#29: Uncle Jiang Likes Jiangjiang the Most

Today was Jiang Yan and Lin Xingzi’s last day at home. Their train was in the evening. Jiang’s mother woke up early. It was still dark, and when she walked out of her room, she saw the young couple had already finished washing up, looking like they were ready to leave.

Perhaps they didn’t want to wake her, so they didn’t turn on the lights and moved quietly.

Jiang’s mother’s door suddenly opened. Lin Xingzi paused, and the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law stared at each other. Lin Xingzi reacted first, her hand awkwardly pulling away from the man’s grasp.

“Up so early.”

Lin Xingzi softly mumbled, “Mm... I slept well last night.”

“Woke up at the usual time,” Jiang Yan turned on the light. “I checked the weather forecast; it’s a clear day. I want to take Jiangjiang to see the sunrise.”

“Go ahead,” Jiang’s mother nodded. “Bring back a bottle of vinegar when you return.”

Lin Xingzi left first. Jiang Yan stepped out of the courtyard and then went back inside to grab a jacket. Jiang’s mother looked outside; Lin Xingzi had walked quite a distance.

“Did you argue with Xingzi?”

“...No.”

“No? Do you think your mother’s a fool? That girl hasn’t smiled much these past few days,” Jiang’s mother was also a woman of few words, but she was perceptive. “Which couples don’t argue? Argue all you want, but whether you’re right or wrong, you should always give in a little. Xingzi is her parents’ darling at home; she shouldn’t suffer injustice after marrying you.”

She sighed, “Like mother, like son. You’re clumsy with words, can’t say sweet things.”

That’s why he didn’t have a girlfriend for four years of university and focused entirely on his work after graduation. Last year, when he suddenly called back saying he was getting married, she was startled, thinking her son had gotten into trouble outside. In big cities, older wealthy women liked to find young, handsome men, especially sons like hers who had no power or influence but were decent-looking and physically fit—they were easily noticed.

It turned out her son was indeed noticed by a rich woman.

A young rich woman.

“Couples don’t hold grudges overnight. Find a way to coax her.”

Jiang Yan smiled, responding softly.

The beach in front of their house wasn’t very clean, so Jiang Yan planned to take Lin Xingzi to a slightly more distant spot. She was afraid of the dark and unfamiliar with the roads here, so she used her phone as a light. Jiang Yan rode the electric bike out of the courtyard.

Lin Xingzi had broken her leg falling off a bicycle, so she had a phobia of two-wheeled vehicles. “How will you ride? Are you not riding it?”

“It’s not far, only ten minutes,” Jiang Yan put a helmet on her. “I’ll ride with one hand, slowly.”

Lin Xingzi remembered the speed at which Jiang Yan had chased Ji Qiuchi on his bike last time. She’d rather walk. “You’re not slow at all, you’re very fast.”

Jiang Yan: “...”

Although he knew she didn’t mean it that way, it always sounded a bit off.

“I won’t ride fast, I’ll listen to you. As slow as you want,” Jiang Yan threaded his fingers through her hair, pulling out the strands that were trapped under her helmet. “It’ll be cold, put on your jacket.”

The sky was growing light, the faint glow of dawn scattered in his eyes. With him by her side, Lin Xingzi felt completely at ease.

Jiang Yan rode the bike, taking her through the village. It was early, and the villagers weren’t awake yet; the whole world was quiet.

The sea breeze carried a damp, salty scent. Lin Xingzi sat on the back seat, leaning against the man’s back, recalling the boy from high school, carrying her step by step up the hundred steps on campus.

No matter how many years passed, her heart would still flutter...

“The square up ahead used to be a small elementary school where I studied for six years. It was torn down later.”

“Did you used to bike to school?”

“No, I always walked to school. Back then, there were more villagers, and I’d walk with the neighbor kids.”

“...Oh, your pretty deskmate.”

“...”

“Going downhill now, hold on tight,” Jiang Yan took her hand and placed it on his waist. “Qiu Chi always walked with my brother. We weren’t deskmates in elementary school either.”

Qiu Chi, Qiu Chi...

He hadn’t even called her properly.

Lin Xingzi sneezed, said nothing, but looked back at the square a few more times.

The beach stretched out with only the two of them in sight. The sand was fine. Lin Xingzi took off her shoes and stepped onto it. Jiang Yan found a clean spot, took off his jacket, and spread it out for her to sit on.

After waiting for less than twenty minutes, a shallow, reddish soft light appeared where the sea and sky met.

“So beautiful.”

Lin Xingzi’s last experience of waking up early to watch the sunrise was so long ago she couldn’t remember it. She quietly watched the sun rise from the sea, adorning the surface with shimmering light, completely surrendering to the beauty of nature.

And Jiang Yan was watching her.

Today was a weekend, and the children were all up early. The sea was a playground gifted by God. They held various things, playing house, saying they wanted to treat them to dinner.

Lin Xingzi sat nearby, watching with great interest. The children all knew Jiang Yan and enthusiastically asked him what dishes he wanted to order, if he wanted green onions, or if he wanted garlic.

Jiang Yan found half a dried piece of ginger among a pile of green weeds. “No green onions, no garlic. I want this.”

“Okay, Uncle Jiang only wants ginger! Ginger! Please wait, it’ll be ready soon.”

He was backlit, but the curve of his lips when he looked back at her was very obvious.

Lin Xingzi pretended to be nonchalant, yet her heart was churning like ocean waves. The light was dazzling, and she wanted to wear a hat, but her helmet was still hanging on the electric bike’s handlebars.

And those children were still shouting, “Jiangjiang! Uncle Jiang likes Jiangjiang the most!”