The most unusual thing about this small courtyard in the slums was not the rare quietness, but the rare cleanliness. The same simple courtyard door was mottled, but there were no mud spots and footprints that were commonly seen in this street. Xu Le quickly stretched out a palm and blocked the courtyard door that was about to close. Looking at the aunt who was wiping her sweat with a towel in the courtyard, he shouted excitedly, "Aunt, I'm back."
Aunt Susan heard the voice behind her and was a little confused. She thought that she was really old, otherwise, how could she hear the royal voice that she only had the opportunity to hear when she was a child? She laughed at herself and threw the yellowed towel in her hand into the wooden basin beside the well. She subconsciously looked back, and her body stiffened. Her wide palm was supporting her thick waist, and she forgot to take it away.
After a long silence, Aunt Susan finally recognized the face under the shadow of the square hat. She screamed in shock and covered her mouth in disbelief. Then she opened her arms, walked quickly to Xu Le, and hugged him tightly.
The aunty pounded on his back as if she was blaming him for his sudden disappearance back then. It was as if she wanted to beat him until he was severely injured and then put him back in the attic so that he wouldn't suddenly disappear again. No matter how hard she pounded on his back, Xu Le just hugged her tightly. His face, which was resting on her fleshy shoulder, revealed a happy smile.
At the entrance of the small courtyard, Zhong Huoyan's mouth was wide open. She looked at the scene in front of her in surprise. She vaguely guessed who this fat woman was, but she still couldn't adapt to her seemingly omnipotent brother snuggling with such an ordinary woman like a child.
Hugging and rough beating were not enough to express Aunt Susan's surprise at the sudden reunion. She held Xu Le's face and looked at him seriously, trying to see what kind of injuries he had suffered over the years. Her thick lips kept moving, and she expressed her concern in the unclear dialect of her hometown. Then, she kissed him fiercely on the face.
Xu Le also kissed her on the forehead.
Because of this kiss, Aunt Susan seemed to have thought of something. The expression on her face suddenly became extremely nervous. She twisted her obese body and rushed to the door like a hurricane. Like a lioness protecting her cub, she vigilantly looked at the alley outside the courtyard and noticed that no one passed by.
It was not until she closed the door and inserted the iron rod that she was truly relaxed. Patting her chest heavily like a drum, she turned around and looked at Xu Le's face. Rubbing her rough fingers, she asked in a rough voice, "Little guy, are you an exiled noble or a member of the Federation?"
After a pause, Aunt Susan tried to make her expression look as fierce as possible. She put her right hand on her waist and threatened in a low voice, "If you are from the Federation, then leave immediately. Otherwise, I might call the police later."
Xu Le knew this kind auntie too well. He smiled and shrugged. "Auntie, of course I'm not from the Federation. Uh, this is my younger sister."
He pulled out Zhong Huoyan, who was still in a semi-sluggish state behind him.
Aunt Susan looked at the beautiful and lovely girl. For some reason, she nodded with satisfaction. Then she patted Xu Le on the back of his head and said, "What are you waiting for? Bring the little girl in for tea."
Two cups of weak tea, steaming hot, and the room was very warm. Aunt Susan was naturally concerned about where he had been and what he had done over the years. Xu Le found that he could not answer this question at all. He could not help but feel a little ashamed.
Because of shame, his eyes drifted a little. He saw from the corner of his eyes that there was only a pair of chopsticks on the plate of leftovers covered with a gauze umbrella on the small table. He asked doubtfully, "Where is Paul? He should have graduated from the Second University the year before last. Which department is he working in now? Doesn't he usually come back to accompany you? "
Aunt Susan took out a plate of nuts from the cabinet and kindly pushed it in front of Zhong Huoyan. She looked back at Xu Le and explained, "Paul has gone to the front line. Speaking of which, this is really a very troublesome thing. It's also something that makes me very proud. Now the salary is good, but the child sent back two-thirds of his monthly allowance. I'm a little worried that he won't have enough to eat on the front line."
The kind-hearted and hot-blooded young man of the Empire, as she feared in the past, had gone to the battlefield full of death and slaughter. Xu Le's mood could not help but be a little gloomy. He forced a smile and said to Aunt Susan, "The army's expenses are very low. Don't worry about these problems."
Aunt Susan looked at him with a smile and said, "Knowing that you are still alive, I have less to worry about. How many days will you stay this time? Is it convenient?"
"I will stay a little longer." Xu Le replied with a smile. He did not say any polite words such as troubling the other party. In this small courtyard, in front of a fat woman, any polite words were unforgivable hypocrisy. "How's the market business? Did you hire a few more people? "
During this time, Xu Le confirmed that Aunt Susan had been living a good life these years. At least, it was much better than the poorest days. There was even a TV in the room.
