Chapter 66: City Boyfriend

Chapter 66: City Boyfriend

Jiang Yu nodded with great anticipation.

"Okay."

Hearing her response, He Tingyue felt a rush of warmth in his chest, like his heart was about to burst.

His gaze was so intense it felt like it could melt her.

He turned away, his throat tightening.

Let's wait until we're married.

The bus swayed along the road and finally arrived at Funan Commune.

Despite having taken the bus many times, Jiang Yu still felt queasy and barely held it together.

To her surprise, He Tingyue had borrowed a bike instead of walking back from the commune.

"Hop on."

South River Village was full of nosy neighbors, all familiar faces. This time, He Tingyue put the luggage on the front and didn’t let Jiang Yu sit there.

As soon as they reached the village entrance, a villager spotted Jiang Yu.

"Oh, isn't this Jiang Yu from the Jiang family? It's Jiang Yu, right? You look so different after your trip to the city!"

He Tingyue stopped the bicycle and turned around.

Jiang Yu nodded and got off.

"Let's walk from here," she said.

Otherwise, they would have to greet people all the way, stopping and going, which would be too troublesome.

"Aunt Du, I'm Jiang Yu. I'm back today."

This Aunt Du was Wang Yunshan's mother.

Though Jiang Yu didn't like her, she never showed it, worried it might cause trouble for Wang Yunshan.

Aunt Du's eyes flicked between Jiang Yu and He Tingyue, sizing them up.

It wasn't that she wasn't curious, but He Tingyue's presence was so intimidating that she hesitated to stare.

"This is my boyfriend, He Tingyue," Jiang Yu introduced him confidently.

Aunt Du's eyes widened in surprise.

"Boyfriend?!" she shrieked, her voice almost cracking. "Where is he from? Did you bring him back from the city? What's his work unit?"

Considering He Tingyue's appearance and demeanor, she wouldn't believe it if he wasn't a city guy.

Jiang Yu looked up at He Tingyue, letting him answer.

He Tingyue said, "Auntie, I work at the Second State Cotton Mill."

Du Dama let out another exclamation.

It was because the Second State Cotton Mill was incredibly well-known.

In the entire North City, the most sought-after workplaces were the steel mill and the state cotton mill. These were large, prestigious units with highly respected jobs.

"Auntie, I'll talk to you later, I need to head home first," Jiang Yu said, not wanting to elaborate. She grabbed He Tingyue's arm and left.

Du Dama was left standing by the roadside, muttering to herself, "The old Jiang family must have burned high incense on their ancestors' graves!"

To have twins who both married into the city—what luck!

Thinking of her own daughter, Zhaodi, who, after all her careful choices, ended up with a fool. What bad luck!

Even though they said the fool's brain had been cured, she didn't believe it could truly be healed. A fool was a fool.

And to make matters worse, the family's financial condition wasn't particularly well-off either.

Jiang Yu, of course, didn't know any of this yet.

The road home, usually short, felt exceptionally long today.

Every few steps, she had to explain who He Tingyue was, wishing she could just stick a label on him to save herself the trouble of repeating herself.

"Regretting it yet? My mouth is almost dry," Jiang Yu said, though the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up.

He Tingyue chuckled, "No regrets, it's a pleasure."

He felt a sense of validation. Every time Jiang Yu introduced him, he felt a surge of happiness.

This trip wasn't in vain.

When they returned to the Jiang household, Wang Meili was in a state of shock, unable to snap out of it.

It was Jiang Yongguo, the elder brother of the Jiang family, who reminded her, "Third sister-in-law, Jiang Yu has brought her partner home. Quickly, let them in!"

Wang Meili finally snapped out of it, and a wave of joy swept over her.

Her Jiang Yu had the talent to bring back a partner from the city!

Jiang Yu hadn't lied. She really brought someone back!

"Come in! Come in! Watch your step, take it slow," Wang Meili said hurriedly.

Jiang Yu asked, "Mom, where's Dad?"

Wang Meili then realized Jiang Yonghua wasn't home and quickly called out, "Jiang Ye, go help your aunt and call your third uncle back from the fields!"

Jiang Ye, the youngest son of Jiang Yongguo, was the same age as Jiang Hao but had a completely different personality. He was thin and quiet.

Without a word, he ran straight to the fields.

Jiang Yu watched him go. Jiang Ye had always been quiet, not one for small talk.

They hadn't interacted much. She wasn't close with any of the Jiang brothers and sisters.

She had conflicts with some of them, but with Jiang Ye, it was just a lack of interaction.

"What are you looking at?" He Tingyue asked.

Jiang Yu shook her head. "Let's go inside."

Wang Meili was glowing with happiness. Jiang Yu's actions not only surprised her but also made her feel really proud.

She never imagined she'd be so lucky to see both her daughters marry into city families.

Before long, Jiang Xin returned.

"Big sister! Big sister!" She ran like she was running a sprint.

Jiang Yu, who hadn't seen her for a while, embraced Jiang Xin.

"How have you been?"

Jiang Xin nodded. "Good, Mom didn't hit me."

Maybe because Jiang Yu and Jiang Ting weren't around, Wang Meili had been nicer to her only other daughter.

As a result, Jiang Xin hadn't been hit recently and had even gotten to eat peach pastries and peanuts that Wang Meili brought back from the city.

"You're so easy to please," Jiang Yu said, tapping her on the head and smiling. "Sleep with your big sister tonight, I've brought something good for you."

Jiang Xin clung to her and then looked at He Tingyue.

"Is this my brother-in-law?"

Hearing "brother-in-law" made He Tingyue feel warm and fuzzy inside, and he wished he could give her a big red envelope right then and there.

But before coming, Jiang Yu had instructed him not to show off his wealth or bring gifts. Just treat this like you're dropping her off, have a cup of tea, and then head out. There was no need to be overly enthusiastic with her parents.

If anything, Jiang Yu wanted him to play it cool.

He Tingyue couldn't hold back and laughed, patting Jiang Xin on the head.

"Next time, brother-in-law will bring you a gift."

Jiang Xin chirped, "Thanks, brother-in-law!"

Jiang Yu teased, "You little butter-up."

Jiang Xin was younger and slightly darker-skinned than Jiang Yu, but her almond-shaped eyes were big and bright, bearing a resemblance to Jiang Yu, hinting that she would be a beauty when she grew up.

Seeing this mini version of herself, Jiang Xin's sweetness made it hard for He Tingyue to stay aloof.

Soon, Jiang Yonghua and Jiang Hao rushed back, along with Jiang Yu's second uncle's family.

Looks like the whole Jiang family showed up today.

Jiang Yonghua could hardly hide his joy but was much more composed than Wang Meili. He reached out to He Tingyue.

"Little He, right? I am Jiang Yu's father."

He Tingyue shook his hand. "He Tingyue."

Jiang Yonghua felt the thick calluses on He Tingyue's palm, his eyes flickering slightly.

He had a hunch that Jiang Yu wasn't an ordinary person.

"Honey, why haven't you made a cup of sweet tea yet? We can't let Little He just stand around like that!"

Wang Meili slapped her forehead, laughing so hard her eyes squinted shut.

"Can you believe me? I got so caught up in the excitement that I forgot. I’ll get right on it!"

Jiang Yu spoke up, "Mom, I want some too."

Surprisingly, Wang Meili didn't scold her. "Sure thing, I'll make one for you too."

But she didn’t offer to make one for Jiang Hao, which left him feeling pretty ticked off.

When Du Juan visited before, they weren’t nearly this welcoming.