Chapter 156 Anger and Strangeness
Huo Ran said calmly, "It's not entirely to repay your previous kindness. I now have some connections with the Jiang family, so it's only right that I take care of you."
Jiang Mi felt embarrassed, wondering if the word "friendship" he used seemed to have a different meaning.
Zhu Qiancheng couldn't refuse any longer, so he stopped insisting. Looking at Huo Ran's thin figure, he asked, "You're usually alone. You won't have anywhere to go for the New Year, will you? Why don't you come to my house and we can have some fun together?"
In fact, the imperial court had already sent a letter urging him to return to the capital for the New Year, but he had someone he was reluctant to leave behind, so he kept delaying.
"No need, Grandpa Zhu. Thank you for your kindness. I will probably go home for the New Year, but my hometown is not here. I am an outsider, so how could I stay and bother you?"
Zhu Qiancheng laughed and said, "What's the big deal? We're all from the same village, we're all family. Why are you an outsider? Don't be so formal. By the way, where's your hometown?"
When the topic of his hometown came up, Huo Ran instinctively wanted to hide it, but looking at Zhu Qiancheng and Jiang Mi, he didn't want to deceive them.
Jiang Mi noticed Huo Ran's predicament, so she tactfully changed the subject: "Grandpa, they also have their own families. It's the New Year, a time for family reunion. How can we not let them go home? Don't make things difficult for them."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Qiancheng agreed and said apologetically, "That's true, it was my oversight. Let's leave it at that for now. If you have nowhere to go for the New Year, Xiao Huo, just come to my house. If your family misses you, you should still go home to visit them."
Huo Ran nodded: "Thank you, Grandpa Zhu. When I get home, I'll bring you some New Year's goods from my hometown."
Zhu Qiancheng nodded. Just then, someone called him, and Zhu Qiancheng responded and went out, leaving Huo Ran and Jiang Mi staring at each other silently. The atmosphere between the two of them felt a little awkward.
"you…"
"you…"
The two of them started speaking at the same time, and suddenly the atmosphere became even more awkward. Huo Ran smiled and said, "You go first."
Jiang Mi shook her head: "I don't have anything to say either. What do you want to say?"
Huo Ran thought for a moment and said, "Actually, I don't have anything to hide from you. Those things are confidential to me, but telling you won't be a problem. My family..."
Jiang Mi interrupted him, saying, "I know, you don't need to tell me now. You'll know when the time is right. There's no need to force it. Besides, it won't do me any good to know now."
Huo Ran felt a warmth in his heart. Jiang Mi was very considerate of his feelings, while he himself seemed a bit petty.
"Since that's the case, let's talk about it another day. Don't wander off. I don't know where that scoundrel has gone. I'll have my men take him away later, so he won't harm others in the future."
"Then I'll have to trouble you." Jiang Mi didn't know what Huo Ran would do with Lai Zi, but she figured Huo Ran would have his own way.
Huo Ran went back to the fields, and Jiang Mi slept at her maternal grandfather's house for a while until she was woken up by her mother's voice. Only then did she realize that her mother had come looking for her.
"Let her sleep for a while. The child must be tired. I heard she's been keeping the restaurant very busy and must be working very hard. Don't wake her up. Do you think she'll go hungry here?"
Jiang's mother hesitated, "I was thinking that she would feel even more uncomfortable if she woke up hungry, so I'll let her stay here. I'll come back to pick her up when I go home tonight."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Mi immediately got up and came out: "Mother, has everything been harvested from the fields?"
Seeing that Jiang Mi was awake, Zhu Qiancheng glared at Jiang's mother with displeasure: "Look at you, your voice is so loud, did you wake the child up?"
Jiang's mother felt embarrassed after being scolded by her father, but Jiang Mi smiled and said, "No, I just woke up by myself and was a little hungry. Is dinner ready? I was thinking of cooking a meal for you at home."
"Oh, when did I start asking you to cook? What's a girl like you doing cooking? Mom has already prepared everything. Are you eating at Grandpa's house or going home?"
Zhu Qiancheng looked at Jiang Mi expectantly, and Jiang Mi felt a little embarrassed to refuse:
I'll eat at my grandpa's house and then go home.
"Ah, that's more like it." Zhu Qiancheng said happily, and quickly brought out Jiang Mi's favorite food. Jiang's mother had no choice but to go back first.
After Jiang Mi finished eating, Zhu Qiancheng insisted on personally escorting her home, fearing that someone might bully her on the way. Jiang Mi hadn't even had a chance to use her immense strength yet; she could take on ten of Lai Zi alone, so she wasn't afraid at all.
However, she didn't want to disappoint the old man, so the two of them went home together. At that moment, Huo Ran and his men were preparing to continue working in the fields when they bumped into Jiang Mi.
Jiang Cheng, with his sharp eyes, noticed and quickly stood between the two: "Honey's back. Are you full? Would you like some more?"
Zhu Qiancheng said unhappily, "What are you talking about? Do you think I would let my precious granddaughter go hungry?"
In front of his father-in-law, Jiang Cheng's arrogance vanished instantly, and he said embarrassedly, "Father, I didn't mean that. I was just asking out of concern."
Zhu Qiancheng snorted, his attitude towards Huo Ran very friendly: "Little Huo, are you done eating?"
Huo Ran nodded: "I'm done eating. I'll go to the field now and harvest the rest of the potatoes. There aren't many left, I can finish in a little while."
Zhu Qiancheng nodded: "Okay, then go ahead."
Watching Huo Ran's retreating figure, Zhu Qiancheng praised, "Little Huo is quite a good person. He's good-looking and capable; he's truly a rare find."
Upon hearing Zhu Qiancheng praise Huo Ran, Jiang Cheng's expression darkened, but he dared not disobey his father-in-law and could only remain silent.
"But what does Xiao Huo need so many potatoes for? Didn't he already ask for a lot of sweet potatoes?"
However, no one could answer the question. Everyone found Huo Ran strange, but they also inexplicably believed him. Besides, he was very generous and offered so much money, so why not sell it?
Jiang's mother patted the dust off her clothes and saw Jiang Cheng standing at the door in a daze, so she called out to him, "What are you standing here for? Young Master Huo has already gone to the fields. You should take our workers with you and go. The sooner you finish, the sooner you can get it over with. Be careful with the remaining glutinous corn, don't let them get hurt."
Jiang Cheng gave a sullen reply and left, avoiding Zhu Qiancheng.
"Mom, aren't you going?" Jiang Mi asked.
Jiang's mother said, "I'll tidy up at home. It's almost Chinese New Year, and we should come back at least once. Otherwise, it will be a mess, and we won't even have a place to stay or sleep."
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