"The business is getting worse and worse. Those high-definition players you made were all copied by those damn guys. Paul and I are not as capable as you." Aunt Susan sighed and said, "Fortunately, Paul's allowance is high now. He asked me to transfer the business directly, but I still feel a little reluctant."
Xu Le mentioned the parts he had bought at the hardware store, looked at Aunt Susan and said with a smile, "It's okay. Since I am back, I will design a few more three-dimensional players, solder a few physical passwords, and let those guys eat shit."
Aunt Susan clapped her hands, laughed loudly, and said in a rough voice, "Of course, that's good. You are a meritorious person. Tell me, what do you want to eat today? Now that the days are better, I changed a big refrigerator. There is still beef in it. Do you want to eat steak?"
"I want to eat chowder. I can't forget the taste." Xu Le said with a smile.
"Okay."
Aunt Susan quickly put on an oversized apron, wiped her greasy hands in front of her, picked up the kitchen knife and went out to the yard to slaughter chickens.
Watching the rough back disappear at the door, Zhong Huoyan, who had been silent, turned around and looked at Xu Le as if she was looking at a monster. She spread out her hands and shrugged cutely. She asked incredulously, "The most powerful engineer in the universe, assembling pirated high-definition players in the empire?"
Xu Le stood up and walked to the yard, ready to help Aunt Susan. After hearing this sentence, he replied with a smile, "Don't look down on this work. This is the source of the annual expenses of this small yard."
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…
The white porridge in the big pot exuded a simple and charming fragrance along with the hot steam. The tender fresh vegetables were cut into pieces by the sharp kitchen knife, mixed with the bloody black feather chicken pieces and a few small red oranges were thrown into the porridge and boiled. After adding a spoonful of spicy seasoning, the steaming chowder completed most of the work. Only some chopped green onions needed to be added later.
Aunt Susan refused Xu Le's idea of helping and quickly solved all the work. She closed the lid of the pot and clapped her hands happily. She turned to Xu Le and asked, "That little girl is very beautiful, but she looks a little young. When are you going to have a child?"
Xu Le was leaning against the door at this time, looking around the kitchen that he was once very familiar with. His chest and abdomen were full of warm and relaxed emotions. Suddenly, when he heard this question, he nervously stood up and explained, "Don't misunderstand, she is really my sister."
"I am not blind." Aunt Susan glared at him and said, "How can you have such a beautiful sister?"
Xu Le was speechless. He thought that it was impossible to judge whether they were related by blood based on this. If Aunt Susan saw Huai Caoshi and Jian Shui'er, she would definitely not think that they were sisters.
Aunt Susan pinched a handful of fresh onions with water droplets on them. Just as she was about to cut them, her hand that was holding the kitchen knife slowed down. After a moment of silence, she sighed and said, "Back then, you promised me and Paul that you would tell us when you left. Who would have thought that you would disappear so quietly, and for so many years?"
Xu Le looked at the back of Aunt Susan next to the pot and saw her raise her arm to wipe her tears. His heart was a little sad and he explained in a low voice, "The situation was too tense at that time. I really didn't have time to come back and tell you."
Aunt Susan looked back at him worriedly and asked, "Is it related to the army entering the city that day? All the streets around the white yard were razed. "
"Yes."
Xu Le didn't want to hide anything at all, so he answered honestly, "I was in the white yard at that time."
"Paul insisted that it had nothing to do with you, but I knew at that time that you must be in that yard." Aunt Susan put down the kitchen knife and came forward. She rubbed Xu Le's head and said, "You have to know that we are really worried about you."
Xu Le forced a smile and said, "It's all right. Don't worry."
"It's all right?" Aunt Susan lowered her voice and reprimanded, "Do you know that even Her Royal Highness came to this yard later? Although she had other things to do, I know that she must be looking for you."
Xu Le smiled, took Aunt Susan's hand and said, "It's really all right. Her Royal Highness … is quite familiar with me now."
Aunt Susan was stunned and immediately came to her senses. She spat hard and then slapped his forehead heavily. She laughed and said, "This guy has learned to lie and brag now."
Xu Le covered his aching forehead and said bitterly, "This is the truth."
"Although Her Royal Highness is a good person, she is a noble lady. Don't make fun of her in the future."
Aunt Susan said seriously, "After she came to the small yard, the guys in the Public Security Bureau no longer dared to take my money. She also never allowed Paul to join the army on the front line. Until last year, Paul went to the military department to make trouble many times. Then he took advantage of the time when Her Royal Highness was not in Tianjing to secretly go to the army."
Xu Le frowned slightly, not because of pain, but because of doubt. Was Huai Caoshi taking care of Aunt Susan and Paul so much because of him, or was there another reason?
Aunt Susan's next sigh answered his question.
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