/
CH 106 CROOKED THOUGHTS
After that meeting, Yang Si and Jiang Zhuo did not run into the He family again until the Chinese New Year.
On New Year’s Eve, Jiang Chen and his parents watched the Spring Festival Gala and sat in the living room to count down to the New Year’s. There were many fruits and nuts on the table. Yang Si picked up an orange, peeled it and divided it into two halves, giving one half to Jiang Zhuo beside her and handed the other half to Jiang Chen who was chatting with Huo Bo and Shen Xu: “Chen Chen, this orange is not sour, try it.”
After Yang Si was pregnant, she was especially partial towards sour foods. There were countless sour snacks and preserved fruits at home. Neither Jiang Chen nor Jiang Zhuo could eat sour things so Yang Si especially liked to tease them with these snacks, laughing whenever they made scrunched up faces. Jiang Zhuo often said that after Yang Si became pregnant, she became more like a little girl. As men, father and son had to give way to their wife/mother.
“I don’t want to eat.” Just seeing this orange color, Jiang Chen felt his teeth sting, and he shrank back on the sofa, pursing his mouth and refusing.
“It’s really delicious, Mom isn’t lying to you, it’s very sweet.” Yang Si pulled Jiang Zhuo down the water, “Is it sweet or not?”
Jiang Zhuo had already swallowed half an orange whole, and barely even chewed it much at all. When he heard this, he smacked his lips pretending to recall the aftertaste: “Sweet.”
Jiang Chen was skeptical. He took the orange from Yang Si’s hand, broke off the smallest piece, and was about to put it in his mouth when he heard the doorbell. As soon as he heard it he put the orange down and immediately got up: “I’ll open the door!”
“At this time, who could it be?” Jiang Zhuo looked out, frowning.
Yang Si picked up another orange and said without thinking: “It should be a neighbor. I heard that the custom here is to visit each other’s houses on New Year’s Eve. Auntie Zhang told me about this yesterday. The first month of the year there is a lot of visiting among relatives, so on New Year’s Eve, they would visit the neighbors.”
Yang Si was right, the ones who knocked on the door were Auntie Zhang and her husband from next door. She came over with a basket of homemade food, and when she saw Jiang Chen, she handed it to him with a smile, and told Jiang Zhuo and Yang Si that this was also an old custom in the village. Family elders and neighbors who were fond of youngsters would make a lot of snacks for unmarried juniors to eat on New Year’s Eve. When the times were still poor before, it was to hope that they would be healthy and have no lack of food to eat in the coming year. Now it was more about wishing the children a good New Year and expressing love.
“You didn’t have to!” Yang Si said with some embarrassment, “We didn’t prepare anything for Niu Niu.”
“Ai, prepare what, she didn’t even come back.” Auntie Zhang had always been a cheerful person, with a loud voice: “The first time I saw Xiao Jiang, I thought this child was very endearing, and I wished I could take him back and have him be my own son. It’s fate that your family ended up moving next to our house and being neighbors, so don’t refuse, these things are not expensive, just a little show of goodwill.”
After hearing this Yang Si no longer refused. Knowing that Auntie Zhang and her husband were the only two people at home, she invited them to wait for the New Year together. Other neighbors also came over in the meantime and also bought a lot of snacks. Although the Jiang family had no handmade snacks there were still a lot of store bought ones as a result of Yang Si’s pregnancy, and it would not be rude to give them to the neighbors in return.
Although there were only three members of the family, this New Year’s Eve was still lively and cheerful because of these enthusiastic neighbors. When the coffee table was already piled up with all kinds of handmade food, it was only ten o’clock in the evening.
Auntie Zhang and her husband had just been pulled away by other neighbors to go visit the homes of others. Jiang Chen saw the last neighbor off, and the house became quiet. Back in the living room, seeing what Yang Si and Jiang Zhuo were talking, Jiang Chen asked casually, “Mom and Dad, what are you talking about?”
