Chapter 232: Chapter 232: Mental Illness Isn’t Contagious

"You even need someone else to pour you a glass of water? You’re hopelessly lazy!"

Grumbling, Lu Tingting turned to pour her some water.

Jiang Moli called after her retreating back, "You’re not ’someone else.’ You’re one of us, sweetie."

’That damn woman is such a sweet-talker.’

’She calls me sweetie when she needs me, and silly girl when she doesn’t.’

’Hmph!’

Lu Tingting quickly brought over a bowl of tea. "Here, drink."

Jiang Moli took the bowl, eyed it, and said, "Hey, you didn’t spit in this, did you?"

Lu Tingting’s eyes went wide with anger. "Am I that horrible?!"

Jiang Moli held the bowl to Lu Tingting’s lips. "Then you take a couple of sips first."

Lu Tingting fumed, "Drink it or don’t! Suit yourself!"

Jiang Moli then offered the bowl to An Hui. "Mom, you drink it."

An Hui pushed the bowl away and started walking off. "I need to go talk to your father about something. You two take your time."

Watching An Hui walk away, Jiang Moli said to Lu Tingting, "See? Even Grandma doesn’t trust you."

Lu Tingting was about to die of anger. She snatched the bowl and, GULP GULP, chugged down two big mouthfuls.

Jiang Moli took the tea bowl back. "Okay, that’s enough. Don’t drink it all, I still want some."

Staring at Jiang Moli as she drank the tea, Lu Tingting retorted irritably, "I drank from that. You’re not disgusted now?"

Jiang Moli wiped her mouth. "It’s fine. Mental illness isn’t contagious."

Lu Tingting was fuming.

...

The spread for the midday banquet was very ordinary, but that was to be expected in the countryside, so there was nothing to complain about.

The hand-pulled noodles and cured pork from the morning hadn’t even digested yet, so Jiang Moli had no appetite. She wanted a drink, but An Hui stopped her, afraid she would get drunk and cause another scene.

Jiang Moli just sat there, cracking melon seeds and listening to the older generation shoot the breeze.

After the meal, all the relatives helped clean up.

The tables and chairs were borrowed, and the bowls and dishes had been brought over from each family’s home. They had to be washed before everyone took their own back.

After finishing tea with his brothers-in-law, Lu Deyao announced their departure.

"First Brother, Second Brother, Third Brother, Fourth Brother, it’s getting late. We should be going."

His brothers-in-law tried hard to convince them to stay. "You and An Hui came all this way back. Why not stay a couple more days before heading home?"

Lu Deyao replied politely, "We’ll come back again when we have time."

"And when will that be? We hope you and An Hui will come back every year, but you always say you’re busy with work. Now that you’ve finally made it back, you’re rushing off again."

Jiang Moli piped up with a grin, "Dad, since our uncles can’t bear for us to leave, let’s just stay a few more days. Besides, Eldest Aunt still has several old hens in her chicken coop. We can eat one per meal and leave after they’re gone."

Eldest Aunt’s face turned green.

The eldest uncle immediately stopped trying to persuade Lu Deyao to stay. "Since you’re in a hurry to get back, we won’t keep you. We wouldn’t want to hold you up from your important business."

Jiang Moli added, "Actually, we’re not in that much of a hurry. I saw that Second Aunt’s rabbits look pretty good, and I just love braised rabbit."

Second Uncle and Second Aunt’s eyelids twitched.

Second Uncle immediately said, "You have all your things packed, right? I’ll walk you to the main road to catch the tractor."

Soon enough, the family of four was seen off onto a tractor by their uncles and aunts.

Watching the tractor RUMBLE away into the distance, the members of the An family all let out a collective sigh of relief.

’That shit-stirrer is finally gone!’

On the tractor, Lu Deyao teased Jiang Moli, "Your uncles and aunts probably never want you to set foot in An Family Village again. You were there for less than two days, and you slaughtered a chicken, smashed bowls, and nearly convinced your eldest uncle’s granddaughter-in-law to run off. You’re like a bandit raiding a village!"

Jiang Moli smiled. "What good does it do me for them to like me?"

Lu Deyao and An Hui exchanged a look, both finding their third son’s wife’s words to be remarkably insightful and philosophical.

