In the yard that morning, Lin Xinyuan stood to the side, watching Qin Nanfeng put up the spring couplets, feeling a bit idle.
Little Huang kept circling around her, wagging its tail, and when it got tired, it would lie down obediently by her side.
Lin Xinyuan had slept too late last night and woke up quite late as well. It wasn’t until she came downstairs that she realized only her grandmother and that stinky blonde were left at home.
After asking her grandmother, she learned that her mother, her second uncle, and his wife seemed to have gone to the Neighboring Village to visit relatives.
After all, people didn’t dare go anywhere even slightly far away right now, so they could only visit relatives nearby.
Meanwhile, her grandfather had taken her cousins back to the old house for the year-end cleaning.
At this moment, Lin Xinyuan watched the young man’s nimble movements, feeling both helpless and indignant.
She had wanted to help Qin Nanfeng, but the guy actually said it would be better if he did it himself, dismissing her to the side with just a few words.
Hmph… didn’t that just mean he looked down on her?
While her health was indeed poor, she was still a normal person, wasn’t she?
He made her out to be some kind of invalid, the type who would gasp for air after moving just a little…
“Xiao Yuan, come here for a moment!”
Just as Lin Xinyuan began to doubt herself, she suddenly heard her grandmother’s voice calling from not far behind her.
“Ah, okay.” Her mind snapped back instantly, and she immediately turned to walk toward her grandmother. Little Huang also followed along, skipping with its tongue hanging out.
“Xiao Yuan, come! This is a red envelope from Grandma.”
“Grandma………..”
Looking at the red envelope handed over by that aged hand, Lin Xinyuan was momentarily stunned and instinctively wanted to shake her head in refusal.
To be honest, besides her late paternal grandmother…
Thinking carefully, from childhood to adulthood, very few relatives had actually given her red envelopes, so the young girl was inevitably a bit at a loss.
But before she could say anything, her grandmother smiled again: “Take it. It’s the Lunar New Year, everyone gets one! After receiving it, we will all be protected by Gong Zu, and the virus definitely won’t be able to harm us…”
Since her grandmother put it that way, the girl couldn’t refuse. She could only obediently reach out both hands to take it: “Thank you, Grandma…”
“Mhm, that’s a good girl.”
Grandmother nodded with satisfaction at the girl’s obedient appearance.
Then, she stared at the girl’s face, which looked extremely similar to her daughter’s when she was young. After looking for a while, her expression turned kind, and her tone became teasing: “Besides, Grandma also hopes Xiao Yuan’s health gets better and better, so you can give me a great-grandson with Xiao Feng soon~”
“Grandma, I’m only a sophomore… that’s still a long way off…”
As soon as these words came out, Lin Xinyuan’s face flushed with shame, and she couldn’t help but protest.
Why was everyone… thinking even further ahead than she was…
After speaking, she looked back uneasily, wanting to glance at a certain someone nearby, only to suddenly find that the guy seemed to have just finished his work and was walking toward her.
Seeing her look back, Qin Nanfeng even raised an eyebrow, quickening his pace.
At this sight, Lin Xinyuan became inexplicably flustered, terrified that Qin Nanfeng might hear what her grandmother was saying.
As it turned out, before she could stop her grandmother, the elderly woman continued on her own: “What do you mean? It’s only a few years. Besides, didn’t I hear that universities encourage you to get married while in school? You two should be reaching the age soon, right?”
“Uh…” The girl was speechless. She could only stand there in a daze, as she could already feel a certain someone standing right behind her.
In other words… Grandma’s words had been heard….
Wuwuwu…
Earlier, Grandma had only been focused on teasing her shy granddaughter. It wasn’t until Qin Nanfeng approached and the little yellow dog barked unhappily that she noticed him.
Glancing again at Lin Xinyuan, whose head hung even lower since the young man’s arrival, Grandma smiled even more happily. A hint of craftiness suddenly emerged in those eyes that had weathered many years.
Pretending to be unaware, Grandma beckoned to Qin Nanfeng: “Xiao Feng, you’ve come at the right time!”
“Hello, Grandma.” Qin Nanfeng smiled, his expression polite yet warm. “Is there something you need?”
He asked the question, but in truth, he understood perfectly. After speaking, he glanced at the girl beside him, his eyes filled with subtle playfulness.
