335: Chapter 329 Fourth Aunt 335: Chapter 329 Fourth Aunt Liuyuan County, near the entrance of Wenchang Pavilion Community, in front of Chen Hai’s grocery store.
Jiang Meixian was chatting casually with a woman in her forties, who bore a slight resemblance to her.
This woman was named Jiang Guixian.
In their generation, there were five siblings, with Jiang Meixian being the second and Jiang Guixian the fourth.
Among the siblings, some were closer, while others were definitely more distant.
Originally, Jiang Meixian had married into Wuyang Town, becoming the wife of Chen Hai’s father, while her younger sister, Jiang Guixian, married into Deep Water Port Town, adjacent to Wuyang Town.
Because the distance between their homes wasn’t very far, they often visited each other, and their relationship was pretty good!
“Fourth sister, what brings you here today?” Pouring a glass of cool boiled water for her younger sister, Jiang Meixian asked with a smile.
“My husband and I came to the county to handle some business!”
“He went to the Agricultural Machinery Company, and I thought it had been a while since I saw you, Second Sister.
Since it’s not much of a detour, I decided to come and see you!”
“Where’s your brother-in-law?
Didn’t see him around.
Has he gone out to pull the cart?”
Sitting on the little chair at the entrance of the shop, Jiang Guixian glanced inside and said with a laugh.
“Don’t get me started on your brother-in-law.
Once he gets a bit of money, he doesn’t know if it’s coming or going!”
“The cart at home hasn’t been touched for over half a year.”
“Lately, every early morning, he just takes his fishing rod and heads to the Yuan River.”
“He hardly catches a few fish, but his addiction to fishing is huge!”
“Say a few words to him, and he gives me a sour face.”
“He doesn’t seem to realize if it weren’t for me bearing him a good son, could he possibly have such an easy life?”
…
Jiang Meixian seemed very dissatisfied with her husband, Chen Zhonghua, harboring quite a bit of resentment.
Whenever she talked about him, she wouldn’t stop grumbling.
“Come on, Second Sister, your family already has urban household registration, and you’re not short of money.”
“If your brother-in-law wants to enjoy some peace by fishing, that’s all he’s doing, nothing excessive.
Just let him be!”
“I’m really envious of you, having such a good son like Hai, who not only made it to university but is also thriving in his own business.”
“If only our Yong was half as capable as your Hai, I would be fully satisfied!”
Giving her second sister a sideways glance, Jiang Meixian sighed, her tone somewhat sour.
For parents, having a capable and successful son is their greatest pride.
Chen Zhonghua and Jiang Meixian, when occasionally gathering with relatives, inevitably talked about their son, Chen Hai.
Although the couple didn’t know much about Chen Hai’s affairs,
the bits they did know and shared shocked their relatives and friends deeply.
“This boy Yong is quite sensible!”
“After finishing junior high, he was just sixteen when he followed some fellow villagers to work in Yuedong.”
“It’s been about two years since he left.
How is he doing lately, has he called home?”
Hearing her younger sister mention her nephew Yong, Jiang Meixian followed up with questions.
“That child, I really don’t know what’s going on.
The last time he called was a year ago.”
“A few months ago, I managed to get in touch over the phone with someone who went to Yuedong with him.”
“That person said that Yong left for Shen City because the wages in Wan City were too low.”
“He too has lost touch with Yong, and doesn’t know how Yong is doing now.”
Speaking of her son, Huang Yong, Jiang Guixian’s face turned bitter, and she sighed deeply.
She could understand not calling for a month or two.
After all, making calls from Wan City is not only expensive but also inconvenient.
Furthermore, Jiang Guixian’s own home didn’t have a telephone installed.
When her son, Huang Yong, called, he first had to call the home of someone nearby who had a phone, ask them to summon Jiang Guixian, and then call back.
However, no matter how inconvenient, having no news for over a year was definitely unusual.
She couldn’t help but worry about her son.
“Don’t worry, Fourth Sister, Yong is grown up, what could possibly happen?”
“In a few days, he might just call back!”
“Who knows, maybe he’ll even bring back a wife from Yuedong!”
Trying to comfort her sister, Jiang Meixian joked with a chuckle.
“If he manages that, what can I say?”
“If he really works hard enough to bring back a wife, even if they’re too young to get a marriage certificate, I’d still help them celebrate with a wedding feast!”
Jiang Guixian responded with a laugh.
The idea of bringing back a spouse from working outside was something quite common in their village, with several real-life examples.
At the mention of this matter, her worries seemed to have been diluted quite a bit.
“Creak…” a sound.
While the two sisters were chatting merrily, a rare sight in Liuyuan County, a Jeep Cherokee slowly pulled over to the side of the road in front of the grocery store.
