Chapter 42.3

Now that Shiheng was working hard outside, if she goes on a blind date, wasn’t that wronging him?

She exhaled, “I’ll go talk to Grandma and tell her that I don’t want to go.”

“Where do you want to go this late? Fine, just stay quiet. I’ll talk to your Grandmother tomorrow about it.”

Mother Ke pulled her daughter back, saw that her bright face was full of stubbornness, and silently sighed, then softly asked, “Jialing, tell me the truth, do you already have someone you like?”

Ke Jialing’s eyes flashed but said nothing.

“Mom and Dad are not feudalistic people. If you really have someone you like, then just openly tell your Grandmother. At that time, you can bring the young man for us to take a look. Perhaps your grandmother feels unease just because she hasn’t seen him. When she finally sees the person, she would feel better about entrusting you to him.”

Ke Jialing was really excited by this possibility.

A year ago, if he hadn’t said he didn’t have much of a fortune yet and asked her not to tell her family, she would have already done so.

Now that Grandma has gotten this idea in her head, even if it doesn’t work out this time, she would definitely find other candidates for next time.

Instead of fighting wits with her Grandma, she should just tell her about her relationship with Shiheng.

She gritted her teeth and was about to open her mouth to speak when a knock sounded from outside.

Mother Ke felt it was odd and stood up. “It’s already so late, who came?”

***

Father Ke hasn’t gone to sleep yet, he opened the door in the yard and was taken aback when he saw who it was. “Meizi, why are you here at this hour?”

[E/N: Meizi here can be directly translated to ‘sister’ but tends not to be biological. Used towards younger females of your generation, who you are close with but not related to.]

The visitor was precisely Mother Lin. She smiled and joyously said, “Didn’t my Shiheng just come back? The quilts at home haven’t been sunned at all this past year, except for the one covering the bed, everything else is damp. The weather has been so cold that it hasn’t been easy to dry anything. I was going to my parents’ house to borrow some, but when I came by I saw you still had the lights on, so I came to ask if you had any extra blankets instead.”

Their two stalls had been neighbors this past year. Adding on the few ruffians, who didn’t go to Shanghai because they were worried about their families, who often took care of Mother Lin had naturally also taken care of the Ke family who was close to Mother Lin; as a result, the relationship between Mother Lin and the Ke family became better and better. Now that she came to borrow some quilts, there was no reason why the Ke family would refuse.

Father Ke went to the house to find a quilt. Mother Ke had her daughter to stay in the house and came out by herself.

“Why did your Shiheng come back so late? The weather is so cold lately, you must be careful not to freeze to death.”

“The child was homesick and directly came back by train. I didn’t expect the train to be late, so I stayed up until now.”

Grandma Ke, who was sulking in another room, also pushed open the door open and came out. Probably because both of them were widowed in their early years and lived alone bringing up their sons. Coupled with the fact that Mother Lin took care of their Ke family, she was thus very fond of Mother Lin.

As soon as she came out, she happened to hear her daughter-in-law ask, “It’s already so late, there shouldn’t have been any more buses coming from the county to our village. The child wouldn’t have walked back right?”

“He didn’t. He also saw that it was late and figured that there weren’t any more buses, so when he got off at the county, he continued down the road to that place that sold cars. He saw that they were still open and directly bought a car to drive back.”

Mother Ke was surprised. “Shiheng bought a car? Do you mean a three-wheeler?”

“A small car. The child had wanted to buy one before. He really knows how to enjoy life. He saw the price of a car in Shanghai, then called back to ask how much a car in our county cost. Let’s not talk about it. But for the same car, it’s so much cheaper in our county. So he didn’t buy it and waited until he came back. He even learned how to drive already and had just been waiting.”

Mother Lin smilingly walked over, pretending not to see Mother Ke’s shocked eyes, and continued, “Shiheng said that the cars in Shanghai were expensive because they have to rent a store to sell them. Right now, land in Shanghai is more expensive than gold. Fortunately, Shiheng’s company uses their own land, so he didn’t need to rent from others. Otherwise, the cost would be very high every month.”

“He also started his own company?”

Mother Ke was surprised. “Hasn’t it only been a year since he left? He’s so promising.”

Mother Lin secretly glanced at Grandma Ke who was hiding in the shadow but waved her hand with a casual face.

“He was just lucky. Last year, the house prices were low, so he went and bought several units. As a result, who would have thought that the house prices would soar so high after a year. He said that he sold a unit and bought a piece of land. but didn’t expect that, that piece of land was planned to be part of a new train station, so the country paid a lot of money to buy it from him. He took the money and bought another piece of land, started his own company using part of it, and rented out the rest, earning quite a bit of money every month.”

It just so happened that Father Ke came out holding a quilt, “Here, this is the one we sunned out for Jialing when she said she was coming back a few days ago. This child isn’t afraid of the cold and so just one layer was enough, this is the extra.”

“Jialing’s?”

Mother Lin held the blanket and smiled enthusiastically, “Then thank Jialing for me. Isn’t she about to start school? Should I ask my Shiheng to drive her, he’s driving back to Shanghai anyway?”

“How embarrassing it that… That’s quite a bit of gas money.”

“What’s the matter about it? Think of the relationship between our two families. That child Jialing also calls me ‘aunt’. So it’s settled! When Jialing starts school, I’ll ask Shiheng to send her.”

