Chapter 87: You Two Rascals

"Xiaoxia, there’s no need to be so polite when you come to your aunt’s house," Lyu Hongxia said, amused by her appearance. Then she turned to Lin You. "Xiao Lin, you too—if you’re pouring wine, just pour it. Why even ask? Fill Xiaoxia’s cup."

Lin You could only smile wryly to himself; he was simply worried that Zhou Shimao would start lamenting the loss of his precious wine. Xia Yan was not one to indulge in drink, but Moutai from this era is nothing like what it would become—this was a 1977 vintage. How could one pass up such an opportunity?

Since Lyu Hongxia had spoken, Xia Yan picked up a small cup and offered Lin You a smile.

"Xiaoxia, how well can you hold your liquor?" Zhou Shimao, who had been hoping for a drinking companion, saw her fill her cup and asked casually.

Comrade Xiaoxia, as always, responded with charming shyness. "Uncle Zhou, I can only drink a tiny little bit," she said, holding up two fingers to illustrate.

The wine flowed freely, the dishes came and went, and laughter filled the room. Especially after Lyu Hongxia whispered to Zhou Shimao what Xia Yan had said to her, his opinion of the girl shifted considerably.

"Xiaoxia, your Uncle Zhou here is famous in the military district for holding his liquor, but I never thought you could outdrink even me. You’re not being honest," Zhou Shimao joked with a mock frown.

Xia Yan shook her head vigorously. "Uncle Zhou, when I said a little bit, I didn’t mean one, two, three, or four—I meant a hundred million. You know, the units: ten, hundred, thousand, million... a hundred million."

Zhou Shimao was puzzled at first. It wasn’t until Lin Hongzhuo nudged him that he understood.

"Seems I really am getting old; I can’t keep up with how you young people talk," Zhou Shimao nodded repeatedly, now quite satisfied with Xia Yan.

As the conversation grew lively, Lyu Hongxia joined in. "Xiaoxia, let me ask you—do you plan to stay with Lin You up on the mountain?"

For a moment, Xia Yan didn’t quite catch her meaning, tilting her head in confusion.

Zhou Shimao quickly realized his wife’s intentions and explained with a smile, "Xiaoxia, your aunt here is the head of the military district’s performing arts troupe."

Xia Yan suddenly understood, her lips forming a silent ‘oh.’

From the moment Xia Yan had stepped into the house, Lyu Hongxia had been sizing her up—her figure, her looks; in the troupe, she would undoubtedly outshine all the others. Such promising talent—how could she let it slip away? Even if Xia Yan knew nothing now, Lyu Hongxia was confident she could mold her into a star.

Her gaze burned with anticipation as she waited for Xia Yan’s reply.

Xia Yan offered a gentle smile. "Auntie, I think I’ll stay for now. I quite like the mountain. Lin You and the children are all there; I can’t bear to leave them. Besides, I have things I want to do there."

Lyu Hongxia’s disappointment was plain to see. She looked to Lin You, hoping he would help persuade her.

Lin You turned his head away, pretending not to notice. He had no desire for a long-distance marriage—even if it was only from the mountain to the foot of it. What man doesn’t want to come home to a warm hearth, his wife and children waiting? He had grown used to opening the door and seeing Xia Yan there.

Lin Hongzhuo, however, couldn’t hold back. He jumped up, ran to Xia Yan’s side, and clung to her arm, staring straight at Lyu Hongxia. "Grandma, I don’t agree either. If Mom stays at the bottom of the mountain, the three of us won’t have any good food anymore."

The table fell silent for a moment before bursting into laughter. As the eldest, Lin Hongzhe covered his face—his little brother had truly embarrassed him this time.

Xia Yan’s laughter turned to feigned annoyance as she pinched Lin Hongzhuo’s cheek. "Xiao Zhuo, I thought you couldn’t bear to part with me, but it turns out it’s my cooking you can’t leave behind. All my feelings were for nothing!"

"Mom... of course, I miss you first, then your cooking," Lin Hongzhuo protested.

"Really?" Xia Yan raised an eyebrow.

"Really—truer than pearls," he blurted out.

"Oh?" Her eyebrow arched higher. "So you were eavesdropping on your mom talking to grandma just now?"

Lin Hongzhuo immediately clapped his hand over his mouth and shook his head, but his eyes instinctively darted to Lin Hongzhe, betraying him.

Xia Yan followed his gaze to the elder brother, who, mimicking Lin You’s earlier act, turned his head to the side.

Earlier, while playing in the yard, Lin Hongzhe had seen Xia Yan and Lyu Hongxia chatting by the window and had crept closer out of curiosity. He only caught a few words but had been especially amused by the phrase “truer than pearls,” which he repeated to himself—unaware that Lin Hongzhuo was right behind him. To avoid being caught, he’d warned his brother several times, never expecting the boy to use his words and betray him so quickly.

"Bro..." Lin Hongzhuo called helplessly when his brother ignored him.

Lin Hongzhe had no choice but to grab a bun from the table, take a huge bite, and, face flushed, say as coolly as he could, "I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. It was just an accident."

Of course, Xia Yan didn’t blame the boys; she knew they weren’t the sneaky sort.

Lyu Hongxia, watching this family, realized her earlier thoughts had been a bit selfish. "All right, we can talk about this again when Lin You comes down from the mountain," she conceded.

That piqued Xia Yan’s interest. "You can come down from the mountain?"

"The organization has wanted him to take a post at the military district for a long time—to learn more, maybe attend the military academy. He’s the one who refuses," Zhou Shimao replied after a sip of wine, his tone betraying some irritation.

"I can’t leave yet. Maybe in the future," Lin You said quietly.

Zhou Shimao slammed down his cup, shot him a glare, and seemed about to say more but held back. Instead, he turned the conversation back to Xia Yan. "Xiaoxia, do you still have any contact with the An family?"

Xia Yan thought for a moment and answered truthfully, "The An family? I suppose the only connection now is that my household registration hasn't been transferred out yet."

"Don’t delay on that. Get your registration moved as soon as possible. The An family has been merchants for generations, and your grandfather was a notorious landlord, even funded the Nationalist Army back in the day."

Love may claim to ignore background, but here, background matters. If you don't check three generations, you can't know what kind of blood runs in your partner’s veins. Thankfully, Xia Yan wasn’t their biological child—otherwise, this marriage would be in jeopardy.

"Uncle Zhou, I understand. I’ll call home right away and ask my parents to handle my registration."

"Good. As for you and Lin You, there’s no issue on my end. But Old Peng—he won’t be so easy to deal with. You’d better think of a good strategy; that old fellow isn’t as easy-going as me..."

Before he could finish, there was a knock at the door.