CIATB Chapter 293 The Year of the Rat and the Pine
Chapter 293 The Year of the Rat and the Pine
Chapter 293 The Year of the Rat and the Pine
Yu Songnian made two trips back and forth, moving almost everything off the table.
As he embarked on this final journey, he took out his phone and dialed Yu Chengcheng's number in the third-floor hallway.
The hallway was very quiet, as if only his rapid breathing echoed in the air.
The phone was pressed tightly against my ear, and after a few beeps, the call was suddenly connected.
"Hey, Songnian, what's going on?"
Yu Songnian pondered for a moment and said, "Is this the last trip? Is there anything left inside?"
A soft chuckle came from the other end of the phone, followed by a slightly mocking remark: "Coward Yu Songnian, you call about something so trivial? Can't you knock?"
“Uh…” Yu Songnian scratched his forehead.
The younger brother really wanted to retort, but he didn't know where to begin and felt speechless.
"You wait a moment."
As soon as Yu Chengcheng finished speaking, the busy tone of the phone line being disconnected rang in her ears.
Yu Songnian coughed slightly, put his phone back in his pocket, and stood quietly in the corridor waiting.
A short while later, the door was suddenly pushed open.
Yu Chengcheng handed him the gray bucket, clicking her tongue and shaking her head, saying, "Shu Songnian! Come back quickly after you finish delivering it. We'll go find Huan-ge later. Don't dawdle!"
The two people's state of mind when they arrived has been strangely reversed compared to now.
Yu Songnian's tense gaze swept over Yu Chengcheng's shoulder and quickly scanned the sofa.
Contrary to his expectations, he was not greeted by the intense gazes of his celebrity sister-in-law and superiors upon opening the door.
Hearing Yu Chengcheng's words, he was speechless.
Looking at her teasing expression, he complained in a low voice, "You already know that your sister-in-law is Lin Su, but you didn't tell me when you came this morning! You caught me completely off guard. You just wanted to make me look bad, didn't you!"
Yu Chengcheng nonchalantly hung the handle made of wire on his wrist, a teasing smile playing on her lips, and said, "Didn't I already hint at it to you!"
Yu Songnian turned around, threw the several putty knives on the table into the ash bucket, and said with a resentful look, "A hint? You call that a hint? I didn't see it at all! You just deliberately kept me in the dark so I could make a fool of myself!"
Yu Chengcheng shrugged, closing the door as she said, "Fine, I really didn't mean it, I did it on purpose, hurry up!"
The door closed gently.
Yu Songnian, caught up in her words, pondered deeply for a while.
Suddenly, he slapped his forehead—
Isn't she blatantly admitting that she did it on purpose?!
Pooh!
Only women and villains are difficult to raise!
Yu Chengcheng, who was behind the door, secretly observed her little brother through the peephole. Seeing him patting his head in a daze, she couldn't help but chuckle and then closed the peephole.
He turned around and went back to the karaoke room to continue his work.
The mother-in-law stood to the side with her hands on her hips, watching the two young people squatting on the ground, bending over to lay out the carpet.
Pieces of wood-grain rubber soundproof carpet were tightly pieced together by the skillful hands of Yu Chengcheng, the main contributor.
The hidden buckle at the bottom makes it almost impossible to see any gaps between the carpets.
Lin Yourong assisted her from the side, handing her clips and occasionally getting up to bring over a small stack of rubber rugs from the corner.
Yu Chengcheng's busy and efficient work prompted her mother-in-law to jokingly praise her: "Chengcheng, your efficiency and quality in doing this work are no less than that of a professional! I'll have your cousin pay you a salary later."
It does look quite professional.
Before laying the carpet, I first took out a measuring tape to carefully measure the floor and carefully compared the size of the carpet.
The half-carpet, already cut, was spread outwards from the windowsill.
Yu Chengcheng's movements were skillful and natural, showing that she was very experienced.
And with the mother-in-law watching from the sidelines, not a single mistake was made.
Yu Chengcheng clasped her hands together, pressed the seams of the carpet firmly with her palms, and said with a smile, "Auntie, we're all family, how can I ask for wages for helping out!"
Lin Yourong, who had long harbored some dissatisfaction with her biological mother, chimed in, nodding slightly: "That's right, Chengcheng, whatever you want to eat for lunch, I'll arrange it for you!"
Yu Chengcheng turned her head, glanced at her smiling mother-in-law, and then turned back to Lin Yourong, who was squatting on tiptoe, and asked, "Sister Yourong, shall we eat out or at home?"
Without hesitation, Lin Yourong replied, "I'll go find Yu Huan at noon and eat out together!"
"Oh."
Yu Chengcheng casually took the clip Lin Yourong handed her and continued laying the next piece of carpet, saying obediently:
"Whatever Auntie wants to eat, I'll eat it."
Seeing the two of them chatting and laughing, the mother-in-law waved her hand with a smile: "I have to go back to my unit later, so I won't get involved with you young people. Our tastes are different, so you can decide what to eat and have fun."
This room, which is only a dozen square meters, isn't very big.
