Chapter 108: 90: A Family by the Spring, Chapter 108: A Warm Heart, Believed His Words

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Protagonist:

Lin Xiyu

"Pry it open, just a lock."

Grandmother helped her decide: "Since we're giving money, give it and get rid of them early."

"If we give the money, will the Demolition Office let us leave?"

Wang Daniang worried: "We haven't found a shop yet."

"My house has no place either."

Dashan's wife muttered softly.

Grandmother sighed: "Take it one step at a time."

"Have you discussed it?"

Yan Hao, impatient, used a wooden stick to knock hard on Grandmother's window.

"Clatter."

The screen window shook, startling Dashan's wife so much she trembled all over.

"We can't give the money now."

Grandmother said righteously: "We must go to the Demolition Office first, sign there, then give you the money."

"The old woman keeps chattering..."

Two land hooligans waved sticks and cursed.

"Threatening me is useless."

Grandmother fearlessly said: "The money must be given at the Demolition Office. If you want it, go wait there. We'll go when we have enough money."

"Old woman, you said this yourself..."

Yan Hao was very arrogant, pointing a stick at Grandmother's nose and cursing: "Dare to cheat again, and I won't be so polite."

"Want money? Leave quickly."

Grandmother waved them away: "Only after you leave can we gather money."

"I give you half an hour."

Yan Hao's eyes flashed with ferocity: "If you don't come in half an hour, I'll have the high-interest loan sharks come for you."

"No need for you to invite us; we'll naturally go."

Grandmother glanced away, not wanting to deal with him anymore.

"Brothers, let's go..."

Yan Hao waved his hand, calling the two land hooligans.

"Just let them go like this? We haven't had enough fun yet."

The two land hooligans deliberately provoked, scaring Dashan's wife so much she trembled all over and shrank behind Grandmother.

"What's so good-looking about an old woman."

Yan Hao disdainfully curled his mouth, threw the stick to the ground, turned and walked out.

Lin Xiyu happened to return at this moment and ran into them.

"Oh, Xiyu is back?"

Yan Hao's eyes suddenly lit up: "Haven't seen you for a while, getting prettier."

"Tsk tsk, didn't expect such a broken yard to have such a top-quality beauty."

The two hooligans also revealed lewd eyes.

"What are you doing here again?"

Lin Xiyu felt uncomfortable being stared at by the three, her face full of hatred.

"I'm naturally here to collect the debt. Your family owes us so much money. Your grandmother won't give it; using you to pay the debt works too..."

Yan Hao was shameless and took the opportunity to flirt with her. He had just reached out to touch her face when someone following behind punched him to the ground.

Guben locked his bicycle, turned into the alley from the corridor, saw this scene, and instantly surged with anger.

The two land hooligans were also kicked flying by him, one each.

He was still not satisfied, caught the three and gave them another round of beating.

Lin Xiyu saw him fight for the first time, startled with a disordered heartbeat.

His skills looked trained; his moves were similar to the Military Body Boxing her father taught her, but his movements were more skilled than hers, his strength fiercer, more than twice as strong.

Yan Hao and the two land hooligans were beaten by him, crying out, rolling on the ground, noses blue and faces swollen.

Lin Xiyu's heart warmed; at this moment, she truly believed his words.

In her first year of high school, he helped her solve the hooligan who pestered her.

Without revealing his identity, using the old man's reputation to intimidate, relying solely on his own ability, he could torment that person to the point of despair, never daring to have any thought of revenge.

"Enough, stop hitting."

Grandmother pulled him away in time: "It's not worth getting into trouble over a few hooligans."

"It's fine."

Guben said firmly: "They dare not call the police."

"Going there would be walking into a trap."

Lin Xiyu helped from the side: "The Police Officer might have been watching them already. With evidence, arrest them first."

"We still need to go to the Demolition Office later; let them go."

Grandma had come to terms with this matter and was eager to understand quickly: "There's no man in the house; keeping so much money isn't safe. It's not thieves stealing we fear, but thieves eyeing it. Sign early, rest easy early."

"Grandma..."

Lin Xiyu was very considerate: "I'll go with you to the Demolition Office."

"You don't need to go."

Guben reached out to stop her: "Let me go. You women carrying so much money on the road isn't safe."

"Your hand is broken."

Seeing the skin on his right-hand knuckles broken and bleeding, Lin Xiyu winced in heartache.

"Just a small injury..."

Guben was about to say it was fine when she ran into the house like a gust of wind, bringing out Purple Medicine Water and Band-Aids.

Lin Xiyu carefully held his hand and wiped the wound with Purple Medicine Water.

She applied a bit too much Purple Medicine Water, blew on it with her mouth, and only after it had all dried did she apply the Band-Aid.

Guben looked at her with great interest, his eyes and brows extremely gentle.

