After the college entrance examination, life began to follow one's heart

Chapter 180 The son-in-law visits, and everyone is happy.

At 1:30 p.m., Xu Lin drove into Ning Yuhan's residential area.

"This neighborhood looks quite crowded."

Xu Lin glanced around and noticed that there were quite a few vacant or sparsely populated residential buildings along the way when he drove into the county.

However, this is also the current situation in many county towns.

Ning Yuhan's neighborhood is quite lively right now. There are many children playing on the playground, about twenty or thirty of them, and even more adults watching over them.

You can tell how lively a neighborhood is by the number of children.

"The occupancy rate of this community is quite high!"

Ning Yuhan nodded.

It's said that when a son-in-law visits his parents' home, it's the son-in-law who's nervous, but Xu Lin wasn't nervous at all; it was Ning Yuhan who was extremely nervous.

Xu Lin went down to the underground parking garage to park.

Ning Yuhan's home is in Building 3, Unit 805.

Xu Lin parked his car right outside the elevator in this building.

Because I bought a lot of gifts, the trunk was full, and some of the space was also placed in the back seat.

So I'll have to come down here again later.

"What are your younger brother and sister's names again?"

"My younger brother is named Ning Chengsui, Cheng as in bearing responsibility and Sui as in years. My younger sister is named Ning An'an, An as in peace."

"So that's why they're called Sui Sui and An An?"

"Yes, may you have peace and safety every year!"

Xu Lin already knew what was going on.

Outside the door 805.

Ding Dong!

Ning Yuhan rang the doorbell a few times before taking out her key to open the door, and called out, "Mom, I'm home!"

"I'm coming!"

Then, Ning Yuhan's mother's voice came from inside.

"My sister's back!"

At the same time, the excited voices of Ning Yuhan's younger brother and sister could also be heard.

"Honey, are you nervous?" Ning Yuhan couldn't help but ask him.

"Why would I be nervous?" Xu Lin wasn't nervous at all.

Ning Yuhan remained silent; she was genuinely nervous.

Click.

Ning Yuhan opened the door.

When Xu Lin saw Ning Yuhan's mother, Wu Xiulin, he took the initiative to greet her politely: "Hello, Auntie, I'm Hanhan's boyfriend. I've come to visit today!"

"Hanhan has told me about you so many times. I'll call you Alin. Come in!"

Wu Xiulin had a smile on her face and was very kind.

"Thank you, aunt!"

"Auntie, this is a gift I bought for you."

"That's too expensive! How much did this cost?"

Wu Xiulin felt embarrassed; the gifts Xu Lin brought all looked quite expensive, just by looking at the packaging.

"They're worthless, just small gifts."

Xu Lin put the things down.

Sui Sui and An An are twins, a boy and a girl, who look very alike and are both very good-looking. They are sure to grow up to be a handsome boy and a beautiful girl.

Now, the two children are clinging to their mother's legs, hiding behind her, and looking at Xu Lin with curious eyes.

"Sui Sui, An An, quickly call him brother-in-law!"

Wu Xiulin hurriedly urged the two children.

"Brother-in-law!"

"Brother-in-law!"

The two said in unison.

"Sui Sui, An An, let your big sister hug you!"

Ning Yuhan squatted down and hugged her younger brother and sister in her arms.

This semester, Ning Yuhan only saw them during the National Day holiday, and usually only when chatting with her mother on WeChat.

"Sister, I miss you so much!"

"Sister, I miss you too!"

"Your sister misses you all too!"

Ning Yuhan introduced him to them, saying, "He's your brother-in-law, you know? He even bought you a lot of gifts!"

The two children also looked at Xu Lin, their older brother, with curiosity.

On the other side, Wu Xiulin invited Xu Lin to sit down on the sofa.

Ning Yuhan's house is not big. The living room area is only about 20 square meters. After putting in two sofas and a coffee table, there is not much space left. The sofa is just a few steps from the entrance.

After Xu Lin sat down, Wu Xiulin poured him a glass of warm water.

"Ah Lin, have some water. If there's anything I haven't done well in my hospitality, please let me know."

"Thank you, aunt!"

Xu Lin took the disposable cup and drank two sips of warm water.

