423. Got Money?
==============================
After just six months of divorce, Mom was worried that Lin Nan might not take it well. So, she only told Chen Yao, who was tasked with breaking the news to her.
In reality, Lin Nan was actually hoping her mother would find someone new soon, although calling a stranger “Dad” was definitely off the table.
As mentioned before, her mother’s marriage wasn’t exactly a fairytale.
Back in the early 2000s, marriages were still all about “arranged matches through matchmakers,” and without the internet we have today, Mom ended up marrying Lin Nan’s dad through the pushy matchmaking hands of Auntie Wang.
Then came Lin Nan—while her parents hustled in their big truck, their previously non-existent feelings slowly turned into a deep-seated abyss.
But they had a kid and, with the hope of securing a future for Lin Nan, they begrudgingly kept up the charade of a family.
It wasn’t until they bought a house in the provincial city, albeit only putting down a deposit, that the divorce drama unfolded last year.
In their minds, buying a house for their kid was the way to ensure her future.
As Lin Nan sat on the b*llet train home, she reflected on the past.
Sadly, during that time, she also transformed into a woman. If she were still a guy, that house she contributed to would probably have been hers!
Thanks to Lilith, she lost a couple million bucks along the way.
This trip home felt less nerve-wracking; in fact, she was quite curious about who her mom’s new squeeze would be.
Was it that Uncle Liu again? Or someone else entirely?
Was her mom’s beau another old bachelor or a man who also experienced the heartbreak of divorce and had kids?
If he was divorced, what was the reason? Did he drink, gamble, or worse, was he abusive? If any of those were true, Lin Nan would definitely give her mom’s marriage a hard pass.
Everything felt so sudden; her thoughts were a jumble.
“If I agree, will they just get married on the spot?” Lin Nan asked, looking over at Chen Yao seated next to her.
“Probably not. They’ll probably just throw a small get-together, kinda like an engagement?” Chen Yao pulled a bottle of cola from his backpack and handed it to Lin Nan. “Here, drink up! Don’t buy anything on the train; it’s a total rip-off.”
Delighted, Lin Nan took the cola. “How did you know I wanted soda?”
“After years of knowing you, not being able to is the real surprise!” Chen Yao pulled out a bottle of mineral water, took a few gulps, and added, “Heard your dad is thinking about remarrying too.”
“Really?” Lin Nan’s cheerful demeanor instantly turned as flat as a pancake.
“Yeah, that’s what your mom said.” Chen Yao quickly switched topics. “How about we ask my parents to come along this time? They can discuss our engagement with your mom?”
Lin Nan turned her head, gazing out the window of the train. “No way, why the rush?”
“Why? You’re not thinking of finding someone else, are you?”
While staring at the scenery whizzing past, she muttered, “I need to do a thorough investigation; what if you’re different from what you seem? I’ll only find out after some time has passed.”
“You’ve been investigating for years already!” Chen Yao leaned back, chuckling. “Back when we were best buds, you didn’t know what I was like?”
Lin Nan shook her head vigorously. “Back then, I had no clue you were such a perv!”
And a jealous one at that!
“…”
Two hours later, the duo arrived back in the small county.
Lin Nan was buzzing with excitement, eager to see who her mom’s new partner would be, while Chen Yao watched her with a smile, gripping the backpack containing their change of clothes.
Chen Yao quickened his pace and grabbed Lin Nan’s wrist. “Let’s go to my place first; we’re not interviewing until tomorrow. What’s the rush?”
“Again with your house?” Lin Nan raised an eyebrow, her frown deepening.
“Don’t like my place?”
“Going there just makes me gain five pounds…” she grumbled. “Your folks are way too enthusiastic! Every time, I feel like I’m being fattened up like a pig!”
Chen Yao chuckled helplessly. “Isn’t that their way of showing you they care?”
Sure, but if she gets fat, Chen Yao might start to complain.
Last time, during the New Year at Chen Yao’s house, she had eaten so much that her belly had rounded out—thankfully, her granddad’s cooking wasn’t that appealing, so she slimmed down again.
The small county felt like it hadn’t changed in ages. Lin Nan had lived there for seven or eight years, and the only difference was a few more bus routes.
Meanwhile, in the city near her school, in just one and a half years, the roads had been repaved, and now a subway line was being prepared to extend to the school gate. They said that by the time she graduated, students would be able to take the subway into the city center instead of enduring a two-hour bus ride…
They hailed a roadside private tricycle taxi and soon arrived at Chen Yao’s place.
Since they hadn’t announced their arrival beforehand, Chen Yao’s busy parents were not at home. Lin Nan felt a wave of relief—at least she didn’t have to worry about gaining weight today.
With no other place to stay in the county, she would always end up at Chen Yao’s unless she took a long bus ride to her granddad’s place, which was just too much hassle, especially given that the food there was hardly appetizing and her grandma always wore that stern face—annoying, even if she didn’t care too much about it.
Once at Chen Yao’s house, Lin Nan casually kicked off her shoes, comfy in her familiarity as she found her slippers, tossed her little bag on the sofa, and dashed toward the fridge.
“COLD COLA!”
“You just had some on the train!” Chen Yao sighed, straightening up the shoes she’d kicked aside, then closed the door and joined her inside.
After grabbing a bottle of cola, Lin Nan joyfully half-fell onto the sofa, guzzling the soda like it was the nectar of the gods.
She had memorized everything about this place. Pulling open the drawer beneath the coffee table to retrieve the usual sunflower seeds, she fired up the TV and began channel surfing.
“Speaking of which, what are we having for dinner?” Lin Nan looked up and asked.
As Chen Yao pulled out clothes from his bag, he casually replied, “Send me a message on WeChat about what you want. My mom should have everything.”
“How about ten pounds of crawfish?”
“If that stuff isn’t cleaned well, you might end up in the hospital from eating too much!” Chen Yao yawned; he hadn’t slept a wink on the train, and after a few hours of traveling, he was starting to feel it.
Once he finished putting away his clothes, he stretched and made his way to the bedroom while saying, “I’m gonna take a nap. My mom will probably be back in half an hour since she knows you’re here—just tell her what you feel like eating.”
“Got it,” Lin Nan replied, curling up on the sofa as she continued to watch TV.
I wonder what kind of boyfriend Mom has found.
Is he rich?