“Oh, Xiao Feng, I just wanted to ask, is it true that you can get married in university?”
“Yes, as long as you’ve reached the age, the school doesn’t mind……”
Qin Nanfeng nodded. As he spoke, he quite boldly took the girl’s soft hand in front of her grandmother, even lightly scratching her palm with his finger, letting out a low chuckle: “Not only do you get extra credits, but there are also state subsidies…”
The young man’s voice was deep and pleasant. That low chuckle, which only the girl could hear, made her body tremble slightly, but she didn’t say anything.
After all, yesterday in front of the elders, she had already thrown herself into that stinky blonde’s arms….
Cough… by comparison, holding hands in front of Grandma seemed like nothing at all…..
But… what on earth was this guy saying?
Doesn’t he know Grandma is joking….
How could he respond so seriously… Could it be that the stinky blonde really wants to… to get married before graduating university? Then should she agree…..
Mm…. It’s…. it’s too fast….
Thinking this, Lin Xinyuan unconsciously squeezed that large hand. Her whole body tensed up as she tried to resist the playfulness of Qin Nanfeng’s fingers.
However, it clearly had no effect. The young man’s fingertips continued to scratch unhurriedly.
Initially, Lin Xinyuan’s hand felt a bit itchy, but now, because of her tensed muscles, she became even more sensitive, and her whole body began to tremble imperceptibly…..
On the other side, the elderly woman’s eyes lit up after hearing the words “state subsidies.”
In the eyes of many from the older generation, anything with the word “state” in it was generally good.
Just like now, Grandma felt that this marriage should definitely happen in university.
The state! Did that mean it was a major contribution in response to the national call?
The more Grandma thought about it, the more she felt it made sense. She nodded repeatedly with great satisfaction and spoke without any inhibition: “Then that’s wonderful. Xiao Feng seems to be reaching the legal age next year, right? You should get your certificate with Xiao Yuan early. While this old woman is still alive, I can see my great-grandson.”
The playfulness in Qin Nanfeng’s eyes was now completely replaced by seriousness: “As long as Xiao Yuan is willing, I am naturally willing as well.”
The words of the person beside her were like a vow, as if he wasn’t just answering Grandma, but answering the girl herself.
Lin Xinyuan felt an intense sourness in her heart.
Of course she was willing…
But in university… uh…. isn’t it a bit too early?
Lin Xinyuan suddenly thought of this and only then realized the situation. She raised her head with a look of utter confusion, clearly not expecting the elderly woman to say such a thing: “Ah… Grandma…. Are you serious…”
How could someone push their child to go out and get married so early? Shouldn’t the plot involve the elder being reluctant and the parents shedding tears?
One by one, why were they all thinking about her being quickly… pressed down by that stinky blonde…
“Oh, twenty is a good age! Twenty is wonderful! Give birth to a big, healthy grandson. While your body’s recovery ability is strong, you can recuperate quickly too……”
Grandma began to sway her head, her smile becoming even more kind and gentle. Then, she actually started staring at the girl’s stomach: “Xiao Yuan, giving birth early also means suffering a bit earlier!”
Hearing this, the girl’s face felt as hot as if it were burning. Yet she didn’t dare argue with Grandma, fearing the elderly woman would say even more outrageous things.
Finally, Lin Xinyuan really couldn’t take the old woman’s gaze anymore and directly pulled Qin Nanfeng toward the outside: “Grandma… we’re going out for a walk…”
“Fine, it’s good to go out for a stroll if you’re bored. Don’t always stay cooped up at home. Just don’t wander off to places you shouldn’t.”
Watching the girl pull the young man away in a shy, headlong flight, the wrinkles on Grandma’s face deepened a bit. She smiled very gently, yet with a sudden touch of quirkiness—one could faintly glimpse a trace of her youthful spirit.
Finally, seeing the two of them about to open the door and leave, she called out once more: “Xiao Yuan, Xiao Feng, you two discuss it yourselves, alright? Grandma really wants to hold a great-grandson!”
The girl’s body stiffened not far away. She walked even faster, pulling the young man along, and they vanished in the blink of an eye….
“This child is really too shy…” Grandma shook her head, her eyes filled with nostalgia.
“…But she really is just like her mother used to be…”