He then greeted Sui Sui and An An.

"Sui Sui, An An, come to your brother-in-law's place, he has lots of gifts for you!"

With Xu Lin speaking up, the two men, who had been curiously watching their brother-in-law, exchanged a glance and mustered their courage to come over.

"Are you two siblings, brother and sister?"

"Brother-in-law, Sui Sui is your older brother!"

Sui Sui answered first.

An'an also said, "Brother-in-law, An'an is the younger sister."

"Brother-in-law knows, you two are both adorable!"

Xu Lin reached out and gently pinched their cute little faces.

At the same time, the two of them also looked at Xu Lin, their older brother, with curiosity.

At this moment, Xu Lin picked up a Gundam set.

"This is a Gundam for Sui Sui, this is a Ragdoll cat for An An, this Ultraman is for Sui Sui, and this rag doll is for An An..."

Xu Lin distributed the gifts one by one. For children, there is nothing more exciting than receiving a gift, so both of their eyes lit up.

"Like it?"

"like!"

"like!"

The two said in unison.

Ning Yuhan urged, "Aren't you going to thank your brother-in-law yet?"

"Thank you, brother-in-law!"

"Don't rush, there's more! There are still quite a few gifts inside the car that we haven't brought up yet!"

Xu Lin smiled and planned to go downstairs to get the rest of his luggage.

"Ah Lin, are there any other gifts?"

"Auntie, you bought quite a lot of gifts this time."

"That's too expensive."

"It's nothing, it's not easy to come to someone's door."

Xu Lin got up, and Ning Yuhan followed, intending to go downstairs to get their luggage together.

Soon, the two brought up the rest of the items.

Soon, the coffee table and sofa were filled with children's gifts and snacks.

Wow, so many snacks!

The two children were stunned.

Xu Lin opened a regular gummy candy. "Here, may you have peace and safety every year. Have some candy."

"Thank you, brother-in-law!"

"Brother-in-law, you are so kind!"

Are you usually well-behaved at home? Do you listen to me?

"We are very obedient; we listen to everything our parents and sister say!"

An'an quickly replied.

"That's good!"

Xu Lin patted their little heads.

The four or five-year-old children were not tall or big. Each of them sat on one of Xu Lin's legs, and Xu Lin sat on the sofa to give them gummy bears. Sui Sui was holding a Kakarot figurine in one hand and a Porsche toy car in the other, while An An was hugging a doll. Both of them loved the gifts.

For the next half hour or so, Xu Lin spent the living room playing with the children, and finally got to know them. The two of them called him "brother-in-law" repeatedly, and they couldn't be happier.

As for Ning Yuhan and Wu Xiulin, they have already gone out to buy groceries.

Now that Xu Lin is coming over, Wu Xiulin says she's going to cook a delicious meal.

About an hour later, the mother and daughter returned.

"Brother-in-law, Mom and my sister are back!"

An An exclaimed in surprise.

Sui Sui said, "Brother-in-law, my mom's cooking is so delicious!"

"is it?"

"Really, Mom's cooking is so delicious!"

"Brother-in-law, I'm really looking forward to it!"

Seeing Wu Xiulin busy in the kitchen, Xu Lin came in and asked, "Auntie, do you need any help?"

"No need, no need, Ah Lin, you should rest outside. You must be tired after driving for so long."

"It's okay, how about I wash the vegetables?"

"Then Ah Lin can help wash the vegetables, but you don't need to help with anything else."

"Row."

Xu Lin helped wash the vegetables. It was actually very simple; it was just vegetables and meat, which only needed to be washed.

Xu Lin then came out of the kitchen.

"Brother-in-law, have a lollipop!"

An'an came over, holding a lollipop that Xu Lin had bought. "Brother-in-law, I tore off the candy wrapper!"

"An'an is such a good girl!"

Xu Lin took the lollipop.

"Senior, where is your room?"

"here!"

Ning Yuhan led Xu Lin into her room. Her room wasn't anything special; it wasn't a princess room, after all, Ning Yuhan wasn't delicate.

"Brother-in-law, look at our room!"

The two siblings, Sui Sui and An An, came in, each holding one of Xu Lin's hands.

