Sister, can I be a maid too?

The old man sat in his chair, sighed, and shook his head.

"Xia girl, how many times have you said that? I'm fine here, why would I go to the city? I don't know anyone here."

"But...but what if..."

Lin Jianxia swallowed her words, then phrased them differently.

"Then... how about a nursing home? The nursing homes in the city are nice and there are people to take care of you."

"What good nursing homes are there? They're a waste of money."

Grandma waved her hand.

"Let's talk about it later. You two are still in high school, so you need to save money for your studies. Grandma is in good health, so you don't need to worry about her."

She suddenly let out a long sigh, her voice lowering:

"It's your dad...he's sorry to you."

Lin Jianxia bit her lower lip, and her eyes instantly reddened:

"We can take care of you...we can take care of Grandma too!"

After saying that, she sniffed, turned around and went into the bedroom, gently closing the door behind her.

Lin Tingwan stood there, looking at the door her sister had closed, then turning back to look at her grandmother, a look of helplessness in her eyes.

She hesitated for a moment, then slowly walked over and reached out to hug her grandmother.

The old man patted her back, his voice hoarse:

"Your mother passed away early...and your father was like that..."

"Ugh......"

-----------------

in the room.

Lin Jianxia buried her face deep in the pillow, unable to hold back the emotions she had been suppressing.

She bit the corner of the pillow, her shoulders trembling, her sobs muffled and swallowed by the fabric.

Grandpa Chen watched her grow up, and then she just passed away like that, without even seeing her one last time.

More than sadness, I felt fear.

She was really scared.

She feared that one day when she returned from school, she would push open this door and find the room empty, with no one sitting in a chair smiling and asking her, "Xia girl is back."

She fears receiving a message like today, one she can't accept but knows will come sooner or later, which is exactly what happened.

—Perhaps it was one time when Grandma went out to buy groceries and slipped on the steps.

—Perhaps I suddenly felt unwell at night, and there was no one around to call out to.

—Or perhaps, on some ordinary afternoon, she fell asleep peacefully and never woke up again.

She dared not think about it further.

Tears soaked a small patch of the pillow, the coolness clinging to her skin, but she didn't care, she just kept crying.

She cried until she was exhausted, then sniffled, slowly turned over, and lay on her back.

Through my teary eyes, the ceiling was a blur.

She stared blankly, her thoughts heavy and intertwined.

My eyelids felt heavier and heavier, and my breathing gradually calmed down.

Finally, even the blurry ceiling slowly darkened.

When I woke up again, I had no idea how much time had passed.

Lin Jianxia sat up blankly, sat on the bed for a while, and then slowly pushed the door open and went out.

The furnishings outside were as usual, and Grandma was peeling green beans at the table, but Lin Tingwan was nowhere to be seen.

Lin Jianxia pursed her lips, looked around but couldn't find her younger sister, and suddenly her heart tightened:

"Grandma, where's Wanwan?"

Upon hearing this, the old man paused in his work and said softly:

"He's just sitting outside, and I can't persuade him to come back."

Lin Jianxia looked outside worriedly, and without much hesitation, stepped out of the main room.

On the stone steps in front of the door, the figure sat quietly with his knees drawn up to his chest.

Lin Jianxia walked over quietly, sat down next to her, hesitated for a moment, and then turned her head to look at her.

Lin Tingwan stared blankly into the distance, at some unknown place.

"Late night?"

Lin Jianxia tentatively called out.

Lin Tingwan blinked slowly, as if she had come back to her senses from a great distance, and slowly turned her head to look at her.

Are you alright?

Lin Jianxia looked on with some worry.

—I shouldn't have... I shouldn't have said these things in front of Wanwan...

She felt a pang of regret.

Lin Tingwan blinked, took out a notebook from her bosom, and slowly wrote something down.

"I miss Grandpa Chen."

Looking at the small print, Lin Jianxia spoke softly:

"I want, too."

Lin Tingwan took back the notebook, but instead of putting it in her pocket, she wrote another line and gently handed it over.

"I think Jiang Yubai is gone."

Lin Jianxia stared at the line of words for a long time, pursed her lips, and suddenly felt a lump in her throat.

She pursed her lips, then buried her head in her knees, her voice becoming even softer:

"...I miss him too."

Although I can't explain why—

But suddenly, I really miss that idiot.

The two sisters did not speak again.

A cool breeze blew in from outside the courtyard, brushing against their hair and the hem of their clothes.

In the distance, the faint crackling sound of someone burning firewood could be heard, mixed with a few barks of dogs, making this area of ​​steps exceptionally quiet.

After a moment, Lin Jianxia sniffed, stood up, and extended her hand to her younger sister:

"Let's go back, Wanwan, it's too cold outside."

Lin Tingwan nodded silently, and just as she was about to stand up, she suddenly stopped.

Her little ears twitched, as if she had heard something, and she turned her head away in confusion, then suddenly froze.

what happened?

Lin Jianxia had already stepped halfway into the doorway when she saw her younger sister's appearance and couldn't help but stop.

But then, the rumbling sound of wheels rolling over the gravel road came from afar.

It looks like... a suitcase.

suitcase?

Who would come to the village with a suitcase on the first day of the Lunar New Year?

She was wondering about this, so she leaned out and looked towards the courtyard—

The moment her gaze settled on him, she froze on the spot.

A familiar figure, dragging a heavy suitcase, slowly made its way along the path, finally stopping in front of the courtyard gate.

He bent over, catching his breath several times, before finally raising his head. He let out a long sigh of relief in Lin Jianxia's wide eyes, muttering irritably:

"Hey Lin Jianxia, ​​isn't your house a bit too out of the way?"

Chapter 168 Grandma, this is necessary for Wanwan's medical treatment, please don't misunderstand.

Looking at that familiar figure, Lin Jianxia didn't even react for a moment, and even wondered if she was still dreaming.

Before she could even raise her hand to pinch herself, Lin Tingwan beside her had already pounced out like a little rabbit.

Caught off guard, Jiang Yubai was tightly hugged by the girl who rushed up to him, and he took half a step back before he could regain his balance.

He was both amused and exasperated: "Seriously... you miss me that much?"

Lin Tingwan in his arms did not respond, but buried her face deeper into his chest, her arms wrapped tightly around him, as if afraid that he would disappear in the next second.

If they were in Jinxiu New Village, Jiang Yubai wouldn't mind letting her hold him for a while longer.

But this is in front of someone's house. What if Grandma comes out and we have to explain?

Could it be that you're saying:

"Grandma, this is necessary for Wanwan's medical treatment, please don't misunderstand."

No wonder the old folks mistook him for a swindler and chased him away with a broom.

So Jiang Yu spent a lot of effort to finally get Wanwan off him, who was practically clinging to him.

Even so, Lin Tingwan only took half a step back, still looking up at him with her eyes unblinking.

"Okay, Wanwan, be good."

Jiang Yubai gently patted the girl's head to comfort her before turning his head to look at Lin Jianxia, ​​who had been staring at him intently since earlier.