“Mom, Fourth Aunt…” Chen Hai leapt out of the car as he opened the door.
Taking a few steps to the entrance of the grocery store, he greeted Jiang Meixian and Jiang Guixian.
“Hai…” Seeing Chen Hai, joy spread across Jiang Meixian’s face.
But it was only for a moment; she soon set her face in a frown and started to scold Chen Hai, “You came back suddenly without even calling home.”
“Last time, there was no news from you for half a year, and had Qingqing not called to tell us you had gone abroad on business, I wouldn’t have known about it.”
“You child, ever since you got a wife, you’ve forgotten your mother; I even thought you didn’t know how to come home anymore.”
As she spoke, Jiang Meixian glared fiercely at Chen Hai, but her gaze was already fixed on the Jeep Cherokee.
She had never seen such a car before.
Here in the county, she ran this small store and saw cars come and go daily, but she could not find a single car that matched the majestic and imposing presence of the one before her.
“Hai, who is that…” Her gaze moved to Tian Mingjian, who had alighted from the car and was leaning against it, smoking, Jiang Meixian asked in confusion.
“That’s Tian, my bodyguard and driver.
He drove over from the Capital City, covering a thousand or two thousand miles.
I definitely needed someone to help me drive the car back!”
Chen Hai shrugged and said with a smile.
Being scolded by his mother didn’t bother him at all.
He knew very well that his mother was just complaining and that in her heart, she probably couldn’t be happier to see him return!
“You’ve been driving for so long, he must be exhausted.
You, child, why not invite him in for a rest!”
Jiang Meixian glared at Chen Hai again and said.
In her eyes, no matter how capable her son Chen Hai was outside, he was still a child in front of her and needed to be straightened out!
“It’s okay, Aunt!”
“The boss at Garden Hotel already arranged a room for me, I’ll head over there to rest later!” Tian Mingjian hurriedly interjected to clarify.
His boss having a family reunion, it certainly wouldn’t be appropriate for him to be caught in the middle!
Staying in the hotel would naturally be much more comfortable for him.
Seeing Jiang Meixian about to lecture her boss again, Tian Mingjian snickered, he returned to the driver’s seat, started the car, and drove slowly towards the Garden Hotel.
“Mom, where’s dad?
Is he not at the store?”
“You and Fourth Aunt, what are you chatting about so spiritedly!” Chen Hai deliberately changed the subject as he brought out a chair from the small store.
“Your dad went fishing, and should be back after a little while.”
“And what else can your Fourth Aunt and I talk about?
It’s all about Yong’s matters.”
Jiang Meixian casually responded, pausing slightly as something seemed to cross her mind.
She continued, “By the way, Hai, if you happen to go to Yuedong, could you help your Fourth Aunt look for Yong?”
“Once you find him, tell him to call home!”
Having gone to Yuedong herself, Jiang Meixian naturally had a good understanding of what her future daughter-in-law’s background was like.
In her view, with Chen Hai’s connections, there was a good chance he could find her sister’s son if he went to Yuedong.
“Sure, Mom!” Chen Hai replied casually.
It was just a small favor his mother was asking for, and he naturally wouldn’t refuse.
With his capabilities, he could even find people who had been dead for decades.
Finding his cousin Yong in Yuedong was a trivial matter for him.
“Hai, thanks a lot!”
“If only Yong were as sensible and ambitious as you, I wouldn’t have to worry so much!” Jiang Guixian sighed.
Her own son, Yong, was only a year or two younger than Chen Hai.
During school, Yong had been a top student for two years, and his grades were even better than Chen Hai’s,
Yet now, looking at Chen Hai and then thinking of her own son, Jiang Guixian really felt a bit uneasy.
“Fourth Aunt, we’re all family, what’s there to trouble over!”
“I haven’t seen that guy Yong for two or three years.
When we were young, we used to hang out all the time!”
“I’ll definitely catch up with him if I get a chance to go to Yuedong, even if you don’t ask me to!”
Chen Hai replied with a smile.
Then, he added, “I just happen to be back today and it’s rare to catch you here, Aunt.
Don’t rush back—let’s go to a restaurant soon and have a good meal!”
“Is that really okay, Hai?”
“Your Fourth Uncle went to the Agricultural Machinery Company for some work, and I promised to meet him at the bus station!” Jiang Guixian hurriedly said, trying to decline.
“What’s not okay about that, it’s settled then, we’re all family, aren’t we?”
“It’s just a meal, let’s also call your brother-in-law over.”
“If you really miss the bus, I’ll have Hai drive you back!”
Jiang Meixian, on the other side, had already made the decision for her sister.