Little did they know, Jiang Moli’s only goal was to earn Disgust Points. A single Disgust Point was worth 10,000 yuan.

’Compared to cold, hard cash, what’s a little bit of affection worth?’

...

Upon arriving in town, the family of four first settled into a guesthouse.

The bus from Gulin Town to the city only ran in the morning.

After putting away their luggage, with plenty of time before dark, the four of them strolled around town to do some shopping for local specialties.

Lu Deyao bought a case of Langjiu liquor, and An Hui bought ten jin of handmade noodles.

Jiang Moli, however, had taken a real liking to Gulin’s old-style cured pork.

When the cooked cured pork was cut into thin slices, it had a lustrous yellow color that was gorgeously tempting.

Its flavor was rich and mellow. The fat wasn’t greasy, and it had a unique, fresh aroma.

It had such a wonderful flavor because the pork was marinated with a locally brewed white spirit and smoked over cypress branches.

Besides the cured pork, there were also cured sausages, cured chicken, cured duck, and so on.

Jiang Moli picked out a large selection in one go.

When it was time to pay, she turned to Lu Tingting and said, "Did you bring any money?"

"What for?"

Jiang Moli held up some of the cured pork and sausages in front of her. "You’re paying for these."

"Why should I? I’m not the one who wants to buy them!"

Jiang Moli looked her up and down. "You’re a grown girl now. You go on a trip and don’t even buy something for your mother? Did she raise you for nothing?"

Lu Tingting was speechless.

She obediently took out all the money she had and bought the cured pork and sausages.

Lu Deyao and An Hui exchanged a glance, and both saw a look of gratification on each other’s faces.

’Third Son’s wife is teaching our granddaughter to be more and more thoughtful.’

The next morning at 7:30, the family of four took the bus to the city, then a train for several more hours, finally arriving in Rongcheng around 10:00 PM.

Jiang Xiaoguang drove them from the train station back to the compound.

When Lu Tingting got home, Fan Wenfang opened the door for her.

Taking her backpack, she couldn’t help but nag, "What did you pack in here? Why is it so heavy?"

"It’s cured pork and sausages."

Hearing this, Fan Wenfang opened the bag and took the items out, lest they develop a smell from being cooped up in the bag for too long.

The cured pork and sausages were wrapped tightly in oil paper.

Fan Wenfang unwrapped one package, took a sniff, and praised, "It smells wonderful. Did your grandmother give it to you?"

"No."

Meeting Fan Wenfang’s questioning gaze, Lu Tingting said uncomfortably, "I bought it. For you. This cured pork is really good."

Fan Wenfang froze for two seconds as if she’d short-circuited, then let out a soft, "Oh."

"I’m going to go wash up."

"Tingting."

Lu Tingting had just turned back when Fan Wenfang pulled her into a hug.

The warm, familiar embrace made her nose tingle.

’Mom hasn’t hugged me like this in so long. Not since my little sister and brother were born.’

’But... how did Mom get shorter? And thinner?’

’When I was little, I loved it when Mom held me, because her embrace was so big and warm.’

’It seems like Mom has gotten old.’

This realization made Lu Tingting’s heart ache with a heavy, sour feeling.

"Tingting, you’ve grown up. You’ve become so thoughtful."

Gazing into Fan Wenfang’s kind and gentle eyes, Lu Tingting realized for the first time that making an elder happy was a truly wonderful feeling.

...

「The next day」

Jiang Moli took the bus to her job at the cultural troupe.

At the stop for the Railway Bureau’s family compound, Qian Ling got on.

The weather was gradually getting colder, so Qian Ling wasn’t riding her bicycle anymore.

Qian Ling squeezed her way over to Jiang Moli, her face beaming. "Moli, you’re back from your family visit? Was Lucheng fun?"

Jiang Moli nodded. "It was fun. I’ll take you with me next time."

"Okay!"

When they reached the cultural troupe station, Jiang Moli got off the bus and pulled a local specialty out of her bag for Qian Ling.

"Cured pork? It smells amazing! Moli, you’re the best! You were even thinking of me while you were visiting family!"

It wasn’t much cured pork, only about a jin, but the sentiment behind it was a wonderful and touching surprise.

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