Wensheng boasted, “My mom says my grandma’s cooking is the best, filled with love.”

Bie Dongshan nodded in agreement, “Absolutely love it! It’s really delicious.”

He quickly went over to greet Yan Runzhi and Cheng Yunzhi, helping them move things.

The kang (a heated brick bed) was made of brick and stone, with a layer of dried mud on top.

It was almost dry, and after a fire was lit to warm it up, they could sleep there by night.

They first arranged the furniture: the dining cabinet and table in the main room, and the wardrobe, kang cabinet, and trunk in the bedroom.

They also brought their seasonal clothes, bedding, and the fabrics and threads that Yan Runzhi had stored up.

Although it seemed like a lot of stuff, once placed in the three large rooms, it didn’t look overcrowded.

Yan Runzhi noticed there were two side rooms and felt nostalgic. “When I was young, our house had side rooms too. They were lower than the main rooms and used as the kitchen and children’s rooms.”

She asked Jiang Lin, “What should we use these two rooms for, Bao’er’s mom?”

Jiang Lin smiled and said, “One will be their study room, and the other will be our workroom, where you can do embroidery and make clothes.” They had brought one of the sewing machines from the Shuishuai Village embroidery workshop, leaving another one there for work.

Yan Runzhi felt a sense of pride seeing she was given a dedicated workroom. “Just right, I have some fabric left. I’ll make summer clothes for everyone. Bao’er’s mom, should I make two qipaos for you?”

Jiang Lin had a great figure; she would look stunning in a qipao, with her full chest, slim waist, and curvy hips, plus long, straight legs and beautifully shaped calves.

“Mom, no one’s around to tell us what to wear, so you can wear whatever you like. It’s inconvenient for me to wear a qipao to school; pants and a shirt are fine.”

At noon, everyone ate together at the canteen.

Cheng Rushan had to prepare for his upcoming trips, so he couldn’t stay home with them.

In the afternoon, he went to the transport department to inspect the vehicles.

He Liang volunteered to accompany the elderly couple around the neighborhood to get to know the local market and other places, so Jiang Lin didn’t have to worry about it.

Jiang Lin wanted Wen Sheng to come along and explore as well, but he wasn’t interested; he only wanted to stay close to her.

Da Bao and Xiao Bao wanted to go, but Jiang Lin sent them off to school instead.

Xiao Bao complained, “Linlin is so strict, not even letting us rest on Saturdays!”

Jiang Lin wrote a card for Wen Sheng to keep in his left pocket, in case he needed medical attention or if something happened while he was out, so others could contact the family.

Wen Sheng obediently carried the card with him.

Jiang Lin showed Wen Sheng around the courtyard, pointing out different places, including the vegetable garden she had cultivated, which needed his care, and the neighbors, explaining what to watch out for.

She said, “Wen Sheng, if any children are naughty and call you foolish, don’t pay them any attention. They’re actually the foolish ones, just jealous because you’re so good-looking.”

Wen Sheng smiled, with stars in his eyes, “Mother, I understand.”

At that moment, You Hongliu turned the corner and was stunned.

At first, she saw Jiang Lin walking with a man and thought it was Cheng Rushan.

She was going to make a sarcastic remark about the couple not being serious.

But then she realized it wasn’t Cheng Rushan, and he was calling Jiang Lin “Mother!”

You Hongliu felt like a willow tree being blown about by a storm, as if she were about to be uprooted and blown away.

What was going on?

Why did Jiang Lin have such a handsome, grown-up son?

She hid there, but Jiang Lin didn’t see her.

Jiang Lin continued showing Wensheng around, explaining everything.

You Hongliu felt her legs go weak.

Oh my, what is happening?

She couldn’t help but quickly sneak away to find her close friends and gossip.

After a few steps, Wensheng looked back and said to Jiang Lin, “Mom, there was a woman hiding and eavesdropping on us.”

Jiang Lin smiled, “It’s okay. You do what you need to do. Your dad and I aren’t afraid of them at all.”

Wensheng nodded, “Alright.”

He felt great not having to pretend or act.

Jiang Lin took him home, and just then, Wu Shuxian came over with her niece and nephew.

“Sister, do you have visitors from your hometown?” Wu Shuxian had just returned from her mother’s place.

Jiang Lin smiled, “Yes, my parents came over.”

Wu Shuxian saw Wensheng and exclaimed, “Oh my, what a handsome young man!”

Although Cheng Rushan was strikingly handsome, his cold demeanor and intense gaze were intimidating.

Most people initially thought he was handsome but then focused more on his actions and words than his appearance.

Wensheng was different.

He smiled with childlike purity and innocence, making his already handsome features even more striking.

His pure gaze combined with his mature appearance created an irresistible charm, appealing to everyone.

Wu Shuxian couldn’t help but take another look. “Oh my, this young man must be in his twenties, right?”

Beside her, You Hongliu’s niece and nephew were even more astonished, especially her niece.

She had never seen such a handsome man before and was so nervous that her heart raced.

She hid next to Wu Shuxian and peered at Wen Sheng secretly.

Wen Sheng was used to people staring at him.

He didn’t realize they were admiring his looks; he just thought they were playing with him.

To him, friendly looks meant playing, and unfriendly ones meant provocation.

He didn’t understand what admiration was.

Jiang Lin told Wen Sheng to go play, while she spoke with the guests.

Wen Sheng said, “I’ll go work on the vegetable garden,” and he grabbed a shovel, humming a tune, and walked off.

