Chapter 12
Li Qing wasn't keeping an eye on him, and Lu Mingxiao wasted most of the holiday.
The summer days in the courtyard transformed into blooming flowers and barking dogs, into the aroma of Li Qing's cooking, and into the cheap toys Lu Chuan assembled...
It just flowed away quietly like that.
Lu Mingxiao was going to sneak Jiang Huaiyu out again, saying they were going to a campsite at the foot of Dayelu Mountain. There was a shallow stream there that only appeared during the Feng River, and only locals frequented it. It had been raining heavily these past two days, and Lu Mingxiao wanted to go fishing.
The conspiracy was so loud that Li Qing overheard it, and the plan was nipped in the bud. But Lu Mingxiao was not giving up. As soon as Li Qing left, he immediately took out a fishing net.
To avoid being the center of attention at the riverbank, Jiang Huaiyu opened her laptop in the corner of her suitcase: "I need to do my homework."
"Hey? This is the first time I've heard you mention homework..." Lu Mingxiao became interested, tossed the fishing net back, and leaned closer to ask, "What kind of homework do you have?"
"The topic was 'Cross-Civilizational Dialogue on Global Farm Operations.' Our group chose the American mechanized corn farm as our subject. I was responsible for some footage in the documentary video and the first two parts of the analysis report."
Lu Mingxiao: "...Suddenly I feel that my homework is pretty good too, yours sounds a bit too difficult to do."
Jiang Huaiyu's homework group is also a newly formed small group. About 70% of high school students in the world are like this. They don't think about homework until the start of the semester. The young masters and ladies of Shenhai High School are no exception. One of their group members has already gone to Iowa to record a video of on-site explanation.
Jiang Huaiyu's original plan for this holiday was to travel around Europe and then go to the United States to meet up with this team member. However, she didn't see the aurora borealis on Mount Floria, but she did get to eat some fresh wild vegetables on Mount Wild Donkey. The team member in Iowa didn't show up for the team leader either. Jiang Huaiyu expressed her apologies for breaking the promise last week and took the initiative to share the part that the team member was originally responsible for in the research report.
However, the actual footage he was responsible for still needed to include cornfields and local farmers.
Jiang Huaiyu asked Lu Mingxiao, "Do you want to go to America?"
Lu Mingxiao was covering his face with his English homework, trying to fall asleep, when Jiang Huaiyu's sudden question made him almost think he was dreaming. He took off his workbook and asked Jiang Huaiyu in a daze, "Where are we going? This little bit of English homework isn't worth going abroad to find out the answers."
Jiang Huaiyu: ...
After hearing about the "little trouble" Jiang Huaiyu encountered while doing her homework, Lu Mingxiao raised an eyebrow slightly: "This homework is quite interesting. It even comes with hidden asset conditions, directly filtering out students who aren't in your circle, right?"
Sometimes, Jiang Huaiyu really admired Lu Mingxiao's keen insight.
"So it's just cornfields and locals, right?" Lu Mingxiao tossed aside his English workbook and stretched lazily. "Come on, I'll solve your problem."
Jiang Huaiyu looked at him suspiciously: "You have a plan? Is it reliable?"
"Look at you, what kind of expression is that?" Lu Mingxiao put a sun hat on Jiang Huaiyu's head: "Let's go, the package is reliable. When have I ever been unreliable?"
Jiang Huaiyu thought about it and realized that Lu Mingxiao was indeed very reliable, so she followed Lu Mingxiao out and went to Li Rui's house first.
As soon as they pushed open the gate to Li Rui's house, a dark figure darted out from between Lu Mingxiao and Jiang Huaiyu. Its movements were so agile that Jiang Huaiyu almost mistook it for a monkey. Turning her head, she saw the "monkey's" grandmother waving a rolling pin and chasing after them.
"Grandma Li, you chased after him, and then you accidentally fell down. What did he do?" Lu Mingxiao stopped the old lady. "Tell me what he did, and I'll beat him up later..."
