Chapter 1292: Gossip

"So that’s how it is? And Kong Zhongyou just agreed? That’s basically the same as taking a son-in-law into the family.""He didn’t have a choice. They can’t afford to cross Zheng Xiuxiang."

They really were a pretty bizarre family, all somehow ending up together like that.

In a family like that, if your character’s planted there, it’s impossible not to go along with the rot.

Wang Xiaolong had already brought up two sacks of yams from the cellar, plus two sacks of sweet potatoes, and he’d prepared another sack and a half of sweet potato starch for the family.

They were in the middle of packing up when Zhou Lihong called out and came in.

The two families had only gotten on better over those years because Sun Ermei would occasionally give the three sisters something to eat.

After all, it was Wang Jianqiang who had led people to catch Zhou Jiaxing.

"Lihong’s here, hurry and come in, Xinyu’s inside."

Jiang Xinyu heard the commotion outside and came out as well.

The two of them actually didn’t have a very good relationship; whenever they met, they never knew what to say.

"Xinyu, these are vermicelli I made myself. Take them back and eat."

"Thank you. Want to come inside and sit for a bit?"

Zhou Lihong nodded and followed behind Jiang Xinyu.

Jiang Xinyu had the kids all greet Zhou Lihong, then sent them out to play.

Wang Ailing and her sister-in-law also went out to pack things up; every time they came back, the family would send them home with a lot of food.

That left just the two of them and the two children in the room.

"Xinyu, seeing you this happy, I can rest easy."

"Thank you. You have to be happy too."

Zhou Lihong smiled and said, "Mm, I’ll definitely be happy too.

Things are pretty good for me now. Even though Kong Dehong’s younger than me, he’s obedient, and he treats the family, my younger siblings, and the child all pretty well."

Jiang Xinyu nodded. "As long as you feel happy, that’s what matters. You just have to live your own life well."

"Mm, I know. I don’t want to get involved in the Kong Family’s business, and Kong Dehong doesn’t either."

Watching how Zhou Lihong was, Jiang Xinyu knew she wasn’t lying; she really did seem quite happy.

"All right then, seeing you doing well, I can relax too. I’m heading back; the kids at home can’t do without me."

Jiang Xinyu thanked Zhou Lihong again and walked her out.

On this side, everything the Wang Family was sending had already been loaded onto the cart. They didn’t keep them for dinner, afraid that Wang Ailing and the others would have trouble seeing the road.

Not long after they got on, Jiang Feifei lay down in Han Xiangjun’s arms and fell asleep.

Seeing how much the little girl relied on him, a satisfaction he’d never felt before overflowed in Han Xiangjun’s heart.

Holding the little girl felt like he was holding happiness, holding hope. If only she were his own daughter.

They went straight to the Chen Family’s; the children were all woken up. Jiang Xinyu got out and walked them inside, declined the old couple’s attempts to keep them, and headed straight home.

That night, Jiang Xinyu directly cooked a rice porridge with yam and red dates. Whoever liked it sweet could add their own sugar; she also stir-fried a dish of cabbage.

"So now we just wait for Guodong to get married and then we can go back?" Han Xiangjun asked Jiang Xinyu.

"Yeah, there’s nothing else to do. Once the wedding banquet’s over, we’ll head home. From the look of it, the four Lv men—father and three sons—are planning to stay in their hometown for New Year."

"Heh, I never thought Lv Beiguang would actually be willing to let go of everything here and leave with the kids."

"He’s living this latter half of his life entirely for those two kids."

"That’s good." Han Xiangjun also envied someone like Lv Beiguang; he himself just couldn’t let go of everything he’d done.

The next day, after breakfast, Jiang Xinyu took the whole family to the Lv Family’s. There were only three days left till the big day; they’d already prepared three sets of pig offal and planned to start braising them the next day. As for the rest, the chef that Ding Shihong had found would come help.

They had already prepared three tables over the last two days, plus one more at home, so they were planning on seating four tables total.

At noon, Zhao Xiaoli and her family also came over for a meal.

"So? Did they like the house?"

"Mm, eight hundred yuan, and we’re leaving everything to them."

"The price is okay. They’re not rushing you to move out, right?"

"They’ll come over after we leave."

"That works. Let’s head out the day after Guodong’s wedding banquet."

"Okay. We’ve already gone to my parents’ graves. There’s nothing else holding us here."

The kids couldn’t stand staying cooped up at home. Han Xiangjun took them out to play again. Right around dinnertime, Qian Jun came over.

He gave Guodong twenty yuan, which already counted as a pretty generous gift.

After dinner, everyone left.

Qian Jun rode his bike alone back toward the textile mill, feeling extremely irritable.

He hadn’t told anyone that over the past couple of days, the Gu Family had come looking for him several times about Gu Xiaoyu.

He cursed himself for being blind as hell, actually thinking the Gu Family were decent people.

You really don’t know what people are like until you’re dealing with them; they weren’t worth shit.

Back at the textile mill, he couldn’t sleep, so he went down to the workshop.

He happened to bump right into a girl.

"You okay?"

"Mr. Qian, I’m fine, it was my fault just now."

A tall, pretty girl blushed and explained shyly.

"Mm, be more careful."

Qian Jun didn’t take it to heart. He hadn’t been paying attention either just now, but the girl’s face stayed red all the way until she got to the bathroom; only then did she rub her chest. When Qian Jun instinctively braced with his arm just now, it had landed right on the girl’s chest.

When she came back from the bathroom and saw Mr. Qian still in the workshop, she blushed and went to sit at her loom.

"Xiao Ling, what’s wrong with you?" her aunt asked, looking at her niece in confusion.

"Auntie, I’ll tell you when we get home."

When the night shift ended, the two walked home together.

"Auntie, I heard that Mr. Qian’s engagement fell through. Do you think I’d be a good match?"

"Xiao Ling? You’re only twenty, and Mr. Qian’s already past thirty."

"I just think he’s really good. My own conditions aren’t bad either. Do you think we can find someone to bring it up with Mr. Qian?"

"You silly girl, what kind of young lady takes the initiative like that?"

"Hmph, I’m not talking to you. Anyway, my grandma’s looking for a husband for me too, and I think Qian Jun is pretty good. I’ll just have Grandma find someone to ask around."

Liu Guohua looked at her niece speechlessly. This girl really had guts. With both her sister and brother-in-law gone, she was the only one left.

They’d really spoiled this girl rotten; how could a girl talk like that?

Liu Guohua walked her niece home, then hurried back herself.

Eating the noodles Grandma had made for her, Wang Yanling decided she might as well say it.

"Grandma, I’ve taken a liking to a man."

"A big girl talking so shamelessly. But you can’t tell outsiders. Who is it?"

"Our textile mill’s factory director, Mr. Qian."

"Qian Jun?" The old lady had retired from the textile mill just last year, so she knew who Qian Jun was.

"Mm, that’s him."

"Xiao Ling, he won’t do. In the old way of saying it, he ’overcomes his wife.’ His bride died on the wedding day."

"Grandma, what era is this now? Who still has those feudal ideas? And besides, that had nothing to do with him.

Grandma, last night I bumped into him."