Chapter 204: Cousin, I Saw Your Wife

“Jiang Qin is really doing well for himself.”

“No doubt about it. Listening to him, a Star Student sounds even better than a Three Good Student, and he’s the only one in the whole school.”

“College isn’t like our little high school here. Students come from all over. To win an award in college is really something.”

“So what I saw that day wasn’t a hallucination…”

“What did you see?”

“When I went to visit the grave on the 29th of the twelfth lunar month, I saw smoke rising from your family’s ancestral grave plot from far away.”

“Oh my, that’s really something.”

The friends and relatives all sighed, thinking they had really broadened their horizons this New Year, even getting to see a Star Student.

Seeing the living room gradually emptying out, Jiang Qin suddenly fell into deep thought. I can’t rely on this Star Student award forever, can I?

It’s been six months. This award is going to be used to tatters.

After going back I should have Jiang Zhihua arrange a few more competitions to replenish my ammunition.

Actually, with trophies like this, you could order a truckload from Shengshi Advertising Factory and have a different one every year. But those wouldn’t be real after all.

Jiang Qin’s trick was being honest. He would never show off an award he didn’t earn himself.

“Young Master Jiang, the young miss has arrived in Shanghai. Please rest assured.”

“Jiang Qin, I’m in Shanghai now. I’m a bit hungry.”

As Jiang Qin was tidying up the paper cups on the coffee table, he suddenly received two messages. One was a text from Uncle Gong and the other was a QQ message from Feng Nanshu.

Uncle Gong’s text was very proper and brief, but the words “rest assured” had the flavor of taking him as a son-in-law.

Feng Nanshu’s message was still silly as always. Although she wasn’t in front of him, imagining her tone made it very cute.

“Okay Uncle Gong, thanks for the hard work.”

“Take good care of yourself, my best friend.”

After Jiang Qin finished replying, his mom had returned from seeing off the guests and asked as soon as she entered, “Jiang Qin, it’s past 3 o’clock. Did Nanshu arrive in Shanghai?”

“Mm, she just arrived. I received a text.”

“Having to travel so far during the New Year, it would have been better for her to stay with us,” Yuan Youqin said with a slight sense of loss.

Stay with us?

Jiang Qin gave his mom a baffled look, thinking Mom, it seems you skipped over me and made a major life decision for me. What’s going on?

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“It’s already the afternoon of the first day of the New Year. Where’s my red envelope?” Jiang Qin remembered an especially crucial issue.

Yuan Youqin looked at him strangely, “It’s with Nanshu. Didn’t I give it to her last night right in front of you? You brat, how can your memory be so bad.”

“I’m not asking about Feng Nanshu’s. I’m talking about my share.”

“What’s the difference who I give it to between you two?”

“?????”

Jiang Qin suddenly realized who he inherited this personality from.

Good grief, turns out Mom is the real master at killing three birds with one stone. She saved the red envelope for her son, made the little rich girl happy, and forcibly satisfied her own fantasy of being a mother-in-law.

A world where I’m the only one hurt has been achieved. Great.

“Don’t just stand there. Come help me split this lamb and put away the grain and oil from the work unit.”

Yuan Youqin rolled up her sleeves to enter the kitchen while calling Jiang Qin over to help. Then she split the lamb in two.

One portion she had Jiang Zhenghong, who had just returned from giving New Year’s greetings, deliver to Jiang Qin’s grandmother’s home.

The other portion, along with the gifts Jiang Qin bought, were all taken to her parents’ home when they visited on the second day of the New Year.

Jiang Qin lived with his maternal grandparents when he was young, not in the city, but in the countryside village of Nanya. It was a picturesque little village, backed by mountains and next to a river.

Just because of the severe winter, the riverbed had dried up and frozen over, and the mountains were all barren, not as pretty as in the summer.

“Grandma, I’m back!”

“Grandpa, your grandson who’s more handsome than Wu Yanzu is back!”

Jiang Qin entered the courtyard with gifts in hand and immediately saw his uncle discussing international affairs with the villagers, while his second and third aunts were gossiping with the village women.

He didn’t join in, directly heading inside to find his grandparents and watched TV with them for a good while.

When it was time to eat, his older cousin returned from wreaking havoc outside, carrying a bucket of Coke and Sprite. He first sneakily grabbed a chicken head from the table to eat.

“Bro, I went to play at the library on the 28th and saw your wife. She’s really pretty.”

“?????”

“Oh, I also saw you feeding her pistachios.”

Jiang Qin’s cousin was called Yuan Zaihao. He had probably been back in the village for a while, speaking in the local dialect. Munching on a chicken head while talking, he left Jiang Qin in utter silence.

“Don’t talk nonsense. Your cousin is incompatible with studying and never goes to the library. You must have seen wrong. That person was probably Wu Yanzu.”

Yuan Zaihao pursed his lips, “Bro, if you don’t study hard how could you have won the Star Student award? I really did see it.”

“Zaihao, why do you learn the good things but not the bad? Going to the library during winter break, you want to prepare for grad school as a high school freshman?” Jiang Qin’s gaze was mercilessly cold.

“I didn’t go to study. It suddenly started snowing that day so I went in to take shelter.”

Yuan Zaihao’s story had no logical flaws, because he was actually telling the truth.

“Everyone, don’t listen to Yuan Zaihao’s nonsense. I never go to the library. That Star Student award is actually fake. I stuffed the ballot box myself to win it!”

Jiang Qin tried to argue for himself with the truth.

