"Why is there so much cigarette smoke in the car?"
As soon as Tian Mengyao opened the car door, she felt as if she had been hit by a gas bomb. She frowned, stepped back, and fanned her nose with her small hand.
Lin Fan shrugged. "Jin Peng is an old smoker. He started secretly taking his dad's cigarettes when he was in school and hiding in the restroom to smoke."
"Why didn't you tell him off?"
Tian Mengyao got into the driver's seat and glared at Lin Fan with disgust. "There are cigarette ashes everywhere. How can he be like this? He's not very considerate."
In her anger, Tian Mengyao took out wet wipes and started cleaning.
A smile curved on Lin Fan's lips. He thought, "I found you a job, and you took the blame for me. We're even!"
"Ugh~"
As Tian Mengyao wiped, she suddenly stopped and used two fingers to pick up a strand of hair, over thirty centimeters long, from the car seat.
"There's a woman's hair in the car. Whose is it?"
Lin Fan's face changed drastically.
It must be Jiang Edou's!
"Let me see."
Lin Fan leaned forward and then slapped his forehead. "No wonder this kid insisted on going out alone and wouldn't let me follow, making me wait for over an hour."
"So, he used my car to show off. This kid, how could he be like this now?"
As Lin Fan spoke, he pretended to be very angry.
"Never mind, it's only human nature."
Tian Mengyao's mind raced, and she immediately thought of Jin Peng shamelessly borrowing the car and then trying to impress his girlfriend.
Everything made sense and was completely faultless!
"Really, why doesn't he buy a car himself?"
Tian Mengyao complained and then continued cleaning.
Lin Fan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Finally, he wasn't exposed!
Tian Mengyao was exceptionally clean, even to the point of being obsessive-compulsive in Lin Fan's eyes.
What could have been cleaned up in a few minutes took Tian Mengyao half an hour!
"Don't lend it out again in the future."
"Alright, I'll listen to you."
After starting the car, Tian Mengyao suddenly asked, "By the way, did you have lunch?"
"Not yet, I'll grab something on the way."
"That's fine too."
...
In Xia Jiagou, at Xia Xue's home.
"Xue'er, why are you so disobedient?"
The two elderly people, Xia Xiangqian and Xia Cuie, sat in front of their daughter and earnestly persuaded her.
Xia Cuie held her daughter's hand and said earnestly, "You're still young now, you can find a good family. If you wait a few more years and your looks fade, who will want you?"
"Mom, can you please stop bringing this up?"
Xia Xue said helplessly, "Who can Xiao Fan rely on now except me? If I don't help him, who will?"
"He needs you to help him?"
Xia Xiangqian scoffed. "Lin Fan is already driving a big car, and didn't you say he built a two-story house? It won't be difficult for him to get married then. When he gets married and starts his own life, who will care about you?"
"Then..." Xia Xue lowered her head and said with a blush, "That will be after he's married."
Xia Cuie shook her daughter's hand and continued to persuade, "How about this, Lin Fan should date whomever he wants, and Xue'er, you should go on blind dates. You can do both without neglecting each other, and no one can say anything."
"I won't go!"
Xia Xue refused decisively.
"Why are you so foolish?"
Xia Cuie poked her daughter's forehead. "What kind of magic potion did the Lin family give you that makes you so dedicated to their family? Lin Feng is gone, and you still have to help his younger brother find a wife, and you can't even take care of yourself?"
Xia Xue's eyebrows furrowed, and she sighed helplessly, "Mom, I don't have the intention to find someone else yet, so please stop worrying."
"Alas~"
Xia Xiangqian sighed heavily. "You, you're destined to suffer your whole life. You can't change."
"Still talking about me?"
Xia Xue retorted softly.
"What did you say?"
Xia Xiangqian was about to get angry.
Fortunately, Xia Cuie pushed him hard. "Our daughter is right. She's unlike you in every way, except for this stubbornness, which is exactly like yours!"
"Why are you talking about me?"
Just as the family was arguing, the sound of a car approaching was suddenly heard from outside.
Xia Xue's eyes lit up. "Xiao Fan is here!"
She immediately stood up and rushed outside.
Xia Xiangqian and Xia Cuie were stunned.
"You mean, Xue'er and Xiao Fan..."
"Don't talk nonsense."
Xia Xiangqian directly interrupted his wife.
If outsiders heard this, their family would become a laughingstock in the village.
"But..."
Xia Cuie lowered her voice and continued, "The more I think about it, the more I feel something is wrong between Xue'er and Lin Fan. How about we ask Xue'er to stay home and not let her go back?"
"Will she listen to you?"
Xia Xiangqian thought it over and over, and based on his understanding of his daughter, he could only sigh helplessly, "Alas~"
Xia Cuie spread her hands. "Then we'll just stand by and watch them create a huge embarrassment?"
"Stop talking, they're here."
At this moment, footsteps and laughter could already be heard from the yard.
Lin Fan, carrying large bags and small packages, kept asking his sister-in-law how she had been doing these past few days.
Ever since Xia Xue married into the Lin family, Lin Fan hadn't been separated from her for so long.
Because Lin Fan was too enthusiastic, he made Tian Mengyao roll her eyes.
Tian Mengyao pouted her lips and thought indignantly, "Anyone who knows will know this is your sister-in-law. Those who don't would think she's your own mother!"
"Uncle and Auntie, hello!"
After entering the house, Lin Fan first greeted them, then placed the bags and packages in his hands on the table, and said with a smile, "I bought you some nutritional supplements."
"Xiao Fan, why are you being so polite? We're not outsiders."
Although Xia Cuie was unhappy, she wouldn't lash out at a smiling face.
Lin Fan was giving money and gifts. No matter what, at least there was nothing to fault.
Xia Xiangqian's eyes lit up when he saw two bottles of Wuliangye among the bags and packages.
This was good stuff!
Xia Xiangqian's expression was so exaggerated, as if he could already smell the aroma of the wine.
"Just a small token of appreciation, it's nothing much, just a small gesture from me."
Lin Fan bought these things at a medium-sized supermarket on the way. They cost over three thousand yuan in total, mainly because the two bottles of Wuliangye were expensive.
They chatted about family matters for a while. Then, seeing that it was getting late, Lin Fan stood up and indicated that he was going to take his sister-in-law back.
Xia Cuie held her daughter's hand and said with red eyes, "Xue'er, come home to see us when you have time. You must come back for the New Year!"
"Mom, I know. I'll definitely come back."
Although Xia Xue was pressured to go on blind dates at home every day, she was still very reluctant to leave.
She hadn't returned home once in years, and she had only been home for a few days this time. How could she bear to leave?