Seeing the talented and refined Shu Lang, many people were staring, for such a fine young man couldn’t be found anywhere else within miles.
Ruan Jie felt everyone looking at his uncle and, not knowing where his sense of superiority came from, he puffed out his chest and walked beside him with great pride.
When someone saw them, they smiled and asked, "Jiezi, is that really your uncle?"
"Of course, can’t you tell? My uncle looks exactly like my older brother!" Ruan Jie answered.
At this, Shu Lang laughed, and with that smile, he looked even more like Ruan Hao. Those who were used to seeing Ruan Hao involuntarily nodded in agreement; the resemblance was indeed striking.
Ruan Jiaojiao, lacking Ruan Jie’s pride, silently rode her little bicycle at the front.
She hadn’t fully accepted this uncle of hers, unable to pinpoint exactly what she was resisting.
The three of them made their way to the old house in a leisurely manner.
Liu Mei was gathering the dried beans next door and, upon lifting her head, saw the slowly approaching Shu Lang in the setting sun. She was transfixed, and it took a good while for her to snap back to reality.
As the three drew closer and Shu Lang lifted Ruan Jiaojiao down from the bicycle, Liu Mei suddenly realized and remembered the village gossip of the past few days about a wealthy relative from the Ruan family, who was related to Shu Jiao.
Self-conscious about the scar on her forehead and fearing an encounter with the Ruanlin Family that might lead to demands for money to repaint the wall, she hadn’t joined the crowd. Skeptical at heart, she firmly believed that Shu Jiao would never return, not to mention sending her relatives over.
Now, suddenly seeing Shu Lang, she was startled, and her face changed color as some thought crossed her mind. She turned and rushed back into her house, closing all the doors behind her in the middle of the day.
"..." Was Shu Lang so frightening?
"..." Ruan Jiaojiao found Liu Mei stranger by the day, wondering what guilty conscience drove her to close her doors every time they came by.
The boys from the old house, bathing in the yard, were startled when they saw Ruan Jie bringing Shu Lang with him.
Ruan Jiandang, who had been cooling off in the house, was also surprised and quickly came out to greet them.
He greeted Shu Lang with some restraint, afraid to talk too much for fear of making a faux pas and becoming the butt of a joke, especially since this man was from Beidu.
The boys also quickly washed off their suds and changed into clean clothes to come out and greet him.
Ruan Bo and Ruan Jun, as young men, were a bit shy. After calling him uncle, they didn’t speak much more. But the younger ones found Shu Lang easy to talk to and became quite familiar in no time, gathering around him and asking all sorts of questions.
Little Fatty was fascinated with cars, and after glancing at Ruan Jiaojiao, cunningly asked Shu Lang, "Uncle, my sister said you would take her to school tomorrow in your car, can you give us a ride too?"
"..." Ruan Jiaojiao glared. She hadn’t said such a thing.
Upon hearing this, Shu Lang laughed and glanced at the glaring Ruan Jiaojiao, aware that she could never have said that, as they were not that close yet. But knowing kids loved cars, he nodded and said, "Alright, after I take your older brother to the city tomorrow, I will take you guys too."
"What about me, Uncle, can you take me?" Ruan Jie asked, looking up. "Uncle, I’m in junior high now!"
This term, both Ruan Jie and Ruan Chi had started junior high school.
There were only four left attending primary school.
"Of course, I’ll take you together," Shu Lang said as he patted his head.