When Li Liguo and Chen Suozhu arrived at the Lin family's home, Lin Er Lai was scolding Lin Wan, who was defying him.
Seeing visitors, Lin Er Lai stopped and invited them into the courtyard.
Li Liguo waved his hand, "We'll talk at the entrance. Er Lai, how do you plan to resolve the issue with the Kyoto guests' car?"
Drivers have their own customs and taboos.
New cars are often tied with red ribbons for a few days for good luck.
Lin Er Lai had already heard about this from Zhou Chengbin. He hadn't had time to go to the courtyard to apologize to the Li family's guests:
"I'll prepare something and go apologize to the guests right away."
Since Lin Er Lai was so agreeable, Li Liguo and Chen Suozhu were also easygoing:
"Sister-in-law Niu and the others are taking the guests for a stroll around the village. If your apology doesn't satisfy the guests, we'll still come looking for you."
Lin Er Lai nodded, "Don't worry."
After Li Liguo and Chen Suozhu left, Lin Er Lai asked Old Yu to prepare the pickled wild eggs from his home.
He would go prepare the red envelope and bank card.
Lin Wan nudged Lin Man beside her.
Lin Man quickly followed Lin Er Lai, "Dad, I'll go upstairs with you."
Shen Jianfang held her camera, focusing on old houses to photograph.
Sister-in-law Niu introduced her to whose old house she was photographing, what it used to be like, and its current use.
From the east of the village to the west, Shen Jianfang led them around to the back of the village.
In the large fields behind the village, apart from the courtyard, there were no other buildings.
"Does your village not have any cow sheds?"
"They were torn down long ago." Sister-in-law Niu looked towards the place by the Kū River where a courtyard used to stand:
"We used to raise a few donkeys. Later, as conditions improved, the donkeys got old, and we sold them."
"At that time, Zheng Guo was the village head, and he ordered them to be torn down and leveled to plant crops."
Sister-in-law Niu's words made Shen Jianfang breathe a sigh of relief. Li Zheng Guo had protected her father very well; even a well-informed villager like Sister-in-law Niu didn't know her father had been sent to this village:
"Shall we go see the former village cadres?"
"Okay." Sister-in-law Niu led them back to the village road and headed east:
"Secretary Yang is already over seventy. The villagers are reluctant to let him step down. He said he would stay in this position until the day he leaves."
"Vice Village Head Ou was the former village head, also a good person who was dedicated to the people."
"Good people are always bullied. Zheng Guo and Tian Jing are capable. He tried to invite both of them to be village cadres several times, but they both refused."
"Later, in the eighties, Zheng Guo saw that Kūshānli was still the same as it was more than ten or twenty years ago, so he agreed to take over as village head. Kūshānli then underwent earth-shattering changes."
As they walked and talked, the four arrived at Secretary Yang's house.
Secretary Yang still lived in the old house. He had many children and grandchildren. The eldest son stayed with him, and he gave the small western-style building opposite the old house to his eldest son.
After the second and third sons moved out, they also built small western-style buildings opposite their own houses, and their children were all settled, which was very suitable.
Seeing the Shen sisters, Secretary Yang knew they were guests from the Li family. He invited them into the main hall and asked his family to make tea and entertain the guests.
Shen Jianfang thanked them politely, then unceremoniously sat down to drink tea and eat the melon seeds and peanuts served by Secretary Yang's family.
She also pulled her shy younger sister to sit down, taking the initiative to serve her.
Shen Jianrong wanted to cover her face.
While eating and drinking, Shen Jianfang didn't forget to ask about some past events.
Finally, holding her camera, she asked her younger sister to take a photo with Secretary Yang as a memento.
When they left Secretary Yang's house, it was already past the time for work in the afternoon.
Sister-in-law Niu had to go to work at the nursery. Shen Jianfang also wanted to visit the nursery.
Sister-in-law Niu dared not make decisions and told Shen Jianfang to ask Captain Tian.
