Wen Ke’an wore a lot of clothes to dressed warmly. Worried that she might fall, Gu Ting placed his hand gently around her waist to protect her.
“Can I call you that?” Wen Ke’an tilted her head, smiling triumphantly.
Gu Ting hesitated for a moment, then reacted.
He raised an eyebrow and said, “Calling me a few more times will make me happier.”
“No,” Wen Ke’an pouted, deciding not to give him the opportunity to take advantage.
After saying that, Wen Ke’an wanted to free herself from him, but Gu Ting had already noticed her intention. He tightened his grip, tightly holding onto her waist.
“…”
Wen Ke’an realized that if Gu Ting didn’t let go, she wouldn’t be able to go back. She fell silent for a moment, then looked up at him and said seriously, “It’s getting dark, gege. I should go home.”
“Is it already dark?” Gu Ting deliberately asked.
“Mhm,” Wen Ke’an responded softly.
It was still early, and the sun was still in the sky.
Gu Ting looked up for a moment.
“Then why do I still see the sun?”
“…”
“If I don’t go home on time, my parents will scold me.”
After a while, Gu Ting heard her speak in a soft and gentle voice, “And, gege, my dad also said that I’m not allowed to date early.”
Gu Ting smiled and said, “Oh, so you already know about chasing boys in junior high.”
Wen Ke’an lowered her head and softly retorted, “Well, I didn’t manage to chase anyone.”
Gu Ting raised his eyebrows, “Hmm?”
Before Gu Ting could speak again, Wen Ke’an took the initiative and used her thumb and forefinger to pinch Gu Ting’s mouth shut.
“…”
Gu Ting’s eyes carried a smile as he lowered his gaze to the girl in his arms who resembled a small bun.
The temperature outside was low, and her ears were frozen red.
With one hand by her waist to support her, Gu Ting used the other to help her put on clothes and hat properly. Once everything was in place, Gu Ting directly carried Wen Ke’an forward.
The main road was up ahead, and there were many people who could see them.
Wen Ke’an was momentarily stunned and asked, “Where are you going?”
Gu Ting’s gaze remained on the road ahead as he softly said, “It’s too cold outside. I’m taking you home.”
***
After returning home from school on Friday, Wen Ke’an unexpectedly found her parents at home. Usually, at this time, they would be busy at the store and wouldn’t be home.
“Welcome back,” Liu Qing noticed Wen Ke’an first and greeted her with a smile.
Wen Ke’an lowered her gaze and saw Liu Qing Qi packing things, looking like they were preparing for a trip. She asked, “Are you going somewhere?”
“Not really, tomorrow is your grandmother’s birthday. It’s been a long time since we last visited her. While you’re on break, we can go together to see your grandmother,” Liu Qing said with a smile.
Knowing that Wen Ke’an isn’t particularly fond of her grandmother and uncle, Liu Qing hesitated for a moment but still suggested, “We’ll stay for two days, and we’ll be back by Sunday morning, is that okay?”
“Yeah,” Wen Ke’an agreed.
“Then go to your room and pack some things. We’ll take the bus at six,” Liu Qing instructed.
Her grandmother’s house was quite far from the city center, located in a small town in a province. It would take two to three hours by bus to get there.
By the time Wen Ke’an reached near her grandmother’s house, it was gradually getting dark.
Her grandmother’s house was in the countryside, close to the mountains, and their main income came from growing fruits to sell.
The road there wasn’t well-maintained, with potholes making it difficult to walk.
“Hang in there a bit longer, we’re almost at your grandmother’s house,” Liu Qing whispered to Wen Ke’an, noticing her uneasy mood.
“Alright,” Wen Ke’an responded softly.
In her previous life, Wen Ke’an had a strained relationship with her grandmother and uncle’s family. She had never liked them since she was a child, and when her family faced difficulties before, they never offered any help. They even went so far as to worry that Liu Qing would borrow money from them and secretly cut off the home phone line. When others tried to call them on their mobile phones, they wouldn’t answer.
Due to this incident, Liu Qing was angry for a long time, and they hadn’t visited them in almost a year. Perhaps seeing that their family was doing well now, she started to actively contact them again.
In the previous life, Wen Ke’an had cut off all contact with those people after Liu Qing’s death. She hadn’t returned to this place for almost seven or eight years.
“It’s been a long time since I returned to my hometown. I wonder how my mom is doing,” Liu Qing whispered as they approached the door.
Although Liu Qing had a strained relationship with her family, they were still her parents, and there was still some concern left for them.
Wen Ke’an and Wen Qiangguo remained silent.
Soon, they arrived at the entrance of Grandma’s house—a single-story house with a small courtyard. The front gate hadn’t been repainted for a long time and was showing signs of aging.
Liu Qing knocked on the door for a while, but strangely, no one came to open it. The weather in the mountains was colder, and Wen Ke’an, who was already sensitive to the cold, had a face that had turned red from the chill.
“Maybe they’re not at home,” Liu Qing glanced at Wen Ke’an and whispered, “Shall we…”
Before Liu Qing could finish her sentence, the door swung open. A thin woman came out, and upon seeing Liu Qing’s family, she seemed slightly surprised.
“Sao-zi,” Liu Qing greeted her.
“Liu Qing? Why are you here?” Sun Xiu, the woman, responded, looking a bit puzzled.
“I already told Mom we were coming today. Didn’t she tell you?” Liu Qing furrowed her brows slightly.