“Your father and I are discussing whether our family should send some things to the He family since it is the custom here.” Yang Si said: “It’s just that I heard that the two elders of the He family are here, and they should have already fallen asleep at this point. It won’t be good to disturb the two old people’s sleep.”
“Today’s New Year’s Eve, they probably won’t go to bed so early. Even if they did, the elders are upstairs, and we won’t be bothering them downstairs.” Jiang Zhuo felt that according to etiquette, they should go to the He’s. If they didn’t know about it then it didn’t matter, but now that the two families live in Wugu Village, they should do as the villagers do and follow the customs.
Jiang Chen didn’t expect his mother to want to send over things to the He family. Remembering that He Yanjun, He Yanya and old Mr. He were all there at this time, Jiang Chen tactfully persuaded: “How about we forget it, it’s getting late now, and the custom is to send homemade food, and there aren’t any at home.”
“It doesn’t matter if it is homemade or not, the key is our sincerity.” Jiang Zhuo said: “The last time your mother was hospitalized, your Uncle He and the others came to see us a few times, and later when we moved here, our two families often met each other. In the future, as neighbors we will have even more contact with each other. So it’s better to be more thorough.”
Jiang Chen pursed his lips and was about to say something when he heard the doorbell ring again. He turned around and said, “I’ll go and open the door.”
Jiang Zhuo looked at Jiang Chen’s back, and a trace of confusion flashed across his face. He didn’t know if it was his illusion, but he felt that Jiang Chen’s attitude towards the He family was a bit strange.
“What’s wrong?” Yang Si asked curiously when she noticed that Jiang Zhuo’s expression was strange.
Jiang Zhuo shook his head: “It’s nothing, maybe I’m thinking too much.”
Yang Si laughed, “It is said that pregnant women think a lot. Why do you and your son seem to think a lot more than I do? Our son is always thinking about things in the research institute, why are you suddenly thinking so much as well?”
At the door.
“Brother!” Holding a plate of strangely shaped dumplings, He Qianmin gestured his chin at him with a smile: “I made these, and I am here to send them over as New Year’s snacks for you, how about it?”
“Does anyone still use dumplings as snacks?” Jiang Chen teased him with a smile, and looked behind him: “Aunt.”
He Yanya nodded lightly, and explained: “Your parents and your uncle have something to discuss, and they didn’t come down from the study all night. I accompanied Qian Min and Qian Yu to bring you homemade food instead.”
He Qianmin smiled, and was about to speak when his gaze suddenly focused, and the smile on his face faded.
He Qianjian appeared behind He Yanya, and said with a smile, “Aunt, why didn’t you call me and Cousin Qian Yang when you came looking for Jiang Chen, we almost fell asleep watching the Spring Festival Gala in the living room.”
He Yanya didn’t expect that He Qianjian would follow, and her calm expression stiffened slightly. When she turned her head to look at Jiang Chen, her gaze was a little apologetic: “We have brought over the food, and we’ll be going back first.”
“Already?” He Qianyang was pulled out by He Qianjian in a daze. He had just stood straight when he heard that they were going to leave. He had been looking forward to seeing what Jiang Chen’s house looked like inside, so he was instantly a little disappointed.
“Of course we are going, or is it that you still want to stay as a guest.”
As soon as He Yanya finished speaking, Jiang Zhuo, who hadn’t seen Jiang Chen coming back for a long time, had already come looking for him: “Who is it?” He paused, and through the light on the porch, he could easily see the people outside the door. Immediately, he smiled: “Just now I was talking about whether we should send you some things, but you came here first, come in quickly.”
He Yanya hesitated, and looked at Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen turned his body sideways, said with a faint smile, “Please come in.”
