yournovel Chapter 465 Old Man
Chapter 465 Old Man
Chapter 465 Old Man
As night fell and the streetlights came on, the road home was brightly illuminated.
Outside the car window, the festive atmosphere of the Spring Festival was everywhere, with groups of children playing with firecrackers and setting off fireworks, visiting each other's homes in a lively and bustling manner.
Brilliant fireworks burst across the night sky from time to time, creating a lively and festive Spring Festival scene.
Even inside the carriage with the windows closed, the crackling and popping sounds could be faintly heard.
Yu Huan gripped the steering wheel firmly, gradually released the accelerator, and slowed down the car.
Lin Yourong noticed the change in the car's speed and thought they were about to reach their destination, so she sat up straight.
Yu Huan didn't step on the brakes. Instead, she pointed to a three-story European-style self-built house and said with a smile, "Look, this is my uncle's house. Isn't it beautiful?"
Lin Yourong breathed a sigh of relief for some reason and looked in the direction he was pointing.
The European-style building features simple and smooth lines. The off-white exterior walls gleam softly under the light of the entrance lamps, contrasting beautifully with the surrounding night scene, creating an elegant atmosphere.
Lin Yourong hummed in agreement, then asked curiously, "Is it at Chengcheng's house?"
“That’s right.” Yu Huan gazed at the brightly lit window of her house, a smile unconsciously creeping onto her lips. Her tone was slightly humorous as she casually remarked, “My uncle is a university professor. He’s not a talkative person; you could say he’s a complete taciturn guy. He’s good at research, but not at networking.”
Lin Yourong smiled gently, and Yu Chengcheng's chubby face appeared in her mind: "No wonder Chengcheng's grades are so good. It turns out she was influenced by her uncle. It sounds like your grandfather's whole family are teachers."
Yu Huan shook her head and explained, "Only my uncle and my dad are teachers. In the past, conditions weren't so good. My grandfather had four sons and one daughter. He couldn't afford to send too many children to university, so he gave the opportunity to the two of them who were the best at studying."
"I see." Lin Yourong nodded in understanding.
At that moment, she saw the car turn right slowly and gradually drive into the front yard of a two-story self-built house, and she knew that she had arrived at her destination.
In an instant, a wave of tension surged through her. Her hands unconsciously clenched into fists. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, but her heart continued to beat faster.
It can be said that even on a stage filled with thunderous applause, there is no greater sense of unease than this.
As the saying goes, the lights shouldn't be turned off on New Year's Eve.
A bright beam of light shone through the slightly ajar door, shining directly onto the front yard, as if welcoming their arrival.
Yu Huan turned off the engine and turned to look at Lin Yourong, who was wearing a mask with her head down.
Sensing her unease, he couldn't help but tease her, "What's wrong? We're already at home, and you're getting nervous? You know my parents, and my grandfather is an incredibly kind person. Don't worry about it."
Lin Yourong sniffed, trying to appear calm and composed, and said defiantly, "I'm not nervous at all, it's just... I'm a little excited, after all, this is the first time I've officially spent the New Year at your house."
talking.
She raised her hand and smoothed the hair behind her ear, trying to use this unintentional gesture to hide her inner unease.
Seeing this, Yu Huan teased half-jokingly, "My dear wife, you're really stubborn now!"
"You're the one who's being stubborn!" Lin Yourong glared at him reproachfully, then punched his shoulder hard.
Yu Huan, being thick-skinned and tough, simply chuckled in response.
He deftly pushed open the car door and stepped into the New Year's Eve night.
He expected to hear the noise and laughter of a card game coming from the main hall, but the surroundings were unusually quiet. He instantly realized that Old Yu hadn't invited anyone to his house to play cards today, which was unprecedented for him.
In the South, the vast majority of people don't watch the Spring Festival Gala. Adults play cards, children set off firecrackers, and those who can't stay idle visit each other's homes and chat about everyday life.
Yu Huan walked around the front of the car, her steps unhurried, and came to the passenger side.
He gently opened the car door for Lin Yourong, and after she got out, he thoughtfully closed it, then naturally took her hand.
As she walked toward her home, she whispered, "Relax, I've already told my family beforehand that there will definitely be no outsiders today, just my family."
Lin Yourong nodded slightly and softly replied, "Oh."
The young couple entered the gate one after the other, and Lin Yourong gently closed the door behind them.
Upon entering, they instinctively looked around, only to find both doors tightly shut.
Yu Huan smiled and said, "They must be burning firewood in the back."
