Chapter 237
When Nan Sheng arrived home, the house was toasty warm. She guessed the elderly couple had come over early to heat the kang. Lin Guozheng and his wife had also gone to give their gift money today, but seeing there were too many people and they couldn't be of much help, they came back early.
Nan Sheng lay on her stomach on the warm kang and sighed contentedly, "So warm."
Since returning to their hometown, their door had rarely been locked. Anyone who wanted to come in could open it. They went out often, so this made it convenient for family members to come over and heat the kang.
The two children had eaten too much today, so they went back to the west room together to sleep. Lin Han touched his wife's calves and found them freezing, so he rubbed them to help her blood circulate faster.
"Mom and Dad must have received a lot of gift money today, right?"
"Definitely, but I reckon from now on they'll have to go out for a banquet every few days."
"That's pretty good too," Lin Han chimed in. "Just treat it as improving their meals."
Giving gift money was all about reciprocity. Even though counting the money was joyful, handing it out was just as painful. Especially nowadays, every family had many children, so there was always a wedding or a birth.
Even if one didn't need to give money for a birth, they still had to give a few eggs as a token, and that all cost money.
In a few days, the family would be heading back to Rongcheng. Before leaving, Nan Sheng went from house to house to visit, giving away the hotpot base she had made and the leftover food from home.
When they went to her maternal grandmother's house in Xiaoling Village, the whole family sat on the kang chatting. Grandmother asked Nan Sheng which day she was going back to work.
"We're leaving the day after tomorrow."
Grandma and Grandpa both nagged them to pack their things in advance, warning them not to be late and miss the train. Zhong Yanyan and her husband, however, were visibly in low spirits.
Seeing this, Uncle Zhong immediately changed the subject. "Mingli and Luotong aren't back yet?"
Zhong Yanyan really couldn't bring herself to smile. "His father-in-law wanted to take him out to meet some friends. He'll be back tomorrow, and then I'll have the young couple come over by themselves."
Nan Jingyu nudged his wife, signaling her not to pull a long face. Even though it was her maiden home, having a cold expression during the New Year would only make people feel uncomfortable.
However, even after they finished eating and it was time for everyone to head home, Zhong Yanyan's mood remained very low. The thought of not seeing her daughter for another few years made her want to cry.
She thought about how her child had originally married quite close by, so how did she end up moving all the way to a place as far as Rongcheng...
Seeing this, Lin Han immediately invited the two of them to return to Rongcheng with them. "Mom, Dad, don't you love the hotpot Nannan makes? The food in Rongcheng is on the spicy side. Since there's nothing going on at home right now, why don't you come live in Rongcheng with us for a while? Getting a letter of introduction isn't troublesome anyway."
Nan Sheng slapped her forehead. Right! Let her parents go over and familiarize themselves with the place. Later on, whenever the old couple missed their children, they could go over anytime.
"Yes, Mom. Let Mingli and his wife take care of things at home. They just need to cook a few meals for Grandpa every day. You guys come with me to Rongcheng to have fun for a few days."
Hearing this, Zhong Yanyan was actually a bit tempted, but she was also afraid of causing trouble for her daughter.
"Is that a good idea? Rongcheng is so far away. If something happens, it won't be convenient to come back."
How could Nan Jingyu not understand his wife's intentions?
He immediately chimed in, "What could possibly happen? It's not like we won't be back for half a year. It's good to go take a look, and then we'll be at ease in the future."
Siqi also held Zhong Yanyan's hand to help persuade her. "Go, go, Grandma! The government building is so interesting. I'll take you inside to play when we get there."
Sizhe also mentioned that Rongcheng was completely different from home, and that he could take Grandma and Grandpa strolling around. Only then did she finally relent.
Now Zhong Yanyan and her husband were in a hurry to go home, get the letter of introduction, and pack their clothes. While Nan Jingyu went to get the letter, Zhong Yanyan told the old man about their trip to Rongcheng.
Grandpa Nan was also very supportive. "Go ahead, don't worry about me. Having Mingli and his wife at home is enough."
