Back to 1984: Earning Money, Raising Kids, and Keeping the Household Busy

The courtyard looked quite old, with a mud-brick house and some cracked walls, but it was very clean. The ground was paved with broken bricks, and many flowers and plants were planted around it. You could hear the sounds of chickens and ducks, but you couldn't see a single dropping of duck or chicken. It was clear that the owner of the courtyard was an extremely clean person.

The two sisters had just sat down when someone walked out of the side room next to them, and Lin Qin was startled again, "It's you!"

Su Shengning paused for a moment, then nodded politely to Lin Qin, a hint of doubt in her eyes.

"You two know each other?" Su Yonghuai was even more surprised than Lin Qin.

Lin Qin paused for a moment and then told him about her encounter with Su Shengning on the bus.

Su Yonghuai laughed loudly, "So that's how it is. This is my son, Su Shengning, and this is Lin Qin, my former student. It's fate that you two met."

Su Shengnin followed and sat down, his posture upright, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

Su Yonghuai was so engrossed in catching up with Lin Qin that he didn't notice.

After Su Yonghuai went to the kitchen, Su Shengnin looked at Lin Qin pleadingly and said in a low voice, "Big sister, could you please not tell anyone about Jin Jing?"

"Who is Jin Jing?" Lin Qin asked, puzzled.

Su Shengning blushed, seemingly finding it difficult to speak, and after a long while said, "It's the girl who didn't want to get on the bus with me."

Lin Qin understood and gave an "OK" sign.

Su Yonghuai brought over the tea, and Lin Qin, afraid that he would become suspicious, quickly asked, "Teacher Su, I thought your home was in the city, I didn't expect you to be from Pingxi Town."

Su Yonghuai sighed, “This is my hometown. Since I went to work in the city, I haven’t been back more than a few times a year. My mother mainly lives here.”

I originally wanted to take the elderly woman to the city, but she wasn't used to living there, and since she didn't have anyone she could talk to in the city, she insisted on coming back after a while.

Fortunately, my two older brothers live in town, so there's someone to take care of her. Her health has been deteriorating over the past two years, and I come back to visit her during winter and summer vacations.

Lin Qin understood and praised, "Teacher Su is not only a good teacher, but also a good son. Your character is worthy of our learning."

"Not at all! Don't flatter me!" Su Yonghuai waved his hand with a wry smile, turned to look at his mother's room, his eyes gradually reddening, and his voice lowered considerably. "To be honest, my mother probably won't last much longer, so I called Sheng Ning back from the army. She loves Sheng Ning the most and is eager to see her grandson get married. We had originally agreed that Sheng Ning would bring his girlfriend back for her to see, but the girl had something come up and couldn't come."

Su Shengnin couldn't bear to see Su Yonghuai disappointed and heartbroken. He pursed his lips and said in a hoarse voice after a long while, "Dad, actually I brought Jin Jing back, but she started throwing a tantrum when we got to the city. She didn't want to get on the bus with me. She looks down on our poor, remote place. So I've decided that when I get back to the army, I'll make it clear to my superiors that I'm not dating her anymore."

He originally intended to keep this a secret, but now that Lin Qin, an insider, was present, he couldn't bear to keep it from Su Yonghuai any longer.

Su Yonghuai was shocked and his eyes widened. When he came to his senses, he went to find a stick without saying a word and angrily hit Su Shengning. "You bastard! How can you joke about dating? That girl is from a big city and has never suffered since she was a child. It's understandable that she is not used to our environment."

Can't you talk to them properly? Is it reasonable to break up over such a small thing?

Su Shengnin stood stubbornly in place, letting Su Yonghuai beat him with a stick.

The Lin sisters were terrified. Lin Qin quickly advised, "Teacher Su, let's talk things out. This matter can't be entirely blamed on Sheng Ning. In fact, I was there when they had their argument. To be honest, I frowned at the girl's attitude. Sheng Ning tried to persuade and coax her, but it wasn't his fault that he couldn't keep her."

Su Yonghuai looked at this one suspiciously, then at that one, "Really?"

Su Shengnin kept his head down and remained silent.

Lin Qin immediately pointed to the sky and swore, "Teacher Su, you know what kind of person I am. I won't say I'm extremely upright, but I've never done anything like deceiving you! Alright, I'll tell you the details of what happened back then, and maybe you'll understand what Sheng Ning did."

So Lin Qin recounted everything that had happened at the bus station.

Su Yonghuai's brows were furrowed so deeply they could practically crush a fly, utterly perplexed. "That can't be! Although I've never met Jin Jing, I know she's always liked our Sheng Ning. I heard she's liked him for several years. It was at the end of last year, when Sheng Ning's boss came to Anshi, that we met, and the boss brought it up himself."

I was just worrying about this kid's marriage, and then this opportunity came along. I immediately called Sheng Ning and told him to try dating the girl.

The child called back earlier saying that things were going well, and that Jin Jing called him "uncle" so sweetly, sounding like a kind and understanding girl.

Su Yonghuai kept praising Jin Jing, trying to convince himself that there was some misunderstanding. But seeing Lin Qin and Su Shengning's serious expressions, he couldn't continue and his expression gradually collapsed.

Su Shengning felt sorry for him and said, "Dad! If it weren't for Grandma, I wouldn't have thought of bringing her back to see you so soon. If she comes back with me this time, I will submit a report to marry her when we get back."

She was the one who disliked me first, and she was also the one who didn't want to meet my elders, which shows that she didn't really want to live with me. So why am I still clinging to her? Fortunately, we haven't been dating for very long, and at most we've only held hands, so I'm not taking advantage of her.

"If we clarify things later, it won't affect her marriage prospects."

Su Yonghuai thought his son was naive and shook his head silently. "You make it sound so easy. That girl is related to your leader. If you break up, how will you continue to stay in the army?"

Su Shengning curled his lip indifferently, "It's a peaceful era now. The country is vigorously developing its economy. There's no war, so it's become difficult to make a name for yourself. If I continue to stay in the army, my chances of promotion are slim. I guess this is how my life will be. It's better to come back and be assigned a job. At least I can take care of you and Mom, and also keep Grandma company."

He had had this idea for a while, but Su Yonghuai disagreed, and since nothing major happened that forced him to leave, he continued to stay.

If I break up with Jin Jing, I'll have to leave whether I want to or not.

Su Yonghuai still felt it was a pity and kept sighing.

The Lin sisters looked at each other, not daring to offer any opinions at a time like this.

Su Yonghuai was unhappy because of Su Shengning's matter, so Lin Qin made an excuse and left with Lin Ying.

Before leaving, Lin Ying pointed to the dilapidated and abandoned courtyard next to the Su family's house and said, "I'll buy this courtyard. Once the house is renovated, we'll be neighbors."

The Su father and son nodded with smiles, watching Lin Qin and her sister leave. (End of Chapter)