Chapter 129: Indirect Inquiry
Chapter 129: Indirect Inquiry
Fang Yuenian left without disturbing anyone and went out through the outer door.
After he left, Cheng Bing cleaned up the bathtub, drained the water, and made sure there were no more sparks in the stove before taking her clothes, crossing the courtyard, and entering the house.
In the kitchen, Grandma Cheng and Cheng Qiuyan were picking vegetables, while Lin Guohui moved a stool and sat down to process a small basket of shrimp. Grandpa Cheng was not inside—he was at the gate checking the wooden frames supporting the fruit trees and shaking the snow off a few bent branches.
Cheng Bing walked through the main room, put the clothes he had changed out of back in his room, and just then Cheng's father pushed open the door and came in. Upon seeing him, he said, "How come you're done washing up so quickly?"
Cheng Bing: "Okay, all done."
Cheng's father: "Are you warm now?"
Cheng Bing said softly, "Mm."
Grandpa Cheng didn't notice the change in his grandson's expression. "It's so cold, and you're only wearing this thin jacket? Are you wearing thermal underwear and a thermal sweater? Don't dress so lightly just to look pretty. Your sister is wearing a down jacket. Where would you go if you got cold?"
Hearing the noise in the kitchen, Lin Guohui called out, "Bingbing, come here."
Cheng Bing snapped out of her daze, said goodbye to her grandfather, and went to the kitchen.
"Take these shrimp to your great-grandmother later. Tell her that your grandfather caught them last night. They're fresh, and I've already prepared them. Let her cook a side dish; it's Little Yueyue's favorite."
Lin Guohui intended to hand the basket of shrimp in his hand to his son, but found that his son had a pale face and looked a little blank.
"You just took a shower, and you're only wearing this much? Put on your down jacket. It's snowing, are you sure you have anything on your face? Go put something on quickly! Don't let it get too dry. Put some on your hands too, and then you can deliver it."
Cheng Bing: "...Okay."
As Cheng Bing walked back to her room from the main hall, her mind was in turmoil.
There was a box of face cream on his desk, which Cheng Qiuyan had specially bought for him, saying that boys also need to take care of their faces, especially in winter. He opened the box, mechanically scooped out a little and applied it to his face, his expression somber.
He hadn't recovered emotionally, but he had to put everything aside like Cheng Xiaoxiao and return to the family atmosphere of New Year's Eve.
A short while later, Cheng Junjun also finished taking a shower.
Urged by Cheng Qiuyan, the two girls went upstairs to get ready. Cheng Bing wanted to help in the kitchen, but ultimately failed. She could only stay in the main room, preparing hot drinks, cups, bowls, and chairs while watching the lively TV program.
After the two older sisters were dressed up, they were indeed beautiful and dignified young women. Everyone in the family praised them to the skies, especially Grandma Cheng, who kept saying that the two of them looked just like Cheng Qiuyan when she was young.
Lin Guohui's eyes crinkled with laughter as he kept saying, "My daughter is so beautiful, just like a celebrity on TV... Oh, stop cooking, go outside and watch TV, have something to eat, whatever you want, ask Bingbing to make it for you. He's making peanut milk, I don't know if it's good or not, you guys have to try it first."
Cheng Qiuyan said, "The little paper cutouts on that door aren't pasted up yet. You two watch Bingbing paste them up for me, okay?"
Cheng Junjun said, "We're just going to watch him put them up? He seems too busy, doesn't he?"
“He’s not busy.” Cheng Qiuyan said without looking up.
Cheng Junjun chuckled, "Uh, what peanut milk?"
Cheng Bing filled two paper cups with the freshly heated drinks and handed them to her sister, saying, "Have a taste."
Cheng Junjun glanced at her younger brother and asked, "So that means we can drink hot beverages this year?"
Cheng Bing nodded, "I picked a few drinks to cook. This one seems to taste the best. You guys try it first. If you don't like it, I'll cook something else."
Cheng Xiaoxiao took the cup. "Bingbing, remember to put a few sweet potatoes in the stove later. We'll dig them out and eat them tonight."