Ke Jialing was still in her pajamas and didn’t go out, carefully leaning over the side of the window and involuntarily smiled a little because of Mother Lin’s words.

Mother Ke sent away Mother Lin and closed the door. When she was about to enter the house, she found her mother-in-law standing there at the door. Suddenly startled, she asked, “Mom, the weather is so cold, what are you doing outside and getting frozen? Quickly come back into the house.”

Grandma Ke didn’t enter the house. Instead, she walked down the steps and took her daughter-in-law into her room. When she entered the room, she whispered, “Old Lin’s son is quite promising.”

“Isn’t that obvious? He could already afford a small car, one is already a lot of money.”

Mother Ke didn’t think too much, she was just happy for Mother Lin. “She’ll be able to enjoy a good life in the future. Shiheng is a very filial child, and housing prices in Shanghai are so high. Even if he doesn’t do anything else, he can still live quite comfortably with just the rent.”

Grandma Ke carefully recalled Lin Shiheng from her memory.

Appearance like a bum in rags with empty good looks.

But now, her memory was completely reversed.

He wears rags, but that was his frugality. A good-looking face, was because he grew up energetically. So what if he was a ruffian? That was all slander from the next county.

Don’t think she hadn’t been out much, she still knew about the incident that had happened in the county a year ago, where the real thugs in the next county threw dirty water on the fake ruffians in their county.

What a good boy, and he’s still the same age as Jialing.

Moreover, Mother Lin liked Jialing as well. She has said several times how great it would be if Jialing were her daughter; so that mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship wasn’t going to be a problem at all.

The child is filial, so he would definitely take his mother to Shanghai to live together… But he has several houses in Shanghai, so he may live separately after he marries a wife…

How great!

Mother Ke didn’t know what her mother-in-law was thinking, so she advised, “Mom, Meizi only told us because she’s on good terms with us, so don’t recklessly talk about Shiheng’s matters outside. Maybe they wanted to keep a low profile.”

“I won’t say, I won’t say. I certainly won’t say anything.”

Grandma Ke hurriedly waved her hands. She was not stupid. If she told others about such good qualifications, how many people would focus on him?

Tomorrow, she will go to the Lin’s to feel them out. These qualifications were much better than that of the coal boss’s son.

***

So the next day, Ke Jialing was taken to the Lin’s by her grandmother on the grounds of visiting Mother Lin.

She sat in a chair, opposite Lin Shiheng, whose appearance had gained a few points of sturdiness which still couldn’t compromise his handsome face.

Mother Lin and Grandma Ke happily spoke back and forth, not noticing at all Lin Shiheng winking at Ke Jialing on the side.

Mother Lin: “Jialing is such a good child, so sensible and considerate, she’s a college student as well!”

Grandma Ke: “Shiheng is better, the young man grew up so energetic, so filial, hardworking, and capable.”

Mother Lin: “No, no, all young men are like this. I’m just fond of a child like Jialing. I’ve told Brother Ke and the others several times how nice it would be if Jialing was my daughter.”

Grandma Ke: “I also like Shiheng, such a capable young man. If I had such a grandson, I would wake up smiling from my dreams.”

The two threw compliments each other, although they didn’t say it clearly, the meaning of each other was also very clear, and they instantly got along more harmoniously.

This one would say our Jialing is too preoccupied with her studies to care about her love life, and that one would say our Shiheng’s the same, he’s too tired from starting the company and didn’t even have time to find a girlfriend. When he came back this time, he said that a year ago, he went with his good brothers to go make a living together, and as a result, one year passed. Last year he was single, but this year he was still single.

From Grandma Ke’s words, her granddaughter only needed a boyfriend, and Mother Lin felt exactly the same.

Ke Jialing and Lin Shiheng, on the other hand, ate the food while looking at each other–you take a bite, I take a bite. The air seemed to be filled with bubbles of love that neither Mother Lin nor Grandma Ke could see.

When the conversation finished and she the car parked in the yard, Grandma Ke completely erased the existence of the coal boss’s son from her mind.

Spontaneously and automatically, Lin Shiheng was listed among the first-class candidates for her future grandson-in-law.

***

After dinner, on the way back to the house, Grandma Ke zealously tried to brainwash Ke Jialing.

“The child seemed like he wasn’t fond of talking, he’s definitely a sincere person.”

Ke Jialing lowered her head, thinking about the roguish words Lin Shiheng had said before, and her white cheeks quietly blushed.

“The qualifications are good, his mother likes you, and you’re both young, so try getting along first, then separate if it doesn’t work out.”

Ke Jialing blushed and kept silent.

Grandma Ke thought that her granddaughter was still resisting a blind date, so she suddenly stopped and turned around, and her wrinkled face full of seriousness.

“Jialing, grandma has suffered for half a lifetime. I don’t want you to suffer as I did. Just listen to grandma. Even if you don’t like this young man, don’t find someone who has nothing.”

Ke Jialing pursed her lips, so ashamed that she couldn’t lift her head.

“What did you say?”

Grandma Ke thought what her granddaughter said something, so she hurriedly went up to listen.

“Don’t lose your temper at a time like this. If you can’t put this boy in your eyes, you will still have to go with me to see that one in the city tomorrow. You can’t put it off, otherwise, it’ll be hard to find one when you’re older. ”

“Not that.”

Ke Jialing nervously held out her hand to pinch the corner of her clothes, lightly coughed, her voice was as weak as a mosquito’s.

“I do fancy him.”