Chapter 53
Feng Zhen and Xie Jinyan knew each other before. When Feng Zhen was in school, she often stayed at Lin Youqing's house, and Xie Jinyan would often go there to find Jiang Jiang, so the two of them knew each other. Tie Zhu was one grade younger than Xie Jinyan, but they were in the same school and had met each other in school, so they were not strangers. After dinner, several young people were chatting enthusiastically on the kang. Feng Yin did not participate in their chat. She was disgusted with Jiang Jiang, and she had spread rumors behind Xie Jinyan's back that Xie Jinyan and Jiang Jiang had an improper relationship, so she did not dare to face Xie Jinyan.
Fengzhen has spent two years of college life at the regional teachers' college, and Xie Jinyan has also been studying in the capital for a year. Jiang Jiang and Tiezhu listened to their descriptions of their college life with great interest. When young people are together, they always have a lot of common topics.
"By the way, Jiang Jiang, when are you going back?"
"After paying respects to my parents tomorrow, I will probably go back the day after tomorrow. Before I leave, I'll tell them I'll be back after paying respects."
"The day after tomorrow is the day when Sister Xiaoyun is getting married. You can stay and attend the wedding before going back." Feng Zhen knew that Jiang Jiang definitely didn't know her, so she explained to her, "She is the daughter of an uncle in our family. She is a very good person, hardworking and kind-hearted. Uncle and Aunt San haven't come back yet, so I'm sure she will be very happy if you go."
"What do you think, brother Jinyan?"
Xie Jinyan's attitude was relatively nonchalant, "You decide for yourself."
Jiang Jiang smiled and said, "Then I will stay one more day to attend the wedding before going back."
Zhang Yueju came in with a few washed peaches. Seeing the people on the kang, she greeted them with a smile, "Xiao Xie, Jiang Jiang, have some fruit."
"Thank you, auntie."
Jiang Jiang picked up a piece of cut peach and suddenly remembered something, "Oh, aunt, wait a moment."
She put the peach in her hand aside and opened the leather box in the corner. "I came back this time and brought gifts for you all."
"I brought a silk scarf and ginger candy for my aunt, a pair of gloves for my uncle, which he can use when he's working, a sachet for Sister Fengzhen, a brush for Brother Tiezhu, and a wool blanket for Grandma, which can be used to cover your legs in winter so your knees won't get cold easily. And these are for Sister Fengzhen's parents, Fengyin, Goudan, and Caogen..."
Before returning to Dongxi Village, Jiang Jiang went to various markets in the area and bought gifts for them. Although she didn't have a very good relationship with Feng Yin and the others, Jiang Jiang still bought things for them equally in order to avoid being criticized.
"You said you were coming back, so why did you buy so many things? They must have weighed me down on the way." Although Zhang Yueju said this, she couldn't help but happily picked up the scarf to compare it with herself, smiling from ear to ear, "Jiang Jiang has a good eye, this scarf really suits my skin tone."
"There's also mine." Tiezhu picked up the brush with curiosity. The tip of the brush was flexible and sharp, and it was obviously a good brush.
"Thank you, Jiang Jiang." Feng Zhen was very happy holding the sachet. This was her favorite orchid scent.
Jiang Jiang smiled sheepishly and said, "I just bought them randomly. Just be sure you like them."
The Lin family has a total of nine cave dwellings. Because Lin Youqing and his wife are not in Dongxi Village all year round and they only have one daughter, Jiang Jiang, they only occupy one cave dwelling. The eldest and second oldest Lins each have three cave dwellings. Old Mrs. Lin lives in one cave, and the remaining one is mainly used for cooking and eating, as well as for storing miscellaneous items.
The Lin elder's three-hole cave has one cave as their bedroom, and the other two sons each live in one cave, which will also be their new house after marriage. The Lin second's three-hole cave has one cave for the couple, one for Fengzhen and Fengyin, and the remaining one for Goudan and Tiegen, as the children are grown up and it is no longer appropriate for them to sleep on the same kang with their parents.
However, no one had lived in Lin Youqing's cave for some time. After learning that Jiang Jiang was coming back, Zhang Yueju specially picked a sunny day to clean their bedroom and took the bedding and quilts outside to dry them, so that she could live more comfortably.
Jiang Jiang was both surprised and touched by her aunt's thoughtfulness.
The next morning, Jiang Jiang woke up early. As she went to the yard to wash up, she ran into Boss Lin who was repairing a stool.
Jiang Jiang took the initiative to greet him, "Uncle, good morning."
Boss Lin responded with a smile, "Good morning, Jiang Jiang. I really like the gloves you gave me. You put a lot of thought into it."
Jiang Jiang scooped a ladle of water from the water tank and said, "As long as Uncle likes it."
