Chapter 32, Third Aunt
Although the Xie family was wealthy, they were not ostentatious and still lived in the old house they had built many years ago. They simply added two more rooms in the backyard because of the large number of family members.
Xie Wei led Lin Qingqing to the backyard and pointed to a room on the right, saying, "This is the room I live in."
Lin Qingqing looked in the direction he pointed and peered through the open window. The room seemed fairly spacious; after placing a bed, desk, and wardrobe, there was still room to spare. She also noticed that the bed sheets and duvet covers were military green, and the comforter was neatly folded—clearly a soldier's room.
"What about over there?" Lin Qingqing asked, pointing to the house across the street.
“This is my second brother’s room,” Xie Wei said, pointing to the room in front. “There are three rooms in front. The main room on the left is where my mother lives. The room on the right in front is where my eldest brother and sister-in-law live. The room in the back was originally Xiao Shan’s room, but now Xiao Mei lives there.”
"What about your nephew? Where does he live?" Lin Qingqing asked.
“He stays in my room when I’m not home, but when I come back he stays with my older brother and sister-in-law.”
Lin Qingqing looked at the empty room on the left and asked curiously, "Isn't there another empty room?"
Xie Wei frowned slightly and said tactfully, "My second sister-in-law doesn't like other people staying in their house."
Judging from his attitude, Lin Qingqing felt that this second sister-in-law was probably not so easy to get along with. After all, although Xie Qingshan had lived in the house, he was already married and had settled down in the county town. He might not be able to come home for more than two months a year. Anyone who was easy to talk to wouldn't insist on leaving a room in the house for others to live in.
But this was a family matter for the Xie family, so Lin Qingqing didn't say anything and didn't ask any further questions. She and Xie Wei went up the mountain from the backyard.
It's called a mountain, but it's really just a dirt slope, about two stories high, with some fruit trees planted on it, including two orange trees.
Lin Qingqing recognized the leaves of the orange tree, but seeing that there wasn't a single orange on it, she began to doubt her judgment: "Is this an orange tree? Why isn't it bearing fruit?"
"The oranges were harvested after they ripened, and now... those that were distributed to each family have probably all been eaten," Xie Wei said, suppressing a laugh.
Lin Qingqing then realized she had asked a silly question, shrugged, and said, "Okay."
When she was down there, Lin Qingqing thought the mountain wasn't very high, but when she got up there she found the scenery was quite nice. Not only could she see the entire Xingfeng Brigade, but she could also see the distant fields and the continuous mountain ranges.
The only downside is that it's a bit windy.
Although Lin Qingqing was wearing a cotton-padded coat, the cotton filling inside had long since turned into...
It was a bulky, lumpy garment, so it wasn't very effective at keeping out the cold. After standing there for a short while, Lin Qingqing started shivering. Xie Wei touched her hands and found them icy cold. He wanted to offer her his coat, but she refused, so he suggested they go down the mountain instead.
So the two of them went back the way they came.
Just as they arrived home, Song Yan returned. Seeing them enter the main room through the back door, their cheeks red from the cold, she asked, "Did you go up the mountain?"
"I went for a walk," Lin Qingqing said, then sneezed.
Song Yan asked if the enamel cup on the table was the one she had drunk from. After receiving an affirmative answer, she took the thermos and filled it with hot water for her. She then complained to Xie Wei, "You too, in the dead of winter, why did you have to take her up the mountain? You should take her to the clinic later and give her some medicine to prevent her from catching a cold."
Xie Wei hadn't expected that Lin Qingqing would sneeze so badly after just one round of walking. He said, "I didn't think of that. How about we go to the clinic now?"
“It’s not that serious,” Lin Qingqing said, quickly stopping him as he was about to leave. “I just sneezed, I’m perfectly fine, there’s no need to go to the clinic.”
Seeing that Xie Wei didn't believe her, she pulled his hand to her forehead and said, "If you don't believe me, feel the temperature."
Song Yan couldn't help but laugh and said, "Since you don't have a cold, that's fine. But the weather is changing a lot these days, so you should still be careful and drink more hot water, otherwise it will be uncomfortable if you really catch a cold."
Lin Qingqing nodded in agreement, then asked Xie Wei, "How was it?"
Xie Wei withdrew his hand and said, "Then let's not go to the clinic for now. Remember to tell me if you feel unwell."
Lin Qingqing readily agreed.
