You are my wife, don't doubt it!

Chapter 10 Grandma

2023-07-31

Xiao Yao's grandmother Miao Jinfang not only brought soy sauce, but also cut two more kilograms of organic black pork.

Her decision proved prescient, for two more guests arrived.

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit..." Yu Luying sat at the table, scribbled the sign of a cross on her chest, and softly recited the pre-meal prayer.

"Wow, meat!" The blond technical school girl was trying to grab the braised pork, but Xiao Yao beside her slapped her hand away with a chopstick: "Wait a minute."

"Oh." The yellow-haired girl pursed her lips. Her name was Shen Tian... What did Tian come from? Oh, Tian Yun.

"Let grandma pick up the chopsticks first, and wait until others have finished praying. Do you understand that's polite?" Xiao Yao said in a low voice.

That looked just like a father teaching a child, Miao Jinfang thought.

Speaking of which, this kid is indeed a bit lacking in manners. When he was cooking the meat just now, Yu Luying and another girl named Shen came to the soap room to help, but Shen Tianyun stayed in the room and didn't come out. No one knew what she was doing.

In sharp contrast is the short girl on the right - judging by her clothes and gestures, she should be the daughter of a wealthy family.

Thinking back to the past, I was also the fourth daughter of a landlord, Miao Jinfang thought.

"Grandma, you eat too." Shen Jie woke Miao Jinfang from her thoughts with a smile on her face.

"Okay, okay, okay." Miao Jinfang smiled happily.

Ever since his eldest son and daughter-in-law divorced a year ago and his eldest son went to work overseas, this eldest grandson has been living with him.

Miao Jinfang knew that he had always been a loner, not to mention girls, he didn't even have many male friends. In the first semester of his freshman year, he was very close to a girl named Yu Luying from the next alley, but in the second semester, they no longer interacted. When she asked her grandson what was going on, he just stammered and gave a perfunctory answer.

"Shen..." Miao Jinfang spoke.

"Shen Jie." Shen Jie reminded.

"How did you and Yaoer know each other?" Miao Jinfang asked with concern.

Miao Jinfang noticed that Shen Jie was stunned for a moment, then cast a questioning look at her grandson.

"Ah, this..." Xiao Yao was also stunned: "...I met him while playing games."

"You're still in the computer room?" Miao Jinfang's face darkened, and she felt that the occasion was not right, so she turned to Shen Jie and said, "Of course, it's good to combine work and rest, but the important thing is not to delay studying."

"Did you hear that? Study." Shen Jie held back her laughter and spoke to Xiao Yao in a serious tone.

"Study, study." Xiao Yao took two mouthfuls of rice.

"Which school are you from?" Miao Jinfang asked.

"I'm from the city's No. 7 Girls' High School, and I'm a sophomore in high school

"Then you are one year older than Yaoyao." As if she was completely unaware of the awkward atmosphere on the scene, Miao Jinfang said, "The No. 7 Girls' High School is a good school. The granddaughter of old lady Jin is also there..."

Finally, Miao Jinfang realized that she had neglected the other two: "What about you?"

"Ah? Me?" Shen Tianyun wiped the corners of her shiny mouth with the back of her hand: "I'm from Changqing Sports School, and I'm in the third grade now."

Changqing Sports School? It's better than Beihong Technical School... well, the pot calling the kettle black.

"Sports school?" Before Miao Jinfang could say anything, Shen Jie spoke first with an incredulous tone: "Really?"

"Well," Shen Tianyun looked at Shen Jie with a somewhat gentle expression: "My mother said that her family was too strict with her when she was a child, so they let me decide what I want to learn according to my interests."

"So that's how it is." Shen Jie nodded: "What do you practice?"

"Ride a bicycle." Shen Tianyun made a gesture of holding the handlebars with both hands.

Several girls started chatting one after another, and even Yu Luying, who had been concentrating on eating, joined in, finally breaking the awkward situation of Miao Jinfang singing alone.

"Senior year, actually it's not that bad... I'm not taking the college entrance exam, now I'm preparing for the IELTS... Where to go... probably the United States." Shen Jie said.

"I don't know yet. You can either go directly to the high school of this school. St. Francis Xavier's School seems to have students with sports specialties? But it's all very difficult..." Shen Tianyun held his chin with one hand.