The Shen sisters said goodbye to Sister-in-law Niu, Gui Lan, thanking them for their company.
Returning to the courtyard, Tian Jing and Li Zheng Guo were talking to two people by the car.
Tian Jing waved to them, "Jianrong, Sister Shen, come and see how to deal with this matter."
"These are the ex-husband and father of that mother and daughter."
The two men talking with Tian Jing and her husband turned around.
Upon seeing the clothing and demeanor of the Shen sisters, Lin Er Lai cursed his daughter and ex-wife for their stupidity.
Were these people they could try to extort?
He bowed slightly to the Shen sisters, "I'm sorry, I didn't manage my daughter well."
"Here are two jars of pickled wild eggs, a taste for the guests."
"This is my apology gift, please accept it."
Lin Er Lai handed over the large red envelope in his hands with both hands.
Shen Jianrong waved her hand, "I'll accept the wild eggs, but not the red envelope."
Lin Er Lai refused to take no for an answer, "This new car is stained with human blood, which is inauspicious. If Captain Tian and Mayor Li hadn't said this car was a betrothal gift from Xiao Bo to his fiancée, I would have bought a new one to replace it."
Shen Jianrong looked at Tian Jing.
Seeing Tian Jing nod, she accepted the red envelope, "Alright, let's put this matter behind us."
Lin Er Lai nodded, "Thank you."
Old Yu, who had accompanied him, carried the two jars into a room in the front courtyard as per Tian Jing's request.
After Old Yu came out with the carrying pole, Lin Er Lai called him to leave together.
Shen Jianfang nudged her younger sister with her elbow, "How much is it?"
Shen Jianrong held the red envelope without opening it. She asked Tian Jing, "Did he say how much he put in?"
Tian Jing nodded, "Sixty-six hundred and sixty-six, he said it was for good luck."
Shen Jianrong opened the car door and put the red envelope into the drawer of the passenger seat.
This red envelope was for someone else; it would be kept in the car.
Shen Jianfang held up her camera, "Tian Jing, can we go into the nursery?"
Tian Jing nodded, "You can go in. I'll take you to see the villagers' greenhouses first."
After seeing the villagers' greenhouses and then the nursery, Shen Jianfang didn't see any difference.
Tian Jing nodded, "There's no difference. The difference is me."
As she spoke, a vegetable at her feet suddenly grew taller by a section.
The Shen sisters quickly squatted down to examine the vegetable. The only difference between this vegetable and the others was that it grew a little faster.
The sisters stood up, reached out, and turned Tian Jing around. She looked no different from them!
She had the same nose and two eyes.
Tian Jing smiled, "Just think of this ability as internal energy in martial arts, and you'll be able to accept it."
"The reason I'm showing you this is to prepare you psychologically."
"In case Ziyu has children with this ability, you can discover it early and tell the child to hide it. You'll also know how to help cover it up."
You?
Shen Jianrong's eyes darted around. She looked at her elder sister, then at Tian Jing, and had some guesses in her heart.
If it were true, she would be happy for Wanting, and also happy for her elder sister.
Shen Jianfang nudged her younger sister, whose thoughts had clearly wandered, "Did you remember?"
Shen Jianrong nodded, "I remember."
Since the only difference between the nursery and the greenhouses was Tian Jing, Shen Jianfang began to take photos without any reservations.
When she got to the greenhouse next to the duty room, Tian Jing stopped her, "This place has something Uncle Shen needs. You can't take pictures."
Shen Jianfang put away her camera, "Can we take a look?"
Tian Jing agreed to this request and led the Shen sisters into the greenhouse.
Shen Jianrong stared at the neatly shaped and beautiful rose thorn vine archway, "You made this, didn't you?"
"Yes." Tian Jing nodded.
"No way!" Shen Jianrong exclaimed, "I finally understand how good your ability is. You don't need to buy potted plants; you can make any shape you want."
Tian Jing: "..."