Chapter 217 Questioning
"Hello, Auntie!" Lin Zhou greeted Li Aiying politely.
"Okay," Li Aiying smiled faintly: "I wonder if you have eaten since you came?"
"After eating, Auntie, are you... going out?"
"Oh..." Li Aiying smiled, her eyes moving down from Lin Zhou's face to the hands they held: "There's a play at the Liyuan Association today, I'll go see it!"
"Liyuan Concert?" Lin Zhou's eyes instantly gleamed with a light: "That's just on the way, I'll take you there!"
He took advantage of the situation to break free from Tian Xin's hand, handed the box to Tian Xin, and walked a few steps towards Li Aiying.
"How can I do this? I've made an appointment with her aunt to go together..."
"Then let's go together! There's room! The car is at the entrance of the alley and it will be fast!" Lin Zhou seemed anxious and attentive, as if he was afraid that Li Aiying would reject him.
Li Aiying did not refuse and responded very straightforwardly: "Thank you for your help, let's go!" After that, she turned around and walked towards the entrance of the alley.
"I'm leaving first. I'll call you later!" Lin Zhou said to Tian Xin, and then followed Li Aiying away happily!
“…”
Tian Xin was still standing at the door, and when she saw the two people walking away one after the other, she suddenly felt a little nervous.
I wonder if Lin Zhou will talk nonsense on the way?
What would his mother think if she heard what he just said?
Do you want to follow?
She shouted in the direction they were leaving: "Mom! I'm going with you!"
"Hurry back and pack your things! I'll be back soon..." Li Aiying turned her head and shouted.
After a while, the two figures disappeared at the corner of the alley.
“…”
The Liyuanhui is a Qinqiang opera troupe in Huayuan County, located in the heart of the county. The troupe is very well-known in the local area, and its performances are always packed!
But it's not performed every day. There are about 10 performances per month, and one of them will feature a famous actor. But which one? The time is never fixed; it's only announced the day before the performance!
Li Aiying had never been to an opera show, she had only heard of it. Firstly, the ticket price was too expensive; secondly, she had too much work to do at home and didn't have the time. She had just said she was going to see an opera, but that was just a lie. She had originally wanted to visit her parents in the next village!
But when he saw Lin Zhou, he changed his mind suddenly.
Lin Zhou didn't know. As soon as he got in the car, he drove towards the village committee and confirmed the location with Li Aiying: "Auntie, Aunt Tian's house is next to the village committee, right?"
Li Aiying didn't answer, and said in a deep voice: "Let's not go to her house. Find a place to stop. Auntie will ask you a few questions!"
“…”
Although her voice was not loud and even gentle as usual, this sentence contained too much information. Lin Zhou was still shocked and broke out in a cold sweat. He was very nervous!
The car stopped in an empty wheat field, surrounded by fields and a few abandoned caves nearby.
Li Aiying waited until Lin Zhou stopped the car before starting a long conversation between the two.
In Lin Zhou's later memories, this afternoon was thrilling and heartwarming!
"Lin Zhou, are you busy with work recently?" Li Aiying asked.
Lin Zhou replied: "Not... not too bad! Not too busy!"
"Young people, keep busy. At your age, it's time to work hard! Unlike us, we are too old to work anymore!"
"Yes, yes, I should be busy!" Lin Zhou rubbed his fingers together, his face visibly tense. After saying this, he suddenly remembered something and added, "You're not old. Xiaoxu hasn't grown up yet. You look much younger than your peers!"
This sentence was quite helpful. Li Aiying felt a little embarrassed by the compliment and said with a smile: "What's young about that? I'm from the countryside, exposed to the wind and sun all day long. I can't compare to you city people. I'm old!"
"No, actually. My mother also grew up in the countryside in her early years, and you look similar to her," said Lin Zhou.
"Really?" Li Aiying was stunned. "Last time I heard you say that your parents are divorced. Then... who are you living with?"
"I...followed my dad when I was a kid!"
Lin Zhou's hands kept rubbing his fingers, and the tension on his face was visible to the naked eye. Suddenly, he felt very hot and his forehead was covered with sweat.
Li Aiying probably noticed it, smiled, and her face returned to its natural state. Then she asked him: "Is your stepmother good to you?"
Lin Zhou didn't answer this, and said calmly: "I followed them when I was a child because my mother was just starting her career at that time and really couldn't take care of me. But it was only four or five years. After I started high school, I lived alone and have lived on my own ever since!"
"It's really hard for you. Living independently at such a young age, you must have gone through a lot of hardships!"
Li Aiying's voice suddenly softened, and there was a hint of a mother's love for her child in her tone, and her eyes became even softer.
When Lin Zhou heard this, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief and put his hands on his legs without moving.
"That's not bad, I feel more comfortable alone!"
"Do you meet them often?" Li Aiying asked again.
Lin Zhou clenched his hands again: "Not often, we'll see each other during holidays or when something happens! We usually keep in touch by phone. My mom will come back to see me when she's not busy, and I... will be closer to her!"
"She must be very busy!" Li Aiying said with a smile: "I often see her on TV."
"I was really busy before, but now that I've retired, I just do some behind-the-scenes work, which is not so bad."
At this point, Lin Zhou suddenly lowered his head and smiled: "She recently said she would find me a date. She's been back home several times this month. Today, she even went to the Liyuan Association to support them. I'll introduce you to each other when I get there later. My mother will definitely be happy!"
“…”
Li Aiying fell silent! There was silence for a long time!
The car was strangely quiet, and Lin Zhou was panicking! In just a few minutes, he was already so hot that he felt like he was going through the core of the earth. He really wanted to get off the car and get some fresh air.
But all four windows were open, and the cool breeze kept pouring into the car, so it wasn't that hot. Li Aiying just sat there, not saying a word or asking him any questions, staring out the window, wondering what she was thinking.
About a minute later, she spoke, and her words stabbed Lin Zhou's heart again: "No need! Your mother must be busy, so I won't bother you! Auntie called you out just to ask you a few questions."
"Ask, Auntie!" Lin Zhou suddenly felt as if a mountain was pressing down on him, his heart full of uncertainty. He had never been as nervous as he was now.
"Lin Zhou!" Li Aiying was silent for a few seconds, then asked him gently, "I've seen you coming to the village quite often lately, donating computers to the village and doing things for the factory! I heard from the villagers that you do all this for Xinxin, is that true?"
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