"Sports specialty students, this is good, let's try for it." Xiao Yao and Shen Jie, who had been silent, said in unison.

"Me? Fudan." Yu Luying's words were concise but firm, earning her several cries of admiration.

"So, Xiao Yao has to work hard too." Yu Luying glanced at Xiao Yao and said slowly, "The final exam is coming soon. Teacher Yao asked me to help Xiao Yao with his lessons."

"You've worked so hard, Yingying." Miao Jinfang said with emotion.

"Didn't Teacher Yao say that you were the one who took the initiative... ah." Xiao Yao asked Yu Luying in a low voice. Before he could finish his words, he was gently poked in the waist and quickly shut up.

"Ah, make-up lessons?" Shen Tianyun looked at the ceiling and deliberately prolonged her tone: "Some people are boasting too much."

"What's wrong?" Shen Jie didn't seem as reserved as she was at the beginning, and asked with interest.

"No, I just thought of something fun." Shen Tianyun cleared his throat: "My dad always brags to me about how good his grades were when he was in school, and he scolded me for only being able to get into a sports school, blah blah blah..."

Shen Jie put down the cup in her hand, turned her head to the side, sprayed the water in her mouth onto the ground, and then covered her mouth and laughed wildly. She laughed so hard that her shoulders were shaking violently.

“Yes…hahahahaha…I’m sorry…I…hahaha…”

"Ah, it started again." Shen Tianyun continued to look at the ceiling.

Unable to stop laughing, Shen Jie took out a handkerchief and bent down to wipe the floor: "Grandma, I'm sorry... cough cough..."

"It doesn't matter," Miao Jinfang said hurriedly, "Let me do it!"

Yu Luying took out a pack of tissues, handed it to Shen Jie, and then reached out and patted her on the back.

Xiao Yao had already stood up halfway, but when he saw Yu Luying was already taking pictures, he sat down again awkwardly.

"So what does your father do for a living now?" Shen Jie stopped laughing and asked again. He was asking Shen Tianyun, but his eyes were looking at Xiao Yao.

Shen Tianyun leaned aside and said, "What else can the adults do? If you ask, they just go to work. We can't see him, so we can only make wishes from afar. It will take a long time for them to come true. Let's not talk about him anymore!"

The teenagers' topic did not always stay on study and future. Soon, they turned to discussing the latest movies, pop songs, hobbies, and gossip about their respective schools.

"Little girl, you are speaking Shanghai dialect." Miao Jinfang suddenly touched Shen Tianyun's arm.

"Oh, yes, you should speak Mandarin like them," Xiao Yao said, "Although grandma can understand Mandarin, it's quite difficult for her."

"Ah? I can't speak it," Shen Tianyun said with difficulty: "I can only understand the dialect of the Magic City."

Miao Jinfang was stunned for a moment and said nothing. She just sat aside and listened with a smile.

Strangely enough, although there were many things about Shen Tianyun that Miao Jinfang didn't like, Miao Jinfang couldn't hate this overly lively and naughty child.

She had an indescribable feeling, always feeling that the child was like her own granddaughter.

This kind of intimacy... makes no sense, it's so strange. Miao Jinfang shook her head, as if trying to get rid of something.

The Shen Jie next to her is well-educated and well-mannered. Most of the time, she is mature and steady beyond her age, and has the demeanor of a lady from a noble family.

As for Yingying...she seemed to have quickly withdrawn from the discussion circle, sitting there fiddling with her long hair, looking like she was troubled by something.

Finally, Miao Jinfang turned his gaze to his grandson. He looked at Shen Jie and then at Yu Luying, with the passion of a young man in his eyes.

An inexplicable worry gradually replaced her joy - it was so hard to have so many friends around her, she must not scare them away again.

The floor clock rang and Miao Jinfang yawned softly.

"Grandma is sleepy, let her rest." Shen Jie keenly caught this signal: "Grandma, please stay still, we will clean up the dishes. Xiao Yao, you take your classmate home."

"I can go back by myself." Yu Luying suggested.

"Yes, Mom... uh, Shen Jie, just let her go back by herself." Shen Tianyun readily agreed, pretending not to notice Yu Luying glaring at her.

"I have something to tell you alone." Shen Jie patted Shen Tianyun's arm.

