Sister, can I be a maid too?

As dinner time approached, several elderly people from the neighborhood gathered nearby, chatting and curiously gazing at the unusual and nice car.

Lin Jianxia woke up her younger sister, got out of the car, and together with the driver, carried the New Year's goods down.

"Thank you, Auntie. Would you like to come in and sit down?" Lin Jianxia asked.

"No need, no need, you guys go in quickly, I should go too."

The aunt waved with a smile and got back into the driver's seat.

Lin Jianxia waved again at the departing car, watching the black minivan disappear at the end of the village road before letting out a soft sigh of relief, a smile unconsciously spreading across her face.

"Xia girl? Wan girl?"

The sound coming from beside her brought Lin Jianxia back to her senses.

Lin Jianxia's eyes lit up, and she turned around in surprise:

"Grandma Fang!"

The old man standing by the gate had gray hair, wore a dark blue cotton-padded jacket, and had a face full of kind wrinkles. He was squinting and smiling at them.

She leaned on a well-worn bamboo cane, her body slightly hunched, but her eyes were clear and bright.

These are the village elders who watched Lin Jianxia and Lin Tingwan grow up. Although they are not related by blood, they are among the people who know them best.

Grandma Fang looked Lin Jianxia up and down, her smile deepening.

"Oh my, Xia girl has become even more beautiful. The environment in big cities really does nurture people."

"No way..." Lin Jianxia said somewhat embarrassedly.

Grandma Fang chuckled twice, then her gaze softened as she turned to Lin Tingwan beside her. She paused, then lowered her voice:

"Wan girl... is she still like this?"

Lin Jianxia's eyes crinkled into a smile, her tone light and cheerful:

"Grandma Fang, Wanwan is feeling much better now~"

Lin Tingwan knew that Grandma Fang was illiterate, so she didn't take out her little notebook. She just nodded gently in response to her sister's words.

"That's fine, that's fine."

Grandma Fang nodded repeatedly, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes smoothing out.

She looked at the New Year's goods scattered on the ground and smiled:

"You two girls have really made something of themselves! Why did you bring back so much stuff this year?"

"Hehe~"

Lin Jianxia pursed her lips somewhat shyly, and the image of a certain idiot involuntarily flashed through her mind.

"It's just... just good luck..."

"Oh, you two are the most filial," Grandma Fang said with a smile. "Look, your grandma has been talking about it since this afternoon, saying that her two precious granddaughters are coming back. She's been busy in front of the stove until now."

She leaned on her bamboo cane, turned sideways, and pointed into the courtyard:

"Hurry up and go in, don't keep her waiting."

"Okay! Goodbye, Grandma Fang, let's go inside now," Lin Jianxia replied sweetly.

After saying goodbye to the elderly woman, the two sisters picked up the New Year's goods from the ground and walked into the familiar courtyard gate one after the other.

In the courtyard, the old bricks and stones have been polished smooth by time, and the old persimmon tree in the corner stands bare.

Warm yellow light shone through the windows of the main room, and the faint aroma of food wafted through the air.

Time always rushes by in the city, but here, it seems to have been gently held back by something, and everything remains the same as it was before.

She led her daughter Wanwan across the courtyard and walked briskly into the inner room. Just as she was about to call out, she suddenly stopped.

A warm yellow light was shining in the room.

The fire in the stove had probably just gone out, and the air was filled with the warm, comforting aroma of food.

On the square wooden table, bowls and plates were neatly arranged—fragrant chicken soup, glistening braised pork, vibrant green stir-fried vegetables, and a small dish of sweet and sour lotus root slices that they had eaten since childhood.

The bowls and chopsticks were already set out, exactly three sets, no more and no less.

At the table, an elderly man with gray hair was leaning slightly in an old rattan chair, a worn-out blanket draped over him, a rag loosely clutched in his hand, and his head was nodding off.

Lin Jianxia gently put down the bag in her hand, and suddenly felt a little soreness in her nose.

Before she could speak, Lin Tingwan quietly walked forward, slowly squatted down beside the wicker chair, tilted her little face up, and quietly looked at her grandmother sleeping.

Lin Jianxia sniffed, quickly walked over, and called softly:

"grandmother......."

The old man in the rattan chair seemed to hear it; his eyelashes fluttered slightly, and his squinted eyes slowly opened.

She looked at the two people in front of her, as if trying to identify something.

Then, the corners of his mouth slowly turned up, revealing a kind smile:

"I'm home?"

"Yes, Grandma, Wanwan and I are back."

Chapter 166 Fireworks on the Screen (Two-in-One 8k)

After packing the last item, Jiang Yubai zipped up his suitcase and glanced back.

