Chapter 313: Chapter 167: Sister-in-law Candidate

As he passed Liu Yunlan, he heard her say softly, "Brother Qingmu, you have to come visit during the first month of the new year! I’ll make you dumplings."

Qingmu, who had already walked past, felt a jolt run through him. His heart was a tangled mess. The affirmative "yes" was stuck in his throat, unable to come out. He quickened his pace and hurried away without stopping.

Liu Yunlan watched his retreating figure and sighed to herself.

’It’s all my parents’ fault for being so foolish, for pushing away such a good man. Now, he has no interest in reviving the match. Even when we run into each other, what can a girl like me do? Seeing him to the gate was the most I could do. Telling him to visit during the first month was plenty. Could I possibly do any more?’

She dejectedly returned to the house to help her parents pack her younger brother’s things.

Liu Fugui saw his daughter looking downcast and felt a pang of guilt. ’If it weren’t for my wife and me being so foolish and listening to nonsense, we never would have pushed away such a fine son-in-law.’

’My daughter has high standards and looks down on ordinary men, so things have just dragged on.’

He thought to himself that perhaps he should go and ask Yang Defa someday, to see if there was any chance of reviving the match.

********

Qingmu walked past a few houses and headed toward his second uncle Yang Dezhi’s home.

Liu Yunlan’s shy gaze flashed through his mind, and her voice, inviting him to visit during the first month, echoed in his ears. The strange sensation of his racing heart and flushing face took a long while to subside.

He even found himself wondering, ’When I come to pay Grandma a New Year’s visit next year, should I stop by the Liu Family’s home?’

He shook his head abruptly. ’Why am I even thinking about this?’ he thought. ’We’re not related in any way. Why would I pay her family a New Year’s visit?’

Only when his second uncle’s courtyard came into view did he manage to push the jumbled thoughts from his mind. He greeted his grandmother, gave her the pig’s head and the meat, and told her that his mother wanted him to bring her over to stay for a few days.

Mrs. Wang was overjoyed. Her daughter’s family was doing better and better; a weight was finally lifted from her mind.

The old woman said to Qingmu, "It’s too busy at the end of the year. I’ll bring Laishou to stay for a few days during the first month of the new year."

She then asked about his family in detail. When she heard they were very busy, she urged him to eat quickly and hurry home so he wouldn’t be delayed.

"Tell your mother that your uncle’s family is getting by just fine, so there’s no need to send meat for the New Year. We’ll be slaughtering our own pig in a couple of days."

Qingmu smiled. "This is for Grandma. Besides, it’s only proper to give some to Uncle as well."

The two of them, grandmother and grandson, chatted for a while. While his grandmother and the Lin Family were cooking, Qingmu took the other pig’s head to his eldest uncle Yang Defa’s house. He made small talk for a bit before leaving.

After lunch, Qingmu took his leave from his grandmother.

As he was leaving the village, he couldn’t help but glance in the direction of Liu Fugui’s home. Liu Yunlan’s words echoed in his ears once more: "Brother Qingmu, you have to come visit during the first month of the new year! I’ll make you dumplings!"

’I wonder if her cooking is as good as Juhua’s,’ he thought.

As he thought this, he suddenly realized with a start that he was thinking about Liu Yunlan.

For a moment, he was both surprised and in disbelief—he was actually starting to think about a girl. But he was also puzzled: ’I saw Liu Yunlan at the end of last year, too. Why didn’t I notice her then?’

He was lost in a jumble of thoughts all the way home and still couldn’t make sense of it all. He was utterly unable to determine his own feelings.

The days the snow was melting were exceptionally cold. Juhua, huddled over the warming bucket, had no desire to go outside—her aversion to the cold hadn’t changed one bit. But always sitting there doing needlework was also quite dull. She had just finished making a padded cotton vest for Qingmu when she saw him come in.

"Brother, come try this vest on and see if it fits!" she called to Qingmu, shaking out the padded vest in her hands.

Seeing that his sister had made him another new piece of clothing, a smile immediately bloomed on Qingmu’s face. He hurried over, took the garment, and holding it up by the shoulders, asked, "Is this meant to be worn on the outside?"

Juhua laughed. "That’s right! You men run warm and aren’t afraid of the cold. Thick padded jackets are bulky and inconvenient. This vest protects your chest and back so you won’t catch a chill, and it’s lightweight."

This garment combined the features of a traditional jacket and a vest, making it rather snug and form-fitting. She had designed it herself. In any case, people in the countryside weren’t particularly fussy about their clothes, and besides, making it this way saved fabric. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Qingmu nodded again and again as he listened. He took off the short, padded jacket he was wearing and slipped on the light blue vest.

Juhua’s eyes lit up at the sight. The light blue vest, paired with the bluish-gray lined jacket underneath, made Qingmu look taller, sharper, and more dashing. It had a certain modern flair to it. She couldn’t help but chuckle in delight.