"Then brother-in-law, take a look at Sui Sui and An An's room!"

Xu Lin followed them into another room.

Ning Yuhan's place has three bedrooms and one living room. The two siblings, Sui Sui and An An, share a room with two beds.

After arriving in the room, the two siblings took off their shoes and got onto their respective beds, jumping and shouting about whose beds these were and that their brother-in-law would be sleeping with them that night.

Xu Lin and Ning Yuhan felt both amused and exasperated.

Soon it was time to eat.

The meal was very lavish, with four dishes and a soup, all home-style cooking. But as the two siblings said, Wu Xiulin's cooking skills were indeed excellent. Xu Lin originally thought Ning Yuhan's cooking skills were already good, but he didn't expect Wu Xiulin's cooking skills to be even better.

"Auntie, your cooking is so good!"

“If it’s delicious, eat more!”

Wu Xiulin was very happy. Her son-in-law was handsome, tall, and had a great appearance. He was also very polite. It would be strange if she didn't like him.

"Thank you, aunt!"

Eat more.

Ning Yuhan also served food to Xu Lin.

The meal ended amidst laughter and conversation.

After we've eaten and drunk our fill...

Xu Lin said he wanted to go downstairs for a walk, and Sui Sui An An wanted to go with him.

So Xu Lin carried the two siblings downstairs with Ning Yuhan.

There were quite a few people in the residential area.

Because Ning Yuhan and her family have lived here for many years, many people in the community know Ning Yuhan.

"Hanhan, are you home for the holidays?"

"Auntie, I just got back today!"

"Hanhan, is this your boyfriend?"

"Auntie, this is my brother-in-law!"

Before Ning Yuhan could answer, An'an had already spoken first.

Ning Yuhan smiled and said, "Auntie, this is my boyfriend!"

"What a handsome young man!"

"Hello Auntie!"

Xu Lin also took the initiative to greet the other party.

"Yu-Han, are you bringing the young man home?"

Then, an elderly man speaking Cantonese walked towards them, looking at Xu Lin with surprise.

Ning Yuhan also said in Cantonese, "Grandpa, he's my boyfriend!"

"Greetings, sir!"

Xu Lin also spoke in Cantonese. Xu Lin's maternal grandfather's family was also in Guangdong Province, and it's normal for people in Guangdong and Guangxi to speak Cantonese.

Where are you from?

Xu Lin gave his address and mentioned that his maternal grandfather was from eastern Guangdong and spoke Cantonese. Only then did the other person realize what he meant.

After exchanging a few words, Xu Lin and his group continued strolling around the neighborhood. They encountered quite a few people along the way and had to greet quite a few of them.

Some speak Mandarin, some speak Cantonese, especially the elderly, who almost all speak Cantonese. If you speak Mandarin to them, they won't understand.

"This neighborhood is very friendly."

Xu Lin smiled.

Ning Yuhan nodded: "Yes, everything is fine, and they are all old neighbors. Some of them have lived here for more than ten years."

Xu Lin suggested, "How about we go for a walk outside the neighborhood?"

"Let's go for a walk!"

However, after thinking about it, Xu Lin simply suggested that they take a stroll around the county town.

Of course, this means it can't just be about walking.

Xu Lin asked Ning Yuhan to wait for him at the entrance of the residential area with Sui Sui and An An, while he went down to the underground garage to drive his car.

"Get in the car!"

When Xu Lin drove out, the car stopped in front of Ning Yuhan and the others. Since Ning Yuhan had two children with her, she sat in the back seat.

Wow, my brother-in-law has a big car!

After getting in the car, Sui Sui and An An looked around the car with great curiosity.

Although Ning Yuhan's family owns a house in the county town, they don't own a car. This is partly because Ning Yuhan still needs to go to school, and although she doesn't need money from her family, they might need it later.

Of course, more importantly, my younger brother and sister will be starting primary school next year, and there will be two of them, which will be a huge expense, so we can't consider buying a car.

Ning Yuhan's family has two electric vehicles, which are very convenient for traveling in the city and even back to their rural hometown.

Ning Yuhan said to them, "Sit still, naughty ones, don't move around."