Wu Shuxian remarked in surprise, “Oh, he sings quite well. Where did he learn that?”

Jiang Lin smiled and said, “He taught himself. We have an opera troupe where we’re from. Wensheng sings ‘Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy’ very well.”

Wu Shuxian was eager to hear more, but Wen Sheng had already gone far.

Jiang Lin invited them into the main room, offered them fried beans to snack on, and served a pot of hawthorn sweet tea.

Wu Shuxian introduced her children, “My niece is Wu Tingting, and my nephew is Wu Shijin. Sister, please teach these two blockheads well.”

She had high hopes for her brother’s children because her own daughters were still young—one in middle school and the other in elementary school.

She didn’t have a son.

Jiang Lin talked with the two students and found them rather unresponsive or uninterested in studying.

They often misunderstood simple instructions, confusing one subject with another, which was frustrating.

Wu Shuxian looked at Jiang Lin with hope and asked, “What do you think? Can they still be saved?”

Jiang Lin felt a bit awkward but smiled and said, “It’s good for students to find things they’re interested in.”

She then asked Wu Tingting and Wu Shijin, “What do you two like to do in your free time?”

Wu Tingting, a bit shy, responded, “I like listening to the radio and… listening to other people chat.”

Jiang Lin asked, “What programs do you listen to on the radio?”

Wu Tingting mentioned a few stations.

Jiang Lin noted that the programs included opera, speeches, songs, and storytelling, with no specific pattern or preference evident.

She decided to test it out and turned on the ten-tube radio her brother had assembled for her, tuning through both long-wave and short-wave frequencies to see what Wu Tingting truly liked.

Accidentally, she landed on a station with a stream of gibberish—it was in Japanese.

Wu Tingting’s eyes lit up immediately.

Jiang Lin asked, “Can you understand it?”

Wu Tingting shook her head, embarrassed. “No, but I think it sounds nice.”

Jiang Lin tuned to another station, this time in English, and Wu Tingting was equally delighted.

Wu Shuxian, feeling a bit embarrassed, nudged her daughter. “You silly girl, it’s lucky you’re at Auntie Jiang’s place. If it were someone else, they might accuse you of collaborating with the enemy or walking the capitalist road!”

Wu Tingting, with her head down, grumbled in defiance, “The Four have already fallen, and you’re still talking like that.”

Jiang Lin said, “Sister-in-law, don’t worry. It’s actually quite good. I think Tingting might have an interest in learning foreign languages. If that’s the case, I’m not sure I can teach her. You should consider sending her to a teacher who specializes in foreign languages.”

Wu Shuxian shook her head repeatedly, “No, no, we can’t have her learning foreign languages. It’s a mistake.”

Jiang Lin reassured her, “Sister-in-law, you’re being too cautious. Even during the cultural movement, our country interacted with foreigners. People from other countries came here, and we also sent people abroad. You’ve heard of ping-pong diplomacy, right?”

Wu Shuxian was skeptical.

Although the “Four-person Group” had been disbanded and things were more relaxed now, old habits were hard to break.

Jiang Lin then asked Wu Shijin about his interests.

The young man surprisingly expressed a desire to work in the countryside and grow crops.

He declared, “I want to produce at least a thousand jin of wheat per mu so that we can all eat fine flour and not go hungry anymore!”

Wu Shuxian slapped him on the head, making him stagger.

She scolded, “You always talk big. Do you know how many people were harmed by the ‘satellite’ nonsense? I experienced it firsthand. Our wheat yield is only about seventy or eighty jin per mu. How can you claim a thousand jin? You’re young and already full of empty promises.”

Jiang Lin quickly intervened, “Sister-in-law, please calm down. A thousand jin per mu isn’t impossible. With fertilizer to boost production, it can be achieved.”

While Wu Shuxian might not have believed anyone else, she respected Jiang Lin, who was a college student and highly regarded.

Wu Shuxian told her nephew, “Did you hear that? You just brag and don’t work hard at your studies.”

Jiang Lin noticed how strict Wu Shuxian was with her nephew compared to her own children and tried to calm her down.

She emphasized that fostering an interest in learning was crucial for children.

Jiang Lin said, “If a person doesn’t want to learn on their own, forcing them is like making a cow drink water by holding its head down—it just doesn’t work.

From my own experience, I was able to get into a provincial university because I wanted to learn and took the initiative.

Similarly, other students who were motivated last year for the college entrance exams proved this.

Getting into college isn’t easy; even if you study hard, it’s not guaranteed. If you don’t care about it, it’s even worse.

You need to think about whether you really want to study.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to work in agriculture.

Anyone can farm, but researching seeds to improve yields is not something everyone can do. It requires education and skill in agricultural science.”

Wu Shijin said, “I want to attend the Agricultural University!”

Wu Shuxian slapped him again, saying, “If you want to learn, then study seriously. Stop with the grand talk and just focus on your studies.”

Jiang Lin talked with them and understood their situation.

Wu Tingting needed to study English with a specialized teacher and could aim to apply to the Capital Foreign Language Institute.

She could help tutor her in other subjects. As for Wu Shijin, he just needed to focus on science and visit the Agricultural University to learn more.

Jiang Lin made it clear that while she could guide them and help review their work, she couldn’t replace their effort.

She hoped they understood this.

“I can only supervise and help check your progress, but I can’t study for you. You need to realize that the next college entrance exam is in six months, and you must work hard.”