Seeing them like this, Song Yan felt like she had been force-fed a mouthful of dog food (a Chinese slang term for witnessing public displays of affection), so she didn't linger and stood up, saying, "I'll go help Mom." After saying that, she saw Lin Qingqing stand up as well, so she pressed her down and said, "You're a guest today, so I can't let you into the kitchen. Wei Zi, you watch over Qingqing."
After saying that, Song Yan left the main room. Lin Qingqing said helplessly, "They are all very nice people."
"Mm." Xie Wei nodded and peeled an orange for Lin Qingqing to eat.
While they were eating oranges, Xie Yuanjiang and Xie Mei, the brother and sister, ran back.
Because of the four-year age difference, Xie Yuanjiang was a head taller than Xie Mei and seemed to have a more outgoing personality. Upon seeing Lin Qingqing, he said to his sister, "Quickly, call her Third Aunt."
Xie Mei, who had been hiding behind her brother and only daring to peek out, came out from behind him after hearing Xie Yuanjiang's introduction, and said in a soft voice, "Hello, Third Aunt."
Lin Qingqing originally wanted to correct Xie Yuanjiang's words, but seeing that Xie Mei was a little shy, she was afraid of scaring her.
She agreed, beckoned, and said, "You must be Meimei. Would you like some oranges?"
Xie Mei nodded, but didn't move forward. Lin Qingqing had no choice but to say, "Come here, Auntie will peel an orange for you, okay?"
"Hurry up and go," Xie Yuanjiang urged.
Xie Mei looked at her brother, then at Xie Wei, before hesitatingly walking towards Lin Qingqing.
Lin Qingqing peeled the orange, removed the white pith, and then broke it in half, handing it to Xie Mei. Xie Mei took the orange, broke it into small segments, and popped them into her mouth.
Perhaps it was because the orange that Lin Qingqing picked was particularly sweet, because the little girl squinted her eyes as she ate it, revealing a happy expression.
Looking at her, Lin Qingqing couldn't help but smile: "Is it delicious?"
"It's delicious, thank you, Auntie," Xie Mei said after eating another segment of orange.
Seeing his younger sister enjoying the sweet orange, Xie Yuanjiang came over and reached out, saying, "Third Aunt, I want to eat an orange too."
Xie Wei took an orange from the table and gave it to his nephew, but Xie Yuanjiang didn't appreciate it at all. He put the orange back on the table and said, "I don't want what my third uncle gives me. I want my third aunt to peel it for me."
In just a few words, Xie Wei's eyebrows went from furrowed to relaxed, then furrowed again, and he said in a serious tone, "If you don't want to eat, then forget it."
But as soon as he finished speaking, Lin Qingqing picked up an orange from the table and started peeling it.
Xie Wei may seem serious, but he's actually very kind to his family. Since he rarely gets to come home, he's very patient with the children and even plays with Xie Yuanjiang. Therefore, while Xie Yuanjiang admires Xie Wei, he's not actually afraid of him. Seeing Xie Wei get his comeuppance, he smugly says, "My third aunt loves me the most!"
Xie Wei choked for a moment, then said, "She dotes on you because you're my nephew."
Although Xie Yuanjiang was intelligent, he didn't quite understand adult interpersonal relationships. Looking at Lin Qingqing, he asked in confusion, "Really?"
“No, I’ll still love you even without your third uncle,” Lin Qingqing said with a smile, handing the orange to Xie Yuanjiang, then turning to Xie Wei, who looked displeased, and said, “Why are you arguing with a child?”
Xie Wei: "..."
...
Song Yan carried the dishes into the main room and saw her son and daughter clinging to Lin Qingqing, talking incessantly. She called her son over and said, "Why are you bothering your auntie?" Then she smiled apologetically at Lin Qingqing, "This child talks a lot, doesn't he?"
“Yuanjiang is really endearing,” Lin Qingqing said.
Xie Yuanjiang said proudly, "My third aunt likes me very much."
Lin Qingqing had wanted to correct Xie Yuanjiang's way of addressing her earlier, but hadn't found the opportunity. Now, hearing him call her that directly in front of Song Yan, her face immediately turned red.
Song Yan was also taken aback for a moment, but she quickly recovered and urged Xie...
Yuanjiang went to wash his hands, and after he took his sister out, he said to Lin Qingqing, "Qingqing, don't mind. This child is just like that. He's very outgoing. He probably heard someone mention you and remembered to call you that. He's trying to get closer to you."