Mingli went to work early, but Luotong had a long holiday, so Zhong Yanyan wasn't worried at all that the old man wouldn't have anything to eat.
The next day, when Mingli came back and heard his parents were going to Rongcheng, he was incredibly envious. If he didn't have to work, he would have wanted to tag along too. Seeing her son's face full of reluctance, Zhong Yanyan almost rolled up her sleeves to beat him.
His parents were at this age and finally had a chance to travel; did he dare not support them?
Luotong offered, "Mom, Dad, rest assured. With Mingli and me at home, we can definitely take good care of Grandpa. It's great to take advantage of this slow period to spend a few days in Rongcheng."
When Nan Sheng and her family returned home, they also talked about this. "After we go back, let's head to the family compound first and then return to the county town. Do you want to ask your parents if they want to go take a look together as well?"
Lin Han glanced at his wife, thinking to himself, Are you trying to scare your mother-in-law to death? It would be a miracle if she went. But he still had to ask; otherwise, the elderly would find fault with it.
That evening, he went to the old house and mentioned the matter. "It's the farming off-season right now, and there's nothing much going on at home. Nannan wants to take you guys to Rongcheng for a few days. My father-in-law and mother-in-law are going too."
Lin Guozheng took a couple of puffs from his cigarette and looked at Fan Shuting. He didn't mind either way, but his old wife probably wouldn't want to go.
Sure enough, Fan Shuting immediately refused. "Rongcheng is too far, and I'm too scared to take the train. I won't go. As long as you two come back a few more times when you have time to show your filial piety, that'll be enough."
It was an expected answer, so Lin Han wasn't disappointed. He sent his parents pension money every month. As long as they were in good health, they could live wherever they pleased.
When Lin Guozheng mentioned this to the village chief, he was thoroughly despised by him.
"I want to go but no one will take me! You, ah, you're just destined to farm for the rest of your life!"
Lin Guozheng looked out at the village where he had lived his entire life and thought that farming for a lifetime wasn't so bad. However, this kind of life, depending solely on the mood of the heavens to eat, was indeed not easy.
Sicheng from the eldest son's family had left with the second son, so his future wouldn't be bad. As for the third son, they could only take it one step at a time.
For this trip back to Rongcheng, Xiao Yi and Shitou still came to see them off. The group went straight to the train station.
Xiao Yi had prepared food for the journey, which Nan Sheng gladly accepted. "I knew you would bring some for me, so I didn't even prepare any myself."
Shitou also told Nan Sheng that next time, he would go to Rongcheng to play for a couple of days too.
"Sure, all of you come over! You're welcome anytime!"
That was what they said, but both sides knew this goal definitely couldn't be achieved in the short term, unless the black market business was suspended for a while.
At the entrance of the train station, Mingli asked his parents, "Mom, Dad, how long are you staying in Rongcheng? Let me know in advance when you're coming back so I can ask for time off to pick you up."
Zhong Yanyan was immersed in the joy of going to Rongcheng and couldn't be bothered to pay attention to her son. It was Nan Jingyu who answered, "Probably about half a month. I'll have your sister call you when the time comes."
And so, Lin Han's family, bringing along his father-in-law and mother-in-law, boarded the train. They had bought sleeper tickets, and along the way, they ate boxed meals on the train.
When they arrived in Rongcheng, Little Hou was already waiting outside the train station. Upon seeing Zhong Yanyan and Nan Jingyu, he enthusiastically called out, "Uncle! Auntie!"
Afraid that Zhong Yanyan had never ridden in a car before, he purposely let her sit in the front. Qiqi sat on Grandma's lap, while three adults and one child squeezed into the back, with Sizhe lying directly across their laps.
Nan Sheng had originally planned to take her parents to stay overnight at the military base before heading back to the county town. However, Little Hou mentioned that something had come up at the base, and Lin Han would likely be very busy over the next few days.
As a result, they changed their plans, dropping Nan Sheng and her family straight off at the county town before Little Hou and Lin Han headed back to the military base together.