But unfortunately, no one in the family cared about his Star Student award. Instead, they were more interested in the “wife” Yuan Zaihao mentioned.

“So this is the reason you go to the library every day?”

Yuan Youqin suddenly understood. She thought, I was so muddled. The first two days of his break, he went to the library every day. I thought he was going to study, but he was actually going on dates.

“Sis, is what Zaihao said true or not?”

Yuan Youmei looked at Yuan Youqin in surprise.

“Jiang Qin brought a girl home on New Year’s Eve, the one you saw on his phone wallpaper the other day. Obedient and pretty.”

Yuan Youqin had no reservations speaking to her family and laid it all out. She couldn’t help but smile when mentioning Feng Nanshu.

Hearing this, his uncle’s cigarette-holding hand suddenly shook. He thought, that was close. Luckily I didn’t listen to Youmei during the meal that day. Saying if he brings a girlfriend back, give a big red envelope for a big one. Otherwise with Jiang Qin’s thick skin, he’d clean out my private stash.

“Why does no one care about my argument??”

Jiang Qin turned to his cousin, “Zaihao, come. Your cousin has something to discuss with you privately.”

Yuan Zaihao sensed the danger and very decisively shook his head, “No thanks cousin. I’ll sit right here and not go anywhere. If you have something to say, say it here.”

“…”

Jiang Qin gave a thumbs up. Afterwards, no matter if it was his second or third aunt asking, he maintained his silence. His tactic was playing dumb once asked, shaking his head thrice if pressed.

At two in the afternoon, after the family finished eating, it was time to hand out red envelopes.

Yuan Zaihao received a thick red envelope from Jiang Qin. Pulling it out to look, it was a piece of newspaper folded to the size of money.

If he wasn’t mistaken, it should be the piece of newspaper just used to prop up a table leg.

“Cousin…”

“No squandering it. Buy school supplies when the new semester starts.”

“????”

After returning from his grandparents’ home, Jiang Qin officially entered the rest phase. On one hand, he didn’t need to walk the little rich girl anymore. On the other hand, he also didn’t need to visit relatives. Life suddenly became idle.

The third day of the New Year, sunny weather, sleep.

The fourth, sunny weather, sleep.

The fifth, sunny weather, took a stroll in the library.

The sixth, class reunion. Jiang Qin made an excuse of having a cold and didn’t go. Went to the small commodities market to wander around twice.

But even though he didn’t go to the reunion, Guo Zihang and Yang Shuan did. Their little mouths chattered non-stop like machine guns, causing many at the table to fall silent.

The usually most overbearing Qin Zi’ang didn’t even make a speech this time. He just kept his head down eating, heart still aching over the New Year’s Eve fireworks.

When Yang Shuan lavished Jiang Qin with flattery, he really wanted to bite someone.

Besides that, those who had just been dealt with like Hong Zhendong, Yu Yiyang, Zhao Lu and Kong Qianqian still felt their scalps go numb upon hearing Jiang Qin’s name.

They still couldn’t forget that New Year’s Eve with fireworks filling the sky and Feng Nanshu obediently following Jiang Qin.

Too unreal…

Chu Siqi also didn’t say a word from start to finish, only briefly speaking with Wang Huiru and Yu Shasha.

She was no longer self-centered like before, instead becoming good at staying silent and showing restraint.

It was quite funny to say.

Chu Siqi had always hoped to be a princess showered with attention, hoping to gain the worship, envy or praise of many.

But looking back now, she realized the brightest, most dazzling star had been overlooked by her from the start. And all the rest, all those who said they liked her or had good feelings for her added together, weren’t one ten-thousandth as brilliant as him.

“Shasha, want to stroll along the pedestrian street later?”

“Nah, I made plans with Jiang Qin to meet this afternoon.” Yu Shasha waved her hand in refusal.

Chu Siqi paused slightly, “You’re meeting Jiang Qin? Why?”

Yu Shasha pulled out a wad of cash from her pocket, “My idol and I have some big business to discuss!”

“????”

A little past three in the afternoon, Yu Shasha arrived at the apartment complex across from Fuzi Lake. She took out a key, opened the door and invited Chu Siqi and Wang Huiru in.

The two of them looked around inside for a while, expressions still not escaping shock.

“You’re saying this is Jiang Qin’s apartment?”

“Mm, my little sister started middle school last year. Going back and forth to school was inconvenient, so my mom had me look for an apartment nearby. It just so happens the landlord is Jiang Qin.”

Chu Siqi sat on the sofa and was silent for a long time, “He had bought his own place when he was in 11th grade?”

Yu Shasha poured a glass of water and handed it over, “I’m not clear on the specifics, but seems he has three more apartments around here. Probably all rented out.”

“He has three more?”

“Yeah, and you know how terrifying the housing prices have risen here? Especially after the First High School moved over. It changes every day!”

After hearing this, Chu Siqi and Wang Huiru both fell into silence.

Right then, a knock on the door suddenly sounded. Yu Shasha quickly ran over to open it. Sure enough, it was Jiang Qin here to collect rent.

Seeing Chu Siqi and Wang Huiru, Jiang Qin gave a simple nod. Then he took the money Yu Shasha handed over and counted it.

In 2009, group-buying required a large amount of funds for promotion. Six thousand wasn’t a lot, but even a fly was still meat. If funds ran short later, he might even have to sell the apartment.

“Bro, where’s your Feng Nanshu?”

“Went back to her hometown.”