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Глава 90

In the old lady's meticulously tended vegetable garden, the vegetables were dwindling day by day. As for the chili peppers, when they arrived, they were amazed by the abundance hanging on the plants, wondering if they could eat them all. A few days later, after searching through several chili pepper plants, they couldn't find a single pepper, not even the size of a bean.

Roasted sunflower seeds and peanuts, red beans and glutinous rice—the mountain village has no shortage of northern fruits and vegetables. Apples and pears are readily available, but bananas and watermelons have to be bought—and not too few.

Qiu Shanglin's eyes were tantalized by the bright red apples on the stall, so he couldn't help but spend money to buy a few pounds.

We need to buy pork. A group of carnivores, they can't live without meat.

Rarely seeing fresh mutton, Qiu Shanglin rushed over, then turned back with teary eyes: "Let's have hot pot..."

Changsheng couldn't bear to dampen her enthusiasm, but he had to explain the practical problems: there was no hot pot ingredients, no brass pot, and no charcoal...

Shanglin didn't care. He counted on his fingers: it was a twenty-minute drive from Zifang Town. He called back and asked someone to bring it over...

Yin Yeyao stood to the side, watching her plan with a smile.

Even with so many people, it took two trips to carry everything home. Grandma clicked her tongue at the vegetables, fruits, and daily necessities spread across half the floor. "These half-grown boys are going to eat their father out of house and home! Are you trying to cook for yourselves or what?!"

Shanglin refused, twisting and pleading with her, "Let's make dumplings for lunch, I want to eat the big dumplings Aunt Zhu made last time."

Gu Zhiyuan chuckled. There are guests here; you should at least be mindful of your image!

She didn't care at all.

At noon, I made dough and dumplings. Using Aunt Dazhu's secret recipe, I also fried some pork cracklings, which smelled delicious. I crushed them and mixed them with the filling. The old lady watched me skillfully stir the dough with a smile, instructing the boys to fetch me things and ingredients. She felt very gratified.

"Your daughter is all grown up now. She'll probably be a great wife and mother when she gets married. She'll be much better than your mother!"

Shanglin was rolling out dough when she heard this and was taken aback. She turned around and protested, "Grandma, how old am I?"

With her back to the boys, she heard the old lady's words and they all winked and laughed. Suddenly, she turned her head and caught them red-handed, giving them a fierce glare.

The old lady sighed: "I'm not young anymore. In ancient times, you could get married at thirteen or fourteen. I was sixteen when I had your eldest uncle... but unfortunately, I didn't last long."

Shanglin had heard her mother mention her eldest uncle, who hadn't survived. He was said to be the most intelligent among them, having studied with the village's old scholar since he was three or four, and was considered a child prodigy. Perhaps because he was too intelligent, he fell ill and died at the age of seven or eight. Zhang Hongwei occasionally thought of his daughter's precocious talent and said that she had inherited her eldest uncle's genes.

They chatted about everyday matters, but the boys couldn't get a word in edgewise. Seeing that there was nothing to do in the house, they scattered like birds and beasts, going out to play in twos and threes.

Qiu Xialin mysteriously pulled Changsheng to the back of the house to whisper to his brother, telling him exactly what his sister had revealed during their last chat at home.

Changsheng initially didn't take it seriously.

Qiu Shanglin was like a little sister—well, a very precocious and mature little sister. He cherished her like a younger sister and never cared about what others said. He had nothing to hide; if he didn't care that Shanglin was a girl, why should he, a grown man, blame others for gossiping?

He never cared about Xia Lin's occasional teasing and jokes.

You tell me what you want, anyway, we're purer than snow.

But from Xia Lin's words, he learned that Qiu Shang Lin said he treated him like a son. Chang was furious.

Am I your son? No, I'm your father!

No, no, Uncle Qiu is her father. You treat me like a son, but I treat you like your daughter! Besides, if you don't even like someone like me, what kind of person are you looking for? Gu Zhiyuan? Or Yin Yeyao?

Bah, not even worthy!

He firmly believed that Qiu Shanglin deserved someone better. But he couldn't quite put his finger on what would make someone better. In any case, it wasn't Gu Zhiyuan, nor Yin Yeyao.

Li Changsheng, who is about to get engaged

Happy days are always fleeting. No matter how reluctant Yin Yeyao was, he knew that staying any longer was not the right thing to do. He spoke with the driver who remained in Huaiqiao City several times, and the driver's hesitant words revealed his growing anxiety. He was keeping his stay in Huaiqiao City a secret from the Yin family, and was currently being told that he was recuperating in a small southern city. Xu Mi was unsure of her son's whereabouts, and her tone became increasingly stern with each conversation.

The driver was also worried that staying too long would give them away. Someone in the Yin family was eager to deal with Yin Yeyao and clear the way for them!

Four days later, Yin Yeyao embarked on his journey home. He arrived near dusk and departed at dawn.

Qiu Shanglin was still young, and he learned patience and the art of winning her over by following the old fox of the Yin family. She didn't understand love yet, but that didn't matter; he could wait.

After Yin Yeyao left, everyone finally began to study under Qiu Shanglin's encouragement.

Preview the ninth-grade textbook, summarize and organize the key points, and practice past middle school entrance exam questions. Qiu Shanglin is stricter than the school teachers, and Qiu Xialin is chased around several courtyards every day.

After summer vacation, we will be entering the final year of junior high school.

Cheng Chong approached Lin to discuss expanding the hydroponic flower market, and when he mentioned the unfaithful Liu Chao, he gloated.

A few days after their encounter at the hotel, Liu Chao used the excuse of missing his son to secretly return to his hometown without telling his mistress.

