Chapter 139: 90: A Family by the Spring Chapter 139 I Truly Like You, At Least Half of That Is True

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Protagonist:

Lin Xiyu

"If you really listened to me, that would be great."

Grandmother smiled and scolded: "Don't say it so nicely. Grandmother doesn't understand you. You and your grandfather—two big mountains combined can't rein in this little monkey of yours. Even if Grandmother wanted to manage you, she's willing but powerless..."

"Grandmother managing her grandson is only natural and right."

Guben smoothly took up the conversation: "You want to manage, why can't you manage? I must listen."

"Don't say it so nicely. You know how naughty you were as a child, don't you?"

Grandmother was about to scold him, but Guben didn't want Grandmother to expose his old secrets, so he promptly cut off the topic: "Grandmother, spare me some words. In front of your future granddaughter-in-law, at least save me some face..."

"Now that you have a girlfriend, you care about face?"

Grandmother laughed in anger: "Just like your grandfather, caring too much about face and suffering for it."

Grandfather's mouth twitched: "You two are talking, why drag me into it again."

"Eat, eat, keep eating."

Guben saw the waiter bringing in dishes and used the opportunity to liven the atmosphere: "The main dishes are here, sweet and sour carp, Grandmother's favorite."

"Eat fish......."

Grandfather took the opportunity to pick up a piece of fish meat with his chopsticks and put it on Grandmother's plate.

"Xiao Lin, eat too."

Grandmother had her favorite food and no longer cared to argue with her old companion. She smiled and greeted Lin Xiyu, then picked up her chopsticks and began eating the fish.

"Okay."

Lin Xiyu had watched a good show, was in a pleasant mood, and the smile on her face became much more sincere.

"How do you think the food here is?"

Guben took the opportunity to move closer to her and whisper.

"Delicious."

Lin Xiyu smiled with narrowed eyes.

Guben asked softly: "How about setting the Engagement Banquet at this restaurant?"

"Ah?"

Lin Xiyu stopped smiling, her eyes showing shock: "Hold the banquet here? How expensive would that be?"

"Whether it's expensive or not, you don't need to worry about it."

Guben raised his sword eyebrows slightly: "You just need to say whether you like this place or not."

"Of course I like it..."

Lin Xiyu was a bit conflicted.

"As long as you like it."

Guben made the decision on the spot: "I'll tell their manager to reserve a private room in advance."

"You're booking it just like that?"

Lin Xiyu's eyes showed surprise: "Haven't the elders from both sides not met yet?"

"The formalities have already been taken care of."

Guben didn't care: "Meeting is just going through the motions."

"Did your mom agree?"

Lin Xiyu hesitated for a long time, but still asked what she was most worried about.

"My mom isn't in Jinan. She was transferred for work and went to Weihai..."

Guben didn't explain the reason his mother left Jinan, and casually perfunctorily said a sentence.

"She's not here?"

Lin Xiyu smartly didn't ask more, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

It was good that she wasn't here. She really didn't want her relatives to see her having to compromise and humble herself when facing her mother.

"Mm."

Guben nodded, and added: "My dad might come back before the Engagement Banquet and attend our Engagement Banquet."

"Your dad knows about us?"

Lin Xiyu's mind flashed back to the embarrassing incident of picking mulberry leaves as a child, and her ears turned hot.

"He knows."

Guben smiled helplessly: "My Eldest Brother told him. I didn't expect it either. Eldest Brother is so quick with his mouth. We just left Grandpa's house, and he already told my dad."

"Was it the last time, when Chong Ge took us on the plane?"

"Mm, that time..."

"Does your dad agree to us dating?"

Lin Xiyu's breath paused, and she was a bit nervous.

"What would he have to be unhappy about?"

Guben glanced at her, his eyes showing joking: "His daughter-in-law is smart and beautiful, and even raises silkworms..."

"You're so bad!"

Lin Xiyu instantly understood his meaning, both shy and annoyed, and punched him once.

"What did I say? You just hit me..."

Guben pretended to be in pain, rubbing his shoulder, the teasing in his eyes plain to see.

"You don't know what you said?"

Lin Xiyu saw he was asking knowingly, and grew even angrier.

"Actually, you don't need to care..."

Guben's black-bellied factor acted up, continuing to tease her: "It's been so many years, my dad has probably forgotten by now. He's always leading soldiers in training, very busy, how could he have time to remember a little girl who fell from a tree?"

"I knew you were talking about that..."

Lin Xiyu's cheeks flushed red, and she punched him again.

Not much force, Guben felt neither pain nor itch, and held back a smile as he said: "That tree is still there. When you have time, I'll accompany you to revisit the old place and go once more. No matter what, it's the place that witnessed our first meeting, holding extraordinary commemorative significance."

