An'an's grandmother's house is in the countryside, about 40 kilometers from the city, and she will spend the last week of her summer vacation there.
When she was little, she would stay there every few days. Back then, there was a small river, and the happiest things to do every day were catching river fish and fishing for crayfish.
Leaving early in the morning, Yao Yuanping drove the family of three for about an hour to reach the countryside.
The private car drove along the newly paved concrete road in the countryside, with rice paddies and farmlands on either side. A hot breeze blew, and the sound of wind rustling through the wheat fields filled their ears.
"Yuanping, you're here!"
In front of the three-story, white-walled, blue-tiled self-built house, a sturdy middle-aged man was rolling up his pant legs, clearing straw and gravel from the early rice.
"Uncle!"
An'an greeted him politely, then slapped the back of the head of the mischievous child playing games beside her.
Yao Jingxuan looked up, intending to glare, but after meeting his sister's threatening gaze, he could only reluctantly call out, "Uncle."
"Oh, An'an is here! It's hot, come in and sit down quickly."
Inside, Uncle's family and Aunt Qiuran were all there. Auntie was cooking, and the others were gathered around the table eating watermelon.
"An'an, come sit next to me!"
Aunt Qiuran quickly waved when she saw An'an, then pushed her boyfriend next to her, telling him to move over.
Aunt Qiuran, whose name is Yao Qiuran, was dressed exquisitely and looked exceptionally refined. She didn't look 29 at all; sitting next to An'an, she seemed like an older sister only a few years her senior.
"You little girl, have you gotten prettier again? Getting so pretty, are you trying to charm someone to death?"
Yao Qiuran pinched An'an's cheek, a hint of envy in her eyes at the jade-like texture of her skin.
"Aunt Qiuran is even prettier! If I could be half as pretty as Aunt Qiuran, I'd be smiling in my dreams."
An'an hesitated slightly, but still linked arms with her.
"Such a sweet talker."
Aunt Qiuran hummed twice, a hint of delight in her eyes after being praised.
"Alas, I'm getting old after all, can't compare to you young people."
"Heh heh, you certainly are an old maid. When are you going to get married? You'll be thirty next year. If I were as outstanding as Jingyu, I definitely wouldn't look at an older leftover woman like you."
Yao Yuanping interjected.
Aunt Qiuran glared at him fiercely.
"I don't know how an old scoundrel like you managed to have an angel like An'an. If you can't say anything nice, just shut your mouth."
Yao Yuanping raised his hands in surrender, gnawing on his watermelon with a chuckle.
Yao Qiuran turned to An'an, her gaze instantly softening.
"I'm probably getting married by the end of the year. Will you be my bridesmaid then?"
"Huh?"
An'an was stunned.
Yao Qiuran thought she felt her suggestion was too sudden, so she explained.
"If I don't get married soon, your grandmother will put me on your grandpa's grave as an offering."
She took An'an's hand.
"Besides, love needs impulse. If you always remain rational, you'll never want to get married. That's why most couples nowadays meet through blind dates, and very few couples who started dating in school end up together."
"So, if you like someone, go for it. Don't be hesitant, no matter what their status is."
"Aunt Qiuran suffered from being too rational; in the end, I could only casually find someone to marry."
At this point, she turned to glare at her boyfriend, Feng Jingyu.
Though she was glaring, her eyes were full of tenderness and reliance.
An'an fell silent.
Yao Yuanping was a bit displeased.
"Don't talk nonsense here. My daughter is still young; romance is for later. Besides, I'm not short on money; even if An'an never marries, I can support her."
Yao Qiuran rolled her eyes, muttering something under her breath, her mouth moving without making a sound.
However, An'an, who was closest, still understood her lip movements.
Hypocrite… "Where's Mom? It's almost time to eat, why isn't she here?"
Liu Ying, walking out of the kitchen, casually snatched the phone from her son's hand.
Yao Jingxuan tried to grab it back, but as soon as he stood up, he was pressed back onto the stool, like a mischievous monkey suppressed by the Tathagata.
"She's in the fields. She's so old, but she just can't sit still. We're not short on money at home, but she always wants to find something to do. Shu Wang, go call Grandma back for dinner."
The eldest cousin shook his head.
"Grandma won't listen to me. I don't have enough weight."
"Don't bother my eldest nephew. My mom has such a stubborn temper; if she hasn't finished, no one can call her back. If you ask me, we should just eat first."
The eldest cousin had just graduated from university and was only a few years older than Yao Qiuran, so being called "eldest nephew" repeatedly made him visibly awkward.
"I'll go."
An'an volunteered.
"It's so hot, why are you going? Sit down and rest."
Yao Qiuran still doted on her niece and tried to pull her arm to make her sit down.
An'an did not do as she wished; she had already grabbed half a watermelon and run out of the house.
"This girl."
Liu Ying raised her hand and tapped her younger son on the head.
"If only you could be half as sensible as your sister, your father and I would be eternally grateful."
Yao Jingxuan felt he was inexplicably caught in the crossfire. Unable to vent his frustration, he fiercely devoured two large pieces of watermelon.
The rice paddies were about seven to eight hundred meters from the self-built house. An'an, riding a tricycle with a cart, attracted many glances along the way.
Arriving at her destination in two or three minutes, she saw a small old woman wearing a straw hat in the field from a distance.
"Grandma!"
An'an called out clearly.
The old woman heard a familiar sound and looked up.
At first, she only saw a tall figure standing by the field. Squinting, she then recognized the person as her granddaughter.
"An'an? It's so hot, why did you come here?"
"It's almost time for dinner. I'm calling you home to eat."
"I'll be done in a minute. You all eat first."
"Okay, then I'll help you. It'll be quicker with two people."
Seeing her about to bend down again to tend to the rice plants, An'an took a pair of dirty rain boots from the tricycle cart, took off her sandals, and stepped barefoot onto the ground, about to put them on.
The old woman, after all, doted on this obedient granddaughter. She waded through the water, hurrying over with quick steps.
"The fields are full of bugs. Your skin is so delicate, how can you do this kind of hard labor?"
When Grandma reached the edge of the field, she carefully brushed off the mud clinging to An'an's tender feet, then poked her finger on her forehead, looking helpless.
An'an had a hint of smugness in her eyes and pulled out the watermelon she had brought from behind her back.
"Ta-da! I picked the biggest piece, specifically for you."
"Xiulan, who is this girl?"
"My granddaughter. Isn't she pretty?"
"Does she have a boyfriend? My Zhiyuan is about the same age as her."
"Go away, go away! Your rotten kid is not worthy of my granddaughter."
"You old hag, your mouth is really nasty."
Grandma sat in the tricycle cart eating watermelon, and An'an rode the tricycle, carrying her, just like when she was little.
As they approached the entrance, Grandma patted her granddaughter's shoulder, signaling her to stop the tricycle.
Then, she pulled out a faded, patched handkerchief from her bosom.
Inside were several hundred-yuan bills and a slightly deformed gold ring.
"Grandma, this is…"
"The money is what I saved myself. You're going to Shanghai for school, and I heard the cost of living there is high. Take this money to buy some clothes, snacks, and things like that."
"The gold ring was given to me by your grandpa when I was young. It's over ten grams. If you want to keep it, have someone reshape it. If not, selling it is fine too. Girls, take good care of yourselves when you're out there. Don't suffer or get too tired."
Looking at the aged figure, An'an's eyes were incredibly complex.
Grandma saw that she wasn't taking it, so she directly stuffed the handkerchief into her hand.
"Quickly put it away, don't let your aunt know, or she'll say I'm playing favorites again."