All group members received this notification, and instantly, the group chat exploded.
[Primitive World Ah Huahua: After the group upgrades, can we send living things? Will my Cao'er be able to come keep me company often?] After sending this message, Ah Huahua was filled with anticipation.
After the last reunion with Cao'er, Ah Huahua now looked forward to seeing it again every day. As for her parents and brothers, she had long since pushed them to the back of her mind. She wasn't afraid of losing out if she confronted her parents' company either.
After all, her company's legal department wasn't just for show.
Nowadays, she was becoming more and more integrated into this primitive world, especially finding the familial love she had searched for in vain in the modern world. In this era, she had found it. Her mother and father might nag her every day about finding a partner, but they were good to her.
Some time ago, when she had a conflict with someone from the tribe, before she could even react, her fiery-tempered mother had rushed over and given the other person a beating. Ah Huahua had never been protected like that before.
Because of this incident, Ah Huahua let go of her emotional baggage. She felt that perhaps she could also try to accept the mother and father who loved her.
The only thing on Xu Huanhuan's mind was the desire to go back and see her mom and dad. She missed them desperately.
She sincerely and urgently hoped the chat group would upgrade to include a home-visit function. Even though she knew the idea of going home was probably too much to hope for, the fact that the chat group could upgrade gave Xu Huanhuan hope.
If this upgrade didn't include the home-visit function, then what about the next one, or the one after that? As long as the chat group kept upgrading, she would always have hope.
Xu Huanhuan didn't share her hopes for the group upgrade in the chat either. She had figured it out: in the entire group, aside from her and Bingbing, the other friends all had some degree of family issues.
But come to think of it, in the novels she read before crossing over, weren't most protagonists someone with few attachments in the modern world?
Lin Duxi had no ties left in the modern world. His only hope now was that the group's delivery quota would increase. They had begun researching spaceships and space probes. But even with the knowledge of this technology, given their world's current scientific level, replicating it wasn't something they could manage anytime soon.
This gap was like giving smartphone blueprints to people from the Qing Dynasty to study.
Therefore, Lin Duxi estimated that he would definitely need to trouble Yao Xiran in the future, and sometimes they might even need to exchange items. One delivery per day was far, far too little for the needs of the post-apocalyptic wasteland world now.
[Post-Apocalyptic Wasteland Lin Duxi: I hope the delivery quota increases.]
The other friends had no specific requests but were quite excited about the unknown developments.
Lin Xi joined the group chat. As they chatted, she suddenly remembered something: [Earth Girl Lin Xi: The notification I just got said you all rated my task performance, right? How come I didn't receive any prompt about it on my end?]
Lin Xi thought back. It seemed she only received task completion notifications and final ratings the first time she helped Xu Huanhuan with a task. After that, there had been none.
Lin Duxi and the others were a bit surprised to see this message: [Post-Apocalyptic Wasteland Lin Duxi: Don't you get a prompt? Every time you help us complete a task, we can give you a rating.]
[Villainess in a CEO Novel Ye Bingbing: Right, right! Last time when I took emergency shelter with you, after returning to the CEO world, I got a rating prompt. I thought the system was quite considerate at the time.]
[1960s Boxer Xiang Qianlan: Yeah, I thought you knew, so I never mentioned it.]
[Whole Family Transmigrated into ABO Wen Wan: That's correct.]
This was simply a case of information asymmetry. Who would have thought that when they rated Lin Xi, Lin Xi herself was unaware?
[Earth Girl Lin Xi: I only got a prompt the first time I did a task for Sister Huanhuan. After that, there was nothing.]
The people in the group chat also sensed something unusual. They discussed it extensively, even bringing up conspiracy theories.
Lin Xi was also pondering. From the prompt she had just seen, it was clear that for the chat group to level up, she needed to help a certain number of people, and each person she helped had to give her a positive rating.
Lin Xi made a bold guess: the chat group prompted her after her first task but stopped afterwards, most likely to prevent her from farming for positive ratings.
This chat group system, which couldn't communicate with her, seemed almost excessively intelligent, yet also like nothing more than a mindless "program."
Li Yucheng's call came in. Lin Xi pressed the answer key. As soon as the call connected, Li Yucheng's voice came through: "Lin Xi, I saw your message. I should be just about finished with things on my end tomorrow. I'll call you again once I'm done?"
