Chapter 499 (2/2)
My father nodded his head. “Same old, same old…”
……
It was at this moment that He Yi got out of the car. She straightened her attire and stood there as pretty as a picture. She smiled at my father and said, “Good afternoon, uncle!”
My father nodded his head.
Third aunt's jaw dropped open and she nearly dropped the bunch of leeks that she was holding in her hands. “Aiyah, where did this pretty little lady come from? She's so beautiful. I've lived for more than fifty years but I've never seen a girl this beautiful in Yangzhou before…”
Murong Mingyue and Beiming Xue soon got out of the X12 as well. My third aunt grew even more fl.u.s.tered as she started singing their praises, “These little ladies are so pretty! I have nothing left to say!”
After she said that, the third aunt shot me a mischievous look and continued, “Lu Chen, you rascal! It looks like life is treating you well. You've gone out to see the world for only a few years but you've gotten to know such beautiful girls! Tell me! Which one of them is your girlfriend?”
He Yi instantly grew red as she froze in place. Beiming Xue was holding a bottle of mineral water when she heard those words, and a red blush soon crept up her cheeks. None of them knew how to answer that question.
But Murong Mingyue wasn't fazed by my aunt's question at all. A small, mischievous grin crept up her face before she floored everyone with her reply. “All of us are…”
Thud...
The leeks fell from the third aunt's arms. She had been utterly stunned by that answer.
A long period of awkward silence stretched out until Murong Mingyue finally gave up. She couldn't keep a straight face any longer. Silvery laughter pealed in the air and it was only then that my father and third uncle knew that these girls were just cracking a joke.
“Hurry, hurry, come in!” my father said anxiously.
He started to scold me as well, “Lu Chen! Ah, you! Really! You came here with a few of your colleagues and you didn't even let me know in advance. See? I didn't even have time to clean up the place…”
I laughed and said, “There's no need for you to trouble yourself with that, dad. We'll clean up our own rooms.”
My father hollered after the third uncle, “Old Three, come and help me open up the gates! Let's get their cars inside! It's simply far too dirty outside…”
“Alright!”
Third uncle sprang into action while the third aunt continued to look the three beautiful girls up and down. Her heart was filled with delight and she asked Beiming Xue, “Little lady, how old are you this year?”
Beiming Xue replied, “I'm nineteen this year, aunty…”
“Do you have a boyfriend?”
“Not right now…”
“Aiyah, I happen to have a nephew who is working in Wuxi's railroad office! He earns more than ten thousand RMB every month and he even gets an annual bonus at the end of the year. That child has an upright character and he's quite sensible too. How about I introduce him to you?”
I could practically see the black lines that were forming on Beiming Xue's forehead. However, her mask didn't slip and she soon broke out into a sweet smile. “Thank you for your good intentions, aunty. But I don't want to meet anyone from the railway administration…”
Third aunt: “...”
……
After we drove the cars into the courtyard, the girls hurriedly took out the presents that they had bought for my father and gave them to him. My dad was overcome with delight and his smile was so wide that it stretched to his ears. The afternoon sun was s.h.i.+ning down on us, causing the mottled shadows of tree leaves to appear on his face. A warm feeling welled up inside me at the sight of his smile. Seeing him smile was something that truly gladdened my heart.
“Have you all had lunch?” he asked.
“We've already eaten, uncle. You don't need to bother yourself with us…” He Yi replied with a smile.
My father hurriedly said, “Ah, Old Three! Help me go to town and buy some nice dishes and wine! Lu Chen's come back home, so let's all have a meal together.”
Third uncle nodded his head and replied, “Okay!”
I said, “Dad, don't bother third uncle. Sister Yi, Sister Mingyue and I will go buy the food. They haven't really seen Yong'an Town's market, so this will be a good opportunity for them to broaden their horizons!”
My father chuckled. “Okay then… We'll go with your plan! Old Three, just go and buy some wine then!”
Murong Mingyue hurriedly stopped him. “Actually, there's no need for you to do that. We've also brought wine…”
I had already moved to take a few bottles of wine out from the trunk of the X12 when Murong Mingyue spoke up. This was rather high-cla.s.s wine and my third uncle's eyes widened into saucers the moment he saw them. “I've seen this wine before! It's the kind of wine the governor drinks when they christen a new road…”
I was left rather speechless at that. “If they do, then they're a lot more corrupt than I thought…”
He Yi let out a soft laugh. “Uncle, drink this wine tonight. I heard it's quite delicious!”
“Mn, okay…”
My father and third uncle broke out into laughter after they exchanged a glance. These two old men had lived more than a hundred years between them but they were grinning like little kids right now.
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