Starting with taking in female college students

Chapter 42 Family

Ni Youlin didn't know if she understood or not.

She hesitated for a moment, then nodded slowly, and then remained silent, looking rather foolish.

She glanced at Chen Rang, and seeing that he was no longer speaking to her, she turned back to look at her grandfather's portrait. The candlelight cast a shadow on the side of her face, seemingly adding to her melancholy air.

Chen Rang licked his lips, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

He wasn't particularly outgoing by nature, and frankly, his ability to initiate conversations was rather poor. Especially since he wasn't very close to Ni Youlin, he was momentarily speechless in this situation.

Zhang Jun behind him was even more of a good-for-nothing!

This guy talks a lot of nonsense in front of men, from astronomy and geography to international affairs.

But if the other person is a woman, he doesn't know what to do. This stupid guy can never find anything to say, even to his own mother, let alone to other, more unfamiliar people.

For a moment, the living room became very quiet, with only the sound of the candlelight flickering audible.

"It's getting late, we'll be going now. Don't stay up too late, get some rest."

Chen Rang ultimately decided to leave now.

Ni Youlin's expression remained unchanged upon hearing this. She seemed indifferent to whether Chen Rang left or not, continuing to stare at the portrait without turning her head or making any response.

But for some reason, Zhang Jun felt that the atmosphere had become even more oppressive.

Seeing that Chen Rang was really going to leave without a word, he turned around and went straight to the door; he glared and opened and closed his mouth, silently cursing a couple of times, and then quickly followed.

As soon as Chen Rang opened the door, the area outside was instantly illuminated by the lights inside. Remembering that Ni Youlin didn't want anyone to know she was back, Zhang Jun quickly shoved Chen Rang aside and then slipped out himself.

Goodbye! Take care!

Turning back, Zhang Jun gently greeted Ni Youlin, then carefully closed the door, trying not to make a sound.

Soon, darkness returned to the outside, engulfing the two people and their surroundings. They turned around together, only to see a sliver of light peeking through the crack in the door, like a clear line drawn with a bright pen.

Let's go!

After standing at the door for a few seconds and not hearing any unusual sounds from inside, Chen Rang told Zhang Jun to leave.

The two turned around and walked back the way they came.

No one spoke in the darkness. Zhang Jun hesitated, while Chen Rang remained expressionless. As they walked, they had to be careful of the pebbles and grass clippings on the ground; some paths were covered in clumps of mud, which they had to avoid carefully.

Soon, they arrived at the location of the ancestral graves in Yanling Village.

The closer Zhang Jun got, the more nervous he became. He remembered seeing a shadow for no apparent reason earlier, so he unconsciously took two steps back and moved behind Chen Rang, letting Chen Rang walk in front of him.

"Coward!"

Chen Rang glared at him, annoyed.

"I'm not being cowardly, I'm just being polite!"

Zhang Jun spoke with conviction.

When no one else is around, he's not at all introverted. Curious about Chen Rang and Ni Youlin's relationship, he grinned and was about to ask. But suddenly, the wind rustled the leaves, instantly silencing him.

Under the swaying branches, he vaguely saw a figure and quickly grabbed Chen Rang.

"Stop fooling around!"

Chen Rang could see clearly that it was that grumpy old lady again. She seemed to have some kind of supernatural ability, appearing and disappearing mysteriously at night without any lighting; and standing there motionless, more professional than a ghost house actor.

"Hello, Grandma."

Chen Rang took the initiative to step forward and greet him.

"Meow~"

The black cat at the old lady's feet was the first to meow.

It looked up at Chen Rang, and its eyes, which hadn't glowed before, now shone with a faint green light.

Zhang Jun couldn't help but shudder.

"Grandma, it's so late, why don't you get some rest? It's dark and gloomy at night, be careful not to slip and fall while walking in the open."

Chen Rang continued to express goodwill.

The old lady's gaze was what made him uneasy. Her expressionless, motionless, and fixed stare was truly unsettling, and made him regret ever watching those horror movies.

"Who are you?"

After a long pause, the old lady spoke, her voice tinged with coldness.