—

Zhang Dashan's Wife was truly frightened by the two land hooligans; following Grandma's advice, she pried the lock and went to the Demolition Office with them.

Lin Xiyu saw them out, then took a basket alone to the Vegetable Market.

Guben spent both money and effort; she wanted to make something delicious to reward his stomach.

The Vegetable Market was right next to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. As she passed the doorway of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative carrying her basket, by ill luck, she ran into Aunt Da again.

"Xiyu, how do you have time to buy vegetables today? Finished filming the documentary?"

Fortunately, Aunt Da still didn't know that Female Cousin had already quit her job; seeing her, she was still pleasant enough.

"Director Du twisted his waist and isn't filming for the time being."

Lin Xiyu feared she might slip up, so before Aunt Da could ask more, she blurted out the matter of Grandma going to sign and handle the procedures.

"That shameless Yan Hao came again?"

Hearing this, Aunt Da's expression indeed changed greatly, and she no longer had the mood to inquire about her own restless girl.

"No, I have to go see. Your grandma really is something; such a big matter and she didn't tell me a word, just went alone."

Aunt Da was an impatient person, hot-headed, and left as soon as she said she would.

Watching her back, Lin Xiyu quietly breathed a sigh of relief, took her basket, and entered the Vegetable Market.

In '93, the Country introduced a policy canceling grain coupons; the agricultural and sideline products supplied in the market were quite sufficient. As long as you had money, you could buy them, without the previous limits.

Lin Xiyu circled the vegetable stalls, bought some fresh vegetables, then took her basket to the aquatic product stalls.

"Little girl, buying fish?"

The fish-selling matron saw her eyes brighten and looked her over with a smile, seeming to recognize her identity, but was too embarrassed to ask directly.

"How much is the Grass Carp per jin?"

Lin Xiyu looked at a basin of lively Grass Carp and was very tempted.

"8 mao. How big do you want?"

The matron picked up a fishing net, preparing to scoop up fish.

"About 3 jin."

Lin Xiyu thought there would be many people for dinner that evening, so she asked for a big one.

"Is this one okay?"

The matron estimated the weight and scooped one up for her.

The Grass Carp struggled desperately and jumped out of the net bag.

"Okay."

Seeing the fish jumping about, clearly very fresh, Lin Xiyu smiled and nodded.

"3 jin 6 liang."

After weighing the fish, the matron smiled at her and asked, "Do you need me to kill it for you?"

"Yes, yes..."

Lin Xiyu didn't expect such a good thing and smiled with narrowed eyes.

"Little girl, you live on Donghua Street, right?"

While killing the fish, the matron chatted with her: "Got a boyfriend? My boy is 19 this year, about your age, quite handsome, studying at Shandong University..."

"Uh."

Lin Xiyu felt a bit awkward. She had said there was no such thing as a free lunch; it turned out the matron had this idea in mind.

"I have a Boyfriend."

To avoid misunderstanding, she decisively dispelled the matron's thoughts.

"Then forget it."

The matron smiled awkwardly: "I was just asking casually. I suppose so; a pretty girl like you must have plenty of pursuit."

"Your son studying at Shandong University is also very Excellent."

Lin Xiyu looked at the fish not yet killed, sighed faintly, suppressed the urge to slip away, and continued chatting with her.

"Hehe."

The matron was happy to hear this and showed a smile: "He's just average, considered outstanding among ordinary people, but can't compare to you."

"I'm also an ordinary person."

Lin Xiyu smiled humbly.

"Being pretty is always a plus."

Auntie Da's hands didn't stop moving; she sighed with some regret: "Too bad my boy doesn't have that kind of luck."

"It's all fate."

Lin Xiyu thought of Guben, her heartbeat skipped a beat, and a hint of sweetness welled up.

"Yeah, it's fate."

Auntie Da smiled self-deprecatingly, scraped the fish scales clean, rinsed them with water, and put them into her basket.

"Thank you, Auntie, no need for change."

Lin Xiyu took out three pieces of money to pay, didn't wait for change, picked up her basket, and ran off in a flash.

"Hey, hey, little girl..."

Auntie Da held a one-mao coin and chased a few steps, couldn't catch up, and could only stop her steps embarrassedly.

—

Lin Xiyu returned home, glanced at the time, it was already past five.

Thinking that Grandma and the others would be back soon, she hurriedly carried the basket into the kitchen and started making dinner.

She planned to make Scallion Oil Fish with the Grass Carp; Grandma taught her to steam the fish in a steamer until cooked, then drizzle with prickly ash oil.

The method for Scallion Oil Fish was relatively simple; she washed the fresh fish clean with water, cut a few light shallow slits on the fish's back, stuffed some scallion shreds into the fish's stomach, poured in a few drops of cooking wine, and put it into the steamer.

To prevent the fish skin from sticking to the pot, she placed two chopsticks under the fish.