As he spoke, he pulled Lin Yourong and walked straight to the backyard.
As soon as she stepped into the courtyard, a familiar and deep laugh drifted over, and Yu Huan immediately recognized it as Yu Songnian's.
Immediately afterward, Grandpa Yu's hearty voice rang out: "Songnian, your brother Huan is all married now, you'd better step up your game! Hurry up and marry Qianqian into the family next year, don't keep this old man waiting too long!"
Teacher Wu's laughter followed, tinged with a hint of teasing: "Your grandfather already said that he would give each of you grandchildren a wedding gift of 10,000 yuan, and if a great-grandchild is born, he would add another 10,000 yuan!"
The two looked in the direction of the sound.
The kitchen door was wide open, and warm yellow light shone out, illuminating a bright area in the yard.
Yu Huan immediately spotted Old Master Yu sitting in front of the stove, adding firewood to the firebox.
The leaping flames licked the firewood merrily, casting a rosy glow on his face, making him look full of energy.
The old man said loudly, "I'm not like those misers in the village. At my age, my biggest hope is to see you all get married, start families, and have children. Money just sits there and won't produce offspring. Spending it on you is what makes it worthwhile!"
Yu Songnian sat to the side, holding a long pair of fire tongs, stirring the contents of the stove idly. He grumbled in a deep voice, "Grandpa, you have a pension. You can collect your salary while lying down. Every month, the money is like it's free. Of course, you're different from those misers!"
Yu Huan could tell at a glance that sweet potatoes or tangerines were probably being roasted in the stove.
Old Yu and Teacher Wu sat side by side, their attention drawn to the flames in the stove and their conversation, completely unaware that the young couple had already entered the yard.
Seeing this, Yu Huan released Lin Yourong's hand, turned around, raised a finger to her lips, made a 'shh' gesture, and her eyes were full of mischievous smiles.
Lin Yourong immediately understood and nodded gently. Although she was wearing a mask, her curved eyebrows and eyes could not hide her smile.
"How dare you talk like that, you brat! This pension was earned by your grandfather through hard work when he was young!" Teacher Wu chuckled and patted Yu Songnian's broad back. Yu Huan crouched down and tiptoed closer.
He skillfully avoided everyone's gaze, went behind Old Yu who was sitting on the outside, tilted his head slightly forward, and glanced into the stove.
A sweet and rich aroma wafted into his nostrils, and he exclaimed exaggeratedly, "Wow! It smells so good! They're roasting sweet potatoes and tangerines!"
The sudden shout echoed in the kitchen.
Grandpa Yu was adding firewood to the stove when he suddenly paused, his hand movements stopping as he turned his head.
His gaze fell upon Lin Yourong, who stood gracefully at the door, and then upon seeing Yu Huan so close by. He immediately realized that his granddaughter-in-law had arrived, and a radiant smile instantly bloomed on his face.
He still held a piece of firewood in his hand and said in a strong voice, "Hey! You two are finally back!"
Teacher Wu quickly reacted, her face beaming with a warm smile, and hurriedly greeted, "Oh, Yourong! You've finally arrived! Come on over, sit here and warm up." As she spoke, she didn't forget to gently kick the leg of Old Yu's chair next to her.
Old Yu instantly understood, stood up without saying a word, quickly walked to the wall to pull out a chair, and said to Lin Yourong with a big smile, "Yourong, sit down quickly."
"Dad, I'm not hungry." Lin Yourong's voice was soft and tinged with a smile as she obediently greeted everyone in turn: "Grandpa, Mom, Songnian."
"Yes!" Old Master Yu responded readily, casually tossing aside the firewood in his hand. He looked at Lin Yourong with concern and asked, "Yourong, you're so late, are you hungry?"
Even though his granddaughter-in-law was wearing a mask and it was their first meeting, her smiling face and the fact that everyone who had met her said she was extremely photogenic made the old man very happy.
He raised his hand and slapped Yu Songnian on the head, feigning a scolding: "What are you standing there for! Hurry up and peel a sweet potato for your sister-in-law!"
"Oh, okay!" Yu Songnian shrank back as he was slapped, and quickly grabbed the fire tongs to rummage through the stove for sweet potatoes.
Yu Huan stood behind them, ignored and neglected.
Seeing Teacher Wu warmly greet Lin Yourong and invite her to sit beside her, Yu Huan couldn't help but touch her nose and said half-jokingly, "What's going on? Why do I suddenly feel like I don't exist at all..."
Old Yu brought over two old-fashioned wooden chairs and teased with a smile, "You rascal, you're getting jealous now. This is You Rong's first time spending the New Year at our house, so of course we have to take extra care of her."
