The summer wind blew through, bringing with it threads of coolness.
Xu Nianhua was still bewildered even after Pei Yicheng had scaled the wall and left. What kind of trouble was she in?
He said he would help her?
Even if she did something bad, he would help?
Lost in wild thoughts, Xu Nianhua stared at the wall and couldn’t help but whisper to herself, "Why climb over the wall instead of going through the gate? Sneaking around, was it just to show off his long legs?"
In Shuangzhu Village.
"We must go," Xu Qinghe declared at once upon hearing from Ji Ying that her father had fallen ill before the New Year and was asking if they planned to visit South City. Without a second thought, he said, "Yingzi, over the years, I haven’t fulfilled my duties as a son-in-law. Now things are different from before. From now on, we should visit more often and look after the old man."
After finishing his words, Xu Qinghe began to pack, but after looking around, he realized there wasn’t much they could bring from home.
"Qinghe, what about the factory?" Ji Ying asked, her heart lifted by the fact that Xu Qinghe valued her. In previous years when they were destitute, the money saved on travel expenses was always given to her father to buy some snacks and the like.
"Don’t worry, I’ll speak to Xiaosong. A couple of days should be no problem," he replied.
After saying this, Xu Qinghe stepped out and reminded her, "Just head to your family’s place, I can go alone."
As Ji Ying watched his retreating figure, she cautioned him and added, "Nianji, Xiaohe, if all of us go, only the two of you will be left at home. Especially, Xiaohe, with your baby bump, you need to be extra careful."
"Mom, don’t worry, I can take care of myself. I’ll go with Aunt Xiong and the others to the factory, and we’ll come back together in the evening. Nothing will happen," Zhou He assured her, touching her swollen belly. Since getting pregnant, she had been regularly consuming bone broth and had even eaten two chickens. Her in-laws treated her exceptionally well, and her sister-in-law and brother-in-law were easy to get along with.
Zhou He felt she had married the right person.
"That won’t do," Xu Nianji was the first to object. "Xiaohe, why don’t you stay closer to town these next few days? That way, I can keep an eye on you."
"Yeah, Xiaohe, you can stay in Nianhua’s room. Even if Xihua and Meixiang are very nice, what if something happens on the way? What would we do then?"
Ji Ying also agreed with Xu Nianji’s suggestion. Normally, with her accompanying Xiaohe, she felt more at ease. But with her absence, she was worried.
It wasn’t that she doubted Xiong Xihua and the others; it was that certain matters were difficult to entrust to anyone else.
"Nianhua and Nian’an had already discussed this with me. They’re going to university soon and won’t be at home as much. They had prepared a room for us a while ago. With you walking back and forth with such a big belly, I just can’t rest easy," she said.
"Sister-in-law, I told you earlier, the room has been kept ready for you all along. You insist on not staying, but now, just settle in peacefully and stop worrying my brother," Xu Nianhua joined the persuasion team after learning the full story.
Xu Nianhua said jokingly, "Besides, if my brother stays in town, he could save at least an hour each day. This extra hour doesn’t need to be wasted on the road; he could spend more time with my sister-in-law and the soon-to-arrive baby."
Zhou He, with her thin skin, blushed instantly at Xu Nianhua’s teasing.
"Nian’an and I are going to Ningbei for university soon anyway, and having the room here empty is also a waste," Xu Nianhua added.
"Yeah, sister-in-law, why don’t you stay in my room? There is less stuff in my room. Lately, I’ve been following my master at the medical clinic and often stay with Ling Dong, so I seldom come back to stay," Xu Nian’an chimed in, suggesting it’s better to keep the room with more belongings untouched.