1990s: Spring Water Family

Chapter 108 A surge of warmth filled her heart, and she believed his words.
"It's just a matter of prying it open with one lock."

Grandma helped her make a decision: "If you're going to give it to them, then give it to them. Just get rid of them as soon as possible."

"Won't the demolition office kick us out after we pay them?"

Aunt Wang had some concerns: "We haven't found a shop yet."

"My family doesn't even have a house to live in."

The mountain woman muttered softly.

Grandma sighed, "Let's just take it one step at a time."

Have you two come to an agreement?

Yan Hao and the others grew impatient and banged hard on the window of his grandmother's house with a wooden stick.

"Crash."

A sudden rustling sound from the screen window startled the mountain woman, making her tremble.

"We can't give them the money now."

Grandma said righteously, "You must go to the demolition office first and sign the papers there before we can give you the money."

"The old woman is so long-winded."

The two local scoundrels were waving sticks and cursing.

"Threatening me won't work."

Grandma was fearless: "The money can only be given to you after it reaches the demolition office. If you want it, go to the demolition office and wait. We'll go there once we've raised enough money."

"Old woman, you said it yourself."

Yan Hao was very arrogant. He pointed the stick at his grandmother's nose and cursed, "If you dare to cheat again, I won't be so polite."

"If you want money, get out of here."

Grandma waved them away, saying, "We can only raise the money if you leave."

"I'll give you half an hour."

Yan Hao's eyes flashed with a fierce light: "If you don't come in half an hour, I'll have the loan sharks come and invite you."

"No need for you to invite us, we will go of our own accord."

Grandma looked away, not wanting to pay him any more attention.

"Let's go, guys."

Yan Hao waved his hand, beckoning to the two local thugs.

"We're just going to let them go like that? We haven't had enough fun yet."

The two landowners deliberately provoked her, scaring Da Shan's wife so much that she trembled and shrank behind her grandmother.

"What's so interesting about an old woman?"

Yan Hao curled his lip in disgust, threw the stick on the ground, and turned to walk away.

Lin Xiyu happened to return at that moment and ran right into them.

"Oh, Xiyu's back?"

Yan Hao's eyes suddenly lit up: "It's been a while since I've seen you, you've become more and more beautiful."

"Tsk tsk, I didn't expect to find such a gem in such a dilapidated courtyard."

The two thugs also revealed their sinister gazes.

"What are you doing here again?"

Lin Xiyu felt very uncomfortable being stared at by the three people, and her face was full of disgust.

"I'm here to collect debts, of course. Your family owes us so much money, and your grandmother doesn't want to pay, so you can be used to settle the debt."

Yan Ku was shameless and took the opportunity to harass her. He had just reached out to touch her face when he was punched to the ground by someone who came after him.

Gu Bin locked his bicycle and turned into the passageway, just in time to see this scene, and his anger surged instantly.

He kicked both local scoundrels away with one kick each.

He was still not satisfied, so he caught the three of them and beat them up again.

The first time Lin Xiyu saw him hit someone, she was so shocked that her heart raced.

His skills were clearly trained; his moves were similar to the military boxing her father had taught her, but he was more skilled, stronger, and more than twice as powerful.

Yan Hao and the two local thugs were beaten so badly that they screamed and rolled on the ground, their faces bruised and swollen.

Lin Xiyu felt a surge of warmth in her heart; at this moment, she truly believed his words.

In her first year of high school, he helped her get rid of the hoodlum who was harassing her.

There's no need to reveal his identity; he can use the old man's reputation to intimidate him. With his own abilities alone, he can make the old man lose all will to live and never dare to harbor any thoughts of revenge again.

"Alright, stop hitting."

Grandma stopped her in time: "It's not worth getting into legal trouble for a few scoundrels."

"fine."

Gu Bin was certain: "They won't dare to call the police."

"Going there would be like walking into a trap."

Lin Xiyu chimed in from the side, "The police might have been watching them for a while now. If we have evidence, we should arrest them first."

"We still need to go to the demolition office later, let them go."

After this incident, Grandma came to terms with it and was eager to get to the bottom of things as soon as possible: "There are no men in the house, so it's not safe to keep so much money. I'm not afraid of thieves stealing it, but I'm afraid of thieves eyeing it. The sooner I sign, the sooner I'll feel at ease."

"Grandma."

Lin Xiyu was very considerate: "I'll go with you to the demolition office."

"Don't go."

Gu Bin reached out to stop him: "I'll go. It's not safe for you women to be carrying so much money on the road."

"Your hand is cut."

Lin Xiyu felt a pang of heartache when she saw that the knuckles of his right hand were cut and bleeding.

"Just a minor injury."

Gu Bin was about to say it was alright when he saw her rush into the house like a gust of wind and come out with gentian violet and band-aids.

Lin Xiyu carefully held his hand and wiped the wound with gentian violet.