"But..." Shen Tianyun said unconvinced.

Yu Luying had already quietly walked to the door of the soap room and opened it: "Grandma, I'll be leaving first."

"Oh, okay." Miao Jinfang glanced at Xiao Yao, who had already picked up a thin coat and hurriedly chased after him.

Chapter 11 Moonlight

"Aren't you going to the library to make up for your lessons?"

"What time is it?"

The bright moonlight shines through the willow branches and leaves along the Suzhou River, radiating softly and warmly, as if coating the path with a layer of silver.

Two clear figures were bathed in the moonlight, walking hurriedly, one in front and one behind.

"Yu Luying, why are you walking so fast?"

"Don't see me off. Go back soon." The girl spoke as fast as her footsteps.

"No, that won't do. My grandma asked me to take you home." Xiao Yao took a few quick steps and followed.

Yu Luying hesitated to speak and finally remained silent.

After walking along this path, Xiao Yao followed Yu Luying onto a small bridge.

"The moonlight is so beautiful." Xiao Yao suddenly heard Yu Luying's voice say this.

The sound was very soft, so soft that Xiao Yao thought he should not be able to hear it at this distance and in this environment.

"Yes, the moonlight is so beautiful tonight." Xiao Yao responded, but his eyes were fixed on the beautiful figure in front of him.

Japanese writer Natsume Soseki advocated translating "I love you" as "The moonlight is so beautiful tonight (今夜は月が绮丽ですね)", which means that the moonlight is beautiful because you are with the person you love.

Yu Luying has always been a reserved person, and Xiao Yao has always known it.

Of course, the literary girl Yu Luying also knew this, so she was a little nervous——

Just now, she sighed in her heart, "The moonlight is so beautiful" - how come the person next to her seemed to be able to hear it?

Yu Luying suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong?" Xiao Yao almost stepped on her heel.

"You should go back quickly. We are just ahead. Let my mother see us..." Yu Luying said stiffly.

"Okay, don't be angry," Xiao Yao said, "My relationship with those two girls is not what you think..."

"I don't think about anything," Yu Luying said coldly, "What you do with others has nothing to do with me."

"I like you." Xiao Yao blurted out.

Yu Luying's shoulders trembled visibly, and she ran away. After walking two or three steps, she stopped and turned back.

"Do you remember?" she said word by word, "the condition that I agreed to continue to be friends with you is..."

"Yeah, just pretend that the confession never happened," Xiao Yao continued, "but you didn't do it. You said you wanted to be friends, but we became distant from each other after that... Even if you don't want to be in a relationship, at least we can be like before..."

"...I'm sorry, I can't do it." Yu Luying bit her lower lip: "And..."

"Ok?"

"I said I would help you with your studies, please don't misunderstand me," Yu Luying looked down at the tip of her shoe, "I'm really worried that you'll fail a grade. If you fail, grandma will be very disappointed, right? ... It's not easy for her either."

Xiao Yao raised his eyebrows.

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to preach…” The girl tangled her fingers together: “So, please don’t follow me anymore, or say you like me… It will bother me.”

Yu Luying bowed 90 degrees, and her long black hair fell straight down like a waterfall.

"I understand. Sorry." Xiao Yao replied in a relaxed tone, then left without looking back.

Saying "without even looking back" is actually an exaggerated rhetorical device, because Xiao Yao did look back in the end.

In the moonlight, he saw the silhouette of the girl standing on the bridge, leaning against the handrail.

--split line--

At the same time, in Shen Tianyun's room.

Shen Jie held the window frame with both hands, looking at the lightning and thunder outside, thoughtfully.

In fact, she could only "hear" because to her, there was also fog outside the window.

"After telling you so much about yourself, you should believe me now, right?" Shen Tianyun stood behind her, supporting his waist with his right hand.

"Is the future really that...?" Shen Jie seemed not to hear her question and just muttered to herself.

"Didn't you see it all with your own eyes?" Shen Tianyun shrugged. "Didn't you tell me that at 12 o'clock last night, you walked through the mirror in your own home?"

Just as Shen Jie was about to speak, the closet door was gently pushed open. Then, Xiao Yao's head popped out, giving her a fright.

"You two are here? No wonder grandma said you all left..."