He looked at the old lady, and her young and handsome face twisted for a moment, as if she was trying her best to hold back her laughter.
Jiang Huaiyu had his back to Grandma Li and was unaware of what was happening. Seeing Lu Mingxiao's strange expression, he moved forward slightly...
On Grandma Li's arm, which she wields a rolling pin, are two tigers descending a mountain—the kind of full-sleeve tattoos favored by gangsters. On her forehead is a red and black "忍" (ren, meaning "to endure" or "to be patient"). Because of these large tattoos and the abstract lettering on her forehead, Grandma Li now looks like a spirited old lady dominating the square.
Jiang Huaiyu: "Pfft..."
"That little rascal! He told me it was a plaster! You stick it on your arm, pour some water on it, and it'll cure arthritis. After I applied it, I saw a black patch on my arm, and I thought it had drawn out all the poison! Good heavens! It was just some kind of plaster!"
"Temporary tattoos," Lu Mingxiao thoughtfully added.
"Yes, that's it. You wait until that brat comes back, I'm going to smear it all over his face..."
Lu Mingxiao fanned Grandma Li, saying, "Calm down, he really is..."
He almost laughed again at the sight of it, but he barely managed to hold it in: "He really went too far! Grandma, hasn't Second Uncle replied yet? Is he home?"
Grandma Li picked up her phone and glanced at the enlarged font: "He said he's here, you two go ahead."
So Lu Mingxiao took Jiang Huaiyu on a bus to the outskirts of the city.
Sitting on the swaying bus, Jiang Huaiyu asked, "Who is my second maternal uncle?"
“He’s Grandma Li’s younger brother, adopted by our parents. You said filming the cornfield would be easy, but you also need a foreigner who knows how to farm, which makes things more complicated. But…” Lu Mingxiao said, “There are always more solutions than problems. Just come with me.”
Twenty minutes later, the bus left the city, and large areas of farmland began to appear on both sides of the road. However, due to the terrain, most of them were small plots. Half an hour later, the bus rounded a mountain foot, and the view suddenly opened up. On a large plain, neat rows of corn stalks were planted, and the green stretched into the distance, meeting the clear sky.
"Keep an eye on things when you're filming," Lu Mingxiao said. "Don't include that slogan, 'Revitalize the Nation's Granary,' in the shot."
The bus window opened, and Jiang Huaiyu leaned against it. The wind in the fields was warmed by the sun, as if a gust of wind could ripen all the lush green seedlings. A breeze carried on the wind...
The smell of cow dung.
Jiang Huaiyu closed the window expressionlessly.
When Jiang Huaiyu finally met his second uncle, he understood why Lu Mingxiao had taken him by bus to the small town on the outskirts of the city. This second uncle was an elderly man of Russian ethnicity. When he kept his mouth shut and didn't speak, he was indeed a foreigner. But once he opened his mouth...
"You little rascal, how long has it been since you came to visit?" The old man, with a heavy local accent, patted Lu Mingxiao's shoulder forcefully. "You didn't bring Li Rui this time? That's the right thing to do. You're good at doing chores, while Li Rui just causes trouble. He'll drive the four-wheeler and help me load some fertilizer later!"
Lu Mingxiao readily agreed, then turned and hooked his arm around Jiang Huaiyu's shoulder: "Look, we've found a 'local' who knows how to grow corn, haven't we?"
As for the old man's language problem...
It doesn't matter anymore, we can just do the voice-over later.
The second uncle's grandson was recording Jiang Huaiyu on his phone. Jiang Huaiyu spoke English the whole time, leaving the grandson speechless. Lu Mingxiao was also busy, driving a farm four-wheeler to help his second uncle haul fertilizer. His hearty laughter could be heard in the background from time to time.
After recording the video, Jiang Huaiyu was thanking the old man when Lu Mingxiao drove up in his four-wheeled vehicle, whistling casually at Jiang Huaiyu: "Brother Yu, wanna go for a ride?"
Lu Mingxiao reached out his hand: "Come on, it's a lot of fun. I'll teach you how to drive a couple of laps in a bit."