There was a bit too much gentian violet on her skin, so she blew on it until it was completely dry before applying the band-aid.

Gu Bin looked at her with great interest, his eyes filled with tenderness.

-

Zhang Dashan's wife was truly terrified by the two local bullies. Following her grandmother's advice, she broke the lock and went with them to the demolition office.

Lin Xiyu saw them off and then went to the market alone with a basket.

Gu Bin had contributed both money and effort, so she wanted to cook something delicious to reward his stomach.

The vegetable market was right next to the supply and marketing cooperative. As she was carrying her basket and passing by the entrance of the cooperative, she happened to run into her aunt again.

"Xi Yu, what brings you to buy groceries today? Did you finish filming the documentary?"

Fortunately, my aunt was unaware that my cousin had resigned, and she was quite friendly to her.

"Director Du has sprained his back and filming will be temporarily suspended."

Fearing she might let something slip, Lin Xiyu rushed to tell her aunt about her grandmother going to sign the papers before she could ask any more questions.

"That shameless Yan Hao is here again?"

Upon hearing this, the aunt's expression changed drastically, and she lost all interest in questioning her troublesome daughter.

"No, I have to go and see. Your grandma is really something, she didn't even tell me about such a big thing and went by herself."

My aunt is an impatient person, always on the go, and will leave whenever she wants.

Lin Xiyu watched her retreating figure, secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and carried the basket into the vegetable market.

In 93, the government introduced a policy to abolish grain coupons. The market supply of agricultural and sideline products was plentiful, and anyone with money could buy them without the previous restrictions.

Lin Xiyu walked around the vegetable stalls, bought some fresh vegetables, and then carried her basket to the seafood stall.

"Little girl, would you like to buy some fish?"

The fishmonger's eyes lit up when she saw her, and she looked her up and down with a smile, seemingly recognizing her, but too shy to ask.

How much does grass carp cost per pound?

Lin Xiyu was very tempted by the pot of fresh grass carp.

"8 cents, what size do you want?"

The woman picked up a fishing net, ready to catch fish.

"It must weigh about 3 jin (1.5 catties)."

Lin Xiyu thought there would be many people eating there that night, so she ordered a large one.

"Do you think this one will work?"

The older woman estimated the weight and scooped one out for her.

The grass carp struggled desperately and jumped out of the net.

"Row."

Seeing that the fish were lively and fresh, Lin Xiyu nodded with a smile.

"3 jin (6 catties)." After weighing the fish, the woman smiled at her and asked, "Do you need me to clean it for you?"

"Yes, yes!"

Lin Xiyu was surprised by this good news and smiled broadly.

"Young lady, do you live on Donghua Street?"

While cleaning the fish, the older woman chatted with her: "Do you have a boyfriend yet? My son is 19 years old this year, about your age, quite handsome, and he studies at Shandong University."

"Uh."

Lin Xiyu was a little embarrassed. She had said that there was no such thing as a free lunch, and it turned out that the aunt was up to this.

"I have a boyfriend."

To avoid any misunderstanding, she decisively dissuaded the aunt from having any thoughts.

"let it go."

The older woman chuckled awkwardly, "I was just asking casually, but I suppose it makes sense. A pretty young girl like you must have plenty of suitors."

“Your son is studying at Shandong University and is also very outstanding.”

Lin Xiyu looked at the fish that hadn't been completely gutted, sighed softly, and resisted the urge to slip away, continuing to chat with her.

"hey-hey."

The aunt was pleased to hear this and smiled, saying, "He's just average, one of the best among ordinary people, but he can't compare to you guys."

"I'm just an ordinary person too."

Lin Xiyu smiled modestly.

"Being pretty makes you likable."

The woman continued working, then sighed with some regret, "It's a pity my son won't have that kind of luck."

"It's all fate."

Lin Xiyu's heart skipped a beat when she thought of Gu Bin, and a sweet feeling welled up inside her.

"Yes, it's fate."

The woman chuckled self-deprecatingly, scaled the fish, rinsed it clean with water, and put it in her basket.

"Thank you, Auntie. No need to look anymore."

Lin Xiyu took out 3 yuan to pay the bill, and without waiting for change, she picked up her basket and ran away.

"Hey, little girl."

The woman chased after him a few steps with a dime, but couldn't catch up, so she had to stop in her tracks, feeling embarrassed.

-

When Lin Xiyu got home, she glanced at the time and saw that it was already past five o'clock.

Knowing that her grandmother and the others would be back soon, she quickly picked up her basket and went into the kitchen to start making dinner.

She plans to make scallion oil fish with grass carp. Her grandmother taught her to steam the fish in a steamer and then drizzle it with Sichuan peppercorn oil.

The method for making scallion oil fish is relatively simple. She washes the fresh fish with water, makes a few shallow cuts on the back of the fish, stuffs some scallion shreds into the fish's belly, pours in a few drops of cooking wine, and puts it in a steamer.

