Anning returned home to find the snow falling once again.
However, compared to the heavy snowfall in the morning, the flakes in the evening were much smaller, nearly all fine snow beads.
Still, a layer of white frost had settled on Anning's body and hair.
It was the same for Lin Anping.
As soon as the siblings got out of the car and entered the main room, they began to brush the snow off their bodies.
Lin Aiguo carried Anning's bag into the house, yelling to Wang Cuixhua to stoke the fire in the stove and heat it up so Anning could warm herself by the fire.
Wang Cuixhua was cooking and shouted in response, "I know, I know. I had Anjie light the stove earlier, isn't that enough?"
Lin Aiguo went to check the stove, where the charcoal was nearly extinguished, and he carefully touched the stove wall, feeling it cool to the touch.
With this touch, Lin Aiguo's face fell, "Where is Anjie again? Where did she run off to?"
Wang Cuixhua pouted, "Who knows? She's never at home, just running around, even in such cold weather."
While they spoke, Anning had already taken some charcoal to reignite the stove, and soon the fire was blazing.
Lin Aiguo watched Anning's sensible and well-behaved manner, then thought of the good-for-nothing Lin Anjie, and a wave of irritation washed over him.
Wang Cuixhua finished preparing the meal and served it on the table, wiping her hands as she said, "It's getting dark, why isn't Anjie back yet? Shall I go look for her?"
Lin Aiguo, annoyed, replied, "What's the point of looking for her? She can come back if she wants."
"But…"
Wang Cuixhua hesitated, "It's time for dinner and she's not back."
A loud smack sounded as Lin Aiguo's palm hit the table, "Let's eat. Don't wait for her. She's like this because you indulge her."
Wang Cuixhua was startled and said no more about searching for Lin Anjie.
The dinner that night was quite sumptuous. Wang Cuixhua steamed a pot of white buns and stewed a large pot of vegetables too.
The pot of stew came to the table, steaming hot and fragrant.
Lin Anping, drooling at the sight, exclaimed, "Mom, what's the occasion? Why make such a lavish meal? Look, there's meat, tofu, and even meatballs…"
Anning, smiling, handed a bun to Lin Aiguo, "Dad, let's eat before the food gets cold."
Lin Aiguo took the bun, and Lin Anping grabbed one and bit into it.
Anning was in no hurry; she picked up a bun and ate slowly. After a bite, she tasted some vegetables. Honestly, Wang Cuixhua's cooking skills were quite good, the stewed dish was especially fragrant, and it tasted all the better to those who hadn't eaten meat for days.
Anning loved meatballs; she ate several in a row, followed by a few pieces of tofu. After an entire bun as big as a bowl, she was full.
She put down her chopsticks just as Lin Anjie returned.
An Jie hummed a tune as she walked, which Anning could hear even from inside the house.
When An Jie pushed the door open to enter, Anning noticed her flushed cheeks and the sparkling eyes, seemingly in a good mood.
However, Anjie's good mood ended the moment she entered the room.
Upon pushing the door open and seeing everyone eating without waiting for her, her face soured.
Seeing Anjie return, Wang Cuixhua hurriedly urged her, "You're back, come and eat."
Anjie threw up her hands, "Eat what? I'm not eating."
She turned and headed for the bedroom. Lin Aiguo looked up, his gaze heavy, evidently displeased.
Not wanting to stay in the main room or to be caught up in the anger between Lin Anjie and Lin Aiguo, Anning excused herself and returned to her own room.
Upon entering the room, Anning changed into a new set of clothes and covered herself with the quilt to read in bed.
Her room wasn't warm, there was no stove burning, and it was especially cold at this time. She would be too cold to stay still without the comfort of the quilt.
Anning held a book in her hands, reading intently. After a moment, her door was pushed open. Lin Anping peered in, then carefully closed the door again.
Sitting down in the living room, Lin Anping was asked by Lin Aiguo, who was smoking, "What is your second sister up to?"
Lin Anping smiled, "She's studying, my sister is almost turning into a bookworm."
Lin Aiguo took a drag of his cigarette, "Studying is good, she's taking the college entrance exam next year—it's crucial to study hard. If she could get into university, it would really glorify the Lin family."
After saying this, Lin Aiguo asked Lin Anping again, "And how's your eldest sister?"
Lin Anping choked slightly, "She's knitting a sweater, look, it seems like it's for her brother-in-law."
Lin Aiguo sighed, "Let her knit. It really is true that daughters are not easy to keep at home."
Wang Cuixhua, who was cleaning up the dishes, paused and glanced at Lin Aiguo, "You also shouldn't look at An Jie with such dissatisfaction all the time. She's about to get married, and after the wedding, she will be part of another family... We..."
"It's not that simple."
Lin Aiguo sighed again, "We and the Su family are from the same village, all locals, bumping into each other frequently. If An Jie doesn't handle herself well after getting married and causes trouble, it's the Lin family's reputation that suffers. If something bigger happens and the Su family comes knocking, how embarrassing would that be?"
Wang Cuixhua thought of An Jie's temperament and also sighed, "There's no helping it. The Su family is poor; we can't even call off the engagement without creating a scene. If we insisted on calling it off, the Su family would certainly accuse us of being disrespectful, lacking compassion, and breaking our word."
Lin Aiguo then worried along with her.
The Su family was also worried.
Liu Erni and Su Shuanzi, Su Zhiqiang's father, sat on the heated brick bed, both sighing heavily.
"Hubby, what do you think we should do?"
Su Shuanzi wanted a cigarette, but remembering that he had quit to pay off debts, his hand froze: "What to do? Find a way to buy it, what else? Want the engagement to fall through?"
They were discussing the matter of Su Zhiqiang's younger brother, Su Zhikang.
Su Zhikang's marriage had been set; the betrothal gifts had already been sent to the girl's family. But all of a sudden, they demanded a radio, without which she wouldn't marry.
The wedding was imminent, and if it fell through, both families would be shamed.
But buying a radio was a problem, as the Su family genuinely had no money. Thinking about the debts incurred for his son's marriage, Su Shuanzi was so anxious he couldn't eat or sleep.
Su Zhikang had always been frail from childhood and couldn't do heavy work. Getting a wife when grown up was difficult, and it would be terrible to lose this chance. If the engagement were called off, Su Zhikang might well end up a bachelor forever.
"But if we buy the radio for the Third Son's Wife, what about the Eldest's and the Second's families?"
Thinking about this made Liu Erni's mouth go bitter, "All three homes are close by, who wouldn't hear about it? And when they do, won't they make a fuss?"
As they were talking, the door was pushed open.
Su Zhiqiang entered lightly on his feet, pulling out several banknotes from his pocket: "Dad, take this money. Keep it for Third Son's Wife to buy something."
Su Shuanzi's hands trembled, "Where did you get this money?"
Su Zhiqiang smiled, "An Jie gave it to me. An Jie said, our family's entire bridal price, not a cent did her family keep—it's all brought over as part of her dowry. She said this money should be saved for our future together."
Su Shuanzi and Liu Erni breathed a sigh of relief.
Liu Erni pulled on Su Zhiqiang, asking, "How are you and An Jie getting along? I see An Jie is quite fond of you."
Su Zhiqiang smiled, but there was a forced quality to it.
Thinking about how clingy An Jie had been these past few days, he felt inexplicably uncomfortable.
Especially today, when he saw Anning return from afar, his heart felt even more uneasy.