The next day.
Everyone went to work as usual. He Lin, who wasn't working today, was heading home when he ran into Yang Yue, who was having breakfast at the Yu family's house. They exchanged a silent glance. Yang Yue, holding a steamed bun in his hand, said before He Lin could change his shoes and leave, "Kid, you better behave yourself. If you dare to have any other ideas, don't blame me for being impolite!"
He Lin did not respond and walked straight out.
"Hey, he's really not saying anything."
Yu Xin suddenly appeared out of nowhere: "See? My brother-in-law won't pay any attention to you. He's very aloof; even my sister might not be able to exchange more than a few words with him."
"Are they getting married or just living together as a couple?"
"That's about it. I have to go now."
Yu Xin came and went quickly, leaving in a hurry.
"Brother, why are you back today!"
He Xinglan went to the alley entrance to fetch water and immediately saw her brother.
"My home, can't I come back?"
He Xinglan didn't respond, sensing that her brother wasn't in a good mood.
"You weren't mistreated at your sister's house, were you? What's this called again... going back to your parents' home! Right."
Seeing that her brother wouldn't help her, He Xinglan realized he was truly angry this time. When she finally returned home, panting and carrying water, her brother was gone. The door was locked, and he didn't answer her knocks.
"Brother, will you eat the noodles I cook?"
"I'm not eating. I'll take a nap and take care of myself."
He Xinglan nodded and sat down on a bench in the middle of the courtyard. On the table was a task she'd found to make paper boxes. She quickly finished, keeping an eye on the door, but the adults didn't return for a long time. She finally put down her work and went to the kitchen to help prepare the ingredients.
"Brother, did someone say something to you at work, or were you upset sleeping at my sister's house?"
Although she received no response, He Xinglan didn't stop, continuing to speak to herself at the kitchen doorway: "As for work, based on what I know about you, it's definitely not going to happen. You're not the type to care about such trivial matters. But as for my sister... you don't like her. Yu Xin and her aunt and uncle are both very nice; they shouldn't cause you any trouble, right? It's not that family, is it?"
He Xinglan talked to herself for a long time before finally getting someone to talk to.
"Mom, you're finally off work. My brother came home and said he was going to sleep, without saying a word to me."
"You're back? Aren't you at work today? What are you doing back?"
He Xinglan shrugged, indicating that he didn't know either. After staring at the door for a while, Li Ying waved her hand: "Never mind, let your brother rest for a while. Too much has happened lately, don't pressure him."
He Xinglan shrank back slightly: "I didn't. It was clearly you and Dad who took it upon yourselves to sell my brother. He's angry because he's angry with you, not with me. I didn't force him to do anything he didn't like."
Li Ying didn't want to sell her son, but she had no choice but to comply. Now that He Lin had his ideal job and opportunities, they, as parents, had always seen it all, so they took the blame for him to avoid putting their child in a difficult position.
"Why don't we let them give it a try? If it works, that would be great..."
"Mom, from today onwards, don't hold onto those thoughts. Our two families are just business partners; once the personal ties are severed, there's no other relationship. Instead of hoping for a grandson from me, you should place your hopes on He Xinglan."
I knew my son's attitude beforehand, but hearing it from his own mouth today still makes a difference.
"Okay, let's not talk about it anymore. From now on, let's pretend we don't know each other. You can handle it yourself."
He Xinglan stood there, bewildered. But after saying that, He Lin went back into his room and closed the door. He Xinglan's pounding heart calmed down slightly.
"Mom, what does my brother mean by this? He wasn't this resistant before. Could it be that someone has been whispering something in his ear that's made him rebellious?"
Li Ying was embarrassed to admit it—although he was her own flesh and blood, sometimes she really didn't understand her son.
"Don't get involved. Your brother is an adult and has his own ideas. Let him do what he wants. It's not all bad; at least people know our family and the Yu family are related by marriage, so things are a bit easier for us."
