Hao Jian could hardly keep from laughing or crying as the old lady stared at him, making his scalp tingle as if he were livestock on display.
"When do you plan on having kids?" The old lady suddenly blurted out.
"Mom! What are you talking about?" Ruo Lan was completely embarrassed and hadn't expected the old lady to be so bold as to bring that up directly.
Hao Jian was even more speechless. Who knew when they would have kids? He indeed wanted to, but the problem was that Ruo Lan was unwilling.
"What, did I say sothing wrong? Aren't you married to have children? It must be so lonely for just Tongtong. Or are you saying you can't have them?" The old lady imdiately gave Hao Jian a strange look and shalessly glanced at his groin.
Hao Jian quickly covered his groin, looking at Ruo Lan as if pleading for help.
"Mom, it's his first ti here, and it's rude to talk about such things." Ruo Lan was speechless too. The old lady was really too much. Even if Hao Jian were her husband, it wasn't appropriate to ask about such things the mont he arrived.
Hao Jian also felt helpless. With Ruo Lan's gentle and quiet deanor, how could the old lady be so brash? Was she really her biological mother?
"Old lady, I've been through life. What's there to be embarrassed about?" The old lady looked indifferent. She then looked at Hao Jian, "I haven't even asked for your na, have I?"
"Mom, my na is Hao Jian." Hao Jian replied with a forced smile.
"Hao Jian? Why did your parents give you such a na? It sounds so cheap, really reveals the personality, doesn't it?" The old lady slightly criticized, feeling that everything about Hao Jian was good except his na.
"Mom, if you keep this up, I'm leaving." Ruo Lan threatened, feeling extrely embarrassed.
"Alright, alright, I won't talk about it. Such a temper, hasn't changed in decades." The old lady complained but then pinched Tongtong's cheek, "Still, my Tongtong is so well-behaved!"
Ruo Lan covered her face and sighed, not knowing what else to say.
"Hao Jian, this is my second uncle's wife." Ruo Lan introduced Hao Jian to a woman beside her with a kind face and a slightly dark complexion.
The woman was broad and stout, clearly a farm woman used to hard labor, her face beaming with a friendly smile.
"Second uncle's wife, it's a pleasure to et you for the first ti. Here's a little gift, as a token of respect." Hao Jian smiled broadly, then handed over the large and small packages he was carrying to the second uncle's wife.
"Blood-Swiftlet Edible Bird's Nest, Deep-Sea Fish Oil, Hundred-Year-Old Ginseng, Supre Ejiao?" The second uncle's wife was stunned when she saw the expensive supplents Hao Jian brought. "All these things together must cost tens of thousands, right? Why spend so much?"
The old lady too was taken aback when she heard this, supplents worth tens of thousands? Are they really that expensive?
"It's just a little money, nothing much." Hao Jian laughed, then teasingly said, "Didn't expect the second uncle's wife to know her stuff."
So, never underestimate country folks. Just because soone is from the countryside doesn't an they don't know as much or more than you do!
Hearing this, the second uncle's wife was sowhat embarrassed, "I like to keep up with these things usually, but I can't afford them, so I just enjoy looking."
She never thought she would one day get to consu such expensive supplents. It wasn't that she couldn't afford them, she just couldn't bear to spend the money.
"Ruo Lan really struck gold, finding such a capable husband. From now on, you won't have to worry about food or drink. Big sister, you just wait to enjoy the good life." The second uncle's wife complinted, but spoke the truth.
And upon hearing this, the old lady smiled from ear to ear but still remained modest, "Enjoy what blessings? As long as they live well themselves, that's enough for
as this old lady."
"Whose Ferrari is that parked at the entrance?" anwhile, the neighbors started to talk, amazed that there was a Ferrari in their village.
Hearing the neighbors, Zhao Tiezhu and the second uncle's wife also beca curious. The old lady inquired, "Little Jian, that Ferrari... what's it called, is it yours?"
"It's mine," Hao Jian chuckled dryly.
"My, you're so young and you drive such a nice car?" The second uncle's wife was astonished. She knew Hao Jian was wealthy, but didn't realize he was wealthy enough to afford a Ferrari.
The second uncle's wife often watched TV and knew a bit about these famous luxury cars.
"That what's-it-called Ferrari, is it good?" The old lady couldn't help but ask.
"Big sister, that car is called Ferrari, and it's a sports car. Even the cheapest one costs several million." The second uncle's wife explained.
"It's so expensive?" the old lady couldn't help but be shocked. For ordinary farrs like them, she guessed they could never save up that much money in their lifetis.
She hadn't expected Hao Jian to be so wealthy. She initially thought that as long as Ruo Lan found an honest man to marry, that would be sufficient. This also showed that the old lady wasn't materialistic at all—retaining the simplicity inherent in rural folk. As long as Hao Jian treated her daughter well, whether he had money or not, she was willing to marry her daughter off to him.