With nearly half of the carpet laid out, Yu Chengcheng, who had never done this before, became increasingly skilled and adept, just like a seasoned professional.
Seeing that the two women were getting along well and the atmosphere was quite good, the mother-in-law then said goodbye and left.
In just half an hour, the carpet was laid all the way to the entrance.
As the last piece of carpet fell, the two of them stood up simultaneously and clapped their hands lightly.
Lin Yourong turned her head and looked around the neat and tidy karaoke room. Sunlight shone on the windowsill, making the whole room bright and clean.
She nodded slightly in satisfaction and asked warmly, "Chengcheng, would you like some water or a beverage?"
"Drinks!" Yu Chengcheng quickly added as soon as she finished speaking, "Sister Rong, preferably domestic drinks, the kind that are hard to find in the US!"
Lin Youren couldn't help but smile. After a moment's thought, he recalled the drink Yu Huan had bought at the supermarket last night and asked, "AD calcium milk?"
"can."
Yu Chengcheng, seeing the radiant smile in her beautiful sister-in-law's big eyes, turned and stepped out of the karaoke room, saying:
"Sister Yourong, I'm going to wash my hands first!"
Lin Yourong withdrew her gaze from her tall figure and tried to jump around a few times on the spot.
She was particularly pleased with even the slightest muffled thud from mosquitoes and flies.
From now on, I won't have to feel restricted when doing aerobics anymore, worrying about disturbing the downstairs neighbors.
Lin Yourong strode to the windowsill. A gentle breeze blew in through the half-open glass window, carrying a hint of coolness.
She tilted her head slightly, letting the gentle breeze caress her face.
The sun is just right, the breeze is not dry.
In high spirits, she took a few deep breaths, then turned and walked out gracefully.
She had just taken a sachet of AD calcium milk from under the TV cabinet when she caught a glimpse of Yu Chengcheng strolling leisurely into the living room through the bathroom doorway.
Lin Yourong closed the cabinet door, straightened up, and turned to look at the wall clock. The hour hand was pointing to eleven o'clock.
As he walked towards the sofa, he asked, "When will Songnian be back after delivering something?"
"I don't know, I'll call and ask Shu Songnian." Yu Chengcheng had a mischievous smile on her face.
"Squirrel Year?" Lin Yourong sat on the sofa with a puzzled look on her face and tore open the plastic seal of the AD calcium milk.
Yu Chengcheng decisively went around to the coffee table and sat down right next to her beautiful sister-in-law.
With his elders gone and having become quite familiar with his sister-in-law, the big star, he reverted to his old ways, slumped on the sofa, and explained, "Whenever he sees you, Sister Rong, he gets as nervous as a mouse seeing a cat. Of course, it's Shu Songnian!"
Lin Yourong chuckled.
She recalled Yu Songnian's obviously very awkward behavior, which was very similar to how those introverted little fans looked when they faced her.
He couldn't help but chuckle, nodding his chin and saying, "That's quite a vivid description."
Seeing Yu Chengcheng lounging comfortably like Ge You, Lin Yourong also leaned back on the sofa and handed her an AD calcium milk and a straw.
"Thank you, Sister Yourong!" Yu Chengcheng quickly straightened up, accepted the gift with both hands, and expressed her gratitude.
Lin Yourong smiled slightly and said, "You're welcome."
Yu Chengcheng stuck a straw in her mouth and joked with a grin, "No wonder Brother Huan is so indifferent to fame, it turns out he has a big star wife at home!"
"Hmm?" A hint of doubt appeared on Lin Yourong's face.
Yu Chengcheng sipped her AD calcium milk and slowly said, "Back when Huan Ge first became popular online, I suggested that he open a Weibo account, go on more shows to increase his visibility, and build his fame. He said it's good to become famous as early as possible, but he objected!"
Hear this.
Lin Yourong thought of the songs Yu Huan wrote for her, none of which were signed with his real name, and said with a smile, "He said that it's enough for one of us to be famous, otherwise it will be inconvenient to even go grocery shopping."
Listening to Lin Yourong's humorous words, Yu Chengcheng felt that it was indeed Huan Ge's speaking style these days.
She nodded, then, a thought flashed through her mind, and said half-jokingly:
"Huan-ge's statement is quite unique, but it makes me feel that he puts You Rong-jie first. He wants you to shine on stage, and he is willing to be the one behind the scenes."
Upon hearing this explanation, Lin Yourong fell into deep thought.
"Well……"
After hearing what Yu Chengcheng said...
Upon careful consideration, how did I come to have such feelings?
Yu Chengcheng gently sucked on the straw, the drink flowing and making soft slurping sounds.
When the bottle finally hissed as it ran dry, Yu Chengcheng threw it into the trash can and let out a long, satisfied sigh.
She continued in a relaxed and comfortable tone, "Speaking of which, if Brother Huan wanted to unlock the secrets to wealth through fame, it would be a piece of cake. Fame and money go hand in hand; they are essential tools for survival. If you have one, you'll definitely have the other too, right, Sister Rong?"
