Chapter 57 The Laborer Husband
Back at her mother's house, Lin Min took the mountain produce from Lin Yu's hands and, as usual, began to nag. "Your dad is always doing this fancy stuff. It would be much better to put a few hundred more in your red envelope! All these bags and packages are a hassle to transport."
Lin Yu knew that Lin Min had sacrificed far more for her than Lin Jianguo had. She was always stubborn on the outside but soft on the inside, so there was nothing to mind if she said something harmless.
She smiled and picked up the things her mother had prepared in the entryway. Just as she was about to turn and leave, Lin Min grabbed her sleeve. "Why don't you leave first thing tomorrow morning? Your grandma won't miss half a day of your time. You look so tired!"
Lin Yu smiled and dodged her mother's outstretched hand. "Oh Mom, this is YSL foundation, it's quite expensive, don't rub it off! Besides..." Lin Yu gestured towards Jiang Chuan with her lips. "I also hired a helper, didn't I?"
"You brat!" Lin Min slapped Lin Yu hard on the back, causing her to yell loudly and exaggeratedly. "You're always bullying Xiao Jiang, he's a guest."
Jiang Chuan took the bag from Lin Yu and said gently, "Auntie, don't worry, I'll drive later, she can catch up on her sleep on the way."
He stuffed all the bags and packages he was going to take to his grandparents' house into the trunk of Liu Wenbin's car, adjusted the seat and rearview mirrors, and drove the car out of the garage.
Lin Yu watched the garage door slowly close before opening the passenger door and getting in. "Uncle Liu really trusts you!" she muttered as she fastened her seatbelt. "You know, I never lend my car or my wife out!"
Jiang Chuan drove onto the main road with one hand on the steering wheel, and chuckled upon hearing this: "Perhaps everyone except you is very satisfied with me!"
He glanced sideways at Lin Yu's noncommittal expression. "Banban, you should reflect on whether it's your own fault that you haven't fallen in love with me yet."
"Oh ho, everyone being satisfied with you only means you're at a disadvantage," Lin Yu immediately retorted.
"Is that so? Suffering a loss is a blessing in disguise," Jiang Chuan said with a noncommittal smile.
Lin Yu really wanted Jiang Chuan to drop his smug expression, so he continued relentlessly undermining his unshakeable confidence. "They're only satisfied with you because of me!"
"Oh?" Jiang Chuan raised an eyebrow, feigning ignorance. "Why is that?" He rubbed his finger against his lips, pondered for a moment, and then nodded as if suddenly enlightened. "Because I'm your laborer?"
Jiang Chuan deliberately pronounced the two words in an ambiguous way, as "laborer" and "husband" are homophones, and it's easy to misunderstand if you don't listen carefully.
Lin Yu's ears instantly turned red. Since he was driving and couldn't lay a hand on him, he could only grit his teeth and threaten, "If you talk nonsense again, I'll pack you up with your luggage and throw you out into a snowdrift to feed the wolves."
These were words her elders used to scare her when she was little, so they had no effect on Jiang Chuan. But he obediently shut up and stopped teasing Lin Yu.
Soothing piano music filled the carriage, and a warm breeze carried the faint scent of leather. Watching the town recede into the distance in the rearview mirror, Lin Yu slowly closed his eyes to the familiar melody.
The car arrived at the farm half an hour later, but the navigation system couldn't mark the exact location, so Jiang Chuan had to wake up a human navigator.
Awakened, Lin Yu rubbed his sleepy eyes and directed Jiang Chuan. After a series of twists and turns, the car finally stopped in front of a spacious bungalow.
Grandma's family lived in seclusion. Lin Yu had called before they arrived, and the old lady knew they were coming and was worried they wouldn't be able to find them, so she waited at the door early in the morning. When she heard the engine, she opened the gate to welcome them.
My maternal grandmother's mother was a native of Shanghai. Her family was very poor when she was young, and she made a living by washing clothes for people by the river every day. Later, she married my great-grandfather, who was a town mayor in the north, and moved here with his family.
Grandma inherited the delicate frame typical of people from the South; she was petite, with her short, half-gray hair neatly tucked behind her ears. She carried a small hand warmer and walked briskly over.
Lin Yu opened the car door, jumped out, and rushed forward in a few steps.
Unlike her outgoing and enthusiastic grandmother, her maternal grandmother's love was always silent. She gently patted the snow off her granddaughter's shoulder and placed the hand warmer into Lin Yu's cold hands.
Lin Yu took the hand warmer and hugged his frail grandmother tightly, noticing that she looked even thinner than the last time he saw her. "Grandma, are you on a diet? You've lost weight again!"
Just like when she was a child, the old lady reached out and pinched her granddaughter's cheek, saying in the exact same tone as Lin Min, "You've gotten quite strong! You almost strangled your grandma!"
Lin Yu's eyes widened immediately; this was the first time since graduating high school that someone had called her fat. She puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction, pretending to be angry.
Jiang Chuan, who was behind them, took the things out of the trunk, walked around to the two of them, and greeted his grandmother properly. His grandmother's bright eyes scanned him from head to toe, nodded, and led the two of them into the house.
Unlike her illiterate grandmother, her maternal grandmother came from a wealthy family and studied diligently at a private school for several years when she was young.
I don't know if it's because people read a lot of books that they become more introverted, but my maternal grandmother was indeed more taciturn than my paternal grandmother. However, she was thoughtful and caring, and she loved her grandchildren quite a bit.
Pushing open the creaking wooden gate, a thick blanket of snow lay on the left. In the summer, this place would become a vegetable garden.
