coobybook Chapter 283 Reunion Dinner
Chapter 283 Reunion Dinner
"Mom, I'll go with you." Shen Wanning stood up and took Aunt Zhang's arm and went out together.
"Mom, I'm going too." Lin Jingyou also stood up and followed them.
"It's just a few bowls of rice, it's served quickly. You two must be tired after riding for a long time, so sit down and rest. Xu and I will serve the meal." Aunt Zhang helped them sit down again.
Yue Mingzhu just ran into the main room, looked inside, and stared at Lin Jingyou with curiosity, "Hey, who are you?"
Then, she tapped her chin with her index finger, suddenly realizing, "Oh, I see. You must be my third brother! Aunt Zhang told me you went to Baocheng County to serve as the county magistrate. Were those thieves caught last time? Were they really going to assassinate you?"
Before Lin Jingyou could say anything, Yue Mingzhu started chattering away. This girl was very outgoing and lively.
Lin Jingyou nodded gently, "They have been caught."
"Then did you kill them? Although they were bad, they didn't seem to have killed anyone. Their crimes didn't deserve the death penalty, right?" Yue Mingzhu found a stool and sat down, then began to ask again.
"Well, he's been locked up and will be tried later." Lin Jingyou said.
Yue Mingzhu muttered quietly, "It's been several days, and there's still no result!"
Just as Lin Jingyou was about to speak, Lin Jingce walked in and patted his shoulder. "Third brother, you're back too? That's great! We haven't seen each other for over a month. Mom and Dad must have missed you so much!"
Lin Jingyou stood up and patted Lin Jingce's arm, "Brother!"
"Your parents are so happy that you are back. But your third brother will have to go back tomorrow, right? Oh, it must be tiring to run back and forth." Lin Jingce washed his hands and said while sitting next to Lin Jingyou.
"Well, we'll leave after lunch tomorrow and have to get back to Baocheng County before the city gates close." Lin Jingyou replied.
Lin Jingce sighed, "Hey, Baocheng County seems pretty close to us, but it still takes quite a while to get there and back! We only have two days off each time, and we spend the whole day on the road. It's really tiring."
"I don't come back every ten-day holiday, so it can't be said that I'm busy. My parents are worried about me day and night at home, and I can't show my filial piety to them on weekdays, so I always have to come back to see them." Lin Jingyou replied seriously.
Aunt Zhang walked in with food and said, "Your father and I are still young and not disabled. Why should we expect you to be filial? Besides, the eldest and second sons are with us, and the two daughters-in-law and Wan Ning are all filial children. With them around, your father and I enjoy life every day. You don't have to worry about us all the time when you're out there alone. Just take care of yourself."
"Mom." Lin Jingyou called out and took the food from her hand.
"Hey, where's my second sister-in-law? She and Xiaohai haven't come out yet!" Yue Mingzhu called out.
Aunt Zhang shook her head and said, "There's no need to call them out. Xiao Hai fell off the bed last night and cried all night. Mrs. Wen comforted the child for a long time. Xiao Hai cried again this morning, and Mrs. Wen hardly slept for long. Let her sleep a little longer. I'll heat up the food in the pot and eat it when she wakes up."
Shen Wanning frowned slightly and asked with concern, "Why did Xiaohai roll off the bed? How is Xiaohai?"
"It's okay, it's just a bump on the forehead. It will go away in a few days." After Aunt Zhang sat down, everyone started to eat.
For children in rural areas, falling is a common occurrence and usually heals within a few days, so Aunt Zhang didn't take it seriously.
"Then I'll finish my meal and go see Xiaohai after my second sister-in-law wakes up." Shen Wanning said.
Aunt Zhang smiled and said, "I know you love Xiao Hai the most. Let's eat first, and we'll talk after you finish eating."
Xu looked at Shen Wanning, then at Lin Jingyou, and said with a deliberate smile, "Wanning is still the most important. My third brother went to Baocheng County for more than a month and didn't come back. When Wanning left, he called my third brother back."
"Sister-in-law, my third brother is busy with government affairs, so he only took time off to come back this time. He just went to Baocheng County, and there are still a lot of things waiting to be dealt with there. These days, I have seen my third brother going out early and coming back late, and sometimes he is so busy that he doesn't even have time to eat." Shen Wanning hurriedly explained.
When Aunt Zhang heard Shen Wanning say that Lin Jingyou had no food to eat, she immediately said, "Old Third, you have to take care of yourself when you're out there alone. No matter how busy you are, you have to eat. Otherwise, what if you get exhausted?"
"Mom, I know. I've just been busy lately. After a few days, I'll be better once I'm familiar with Baocheng County." Lin Jingyou put down the bowl and said.
The family chatted casually for a while, and when they were about to finish their meal, Wen came to the main room carrying Xiao Hai.
As soon as Mrs. Wen came in, Aunt Zhang put down her bowl and chopsticks and took Xiao Hai. "There's food heating up in the pot for you. Go and have some! It's perfect. We can wash the dishes together after you finish eating."
Mrs. Wen put Xiao Hai in Aunt Zhang's arms and said, "It's time to eat. Why didn't you wake us up? You even specially saved some food for us."
"You didn't sleep well last night, so I thought I'd let you sleep a little longer during the day. Go serve the food first, don't starve!"
Mrs. Wen responded with a smile, said hello to Lin Jingyou and Shen Wanning, and then went out to the kitchen to serve the food.
Shen Wanning quickly finished the food in her bowl, stood up, and walked over to Aunt Zhang. "Mom, let me hold him! I haven't seen Xiaohai for several days. I don't know if he still recognizes me!"
"Of course he knows him. You love him so much, how could he not recognize you? Right, Xiaohai?" Aunt Zhang put Lin Hai in Shen Wanning's arms and teased him a few more times.
Shen Wanning looked at the large purple bump on Lin Hai's forehead and felt a little distressed. "Oh, Xiao Hai's head is so swollen. I have to get some medicine to apply to Xiao Hai to reduce the swelling."
"It's okay, Wan Ning, it will go away on its own in a few days, don't worry about it." Although she felt sad, she had gone through the same thing as a child, so Mrs. Wen didn't take it to heart.
Shen Wanning thought for a moment and said, "I remember buying this kind of medicine last time. I'll go look for it in my room."
"Hey, when did you buy this medicine? How come I didn't know about it?" asked Xu.
"Last time, my third brother was teaching me how to ride a horse, and I fell off. I didn't tell my parents because I was afraid they would worry. The medicine was bought by my third brother in town." Unable to find a good excuse, he temporarily pulled Lin Jingyou out to take the blame.
As expected, Aunt Zhang said with a hint of blame, "Third Brother, this is your fault. You taught Wan Ning how to ride a horse, but not only did you fail to protect her, she got hurt, and you kept it a secret from us."
Lin Jingyou blamed himself and said, "Mom, it's my fault. I promise that this will never happen again."
After saying that, Lin Jingyou quietly raised his eyebrows at Shen Wanning, his eyes full of resentment.
Shen Wanning avoided his gaze and laughed awkwardly, "Then I'll take Xiao Hai to my room to find medicine."
As soon as she stood up, Lin Jingyou stood up and followed her out. "I'll go too. Xiaohai has grown bigger and heavier. I'll go and help hold him."