After the cold water boiled, steaming the fish for ten-odd minutes would do.

While steaming the fish, she also shredded the carrots she bought, beat in several eggs, sprinkled salt and pepper powder, then poured in an appropriate amount of flour, and stirred evenly.

Carrots and batter were used to make Vegetable Pancakes.

The vegetable dough was pressed into pancake shapes, brushed with a little oil, and stuck to the pot's edge; one pot could hold ten-odd Vegetable Pancakes.

With fish and Vegetable Pancakes, she also made a Winter Melon Egg Soup with the winter melon.

The winter melon was cut into thin small slices; after boiling, the beaten eggs were poured in, then some dried shrimp skin was added for flavor, delicious and nutritious.

—

When Grandma's group finished the procedures and returned from the Demolition Office, Uncle had just finished work, helped Auntie lock the roll-up door of the Telephone Booth, and they went home together.

Aunt Da was also there, and happened to eat at home.

Lin Xiyu took the fish out of the steamer, poured on seasonings, sprinkled scallion shreds, and placed it on the table.

The last step, she deliberately showed off a bit; in front of Guben, she carried the hot pot to the main room and poured the boiling prickly ash oil over the fish.

"Zila la."

The scallion shreds were cooked by the prickly ash oil, filling the whole house with a rich scallion fragrance.

Guben gave her a thumbs up, expressing praise very effectively.

Lin Xiyu felt a little smug, the corners of her eyes slightly raised, smiling into small crescent moons.

"Xiao Bin, dinner is ready, eat at home together."

Guben had helped a lot today; Grandma looked at him with extra favor.

"Okay..."

Guben gave face by echoing: "I was also just wanting to try Xiyu's craft."

"Xiyu, add a pair of chopsticks."

Grandma became even happier, pulling someone to sit by her side.

"Okay."

Lin Xiyu was just pleased, and quickly took chopsticks over.

"Why hasn't Leilei come back yet?"

Aunt Da didn't see her own daughter and felt very surprised.

Lin Xiyu's breath paused, and she somewhat guiltily avoided her gaze.

"At this time she should be off work."

Uncle glanced at the Clock on the wall: "The Soy Sauce Factory gets off work at five; it shouldn't be that something delayed her, right?"

"There's a guest, don't mind her."

Grandma saw Lin Xiyu's expression was off and more or less figured it out in her heart: "Let's eat first; when she should come back, she will naturally come back."

"This girl, really doesn't let people rest easy all day."

Aunt Da was angry at her daughter, but her movements were very nimble; she used chopsticks to break off the fish tail and placed it alone in a small bowl.

"Xiao Bin, eat fish."

Grandma saw she had saved food for her female cousin, picked up a piece of fish meat and put it in Guben's plate: "The fish Xiyu made is still not bad; eat more."

Guben was flattered: "Grandma, no need to be polite, I can pick it up myself..."

"Just eat when I tell you to eat."

Lin Xiyu deliberately enlivened the atmosphere, smiling and teasing him: "Grandma is the Head of the Family and doesn't easily serve food to people; you should cherish your blessings; this piece of fish meat is more precious than gold."

Guben glanced at her: "You just want to praise your own cooking as delicious, right?"

"Did you see through me?"

Lin Xiyu giggled: "That's exactly what I mean."

"Eat quickly, or it will get cold if you don't eat soon."

Grandma watched the two of them laughing and joking, and her mood also became very pleasant.

"Eat fish, eat fish, Xiao Bin has come; we also get to share in the glory."

Uncle laughed heartily to show support, picked up chopsticks, and started eating.

"The vegetable pancakes are tasty too, try some."

"The winter melon soup tastes good; this is Xiyu's specialty dish."

"Eat more, it's rare to eat at home, you mustn't go hungry."

The family gathered around Guben chatting and laughing, the atmosphere very lively, only Aunt Da was absent-minded, occasionally lifting her eyelids to glance at the clock on the wall.

—

"Boom."

Suddenly a flash of lightning lit up outside the window, thunder roared, as if it were about to rain.

Aunt Da's mood grew increasingly impatient.

"I'm back."

The sky was pitch black, and Sister finally returned before the rain.

"This girl, where did you run off to, coming back so late."

Aunt Da changed color at the sound, slapping her chopsticks onto the table with a crack.

"There are guests present, watch yourself..."

Grandmother tapped her displeasedly: "The child is grown, don't lose your temper at the drop of a hat."

Aunt Da kept her head down and said nothing, forcibly suppressing her anxious mood.

"Oh, Guben, you're a rare guest, coming to eat without saying a word in advance, I bought a braised chicken from East Gate..."

Sister lifted the curtain and came in from outside, glancing around and not seeing Aunt Da, she saw Guben first.

This couldn't be blamed on her, after all a certain top scholar brought his own power generation system, wherever he went he was like a spotlight, making it hard for people to overlook him.