socalfunplaces Chapter 185 Visiting Relatives
Chapter 185 Visiting Relatives
Lin Zhou and Su Guohua sat by the stone in the courtyard, the tea on the table still steaming. After discussing it, they decided that after breakfast the next morning, the whole family would go to Su Wanrong's house to visit their niece whom they hadn't seen in a long time.
After dinner, Su Wanqing packed her things for tomorrow in the bedroom, while Lin Zhou sat with his father-in-law in the yard playing chess and enjoying the cool air, chatting for a while about Su Wanrong's family's past.
My son, Lin Xiaofeng, spent the whole day playing with other children his age at the neighbor's house. He was so tired that he could barely keep his eyes open. After washing up, he fell asleep on the bed. I don't know what he was dreaming about, but there was a faint smile on his lips.
Nothing was said that night. In the morning, the sunlight shone through the cracks in the window and onto the bed in the bedroom.
Lin Zhou was woken up on time by his biological clock. The noise of him getting up woke up his sleeping wife, Su Wan. After waking up, Su Wan got up and started to get busy. She had become familiar with life here over the past few days.
Lin Zhou went to the yard to exercise, while she made breakfast. The millet porridge simmering in the pot emitted a rich aroma, the golden-brown fried eggs were neatly arranged on a white porcelain plate, and there were also several dishes of refreshing pickles, all of which were favorites of Lin Zhou and her family.
Su Guohua also got up early and sat on a rattan chair in the courtyard, slowly drinking tea and watching Lin Zhou practice military boxing in the courtyard with great vigor. His face was full of leisure.
After Lin Zhou finished his training, he first washed up and then went to check on his son. Seeing that Lin Xiaofeng was still asleep, he gently woke him up to have breakfast.
Before long, Lin Xiaofeng woke up rubbing his eyes. The little guy got dressed and ran to his grandfather's side to act cute, instantly adding a lively atmosphere to the courtyard.
The family of four sat around the table eating breakfast. The rice porridge was warm, the pickles were refreshing, and they chatted and laughed, making breakfast particularly enjoyable.
After the meal, Su Wanqing wiped the table clean, turned around and went into the inner room, where she took out the gifts she had prepared in advance: a children's outfit and a brand-new women's shirt that she had specially picked out at the Friendship Store in the past few days.
She thought that her cousin, Su Wanrong, usually took care of the household chores and would not be willing to buy new clothes, so she chose the most practical items.
After everything was prepared, the hum of a car engine could be heard outside the courtyard gate. Following Lin Zhou's instructions from yesterday, Liu Yaolong drove over early in the morning in his black Crown sedan. In the trunk were gifts that Lin Zhou had specially asked him to bring back from Hong Kong.
After parking his car, he leaned against it and waited. Seeing the gate to the courtyard open, he quickly walked over, handed the car keys to Lin Zhou with both hands, and respectfully said:
"Boss, everything has been prepared as you requested, and it's all in the trunk."
Lin Zhou took the car keys, his hand feeling their cool metallic texture. He looked up at Liu Yaolong, noticing his neat attire, reliable work ethic, and how well he had handled the tasks assigned to him. He nodded approvingly and said in a deep voice:
"Thank you for your hard work. There's nothing else here, you can go back now! I'll let you know if anything comes up."
"Okay, boss, I'll head back now."
Liu Yaolong responded and nodded slightly to Su Guohua and Su Wanqing before turning to leave. His steps were light, and he felt more motivated because of Lin Zhou's praise.
Lin Zhou, holding the car keys, walked to Su Wanqing's side, took the clothes from her hand, and smiled:
"I'll put it down. You and Xiaofeng wait with Dad for a moment."
Su Wanqing nodded, reached out and took the hand of the bouncy Lin Xiaofeng, leaned against him, and looked at Lin Zhou's back with tenderness in her eyes.
Lin Zhou walked to the trunk of the car, pressed the switch, and the trunk door slowly popped open.
He carefully placed the clothes that Su Wanqing had prepared inside, then looked down and checked the gifts that he had asked Liu Yaolong to prepare: several boxes of high-end nutritional supplements brought from Hong Kong, with exquisite bottles and elegant packaging, which were rare to see on the mainland.
There were also several brand-new toys, including toy tin cars and colorful building blocks, all prepared for the children in Su Wanrong's family.
Lin Zhou carefully selected these gifts for his cousin, ensuring they were both presentable and showed his sincerity.
