Chapter 40 Move into the New House
1371 Words
"Sister, if my son can buy a house in the city instead of being such a loser, I will laugh myself awake every night." Aunty Li says in a loud voice.
Mrs. Lin is chopping up the meat into mince, and Mr. Lin is smoking.
They knew a few days ago that Lin Luoran had bought a house. Actually, they are quite proud of their daughter. However, they are still hesitating about moving to the city because they don't want to leave their old house behind.
Aunty Li has always been close to the Lin family, so Lin Luoran has invited her here to help persuade Mr. and Mrs. Lin.
Lin Luoran adds, "We don't raise any pig, and we can leave those chicken and ducks for Aunty Li to look after, along with the old house. Dad, mom, you can come back here and live for a few days any time you want. Please come with me to the city." There is something Lin Luoran has not spoken about. In fact, she wants her parents to cultivate with her, or else, if she becomes the only one left in the world after hundreds of years, what is the point of being immortal?
Aunty Li echoes Lin Luoran's words. After a moment of silence, Mr. Lin puts out the cigarette and says, "You are right. We are ready to move to the city at any time."
Lin Luoran is lighted up with pleasure, but Mrs. Lin grumbles, "The city is filled with cars and people. How can it be better than the countryside.?"
Mr. Lin's eyes widen, "You don't want to enjoy a happy life? Besides, our daughter has to work. Who can take care of Luodong? Do you think our son can grow up to be a good man all by himself?"
Mrs. Lin turns around to look at Luodong. He is staring at her timidly. The boy can understand what they are talking about, which softens Mrs. Lin's heart and makes her agree to move.
Lin Luoran smiles. Her dad indeed calls the shot, and her mom is only a paper tiger!
Aunty Li claps, "That's right. In my view, Luoran is the only capable person in the whole village. When are you going to move? Can I go with you to have a look at your house in the city?"
Lin Luoran comes home today by asking for leave at work. Although her boss is Baojia's fianc, she is only a salesgirl at Treasure House, so it's inappropriate to leave too many times. Other salesgirls have already been spreading rumors and gossiping about her. Lin Luoran hopes to do things all at once, and she says to her mom, expectantly, "How about today? We can bring Aunty Li with us. We can see each other regularly after she knows where exactly we live."
Since the guiding principle is changed, Mrs. Lin thinks that it'll be okay to make another concession. She agrees to Lin Luoran's idea because she isn't in the mood to care about which day they shall move.
Though Lin Luoran tells her parents that everything is prepared in their new house, Mrs. Lin insists on bringing some clothes. She feeds the chicken and ducks and brings the chopped meat she just made with her.
Aunty Li has never got a chance to sit in a luxury car. She touches the leather seat and asks, "Luoran, this car must have cost you a lot."
"Aunty, no matter how much the car is, it is just transportation, right? You can just see it as a motorbike!"
"Nonsense. The cold wind in winter will give me a headache if I ride on a motorbike. Staying in the car is warm and comfortable."
Aunty Li keeps asking questions along the way, so everybody is not bored. Lin Luodong sits on the passenger's seat and listens to their conversation.
Lin Luoran notices that her parents are sitting very properly in the back seats with stiff postures. She thinks about how her parents are pushed aside by other villagers and feels bad.
The backyard of her new house is huge, and it can keep Mr. and Mrs. Lin busy planting vegetables and flowers!
As for Li Anping's family. Lin Luoran remembers the malicious expression on Li Anping's mother's face when she drives out of the village. Lin Luoran sneers. The two families will never have to encounter, which can't be better!
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Aunty Li doesn't detect anything abnormal when the car drives into an alley. Lin Luoran opens the gate, drives into the yard, and tells everybody that they have arrived. Seeing those exquisite pillars and the red plum thriving by the corridor, Aunty Li starts to keep her voice low, feeling herself to be tiny inside of the big house.
Lin Luodong has been here once, but he can't get enough of the sight. He picks up the fish food and goes to feed the fish in the pond the minute he receives an encouraging look from Lin Luoran.
Mr. Lin forgets to light up a cigarette, and Mrs. Lin just leans against one of the red pillars in a trance. Lin Luoran leads her mom to the kitchen. The kitchen wares are all clean and shiny, which is vastly different from the dirty and oily chimney back at their house in the countryside. Mrs. Lin touches everything, and she loves them all.
Aunty Li is still staring blankly in the yard. She says to herself, looking at the fat koi fish, "Everybody says that houses in the city are just like concrete cubes. Why is there a house like this? The daughter of the village head is married to a native of R City, and her family lives in a tiny house that costs over 1 million yuan. How much will this huge house cost? Granny Li spread rumors in the village that Luoran had found herself a sugar daddy. Which sugar daddy can be this generous?"
While Aunty Li's imagination runs wild, she hears Lin Luoran's calling, "Aunty, there is a backyard. Let's go and see it."
Aunty Li looks at the girl standing at the door, smiling at her. Lin Luoran doesn't look like other defiant people who have made a fortune. Aunty Li thinks that if her family runs into any trouble later, Lin Luoran may be able to help her out since their families are close. She is glad. She always knows that Luoran is a capable girl. They shall blame Mrs. Lin for Luoran's engagement with Li Anping. Fortunately, it's not too late. There is not a single nice person in Granny Li's whole family!
Thinking about this, Aunty Li walks through the corner door and enters the backyard.
The two-story house in the front yard is magnificent enough. It turns out there is also an exquisite building in the backyard. Aunty Li asks, "What is this building for?"
Seeing that her parents are listening, Lin Luoran explains with a smile, "In ancient times, daughters of the family have to avoid meeting people, and this is where they live in. I assume that this house is much bigger before than it is now because it now only has a front and a back yard, which is not the size of a house of a wealthy and influential family back in the old times. I guess that all the neighboring buildings used to belong to one family before!"
Aunty Li screams, "It really is an antique house! Oh, my God! I guess the house of a county magistrate may not be nicer than this one."
Aunty Li's words make Mrs. Lin laugh. The wrinkles on Mrs. Lin's face are smoothened away, which makes her look ten years younger, "You do have a glib tongue. I've never seen anyone sweet talk better than you do."
She says to Lin Luoran, "This building is nice. Luoran, you can live here."
"The buildings in the front yard have two stories. Mom, you and dad can pick a room on the second floor. R City is quite wet, so the second floor is better."
Lin Luoran smiles, "My friends will come later to celebrate. Mom, let's make some dishes."
- Writer
