Liu Chunsheng sighed, "You didn't do anything wrong, it's your second aunt who is too thoughtless. How could she do such a thing! If she were as considerate as your eldest aunt, and thought of others, our two families wouldn't have such a strained relationship. Forget it, let her be. We haven't wronged her in any way."
Liu Yifeng knew about the things his second aunt had done, which had disheartened his father. He hadn't intended to bring it up, but she had repeatedly taken things too far. However, his father's words gave him an idea. Since he last sent some vegetables and fruits to his eldest aunt, she hadn't visited again, probably out of embarrassment, fearing he would keep sending things. For this very reason, he had to treat his eldest aunt even better.
"Dad, I haven't seen Eldest Aunt in a while. I'll take some more vegetables and watermelons to her later. I won't be back for lunch," Liu Yifeng said.
Liu Chunsheng nodded, "When you were little, your eldest aunt doted on you the most. Now that we have the means, we should repay her kindness. Your eldest aunt has had a tough life all these years, toiling away for most of her life without enjoying any comforts."
"I know. I'll go prepare now. I'll bring Tongtong along too, he's never been to Auntie's house!" Liu Yifeng said.
After that, he went to the vegetable patch. Although he had nearly twenty acres of vegetables planted, they couldn't keep up with the thousands of pounds of produce sent daily to the Long Teng Hotel. A large portion of the vegetables had already been sold, and he had asked his third aunt and others to replant seeds in the cleared land. This time, however, the vegetables were different. He had planted winter melon, pumpkin, lettuce, and potatoes. It was time for a change in flavors. Winter melon and pumpkin grew large, and with a spray of growth enhancer, each pumpkin would weigh at least twenty to thirty pounds, and each winter melon, he estimated, would be a hundred pounds at minimum. This kind of high-yield production meant he could grow more. He was confident that whatever vegetables he grew, the taste and nutritional value would be top-notch, and the price would reflect that. To prevent theft, his father had even hired people to build a fence around the land.
Arriving at the vegetable patch, Liu Yifeng opened the gate. The vegetables inside were growing exceptionally well. The tomatoes were bright red, like persimmons, making one's mouth water just by looking at them, let alone imagining them in delicious dishes. The newly planted vegetables had already started to vine and bloom, and would soon bear fruit. He believed that within a month, they would be ready for harvest.
Liu Yifeng worked in the garden for over half an hour, filling two bags with vegetables. He then hoisted them onto his shoulders, went to the roadside, and loaded them into the trunk. Afterward, he went to the watermelon patch and picked four large watermelons. They didn't fit in the trunk, so he placed them on the back seats. Only then did Liu Yifeng leave, feeling satisfied.
If Liu Ju had seen this scene at this moment, she would have been so angry she might have coughed up blood. She had traveled a long distance hoping to get some vegetables and fruits for her grandson, but she hadn't received a single leaf of lettuce. Liu Mei, on the other hand, hadn't even arrived yet, and Liu Yifeng was rushing to deliver produce to her. Such preferential treatment was unacceptable to anyone.
After finishing, Liu Yifeng returned home and picked up Tongtong. It was only a ten-minute drive, and Liu Yifeng's car pulled up to his eldest aunt's house. It was almost eleven o'clock, the hottest part of the day. Those working outdoors had returned home to enjoy the air conditioning. Those inside, watching the shop and fanning themselves, heard the sound of the van stopping and Liu Mei guessed it was Yifeng. Usually, only Yifeng visited their home.
Indeed, as she reached the entrance of the living room, she saw Yifeng getting out of the car. "Eldest Aunt!" he greeted with a smile. He then walked around to the passenger side and helped Tongtong out of the car. "Tongtong, quickly say hello to Auntie!"
Tongtong was a very sensible child and did whatever his father told him. He immediately uttered a soft "Hello, Auntie." Liu Mei doted on the child and replied with a smile, "Tongtong is such a good boy. What do you want to eat later? Auntie will buy it and make it for you!"
"Yifeng, you're something else. You didn't tell me in advance you were coming, so I could have bought some ingredients!" Liu Mei said, feigning displeasure at Liu Yifeng.
Liu Yifeng smiled, "We're not strangers, why be so formal? Eldest Aunt doesn't need to buy groceries, I've brought a lot of them."
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone in the house came out. Seeing it was Liu Yifeng, they all greeted him enthusiastically. They knew that Liu Yifeng never came empty-handed. He either brought crayfish or vegetables and fruits. The watermelons and vegetables he had sent last time had been finished for over a week, and they had been craving them almost daily. The taste of their own homegrown vegetables and store-bought watermelons was completely incomparable. If Liu Mei hadn't stopped them, they would have gone to Yifeng's house to get more long ago.