He Xinglan recalled the time when her family had just suffered a disaster. They had nothing, and being treated coldly by others was the norm. Classmates who used to be able to talk to her would run away when they saw her. She was really hurt at the time, but now she was used to it. When someone suddenly treated her kindly, it felt very abrupt.
"Yes, Mom, you don't know how much gentler that auntie at the intersection is to me now. She used to be so fierce to me every time I went to pay the rent. But no one in our family has told anyone. Who's spreading the rumors?"
Looking at her naive daughter, Li Ying said helplessly, "It's hard to keep it a secret. If one person knows, it means everyone knows. It's not necessarily a bad thing. At most, in a couple of years, when your brother is no longer the leader's son-in-law, he'll go back to his old attitude. Maybe he's already talking badly about your brother behind his back."
The mother and daughter chatted for a long time, and He Lin, who was "sleeping," overheard everything. The house was small, and even turning over in bed could disturb the neighbors. During the day, if they spoke openly, everyone in the small courtyard could hear them clearly.
After preparing lunch, He Xinglan took on the task of delivering the meal to her father at the factory. Carrying a mesh bag, she quickly set off. She arrived at the factory without incident, but after waiting at the gate for a long time, she still hadn't seen her father.
"Young comrade, what brings you here?"
Seeing the red armband on his right hand, He Xinglan assumed the other person was a security guard or patrolman from the factory and truthfully replied, "I'm delivering food to my family."
"Oh, I see. How old are you this year?"
"Is it any of your business?"
Before she could even utter the word "eighteen," she was interrupted by someone behind her. The young man turned around and saw two people standing behind him. Yu Xin had accompanied Erli to the factory to borrow textbooks from her cousin, and upon arriving, they saw a man with ill intentions questioning He Xinglan.
The next second, before He Xinglan could react, her arm was grabbed forcefully.
"It's none of your business. We're dating."
He Xinglan struggled but to no avail: "Let go of me! Who said you're dating someone? You pervert!"
No one present had anticipated how things would unfold. The security guard suddenly stepped forward and chased Yu Xin and Er Li away.
"Get out of here, you schoolchildren! Don't stand in our factory gate and get in the way. If you don't leave, I'll have someone come and kick you out!"
He Xinglan and Erli exchanged a glance; one was going to beat up the old man, the other the thug. But the children were no match for the two adult men. When they interfered, Yu Xin shouted, "Run!"
She pulled He Xinglan up, and Erli put her backpack back and ran away.
"Damn it, why isn't that scoundrel stopping? Without Li Min, we're no match for him!"
"It's okay, let's split up. Yu Xin, you take her and run into the city center, I'll go find Li Min."
Fortunately, they weren't far from Li Min's house, and the friends had a unique code to quickly relay signals. After saying this, the three split into two groups and ran. Even so, the man from before had no intention of letting them go, and without hesitation, chose to follow Yu Xin and He Xinglan towards the bustling city.
You'll Also Like
-
One-way traffic
Chapter 1215 19 minute ago -
Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.
Chapter 1128 19 minute ago -
Konoha: Superman template, the spoiled brat becomes strong.
Chapter 424 19 minute ago -
I'm doing a crossover anime/manga project, and I'm creating a new kind of "Moonlight&
Chapter 348 19 minute ago -
Crossover Anime: Starting with a team up with Maple the Shield Girl!
Chapter 473 19 minute ago -
I'm in Mota, and they all want me to confess my feelings!
Chapter 124 19 minute ago -
Hokage, no one knows better than me how to cultivate talent.
Chapter 135 19 minute ago -
One Piece: New Century Hextech Warriors
Chapter 109 19 minute ago -
Naruto: I start with one door, and I can open it infinitely.
Chapter 65 19 minute ago -
Many children, many blessings: Surviving in a public restroom with a newlywed bridesmaid group
Chapter 51 19 minute ago