After the door closed, the two women moved closer to Aunt Chu and said mysteriously, "Aunt Lin, since your Lin Yuan isn't here, you two have to keep a close eye on your daughter-in-law. We heard some rumors about her circulating in the village today."
Aunt Chu asked in surprise, "What rumors?"
"People say that your wife and Tao Gang's son seem to be very close. They've seen them walking together and chatting and laughing several times."
"Yes, people are saying they're teaching at the same school again, so you'd better be careful!"
"Yes, we're together all day, who knows what we might do behind each other's backs..."
"Alright, I thought it was something serious. You guys are spreading rumors about this? Huanhuan is Shize's colleague who teaches together. People can say whatever they want, right?"
"Don't come out and spread these rumors until you actually bump into them sleeping together. Otherwise, don't you feel your mouths are burning as you talk about a newlywed wife whose husband is a soldier? Won't you have nightmares at night?"
"The Shizawa family is only two or three houses away from my house. It's perfectly normal for them to walk back together. If there were really something shady going on, would they walk together in broad daylight for you to see? They should be hiding far away during the day so no one can see them, right?"
Aunt Chu was so angry at their words that she laughed.
Aunt Chu's words stunned the two women, who subconsciously replied, "That makes sense, that's true."
Aunt Chu waved her hand, "Whoever sent it to you, you should also help me spread the word. My Lin Yuan is coming back for the New Year today. If anyone actually sees anything, come directly to Lin Yuan tomorrow and tell him. If you didn't see anything, just shut up. If you gossip about Huanhuan behind her back without seeing anything, we'll sue you. Military families are the least tolerant of this kind of slander."
Aunt Chu was also angry. Her son was serving in the army, protecting the country, but these villagers were being sarcastic and making snide remarks about his wife, trying to make a scene.
This was the first time Aunt Chu had felt disgusted by these gossipy women.
She used to sit with people and gossip about other people's lives, but now, thinking back, Aunt Chu realized how annoying and disgusting that behavior was.
It's true what they say, you don't feel the pain until the knife cuts you!
The two aunties received a small bag of candy from Aunt Chu and left to help Aunt Chu relay messages to those who were gossiping about Zhao Huanhuan.
Aunt Chu didn't tell Zhao Huanhuan about this, afraid that she would be angry and upset if she heard it.
She decided to wait for Lin Yuan to come back, talk to him, and ask him to comfort Huanhuan.
Zhao Huanhuan was unaware of all this, peacefully living her own little life, waiting for Lin Yuan to return and for the New Year to arrive!
Around 9 p.m., Uncle Lin returned, bringing Lin Yuan with him.
When they heard voices coming from the yard, Aunt Chu and Zhao Huanhuan came out of the house one after the other.
"Yuan'er, are you cold?" Aunt Chu asked her son with a smile.
Lin Yuan's gaze was fixed on Zhao Huanhuan beside Aunt Chu. Hearing her mother speak, she smiled and looked at her mother, "I'm not cold, Mom, I'm wearing a cotton coat!"
Aunt Chu smiled and said, "Okay, then go back to your room and wash up first. There's food being heated up in the kitchen for you and your son. I'll go get it. Come over here to eat after you've finished washing up."
"Thank you, Mom!" Lin Yuan thanked his mother for saving him food so late at night. This warmth from his family immediately dispelled the chill that had accumulated on his way back.
Aunt Chu went to the kitchen. Uncle Lin spurred his bicycle and said to Lin Yuan, "It's cold outside, you should come inside first!"
"Yes, Dad!"
Lin Yuan responded, walked up to Zhao Huanhuan, smiled at her, and took her hand, leading her into their house.
"Your hands are a little cold. Is it cold in the room?" Lin Yuan looked down at her.
Zhao Huanhuan looked up and met his gaze, then shook her head. "No, it's hot inside. I was wearing thermal underwear under my cotton-padded jacket, not a sweater or long underwear. I might have gotten a little cold coming out."
It's hot inside, so Zhao Huanhuan usually doesn't go outside again after dinner. She takes off her sweater and long johns and stays at home wearing only her thermal underwear.
When she came out, she thought it wouldn't be too cold outside, so she only wore a pair of trousers and a cotton-padded jacket.
I didn't expect my hands to get cold so quickly.
Lin Yuan took her hand and put it in the pocket of his cotton coat, and the two went back into the house.
Uncle Lin watched the two of them walk into the house together from behind and smiled. Ah, it's still nice to see the two kids walking together like this.
In the past, only Huanhuan came and went, which was a bit heartbreaking to see.
Uncle Lin didn't go back to the house either, but went to the kitchen to help Aunt Chu serve the food.
After Zhao Huanhuan and Lin Yuan returned to the house, she quickly took off her cotton-padded coat because it was so hot!
Lin Yuan felt relieved when she realized it was indeed quite hot inside. After putting down her bag, she quickly took off her cotton hat, cotton-padded jacket, and cotton-padded trousers.
Are you wearing cotton pants? Would you like to change into thermal pants?
Zhao Huanhuan asked Lin Yuan, who had already gone to the closet to get him the clothes he could wear at home.
"Okay, change into a sweater and long johns!" Lin Yuan took off all but her thermal underwear and went to fetch water to wash up.
"Remember to pour some hot water from the thermos on the stove. I specially heated up a thermos after dinner and put it on the stove so you can use it to wash up when you get back," Zhao Huanhuan said as she took clothes from the closet for him.
"Okay!" Lin Yuan smiled and glanced back at his wife who was finding him clothes. He then obediently went over to pick up the thermos and pour water.
When the coldest days of winter began, they installed stoves in their houses to quickly warm them up.
After washing up, Lin Yuan scooped water from the water vat, filled the kettle, and put it on the stove to heat it up before sitting on the edge of the kang (heated brick bed) to put on her sweater and trousers.
"New?" Lin Yuan only realized that the sweater and long johns were new when she held them in her hands.
"Yes, Mom and I knitted this for you this winter. Mom is good at knitting, especially sweaters. I'm not very good at it, I can only knit woolen pants." Zhao Huanhuan smiled shyly as she watched him get dressed.
"Thank you, you and Mom have worked so hard. My old ones are still wearable!" Lin Yuan said softly, feeling grateful.
After putting on his sweater and long johns, Lin Yuan didn't put on any other clothes. He was just going to his parents' house for a meal, so he didn't wear a coat.
He squatted down, opened his bag, and took things out of it.
He took out five paper bags of goji berries, then three bags of fried rice, four bottles of Xiling wine, and two cartons of Xiling cigarettes, and placed them all on the table.
Zhao Huanhuan: ......
Surprisingly, there were no clothes in the bag, only the things I had brought.
After taking the item out, Lin Yuan glanced back at Zhao Huanhuan. Seeing her stunned expression, he smiled, stood up, came to her side, took her hand, and placed something in her hand.
Zhao Huanhuan looked down and froze.
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