Cheng Bing's eyes met hers, and she silently lowered her gaze. "Okay."
Upon hearing this, Cheng Junjun laughed and said, "Yes, I want to eat some too. It's been so long since I've eaten sweet potatoes like this. I remember we used to eat them all the time when we were very young."
Cheng smiled and took a sip of peanut milk. "Mmm, delicious."
"I'm so tired of drinking cold drinks. I wish we could have hot drinks at every New Year's Eve dinner starting tomorrow," Cheng Junjun said, taking a sip herself and praising the food. "Wow, this is amazing! I've never thought peanut milk was so delicious. Is it because it's supposed to be hot?"
The two girls hurried to the kitchen to report the results of the tasting, insisting that their mothers-in-law and mothers also try a sip. The group chatted and laughed in the kitchen.
Cheng Bing poured a pot of steaming milk into a thermos.
He kept his eyes down, telling himself to stay calm.
—The Cheng family's New Year's Eve dinner was brought forward this year.
Grandma Cheng's cooking skills were just as good as Cheng Qiuyan's. The table was piled high with dishes, and seeing that there wasn't enough room, they had to remove one of the stir-fried pork intestines and save it for tomorrow. Cheng Bing was in charge of pouring drinks for those who didn't drink alcohol. The newly invented hot drink was loved by young and old alike, and Grandma Cheng said that she would definitely teach this method to Grandma Lin tomorrow so that she could use it when entertaining guests, so that everyone could have something warm to drink in the winter.
Life is getting better and better every year, the children are all successful, and the amount of New Year's money they receive is also increasing. Originally, the three children didn't have any uncles, aunts, or cousins, so they received less New Year's money than other children. Lin Guohui and Cheng Qiuyan would each receive a separate share, plus a share from their grandparents, which was barely enough to keep some money in their pockets. But this year is different. The three children's red envelopes are surprisingly thick.
Cheng Xiaoxiao presented the red envelopes to her grandparents and mother-in-law, and also gave one to her younger brother and sister. When it came time to give them to her parents, Cheng Qiuyan forced her to take them back.
“How much money do you earn? Your whole family takes your red envelopes,” Lin Guohui said. “Keep your money safe and save it for yourself to buy things later, understand? When you’re working outside, don’t be too stingy with your money, or people will look down on you.”
This is said every year, but this year is actually a little different.
“We still have to give red envelopes for Chinese New Year, it only happens once a year,” Cheng Xiaoxiao insisted on putting the money in her parents’ hands, “Don’t be shy, it’s not as much as you gave.”
Grandma Cheng said with a smile, "Xiaoxiao, you are the eldest child. Your younger siblings are all watching you do things. You'll be 26 next year, not young anymore. Think more about your own life and find a boss (husband) soon."
Every family seems to be pressured to get married. Cheng Xiaoxiao said, "Where am I twenty-six? Don't use the Chinese age system anymore. I'm not even twenty-five yet, there's no rush."
Cheng Qiuyan wanted to agree with her elders, so she said, "It's not urgent. You need to have plans. Don't just sit around all day doing nothing but going to work. Look around if there are any suitable opportunities."
Lin Guohui, deeply concerned for his daughter, defended her, saying, "Well, she should take a look, but she's not that old. She just graduated and needs to focus on her career! Let her take her time choosing and looking. My daughter is so outstanding, why is there any rush to get married?"
Cheng Qiuyan rolled her eyes at her husband and was about to speak when Cheng Junjun said, "Hey, right, right, no rush, no rush. It's easy for my sister to find a boyfriend. Don't worry about it, let her handle it herself. I saw on TV that some parents were urging their children to get married, why are you urging them too? Let's not talk about this anymore, let's have a drink together!"
With her interruption, the matter was over. After all, it was just a casual remark and not a big deal. The family continued to eat happily. After the New Year's Eve dinner, the second important activity of the New Year's Eve—celebrating Cheng Bing's birthday—began.
This year marks Cheng Bing's nineteenth birthday, making it even more significant than previous years. The cake was custom-made by the best shop in town and decorated in a unique way.