He was a little surprised to see his own front door in the distance. He was even more surprised when he entered. Amid his son's cheers, he carried him into the main room and didn't stop smiling the whole time.

Is this still the dilapidated and dreary home I remember?

Although Qiuqin didn't greet him with a smile, she didn't embarrass him in public either, which made the group of idle men and women from the village who had come to watch the commotion feel awkward. Liu Chao used the excuse of coming back to pack a few clothes. Qiuqin opened the trunks and rummaged through them for him, carefully folding the bundles. Liu Chao held his son and comforted him, sitting on the sofa and glancing at Qiuqin from time to time. She was bending over folding clothes, her profile beautiful, her small chin stubbornly slightly bowed forward.

The son, who rarely sees his father come home, puts his arms around his neck and asks, "Dad, I miss you. Please don't go back to the city, okay?"

Liu Chao glanced at Qiu Qin secretly, thinking that she had deliberately taught her son to say that.

Qiuqin approached with a straight face, picked up her son, and coaxed him, "Be good, your dad has to go do business."

Since there was a rare opportunity to back down, Liu Chao naturally took it, and hurriedly said, "I'll stay at home for a few days to talk about harvesting vegetables."

Qiuqin glanced at him but didn't say anything. Liu Chao was secretly pleased, assuming his wife had accepted him. But then she turned around and said indifferently, "I'll tidy up the east room for you."

Liu Chao said sheepishly, "There's no bed in the east room either..."

Qiuqin remained indifferent: "I just bought a new one, I plan to give it to my son to sleep on, you go to sleep first."

"Bought a bed? I wasn't home, and you, a woman, decided to buy a bed? Where did you get the money?" He was puzzled, but then he remembered that Qiuqin was no longer the same as before. She was the right-hand woman of the vegetable company's boss and probably earned quite a bit of money. He felt deflated.

He stayed at home for several days, hoping to buy vegetables directly from the farmers and deliver them to the company canteen. Unfortunately, the farmers had all signed contracts with vegetable companies. There were some small-scale farmers in nearby villages, but they weren't large-scale, and the quality and appearance of their vegetables were poor. He then tried to buy from the vegetable company, but Cheng Chong just smiled and neither agreed nor disagreed, only telling him to talk to the sales department.

The sales department stubbornly adhered to company regulations, strictly requiring cash payments. Liu Chao was extremely anxious. Someone secretly suggested he talk to his wife, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. After many days of delays, with the cash flow on the verge of collapse and the loss of his last two canteens' business if he didn't restock, he had no choice but to plead with Qiu Qin that evening.

Qiuqin spoke on his behalf. The sales department staff were reluctant, but at least they didn't lose face. They agreed to allocate some vegetables from the vegetable company, settle accounts monthly, and absolutely not delay payment.

Liu Chao was relieved, finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. Looking at his wife, son, and home, everything seemed perfect. Before he knew it, he had been staying at home for over two weeks. He didn't feel the time had been long, but his mistress in the city was causing a huge scene, issuing an ultimatum that if he didn't return, she would come knocking on his door.

Liu Chao felt he couldn't bear the loss of face, so he reluctantly returned to his rented apartment in the city. His mistress's constant nagging annoyed him greatly.

This planted a seed of discord in their relationship, which would resurface from time to time. Liu Chao gradually distanced himself from the mistress, determined to return to his family. When he finally broke up with the mistress and returned home, he felt guilty for his past mistakes and always felt indebted to Qiu Qin, treating her even better.

This happened a year or two later.

As for Qiu Shanglin, he spent his final year of junior high school, the high school entrance exam, and summer vacation peacefully.

All three of them were admitted to the high school, but were placed in different classes. Chen Zhaodi, Liang Meihua, and Ji Yunwen also passed the entrance exams smoothly. Ouyang Linhao and Ye Ruru, whose grades were not good, paid money to be admitted as high-priced students. The price for high-priced students at No. 5 Middle School is not low; it costs 13,000 yuan for just one point short.

The fact that many families readily contributed 13,000 yuan demonstrates the immense love parents have for their children.

Zhang Ran was unable to take the high school entrance exam.

She's in trouble.

In the second semester of his third year of junior high, Zhang Ran continued to neglect his studies and wandered around the school. One day, he got into an argument with a girl from the senior high section. In a fit of anger, he punched her in the glasses, shattering them and embedding a lens in her eye. Fortunately, nothing serious happened, and she didn't go blind. The school took the matter seriously, and Zhang Ran was expelled. He then tried to transfer to another school to take the high school entrance exam.

During the summer vacation, Qiu Xia Lin indulged in eating and playing, while Qiu Shang Lin was busy with the operation of the vegetable company for a long time. Li Chang Sheng went to Shantou to visit his parents. Before he left, his family nervously reminded him again and again that if his parents didn't want him to come back, he must not run away on his own. They said they could talk things over if anything happened!

Although Li Changsheng's parents wanted to bring their son back to live with them and raise him, they discussed with him before the high school entrance exam that he should go to Guangzhou to take the exam so that he could stay in the south in the future. However, Li Changsheng insisted on refusing, and having witnessed his stubbornness, they gave up on the idea.

Li Changsheng stayed in Shantou for more than ten days and returned with a backpack full of lychees and pineapples.

The minor incident occurred shortly after he returned to Zifang Town.

He and his parents were used to communicating by phone and never wrote letters, but suddenly he received two letters from Shantou. One was signed by his mother, and the other by an unknown name.

After reading the letter, he was in a bad mood for several days. Qiu Xialin noticed the change and kept asking him for a long time before Li Changsheng finally told him hesitantly.