Grandpa would plant vegetables and fruits all over the field to be self-sufficient. Cucumber vines would climb all over the bamboo trellis, and grape leaves would sprout from the ground, striving to climb all the way to the eaves.
When she was little, she often chased and played with her cousin from her aunt's family under the trellis. Meanwhile, her grandfather would lie on a wicker chair next to them, slowly fanning himself with a palm leaf fan.
If you continue walking along the red brick path, you will see a clean and impressive five-bay brick house.
The house was demolished and rebuilt a few years ago. It is a large house with a bright layout and five sides facing the sun. If it were in Shanghai, it would definitely be considered the king of kings among kings.
Directly opposite is a four-bay brick storage room, used to store miscellaneous items and firewood that are not usually used.
The clucking of hens could be heard from the woodpile from time to time. Lin Yu was certain that they were about to suffer, and he deeply regretted and mourned for not liking to eat two-legged creatures.
The wooden fence connects the brick houses and old houses, enclosing a large and spacious courtyard. The snow has been neatly swept to the corners, revealing the clean cement ground.
The entire space retains the simplicity of a farmhouse while exuding an indescribable neatness and order, much like Grandma's meticulous short hair.
Grandma walked in front, bent down and pushed open the heavy cotton curtain to enter the house. Directly opposite was the kitchen, and the unique aroma of firewood-cooked rice wafted over.
Jiang Chuan lowered his head and stepped over the threshold, discovering that although the ceiling height was limited, many windows faced south, making the room bright.
Pork ribs and green beans were stewing in a large iron pot, bubbling away and releasing a fragrant aroma that made Lin Yu's mouth water with emotion.
Grandma opened the living room door, invited the two to sit on the old-fashioned spring sofa, and took out a tin can from the red lacquered wooden table.
I lifted the lid, and inside were fried dough twists I'd made a few days ago. After tidying everything up, I put on my hat, turned around, and went out to look for my grandfather, who hadn't returned from his walk.
Grandpa's life was as regular as a clock, unaffected by any external forces.
I get up at six o'clock every morning, wash up and eat breakfast, then take my little stool and head out. I've been taking the same stroll route for decades.
At exactly noon, he would appear at the door, have lunch and take a nap. When he woke up, you could hear him rustling as he shelled nuts and opened the refrigerator to get yogurt.
Once everything is tidied up, he will pick up a stool and go out for a stroll, only returning home as dusk falls and the last rays of light illuminate the night.
After dinner, I washed up, soaked my feet, turned off the lights, and went to bed at exactly 7:00 PM. I was meticulous, down to the second.
The steamed buns filled Lin Yu's cheeks to bursting, leaving crumbs all over her mouth and making her fingers shiny with oil. Jiang Chuan smiled and gently wiped the crumbs from the corners of her mouth with his thumb, then pulled her hand over and wiped them clean one by one.
Hearing the door open, Lin Yu thought it was his grandfather returning and got up to greet him, only to see his aunt Lin Feng pushing open the curtain and bending down to enter, carrying heavy loads of pork and milk in her hands.
Upon seeing Lin Yu, his aunt was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter, "Oh my! The college student is back! Why didn't you tell me beforehand so your brother could pick you up!"
Just like her father Lin Jianguo, Lin Min also had two siblings. Coincidentally, her mother Lin Min was also the eldest in her family, followed by her aunt Lin Feng and her uncle Lin Jun.
Lin Feng and her husband contracted a plot of land on a farm. They rented out half of it and farmed the other half themselves. The harvest has been good in recent years, and the couple recently moved into a new apartment on the main street.
Lin Jun, the younger brother, is the pride of the whole family. He was a top student at Tsinghua University in the 1980s, and completed his undergraduate and master's degrees in architecture. After graduation, he was hired by a Fortune 500 company abroad and now lives in Australia.
Because he had been living at Lin Min's house for several years during his college entrance examination years, Lin Min helped him a lot with his studies and life, so the siblings had a particularly deep relationship.
Even though he was far away in a foreign country, he still sent various gifts from time to time. Lin Yu's first official Edison Chen album was a gift from his uncle.
When Lin Yu graduated from university, Lin Min originally wanted to send her to her uncle's place in Australia for further studies, but she abhorred academic research and resolutely devoted herself to work.
Lin Yu quickly took the heavy bag from her aunt and led her into the house. Pushing open the door, she saw Jiang Chuan with his hands behind his back, examining old photos on the wall.
His tall, upright figure stood out exceptionally well in the sunlight, like a graceful orchid or a bright moon. His aunt was momentarily stunned.
Hearing the noise, he turned around. Beneath his sword-like eyebrows were a pair of calm, smiling eyes, and his brows exuded a scholarly air.
My aunt is a bit plump, has a loud voice, and is warm and cheerful. When she saw that Jiang Chuan looked at Lin Yu differently, she concluded that he was Lin Yu's boyfriend and greeted him warmly.
"Is he just your boyfriend? He's so handsome! That's wonderful! Please, have a seat!"
Lin Yu tugged at Lin Feng's clothes. "Auntie, this is my friend, he's here for a trip!" Lin Yu recited the same line he had memorized over the past few days, without even thinking about it.
"What's so fun about this remote, poor place?" My aunt bluntly exposed, her eyes crinkling into slits with laughter.
"I think they're after people!"
Lin Yu hurriedly grabbed a handful of fried dough and stuffed it into his aunt's mouth, turning his head with an embarrassed smile. As expected, he met Jiang Chuan's calm and composed demeanor, but beneath that composure lay a barely perceptible smile.
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