"Ah, if only my son had half your capabilities," sighed the aunt, feeling that nothing was more frustrating than comparing people.
"Let's not talk here; co inside," Ruo Lan suggested, and then a group of them entered the house to chat about family matters.
Ruo Lan then brought up Li Cuihua's previous visit to Hua City looking for her.
Upon hearing this, the old lady imdiately burst into anger, and grumbled, "That *****, now hanging around with that Zhao Tiezhu all day, leaving your uncle with no food when he cos back from farming. Whenever her na is ntioned, she runs away and doesn't return for days. When she does, she quarrels with your uncle, cursing everyone, even your deceased grandparents and father, turning the house into a place filled with strife!"
"Exactly, and she's already in her forties but still refuses to settle down. Always talking about living in the big city, saying she's different from us rural folks. At her age, still ssing around with n indiscriminately—it's infuriating," the aunt added, evidently also finding Li Cuihua disagreeable.
Because what Li Cuihua did really undermined her character. Whenever she quarreled with Ruo Lan's uncle, she blad everyone. Both Zhao Tiezhu and she have been maligned by Li Cuihua.
"The most pitiful is Old Three, childless and married to such a woman, he's truly suffering," Zhao Tiezhu sighed. Then he added, turning to Ruo Lan, "Ruo Lan, you must visit your uncle's house more now that you're back. When your father died, there was no money for even a decent coffin, and it was your uncles who took care of everything. Rember their kindness!"
"Don't worry, Mom, I know what to do," Ruo Lan nodded. Back then, her uncle had argued with Li Cuihua over giving them the money, and eventually, he had sneakily taken it out for them. Ruo Lan still rembered this incident.
Afterward, Ruo Lan, along with Hao Jian, headed to her uncle's house with several parcels of gifts.
From a distance, they could see a short, thin man sitting at the door fra, his pant legs rolled up to his knees and his clothes still covered with mud, obviously just back from the fields. He was holding a hookah in his arms, but his expression seed off, sowhat gloomy.
"Uncle!" Ruo Lan called out from afar.
Upon hearing Ruo Lan's voice, Ruo Yuanbin couldn't help but look over, quickly adjusting his sullen face to a smile, "Is Ruo Lan back?"
"Hello, Uncle," Tongtong politely greeted.
"Tongtong is getting lovelier as she grows, takes after her mom!" Ruo Yuanbin laughed heartily, then looked at Hao Jian, "And this is...?"
"My husband," Ruo Lan replied, sowhat exasperatedly.
Ruo Yuanbin's face showed surprise, then he too smiled and nodded, "It's indeed ti to start a new life."
"Uncle, why are you sitting outside smoking? Where is auntie?" asked Ruo Lan, puzzled.
Upon hearing this, Ruo Yuanbin quickly darkened his face and yelled inside, "Li Cuihua, hurry and make so tea, Ruo Lan is back."
"So she's back, what's the big deal? Haven't I seen her before?" a harsh voice from inside responded, and then they saw Li Cuihua co out with a grimace. Noticing Hao Jian, she imdiately sneered, "Little bastard, you really dared to show up?"
"How can you talk like that? He's Ruo Lan's husband, why are you insulting him?" Ruo Yuanbin angrily rebuked, visibly upset. He didn't understand why Li Cuihua would suddenly insult soone, especially in his presence.
No matter what, Hao Jian and the others were guests, and insulting them was a reflection on him.
"Yeah, he's Ruo Lan's husband, not mine. Why can't I talk to him like that? Besides, Ruo Yuanbin, he may be your relative, but what's it to ? If you want to entertain him, do it yourself, I'm not serving!" With that, Li Cuihua pushed past Hao Jian and the others and walked out.
"Where are you going?" Ruo Yuanbin shouted in a low voice, his face darkening to the extre. Li Cuihua, as his wife, was making him lose face terribly.
"None of your business! Die poor, and keep dreaming if you think you can tie
down!" Li Cuihua's biting voice could be heard from afar.
Ruo Yuanbin really wanted to rush up and pull Li Cuihua's hair and beat her, to assert his manliness, but with Hao Jian and Ruo Lan there, he couldn't embarrass his guests.
Imdiately, Ruo Yuanbin gave a bitter smile: "Sorry for making you see this."
"It's okay, uncle, I've known auntie's temperant for many years." Ruo Lan shook her head, wanting to comfort Ruo Yuanbin but not knowing how to start.
Then, Ruo Lan sat down at Ruo Yuanbin's house and listened to him pour out his woes.
And Ruo Yuanbin, this nearly fifty-year-old simple man, actually couldn't help but start crying in front of Hao Jian and Ruo Lan.
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