Chapter 3181: Paulownia Lane Bitter Summer 23

Recently Zhang Jianguo, for some unknown reason, has been staying at home all the time.

Previously he worked long-distance hauling; being away from home for ten days to half a month was normal, and when he occasionally came back he'd just take his money and leave, but this time he hasn't stayed home for over a week—each day he loiters in the Living Room, turns the TV volume up high, is picky at meals, comes home half-drunk at night swearing and muttering as he goes back to his room, and also from time to time looks at Jin Chen with suspicious, probing eyes.

That look makes Jin Chen very uneasy; he has to keep his nerves taut at all times, since the emotions that were somewhat controllable after he started dating have begun to turn hypersensitive again.

But this is their family's home; he's merely an outsider who's been lodging for ten years—what would it matter if Zhang Jianguo weren't allowed to come back? Even though Zhang Jianguo argues with Jin Xiumei every day over petty things—whether the dishes are too salty or bland, where the money went—then it ends with Jin Xiumei's tears and her giving in.

That evening Jin Chen and Chenshu went for a walk by the river and returned; Jin Chen's mood improved a bit, and on the way back Chenshu kept holding his hand, swaying every few steps; the evening breeze already had a hint of coolness, summer was about to pass.

Jin Chen pushed open the front door and found the house noisy.

Standing in the entryway and looking up, he saw that Zhang Jianguo wasn't home, but there were two extra people in the Living Room: a middle-aged woman with permed short curls, legs crossed on the Sofa, eating melon seeds, shells scattered all over the floor; beside her sat a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old boy gripping a game controller, pressing buttons rapidly, fierce sound effects blaring from the screen.

Jin Chen stood in the entryway for a few seconds, his memory fuzzy, hardly able to recall who they were.

The woman saw him, paused her melon‑seed cracking, and a sharp voice rang out: "Yo, Jin Chen's back!"

Jin Chen's ears hurt, he sighed, "Ah."

For people he dislikes, Jin Chen immediately identified them as the widow and son of Zhang Jianguo's deceased older brother. In his memory they only showed up during holidays, each time Zhang Jianguo personally drove to pick them up and brought them back with lots of luggage.

Jin Xiumei bustled about with a smile, slicing a plate of watermelon and bringing it out, then fetching drinks from the fridge, bustling back and forth as if entertaining honored guests; seeing Jin Chen standing in the entryway, she waved at him: "Jin Chen's back? Perfect—do you have anything fun in your room? Bring it out for your brother to play with."

Zhang Kaille on the Sofa lifted his head, his game controller still active, muttering "damn lunatic" under his breath; Xu Hong laughed, patted his head, her tone devoid of blame: "This kid,"

Zhang Yue sat in the corner with a pout, looking unhappy.

Seeing Jin Chen return, she hurried over, grabbed his arm, and murmured, "As soon as Auntie arrives she loses her temper, complaining about this and that, saying our house is too small, that the Living Room fan isn't cool enough… I really don't get why Mom treats them so well."

Jin Chen took off his backpack and handed it to Zhang Yue, whispering, "Take it to your room." Zhang Yue responded with an "oh oh," hugged the backpack and darted into Jin Chen's room, knowing her brother had surely brought back something tasty and not wanting Zhang Kaille to snatch it.

With two more people in the house, the noise was more than just a little bit.

Xu Hong's voice was sharp and bright, her speech sounded like she was arguing, her laughter could be heard throughout the floor, and Zhang Kaille's game volume was turned up loud, accompanied by his occasional curses and cheers.

Jin Chen sat in his own room with the door shut, but those noises still penetrated the door and came in.

Really noisy, really noisy, he was greatly bothered; he put on headphones, trying to immerse himself in formulas.

At night, Jin Chen was chatting online with netizens when he heard a knock; a few seconds later Jin Xiumei pushed the door open. Jin Chen lowered his headphones and looked at her, highly alert: "What's happened?"

"Your brother Kaille can't stand the heat, so take the Living Room fan to your aunt's room and switch places with him—you sleep on the Sofa in the Living Room, he sleeps in your room, and you don't mind the heat anyway."

Jin Chen turned his head and saw Zhang Kaille already standing in the doorway, clutching his game controller and pillow, swaggering in, he glanced around Jin Chen's room, his gaze pausing on the laptop, then sweeping over the ceramic figurines on the nightstand before he pursed his lips.

Jin Chen suppressed his emotions and looked at Jin Xiumei, saying, "I don't want to sleep on the Sofa."

Before Jin Xiumei could speak, Xu Hong's sharp, bright voice came from the Living Room: "Yo, you still need to remember whose house this is—Jianguo treats Kaille like his own son, and you won't even let your brother stay a night?"

Jin Xiumei gave Xu Hong an apologetic smile, "Sister Xu, this kid is just a bit stubborn…" She then turned her head and looked at him with that familiar look of resentment and pity that Jin Chen knew well.

Jin Chen had seen that look too many times; whenever she felt the family could barely hold on, she gazed at him, trying to get him to be a bit more considerate.

Jin Chen clenched his fists, turned around, shut his laptop and put it away in the cabinet, then coldly warned Zhang Kaille, "Don't touch my stuff."

Zhang Kaille snorted, rolled his eyes contemptuously: "What good stuff could you have?" He said this while already sitting on the edge of the bed, reaching out to pat the mattress, shaking his head as if evaluating it.

Jin Chen bent over, picked up the pair of ceramic ornaments from the bedside, walked out of the room, as if he didn't know where to go.

A few seconds later he suddenly stepped out the door.

Jin Xiumei called out to him, tense: "Where are you going?"

Zhang Yue poked her head out from the kitchen, holding a cup of water, and hurriedly said, "Brother's definitely gone to Chenshu's place! It's better than sleeping on the Sofa—our Sofa is only 1.7 meters long, Brother's so tall, it'd be awful, who let the room be taken over?"

Having said that, fearing Jin Xiumei's scolding, she darted back to her own room in a flash.