He Qianyang originally wanted to see the inside of the Jiang’s house, but after hearing Jiang Zhuo’s voice, he suddenly realized the embarrassing identities of Jiang Chen and He Qianjian at this time, and his expression changed slightly, immediately saying: “Actually, never mind, how about another day. Besides, grandma is downstairs alone right now, and we are all not at home, so I am a little worried.”
Only then did Jiang Zhuo see the two unfamiliar faces, He Yanya and He Qianyang, and asked, “These are…?”
“This is Qian Min’s aunt, and this is Qian Min’s cousin.” Jiang Chen glanced at He Qianyang, his eyes dimming, and turned his head to introduce.
Jiang Zhuo nodded, smiling very enthusiastically: “Come in.”
Yang Si also urged from inside: “Who is outside, old Jiang, why don’t you and your son invite the guests in?”
He Yanya turned her head and said to He Qianyang: “Grandma is watching the Spring Festival Gala downstairs alone, you and Qian Jian go back to accompany her first, we will be back later.”
He Qianyang immediately agreed, took He Qianjian’s arm and turned to leave. He Qianjian subtly exerted force, pulled out his arm, and took a step forward: “I’m with you guys.”
Seeing them tugging at the door, Jiang Zhuo smiled and said, “Then come in.”
He Yanya pursed her lips, glanced at He Qianjian and wanted to say something, but after thinking of something, in the end she didn’t speak, and took the lead into the Jiang’s house.
He Qianmin’s jaw was strained, and when he passed by He Qianjian, he lowered his voice to warn: “I advise you not to think any crooked thoughts.”
He Qianjian pursed his lips, and looked challengingly at Jiang Chen who was looking at this side. Seeing that Jiang Zhuo and He Yanya had already walked to the front, he also lowered his voice and said, “If Jiang Chen can see his biological parents, then I am also qualified to meet my biological parents.”
Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes. He Qianjian smiled happily, and walked in past Jiang Chen and He Qianmin.
“You!”
He Qianmin took half a step, but Jiang Chen held him back and said calmly, “Don’t pay attention to him.”
“But…..” He Qianmin said worriedly, “I don’t think He Qianjian has good intentions.”
The corners of Jiang Chen’s mouth slightly curled up, a bit mocking: “I know exactly what he has in mind, but he may have overestimated himself and underestimated my parents.”
“What do you mean?” He Qianmin was puzzled.
“You will know in the future.”
When Jiang Chen and He Qianmin entered, He Yanya and He Qianyu were already sitting on the sofa, and He Qianjian was sitting where Jiang Chen had just been, talking to Jiang Zhuo.
Seeing Jiang Chen coming in, Yang Si immediately stood up: “What are you two doing whispering by yourselves outside? You only came in after so long, is it cold?”
He Qianmin was already familiar with Yang Si, and with a smile on his face he said obediently, “It’s not cold.”
“Then sit down quickly.” Yang Si walked to another sofa and sat down, patted next to her, and Jiang Chen and He Qianmin sat down beside her.
He Qianmin glanced at He Qianjian, still a little wary: “Auntie, what were you talking about just now?”
Yang Si smiled and said: “Nothing really, just let them relax and eat something. But I didn’t expect that you are Qian Min’s aunt. You look so young, like you are in your twenties.” The latter part was said while looking at He Yanya.
He Yanya had been working in the research institute since graduation, and she was really not used to these occasions that required socializing. She felt the kindness of Jiang Chen’s parents, but she didn’t know how to respond, so she could only change the topic: “How many months pregnant are you right now, it looks very big.”
Yang Si rubbed her stomach, lowered her head gently and smiled, “It’s been more than seven months, and the baby will be born in two months.”
“So fast?” He Qianjian interjected, “Do you know if it is a boy or a girl?”
“We won’t know until they’re born.”
He Qianjian said casually: “For the second child, either a son or a daughter is the same, there is no difference.”
“Even if it’s the first child, it’s the same for sons and daughters.” Yang Si’s lips smiled, but the smile in her eyes faded, “We like both boys and girls.”