Chapter 728

They still brought in income each year. More importantly, those tea fields had only come about because of Jiang Ning—and that always made her feel uneasy.

And then there was the matter of her eldest son—still missing. She hadn’t found him. She feared he might be suffering in some prison somewhere in the city. Just the thought of it was like a knife to the heart. Time and again, she regretted not being stricter when he was young—letting him fight and get into trouble. If only she’d disciplined him more, maybe he’d have turned out like the younger son and daughter—a college student, working a steady job instead of disappearing without a trace.

Every time she thought of this, her regret hit her like the icy waters of the winter river, drowning her—unable to breathe.

She remembered how mischievous her eldest was as a child, always fighting and causing trouble. But she couldn’t bear to hit him—so she’d take it out on the younger two, blaming them for not keeping an eye on their big brother. If only she’d been firm and disciplined him properly back then, things might not have come to this—where she didn’t even know where he was.

For a moment, the only sounds in the kitchen were the chopping of vegetables by Uncle Jiang’s wife and the crackling of firewood beneath the stove.

Before long, her two daughters-in-law came in too.

The older daughter-in-law had married earlier. She knew well how Mother Jiang had treated Jiang Ning back in the day. So whenever she spoke with Mother Jiang, it was either to offer gentle advice—or she simply avoided mentioning Jiang Ning altogether.

The younger daughter-in-law was pregnant, resting in the living room, watching TV and looking after the eldest cousin’s little daughter.

She was the latest to marry into the Jiang family. By the time she arrived, Jiang Ning was already famous across the entire region. She didn’t know what Jiang Ning’s life had been like as a child. She was lively by nature, and as soon as she stepped into the kitchen, her mouth was full of tales about Jiang Ning and Jiang Bai—stories and legends.

She said even their village knew about Jiang Ning, Jiang Guotai, and Jiang Guoding. Said the Jiang family’s village was full of talented people and good fortune. Her mouth was full of flattery.

Though her accent was totally different from Shuibu Town’s, there was no barrier in communication. Her voice was loud, her laughter bold and clear—and every word was directed at Mother Jiang.

Mother Jiang: “……”

After the ancestral ceremony, Father Jiang brought Jiang Ning and the rest, along with Jiang Guotai, Jiang Miao, Jiang Yanyan and their group, back home.

Jiang Guotai’s son, Jiang Xin, and his future daughter-in-law, Wang Xiyue, were both studying overseas and didn’t return for the New Year. Just like Jiang Guoping, their families’ ancestral rites this year were done with their daughters.

Seeing this, Father Jiang’s disappointment that his two sons hadn’t come home for New Year lessened a bit. When they got home, the women had prepared lunch. After lunch, it was time for the New Year’s Eve feast.

This year’s New Year’s Eve dinner was made by Father Jiang.

Uncle Jiang’s wife told him to take a break, saying he’d worked hard all year and the cooking at home should be left to them.

But Father Jiang had his own little thoughts. He felt that this was his daughter’s house, and no matter how things were between him and Jiang Ning, he was still closer to her than Uncle Jiang’s wife was. His daughter wasn’t married yet, and he still counted as half a master of this house. Now it looked like Uncle Jiang’s wife was acting like the host while he and Mother Jiang seemed like guests—so Father Jiang wanted to reassert his role as host by preparing the New Year’s Eve dinner to entertain Uncle Jiang’s family.

Uncle Jiang’s wife lived in the village all year round. The place was small, she wasn’t into socializing, and with three sons, no one could really push her around. So when it came to simplicity, she was truly simple-minded—the kind who didn’t even have a sliver of scheming in her.”

Father Jiang threw the apron over his neck and said, “Oh come on, don’t worry!”

All the ingredients had already been washed and chopped; he just had to start cooking. So Uncle Jiang’s wife and the others headed to the dining room, watching TV dramas while wrapping dumplings.”

Jiang Guoding hadn’t come back all year. His parents were getting old and had basically moved to the county to live with him. If they came back, their home was probably even colder and quieter than Father Jiang and Mother Jiang’s place.

Jiang Guotai’s parents were still in the village, but they lived in an old two-story house.

Jiang Ning’s house was the first to be built. After it was finished and furnished, Jiang Guotai thought it looked great and had the designer build similar houses for Jiang Miao and Jiang Yanyan. That’s why Jiang Ning’s house was completed first, aired out for a few months, and then moved into. The other two houses were finished later, and since Jiang Miao and Jiang Yanyan were away at university, they hadn’t stayed in them. And ever since Jiang Guoding became county magistrate, he visited the village even less.

Jiang Guotai had actually suggested that Grandpa Zhonghua and his wife move into Jiang Miao’s house, but rural traditions run deep—parents lived with sons, and sons cared for them in old age. If the house had belonged to Jiang Xin, they might have moved in. But it was Jiang Miao’s house, so the old couple didn’t want to.

The place they lived in was already a two-story house. Though a bit old, it was only ten or so years old and had been built by the old man in his younger days for his son. Living in it made them feel grounded—and honestly, quite comfortable.

Plus, he ran a little grocery store, and there were tons of things inside—counters, cabinets, all kinds of homebrewed liquor. Moving it all would be a huge hassle. And out on that remote hill, only Uncle Jiang’s family lived there. If he really moved, who’d buy the stuff from his store?

So, no matter what, he refused to move.

Things were a bit better over at Jiang Guotai’s. Grandpa Zhonghua didn’t farm, but he sold some vegetables in his store. Jiang Guotai’s place had everything—rice, oil, salt, etc.

But Jiang Guoding’s family had returned to face a brand-new, modern kitchen with no wood or coal. Even if others gifted them food and firewood, his wife hadn’t cooked over a wood fire in years. She was a seamstress, very protective of her hands, and now stared at the cold stove and clay hearth, not knowing where to start.

Jiang Ning didn’t comment on her dad’s natural invitation. She gave him that much face, washed the flour from her hands, and went next door to call on Jiang Guotai and Jiang Guoding’s families.

Jiang Guotai and Shen Hongyun were already getting things ready. When they heard, they laughed and said, “Why didn’t your dad tell us earlier? If he had, we wouldn’t have bothered cooking.”

Jiang Ning then went to call Jiang Guoding.”

Yanyan’s mom looked a little uneasy. “Isn’t that kind of inappropriate?” Mainly, they still had two elderly people at home.

“What’s so inappropriate about it?” The fire wall at Yanyan’s place hadn’t been lit, so the place was freezing.”

Jiang Yanyan giggled and jogged to catch up, looping her arm through Jiang Ning’s.”

Yanyan’s mom gave Jiang Ning an embarrassed smile.”

Their house really was cold. Jiang Ning stepped forward to support the two elders and smiled, “Fourth Aunt, come on.”

Yanyan’s mom, still feeling a bit awkward, carried some vegetables and gift boxes and followed them to Jiang Ning’s house.

Originally, Father Jiang had been quite glum about his two sons not coming home for the New Year. But when he saw the living room full of people, all the gloom vanished. Since Jiang Guoding didn’t have much to chat about with the women in the house, he pulled Jiang Ning into her study to play chess.