Grandpa Yu chimed in, moving his chair closer to the wall and saying with a ruddy complexion, "Huanhuan, don't act silly in your own home."
The moment these humorous words were uttered, everyone burst into laughter.
Lin Yourong couldn't help but laugh out loud as well.
Everyone hurriedly moved the chairs around, and finally sat down close together in front of the stove.
The leaping flames in the stove reflected in everyone's eyes, spreading warmth and kinship.
Yu Songnian deftly pulled a roasted sweet potato out of the stove. Its skin was charred black and still steaming.
He said with a big smile, "Sister Yourong, look! The size is just right, the heat is absolutely perfect! These are sweet potatoes that Uncle Si grew himself, they're so sweet!"
Lin Yourong smiled and waved her hand gently, her voice soft and apologetic: "Thank you, Songnian. I ate some snacks on the way here, and I'm still full."
Yu Songnian listened and didn't insist. He carefully put the sweet potato back into the stove with the fire tongs and said, "Then I'll put it here for now. Anyway, the stove is warm and it won't get cold. You can eat it anytime you want, sister-in-law."
"Okay." Lin Yourong nodded slightly.
Old Yu glanced at Yu Huan standing to the side, patted the chair beside him, and teased, "Sit down! What are you standing there for? You're not actually jealous of your wife, are you?"
Yu Huan raised an eyebrow, a hint of humor in his voice, and sighed, "Sigh, from the moment I walked in until now, not a single person has given me a second glance. My presence is so weak I'm practically invisible."
As she was saying this, she suddenly remembered that someone would be coming to visit later, and then added, "Grandpa, let Rongrong sit inside. She has a cold today and can't stand the wind. She also has some allergies on her face, which is why she's been wearing a mask."
Upon hearing this, Old Master Yu replied without hesitation, "Why didn't you say so earlier!" His voice was strong and carried a hint of reproach.
Old Yu, who had just sat down, hadn't even warmed the cold chair before he immediately stood up again: "I'll go close the door a little."
Teacher Wu followed suit, saying, "I'll brew some red ginger tea to drink."
The two brothers exchanged a glance and looked at each other blankly.
Yu Songnian couldn't help but exclaim, "As expected of Sister Rong! Huan-ge, you just said it casually, and the whole family has been mobilized."
Before he could finish speaking, Old Master Yu walked up behind him and smacked him on the head: "You talk too much. Get up now and let your brother Huan and your sister-in-law sit next to each other."
Yu Songnian exaggeratedly covered his head with both hands, quickly moving aside while shouting, "Old man, you hit me too hard! It's because you hit my head so many times when I was a kid that I'm not as smart as Yu Chengcheng—"
Before he could finish speaking, Old Master Yu smacked him on the head again and said irritably, "Enough with the nonsense. Go sit over there. I want to sit here."
Lin Yourong stood up, unable to suppress a smile.
"Alright, I'll follow your instructions!" Yu Songnian nodded and bowed respectfully, doing as he was told.
After Yu Huan sat down, she casually wiped the dust off Lin Yourong's chair with her palm and said jokingly, "You really have to follow the arrangements, otherwise you won't get the money for the wedding gift and the red envelope for your great-grandson!"
Lin Yourong waited for Old Master Yu to come out from the inside before stepping inside.
Hearing Yu Huan's words, he finally couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Old Yu used a chair to prop open the door, leaving a narrow gap, and slowly turned back, smiling as he continued, "You two are really disrespectful. Even without money or red envelopes for your great-grandchildren, you still have to listen to your grandfather's arrangements."
Yu Songnian nodded vigorously, echoing, "Of course! Grandpa's words are law, who would dare disobey!"
As soon as Old Master Yu sat down, as if by reflex, he immediately smacked Yu Songnian on the head again.
"Look, look! I told you Grandpa beat me senseless!" Yu Songnian immediately exclaimed, covering his head.
Grandpa Yu deliberately put on a stern face, feigning seriousness, and said in a booming voice, "You brat, all you do is talk nonsense and never take things seriously. I'm telling you, forget about red envelopes, if you continue to be so disrespectful, don't even think about sitting at the table for the next New Year's Eve dinner!"
Despite saying that, he couldn't hide the smile in his eyes; he was clearly having a great time joking around with his grandsons.
"Old man, you mustn't really not let Songnian sit at the table! Without him, we'll never finish all the leftovers!" Yu Huan interjected humorously.
(End of this chapter)