"Do you know Aunt Jiang?" Xu Nianhua changed the subject.
Pei Yicheng explained that although the Pei Family and the Jiang Family were not exactly close friends of generations, they did interact with each other in the past. When his mother was alive, he had seen her a few times. However, today, when he saw Jiang Wanru, he felt a sense of familiarity in her features.
"Oh, why did you come to Taozhuang today? Did you come over because you heard we were coming yesterday?" Xu Nianhua asked with a grin, breaking into Pei Yicheng’s thoughts. He said, "Of course, what if my girlfriend is too pretty and someone else takes her away? What then?"
Xu Nianhua laughed. She looked incredulously at Pei Yicheng, sizing him up and down, thinking about Ruth’s gaze from earlier, and said, "I should be the one worried, right?"
Pei Yicheng’s eyes lit up. He had always been the proactive one, while Nianhua had always been quite passive.
"Mmm-hmm." Xu Nianhua hummed softly and took the opportunity to turn around and look at the scenery.
Time flowed like water, and in the blink of an eye, it was July 12th, and Lillian and her group had been in China for a week already.
"Xu, in the future, you have to write to me." Lillian had become friends with Xu Nianhua, and she was reluctant to part ways, enjoying their chats immensely.
Xu Nianhua promised, and while waiting for their luggage to be packed and just before they were about to leave, Jiang Wanru suddenly suggested that everyone take a group photo together.
In the end, they all got into one big group photo.
After seeing off Lillian and the group, Jiang Wanru settled everyone’s wages.
"I’m so happy, I earned my own money." Pei Yining held the money, which wasn’t much, but it meant something entirely different when you earned it yourself!
"Right, money that you’ve earned yourself has a different significance, no matter the amount!" Xu Nianhua said in agreement. After they left, he planned to return to South City as well.
He had already delayed his return for such a long time; it was time to go home.
Just as he was happy about earning money, that evening, he heard that Xu Nianhua was going home. Pei Yining’s previously cheerful mood suddenly turned into one of dejection.
"In another one and a half months, I’ll be back!" Xu Nianhua said with a light laugh, adding, "One and a half months will fly by quickly."
"That’s a long time!" Pei Yining pursed her lips, unwillingly clinging to Xu Nianhua’s hand. Over this past half month of coming and going together, Pei Yining felt that their home had warmed up a bit, especially at dinner time, when she was no longer eating alone!
Her brother would come home every day, and everyone would be together, chatting and laughing, with Xu Nianhua occasionally cooking something delicious for her.
"It’ll go by in the blink of an eye," Xu Nianhua replied with a smile.
Pei Yining looked at Pei Yicheng to the side and nudged him with her foot, saying, "Brother, aren’t you going to ask Nianhua to stay?"
"Summer vacation has started half a month ago, and Uncle and Auntie must be missing Nianhua," said Pei Yicheng. No sooner had he spoken, than the phone rang at home. It was Ji Ying calling.
"Hello, Auntie, Yining, let Nianhua take the call."
Pei Yicheng greeted her briefly and then asked Pei Yining to call someone.
"Nianhua, wait, let me speak with Auntie for a bit," Pei Yining whispered into Xu Nianhua’s ear, making sure the person on the other end of the line could hear her clearly.
"Mom." Xu Nianhua picked up the phone from Ji Ying, noticeably happy, and said, "Mom, how is everything at home, you been well recently?"
"Good, everything at home is fine. How about you over there?" Ji Ying was worried. Are the foreigners easy to get along with?
In reality, Ji Ying wasn’t keen on Xu Nianhua coming home late by half a month, but the child had his own ideas, and as a mother, she couldn’t stop him.