Jiang Huaiyu hesitated for a moment.
The wheels are very high, so the car body is naturally high as well, and it's completely a "convertible". There's no problem with the driver's license, because the driver is a minor and doesn't have a driver's license at all.
It doesn't seem reliable at all. Young Master Jiang, who has heard his maternal grandfather say "a wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall" since he was a child, should not get on such a car.
But under the bright summer sun, the boy wearing a brand-new straw hat smiled so brightly, and when his deep eyes were focused on someone, it was hard to say no.
Jiang Huaiyu grasped that slender hand, its palm warm and dry, and with a slight exertion of her arm, she brought him to the "passenger seat".
“I thought you were too scared to come up,” Lu Mingxiao said loudly amidst the noise of the car. “These manual four-wheeled vehicles aren’t strictly regulated in the fields, and you don’t necessarily need a driver’s license to drive them at home. They’re very easy to drive. Want to try driving one around for a bit?”
"No, I don't think so..." Jiang Huaiyu raised her hand and pressed down on the baseball cap on her head.
The countryside is almost entirely covered by neat cement roads, with winding paths connecting each household. Sitting in a four-wheeled vehicle, you can enjoy a wide view and overlook the undulating fields around you, with small houses scattered among them.
The machine was a bit noisy, but Jiang Huaiyu's mood rose and fell with the pleasant greenery.
"Actually, our family is quite well-off," Lu Mingxiao asked. "Do you want to stay?"
He didn't raise his voice deliberately, and it was quickly drowned out by the noise and wind.
...
While Lu Mingxiao was frantically catching up on his homework, Jiang Huaiyu packed her bags and prepared to return to Shen City.
Jiang Huaining went back early because it was her grandfather's birthday. The Jiang family has always valued filial piety and family cohesion. When an elder celebrates his birthday, the younger generation in the family usually goes back unless there is something important to do. Jiang Huaining, who was "studying abroad," was no exception.
Jiang Huaiyu asked Lu Mingxiao if he wanted to go back together, and Lu Mingxiao's answer was:
"I haven't finished my homework yet. When school starts and they check it, Sister Qing will be called to the office for a lecture again."
He seemed never to have considered how long Jiang Huaiyu's "going back" would last, which could be so long that he would never have to do this assignment again.
That was his attitude; he still refused to return to the Jiang family.
The three of them went to the train station to see Jiang Huaiyu off. Lu Mingxiao fixed the broken wheels on the suitcase, and still helped him carry it all the way. They took a taxi to the train station, and Lu Mingxiao was unusually quiet the whole way.
Li Qing and Lu Chuan were filled with reluctance. Throughout the holiday, they restrained themselves, not wanting to put any pressure on Jiang Huaiyu. After all, they were complete strangers to this child in her sixteen years of life. How could they expect the child to accept the sudden affection without question?
Only at this moment did the restrained love reveal itself. Li Qing's eyes reddened, and afraid that Jiang Huaiyu would see, she turned her head away to wipe her tears.
A hand with distinct knuckles handed her a tissue. Li Qing looked up in surprise and saw a handsome and noble young man looking at her, his eyes, which resembled hers, filled with gentle concern.
"Mom," Jiang Huaiyu said with a light laugh, "I'll come back during winter break, and I'll also come back whenever I have time during holidays."
Li Qing finally couldn't help but step forward and hug her child. She gently patted Jiang Huaiyu's shoulder without saying anything.
An auntie standing nearby smiled at Li Qing, half teasing and half comforting, "Sending your child to university? Is it far away? Don't be sad. You'll find out when you're home and have some peace and quiet for a couple of days. It's really comfortable when the child isn't home."
Li Qing smiled and said, "What peace and quiet? There's a little devil in the house."
The mischievous devil handed the suitcase to Jiang Huaiyu.
The two exchanged a glance, and Lu Mingxiao said with a smile, "Boss Jiang, remember to keep buying dog food for Tiger when you get back. Your imported dog food is too expensive. It's made him crave it, and he's gained three pounds this month. I can't afford to feed him anymore. You have to take responsibility."