Xu Lin laughed and said, "It's alright, kids are just active."

"Brother-in-law, you're so kind!" Sui Sui said.

An'an also asked, "Brother-in-law, how did you and our sister meet?"

"You're too young to understand."

“Brother-in-law, I understand!” An’an pressed.

Ning Yuhan tied An'an's hair into pigtails, saying, "It was your older sister who took the initiative to confess to your brother-in-law!"

What does "confessing your feelings" mean?

An An was very confused.

Ning Yuhan smiled and said, "You'll understand when you grow up."

"What does confessing your feelings mean?" An'an asked again.

"It was your sister who told me, 'Xu Lin, I really like you. Can you be my boyfriend?'" Xu Lin laughed from the driver's seat.

Ning Yuhan gave him a light glare.

"Oh! Is this what confessing your feelings is like?"

An'an asked.

Ning Yuhan: "This is a confession, but you can't just confess casually. When you grow up, tell the boy you like, 'I like you.'"

"Sister, when I grow up, I'll confess to the boy I like!" An'an nodded earnestly.

Xu Lin added, "You should confess your feelings after you get into university. Get into a good university, like your sister did, before you can confess your feelings."

"Why?" An'an asked again.

Xu Lin said, "Because all the good boys are in good universities, the country has already selected them for you."

"Brother-in-law, what about me?"

I keep asking questions every year.

Xu Lin: "You're the same. You need to be like your sister, go to a good university, meet a good girl. Of course, you yourself need to be outstanding too. Every pot has its lid..."

"Brother-in-law, what does it mean that a certain pot should be paired with a certain lid?" Sui Sui asked blankly.

Ning Yuhan scolded, "You're making it too complicated; the child won't understand."

Xu Lin laughed heartily: "Let's not talk about this for now. Let's wait until Sui Sui and An An are a little older. Let's drive around and see what's going on!"

This county town is not big; the urban area is only a small place, and many areas are quite desolate.

After driving for a short while, An'an stood up and pointed to a high school outside the window, saying, "Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, that's my sister's high school!"

Xu Lin parked the car and looked over. It was XX Experimental Middle School. There were still many students walking around inside, so they obviously hadn't started their holiday yet.

"This must be the best high school in the county, right?"

Xu Lin turned to Ning Yuhan and asked, and Ning Yuhan nodded.

"Does this school have students who get into Jiangdu University or Kyoto University?"

"No."

"What was your ranking in school again?"

"First place."

"What a loss! If you had gone to a good high school in a prefecture-level city, you probably would have gone to Jiangdu University."

"I won't see you anymore once I get into Jiangdu University!"

Ning Yuhan pursed her lips.

Xu Lin paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "It's alright, even if you're at Jiangdu University, I'll still pursue you."

"Humph!"

The two were flirting, but Sui Sui An An couldn't understand them.

"Sister, why are you blushing?"

Sui Sui touched Ning Yuhan's face, puzzled.

"It's just that the weather is hot," Ning Yuhan said.

Xu Lin smiled and said nothing.

However, in eastern Guangdong Province now, in January, many people are still wearing short sleeves and slippers outside, and of course, some are wearing a light jacket.

Today's high here is around 20 degrees Celsius, so there will be a significant temperature difference between day and night.

Then, Xu Lin drove off to other places.

The county town isn't big; you can drive around it in about half an hour.

Moreover, this county town only has one shopping mall.

Around 5 p.m., Xu Lin, carrying Sui Sui and An An, went shopping with Ning Yuhan.

However, since it's a county town, there aren't many shopping malls to visit, though it is quite lively.

"Brother-in-law, I want to eat an ice pop!"

Sui Sui pointed to the popsicles that other children were eating, looking on with longing.

"Brother-in-law, I want an ice pop too!" An'an chimed in.

"Okay, okay, I'll buy you popsicles!"

Xu Lin arrived at the convenience store.

There weren't many kinds of popsicles, so Xu Lin asked the two of them what kind of popsicles they wanted.

Sui Sui pointed to the red bean popsicle and said, "I want a red popsicle."

"Where's An An?"

"Brother-in-law, I want a brown popsicle!"

"this one?"

"OK!"

