Big Red Apple

Song's father and mother stood awkwardly, too embarrassed to sit on the bed.

"Uncle and aunt, please take a seat. The beds opposite are empty. Comrade Ji has bought you tickets. These are your seats."

Su Aimin helped put the luggage under the bed and under the table. He was so curious. Fate was amazing. Professor Ji could actually meet his mother-in-law and father-in-law on the train. It seemed that the two old people were in the city for the first time. What a coincidence!

Ji Weiqing took his ID to the conductor and got a new ticket.

"Mom and Dad, the tickets have been reissued. You can just rest in the compartment."

Song's mother thanked him immediately.

"Thank you so much for troubling you. Your father and I thought that the four-hour ride would only take a while, so we didn't buy a seat." The couple has always been frugal and reluctant to spend the money at home. Besides, there is no need to buy a seat ticket for only four hours.

If I had known that I would meet my son-in-law and his colleagues, they would have insisted on buying me a seat ticket so that no one would look down on my daughter's family.

Su Aimin had just poured half of the hot water when it ran out, so he went out to get some more.

"Uncle and aunt, drink some water. I am Professor Ji's colleague."

Mother Song held up the cup and thanked him. Father Song, who was always dull and introverted, just sat there without saying a word after thanking him.

After a long while, he managed to utter:

"How long have you been away on business? I heard you were going on a business trip after the New Year."

Ji Weiqing answered truthfully,

"Two months."

Su Aimin helped to fill in the gaps.

"We only go on business trips two or three times a year, and then we're done."

Father Song nodded.

"That's not bad. You still had some flesh on your face during the Chinese New Year. Now you look thinner again."

Su Aimin was a little envious. He thought that Professor Ji's father-in-law and mother-in-law were dissatisfied with him because he was away on business for so long and could not take care of the family. He did not expect that they were concerned about him.

What he didn't know was that Song Shixia's brother was doing business in the capital, and Song's father and mother had a simple idea. Ji Weiqing's business trip was a big deal, and the two siblings could help each other. Besides, what's the point of caring? You can't stop Ji from going to work. The girl might be happy at home.

Ji Weiqing took good care of his father-in-law and mother-in-law's feelings along the way and even ordered two train meals. Su Aimin felt like she had gotten to know him again.

Is this still the Professor Ji who is not good at speaking and has few interpersonal relationships? He treats his father-in-law and mother-in-law the same as his own parents. However, this also proves that Professor Ji has good character. Although he looks cold and distant, he is actually respectful to his elders. He added a few points to his evaluation of Ji Weiqing.

Song's mother took out two big red apples from the woven bag.

"Comrade Su, don't be disgusted. These are apples from our countryside. They are very sweet."

Su Aimin was overwhelmed by the favor.

"Auntie, you guys can keep it for yourself. I've already eaten."

Song's mother showed her strength and stuffed the apple into Su Aimin's arms.

"Don't complain that there are too few apples. These two apples grow on the trees at home. Unfortunately, there aren't many fruits. They say they won't bear fruit until next year. We are lucky to have them this year."

When Su Aimin heard that they were fruit trees planted at home, he suddenly felt relieved.

He wiped the apple and said, "Apples this red must be delicious."

Ji Weiqing did not take the apple. Song's mother knew that money should not be exposed, so she did not show the other things in the woven bag.

There were a few living chickens and ducks in a woven bag under the bed. They were probably half dead from the long journey in the car, but they were still breathing.

This time the couple brought everything they could from home. They cut down all the chives in the garden, leaving only the roots, not to mention the other vegetables.

Except for Su Aimin, the remaining two men were not good at speaking, and the entire sleeper compartment depended on him and Song's mother for communication.

As soon as she got off the train, a driver came to pick her up. Song's mother then realized that her daughter had gone to live with her mother-in-law. Fortunately, she met her son-in-law on the train, otherwise she would have made a wasted trip today.

Seeing how familiar Xiao Ji was with the driver, and thinking back to the person her son was looking for, she suppressed her curiosity and didn't ask any more questions.

