“This time we’ll keep things simple. When we go back, your uncle and aunt can just bring a couple of changes of clothes. We don’t need to bring much ourselves.”
“Exactly,” Qin Ruan nodded. “That way we’ll travel lighter and have more room to bring back tea leaves.”
“You’re such a little rascal,” Hu Yufen laughed.
“Why aren’t Uncle and Auntie back yet?” Qin Ruan asked curiously.
“They’re young. Let them take a slow walk together. It’s nice. You’ll understand someday.”
Hu Yufen gently tapped Qin Ruan on the nose.
“Hmph, Grandma. I know. I understand.”
After all, she had been in a relationship in her previous life.
Although nothing beyond the line had happened—and even some things that should have happened never did.
Still, they had held hands, hugged, and kissed.
Now that she was living in the 1980s, she couldn’t help wondering whether her friends from her previous life ever thought about her.
“Ruanruan, don’t worry. Once you’re here, your uncle and aunt will treat you well. You should be able to feel that after spending these past few days with them,” Hu Yufen said gently.
She was afraid Qin Ruan might feel awkward about moving to Shancheng.
“I know, Grandma. I’m not reluctant to come. I’m really happy to be here in Shancheng.”
As she said that, Qin Ruan found herself thinking about Huo Tingchen.
I wonder what he’s been up to. He hasn’t come to see me these past few days.
Still, she felt a little awkward about it.
She didn’t want to be the one to seek him out or contact him first.
Forget it. I’ll deal with it after we come back.
The grandmother and granddaughter chatted for a while longer before Qin Ruofeng and Shen Jianning finally returned.
“Uncle, Auntie, you’re back! Come have some tea.”
“Oh? You’ve already made tea?” Qin Ruofeng asked.
“Yep. It’s black tea. Auntie, you can have some too.”
“Oh no, I couldn’t possibly drink another drop,” Shen Jianning said, waving her hands repeatedly.
Qin Ruofeng calmly sat down.
“Pour me a cup.”
“Uncle, are you sure you’re not drunk?”
Seeing the suspicion on Qin Ruan’s face, Qin Ruofeng glared at her.
“Do I look drunk to you?”
“A little. You definitely look a little drunk.”
Hu Yufen laughed.
“All right, you two. That’s enough. Ruofeng, have some tea and get some rest.”
Qin Ruofeng nodded.
“Okay, Mom. I’ll go take a nap in a little while.”
“Good. Drink your tea first, then go sleep. We’ll wake you up when it’s time for dinner.”
He smiled and agreed.
“Jianning, do you want to lie down for a while too?”
“No, Mom. I’m not sleepy. I’ll stay and chat with you.”
“All right, then let’s chat.”
“Mom,” Shen Jianning asked, “should we bring some local specialties back with us this time?”
Hu Yufen shook her head.
“No need. Who would you be bringing gifts for? There aren’t any relatives left to visit.”
“Oh… right.”
Qin Ruan quickly chimed in,
“Auntie, don’t worry. There really aren’t any other relatives back home, and we won’t be visiting anyone. The only thing is… you might have to work hard and come with us up the tea mountain to pick tea leaves.”
“I’ve never picked tea before. That sounds fun,” Shen Jianning said excitedly.
Qin Ruan smiled.
“You’re excited now, Auntie. Once you actually start picking tea leaves, you’ll get quite a surprise.”
“What surprise?”
Hu Yufen answered before Qin Ruan could.
“Just look at your fair, delicate fingers now. After you’ve been picking tea all day, they’ll be stained green and black.”
“Grandma! Why did you spoil the surprise?” Qin Ruan protested playfully, acting spoiled toward her grandmother.
“No, no, it’s fine. Your aunt wouldn’t mind.”
“That’s right, Ruanruan,” Shen Jianning said with a smile. “I wouldn’t mind at all. Even if my hands end up like that, I’ll still go up the mountain to pick tea leaves. After all, I can’t cook. If I just stay home, wouldn’t that be a waste?”
“Not a waste at all. You’re my aunt.”
“Yes, yes. I’m your aunt, and only your aunt.”
“Exactly. Only my aunt. Whose aunt do you think you’d be otherwise?”
Hearing Qin Ruan’s reply, Shen Jianning teased,
“I’d also like to hear Huo Tingchen call me ‘Aunt.'”
Both Qin Ruan and Hu Yufen heard the teasing. Hu Yufen joined in with a grin.
“I’d like to hear Huo Tingchen call me ‘Grandma,’ too.”
Qin Ruan blushed.
“Grandma, Auntie… why are you two like this?”
“Like what?” they asked in unison.
“Hmph! I’m not talking to either of you anymore.”
She turned her face away dramatically.
Shen Jianning immediately reached over and began tickling her.
“Are you going to ignore me? Tell me, are you?”
Qin Ruan laughed so hard she could barely breathe.
“I’ll talk to you! I’ll talk to you! Okay?”
“Then don’t say things like that again.”
“Okay, okay, Auntie. I was wrong.”
“That’s more like it. Didn’t you already agree to give things a try with him? At the very least, you should let us have something to look forward to.”
“Yes, yes. I’ll give you something to look forward to.”
“So your grandma and I weren’t wrong,” Shen Jianning continued. “I’m hoping Huo Tingchen will call me ‘Aunt,’ and your grandma is hoping he’ll call her ‘Grandma.’ There’s nothing wrong with that, is there?”
“No… there’s nothing wrong with it.”
“Since you agree, then work hard and make it happen.”
Qin Ruan looked puzzled.
Does this really need any effort?
Seeing her confusion, Shen Jianning explained,
“You already said we weren’t wrong, and you’ve agreed to see where things go with him. So why aren’t you spending more time with him?”
“But we’re leaving for Yunnan very soon. It’ll be the same if we get to know each other after we come back.”
“All right then.”
As she spoke, Shen Jianning exchanged a meaningful look with Hu Yufen.
Qin Ruan noticed the glance between them.
After thinking for a moment, she asked,
“Grandma, Auntie… do you really want Huo Tingchen to call you that?”
“Of course we do,” Hu Yufen answered. “Why would we joke about something like that?”
“Then when I come back, I’ll make him call you that.”
“What do you mean?” Hu Yufen asked in confusion.
“If that’s what you want him to call you, then that’s what he’ll call you. It wouldn’t be wrong for him to address you the same way I do. We’ll be family.”
“Fine,” Shen Jianning said with a laugh. “As long as you can get him to call us that, we won’t complain.”
Seeing that Hu Yufen still hadn’t quite understood, Shen Jianning took her mother-in-law’s hand.
“Mom, if he addresses us the same way Ruanruan does, that means they’ll already be family. That’s enough for us. The rest we’ll leave to fate… and to them.”
Hu Yufen burst into laughter.
“All right, all right. We’ll leave it to fate.”
“Enough of that,” Qin Ruan said as she stood up. “I’ll go see what we can make for dinner.”
With that, she headed toward the kitchen.
After Qin Ruan left, Shen Jianning looked at her mother-in-law.
“Mom, are you sure we really don’t need to bring anything back with us this time?”
“No need. This is enough.”
“What about her father? Are we going to visit him?”
“Normally, he should be the one coming back so you can see him. But I spoke with Ruanruan earlier, and she said she’d visit her father herself to tell him she’s moving to Shancheng.”
“All right. Then I’ll just pack Ruofeng’s and my clothes.”
“Pack whatever’s convenient. The weather is hot now, so one change of clothes will be enough.”
“Okay, Mom. I’ll pack everything after dinner tonight.”