In their last call, Li Yucheng had addressed her as Miss Lin. This time, he was calling her directly by her name, Lin Xi.
Lin Xi didn't find this particularly odd: "Alright, we'll wait for your call then. My grandma has soaked some glutinous rice to make zenggao to treat you."
Hearing zenggao, Li Yucheng first thought of the version with dates pressed into cornmeal, but he also knew the zenggao here was definitely not the same as the one he imagined.
He said, "Sure, I'll definitely be there tomorrow."
The two didn't have much else to talk about. After a brief, casual chat, they hung up. Lin Xi told Chi Xiangping about this, and Chi Xiangping was delighted. She directed Lin Xi to go up to the kitchen loft to fetch last year's leftover cured ham.
By the time Lin Xi came down from the loft, Yao Yuran and her daughter had returned. She had brought back a small basket of persimmons from Fifth Aunt's house.
Lin Xi's eyes instantly lit up: "Are the persimmons from Fifth Aunt's house ready to eat?"
Not many households in the village grew persimmon trees, and Fifth Aunt's persimmons were the most delicious. Her family took great care of that tree, fertilizing it twice a year. As soon as the persimmons started turning red on the tree, they would pick them and store them in a vat.
By around Chinese New Year, the persimmons would be fully ripe, a bright orange-yellow, and incredibly sweet. The crisper ones needed to be peeled before eating. The soft ones could have their skin peeled off directly. The flesh would separate into juicy segments.
Lin Xi's childhood was not as affluent as it is now. Children her age were always craving treats, and apart from the sugarcane that was a winter staple, the sweetest taste in her memory was the persimmons from Auntie Wu's house.
"They're ripe. Auntie Wu said you love persimmons the most, so she asked me to bring you some." Lin Xi had grown up playing with the brothers and sisters from Auntie Wu's family. In Auntie Wu's heart, Lin Xi was almost like her own daughter.
Every time Lin Xi came back for the New Year, Auntie Wu would send her a basket of persimmons.
Lin Xi took them, washed them under the tap in the yard, and couldn't wait to peel one and eat it. She casually peeled another one for Yue.
Yao Yuran quickly stopped her: "She can't have any more. She's already had quite a few; if she eats more, she won't have room for dinner."
Yue was very obedient. Hearing her mother say that, even though she was still craving it, she didn't ask for it.
Just then, Fang came back with her schoolbag. Lin Ling didn't even go inside the house, dashing off towards her own home instead.
Lin Xi waved her over. Fang put down her bag and came. Lin Xi handed her a persimmon. She thanked Lin Xi sweetly and started eating it earnestly.
In this new environment, with new friends, free from endless chores and a father who was always ready to hit her, Fang's personality grew brighter day by day.
Seeing her like this made Yao Yuran happy too.
The steamed rice cake would have to wait until tomorrow to make. After dinner, Lin Xi was just about to practice a section of the Yishu Thirteen Classics when Da Mingbao arrived, pulling her towards his house.
"Last time we said you'd come to our place for barbecue, but you had something come up and couldn't make it. If you don't come for barbecue this time, I'll be upset. Fang and Yue, you're coming too. Hurry up, hurry up, Lin Ling and the others are already there." While pulling Lin Xi, Da Mingbao didn't forget to include the sisters, Fang and Yue.
Fang and Yue both looked at Yao Yuran. Yao Yuran hadn't been here long, but she already understood the people of this village well. Unlike Elm Tree Village, the folks in Lotus Village were warm and hospitable. Every household would share any tasty treats they had with their neighbors.
If you visited someone's home, a whole table of melon seeds, sweets, fruit, and tea would appear in no time.
"Go on, go on," Yao Yuran agreed. Yue raised her hand and cheered "Yay!"—something she'd learned from Auntie Wu's grandson next door these past couple of days.
A child just over two years old is adorable no matter what they do. The adults present all looked at her with fondness in their eyes.
Seeing Yue like this, Chi Xiangping started daydreaming about Lin Xi's future children again.
Lin Xi was definitely going. Last time Da Mingbao invited her for barbecue, she couldn't go because she had to return money to every household. It would be impolite not to go this time.