"Okay." Jiang Huaiyu took the suitcase, placed it on the ground, and pushed it. The wheels moved smoothly. He said softly, "Thank you."
Thank you for fixing the wheel, thank you... so many things.
At small stations, passengers have to queue on the platform before the bullet train arrives, because just like when they came, this extensive network of trains only makes a brief stop in small cities. In just two minutes, some people return to their hometowns, while others head to distant places.
When Lu Mingxiao saw Jiang Huaiyu pushing his suitcase back, he thought he had left something behind, so he quickly took two steps to meet him.
"Lu Mingxiao," Jiang Huaiyu ran over and said, "Don't tear down my bedroom, I still want to stay here when I come back for winter break."
After he finished speaking, he hurriedly ran off, like a long-legged Arctic hare.
Lu Mingxiao was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing.
...
The plane landed in Shanghai at night. Song Jingliang and Jiang Lan came to pick them up. The couple didn't react much to the fact that their biological son hadn't come back with them. They just chatted with Jiang Huaiyu about the interesting things that happened to him at the Lu family.
Although they had already talked about most of it on WeChat, it was different to talk about it in person. Jiang Huaiyu could tell that her parents really wanted to ask Lu Mingxiao, but like Li Qing and her husband, they both tacitly chose to restrain themselves.
Jiang Huaiyu took the initiative to tell them about Lu Mingxiao.
He didn't mention Lu Mingxiao's "glorious deeds" of frantically catching up on his homework. Instead, he talked about how Lu Mingxiao carried Grandma Li to the hospital, how he often helped Li Qing with the renovations, and how he stood up for Green Hair when they met...
The couple listened attentively and chatted all the way home. Jiang Lan smiled and said, "Xiao Bao, your mother Li Qing has raised your brother to be such a wonderful child. We are truly grateful to them, and of course, we should thank them even more..."
Song Jingliang chimed in, "I've heard that the boy who gave birth to our Xiaobao is so good, but his grades aren't very good."
Jiang Huaiyu couldn't help but laugh when she thought of someone who was probably still frantically catching up on homework: "I didn't complain about him, I only talked about his good points."
After dinner, Jiang Huaiyu opened her suitcase, which was stuffed full of local specialties that Li Qing had brought. The suitcase could hardly be closed; it practically "exploded" open when she opened it, and many things slid to the ground.
Jiang Huaiyu sorted out the items one by one, intending to send them to the kitchen later. However, among a pile of local specialties, she found a crooked, big-headed donkey doll with the words "Welcome to Dayelushan" embroidered on its body.
It was a souvenir doll sold at the entrance of a tourist attraction, costing fifty yuan each. Jiang Huaiyu remembered that Lu Mingxiao was reluctant to buy it at the time, but he stopped to take a look and thought that the crooked, big-headed donkey was quite adorable. Later, Lu Mingxiao said he needed to go to the toilet, so was it actually... that he secretly bought it for him?
Jiang Huaiyu hung the big donkey on her finger, held it up under the light, took a picture, sent it to Lu Mingxiao, and typed a thank you message.
A moment later, a WeChat chat window popped up, and Lu Mingxiao sent an emoji as a reply.
It's an animated GIF where a little person is frantically writing, and sparks are flying from the friction of the pen.
Jiang Huaiyu smiled, finding the picture quite apt, and casually replied to Lu Mingxiao with a "good luck."
...
At her second grandfather's birthday banquet, Jiang Huaiyu met her maternal grandfather.
This was the first time he had seen his maternal grandfather after it was confirmed that he was not related to the Jiang family by blood.
He walked with Jiang Lan and naturally greeted his grandfather.
Jiang Qiheng didn't ignore him, but just nodded coldly before turning to talk to his old friend. Jiang Lan's expression changed immediately, but because there were many guests around, she could only smile politely and then pulled Jiang Huaiyu to a spot away from Old Master Jiang.
