World 1. Chapter 13
“Sorry, I fell asleep last night. Thanks for the red envelope. When you have time, I’ll treat you to bubble tea—two cups!” Because she had stayed up all night to welcome the New Year, Qin Huan didn’t wake up until noon on the first day of the New Year, and that’s when she received a message from Zhang Rui. Seeing the message, Qin Huan felt a little better; she’d thought he’d forgotten all about her once he got home! Little did she know that, besides her, someone else had sent him a red envelope too!
“Back already? The courtyard’s all cleaned up, and the charcoal fire’s going. Get some rest first, then come over to my place for dinner later.” ”On the second day of the Lunar New Year, Lin Yanan and Li Xue’s family returned to their hometown. As for Qin Huan, she claimed she didn’t want to go back because her hometown was inconvenient and there was nowhere to go for fun—but that was just her excuse. In reality, she simply wanted to make time for a date with Zhang Rui, so naturally she didn’t want to return home. As usual, Lin Mu was waiting for them back home. It must be said that it was precisely because of Lin Mu’s presence that Lin Yanan and Qin Feng were willing to return—that’s the bond between family, isn’t it?
“Alright, we’ll head over in a bit. Here are some clothes for you and your wife, plus some skincare products for Qingqing. Brother, could you take all of this with you?” Qingqing was Lin Mu’s youngest daughter, Lin Qing. Lin Mu also had a son named Lin Qian.
“It’s enough that they’re coming back. Why bother buying all this stuff?” Lin Mu looked at the items with a clearly disapproving expression.
“We’ve already bought them—can we return them now? Who visits during the New Year without bringing something? Besides, if we show up empty-handed, I’m afraid my sister-in-law will kick us out.” Lin Yanan said, pushing him out the door.
“What are you talking about? Your sister-in-law isn’t that kind of person…” And so, Lin Mu could only leave, carrying the items with a sigh of resignation. Deep down, though, he felt a bit pleased. The original host had always tried to take advantage of his brother and sister-in-law, which made Wang Qian constantly look down on him. Lin Mu had no choice but to go back and put on a happy face. It wasn’t about how much he could give, but about showing consideration for others—giving and taking—so they could get along in the long run.
“Hey, isn’t that Qin Feng’s mom? I heard you were bedridden and in the hospital, but it looks like you’re all better now. Heaven really has no sense of humor! Didn’t they say you went to the city to live the good life? Why are you back now? Did your lousy temper piss off your son and daughter-in-law, and they just couldn’t stand you anymore, so they sent you back?” On her way home to retrieve the forgotten items, Lin Yanan ran into her “old rival,” Li Hongxia.
The two had practically grown up together as childhood playmates, but their personalities clashed. They couldn’t stand the sight of each other and were constantly competing—from themselves to their husbands to their children, there was nothing they wouldn’t pit against one another. Especially during the period after Li Hongxia’s husband passed away, the original host had been snide and sarcastic for quite some time, making their relationship even more strained, with no possibility of reconciliation.
“In my opinion, the heavens are fair after all. Even though I ended up in the hospital, I’m perfectly fine now—in great shape. As for my son and daughter-in-law, they’d love to have me stay at home permanently. Rest assured, I’ll be back after a few days in my hometown. You’re not going to get under my skin.” As usual, Lin Yanan had to fire back.
“I never thought your arrogance would remain exactly the same. I’ll be waiting to see the day you’re sent back here!” They’d been arguing for so many years; a few words weren’t going to change their expressions. After saying that, Li Hongxia turned to leave, but then seemed to remember something and stepped back, a smug look on her face. “You probably don’t know this yet, but I’ve found myself a new man. We’ve already held a banquet in the village, and we’re going to live together from now on.”
“You don’t need to notify me about your wedding, do you? Or were you hoping I’d give you a wedding gift?” She was dreaming!
“You probably don’t know who he is, do you? I’ll call him out so you can see. Zhiqiang, Zhiqiang, come out and meet your old flame. Even though you two had a thing before, I’m a generous person—I don’t mind you two seeing each other.” Ignoring Lin Yanan’s words, Li Hongxia insisted on bringing her new partner out to meet everyone.
When the man finally emerged, looking timid and hesitant, and raised his head, Lin Yanan finally saw who it was. It turned out to be the homeless man the original owner had once been so determined to marry! She really hadn’t expected these two to cross paths.
“I was wondering who it could be? Turns out it’s the one I rejected. So, you’re just content to follow me around picking up leftovers? If you’d ended up with someone else, I’d really feel sorry for that person. But the two of you? You’re a perfect match—just like a pot and its lid. Anyway, since you’re newlyweds, I’ll offer my congratulations. I hope you stay together for the rest of your lives and stop causing trouble for others.”
After Lin Yanan finished speaking, she ignored the curses from behind and walked away. When she first saw him, Lin Yanan had indeed felt a twinge of emotion, but she quickly suppressed it. What was there to miss about a scumbag who only had eyes for women? As for the spectacle Li Hongxia was hoping to see, that was most likely not going to happen. She no longer cared about that man.
“What took you so long?” The two homes weren’t far apart, yet Lin Yan’nan had been gone for nearly twenty minutes, so Lin Mu couldn’t help but ask.
“Brother, I ran into Li Hongxia on the way, and that Jiang Zhiqiang too. I stopped to talk with them for a bit before coming back.” ” Lin Yanan had nothing to hide, so she simply told him about running into the two of them.
“Are you okay?” Compared to those two, Lin Mu was more concerned about his sister; after all, he knew just how big a fuss that whole affair had caused back then.
“What could possibly be wrong with me? I was naive back then, but I’m not anymore. If I’d actually gone with him back then, I probably wouldn’t even have been able to put food on the table! ”Lin Yanan naturally understood what Lin Mu meant, but those days were long gone.
“That’s good.” He didn’t care who that man was with, as long as he didn’t cause trouble for his own family.
“Um, I wanted to ask if I could move into your house for a while?” The day before Lin Yanan was due to return, Lin Mu blushed and hesitantly spoke up.