"Wait, wait. I bought some green dates the other day; I'll bring some along. My friend from the capital city pickled some kimchi. Her family is Korean, and her kimchi is really delicious."
"Especially the spicy cabbage. Grilling it with pork belly is an absolute perfect match."
Lin Xi's words successfully made Da Mingbao stop in his tracks. "Let's go, let's go, grab it quick!"
Ten minutes later, the party of four set off from the Yao household. Lin Xi carried a large porcelain basin filled with the kimchi Auntie Yang had sent. Da Mingbao held a child's hand in each of his, and Fang carried a half-bag of winter dates.
The evening was a bit chilly, but this kind of weather made either barbecue or hotpot seem especially delicious.
Lin Xi was chatting with Da Mingbao as they headed to her house. Her yard was incredibly lively. On one side, a table was set up, piled high with barbecue ingredients.
In the middle of the yard was a square stainless steel table. The center of this table had a hollowed-out wire mesh grate, with a trough underneath for holding charcoal. The charcoal was already in place, burning brightly.
The yard was full of kids waiting to eat barbecue, with Lin Xi, Da Mingbao, and Wang Peng being the oldest among them.
The older folks were all inside the house. They didn't participate in these kids' barbecue parties.
"Same as always, let's start with the 'baojiang' tofu," Da Mingbao said, picking up a large plate of tofu from the table and pouring it onto the wire mesh. Wang Peng, knowing the drill, immediately picked up a brush and started basting it with oil.
Lin Xi took out a stack of small stainless steel dishes and began filling them with barbecue seasoning. This seasoning was a special blend made by a chili pepper seller at the market. All the ingredients were ground into powder, creating a fragrant, spicy, and savory mix.
Just pouring it made Lin Xi's mouth water. The kids had already taken their seats at another long folding table, sitting obediently and eagerly awaiting whatever Wang Peng grilled.
After distributing the seasoning, Lin Xi sat down by the barbecue table. Using chopsticks to flip the sizzling tofu on the grate, she asked Wang Peng, "Didn't you say you had a girlfriend? Why didn't you bring her back?"
Wang Peng didn't pause his work, answering casually, "We had a fight. Might break up soon."
Wang Peng had always been smooth-talking. Even back in middle school, he had a natural talent for sweet-talking girls.
But being smooth-tongued had its pros and cons. Because he was habitually charming, it wasn't like he hadn't been dumped before.
"What was it about this time?" Wang Peng's romantic history was quite extensive—so much so that back in high school, Da Mingbao wrote a short story about it online. It even got some tips, earning a total of 20 yuan. Da Mingbao immediately took Lin Xi out for rice noodles at a restaurant.
"She wants a 300,000 yuan bride price. She won't settle for 200,000." Wang Peng's family was well-off. His father had leased land on the mountain years ago to grow panax notoginseng, and the price had been soaring ever since.
Wang Peng's family had even built two houses in the city. Lin Xi had seen them; each was a five-story building, luxuriously decorated. But having too much money also had its downsides. Wang Peng's father had someone on the side and got divorced a few years back. Now, that woman's child was already in elementary school.
Wang Peng's mother remarried quickly after the divorce, to someone from Meng City. She hardly ever came back, maybe once a year at most.
Wang Peng didn't like his biological father or his stepmother, so he stayed in the village with his grandparents. As his grandparents were getting older, he came back to visit even more frequently.
That 200,000 yuan was what Wang Peng had saved up over the years. He made pretty good money as a pharmaceutical sales rep.
The bride prices around Lin Xi's area weren't high, so 200,000 was indeed a sky-high amount: "Can't it be negotiated down?"
Wang Peng scoffed. "She says my dad's worth millions, so 300,000 in bride price is nothing. It's not that we can't afford it, and I really do like my girlfriend, but I just don't like what she's saying."
Because Wang Peng's father had an affair, Grandpa Wang and Grandma Wang looked down on him, but over the years they hadn't stopped milking him for money; the old couple definitely had several hundred thousand saved up.
"What did she say?" Da Mingbao came out of the storefront ahead, carrying a large bottle of drink.
"She said my dad has a few million on hand, and if I, his own son, don't use it now, who knows who it'll benefit later." Wang Peng hated it most when people brought up his parents' affairs.