The brown one is a chocolate popsicle.

Ning Yuhan took out the popsicle they wanted and tore off the wrapper.

She reminded him, "Be careful, it's cold. Eat slowly, okay?"

"Got it!" they both said in unison.

"Brother-in-law, have an ice pop!"

Before An'an even started eating, she held the popsicle up to Xu Lin's face.

Xu Lin smiled and said, "An'an, be a good girl!"

After saying that, he took a small bite of a corner.

"Brother-in-law, popsicle!"

Seeing this, Sui Sui quickly brought her popsicle to Xu Lin's mouth.

Xu Lin also took a small bite.

"Sui Sui is very well-behaved!"

"Is it delicious, brother-in-law?"

"good to eat!"

"Brother-in-law, what about mine?"

“They’re all delicious!”

"Sister wants an ice pop too!"

An'an then said to Ning Yuhan that Sui Sui next to her was the same.

Ning Yuhan also took a bite out of each of the two popsicles, and then patted her younger siblings' heads.

Both siblings are like porcelain dolls, very cute.

"What time is it?" Xu Lin asked Ning Yuhan.

"It's past five o'clock."

"Let's go home then, it'll be dark soon."

"May you have a peaceful and safe year, time to go home!"

"Go home!"

The two children joined in the excited shouts.

About half an hour later, Xu Lin and his group returned to the residential area.

When everyone returned upstairs, Xu Lin was about to enter when he saw a man come out to greet them.

Xu Lin knew that this was Ning Yuhan's father.

"Hello, uncle!"

Xu Lin greeted him politely.

"Alright, alright, come in quickly!"

Ning Haifeng quickly invited Xu Lin to come in.

Ning Yuhan's father is also a hospitable person.

"Dad, my brother-in-law bought us lots of gifts!" An'an exclaimed excitedly.

Sui Sui, who was next to him, started describing what gifts were available, but he could only name things like toys, snacks, and clothes. He didn't know the specific names of the gifts, such as Gundam or something similar.

"Dad saw it, Rinta spent a lot of money!"

Ning Haifeng felt rather embarrassed. Many people from rural backgrounds are honest and simple, and they don't like their sons-in-law to bring too many gifts when they visit, otherwise it's not appropriate to reciprocate.

"Uncle, this is my first time visiting, please be kind to me."

"Uncle was worried you wouldn't be used to it here!"

Ning Haifeng was about to pour tea for Xu Lin.

Xu Lin stopped the other man, saying, "Uncle, I can do it."

As he spoke, Xu Lin took the teapot from Ning Haifeng. The tea had just been boiled and was still steaming.

Xu Lin poured a glass for Ning Haifeng first, and then poured one for himself.

Ning Haifeng was deeply moved, never expecting that Xu Lin would pour him tea first.

"Xiao Lin, Han Han said you drove here from Jiangdu yesterday morning? I think it must have taken more than ten hours to drive here."

"Correct."

"Aren't you tired? Driving such a long distance."

"It's alright, it's not too far, and I found a place to rest last night."

Xu Lin couldn't very well say that his physique was different from that of ordinary people.

"That's good."

The two chatted casually in the living room.

Generally speaking, when a son-in-law visits his parents' home, the parents-in-law will ask him about his family's business and assess his financial situation.

But Ning Haifeng didn't ask any questions. He just talked about his work today and what he usually does.

Ning Haifeng used to work as a repairman for a repair company. He would take orders from the company and go to people's homes in the city to repair air conditioners, pipes, and so on. Later, he started his own business. Because of his good skills and his reputation, more and more people asked him to do his work. As time went on, Ning Haifeng's reputation grew. Now, in this small county, he usually earns more than 10,000 yuan a month. This month, with the Chinese New Year approaching, he estimates that he can earn up to 20,000 yuan.

Repairmen like these, if they have the skills, can really make a living and never have to worry about finding work. Sometimes, you have to wait in line for quite a while to book one.

Ning Haifeng is like that; his family's life is gradually getting better, and he's about to pay off his mortgage.

He previously bought a house with a down payment of 100,000 yuan, and the total price was around 300,000 yuan.