"Xiao Bao..." She handed Jiang Huaiyu a glass of juice: "Your grandpa is getting old and his thinking is a bit stubborn. He can't quite grasp things right now, so don't worry about it..."
As she spoke, she couldn't even convince herself. She angrily slammed the wine glass back onto the table. But even when she was angry, she spoke softly: "Why is he making things difficult for the child? Xiaobao, listen to your mother. If Grandpa gives you a hard time, you don't have to go see him. We'll talk about it when he's come to his senses. Your Xiaobao can't be wronged."
Jiang Huaiyu had anticipated her grandfather's attitude, so she wasn't as disappointed. Instead, she comforted Jiang Lan, "Mom, it's okay. He's my grandfather. No matter how he sees me, he's still your father. I will respect him."
Jiang Lan, however, knew the child she had raised very well and easily understood the unspoken meaning in Jiang Huaiyu's words.
It is respect, not love.
She sighed softly, knowing that her little one was still saddened by this momentous event in their lives.
While Jiang Lan was chatting with her friends, Jiang Huaiyu found a corner to sit down. Jiang Huaining, the super atmosphere group, was still "exhibiting loneliness" in Vienna. Jiang Huaiyu wasn't very familiar with her other distant relatives, so after exchanging greetings, everyone played on their own phones.
Jiang Huaiyu patted Lu Mingxiao's profile picture.
I patted Lu Mingxiao on the shoulder and said, "Hello, Brother Xiao."
I thought Lu Mingxiao was probably still fiddling with his pen, trying to "start a fire" on his notebook, and wouldn't have time to reply. But to my surprise, Lu Mingxiao immediately replied with a little figure jumping around, looking so arrogant and smug...
[Jiang Huaiyu]: Did you finish your homework?
[Lu Mingxiao]: A bottle of cola, a pen, and a night to create a miracle.
He sent another funny dog emoji, which upon closer inspection turned out to be a meme made from a picture of Tiger when he was a child.
A while later, Lu Mingxiao sent another message.
[Lu Mingxiao]: You said today is your second grandfather's birthday, right? How was it? Was the banquet fun?
[Jiang Huaiyu]: [Image] [Image]
The previous photo showed elegantly dressed people, all radiant under the lights.
[Lu Mingxiao]: They're all faking smiles, a bunch of hypocrites.
[Lu Mingxiao]: I saw my mom, she's very beautiful.
The next table is covered with a snow-white tablecloth, and a dazzling array of dishes is on display.
[Lu Mingxiao]: If I didn't get to eat it, then it must be sour.
[Lu Mingxiao]: Not as good as Grandma Li's big bones. By the way, the local specialty Mom brought you, does your aunt know how to make it? I'll have Mom write down the recipe and send it to you later.
The sound of a piano filled the hall; it was "Kikujiro's Summer." The performer's technique was still immature, and all the transitions were not handled quite properly, making it sound somewhat awkward.
Jiang Huaiyu looked up and saw the little boy sitting in front of the piano; he was her second grandfather's grandson.
Almost every year, Jiang Huaiyu sits in that position, because Jiang Huaiyu's piano skills are indeed quite good.
Guests would often praise the young master to his grandfather, saying that he was truly gifted and excelled in everything.
Only Jiang Huaiyu himself knew that he was not good at the piano, nor did he really like it. He had spent a lot of time improving his piano skills.
Because when my maternal grandfather missed my maternal grandmother, he would listen to piano music.
This year, his maternal grandfather stood behind the little boy with an appreciative smile on his face.
Jiang Huaiyu suddenly felt very calm, and only one thought drifted through her mind:
You don't need to force yourself to practice the piano anymore; just play casually.
Then he lowered his head and continued to read the messages sent by Lu Mingxiao.
[Lu Mingxiao]: Boss Jiang, wanna play games? I'm in really good form right now, can I carry you to victory?
[Jiang Huaiyu]: Come here.
Author's Note:
Xiao Bao will be going back in the next chapter~ [heart emoji]
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