The family chatted amongst themselves, the elders remarking that even the youngest son had grown up, which was truly remarkable. Lin Guohui patted his son's shoulder a few times, pleased to see such a tall, handsome, and successful son. Cheng Qiuyan said she vaguely remembered him as a child, not smiling much and not as sweet-looking as other children. When she sent him to school, she worried he wouldn't make friends or that the teachers wouldn't like him. In the blink of an eye, he's grown up.
Cheng Junjun disagreed, saying, "He was very popular at school when he was little; both boys and girls liked to play with him."
Cheng Xiaoxiao: "He's very popular at school now that he's grown up."
Cheng Qiuyan looked at her son with a loving expression, but her eyes held a hint of probing.
Lin Guohui received his wife's signal and quickly patted his son's shoulder, asking, "Birthday boy, today is an auspicious day. Tell us, did you have any boyfriends in college?"
Cheng Junjun: "Dad, broaden your horizons a little and remove the word 'big' from your name."
Lin Guohui: "Huh?"
Cheng Qiuyan smiled and gave Cheng Junjun a reproachful look, "You're just bullying him."
Cheng's father-in-law was exceptionally open-minded, and chimed in, "It's time to talk, it's time to talk! Look at all the young boys in the village, they're all dating now that they're in college!"
As the birthday boy, Cheng Bing was surrounded by his family and teased by them. In previous years, he would have felt happy, but this year he couldn't help but remain silent. After cutting the cake with his family, everyone worked together to clean up the table and kitchen. After the meal, Cheng Qiuyan brought out all the tea and fruit plates that had been prepared in advance, ready for everyone to watch the evening's program and chat.
Lin Guohui and Cheng Jiagong planned to sweep the snow in the yard before it got completely dark, since it was not auspicious to start any construction work on the first day of the lunar new year, and they were full and energetic now.
The children and women stayed inside. Cheng Bing would save a piece of cake for Fang Yuenian every year, and everyone in the family knew this. Cheng Qiuyan thought the snow outside was heavy and said, "Go early, give them a call on your phone, and come back early after you finish eating."
Cheng Bing said softly, "I'll do it as soon as possible."
His gaze swept across Cheng Xiaoxiao's face, but Cheng Xiaoxiao just kept looking at the TV and didn't respond.
Cheng Qiuyan then instructed, "When your grandfather bought those snacks, see if there are any he likes to eat, and pack some for him."
Cheng Bing: "Mm."
After he left, Cheng Qiuyan finished her work and was called to sit on the sofa by her two daughters. Cheng Xiaoxiao covered her legs with a blanket and said, "Mom, there's something I want to tell you."
"What is it?" Cheng Qiuyan asked, looking at her.
"I went to my great-aunt's house this morning to pick up some things. On the way, I ran into Uncle Gao, the one from Meiwanli. He was so pitiful. He was wearing so few clothes and his shoes were broken. I called out to him, and he answered. Then he walked away very quickly."
Upon hearing this, Cheng Qiuyan's face darkened slightly. After a long while, she sighed and said, "He is not doing well, and he is a wicked person."
Cheng Xiaoxiao asked, "Does he have a family now?"
Cheng Qiuyan said, "He lives alone in his old mud-brick house. His parents have moved to his sister's house and haven't been in contact with him since."
Cheng Junjun listened for a while, completely confused, and hurriedly asked, "What Uncle Gao? I don't know him."
Cheng Qiuyan hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said, "He used to learn carpentry from your grandfather, but his health deteriorated and he stopped. Sigh, once your father has cleared the snow, ask him to pack some vegetables and send them over."
As if he didn't want to talk any further, he stood up and said, "I'll go get something for you guys to eat."
Cheng Junjun was puzzled and grabbed Cheng Xiaoxiao, saying, "Sister, this is so mysterious."
Cheng Xiaoxiao said, "Really? I'll tell you later." Author's Note: Thank you to my mentor 9492239 (9492239) for your support! For more exciting content, please leave a message for this book on Liancheng Reading.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com