"Then let's live together."
A deep, magnetic voice sounded in my ear.
Xu Ruantang took two seconds to react before looking at Chen Ji beside her in disbelief.
He looked at his aunt with a cool and aloof expression, and said calmly, "Uncle, Aunt, let's go."
Xu Ruantang was unwilling.
But since Chen Ji had already said that, she didn't want to offend him, so she pursed her lips and remained silent.
On the contrary, the aunt who was invited was surprised that Chen Ji was so easy to talk to. She stood there for a moment in a daze before speaking with an unnatural expression: "I've lived in your house before. It only has two bedrooms. If we live together, there won't be enough room for your cousin when he comes back."
The eldest uncle quickly chimed in, "That's right, that's right! We'll stay at the guesthouse again. My second sister also said that the guesthouse has undergone a major renovation. Beijing is so developed now, it's probably more comfortable than home!"
He tried to smooth things over with a smile, reaching out to tug at his aunt's sleeve, but she shoved him away.
In front of everyone, the eldest aunt glared at the eldest uncle, her tone becoming harsher, "Stepson, do you remember how often I held you when you were little? Your cousin, being older, always doted on you, giving you all the best food and toys. We're family, don't you dare..."
"Sister-in-law!"
Seeing that her aunt was going too far, Ye Lan, who was usually gentle, had a hint of anger in her eyes and interrupted her at the right time.
"Mom." Chen Ji, who is usually taciturn, was unusually talkative today. "It's nothing. I'll buy a bed for the study tomorrow, and my cousin's family can stay in that room."
"Yes, yes, there's also a study. We can tidy it up and make it habitable."
Xu Ruantang stepped forward, took Ye Lan's arm, and winked at her behind everyone's back.
Ye Lan disliked her aunt-in-law in the first place and didn't want them to live in the two children's small home, which was also for their sake.
After all, Ye Lan knew her aunt-in-law better than anyone else.
Previously, Chen Ji would give the house to his family every year, but his aunt not only didn't cherish it, she also made a mess of it.
Every time they left, Ye Lan and Chen Ji would spend a long time cleaning up.
That was bad enough. One year, my cousin brought his son back home. The child was young, and the adults didn't discipline him. So, he took the ink from Chen Ji's study and splashed it all over the walls and sofa.
Afterwards, it was the eldest uncle who secretly gave Chen Ji some money behind his aunt's back so that he could repaint the house.
As for the sofa, Chen Ji could only replace it with a new one.
This year, Chen Ji married Xu Ruantang. With his aunt in her current state, if she really moves in, who knows what kind of trouble she'll cause.
Ye Lan had no idea what the two children were up to. Suppressing her unease, she gave Xu Ruantang an inquiring look.
Xu Ruantang quickly nodded, signaling her to calm down.
"That's fine too." Ye Lan reluctantly agreed. She looked at her aunt and instructed, "Sister-in-law, the two children are usually busy with work and have never cooked at home. We haven't interfered with them. Please come over for meals these days."
Auntie's original intention was for the whole family to live in Chen Ji's courtyard, but now that the couple has joined them, she feels somewhat uncomfortable.
The eldest uncle, standing to the side, was already blushing with shame, his fists clenched tightly.
Auntie glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, then swallowed the words she was about to say. She had no choice but to compromise, her expression reluctant, "Alright, who lets guests sleep in the study? It's only because your cousin has a good temper and doesn't mind these things."
While Auntie was still grumbling, Xu Ruantang had already grabbed Chen Ji's arm and winked at Ye Lan, "Mom, it's getting late, you should go back and rest! With Chen Ji and me here, we'll make sure Auntie is comfortable, so you can go back to sleep without worry."
After saying that, Chen Ji followed her and left first.
Auntie pulled Uncle along, hurrying to catch up.
On the way, Aunt asked all sorts of questions: "Stepson, your uncle and I need to prepare brand new things. We can't use the old ones you're using! If you don't have any, I remember there are some for sale in the compound. They should still be open. You two should go and buy some."
Yes, yes, we have all of these!
Xu Ruantang answered with a smile.
My aunt snorted coldly and didn't reply.
It seems this little girl is scared. She probably talked back to her in a moment of anger, and she must be regretting it now.
She was extremely pleased with herself, and she walked with a swagger.
As soon as he got home, Chen Ji went upstairs to get new sheets and duvet covers for his aunt, and even went into the room to make them up for them with excessive enthusiasm.
"Stepson, how can you do these chores?!"
His aunt snatched the bed sheet from his hand, glaring at Xu Ruantang with an unmistakable expression.
Feeling embarrassed, the eldest uncle quickly stepped forward and grabbed a corner of the blanket, saying, "You two should wash up and go to sleep too. I'll help your aunt."
Before she could finish speaking, the bed sheet in her uncle's hand was snatched away by her aunt, who also pushed him. "What are you saying? This kind of work is not for men. Look at Tianyou at home, when have I ever let him do this kind of work? Not to mention Tianyou's wife, she even prepares the foot bath water for Tianyou."
After her aunt finished speaking sternly, she looked at Xu Ruantang and said, "You come here. This is work that we women should do. Men are rough when they do things. Let them go out and wait."
In fact, while we were talking, the bed sheets were already changed.
Auntie wanted to give Xu Ruantang a hard time, to intimidate her and make her give up any thoughts of showing off in front of her.
Xu Ruantang stood still, her expression indifferent, and she didn't seem angry.
Chen Ji narrowed his long eyes slightly, his voice cold and sharp: "Auntie, my wife doesn't know how to do these things."
He spoke clearly, word by word.
To my aunt, it sounded like alien language.
She stared wide-eyed in disbelief. "You don't know? What woman doesn't know these things? I'm not trying to criticize your mother, but she never teaches her daughter-in-law these things. This is really her fault. I'll have to talk to her about it tomorrow!"
As her aunt spoke, her eyes swept over Xu Ruantang with obvious dissatisfaction.
"Honey, are you a little cold?"
Chen Ji ignored his aunt's words and instead, in front of the two of them, directly took Xu Ruantang's hand.
Her hands weren't actually cold, but she was wearing such thick clothes and a scarf, and she kept her hands in Chen Ji's pockets the whole way back.
But she quickly understood, raised her head and smiled at Chen Ji, "Yeah, it's cold."
"Come on, sit on the sofa, I'll get you some hot water."
What happened next made my aunt so angry she almost turned her nose up at the sky.
Xu Ruantang not only disobeyed her instructions and obediently made the bed for them, but also sat on the sofa with her legs crossed, asking Chen Ji to fetch water for her to wash her feet.
Even the towel for wiping her feet was brought to her by Chen Ji.
Adhering to the principle of "it's better to avoid trouble" and trying to smooth things over, the eldest uncle couldn't persuade his wife, so he quietly made the bed and put on the duvet cover himself.
My aunt stood at the door, peeking out with her backside sticking out. As she peeked, she muttered angrily, "This is outrageous! That little brat actually made Chen Ji bring her water to wash her feet! If word gets out, how can Chen Ji, a deputy brigade commander, save face?!"
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