Chapter 143: Precious Memories

Before long, the dishes were brought to the table, and the four of them sat together.

Father Jiang picked up some food and asked casually,

“I saw a car parked downstairs, with a license plate I don’t recognize. Has anyone moved into the building recently?”

“There’s no one added to the owners’ chat group, so probably not.”

Mother Jiang said that while her gaze flickered toward Jiang Linyuan.

She had seen that car parked for many days, barely moved. Today, as soon as their son was on holiday, hey, the car moved.

“It’s my friend’s car, she lent it to me.”

Jiang Linyuan buried his head in his meal and replied.

“That car doesn’t look cheap. Just because she lent it to you, you take it? Must be from a wealthy family, right?”

“Yeah, she’s pretty well off.”

Jiang Linyuan said.

“So you’re pretty casual with her. She lends it to you and you keep it? You two are on good terms, huh? Bring her over for New Year’s to show us?”

Mother Jiang said slowly.

“She’ll be busy over the New Year, why would she come to our place?”

Jiang Zhiyao, who had been picking at her bowl, suddenly spoke up.

Mother Jiang watched Jiang Zhiyao’s reaction and immediately knew the borrower was a girl.

“Have your brother ask if she’s free over the New Year?”

Jiang Zhiyao sneered and fell silent, looking at Jiang Linyuan.

“She can’t make it, she’s busy over New Year.”

The Department Head goes back to Yanjing over New Year, probably to deal with a whole mess of family issues.

From the way her father-in-law acted, the older generation in her family probably doesn’t accept the Department Head much.

“Oh, well that’s fine, she can come visit after New Year too.”

Mother Jiang said unconcernedly.

She’s twenty now, she should put some distance between herself and Linyuan, always stuck together like glue—what kind of behavior is that!

“I’m full.”

Jiang Zhiyao suddenly put down her chopsticks, stood up, and ran back to her room, shutting the door behind her.

Father Jiang at the table stared at the half-finished bowl of rice, stunned for a moment:

“Has she been eating too many snacks?”

“Mind your own business!”

Mother Jiang smacked him, sometimes not sure if he was truly stupid or just pretending.

Jiang Linyuan stared at the leftover rice and was about to pour it into his own bowl—waste not, want not; the family always did that before.

But just as his hand touched the bowl, he pulled back.

“If you’re not full, go scoop from the pot. You’re an adult, don’t act like a kid eating other people’s leftovers.”

Mother Jiang relaxed when she saw Jiang Linyuan hadn’t put the rice into his bowl.

Good, good, this one still isn’t stupid.

Seeing Jiang Zhiyao rush back to her room, Mother Jiang loosened up and looked at Jiang Linyuan:

“Have you been dating anyone lately?”

“No.”

Jiang Linyuan said.

Dating? Love doesn’t matter when friendship is more important!

Best friends! Sharing a blanket!

“Haven’t you met a girl you like at university? Get together early, I’m waiting to see you get married.”

Mother Jiang didn’t believe him at all.

Last time a girl suddenly appeared during a phone call, and this borrower is another girl.

Just don’t know if it’s the same person.

“Mom, if you want grandchildren, hurry up and open a second account with Dad while you’re young.”

Jiang Linyuan shrugged.

It always felt like once people reached a certain age, they liked to rush you into marriage—do they think my romantic life is lacking? No ex-girlfriends at all, so they want to force me a former wife, huh!

“Oi, you brat, asking for a beating, wash the bowls later!”

Mother Jiang was speechless.

Having another baby—your two are already enough to worry about!

“Can you bring a girl home next New Year?”

Mother Jiang asked again.

“Not likely.”

Jiang Linyuan answered vaguely.

Bring one home?

He would never ignore his other friends just because he made a new one.

If he brought one back and other good friends got mad, what then? He’d have to bring them all!

Sigh, call me chivalrous Jiang Linyuan.

“Then this New Year go with your cousin to a blind date.”

Mother Jiang suddenly raised her voice and said.

“Thump.”

A muffled sound came from Jiang Zhiyao’s room.

“What happened?”

Jiang Linyuan put down his dishes and walked over.

“Nothing, you eat.”

Jiang Zhiyao’s voice from inside was muffled, impossible to make out her emotions.

“It’s decided then. You don’t actually have to go on a date—just help your cousin look around. If you meet someone you like, you can date.”

Mother Jiang’s tone was resolute, this was necessary medicine.

What would happen to Yaoyao like this? You can’t expect Jiang Linyuan to keep her company his whole life, right?

The two kids knew each other’s roots, had no blood relation, but she couldn’t accept it.

Watching them grow up together, then suddenly twisting and saying the son turned into a son-in-law.

What a mess... and don’t even get started on explaining it to relatives.

After the meal, Jiang Linyuan and Mother Jiang washed the bowls together while Father Jiang tidied the table.

About twenty minutes later, Father Jiang and Mother Jiang went for their nap; they still had work in the afternoon.

Jiang Linyuan knocked on Jiang Zhiyao’s door, and the door immediately opened:

“Why knock? Just come in.”

Jiang Zhiyao looked at Jiang Linyuan as he entered and closed the door.

“Why did you change into different pajamas again?”

Jiang Linyuan looked at Jiang Zhiyao wearing animal-themed pajamas and asked curiously.

Jiang Zhiyao sat on the bed hugging a tablet, watching shows:

“I don’t plan to go out tonight, I’ll just sleep at home this afternoon.”

“You’re not going out to hang out?”

Jiang Linyuan sat beside her and asked.

“It’s too cold. We’ll go out and play when spring comes.”

Jiang Zhiyao stared at the tablet without looking up.

“Maybe in spring I’ll be going out with the blind date Mom arranged.”

Jiang Linyuan said slyly.

Jiang Zhiyao grabbed the dolphin plush by the bedside and hurled it over:

“Mom told you to help look, not actually go on a date yourself!”

“Just joking. By the way, which cousin did Mom mean?”

“How would I know? I even get relative titles wrong.”

“Whatever, I’ll just go be a free rider for the meal.”

Jiang Linyuan shrugged, then noticed a photo on the bedside cabinet.

Half-opened and medium-sized, it showed two children on a roller coaster with twisted faces—the girl clinging to the boy’s hand in terror, the boy’s face contorted, looking like he was in pain.

It gave off the same vibe as the famous painting The Scream.

“When was this from?”

Jiang Linyuan pointed at the photo and asked.

“From when we went to Disneyland as kids. The photos were expensive. You forgot such a good memory?”

Jiang Zhiyao frowned.

“So what? There will be many chances to make memories like this in the future, why cling to it now?”

Jiang Linyuan said with righteous assurance.

“Hmph, true.”

Jiang Zhiyao glanced at Jiang Linyuan, her mouth unconsciously pursed, but she quickly looked away.

“I’m going to sleep. Get out!”

She waved her hand, pretending to shoo him away.

“Just in case you’re still hungry, there’s food in the rice cooker you can heat up. Have a few bites when you wake up, don’t always eat snacks.”

“Are you our mother now?”

“You’re the aunt! I’m going to return the car!”

Jiang Linyuan tossed out that line and left.

Jiang Zhiyao watched his departing back, then glanced back at the photo.

Will there really be many more chances to leave memories like this?

But, these memories already feel so abundant; the ones I think of are even more unique...

At this moment, everything was quiet. Only the air conditioner hummed in the room.

Jiang Zhiyao hugged the dolphin plush and stared blankly at the tablet playing a popular prime-time drama.

It featured the usual mother-in-law versus daughter-in-law fights.

Not realistic at all.