Hearing Song Yan's words, Xie Wei looked at Lin Qingqing, his eyes filled with a mixture of anticipation and nervousness, which made Lin Qingqing, who had already calmed down, feel a little embarrassed again. She deliberately avoided looking at him and said, "I don't mind, and I quite like Yuanjiang."
"That's good." Song Yan was relieved and said, "The food is ready, you can go to the kitchen to wash your hands and eat."
After Song Yan finished speaking, she went out. Lin Qingqing was about to follow, but Xie Wei grabbed her hand as soon as she left. She turned her head and saw Xie Wei approaching, looking directly at her and calling out, "Third Aunt?"
Lin Qingqing turned her head and asked, "Do you think I shouldn't have agreed?"
“I’m glad you agreed,” Xie Wei said softly.
He wanted to say something more, but Xie Yuanjiang and his sister had already washed their hands and ran back. Seeing their posture, they shouted, "Third Uncle and Third Aunt, what are you doing?"
Lin Qingqing quickly pushed Xie Wei away and said, "We are talking about something."
Xie Wei glanced at Xie Yuanjiang, realizing he might have been too kind to him during his time back. Perhaps his older brother was right; Xie Yuanjiang was getting on in years and it was time for him to start training.
...
Xie Baoshan hadn't returned by dinnertime. Xie Wei asked if they should go call him, but Song Yan, used to this situation, said, "I left him some food. Let's eat first, don't worry about him."
Lin Qingqing asked curiously, "Is the captain always very busy?"
"He's not exactly very busy, but he manages hundreds of people, and there are always unexpected things that happen. Sometimes he gets so busy that he doesn't even have time to eat." Li Xingfang stood in front of the dining table, holding a long soup ladle, and scooped a large chicken leg into Lin Qingqing's bowl.
Lin Qingqing hadn't eaten meat since transmigrating into the book, and she was indeed craving chicken, but she wasn't unreasonable. Even if the Xie family didn't divide the food according to how much the son ate, there were still two children at the table, so she quickly picked up her bowl and said, "Give the chicken legs to the children, I don't need any."
“The children all have some, this is for you to eat,” Li Xingfang said. “A chicken has four legs.”
"Really, I don't need it, I don't like chicken legs either."
But before Lin Qingqing could finish speaking, Li Xingfang put the chicken leg in her bowl. Xie Wei saw this and said, "You eat it."
"Yes, there are still chicken legs left, enough for the two of them," Song Yan said with a smile. She wasn't a stingy person; these were chickens raised at home.
The chickens must all go into the mouths of their own family. Besides, Lin Qingqing isn't an outsider; she'll be marrying into the Xie family sooner or later.
While they were talking, Li Xingfang had already divided the chicken legs, giving the larger one to Xie Mei and the smaller one to Xie Yuanjiang.
Xie Yuanjiang didn't mind getting the small chicken leg and was about to take a bite when he heard Lin Qingqing say, "Yuanjiang, I have a small appetite and can't eat such a big chicken leg. How about we switch?"
Hearing this, Xie Yuanjiang stopped biting and looked at Lin Qingqing with a puzzled expression. Seeing her troubled look, he couldn't make up his mind, so he looked at Song Yan and Li Xingfang. Seeing his action, Lin Qingqing also looked at Li Xingfang and said, "Auntie, I really can't eat anymore. Let Yuanjiang switch with me."
Li Xingfang wasn't stupid; she could easily tell that Lin Qingqing wasn't unable to eat, but rather was being polite and modest.
Although she genuinely wanted to share the chicken leg with Lin Qingqing, and wasn't testing her, she was still pleased to see her willing to give it to the child. A chicken leg might not seem like much, but it's in the details that things reveal their true intentions. Judging from Lin Qingqing's expression, she genuinely didn't care about the chicken leg, rather than using it as a ploy.
Thinking of her second daughter-in-law, who was always calculating, Li Xingfang was even more satisfied with Lin Qingqing and nodded, saying, "If you really can't eat anymore, then change it."
With his grandmother's permission, Xie Yuanjiang happily traded chicken legs with Lin Qingqing. Still not satisfied, he said with a helpless look, "Since you can't eat them, I'll have to reluctantly eat them for you."
This tone of "getting a good deal but still acting innocent" infuriated Song Yan so much that she nearly fell over!
Author's Note: Second update
The timer was wrong, there was no update tonight [crying]
I must be stupid!
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