning sun shone through the gaps in the curtains into the room. Si Yan had already gotten up and washed up.
He sent a simple message: "Good morning, I'll pick you up in half an hour."
Su Nian's reply came almost immediately: "Okay, I'm ready."
Si Yan stared at the brief reply, the corners of his mouth rising unconsciously.
He changed into a black short-sleeved T-shirt and beige casual pants. The man in the mirror had a relaxed look, and his usual seriousness as he saw patients had faded, with a more relaxed look.
"Brother! You finally came down!" Li Jiawei had been waiting in the living room for ten minutes. She was wearing a floral dress and carrying a drawing board, looking like a butterfly. "If you don't come down soon, the lotus will wither!"
Si Yan glanced at his watch: "We agreed to meet at nine o'clock, and it's only eight forty now."
"Arriving early is polite!" Li Jiawei pulled his arm and walked out. "Grandma asked the kitchen to prepare some snacks. I've already packed them. Let's eat on the way. Let's go. Don't keep my sister-in-law waiting anxiously."
Si Yan let her pull him, but he felt a little nervous.
He hadn't told Li Jiawei about Su Nian's pregnancy, nor had he explained the complicated relationship between them. He was afraid that his cousin's enthusiasm would scare Su Nian, and he was also worried that Su Nian would feel uncomfortable because of her pregnancy.
When the car pulled up to Su Nian's house, she was already waiting at the door. Her pale green dress accentuated her skin, and even though she was only two months pregnant, her belly was barely noticeable, and her figure remained slender. The sunlight cast a golden halo on her hair.
"Hello, sister-in-law!" Li Jiawei jumped out of the car first and greeted her enthusiastically, "I'm Li Jiawei, you can call me Weiwei!"
When Su Nian heard Li Jiawei addressing her as "sister-in-law," her cheeks suddenly flushed. Just as she was about to correct her, Si Yan came over, took the bag from Su Nian's hand, and coughed lightly, "Did you have a good rest last night?
"Yeah, that's good." Su Nian nodded.
Su Nian said to Li Jiawei gently again: "Hello, I am Su Nian."
"I know, I know! My brother mentions you every day." Li Jiawei took Su Nian's arm, "Sister-in-law, you are so beautiful!"
Si Yan—this girl is so loud. She calls me sister-in-law right away. And why do I bring it up every day? I live alone, who can I tell?
On the way to the lotus pond in the western suburbs, Li Jiawei sat in the back seat and kept telling Su Nian about her experiences in Yunnan. To Si Yan's surprise, Su Nian not only listened attentively but also asked some professional questions from time to time.
"Are the traditional clothing you see in Shangri-La primarily geometric in design?"
"Yes, yes, yes! Sister-in-law, how did you know?" Li Jiawei widened her eyes in surprise.
"Weiwei, we are about the same age, just call me by my name." Su Nian was really embarrassed that she kept calling him sister-in-law.
"Okay then..." Li Jiawei just opened her mouth when she was drowned out by Si Yan's cough.
"Sister-in-law is sister-in-law, how can I call her by her name!" Li Jiawei immediately reacted, "Brother, is your throat uncomfortable?" Li Jiawei tightly grasped his unopened bottle of mineral water and said to Su Nian, "Sister-in-law, can you lend me some of your water?"
Su Nian looked at the straw cup in her hand. While she was hesitating, Si Yan had already taken it naturally and took a big gulp from the straw.
The girl's face turned red.
Si Yan remained calm and smacked his lips, "Juice? It's delicious."
Li Jiawei was laughing so hard watching the game from the back seat that he went home to ask him for the assist fee.
The little man in Su Nian’s heart was pounding the ground frantically: That’s my straw!
Si Yan - how can I refuse such a good thing when it is right in front of me? Weiwei, good job for assisting me. I will transfer the money to you when I get back.
After a small episode, the two girls at the back started chatting again.
"I've studied ethnic minority clothing culture," Su Nian said with a smile. "Naxi embroidery is very distinctive, especially their star and crescent patterns."
"Oh my god! I took so many photos!" Li Jiawei excitedly took out her phone. "Sister-in-law, look at this one! This old lady is wearing traditional clothing..."
Su Nian didn't want to care about the title of "sister-in-law" anymore, so she just let her be.
Si Yan looked through the rearview mirror at the two people chatting happily in the back seat, and his heart gradually settled down.
"By the way, sister-in-law, I picked out a silver bracelet for you when I went to Yunnan for a trip!" Li Jiawei took out an exquisite box from her bag.
Su Nian looked at Si Yan in surprise, and the latter nodded gently: "Take it. It's a token of my appreciation."
"Thank you, you're so polite." Su Nian took the gift and thanked him sincerely.
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