The Reborn Sidekick Rejected The Male Lead
Chapter 196 - 190: Arriving at Yangcheng City

Chapter 196: Chapter 190: Arriving at Yangcheng City

When the two of them arrived in Yangcheng City, it was around three or four in the afternoon. Neither of them had much luggage. After exiting the station, Xue Jianian led Jingqiu onto a tricycle and said, "Uncle, how much to North City Textile Factory?"

"Ten cents."

"Jingqiu, come on up."

Lu Jingqiu boarded the tricycle and looked around curiously, noticing many other tricycles parked beside theirs, as well as those coming from the city, laden with goods.

She immediately realized that people from all over the country were coming here to purchase goods, giving rise to the tricycle freight business.

The man pedaled the tricycle through various alleys.

At this time in Yangcheng, large-scale real estate development had not yet begun, and there were even sporadic patches of lush green farmland in the city center.

Of course, some buildings were taller than those in West City; even the tallest buildings in Capital City were not as high.

Xue Jianian pointed out many places to her along the way, such as where the department store was, how many garment factories there were, and that the building ahead was a chemical plant.

"The place we bought for Grandpa Xue and Grandma Xue is a bit out of the way."

Lu Jingqiu smiled, as she actually preferred it to be more convenient, which would make the property she planned to buy cheaper.

After about twenty minutes, they arrived on a street of low tile-roofed houses; the street was quite wide.

In the more remote areas, one could still see crops and woods.

At this point, the tricycle driver stopped and Xue Jianian quickly got off, saying, "We’re here."

Lu Jingqiu followed suit and disembarked from the tricycle.

Xue Jianian ran ahead excitedly, looking back every few steps to urge Lu Jingqiu, "Come on, it’s this house up ahead."

Saying this, she reached the gate of a small courtyard in just a few steps.

"Knock, knock... Grandma, I’m back."

An elderly voice came from inside the yard, "Someone’s here, is that Niannian?" The voice was brisk and cheerful, and after a moment the door was opened from the inside. Grandma Xue, with her hair neatly combed and slicked into a bun at the back of her head, was wearing a flattering ultramarine blue jacket.

Xue Jianian had said her grandparents were in their seventies, but they didn’t look it; they appeared much younger than their actual age.

"Grandma, I missed you so much."

Upon seeing Old Lady Xue, Xue Jianian gave her a hug.

"Oof, my Niannian has gained a bit of weight."

"I’ve been eating and sleeping well over there. Jincheng has been really good to me, and my godparents often gave me extra meals."

"Are your godparents doing well?"

"Very well. When I was leaving, they told me to send their regards to you. Grandma, this is my friend from West City, Lu Jingqiu."

Only then did Old Lady Xue shift her gaze to Lu Jingqiu, smiling and saying, "What a pretty girl you are! Jingqiu, I’m very glad you could become friends with my Niannian. Come in, we knew you were coming back and your grandpa and I specially slaughtered a chicken to make chicken soup."

"Where’s Grandpa?"

"He went out to buy soy sauce. Niannian, take Jingqiu to the room to put down your things. I’m going to check on the fire in the kitchen."

"Okay."

The Xue Family’s house was a large three-room tiled residence, with a small kitchen to the east and a toilet at the back. The courtyard wasn’t large, but it still cost over four thousand—there’s no denying that houses around here really are expensive.

Xue Jianian’s room was the one on the east side, containing a very large bed, a wardrobe, and a desk. Perhaps because they knew Xue Jianian was coming back, the bed had already been made.

Xue Jianian took her bag and said, "I didn’t expect my grandparents to change the bed for us. The one I had before was a one-and-a-half-meter bed."

"They probably knew you and Comrade Wei were getting married and prepared in advance. You can tell your grandparents really put a lot of thought into it."

Xue Jianian nodded her head. She had grown up with her grandparents since she was a child; there were no other people in the world who treated her better than her grandparents did.

The two had just stepped out of the room when Grandpa Xue entered the courtyard, carrying some items. He was a frail old man whose back was bent from years of labor, but his eyes were still lively, and he seemed to be in good health. Upon seeing Xue Jianian, he laughed heartily and said, "Niannian’s back, what perfect timing—the soup is just about ready."

"Grandpa, I’ve missed you so much."

"I’ve missed you too. Isn’t that Jincheng boy coming back this year?"

"Mm, he’s busy with his team this year."

Grandpa Xue sighed and then added, "If he’s not coming back, then so be it. The Old Wei Family has been eyeing us lately, just waiting for that boy to return."

"What else do they want to do?"

"What can they do? They’ve raised such a capable son and surely don’t want Jincheng to slip away. Ever since his last visit home, when he made things clear with the Old Wei Family, Jincheng hasn’t sent any allowance back home. They must be anxious. Knowing you two got married, they’re probably harboring some ill will." As Grandpa Xue spoke to Xue Jianian, he glanced over at Lu Jingqiu and quickly asked, "This comrade must be the friend you mentioned who’s interested in buying the house, right?"

"Hello, Grandpa Xue. My name is Lu Jingqiu, and I’ll be imposing on both of you elders for the next few days."

"Grandpa, she’s my only good friend in West City."

Grandpa Xue nodded eagerly and said, "Good, good. Jingqiu girl, Niannian has really depended on you over there. She hasn’t had many friends since she was young. Having made a friend like you gives her grandma and me great peace of mind. Now that you’ve come to our home, you mustn’t be shy. And don’t feel restrained, just treat it as your own home."

"Old fellow, the meal is ready. Hurry up and have the girls sit down. They must be famished from the journey. Let the child have something warm to eat right away."

"Okay."

Xue Jianian led Lu Jingqiu to the dining table in the main room, helping her grandparents serve the dishes.

There was a pot of chicken soup cooked with various ingredients, topped with glistening fat, a plate of steamed fish belly in black bean sauce, some roasted vegetables, and a dish of scrambled eggs. They were eating rice.

Lu Jingqiu felt a bit embarrassed looking at all this. Although things were opening up, life was still quite frugal for most people.

Grandpa Xue seemed to notice Lu Jingqiu’s dilemma and hurriedly said, "Jingqiu girl, don’t be shy, try some of Grandma Xue’s specialty dishes."

"Grandpa Xue, Grandma Xue, you’ve both gone to so much trouble this time."

Grandma Xue smiled and said, "Don’t talk like that, Jingqiu girl. Once you’re at our place, we have to let you taste my cooking. Actually, my best dish is ginger pig’s feet, but we didn’t manage to buy pig’s feet this time, so I hope you won’t mind."

"How could I mind? This meal is too lavish; I’m really embarrassed."

Xue Jianian laughed and said, "You’ve forgotten what I do, haven’t you? How could I ever let my grandparents go without food? Don’t worry, they never skimp on food. This chicken and fish, it’s nothing out of the ordinary for them."

Grandpa Xue interjected, "Alright, let’s eat now. Any more politeness and the food will get cold, and that would ruin the taste."

The group exchanged smiles, and Lu Jingqiu also began to eat. She had to admit, Grandma Xue’s chicken soup was truly delicious—rich and thick, with tender and flavorful meat.

While eating, Grandpa Xue inquired about their daily school life and eventually brought up the topic of the house: "That house, it’s right behind this row, similar to our courtyard. The seller’s youngest son recently stole some goods at the dock and got caught. They are in urgent need of money to bail him out, so they’re selling it in a hurry."