These words seemed to have a hidden meaning, and Lin Yourong immediately understood their implications.
She's not stupid!
It seems that Yu Huan's cousin has a good relationship with him. Is she worried that her cousin will be looked down upon by her sister-in-law's family?
As a student who skipped grades, Yu Chengcheng was able to attend university in Beijing on her own at the age of fifteen or sixteen. After getting to know her, it was indeed as Yu Huan said: she was not just a bookworm.
They are quite adept at navigating social interactions.
Lin Yourong changed her mind and said with a smile, "He is indeed not the kind of person who tries every means to become famous."
He doesn't pursue fame, but he's very profit-driven and extremely greedy!
Lin Yourong secretly grumbled to herself, but of course she wouldn't complain to Yu Huan's family that he was a debt collector.
"So, I really admire his indifference to fame and fortune. Of course, most importantly, he's lucky to have married such a beautiful star like you!" Yu Chengcheng's words were as sweet as honey.
As she spoke, she took out her phone from her pocket and dialed Yu Songnian's number.
Although Lin Yourong, as Yu Huan's bedmate, did not think he was indifferent to fame and fortune, she felt sweetly flattered by his praise.
She smiled and said, "Chengcheng, don't just praise us, you're excellent too!"
Yu Chengcheng held the phone to her ear, listening to the ringtone, and said with a grin, "Sister Rong, I'm just telling the truth, but I'm so happy to receive your praise!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the ringtone stopped.
A muffled voice came from the other end of the phone asking:
"Hey, Yu Chengcheng, what's up?"
Upon hearing that he had stopped calling her "sister," Yu Chengcheng immediately teased him into her phone, "Where is Shusongnian?"
"Sister Orange, if you keep giving me weird nicknames, I'm really going to get angry!" Yu Songnian's tone was full of dissatisfaction.
Yu Chengcheng nodded slightly: "Okay, Rat Song Nian, Sister Rong asked when you're coming back. We need to set off to find Brother Huan."
Yu Songnian's speechless voice came through the receiver. He said irritably, "I'm chatting with Huan-ge. I'll drive over right away. It'll take me twenty minutes at most."
"Okay, hurry up, I'm hanging up."
Yu Chengcheng put down her phone.
After hanging up the phone, he turned to Lin Yourong and said:
"Sister You Rong, Song Nian's van only has two seats."
Lin Yourong was sipping her AD calcium milk when she heard this. She put down the straw and said without hesitation, "Then I'll drive you there later."
Yu Chengcheng bent down from the fruit plate, picked up a medium-sized strawberry, popped it into her mouth, and mumbled, "Okay!"
Lin Yourong thought for a moment and then slowly said, "Yu Huan should be free this afternoon to go out and have some fun with us. Where would you like to go?"
Upon hearing this news, Yu Chengcheng's face immediately lit up with a smile. She quickly swallowed the strawberry and said, "I'm fine with anything, I'll listen to Sister Rong!"
As a local native, Lin Yourong genuinely doesn't find anything fun about Xingcheng.
She asked in a somewhat consultative tone, "How about we take a walk this afternoon, like to Orange Isle or Yuelu Mountain? Yu Huan said you want to sing, so how about we go to a karaoke bar after dinner tonight?"
The words fell.
Yu Chengcheng nodded vigorously, "Yes, yes!"
I'm fine with doing anything in the afternoon, but I absolutely have to go to karaoke tonight!
After finishing a bottle of AD calcium milk, Lin Yourong stood up and said, "Chengcheng, wait a moment, I'll get ready and head out."
Yu Chengcheng quickly replied, "Okay, Sister Rong, you go ahead!"
The minute hand of the wall clock slowly and steadily moved through ten small divisions from the twenty-minute mark.
At 11:30, Lin Yourong opened the bedroom door and came out.
Yu Chengcheng, who was showing off her snacks, turned around when she heard the sound.
The pretty woman was wearing a black fisherman's hat and a gray cotton mask; she was practically fully armed except for a pair of sunglasses.
As Yu Chengcheng thought this, her gaze shifted, and sure enough, she saw a pair of brown sunglasses between her beautiful sister-in-law's fingers...
She spat the jujube pit from her mouth into the trash can, clapped her hands, stood up, and said with a smile, "Sister Yourong, the sun is really strong today, your gear is quite sun-protective."
Lin Yourong suddenly stopped in front of the shoe cabinet and asked, "Chengcheng, do you want to wear a hat? I'll get one for you."
Yu Chengcheng quickly waved her hand: "No need, I have some."
She walked to the entrance, where her backpack and small suitcase were neatly stacked against one wall.
Lin Yourong saw her open her backpack and take out a baseball cap, then start changing her shoes, getting ready to go out.
Not long after.
The little BMW drove out of the community at a leisurely pace and slowly came to a stop on the side of the entrance road, quietly waiting for the Year of the Rat.
But the car was filled with chatter as the two women, taking advantage of Yu Huan's absence, discussed his past embarrassing incidents.
(End of this chapter)