Da Mingbao and Lin Xi exchanged a glance and didn't pursue the topic: "Don't think about it too much. Come on, come on, let's eat, let's eat."
The fried stinky tofu was ready. The kids came over with small plates, and Da Mingbao meticulously portioned out the tofu for them.
After every child had some, the items on the grill had moved on to hot dogs and sausages. Lin Xi glanced at Fang and Yue; they were sitting with Lin Ling. The two older girls were helping Yue eat her tofu.
Lin Xi shifted her gaze and looked at Da Mingbao: "Watching them, I'm reminded of when we were kids."
Da Mingbao and Wang Peng both laughed. Da Mingbao's family was well-off and doted on her, their only child. Da Mingbao had been generous since childhood; kids who were close to her often got to share the snacks she brought.
Kids like Lin Xi and Wang Peng, seeing that playing with her meant getting treats, always stuck by her. It was only when they got older that their friendship became genuine.
Da Mingbao said with a smile, "I knew about you guys. When you were little, you only hung out with me for my snacks."
All three of them laughed at that. The kids didn't eat much. After having tofu and sausages and a bit of other food, they were pretty much done.
It got late, and their parents came to pick them up. Chi Xiangping came to take Fang and Yue. The three of them, Lin Xi, Da Mingbao, and Wang Peng, sat around the barbecue table. The drinks had been swapped for alcohol. They chatted and ate leisurely, feeling as if time itself had slowed down.
Midway, Da Mingbao took a phone call. Not long after, Sun Xianquan arrived, and with him was another person. When they saw who it was, both Da Mingbao and Wang Peng's eyes turned to Lin Xi.
Lin Xi didn't even spare the newcomer a glance from the corner of her eye. "Eat up, these mushroom stems are about to dry out."
Dried-out mushroom stems were far more important than watching any drama. The other two instantly refocused on the grill.
The atmosphere afterward was clearly not as good as before. As the culprit who brought Chi Chongxin along, Da Mingbao couldn't even muster a smile for Sun Xianquan. Sun Xianquan wore a pained expression. Chi Chongxin kept stealing glances at Lin Xi, but Lin Xi completely ignored him.
For Lin Xi, people you break up with can absolutely never become friends. Men and women who can stay friends after a breakup all have something a bit wrong with them. In Lin Xi's view, a qualified ex should stay properly buried in their grave. Chi Chongxin had done very well in the previous years, but now he was showing up in front of her like a zombie. She wasn't willing to look at him at all.
After the previously opened alcohol was finished, and seeing it was getting late, Lin Xi patted her pants and left. Wang Peng also promptly called it a night. Sun Xianquan, with a crestfallen face, led Chi Chongxin away.
While driving, Sun Xianquan said to Chi Chongxin, "Brother, I heard you're going to marry Fang Shulei. Be good to her. No matter what happened between the three of you back then, after all, Fang Shulei has been with you for so many years. You've already hurt one person, you can't go on and hurt another."
Chi Chongxin didn't speak. He glanced in Lin Xi's direction. "I know. Let's go. I'm really sorry about tonight."
When Lin Xi got home, everyone in the house was already asleep. The Transmigrator chat group was still lively, and Lin Xi joined their conversation. A smile unconsciously touched the corners of her lips.
Halfway through the chat, Qin Suyuan joined in: [The Switched-at-Birth Real Heiress Qin Suyuan: Family, I saw Qin Susu today.]
Everyone in the group knew that Qin Susu was the reborn fake heiress who was switched at birth.
This statement instantly grabbed everyone's attention: [Whole Family Transmigrated to ABO Wen Wan: Did she see you? What was she doing?]
[The Switched-at-Birth Real Heiress Qin Suyuan: No, I hid the moment I saw her. They were shopping at the mall. She had three guys with her. If I'm not mistaken, they were her brothers and her fiancé.]
When she said this, Qin Suyuan couldn't help but feel a grudging admiration for that woman, Qin Susu. Clearly, in her past life, she and her husband had reached a point of mutual loathing. She also deeply hated her adoptive parents and brothers.
But somehow, she could still interact with them all smiles, calling them "big brother" and "little brother" so sweetly.
Putting herself in that position, given her own and the original host's personalities, Qin Suyuan knew she absolutely couldn't be that warm and friendly with people she disliked.