Sons and grandchildren have their own blessings. Song's mother smiled bitterly in her heart. Her son and daughter both have their own ideas and don't let the family interfere in finding a partner. If she hadn't come to the city, she probably wouldn't have known that Xiao Ji's family was so well-off and even had a driver.

It was the first time for Song's parents to visit a big city, and they were surprised by everything along the way. The capital was full of workers riding bicycles, buses passed by from time to time, and there were many cars, which dazzled the couple.

Thinking that they were on their way to their son-in-law's house, the couple felt uneasy. Fortunately, they brought something for their in-laws so that they would not be impolite to go empty-handed. However, city people are very particular, and they wondered if they would feel embarrassed because of their country status.

…

Song Shixia didn't know that her parents were on their way. She and Ji Yanran had recently lived at her mother-in-law's house, and asked Aunt Feng to help take care of the chickens and ducks at home, and Aunt Feng was free to handle the ripe vegetables in the vegetable garden.

My mother-in-law felt that my daughter would be distracted by worrying about trivial matters at home when she was about to take the college entrance examination, so she asked for a long vacation for the two little ones. The children will be in the first grade next semester and will not be able to learn anything in kindergarten.

However, if there are too many children in the family, the head will get bigger. Although the children are obedient and sensible, it is not necessarily easy to make noises all day long.

It all started when Song Shixia brought back two toy cars.

How rare it is to see a child driving a car! Han Rong had never seen such a small car, and neither had the children on the street. After seeing one once, they kept coming to Ji Yang and Ji Yuan’s house, and their home had almost become a kindergarten.

"Beep beep, mom, please make way, grandma, please make way, the car is coming."

Ji Yuan was driving his car in the living room, and only because the house was big enough did he not hit anyone.

"Yuanyuan, go out and play with your brother, don't accidentally bump into your mother."

Ji Yuan stopped the car.

"But I don't want to lend my car to anyone. They all want to play with it."

Han Rong wants to persuade her child to be generous and share toys with other children so that everyone can be happy together.

Song Shixia smiled and said,

"If you don't want them to play, then just be brave and refuse. Only let your close friends play. If you don't like it, you have to learn to refuse decisively."

Han Rong nodded. That's right. She smiled lovingly and said,

"Learn from your brother. Look how Yangyang rejected the kids. Now no one wants to borrow your brother's car."

Ji Yuan racked his brains but couldn't imitate his brother's attitude of refusal. His brother just stood there and the other children didn't dare to borrow things from him.

Ji Yang had a tense face as he drove his car back and forth on the road near his home when a small car drove towards him.

His eyes lit up instantly and he turned the car towards home.

The people in the car also saw him.

Song's mother leaned against the car window to observe.

"It's Dabao, right? What is he driving?"

Song's father couldn't take his eyes off.

"It's a car. A car driven by a child."

Song's mother was secretly shocked that a city child could drive a car at such a young age.

Ji Yang drove his car into the house.

"Dad is back!"

Song Shixia and her mother-in-law came out one after the other.

"Yangyang, are you seeing things?"

Ji Yang jumped out of the car.

"You're not mistaken, it's Uncle Li driving!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the car stopped at the door of his house.

The first time Song Shixia saw the man she had been thinking about was when he was carrying a suitcase. Their eyes met and they smiled at each other with deep affection in their eyes. She had just taken a few steps when she saw her parents getting off the bus.

She looked hesitant.

"Mom? Dad? Am I dreaming?" They came to the city without even saying hello in advance, so why did he come back with her parents?

Han Rong was puzzled for less than half a minute when she saw the stranger. When she heard her daughter-in-law calling her, she immediately greeted her warmly.

"Mother-in-law? Father-in-law, come on in and sit down. Why didn't you tell me you were coming to the city? I could have bought food in advance to entertain you!"

Along the way, Song's mother felt uneasy as she looked at the single-family house that looked like a palace. The head of the family leaned beside her and was also very nervous.

Seeing her in-laws so enthusiastic, she finally relaxed a little. The main reason was that she was afraid that she would be stage fright and embarrass her daughter.

"Dear... dear relatives, I am Shi Xia's mother, and this is her father."

Han Rong held her arm warmly.

