Chapter 499: The Young Couple
Chapter 499: The Young Couple
Jiang Xia hurriedly pulled Zhou Chenglei, quickening their pace towards the village entrance to see where they were headed.
Zhou Chenglei, with his keen awareness of the surroundings, had already spotted the passing couple.
As Jiang Xia and Zhou Chenglei reached the village entrance, they saw the couple walk towards a brand-new sedan, open the door, and drive away.
Just then, the landlady came out and asked, "Do you know that young couple who drove the car?"
Jiang Xia: "The young couple?"
Landlady: "Yes, they rented a house in our village, just like you. But they're only staying for a month or two, saying they've bought a place and will move in once the renovations are done."
The landlady added with a sigh, "That young couple is really rich!"
Driving a car and buying a house, indeed.
Jiang Xia asked, "Which house did they rent? Is it yours for just a month or two?"
"No, it's someone else's in the village. They thought my place was too expensive, so they rented the last house in the alley behind. That house is old and dirty, and even with their wealth, they're not willing to spend a few extra dollars a month. Truly, the richer they are, the more stingy."
Jiang Xia smiled but didn't say more. "Auntie, we're off. Please clean the house thoroughly, inside and out, so it's ready for us to move in."
The house had four rooms, each with a bed and wardrobe. The living room had wooden chairs, a dining table, and some old wooden furniture, all well-maintained, but as no one had lived there for a while, dust had settled everywhere.
Jiang Xia gave the landlady two dollars and asked her to clean the house thoroughly, ensuring it was ready for immediate occupancy.
The landlady happily agreed.
"Don't worry," she assured Jiang Xia, "I'll make it spotless! I'll even clean the spider webs from the ceiling."
"Thank you, Auntie," Jiang Xia replied.
After bidding farewell to the landlady, Jiang Xia and Zhou Chenglei drove the tractor towards the Jiang family home.
Jiang Xia's father had returned from his business trip, and the couple decided to visit their parents.
They had called the night before to inform them of their arrival for lunch.
When the couple reached the Jiang residence, it was already noon.
Jiang Xia's father, wearing an apron, was in the kitchen cooking.
Hearing the door open, he rushed out with a spatula, his eyes immediately landing on his daughter, widening at the sight.
Jiang Xia and Zhou Chenglei greeted them together, "Dad, Mom, Auntie Feng."
Auntie Feng was the family's helper.
Jiang Xia's mother was arranging fruit on the coffee table and looked up in surprise, "Your belly has grown so much since we last saw you!"
Jiang Xia's father handed the spatula to Auntie Feng, "Auntie Feng, please take the food off the stove."
He walked towards the sofa and said to Jiang Xia, "Sit down, the food will be ready soon."
His daughter's belly had grown so fast; he wondered if she was struggling.
When his wife was pregnant with their second child, she experienced leg cramps in the later stages and couldn't find a comfortable sleeping position.
"As long as I don't overeat, I'm fine. I just feel hungry all the time, but otherwise, I'm doing well, just like usual. Dad, don't worry, I'm not feeling anything unusual."
Of course, the reality wasn't as carefree as Jiang Xia described, but there was no need to worry her parents unnecessarily, especially since it wasn't a major issue.
Seeing his daughter's healthy complexion, Jiang Xia's father reassured himself that there was no cause for excessive concern. After all, a mother's relaxed and cheerful mood was best for the baby, and he didn't want to transfer his anxiety to her.
When his wife was pregnant with Xia Xia, he had been particularly anxious, and the circumstances at the time didn't allow for any relaxation. Xia Xia had always been more reserved than Jiang Dong, but thankfully, she was much better now.
Now, her relaxed attitude is the best.
Zhou Chenglei brought out the recent ultrasound reports and handed them to Jiang's father.
Her father-in-law said he wanted an extra copy of the ultrasound report to keep for himself.
So, the two of them sat together, eagerly examining the images on the two ultrasound reports.
Jiang's mother also joined in to take a look.
The two elders studied the blurry images, trying to identify the baby's features and who the baby resembled.
Jiang's father pointed out that one of the babies had a nose like his, and he seemed quite convinced.
Jiang Xia was impressed, as she couldn't make out anything from the images, but her father-in-law was certain about the nose and eyes.
She got up to use the restroom and wash her hands.
She felt like eating the loquat on the table.
Without hesitation, she took a loquat and started eating.
Jiang's father reached out and touched her gently, "Where are you going?"
"To wash my hands and eat a loquat," she replied.
Zhou Chenglei also stood up, accompanying her to the restroom. Then, he went to the kitchen to wash his hands and brought out a clean bowl. He peeled the loquat for her.
On the table, there were loquats, bayberries, mulberries, March plums, and cherries, all the freshest fruits of the season.
The loquats and bayberries were a bit sour, which Jiang Xia enjoyed, while the mulberries and cherries were sweeter, and she didn't like them as much.
Jiang's father glanced at her and said, "It's almost time for lunch. Don't eat too much. Didn't the doctor say you shouldn't eat too much at once? You can take some home and eat them slowly on the way. I bought a lot. There's also pineapple, which you can take home and eat slowly. I specifically chose the sour ones."
Early that morning, Jiang's father had cycled around the city's supply and marketing cooperative and bought a lot of fresh fruits.
The cherries were brought back by Jiang's father from a recent business trip, and he kept them in the refrigerator for his daughter to eat when she visited.
Jiang Xia said, "You don't need to bring any, there's plenty of fruit at home."
Zhou Chenglei and his mother made sure there was always fruit at home.
Even when Zhou Chenglei was busy, his mother would go to town to buy some, or ask his grandfather to bring some back.
Moreover, Jiang Yang and his wife would send over some fruits every few days. Recently, they sent kumquats, and now they sent March plums and Sanhua plums. They also sent loquats, but since loquats don't keep well, they didn't send too many.
So, there was always an abundance of fruit at home.
The only exception was cherries, which weren't available in town. However, Jiang Xia didn't particularly like cherries; she preferred sour fruits, and cherries weren't sour enough for her.
During the Chinese New Year, when they visited Zhou Chenglei's grandmother's house, Jiang Xia ate all the sour kumquats from the potted plant until her teeth hurt.
Aunt Feng, who lived in the neighboring house, had prepared the meal and called everyone to eat.
The family walked over to have lunch.
Jiang's father walked behind, carefully placing the ultrasound reports to avoid any accidental stains.
Aunt Feng's husband was Jiang's father's driver, and after preparing the meal, she would return to her own home to eat, leaving the space for the family.
During the meal, Jiang Xia asked her mother, "Mom, how is Lei Yuzhen doing at the factory lately?"
Jiang's mother glanced at her father before replying, "There's no problem. I've been asking the purchasing department to keep an eye on her. They say she's learning things quickly. Don't worry."
Zhou Chenglei observed the reactions of both his parents.
Jiang's father peeled a shrimp and placed it in Jiang Xia's bowl, "We'll take care of it. You don't need to worry. Your father's situation is almost certain, so you just focus on taking care of yourself and the baby. Don't worry about us."
He was just a bit reluctant to leave, as it would mean being farther away from his daughter, making it less convenient to meet. Unlike now, where they could see each other once or twice a month, but there was nothing he could do about it.
Jiang Xia mentioned seeing Lei Yuzhen and her boyfriend renting a room in a village near the wharf, "Since I happened to see them, I just asked."
After lunch, Jiang Xia spent some time chatting with her parents. Then, Jiang's father asked her to go back to her room for a nap, while he called Zhou Chenglei to the study for a talk.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