To avoid being discovered by Qin Susu at this time, Qin Suyuan left the mall early.
Her abilities weren't sufficient yet; it wasn't the right time for a direct confrontation with Qin Susu. She needed to build up her strength.
After gossiping about Qin Susu for a bit, Wen Wan started talking about what she saw and heard today.
[Whole Family Transmigrated to ABO Wen Wan: Let me tell you all something amusing. My mother-in-law went to see Zhao Xuelian at the place next door to me today.]
The guard, Dong Guiliang, whom Zhao Xuelian was with, had built a small courtyard house to show off his uniqueness. Wen Wan coordinated with her previous tenant and specifically moved to a second-floor apartment closer to Dong Guiliang's house.
Today, when Du Ermei went to find Zhao Xuelian, Wen Wan saw it immediately: [Whole Family Transmigrated to ABO Wen Wan: It's really funny when you think about it. Back at the Planetary Governor's estate, that mother and daughter fought like cats and dogs. But after a few days of hardship, their long-lost mother-daughter affection seems to have made a comeback.]
[The moment they met, they hugged and cried. Du Ermei had injuries all over her face and body, which shows she's finally living the life of being beaten and scolded by a man every day.]
[Dong Guiliang doesn't live alone on M248. His Alpha mother is there too. She's no easy customer either. Zhao Xuelian has to get up early to clean, cook, and serve her mother-in-law and husband, helping them wash up.] Wen Wan was beside herself with glee as she relayed this.
She truly hadn't expected Dong Guiliang's family to be like that: [Zhao Xuelian's current life isn't as good as mine was back then. I certainly didn't have to serve a whole household of people first thing every morning like she does now. Of course, I don't mean to compare myself to her. I just want to say, Zhao Xuelian's retribution came really fast.]
[Back then, she was always egging her mother on to discipline me. The two of them would get together and talk all day about how to set rules for me. Well, now she's ended up in a family that's particularly big on 'rules'.]
[Ancient World Xu Huanhuan: Can you get in touch with her mother-in-law? If you can, chat with her mother-in-law about the rules that mothers-in-law set for their daughters-in-law in ancient China.] Xu Huanhuan deeply despised meddlesome sisters-in-law who stirred up trouble. So, she decided to add her own brick and tile to the foundation of that meddlesome sister-in-law's future 'happy' life.
[Primitive World Ah Huahua: Speaking of setting rules, Sister Huanhuan, is it true that ancient mothers-in-law would really mix soybeans and rice together and make their daughters-in-law kneel to sort them out?]
This plot point was something Ah Huahua had seen on TV as a child. It left a very deep impression on her.
The friends in the group chat were also incredibly curious about these things, each asking about what they wanted to hear.
Xu Huanhuan first answered Ah Huahua's question: [Ancient World Ah Huahua: Yes, it's called 'picking Buddha beans'. Many families would have their daughters start doing this from a young age, saying it would grind their temper to be gentle, obedient, and chaste.]
[But for those being punished, it's different. When they are forced to pick Buddha beans, they aren't allowed to eat, drink, sleep, or even use the bathroom.]
Putting themselves in that position, Lin Xi and the others began criticizing feudal society for being so good at tormenting people. Sorting "Buddha beans" was clearly a task requiring immense patience. Kneeling to pick them was torturous enough, but to be denied food, water, and bathroom breaks? That would be utterly maddening.
Reading everyone's comments, Xu Huanhuan smiled. Come to think of it, her former mother-in-law, now the current Marchioness, had tried to use this trick on her not long after she first married into the family.
Back then, she simply ignored it, adopting an attitude of 'if it comes to it, just divorce me'.
When did she change? Xu Huanhuan thought, probably after she got pregnant. At that time, she felt no sense of belonging to that world at all. Even though her parents were good to her, she felt like an outsider.
Once pregnant, she felt she had someone in that world who completely needed her, and her perspective shifted.
Xu Huanhuan smiled at her past self and began replying to the others.
Xiang Qianlan from the 1960s era watched Xu Huanhuan talk about ancient tormenting methods and began learning them eagerly. She planned to use these methods to deal with that pervert and Widow Liu.