After a while, Xie Jinyan also came out of the kiln. He slept in the same room with Tiezhu last night.
Before returning to Dongxi Village, Jiang Jiang bought a bundle of incense and a stack of paper money at a local grocery store. When Zhang Yueju got up in the morning, she helped prepare tea, food and yellow paper for the tomb sacrifice and put them all in a bamboo basket. After breakfast, Jiang Jiang went out with Xie Jinyan.
The weeds in front of her parents' grave were not deep, and there were traces of worship. Jiang Jiang inferred that it must be Zhou Fugui who came to worship. Xie Jinyan put down the bamboo basket in her hand, and cleaned up the surroundings with Jiang Jiang, and then took out the tea and food for worship from the bamboo basket and set them aside.
"Dad, Mom, I'm Jiang Jiang. I'm here to see you." Jiang Jiang held three incense sticks in her hand. As soon as she spoke, her eyes quickly became moist. "I'm grown up now. I was admitted to Capital University. When dad was alive, he hoped that I could go to school and become an educated person when I grow up. Finally, I have lived up to dad's expectations. My adoptive parents treat me very well. You can rest assured."
Jiang Jiang has never seen her biological mother. From her father's memories, she could vaguely see that she was a very gentle woman. Although Jiang Jiang has never seen her, she has deep feelings for her. Her mother died of complications during childbirth because she risked her life to give birth to her.
It’s a pity that this feeling can only be placed in this short tomb.
While Jiang Jiang was lost in thought, Xie Jinyan beside her spoke, "Uncle, aunt, I'm Xie Jinyan, Jiang Jiang's friend. I will take good care of Jiang Jiang in the future."
When Jiang Jiang heard this, she smiled faintly at him.
After saying that, he and Jiang Jiang performed the worship ceremony together, and inserted the three incense sticks in their hands in front of the graves of Jiang Jiang's parents.
After leaving the Jiang family cemetery, Jiang Jiang went back to the Lin family to put the bamboo basket containing things. After saying hello to Zhang Yueju, he went to Wang Shuwen's house with some gifts brought back from the area.
Before Jiang Jiang came back, her mother specifically asked her to visit Aunt Shuwen's house.
"Jiang Jiang!" Shi Xiaoyang saw the two of them from afar, jumped up excitedly and waved.
"mock up!"
Although they haven't seen each other for many years, Jiang Jiang still feels very close to Shi Xiaoyang. Maybe it's because when Jiang Jiang was in elementary school, Aunt Wang Shuwen would always visit their home whenever she took Shi Xiaoyang to the county for business. The two of them are of similar age, so they get along well.
Shi Xiaoyang has grown into a very beautiful girl now. She has a pair of big peach-like eyes under her thin bangs. She wears a well-fitting plaid shirt and jeans, and her thick hair is tied into two thick braids. Just this year, Shi Xiaoyang was admitted to the provincial medical college with good grades.
Shi Xiaoyang hugged her childhood playmate affectionately.
"My mother guessed that you would come to visit us today, so she got up early in the morning and prepared a lot of delicious food. Come in quickly."
A chubby teenager in his teens walked out of the kiln. Shi Xiaoyang grabbed the boy and introduced him to them, "This is my brother Dongsheng. Dongsheng, this is your sister Jiang Jiang, she held you in her arms when you were a child, and this is brother Jinyan."
Jiang Jiang was a little surprised. She still remembered that when she first came to Wang Shuwen's house, he was still a baby in swaddling clothes. Now he was almost as tall as her. "This is... Dongsheng?"
"Yes, he is my brother Dongsheng."
Upon hearing this, Shi Dongsheng called out a little embarrassedly, "Sister Jiang Jiang."
"Brother Jinyan."
Xie Jinyan nodded.
Wang Shuwen had been waiting at home for a long time. She warmly invited the two children to sit on the kang, on which a variety of rare foods had already been placed.
"Auntie, this is the donkey-hide gelatin my mother asked me to bring you, and this is a silk scarf I picked out for you, a colored paintbrush for brother Dongsheng, a sachet for Xiaoyang, and tea for Uncle Shi..."
Wang Shulan took Jiang Jiang's gift and couldn't help but said angrily, "You are so polite, you just came and brought so many things."
"You must have dinner at your aunt's house before going back. Your uncle Shi will also be back tonight."
"Okay."
After chatting with Wang Shuwen about family matters for a while, Shi Xiaoyang couldn't wait to pull Jiang Jiang into the kiln where she lived. They hadn't seen each other for many years, and Shi Xiaoyang had a lot to say to her.
Even when Wang Shuwen asked them to come out for dinner, the two were still reluctant to leave, so Jiang Jiang suggested that Shi Xiaoyang should just go over and sleep with her that night, so that they would have more time to talk.
Shi Xiaoyang naturally agreed readily.
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