After checking and confirming that all the gifts were prepared, Lin Zhou nodded in satisfaction, reached out and closed the trunk door with a soft "bang," clean and efficient.
He turned and walked to the courtyard gate, waving to Su Guohua and Su Wanqing: "Dad, Wanqing, Xiaofeng, let's go."
Su Guohua took Lin Xiaofeng's hand and walked over first, with Su Wanqing following behind.
Lin Zhou walked around to the right side of the car, opened the back door, and first helped Su Guohua and Lin Xiaofeng get in. He then carefully closed the door for them before walking to the passenger side, opening the door for Su Wanqing, and finally walking around to the driver's side, getting in, and closing the door.
The interior is spacious and comfortable, with soft seats, quite different from the old-fashioned cars commonly found in mainland China.
Lin Xiaofeng sat in the back seat, curiously peering through the car window, looking around excitedly. Suddenly, he stuck his head out from the middle and muttered, "Dad, where are we going to play?"
Lin Zhou smiled and said:
"We're going to your aunt's house. Hurry up and sit down, we're about to leave!" He reached out and ruffled his son's hair, glanced at his father-in-law, wife, and son in the rearview mirror, and then started the car.
The engine emitted a deep, steady sound as the black Crown sedan slowly drove out of the courtyard and headed towards the alley entrance.
At this time, the spring breeze of reform and opening up had been blowing in Beijing for several years, and the city was changing rapidly. More and more people on the streets were wearing new clothes of various colors.
Many small vendors have set up stalls along the roadside, and even many shops have opened, exuding vitality and energy everywhere.
Even so, imported luxury cars are still extremely rare. What people see most often are bicycles, old-fashioned Jiefang trucks, or a small number of jeeps. Imported cars like the Crown are practically nonexistent.
A black Crown sedan drove down the street, its sleek lines and gleaming paint shimmering warmly in the sunlight. As it passed by, it was like a beautiful sight, instantly attracting the attention of everyone on the road.
Pedestrians stopped and looked on, their eyes filled with curiosity, envy, and a touch of amazement.
Some people stopped pedaling their bicycles, held onto the handlebars, looked up at the bicycle slowly passing by, and couldn't help but whisper to the people next to them:
"What kind of car is that? It looks really impressive!"
"Judging by its appearance, it's definitely imported. These days, only the most ordinary people can afford to ride in a car like this!"
"Look at that license plate, and the craftsmanship of this car—it's exquisite! I've never seen anything like it in my life!"
The children were even more excited, chasing after the car for a few steps, their little faces full of longing, until the car drove far away, at which point they reluctantly stopped. Even the vendors setting up stalls along the roadside stopped what they were doing, their eyes following the black figure, their eyes filled with amazement.
Inside the car, Lin Xiaofeng listened to the discussions outside, puffed out her chest, and looked at Lin Zhou with a proud expression, saying:
"Dad, they're all looking at our car!" Lin Zhou glanced at his son in the rearview mirror, a faint smile playing on his lips, and said casually:
"Sit still and don't cling to the car window, or you'll fall." His tone was stern, but also indulgent.
Su Wanqing also heard the noise outside. She turned her head slightly to look out the window and saw that all the pedestrians' eyes were focused on the car. Feeling a little embarrassed, she gently tugged at Lin Zhou's sleeve and whispered:
"This car is too flashy. I knew I shouldn't have let you drive it here."
Lin Zhou gripped the steering wheel, his gaze fixed straight ahead, and said calmly:
"It's alright, since we're here, we might as well make the best of it. Besides, when visiting relatives, we can't be too shabby and let Wanrong's side look down on us."
He knew that although Su Guohua was the only elder in the Su family, Su Wanrong was married locally and lived an ordinary life. If he went empty-handed or brought too meager gifts, his relatives would feel that he was not valued.
This car, though eye-catching, also indirectly demonstrates his current capabilities, enabling his father-in-law to hold his head high in front of relatives and ensuring that Su Wanrong's side of the family would not dare to be negligent.
Su Guohua sat in the back seat, listening to Lin Zhou's words, and slowly nodded, his eyes full of approval.
At his age, he was well-versed in human relationships and knew that Lin Zhou wasn't deliberately showing off, but rather that he was meticulous, thoughtful, and always considered the Su family's interests. He was genuinely satisfied with such a son-in-law.
The black Crown sedan drove smoothly through the streets of Beijing, weaving through the bustling crowds and crisscrossing alleyways, moving ever onward.