This would save her from having to endure that pervert Qin Aiguo's shy, bashful glances at her all day, and now Widow Liu even dared to pester her about having children. How dreadful. She would rather die than have a child for Qin Aiguo in this lifetime.
She even found paper and pen to start taking notes. After all, no one said the methods ancient mothers-in-law used to torment daughters-in-law couldn't be used by a daughter-in-law to torment her mother-in-law and husband. The more Xiang Qianlan thought about it, the more justified she felt.
After she finished recording, her room door was knocked. The little notebook was put away into her space by Xiang Qianlan. Frowning, she went to open the door. Qin Aiguo stood outside like a timid wife: "Qianlan, I've come to clean your room."
Xiang Qianlan had come to understand this pervert somewhat. One look at the way his eyes swept over her body told her exactly what this man was thinking. She instantly felt as disgusted as if she had swallowed a fly.
Due to the injuries the original host had suffered in the past, she already disliked Qin Aiguo's family intensely. Qin Aiguo's submissive, victim-like appearance disgusted her even more.
She slammed the door shut with a bang. "Get lost."
Qin Aiguo stood outside the door, looking at the tightly shut door with a sense of anguish. The more he understood his own fetish, the more he craved someone to hit him, especially there. But ever since Xiang Qianlan discovered his secret, she had never hit him again.
This left Qin Aiguo feeling unbearably frustrated and restless. Xiang Qianlan decided she could no longer let this man disgust her like this.
She thought of that local ruffian in the village, Fan Jianhui, who was about the same age as Qin Aiguo. He did nothing good, stealing chickens and dogs, and was even rumored to be a bit indiscriminate with genders. A plan suddenly sprang to her mind.
Xiang Qianlan's little scheme was taking shape with a vengeance. That night, Lin Xi, who had drunk a little wine, had already fallen asleep.
Her sleep quality had always been good. Since returning home, she hadn't even dreamed, often just lying down on the bed and falling asleep, not waking until the next morning.
But this night, she started dreaming again. She dreamed of a man with his back to her, dressed in ancient Wei-Jin dynasty attire.
The man stood not far from her. With his back turned, Lin Xi couldn't see his face, but her heart held an indescribable sense of familiarity and closeness.
Lin Xi wanted to step forward to see his face clearly, but she found that no matter how she walked, the distance between them remained exactly the same, never changing.
Lin Xi's eyes snapped open. The sun outside the window shone through a crack in the curtains that wasn't fully closed, landing on her bed. Lin Xi placed her hand on the sunlit spot. It was warm.
Lin Xi got up and went out. Chi Xiangping was coming from the vegetable garden with a bundle of Swiss chard in her arms. Of the two fat pigs her family raised, one had been slaughtered, and one was still in the pen. The people who came to the village to buy pigs this year were late, and there was still no sign of them.
Lin Xi went over, took the Swiss chard, and carried it to the kitchen. Inside the kitchen, Yao Yuran was scooping noodles for everyone.
The porcelain bowls were prepared with chopped tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, lard, soy sauce, salt, MSG, along with scalded chives and leafy greens. On the table beside them sat a bowl of chili oil and a bowl of chopped pickled peppers. Lin Xi's eyes instantly lit up.
"Are we having mixed noodles today?" The local custom in her hometown was to eat dried noodles. The unrinsed noodles were sticky, and the sauce clung to them, making them incredibly fragrant.
Back in Beijing, Lin Xi could eat this for several days in a row without getting tired.
Since returning home, there were just too many delicious things to eat, so mixed dried noodles had to wait their turn.
"Yes, now go wash up quickly," Yao Yuran said to Lin Xi, pushing her wheelchair to place the noodles on the table.
Lin Xi quickly went to wash her face and brush her teeth. When she returned, the noodles in her bowl had already been mixed, with chili added to them.
Today was Saturday, so Fang didn't have to go to school. It was rare for everyone to have breakfast together.
While eating, Lin Xi asked Chi Xiangping, "Grandma, did my father have many friends back in the day?"
"Oh yes. Your father had a good temperament back then, was well-spoken, and got along with people very well. Even after he married your mother, friends still often came looking for him." Speaking of her son, Chi Xiangping's memories remained vivid.