"You go yourself, I don't want to go."

Lin Xiyu glanced away, both angry and annoyed, not wanting to deal with him anymore.

"What are you two talking about?"

A pair of young children's intimate interaction drew Grandmother's sidelong glance: "Chatting so happily, say it out loud for us to hear too, to have some fun..."

"We're talking about the mulberry tree in the Military District Compound..."

Guben was about to speak when Lin Xiyu covered his mouth with one hand.

"Mulberry tree? What's going on?"

Grandmother raised an eyebrow, sizing them up with great interest.

"Nothing..."

Lin Xiyu released Guben, using her gaze to warn him not to talk nonsense.

"The mulberries on the mulberry tree taste very good..."

Under Grandmother's death stare, Guben had to swallow the words about to escape his mouth: "Haven't eaten them in a long time, I really miss that flavor."

"Oh, really?"

Grandmother half-smiled: "I remember you didn't like eating mulberries..."

"Cough cough."

Guben covered his mouth with his hand and coughed awkwardly twice.

"Xiao Bin likes eating lion's head meatballs, eat more..."

Grandfather deliberately interrupted, picking up a braised lion's head meatball and putting it into his grandson's plate.

"Thank you, Grandfather."

Guben winked and exchanged a tacit understanding glance with Grandfather.

"When did you two grandfathers and grandsons become so in sync?"

How could Grandmother fail to see Grandfather's little scheme? She gave the two a cool glance.

"We've always been this in sync."

Grandfather and Guben spoke in unison: "No wonder they say we're like real grandfathers and grandsons."

"Xiao Lin, did you see..."

Grandmother used Lin Xiyu as an excuse to deliberately jab at her grandfather and grandson: "This is the men of the old Gu Family, all of them are the type who say one thing and mean another, not a word they say can be trusted. If you can't see through the twists and turns in here, you'll really be bullied to death by them..."

"Grandmother, there's no need to say that, right?"

Guben gave an awkward laugh: "Your granddaughter-in-law hasn't even entered the door yet, and you're already jabbing your own grandson. Aren't you afraid of scaring her away?"

"I'm giving Xiao Lin a heads-up in advance, so she can't be too honest..."

Grandmother gave him a white eye, teasing him while laughing: "Especially you, kid, full of ghostly schemes, nine and a half out of ten sentences can't be trusted."

"Xiyu, I truly like you."

Guben reacted quickly, decisively confessing before Lin Xiyu could change expression: "Even if it's really as Grandmother said, at least this half sentence is true."

"Hey, you kid..."

Grandmother laughed in anger: "So Grandmother was talking for nothing, carrying you in a sedan chair."

"Hahaha."

Grandfather was amused, laughing very heartily.

—

With Lin Xiyu accompanying him drinking, Guben deliberately livened up the atmosphere. During one lunch, the four old and young ate very happily.

Grandfather was rarely happy and indeed drank a bit too much, letting his precious grandson carry him home.

Lin Xiyu watched the two elders enter the door and breathed a sigh of relief.

Her grandfather and grandmother were easier to get along with than she imagined, letting the heart she had been hanging for so long finally settle down completely.

"Grandfather has slept, I'll take you home."

Guben watched Grandfather lie down, then sneaked out of the room quietly.

"No need."

Lin Xiyu smiled and declined: "This place isn't far from Donghua Street. You don't need to run back and forth. I can go back alone."

"I'll use my bicycle to take you. It's fast, won't take much time."

While speaking, Guben pushed the mountain bike out of the yard.

"Sister Yan called you to the Television Station early this morning. You must be tired too. There's really no need to see me off."

Lin Xiyu looked at the bloodshot eyes in the corners of his eyes and felt a bit distressed.

"I'm not sleepy. I'm used to staying up late often."

Guben didn't allow any refusal and pulled her onto the rear seat.

"My grandma and them really won't come looking for trouble again?"

Lin Xiyu was still shaken, having been tormented by that unreasonable old woman until she had psychological trauma.

"They won't."

Guben was confident: "This time, their own family must be making a scene; there's only one quota for formal employment, and they'll definitely fight over it."

——

As it happened, at that moment, the family in the countryside was indeed fighting fiercely, just as he had expected.

Lin Xiyu's young uncle and young aunt each had their own thoughts, both wanting to push their own children into it.

Her second uncle was no pushover either; with one leg lame, he actually used a cane to beat his young uncle until he wailed like ghosts and wolves, forcing his own mother to give in and give the quota to his own son.

Although Lin Xiyu's grandmother doted on her youngest son, since the second daughter had a disability and lived in hardship, she couldn't be too ruthless and ignore the second daughter's family completely.

