Pursuing Her Best Friend after Confession Failed-Chapter 337 - 153: Rarely Strike, But When I Do, Three Fall
This kid from the big city is pretty generous. He gave my Dog Egg a whole handful of snacks and even gave this old lady plenty… No wonder he's from a big city. The snacks and fruits he brought are all brands I've never even heard of… I heard that big vehicle he came in is called a Land Rover or a Jaguar, and it's worth millions. It even comes with a driver. I just heard that middle-aged driver call him Director Li over and over. Looks like the boyfriend Jin found has quite the background. Poor Jin, finding a rich boyfriend has really turned her luck around. Now Ning won't have to worry about finding a wife when he's older. Just the Zhonghua Cigarettes they've given out must be several packs already. Tsk tsk, Jin's boyfriend really is rich.
As the old saying goes, taking gifts makes one compliant, and eating another's food makes one hold their tongue. At that moment, Li Yuan's image in the eyes of the Chen Family Village residents was suddenly elevated.
The old lady watched as Li Yuan and Xia Zhijin gave away various expensive-looking snacks and fruits to the surrounding relatives and neighbors, and her heart ached at the sight. Leaning against the doorframe, she watched the scene and sighed to herself.
This child is too generous. A small gesture would have been enough. He should have at least left some for Ningning to have as snacks later...
She had many questions for her granddaughter. Some time ago, she had received the 20,000 yuan that Xia Zhijin had sent home. It hadn't been explained clearly over the phone at the time, which had made her worry for a long while that Xia Zhijin had been deceived in the big city.
The old lady walked up to Xia Zhijin, took her hand, and whispered in her ear, "Jin, take Li Yuan inside to sit for a while. Have some tea and rest."
"I know, Grandma," Xia Zhijin nodded shyly.
Once inside, Li Yuan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He had barely been able to cope with the crowd. He was constantly bombarded with questions: where he was from, how he met Xia Zhijin, how old he was, what his family did for a living... It truly felt like a prospective son-in-law being inspected for the first time. This unique experience was something he had never encountered in his previous life.
Li Zixia sat curiously beside Li Yuan. The spectacle of being surrounded by everyone had startled her a bit too.
"Brother, the people here are so enthusiastic. Several kids kept following me around."
"Ning is quite timid, though. His personality is exactly like Zhijin's."
Li Yuan smiled and glanced at Ning, who was sitting in a corner quietly eating Oreos. At just ten years old, he was clearly more timid than his peers, lacking the lawless energy typical of rambunctious kids his age.
"Zixia, Ning's a bit shy. You should play with him more often. He'll warm up once he gets used to it."
Li Zixia asked curiously, "Brother, are we going to bring Ning to Modu, too?"
Li Yuan was momentarily taken aback, then shook his head. "Not necessarily. It's not my call," he answered. "It all depends on what Zhijin and her family decide."
Li Yuan and Xia Zhijin had discussed this topic before. In her heart, Xia Zhijin probably wanted to bring both her brother and her grandmother to Modu, but she had never said it out loud. The Huaxia people are deeply attached to their ancestral land and would not normally move thousands of miles away. Moreover, although Xia Zhijin's parents were long gone, she still had three maternal uncles. With her uncles playing such a prominent role in her life, she would need to persuade them even if she wanted to move.
Inside the main hall, Xia Zhijin was having a heart-to-heart with the old lady. She told this most trustworthy of relatives everything, from how she met Li Yuan to their current situation.
After listening to Xia Zhijin's account, the old lady shot a complex glance at Li Yuan, who was outside. Having lived past sixty, she had experienced too much of the world and saw things very clearly. She had long predicted that her granddaughter—born into unfortunate circumstances but exceptionally beautiful—would inevitably be coveted by people with ulterior motives once she left her side. Her countless warnings before Xia Zhijin went to college had not changed a thing. In just a few short days, her innocent and beautiful granddaughter had already caught someone's eye.
Fortunately, based on her observations, Li Yuan didn't seem like the kind of scoundrel who deceived women. His willingness to travel such a great distance and come to her ancestral home with his sister was proof of his sincerity.
"Jin, Li Yuan is sincere with you, but Grandma also hopes you maintain your self-respect and self-love. Finish college properly. After you graduate and find a job, Grandma will approve of you marrying him."
"Yes, Grandma, I'll listen to you," Xia Zhijin said, her cheeks flushing as she nodded.
The old lady gripped Xia Zhijin's hand. "Jin, go keep Li Yuan company for a bit. It's almost noon, so I'll go make some simple dishes. They've come a long way, and we mustn't neglect them.
"I've already asked a neighbor to call your uncles. They should be back soon."
A shiver ran through Xia Zhijin, and she grew anxious. Her three uncles were very good to her, but they were also rather assertive, and she had always been too afraid to talk back to them.
While Xia Zhijin was helping the old lady cook, Li Yuan took Li Zixia and Xia Zhining for a walk around the area. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺
Chen Family Village was a typical mountain village. Its dozens of households were all situated at the foot of a mountain, with a range of towering, endless peaks rising up behind them.
"Brother, are these the terraced fields they talk about in textbooks?" Li Zixia asked, pointing to the water-filled paddies where rice was planted.
Li Yuan smiled and explained, "I'm not sure, but they probably are. This kind of field is very common in mountainous areas and in the southern parts of our country."