“Oh, perhaps with age, her memory isn’t so good, and she forgot,” Sun Xiu laughed. “Come in, come in.”
Grandma’s house had several small houses—one for each cardinal direction. Currently, only the main house has its lights on.
“Mom, I’m back,” Liu Qing shouted as she entered the house, looking at the elderly woman seated on a chair.
“Welcome back. Have some fruits first,” the old lady reached out, handing a fruit plate to Liu Qing.
After having a few fruits, Liu Qing heard the old lady say, “You came quite late. Xiao Ming is already hungry. Let’s have dinner first.”
Even though the old lady insisted, Liu Qing could only say, “It’s okay, we ate something on the way. We’re not hungry now.”
Xiao Ming was the child of Liu Qing’s brother and is currently five years old. He was particularly mischievous, and upon seeing Wen Ke’an, he curiously approached her. Perhaps having played with mud just before they arrived, his hands were dirty, and still tried to grab Wen Ke’an.
Wen Ke’an furrowed her brows slightly and skillfully avoided his hand.
The old lady noticed Wen Ke’an’s reaction, and with a gentle tone, she said to Xiao Ming, “Come here, Xiao Ming, play over here.”
Liu Qing quickly divided and distributed the gifts she brought. Upon seeing the new clothes, everyone became happy and smiled. Knowing that Liu Qing had been earning quite a bit recently, the old lady’s attitude had improved somewhat compared to before. Wen Ke’an, aware of her grandma’s strong preference for boys over girls, felt that her sudden kind attitude made her suspicious.
After brewing a pot of tea, the people gathered around the table and chatted for a while. Finally, the old lady brought up the main topic, “Xiao Ming is about to take his entrance exam and will be going to the city for school so I bought a house for your nephew in the city.”
Initially in a good mood, Liu Qing was taken aback by this statement and asked, “Didn’t you say you had no money before?” During the previous family crisis, the old lady had adamantly refused to contribute any money. The old lady still maintained her stance confidently, saying, “Buying a house used up all the money.”
“How much?” Liu Qing, visibly unhappy, questioned further.
“Twenty thousand yuan as down payment, and two thousand per month.”
“You took out a loan? How were you able to pay the loan?”
“…”
“My brother is currently unemployed. Now, the only person at home who earns money is Sao-zi. Two thousand a month is already a significant expense,” Liu Qing frowned.
“It’s okay. Aren’t you still sending me two thousand yuan every month?” the old lady said.
Upon hearing her grandma’s words, Wen Ke’an felt a flood of questions in her mind. Although aware of her grandma’s manipulative ways, Liu Qing had shielded her from such matters in the previous life, and Wen Ke’an had no knowledge of these things.
Unable to contain herself, Liu Qing added, “I send you money every month to support your retirement. If he has no job, who will take care of you in the future?”
The old lady glanced at Liu Qing and casually remarked, “Isn’t there still you? Why is it that I give birth to a daughter?”
Liu Qing could endure it, but Wen Ke’an finally couldn’t hold back. She looked up at the old lady.
“Grandma, my mother supports you and gives you money, but why should she pay for the house you bought for my uncle? My mother has no such obligation.”
“What do you know, little girl?” Grandma was obviously a little angry.
Liu Qing had just arrived, and she didn’t want to make the relationship so tense. Liu Qing looked at Wen Ke’an and said softly, “An-An, can you go out first?”
Now she still had to stay here for one night. In order not to make it too difficult for Liu Qing, Wen Ke’an endured it.
Liu Qing and the old lady were discussing things in the house, and Wen Kean walked to the small yard. The yard in the countryside was very big, and there was a little dog at the door. The little dog was in a good mood and wagging its tail happily when it saw her.
Wen Ke’an played with it for a while, and then heard the voices of his uncle and aunt not far away.
Liu Dali came out of the house, carrying a large bucket, “There is no water. Go out and get some water.”
Sun Xiu obviously didn’t want to go, “But the weather is too cold.”
Liu Dali handed the bucket directly to his aunt’s hand and ordered, “So what? It’s just cold, go get me water.”
The water quality at home is not very good, so drinking water requires going outside. Sun Xiu had probably forgotten to take a trip and collect water today, and there was no water in the water tank at home.
When Liu Dali saw Sun Xiu leaving with a bucket, he sat on a lounge chair in the yard and started playing with his mobile phone.
Wen Ke’an walked to Liu Dali and said, “It’s such a cold day and you will let my aunt fetch water by herself?”
Liu Dali didn’t even raise his head, and continued to play with his phone with his head down, “Isn’t it a woman’s job to serve the family?”
“…”
Wen Ke’an didn’t say anything anymore. Her uncle was obviously spoiled by her grandmother and couldn’t do anything but eat at home and wait to die. Wen Ke’an has never understood why a person like her aunt would marry his uncle and work like a cow.
Wen Ke’an was not in a good mood but her cell phone rang. It was Gu Ting sending her a message.
Wen Kean just wanted to open it, but the next second, her cell phone was snatched by Xiao Ming, “Let me play.”
When she was in the house, Xiao Ming had been trying to grab her cell phone, but Wen Ke’an didn’t give it to him. But Wen Kean did not give it to him. She didn’t expect that now, when the adults were not around, this kid would act like a bandit and directly snatch it.
“This is my phone, give it back to me”. Wen Kean was already a bit angry.
-End of Chapter 26.1-
T/L Notes:
Sao-zi = Sister-in-law