The family quarreled for several days, and finally her second uncle threatened with his life to secure a good future for his own son.

The second uncle's son was named Lin Kuan, one year younger than Lin Xiyu, having started school a year late, and he was also a high school graduate this year.

He didn't study well and didn't get into university; originally he wanted to retake the exam for another year, but just then this opportunity came, so he gave up repeating the year and came from the countryside to the city.

Guben kept his word; he really had Wang Fan step forward, using his father's identity as a building materials merchant to pull strings and get him into Ji Steel.

Ji Steel was a state-owned enterprise, with stable work and good benefits; being able to work in such a large state-run factory was a blessing many people didn't dare dream of.

Lin Kuan was still young at heart and hadn't yet been corrupted by the selfish older generation; he was one of the few children in the Lin family who knew gratitude.

Guben arranged for him to work in the city, and he was grateful, willingly serving as Guben's informant, truthfully reporting every move of the Lin family.

With this informant, Guben could easily keep track of the Lin family's movements; as long as the old woman had a single twisted thought and wanted to come extort his granddaughter again, he could stop it in time and dispel her idea.

——

Lin Xiyu didn't know how the Lin family was making a scene; at this moment, hearing Guben say they wouldn't come again, she truly breathed a sigh of relief.

From Wangfu Pool West Street to Donghua Street, it was only a few minutes by bicycle.

When the two entered the door, Grandma and the maternal aunt had already returned, and Wang Daye's family was also busy preparing to move.

"Sigh, this day has finally come."

Grandma looked at the clutter filling the yard, a hint of desolation flashing in her eyes.

"Old neighbors, moving away all of a sudden, it really is hard to bear."

Wang Daniang saw Grandma, put down what was in her hands, and also came over to say farewell to her.

"Where are you moving to?"

The maternal aunt took the chance to interject.

"Qilipu."

Wang Daniang seemed in a good mood: "A large wholesale vegetable market has been built there; my husband finally managed to rent a suitable shop, right inside the wholesale market, next to those selling meat, eggs, and aquatic products; the customer flow definitely won't be small."

"That's good."

Grandma was genuinely happy for her: "Now you can finally rest easy, no need to worry about renting a shop anymore."

"Where do you live?"

The maternal aunt didn't care about business, only about the house.

"Right near the wholesale market, inside Nan Quanfu Village."

Wang Daniang smiled again: "What a coincidence; a teacher at Nan Quanfu Primary School, whose parents retired and wanted to return to their hometown, vacated a room in their own home to rent out; my husband heard about it and paid the deposit the same day, renting the house."

"Five of you living in one room?"

The maternal aunt looked surprised: "Can you even live like that? Isn't it too crowded...?"

"It is a bit crowded, but there's no other way."

Wang Daniang gave an awkward laugh: "With this demolition in the Old City District, it's too hard to rent a room; anyway, it's only two years; my son and old partner can make do sleeping in the wholesale market; endure it and it'll pass."

"Two years."

The maternal aunt sighed: "It's not just a day or two; it must be too hard to endure."

"Businessmen don't stand on ceremony."

Wang Daniang justified herself: "Besides, that house is right next to Nan Quanfu Primary School; it's convenient for my grandson to go to school."

"That's true..."

Grandma nodded: "Children's schooling is important; living nearby means adults don't need to pick them up, and it's less trouble."

"I thought so too..."

Wang Daniang beamed: "The elementary school is right next door; no need to cross the road, just a few minutes' walk; at noon the child can come home for a meal, and after school in the afternoon, the teacher can help tutor the child's homework."

"Aiyo, your old abacus beads are bouncing right onto my face."

The maternal aunt joked with a smile: "No wonder you took a fancy to that house; turns out you were aiming for the teacher's free tutoring..."

"Hehe."

Wang Daniang's old face turned red, and she touched her nose a bit embarrassedly: "People being willing to help is a favor; we're not so stingy; during the New Year and holidays we still need to show something; the gifts that should be given can't be missing."

"That's reasonable."

Grandma, who herself had a daughter as a teacher, agreed especially with her words: "Although they are teachers, tutoring children after class is extra labor; one cannot be too selfish in life, only thinking of calculating that bit of immediate benefit; if you want the child to study well, you still have to curry favor more, let them see your sincerity, and then they can tutor the child wholeheartedly."

"Old Sister is right."

Wang Daniang smiled and echoed: "In business, one emphasizes reciprocity; we still understand this principle."

"Do you have a lot of things? Do you want me to help you pack?"

The maternal aunt heard what she wanted to hear, and no longer had the mind to keep gossiping.