Standing Next To You
Chapter 602: The People of River Village

Chapter 602: The People of River Village

The moon hung in the night sky.

On one of the balconies of the Chuan villa, Bei Sangyun leaned on the railing as she gazed up at the bright moon. The wind was chilly, but her heart felt warm.

Today had been such a good day.

Having dinner with her family and Fei Chuan was the best feeling ever.

A knock sounded on the door.

"May I come in?" came Fei Chuan’s voice.

"Of course."

The door opened, and Fei Chuan stepped inside, his hair down.

"The moon is beautiful tonight, isn’t it?" he said, walking out to the balcony and stopping beside her. "The air here is fresh and clean, so we can see the stars and moon clearly." He looked up at the sky.

Bei Sangyun leaned her head on his shoulder. Fei Chuan’s presence made the evening even more beautiful. "Right. I remember when I was a child, gazing at the stars and the moon was one of my favorite things to do at night."

"I’m glad I chose the right room for you," Fei Chuan said as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, offering her warmth.

The couple fell into a comfortable silence. The soft moonlight, rustling leaves, and chirping insects became their music. It was a peaceful and lovely night.

"In the kitchen... Grandma didn’t make it hard for you?" Bei Sangyun suddenly broke the silence and looked up at him with concern.

"No. Grandma Bei actually helped me. You were right—she seems like she hates me, but I think she might actually like me," Fei Chuan replied with a chuckle. The old woman nagged at him whenever she could, but he didn’t sense any malice. It felt more like she was testing him.

And he didn’t mind that.

"She does like you. When I told her you offered to let us stay here, she didn’t complain. She agreed without hesitation. I think... she’s starting to trust you."

"I think I still have a long way to go. But I’ll do anything to earn her trust."

Bei Sangyun was moved by his words. She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her head in his chest."Thank you. Thank you for thinking of Grandma."

"Of course. She’s family—and the most precious person to you. That makes her important to me too." Fei Chuan kissed the top of her head, each word full of sincerity.

The next day, Grandma Bei and Maid Ye Zhai left early with the Bang couple to hike up the mountain.

When Bei Sangyun saw the note Grandma Bei left in the living room, she stood frozen.

"They went hiking without me?" she asked, flabbergasted. "Why didn’t they wake me up?"

Fei Chuan, who was busy cooking breakfast, answered without turning around. "Grandma Bei said not to wake you. She said they’re going to dig up mushrooms on the mountain, and she didn’t want you tagging along because you’d just keep nagging her."

Bei Sangyun pouted."But she doesn’t need to pick mushrooms by herself. What if she hurts her waist?"

"Grandma seems healthy to me. I bet she could even carry a full-grown man."

Fei Chuan placed breakfast in front of her. "Stop worrying. They’ll be fine. You should warm your stomach first." He handed her a plate and chopsticks. "Eat a lot—we’ve got a lot of visiting to do today."

"We do?" Bei Sangyun asked as she took a bite. Her eyes lit up."Wow. This is delicious." She looked down at the omelette rice. It looked simple, but it tasted amazing.

"I cooked it with love. Of course, it’s delicious," Fei Chuan said with a wink.

Bei Sangyun chuckled. "Look at you, bragging. You should’ve bragged when everyone praised you at dinner yesterday. You acted so humble."

"I didn’t have a choice. Grandma Bei was watching me. Even if I’m proud and want to brag, I have to behave in front of her."

Bei Sangyun laughed again at his response.

They ate their breakfast joyfully. Afterward, Fei Chuan invited her to walk around the village.

Initially, Bei Sangyun hadn’t planned on exploring. She just wanted to accompany Grandma Bei wherever she went. After all, there wasn’t much to see in the village. But now, with Fei Chuan here, walking around didn’t seem like such a bad idea.

As she expected, as they strolled through village, people kept staring at them—openly.

Fei Chuan and Bei Sangyun were a striking pair. To the people of River village, seeing them together again after so many years was even more surprising.

Bei Sangyun was used to people staring. And with Fei Chuan beside her, none of it bothered her. All she felt was peace and contentment, having this man at her side.

"Sangyun?" an old woman’s voice called out from among the onlookers.

Bei Sangyun stopped. The voice sounded a bit familiar. She turned to the old woman who had spoken, but couldn’t recognize her.

The old woman’s face lit up when she saw Bei Sangyun looking at her. She hurried over.

"You’ve grown up so well—and so beautiful! Do you remember how you used to help this old woman carry laundry from the river all the way to my yard? I thought you’d grow up to be a strong, masculine woman, you were so tough back then!"

Bei Sangyun blinked. The woman’s words unearthed childhood memories she hadn’t thought about in years.

Her eyes widened in recognition. "...Mrs. Xuang?"

"Yes! It’s me!" The old woman beamed with joy. "I’m so happy you remember."

"How about me, Yun’er? Do you remember me?" another old woman chimed in, approaching with a bright smile. "You always joined our circles and cracked nuts for us! The two ladies I’m always with went ahead of me, but we three used to sit at the village entrance. You’d greet us every time before heading up the mountain."

Bei Sangyun remembered them clearly now—three old women who always sat chatting, gossiping, and snacking near the village gate. As a child, she loved joining them for their company... and their snacks.

She smiled fondly. "I remember. Grandma Wei."

"You used to ride on my cart for free, thanks to your smooth talk," an old man called out, joining the fun.

Bei Sangyun laughed. "Of course. You always gave me free rides to school, Grandpa Qin."

"We worked together on the farm, Sangyun" a middle-aged man said with a goofy grin.

"You watched my baby for a bag of rice once! I can’t believe that little girl grew into such a stunning woman!" another woman added, shaking her head in amazement.

One after another, more villagers gathered around her, no longer whispering behind her back, but openly reminiscing about the past and the little girl they once knew.

Bei Sangyun felt overwhelmed—but not in a bad way. These people didn’t mean any harm. They were simply remembering. Reliving the simpler times they had shared with her.

Yes, she had left River Village feeling heartbroken and disappointed. But that didn’t erase the kindness she’d received here.

When she was hungry, someone had offered her food. When she had no money, someone gave her work.

They had hurt her once—but many of them had also helped her.