"I'm older than you, we can call each other sisters. Don't be nervous, my dear sister. You have raised a good daughter, and I love her like my own daughter."

Song's mother breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed like the in-laws got along well.

Song Shixia followed behind to help move things. She greeted her father and asked Ji Weiqing in a low voice.

"Why did you come back with my parents?"

Ji Weiqing explained the whole story.

"What a coincidence! My parents were so lucky on their first train ride. If it weren't for you, it would have been a wasted trip. They might have just left the train after dropping off their belongings."

Ji Weiqing said in a gentle tone, "No, I will go home first to put my luggage away, and I will meet him again."

The two of them walked into the house while talking. The mother sat on the sofa feeling a little uncomfortably, while the father put his hands on his knees with his back straight.

Mother-in-law is washing fruit in the kitchen.

Mother Song waved to her daughter.

"I brought you some chickens and ducks. Do you have a place to put them so they don't suffocate to death?"

Ji Weiqing helped carry the sacks.

"There's a cage in the backyard."

Song's mother followed him to the backyard, where she finally felt familiar and a sense of belonging. The backyard was a vegetable garden and where chickens and ducks were kept.

There was a garden in the front yard and a fancy car parked at the door, which made her look inferior in comparison. She felt indescribable inside.

The backyard has a vegetable garden and chicken coops, and it feels like home. I don't feel alienated from my mother-in-law anymore. Although she is a city dweller, she also grows vegetables and raises chickens at home, and the distance between us is instantly shortened.

Ji Weiqing helped put the chickens and ducks into the cages.

"This is for your health. Your dad and I figured out that you'll be taking the college entrance exam soon, so we quickly picked out the fattest chickens and ducks in the family and brought them to the city to help you build up your brain. Dongdong said studying takes a lot of brainpower."

Song Shixia didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"We still have ten days until the third mock exam, so it's still early for the college entrance exam."

As expected, she took first place in the second mock exam. This time, it was a joint exam for ten schools, and her score was 20 points lower than the first time. This must be what the teacher meant by keeping her temper in check, so that she would not become complacent and make mistakes in the college entrance examination.

The mother was particularly cautious. "I know that I need to start nourishing my brain and body in advance to keep fit so that I can get good grades."

Han Rong came out with some fruit and found everyone standing in the backyard.

"Hey, dear in-law, why did you bring so many chickens and ducks? I'm taking advantage of you. I haven't finished eating the meat you gave me during the Chinese New Year."

Song's mother smiled and said, "If you like it, we'll send you some when we get home."

"That's what I want. You don't know how popular your chickens and ducks are. Especially when they are stewed in soup, they are very nourishing. A pregnant woman I know doesn't like meat and fish during pregnancy. She only drinks the old hen soup made from your chickens."

Song's mother felt that it was too exaggerated. She felt a little embarrassed that her in-laws were praising her in disguise. Song Shixia helped to supplement it.

"It's true. My neighbor's sister vomits when she smells meat. Maybe our chickens and ducks are free-range and the meat is firm and tender. She is fine after drinking the soup made from our chickens and ducks."

Song Shixia didn't believe it at first. She had never had pregnant women among her customers before, so she thought Secretary Zhang wanted to buy chickens from her. Later, she heard Aunt Feng say that Hu Yu had a very sensitive nose. She would vomit in the sink before drinking the chicken and duck soup bought from outside, but the chickens and ducks she raised could drink it.

"That girl has suffered so much, but the chickens and ducks can be balanced." Although reluctant, it seems that the family has a good relationship with the in-laws.

Han Rong smiled and helped to refuse.

"This is a gift from you and your wife, and it's for Xiao Song to take care of. Xiao Song also has a few cats, but he doesn't have time to take care of them."

Song Shixia had no objection.

"We'll eat these chickens and ducks ourselves. I have a lot of them at home and don't have time to take care of them. If they want to buy some, they can just catch them from the yard."

Secretary Zhang was never vague about her payments, always paying fifty cents more than the market price, and she never worried about being taken advantage of.

Song's mother thought that the people in the city were really generous. No wonder the young lady had changed her personality and was surrounded by so many good people.

I will revise the post later. You can ignore it if you see the update.