"Later, when your father went missing, we went to look for those friends of his, but couldn't find a single one." Chi Xiangping felt a bit upset and fell silent.
The suspicion in Lin Xi's heart grew stronger. She didn't continue the topic. No matter how many years had passed, her father's disappearance from home remained an unspoken pain for her grandmother.
After the meal, seeing the good weather, Lin Xi washed the clothes that had piled up over several days. Da Mingbao came by once during that time; she was there to apologize to Lin Xi.
Last night, she had never imagined Chi Chongxin would show up. Although Lin Xi no longer cared about Chi Chongxin, Da Mingbao still felt very sorry. An apology over WeChat didn't feel formal enough. After Lin Xi comforted her with a few words, Da Mingbao went back home.
Washing the clothes, bedsheets, and duvet covers took the whole day. By three in the afternoon, things were already bustling at Lin Xi's home.
The cured ham hock was already stewing, and the zèng gāo (a type of steamed glutinous rice cake) was steaming in the pot. Lin Xi was sent by Chi Xiangping to the neighboring Fifth Aunt's house to buy a young rooster. Upon returning, Chi Xiangping took it and, with a swift motion of the knife, slaughtered it.
Someone from the village came selling cài dòufu (a local dish, often a savory tofu pudding), so Lin Xi took the family's porcelain basin and bought a portion.
A little after five, Lin Xi received a call from Li Yucheng. They had already entered the village, but didn't know which house was Lin Xi's.
Lin Xi walked out of the courtyard and saw a burgundy jeep parked at the village entrance. Lin Xi waved in that direction, and the car soon drove up to her.
As before, Li Yucheng got out of the car first, followed by the other police officer.
As it wasn't work hours, neither was in uniform. Lin Xi's gaze skipped over Li Yucheng and landed on Li Sheng.
Last time they met it was dark, so Lin Xi hadn't seen his face clearly. He was 1.9 meters tall, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and incredibly long legs. He was dressed entirely in black, only his shoes were white. He looked very clean and sharp.
Looking at his face, his features were handsome, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing at the corner of his mouth.
After just a few seconds, Lin Xi looked away and instead spoke to Li Yucheng: "Grandma has been talking about you since this morning. Please, come in."
Li Yucheng took the gifts they had bought from the car's trunk: "We're touched that Grandma remembered us. We just finished up our work."
The two of them walked forward together. Lin Xi then called out to him: "Officer Li, please come in as well."
Li Sheng walked behind the two, his eyes habitually sweeping a glance over the courtyard before settling on Lin Xi, who was talking to Li Yucheng.
With guests arriving, the dining table was set up in the main hall. By the time Lin Xi and the others entered, the dishes were already laid out. Chi Xiangping was carrying the zèngzi (the lidded container used for steaming zèng gāo) from the kitchen. Before she could reach the platform at the entrance, Li Sheng stepped forward and took it from her.
Chi Xiangping had to look up at him: "Are you Li Yucheng?"
Chi Xiangping had never seen a photo of Li Yucheng. She figured that although her granddaughter was perfection itself in her eyes, if Li Yucheng looked like this and still wasn't interested, then he was simply being ungrateful.
Even if marriage wasn't on the table, they could at least date. It wouldn't hurt.
Li Sheng replied to Chi Xiangping in the local dialect: "Grandma, I'm not him. My name is Li Sheng, I'm Li Yucheng's colleague."
Although Li Yucheng was here on a business trip, they were both police officers, so calling them colleagues wasn't wrong at all.
Chi Xiangping was briefly disappointed, but immediately perked up again: "Oh~ I see. How old are you? Where's your family from?"
"My family is from Pingyuan. I'm twenty-six this year," Li Sheng answered Chi Xiangping's questions, and even offered her a hand up the steps.
Chi Xiangping's fondness for this young man instantly skyrocketed. However, upon meeting Li Yucheng, all her enthusiasm was completely transferred to him.
The group sat down for a meal, and throughout dinner, Chi Xiangping never let the conversation lag. Compared to her, Lin Xi, who usually considered herself quite articulate, felt she was being starkly outshone and made to look like a social recluse.
The old lady was a smooth talker, and Li Yucheng and Li Sheng were completely defenseless against her. They kept eating bowl after bowl of rice until they genuinely couldn't manage another bite, at which point Chi Xiangping reluctantly gave up.