To prevent the fish skin from sticking to the pan, she placed two chopsticks under the fish.

After boiling the cold water, steam the fish for about ten minutes.

While the fish was steaming, she shredded the carrots she had bought, cracked in a few eggs, sprinkled them with salt and pepper, and then added an appropriate amount of flour, mixing it all together.

Carrots and flour are used to make vegetable pancakes.

Press the vegetable balls into patties, dip them in oil, and stick them to the edge of the pan. You can stick more than a dozen vegetable patties in one pan.

She had fish and vegetable pancakes, and then she made a winter melon and egg soup.

Cut the winter melon into thin slices, cook it until tender, then pour in beaten eggs and add some dried shrimp for flavor. It's delicious and nutritious.

-

After Grandma and her group finished the formalities and returned from the demolition office, Uncle had just finished work. He helped Aunt lock the shutter door of the phone booth, and they went home together.

My aunt was also there, so we ate at home.

Lin Xiyu took the fish out of the steamer, poured on the seasonings, sprinkled on the shredded green onions, and placed it on the table.

As a final step, she deliberately showed off her skills, carrying a hot pot into the main room in front of Gu Bin and pouring boiling Sichuan peppercorn oil over the fish.

"Sizzle."

The scallion shreds were cooked in Sichuan peppercorn oil, filling the room with a rich aroma of scallions.

Gu Bin gave her a thumbs-up, expressing his strong appreciation.

Lin Xiyu was a little smug, her eyes slightly upturned, and she smiled, her face turning into a crescent moon.

"Xiaobin, dinner is ready. Let's eat together at home."

Gu Bin was a great help today, and Grandma likes him very much.

"OK."

Gu Bin readily agreed, "I've also been wanting to try Xi Yu's cooking."

"Xiyu, add another pair of chopsticks."

Grandma was even happier and pulled the person to sit down next to her.

"okay."

Lin Xiyu was just happy with this and quickly grabbed the chopsticks.

Why hasn't Leilei come back yet?

The aunt was quite surprised not to see her daughter.

Lin Xiyu paused, then guiltily avoided her gaze.

"It's time to get off work."

The uncle glanced at the clock on the wall: "The soy sauce factory closes at 5 o'clock. Could something have delayed you?"

"There are guests here, so let's ignore her."

Seeing that Lin Xiyu's expression was off, Grandma had a pretty good idea of ​​what was going on: "Let's eat first. She'll come back when it's time."

"This girl is always causing me trouble."

The aunt was angry with her daughter, but she was very quick and efficient. She used chopsticks to break off the fish tail and placed it in a small bowl.

"Xiao Bin, eat fish."

Seeing that she had saved food for her cousin, Grandma picked up a piece of fish and placed it on Gu Bin's plate: "Xi Yu's fish is pretty good, eat more."

Gu Bin was flattered: "Grandma, you don't need to be so polite, I can pick it up myself."

"Just eat it."

Lin Xiyu deliberately tried to lighten the mood, teasing him with a smile: "Grandma is the head of the family, she doesn't easily serve food to others, you should cherish this blessing, this piece of fish is more precious than gold."

Gu Bin glanced at her: "You're trying to praise your own cooking, aren't you?"

"Did you see it?"

Lin Xiyu chuckled: "That's exactly what I meant."

"Eat quickly, or it will get cold."

Grandma felt very happy watching the two of them laughing and joking.

"Eat fish, eat fish! Xiao Bin is here, let's benefit from it too."

My uncle smiled and joined in, picking up his chopsticks and starting to eat.

"The vegetable pancakes are delicious too, you should try them."

"Winter melon soup tastes good; it's Xiyu's specialty."

"Eat more. It's rare for us to eat at home, so we can't go hungry."

The family gathered around Gu Bin, chatting and laughing, creating a lively atmosphere. Only the eldest aunt seemed distracted, occasionally glancing up at the clock on the wall.

-

"Boom."

A flash of lightning suddenly appeared outside the window, followed by a deafening clap of thunder; it looked like it was about to rain.

My aunt became increasingly anxious.

"I'm back."

It was completely dark when my cousin finally made it back before the rain started.

"Where did this girl go off to? She's only coming back so late."

The aunt's expression changed upon hearing this, and she slammed her chopsticks on the table.

"There are guests here, so please be mindful."

Grandma scolded her, displeased: "The child is all grown up now, don't lose your temper so easily."

The aunt kept her head down and remained silent, forcibly suppressing her anxious feelings.

"Hey, Gu Bin, you're a rare guest! Why didn't you tell me you were coming for dinner? I bought a roast chicken from the East Gate."

My cousin lifted the curtain and came in. She glanced at me but didn't see my aunt. Instead, she saw Gu Bin.

You can't blame her for that. After all, this top-scoring student has his own power generation system. Wherever he goes, he's like a spotlight, making it hard for anyone to ignore him.

(End of this chapter)