novelnext Chapter 111 Casual Chat in the Courtyard
Chapter 111 Casual Chat in the Courtyard
Chapter 111 Casual Chat in the Courtyard
Auntie laughed and said, "I didn't go to school much, so it's good that I can talk. But our Xiao Yuan is really handsome. I'll find you a wife when we get back, so your mother can hold her grandson soon!"
"Go away, go away!" Wei Yinghong gently pushed her second aunt away and teased, "The girls from your Gao family are all too wicked; our family wouldn't dare marry one!"
"What I'm saying is, in the entire Jinling Town—no, in the entire northern frontier—which young girl is as eccentric as you, Big Sister? Who wouldn't be completely subdued if they married into your family?"
Auntie smiled and didn't back down in her words. She then approached Wei Yinghong, touched the fabric of her clothes, and said, "Tsk tsk tsk, this fabric is so high-class. It seems the hero was right, Xiao Yuan has indeed made a lot of money."
My second aunt is a natural chatterbox. She can talk non-stop with anyone she's talking to, and she won't stop even when the other person is dizzy from talking.
Lu Changming, his second aunt's husband, and his youngest aunt's husband, the three sons-in-law, were already used to this scene.
They quietly huddled together, squatted in the shady corner, and prepared to light a cigarette and watch the commotion.
Wei Yinghong was just about to tell her second aunt about the clothes she bought in the provincial capital when her grandfather interrupted, "Alright, you two stop talking nonsense. Haven't you gotten tired of whispering to each other since you were little? It's so hot outside, let's go inside and talk!"
My grandfather's temper was exactly like Wei Yinghong's, with a touch of decisiveness; he ended the farce with a single move.
Only then did Lu Yuan find an opportunity to greet each of his elders.
Then the whole family rushed into the house. Lu Yuan picked up the little bean sprout who was hiding behind his aunt and peeking at him, and tucked him under his arm.
Then he pulled a bag of Oowo Jiajia milk candies from the bag on the back of the motorcycle, shook it, and said in a low voice, "Tell me my name, and I'll give it to you!"
The little boy's eyes lit up when he saw the milk candy. He swung his legs under Lu Yuan's arm and said in a childish voice, "You're Brother Lu Yuan, I want to eat milk candy!"
Lu Yuan broke his promise and lowered his voice again, asking, "So, who are you?"
"I'm Fang Miaomiao! I want to eat milk candy!"
"Don't tell strangers your name!" Lu Yuan handed the milk candy to Miao Miao, then patted her little head before putting her down.
Miao Miao immediately took the milk candy, unwrapped it, fed herself a piece, and then skipped and hopped into the yard.
There wasn't a trace of worry on her.
Lu Yuan watched Miao Miao's retreating figure and couldn't help but smile.
He then took two bags of Maltesers from the back of the motorcycle and tossed them to two boys who were about eleven or twelve years old.
These two boys are my second aunt's children; the older one is called Zhuangzhuang, and the younger one is called Longlong.
Zhuangzhuang and Longlong smiled as they accepted the Maltesers, but instead of eating them right away, they put them in their pockets and came over to help Lu Yuan push the motorcycle.
Although cousins don't see each other often, there's always a special kind of closeness between them.
After entering the courtyard, no one went inside to sit down.
These days, it's not as comfortable indoors in the summer as it is in the yard without air conditioning.
There is a grape trellis in the yard, covered with lush green grapevines.
Below was a low table and a circle of rattan chairs, which were very comfortable to sit on.
Grandma was hunched over cutting a watermelon at the low table, while Grandpa was fanning away flies that were trying to fly towards the watermelon.
Like a victorious general, Wei Yinghong took out the clothes she had bought in the provincial capital and gave them to everyone one by one.
Except for my second aunt's husband and my youngest aunt's husband, everyone else received a brand-name item.
These were originally intended to be given as gifts when we returned to my maternal grandfather's house during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Since I decided to come back at the last minute and didn't prepare anything, I simply brought it back ahead of time to give as a gift.
When Wei Yinghong was giving out clothes to everyone, the gold rings were so dazzling that they were almost blinding. Her second aunt and youngest aunt looked on with envy.
Actually, the three sisters have a very good relationship, especially their mother and second aunt. One has explosive fighting power, and the other has a mouth as fast as a machine gun.
The two of them had been running rampant in Weijia Village since they were young. Anyone who opposed them could neither beat them in a fight nor win an argument.
After they got married one after another, the villagers of Weijia Village celebrated like it was New Year's Day, finally ushering in the long-awaited peace.
Although they had a good relationship, they couldn't overcome the psychological gap caused by the difference in their living conditions.
Lu Yuan, who was eating watermelon on the side, watched all of this unfold.
Their lives in their previous life did not improve with the passage of time.
It is extremely difficult for people in rural areas to overcome the gap caused by their birth.
Lu Yuan wanted his uncle to open a lamb offal shop because he wanted his second aunt and younger aunt to help him make money.
After all, the row of restaurants along the national highway are essentially still located in Luwangtan Village.
Involving relatives on the maternal side will inevitably lead to some issues over time.
Of course, it wouldn't be a problem to have them work in the kitchen or as waitresses.
But this is not a long-term solution. Lu Yuan still wants them to have their own restaurant so that they can achieve leapfrog development.
When the daughters came back, the grandparents were very happy and they chatted enthusiastically.
The conversation revolved around who they had seen in the village before, how much they had changed, and how they almost didn't recognize them.
Then there were rumors circulating online about so-and-so getting sick or making a fortune, and all sorts of gossip began to circulate.
Finally, somehow, the topic shifted to my uncle.
The maternal grandparents and their three daughters took turns criticizing their youngest son for not getting married, wasting his days, and being an unfilial son.
The uncle squatted dejectedly in the corner, head down, eating watermelon, while his three sons-in-law pricked up their ears and ate watermelon nearby.
Lu Yuan found this classic scene quite amusing, so he quietly moved to his uncle's side, intending to help him out.
"Uncle, how's the lamb offal soup coming along?"
The old man looked up and saw Lu Yuan as if he had seen a savior. He immediately replied, "The offal has all been washed. There's over 20 jin (10 kg) of it. It's in the freezer at the village store."
"Okay, go and get a few pounds of it. I'll teach you how to make lamb offal soup today," Lu Yuan replied.
"Teach us?" Uncle's eyes widened in surprise. "You weren't joking this morning, were you? You really want us to open a lamb offal soup shop?"
Lu Yuandao said, "Who's joking with you? Go get it, I'm going to start cooking!"
Lu Yuan clapped his hands, stood up, stomped his feet, and squatted down with his uncle for a while until his legs were too numb to stand.
"Grandpa, Grandma, you two chat, I'm going to cook!" Lu Yuan said and headed towards the kitchen.
"This child, how can I let you cook!" Grandma immediately got up and followed.
Although her uncle had told her that Lu Yuan was going to cook when he came back in the morning, she still felt that it wasn't respectable to have her eldest grandson cook.
Wei Yinghong stopped her grandmother, saying, "Mom, let Xiaoyuan do it. Your grandson is a great cook now."
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