Chen Rang inexplicably sensed a lot of hostility and disgust in those three words, but he didn't know what he had done to offend them.

"My name is Chen Rang, and I'm a veterinarian in Sarawak. Today I'm here..."

"What is your relationship with her?"

Before Chen Rang could finish speaking, the old lady quickly interrupted him. She spoke rapidly and her attitude was terrible, as if she were about to call for a beating at the slightest provocation. The stray cat beside her also stared intently at Chen Rang, its eyes slightly cold.

"I am……"

Helpless, Chen Rang could only patiently recount the entire process of his meeting with Ni Youlin, explaining that the two had no private relationship and that he had only sent her over from afar out of pity because he felt sorry for her.

Zhang Jun, standing behind him, seemed to be listening to a story; his eyes lit up, and he no longer cared about being timid.

The old lady listened silently from beginning to end, neither interrupting nor asking questions; however, the hostility she felt gradually diminished as Chen Rang narrated his story, eventually almost disappearing completely.

"Awoo~"

The black cat, squatting at the old lady's feet, tilted its head back and yawned loudly, then scratched its neck with its hind legs.

"Thank you for your help with her matter."

The old lady spoke slowly.

"It's nothing, just a small favor. Grandma, if there's nothing else, we'll be going now. I have to open the shop tomorrow morning, and it's getting late..."

Chen Rang wanted to say something more, but then he saw the old lady take two steps forward and come to stand in front of him.

Upon closer inspection, Chen Rang realized that she was just an ordinary old woman. Her face was covered with wrinkles and age spots, and her hair shimmered with silver strands in the dim light; she walked with a shaky gait, but her eyes were unusually sharp.

"you……"

The old woman stopped after saying just one word. As if thinking of something, she frowned and looked Chen Rang up and down again.

"..."

Chen Rang was completely confused.

Zhang Jun stood behind him, looking left and right, then at the two people and then at the black cat, with an innocent and bewildered expression.

Are you married?

The old lady finally got to say what she wanted to say, but she pursed her lips halfway through.

"No."

Chen Rang honestly shook his head.

Zhang Jun shook his head behind him, but the old lady completely ignored him. On the contrary, the black cat seemed to have taken a liking to him, staring at him with wide eyes and then stealthily moving a few steps toward him while swishing its tail.

The old lady suddenly sighed.

"Song Lao Er's daughter was deceived by a city man. When she brought him back, we all thought she was going to marry into a good family and enjoy a life of luxury in the city. He's not as young as you, but he's much better at talking than you..."

"..."

Chen Rang fell silent.

He felt he had guessed the reason for the old lady's strange attitude.

From initial indifference to later goodwill, and now to vigilance, there are finally reasons for it all.

This left him somewhat bewildered, both amused and exasperated.

Honestly, he had absolutely no feelings for Ni Youlin!

Although this girl is beautiful, she's as quiet as a stone, barely uttering a sound! Communicating with her is already difficult enough; I can't even imagine how to have a romantic relationship with her.

As for seduction...

Chen Rang shook his head, feeling it was a bit shameful to deceive such a naive girl.

But the old woman didn't care what Chen Rang thought. She continued, "Because of what happened to Song Lao Er's family, our village has been ridiculed by the bastards around for more than ten years. That's long enough. I don't want to be laughed at at my grave when I die."

At this point, she stared at Chen Rang and said, "I don't care what you're thinking, but I'm warning you, don't do anything immoral or 'sons without an anus'! Otherwise, I'll risk this old man's life to show you that the people of Yanling Village aren't easy to bully! If you want to date Song Lao Er's granddaughter, I'm just an old geezer and can't interfere! But if you dare bully her, I'll come to your doorstep and die! I'm just a poor farmer, but I can still splatter blood all over your face!"

Without waiting for Chen Rang's reply, the old lady turned around and left, and the black cat abandoned its target and quickly followed.

She walked slowly and had a hunched back, but she warmed Chen Rang's heart.

Just as I expected!

Although they have foul mouths, the people of Yanling Village actually care about Ni Youlin. No matter what they say or say, they are not bad at heart.

It's really frustrating that they threaten people with death at the drop of a hat.