Chapter 311: It's really different now

If only before.

Wu An either pretended not to hear or see, chose to ignore, or else said a couple of words, retorted a couple—basically nothing good to say.

The result was Chen Lin getting carried away and saying even harsher words.

Yet they still stood on reason.

The Wu family's life was hard, food naturally poor; adults could make do, but Wu An was then in his growing years.

As the saying goes, half-grown kids ruin their fathers.

Living by the sea, seafood was plentiful, but the more you ate of it, the hungrier you got, and it didn't add any flesh.

So Mei Yueqin would occasionally bring him back to visit relatives, to eat something good, something with oil.

Not exaggerating, Wu An's height of 1.8 meters today is largely thanks to Mei Yueqin often bringing him to the Meijia to eat and drink.

What Chen Lin said was harsh, but it was indeed true.

Before, he got angry at what Chen Lin said, and half the village knew that the embarrassing ones were Mei Yueqin and himself.

These lessons are still vivid in my mind.

"Sister Lin, good morning." Wu An smiled, pretending not to notice the cold sarcasm in Chen Lin's words, saying: "We haven't seen each other in a long time."

Let's chat later when we have time.

I'll first help move things.

After saying that, he took the gift from Mei Yueqin's hand and walked into the courtyard.

Chen Lin was stunned.

Felt that Wu An this kid was a bit off.

How could he be like a different person?

Seeing Wu An not arguing with Chen Lin, not making an ugly scene, everyone also chuckled.

Then the old woman fiercely glared at Chen Lin twice, muttering under her breath: "From childhood she couldn't speak properly, always annoying people."

Besides the gift, there was mostly seafood; not mentioning the shrimp crab, it was simply two boxes, kept alive in seawater, jumping about.

"Oh my, why did you take so many shrimp crabs? Not talking about selling them for money, you could keep them for yourselves to eat." The old woman, seeing so much seafood, turned to Mei Yueqin and said: "What are you bringing all this home for?"

Wu Ping is a son-in-law, he's a guest, so naturally we can't say that.

In the old woman's eyes, Wu An is still a child, and moreover there's nothing to say to him.

All she could say was about Mei Yueqin, her daughter.

"Mom, don't talk about Mei Yueqin; these gifts were all bought by Mei Yueqin, and this seafood is what I'm bringing." Wu Ping laughed and said: "I'm not bragging; lately we've been eating seafood at home to the point of getting sick of it."

"These shrimp crabs are just the most ordinary; A An often brings home seafood that costs over a hundred per jin."

Chen Lin, listening, felt a bit jealous and couldn't help saying: "This guy, still claiming he's not bragging..."

Now is not before.

Don't think that just because they're seaside people they can always eat valuable seafood every meal.

Clams and spicy snails are naturally available if you want them, but shrimp crabs or valuable sea fish are also not something you'd willingly buy to eat.

Even if they caught them themselves, they'd prioritize selling them for money.

Villagers passing by stopped to greet; seeing Mei Yueqin return to visit relatives, with the car full of big and small packages, they curiously glanced over.

Don't talk about looking down on people with dog eyes; some people's eyelids are just that shallow.

People like Mei Donghai at this age usually have several kids, and almost every family has a married daughter.

When a daughter returns to visit relatives, whatever gifts she brings become a basis for comparison.

And as for whose son-in-law returns driving what car, that goes without saying—it's an old topic of conversation.

Wu An carried out the boxes containing the earth dragon and crab tiger from the car, startling the enthusiastic helper Mei Xiaoxiao, who shouted: "What a big snake!"

Someone came over to look and laughed: "Kid, this isn't a snake, it's an earth dragon."

"The stew made from this guy is very nourishing."

"And there's also the crab tiger..."

"Looks like it's wild."

"This year there aren't many crab tigers; seeing the season pass, we still haven't gotten to eat any."

"That's right, they're hard to catch; the market only has farmed ones, and they still cost seventy or eighty per jin."

"Sometimes it's even more expensive, over a hundred per jin, and you need luck to find someone selling."

"The crab tiger is only over a hundred per jin; look at this earth dragon, so thick... it's definitely worth over a thousand."

Everyone chatted away.

Chen Lin remained silent.

She said Wu Ping was bragging, but in moments the crowd's words slapped her in the face.

With the crab tiger and earth dragon, Wu Ping not only didn't show off or brag, but actually acted humble.

"Sigh, I'm old now, my words don't count." Mei Donghai, hands behind his back, sighed, but the smile on his face couldn't be suppressed as he said: "Even if I told them to sell the seafood to pay off debts, they refuse to just bring it back for us old folks to eat, saying it's good for elderly health."

"If you ask me, at our age, eating these good things is pure waste."

"No matter what you say, they won't listen."

Back when Mei Yueqin and Wu Ping freely fell in love, the Meijia didn't ask for any betrothal gifts and just married off their daughter.

Later Mei Donghai still from time to time helped Mei Yueqin, and wasn't rarely blamed by the villagers.

They said he was stupid.

Raising such a big daughter, they just gave her away for nothing, or sent her off to suffer hardship.

They said he wouldn't enjoy blessings, but would still have to endure misfortune.

The village doesn't know how many people take him and Mei Yueqin as negative examples.

Mei Donghai said he didn't really care about those rumors, but right now he still felt pretty pleased.

Calling me stupid? Won't pick a son-in-law? My daughter would have to suffer poverty her whole life?

Saying I can't enjoy good fortune?

Then open your eyes wide and have a good look!

Wu An didn't say much from start to finish, just kept moving things.

Mainly, I haven't been here in a while, so I'm not really familiar with the people of Shangwancun, and there's not much to greet.

He and Mei Xiaoxiao, who was helping, went back and forth moving things several times.

"What are you chatting about at the gate?" the old woman said, feeling sorry for Wu An, shouting: "Make way, make way, little guy, you're blocking the road and can't see."

"Just ride the vehicle straight to the east house's gate."

He entered the courtyard.

The villagers didn't follow in, since the family had guests, and it wouldn't be proper to drop by.

Looking at all this seafood, which Wu An got from Panshuikeng yesterday, the Mei family kept praising him.

"Catching that much seafood is really impressive."

"Heard you bought a fishing boat?"

"Not only that... he also bought several plots of land in Zhenzhongcun, saying he wants to set up a guesthouse."

"He's become a big boss, huh?"

Wu An listened, his head shaking like a rattle drum, and said: "No, no."

"Just messing around."

"Just a bit of better luck, that's all."

"Also nothing much."

He couldn't fend it off, looked left and right, and asked: "Where's my Wu Ge?"

Mei Donghai pointed and said: "He's still sleeping in the house, go call him."

Wu An walked over and said: "Okay."

He hurriedly slipped away.