After the meal, Li Sheng and Li Yucheng were so stuffed they could barely sit still. Chi Xiangping then told Lin Xi to take the two of them for a walk around the house.
It was already dark outside. Faced with Chi Xiangping's expectant gaze, Lin Xi had no choice but to take the two men for a stroll through the village.
At this hour, every household was just finishing dinner, and some people were out for their evening walks. Seeing Lin Xi with two tall, handsome men, they all came up to inquire.
By the time they finished their loop around the village and returned, everyone's food had settled—because nearly two hours had passed.
Li Yucheng and Li Sheng left as if fleeing. During those two hours, they had barely spoken a few words to Lin Xi, having been constantly pulled aside by Granny for questioning.
Even though they were police officers, aside from confidential matters, they had practically divulged their family histories going back eight generations.
When Lin Xi returned home, Chi Xiangping pulled her aside to ask about their walk. Lin Xi could tell immediately that Chi Xiangping's instruction to take Li Yucheng and the other man for a stroll was absolutely deliberate.
Chi Xiangping didn't hide it from Lin Xi: "It's all because of your Sixth Grandma. She told me she wanted to introduce you to some big boss who owns three apartments in the city. Divorced with two kids, thirty-two years old."
"When did she tell you this? This afternoon when you went out?" The Sixth Grandma Chi Xiangping mentioned had been at odds with her for a lifetime. If there was ever a chance to one-up the other, they'd both take it.
But to say they had any deep-seated hatred wasn't accurate. Back when Lin Xi's family had trouble, Sixth Grandma had even sent over some money. Lin Xi figured her grandmother must have clashed with Sixth Grandma again.
The other woman probably couldn't resist and mentioned that awful blind date prospect just to disgust Chi Xiangping.
"Exactly, when else would it be? She really looks down on people, I tell you. Your Sixth Grandma definitely won't sleep a wink tonight."
"Alright, alright." Lin Xi rolled her eyes and walked away.
The kitchen had already been tidied up. Lin Xi sat by the fireplace for a while, chatting with Yao Yuran.
Every now and then, she would also chat a bit in the group chat.
Chi Xiangping came over too, holding several bottles of milk, peanut and red date flavored, which Li Yucheng had just delivered.
After handing out one bottle to each person, she started watching TV. Today's melodrama had reached the part where the female lead, with a twisted mouth, was misunderstood but offered no explanation. She was accused by the whole family and then driven out of the house.
The female lead looked especially pitiful in the heavy rain. Chi Xiangping wiped away tears, and Yao Yuran's eyes also welled up.
Only Lin Xi grew more and more frustrated the more she watched, and couldn't help but vent in the group chat.
[Earth Girl Lin Xi: The female lead in this TV show my grandma is watching is absolutely nuts. It's not like she can't have her own kids. She's pretty, has a good figure, and is educated. Even in that particular era, she could have married someone better.]
[Seriously, she even turned down the factory director's son, only to marry a divorced man with kids. She's constantly met with hostility from the stepson and resentment from the stepdaughter. What's the point? For his age? For him not bathing? Or for his male chauvinism?]
Just after Lin Xi sent out her two complaints, a system prompt appeared: [System Notification: This upgrade has concluded. Please refer to the group announcement for specific new features.]
[System Notification: The Step-Mother from the Period Novel, Xu Huixin, has entered the group chat.]
[System Notification: The Reborn Transmigrator, Gu Nuanyang, has entered the group chat.]
Three system notifications appeared one after another. Before anyone could even check the group announcement,
the newcomers spoke.
[Period Novel Step-Mother Xu Huixin: She must be out of her mind, otherwise she wouldn't have married someone like that. Good grief, already has three kids by his late twenties.]
[And she herself has no backbone. Whenever there's conflict between his wife, his mother, and his children, he always just sneaks away. Whether it's business or work, he actually lets his wife take the lead. He's like a damn toad—won't move unless you poke him.]
[He doesn't even bathe or wash his feet before going to bed at night. And this is supposed to be the male lead?! I seriously can't stand it for another single day.]
Only Lin Xi felt extremely awkward. She had just finished complaining about someone becoming a stepmother, and then a real stepmother showed up. Social death in an instant!