"Uncle, Eldest Cousin!" Liu Yifeng greeted the two adults proactively.
Yao Wenlong looked at Liu Yifeng and asked with a smile, "Yifeng, why have you come on such a hot day?"
Liu Yifeng opened the rear door of the car and the trunk, then said, "Uncle, I've brought some vegetables and fruits. Cousin, please help me unload them from the car." As he said this, he turned his gaze to the young man beside his uncle. This man was Eldest Aunt's eldest son, and Li Qiuping's husband. Before he got married, he was quite good to his Eldest Aunt. But after marriage, he always listened to his wife in everything, lacking any initiative. While it was true that listening to one's wife could lead to family harmony, his obedience had caused great hardship to his Eldest Aunt. She was the one taking care of their two children, and he had never voluntarily contributed to household expenses. Despite this, his cousin-in-law was full of grievances, feeling that she had been wronged since getting married. She didn't realize what she herself brought to the table. She relied on her husband's indulgence and compliance, which allowed her to act like an empress dowager in the household without any restraint. Therefore, Liu Yifeng didn't always blame his cousin-in-law; he was more resentful of his Eldest Cousin, because without his acquiescence, Li Qiuping wouldn't dare to act that way. However, regardless of his resentment, he didn't have the right to dictate to him. All he could do was to treat his aunt better.
Seeing this, Yao Wenlong and his son immediately went to help. The two of them looked at the car full of goods and grinned from ear to ear. The Eldest Uncle, who was sixty-two years old, easily lifted a fifty-pound watermelon and carried it directly into the living room without even a hint of breathlessness. Soon, the three of them had unloaded everything from the car. In just that short while, they were all sweating profusely, demonstrating how high the outside temperature was.
Liu Mei saw that Yifeng had brought so much again and felt a bit guilty. "Yifeng, you've brought so many things, how will you sell your vegetables? Please take some back later. You can sell them in town this afternoon, they should fetch a good price." This was the difference between her and Liu Ju. If Liu Yifeng had been delivering to Liu Ju, she would have accepted it without hesitation, fearing Liu Yifeng might change his mind if she delayed. Seeing his Eldest Aunt, who was always thinking of him, Liu Yifeng knew this trip was worthwhile. Just as he was about to speak, Li Qiuping interrupted him. "Mom, why are you always like this? Yifeng came all this way to bring so many things; it's his kind gesture. And you, every time he comes, you ask him to take things back. Don't you think Yifeng will be unhappy?"
Liu Mei hadn't really thought that far. She just didn't want Yifeng to neglect his business for her. "Eldest Aunt, Sister-in-law is right. I didn't bring all this for you to send it back. We have plenty at home, and we sell them every day, so please accept them and eat them with peace of mind!"
"Yifeng, your Eldest Aunt really didn't dote on you for nothing when you were little. We'll have a few drinks with Uncle during lunch. We last drank together during Chinese New Year. Today, we must get you thoroughly drunk," Yao Wenlong said. Liu Yifeng smiled and agreed. His Eldest Uncle was a lifelong farmer, with a personality similar to his father's; he was honest and reliable. Otherwise, when he was little and his Eldest Aunt was good to him, often secretly slipping him pocket money, if he hadn't approved of such actions, he would have quarreled with his Eldest Aunt long ago. Therefore, he was quite fond of his Eldest Uncle. It was just that their two sons were too obedient to their wives, which meant that even at his age, he still had to farm and support the family. So, his main purpose in coming this time wasn't just to deliver vegetables. It was to help his Eldest Aunt's family, to make their future lives a little better, and to repay their kindness from when he was a child. Relying solely on him occasionally delivering vegetables and fruits was far from enough to repay them.
"Jiahe, quickly go to the butcher shop and buy three catties of pork belly. If there's fish, buy a big one! Oh, and buy a pair of firecrackers. Tongtong is visiting our home for the first time, we must welcome him with firecrackers!" Liu Mei said, reaching into a small red plastic bag from her pants pocket, where she kept her money to prevent theft or loss. Just as she was about to take out money, Li Qiuping, for the first time, said, "Mom, Yifeng is coming to our house for lunch, how can you pay?" She then took out a hundred-yuan bill from Mao Zedong and handed it to Yao Jiahe. "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and buy, or we won't have lunch until one o'clock!" Her reaction stunned everyone. Li Qiuping, feeling a bit uneasy under their stares, said, "Yifeng is my cousin-in-law. As his cousin-in-law, it's natural for me to treat him to a meal!"