To be honest, he didn't have much to take back—just a few changes of clothes, a toiletries bag, and he didn't even need to bring his laptop.

The only thing I need to mention is the pile of New Year's goods that I need to take back with me.

To be honest, ever since Lin Jianxia and her sister went back to their hometown, his life has become more and more miserable.

As the year draws to a close, the once bustling food street near the entrance is now like fallen leaves swept away by the autumn wind, with one stall after another turning off their lights and closing their doors.

Today, only the auntie at the barbecue stall downstairs remains, steadfastly keeping this left-behind child company.

That's not all; he also has to look at the photos sent by Lin Jianxia and Lin Tingwan every day.

Aside from the many trivial matters of daily life, the most frequent thing left is three meals a day.

It was either a thick soup bubbling away, or a delicious and fragrant home-style dish, making his mouth water.

Thinking of this, Jiang Yubai let out a long sigh.

Nothing.

What kind of parents would rush back home on New Year's Eve...?

He looked at the gift boxes, bags, and ingredients piled up like a small mountain, even though half of them had already been distributed. Resigned, he bent down and lifted the heaviest box.

—You two go and have some fun. Your son is here working hard carrying New Year's goods without getting tired or complaining at all.

After carrying the goods up and down the stairs a couple of times, the deliveryman he had called arrived.

With the driver helping out, the process was much faster. The two of them made a few trips back and forth and quickly stuffed all the remaining New Year's goods into the trunk and back seats of the van.

Jiang Yubai wiped the sweat from his forehead, too lazy to call another car, and simply opened the passenger door and got in.

"Master, Jiuxing Village in Qingyuan District, thank you for your help."

Jiang Yubai's hometown, Jiuxing Village, is located in Qingyuan District in the southeast of Lincheng, which is exactly one east and one west of Qing'an District, where the two sisters live, separated by most of the city.

However, it's already Lunar New Year's Eve, and most of those who were going home have already gone home, so the road conditions are quite good.

The van sped along, and in just a few tens of minutes, it turned onto a village road and came to a steady stop in front of a three-story building covered with white tiles.

After unloading the New Year's goods with the driver, Jiang Yubai gave him a red envelope before looking at the familiar and quiet building in front of him.

He looked down at the mountain of New Year's goods piled up at his feet, then looked up at the door that remained motionless. He was immediately furious and started banging on the door.

"Dad, Mom, come out and move some things!"

After knocking twice more, the door creaked open, revealing Jiang Pinglan's figure.

"Oh, you're back?"

Jiang Yubai glanced at the mask on his father's face, then at the rag in his hand, and his lips twitched:

"No, what time is it... and you two are only now starting to clean?"

"I just got home not long ago," Jiang Pinglan said, taking off her mask and wiping the sweat from her forehead. "Come in, come in. We're almost done. I'll have your mom cook for you later."

The father and son worked together to carry the New Year's goods from the doorway into the living room, one load at a time.

Just as I put down the last box, another person came out of the guest room, also wearing a mask and holding a feather duster—it was my mother, Qin Huiyi.

Her eyes lit up immediately when she saw the gift boxes and bags piled up in half the living room:

"Wow, you bought so much stuff?"

“Otherwise,” Jiang Yubai straightened up and took a breath, “you two are just sitting back and doing nothing, so I’ll have to take care of all the New Year’s shopping.”

"My dear son, you've worked so hard," Qin Huiyi said with a smile as she took off her mask. "What would you like to eat? Mom will make it for you."

Jiang Yubai thought about it, thought about it again and again, and thought about it once more.

“Well,” he said sincerely, “Mom, just make whatever you like, I’m not picky.”

"Get lost!" Qin Huiyi's eyebrows shot up, and she almost swung the feather duster at him. "I think you've had too much good food and are starting to complain about your mother's cooking, huh?"

"Mom, we both understand what you mean."

Jiang Yubai shrank further into the sofa.

"It's New Year's Eve, wouldn't it disrupt the family harmony if we talked about it?"

Qin Huiyi was both annoyed and amused, and pointed at him twice with her finger:

"You talk too much!"

Having said that, she ignored her own little rascal, bent down to pick up a few bags of fresh ingredients, and turned to go into the kitchen.

Jiang Yubai sat on the old sofa in the living room, his gaze sweeping over the familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar main room.

My grandparents passed away early, my father is the only son, and my mother married far away. Every year during the Spring Festival, it's just the three of them.

Later, the family received some compensation for the demolition and relocation, and their lives became more comfortable. As a result, their old rural house was left completely vacant.