“Next year, Sui Sui and An An will be starting primary school, and I will have to send them to primary school in the county so that they can have a good start. When Han Han was little, our family didn’t have much money, so we sent her to a rural primary school. I feel that was a huge disadvantage, and she couldn’t keep up with the basics.”

Xu Lin nodded in agreement. "The county is indeed much better. Rural areas have too few educational resources. What about Duanzhou?"

This is Guangning County, which is under the administration of Duanzhou. The educational resources of a prefecture-level city are definitely not comparable to those of a county, and the overall quality of the children will be higher. A good environment is essential for children's better development.

“It’s too far away over there, and it’s inconvenient. But if it’s for junior high school, I’ll send them both there to study. The educational resources are better there. Or if they get good grades for high school, there are two top high schools there, and they can get in if their grades are good enough.”

Ning Haifeng and his wife both suffered from a lack of education. Ning Haifeng graduated from junior high school, while Wu Xiulin graduated from high school. Both came from rural families. In those days, it was already difficult for rural people to even finish junior high school, let alone high school.

Therefore, the two of them were determined to ensure their child received a proper education.

"Hanhan has a high aptitude for learning, and Sui Sui An An will most likely be just as good."

Xu Lin pinched the two children's little faces.

"Haha, I hope so." Ning Haifeng also reached out and affectionately patted his children's heads.

The father-in-law and son-in-law were chatting in the living room, while Wu Xiulin and Ning Yuhan were cooking in the kitchen.

Soon, it was time to eat.

Tonight's meal was even more sumptuous, with five dishes and two soups, all home-style dishes, different from what we had during the day. There was also a pork bone soup. Thanks to Wu Xiulin's superb cooking skills, Xu Lin had a great appetite.

"Auntie's cooking is so good!"

Xu Lin couldn't help but say.

"Xiao Lin, eat more!"

Ning Haifeng smiled and took out a bottle of homemade grain liquor.

"I only drink occasionally, I'm not addicted. Xiao Lin, would you like some? It's homemade!"

When his son-in-law came to visit, Ning Haifeng couldn't resist bringing out his best dishes.

"I'd like a cup to try!" Xu Lin was quite interested. He had never tried homemade drinks before; he always drank commercially produced ones.

Homemade foods from rural areas often have a really great flavor, such as cured meat, dried fish, pickled cabbage, and green beans. The pickled cabbage and pickled green beans, in particular, are things that are often incomparable to those made in the city.

Tonight, Wu Xiulin opened the bottle of her homemade pickled green beans. These pickled green beans are made by rubbing green beans with fine salt, then putting them in a sauerkraut jar and sealing them for at least half a month. After that, they become pickled green beans, and they taste delicious.

Xu Lin also got to try it tonight.

At this moment, Ning Haifeng poured Xu Lin a glass of wine.

Ning Yuhan reminded, "Just one cup is enough; don't drink too much."

"It's okay, I'll just try it."

Xu Lin smiled.

Wu Xiulin also said, "Drinking can lead to trouble, but a little bit won't hurt. Just have a little to satisfy your cravings and eat more vegetables and rice."

"Auntie, I understand."

Soon, Xu Lin tasted the wine brewed by Ning Haifeng.

This liquor has a slightly higher alcohol content, but it tastes really good.

"Xiao Lin, how are you feeling?"

"I think it's pretty good, the flavor is addictive!"

"Dad, I want to drink too!"

Seeing Xu Lin and the other person savoring their wine, Sui Sui couldn't help but exclaim.

Ning Haifeng said softly, "No, we'll talk about it when they're older. It's fine for little kids to drink beverages."

"Alcohol is not a good thing. When you grow up, you can drink, but you can't drink too much. You can only have a little occasionally, understand?"

Xu Lin also mentioned it.

"Yes!" Sui Sui nodded seriously.

"Brother-in-law, have some meat!"

On the other side, An'an picked up a piece of beef for Xu Lin.

"An'an is such a good girl!"

"Brother-in-law, let me put some on your plate too!"

Sui Sui stood up from her chair, wanting to serve Xu Lin some food, but her arms were too short to reach it, which made everyone laugh.

Dinner was spent in this harmonious atmosphere.

(End of this chapter)