Transmigrated as My Aunt in the 70s
Chapter 77 - 076 Thank you

Although the Jin Family was somewhat mentally prepared for Sisi’s beauty, seeing it in person today still startled them. Her outfit was indeed more stylish than even Miss Shanghai, more beautiful than the stars in the New Year paintings. What’s key was how much money did this outfit cost? Hearing that this girl named Sisi wasn’t even biologically related to the Tian Family, it showed how much they valued her even though she wasn’t their flesh and blood.

Jin Duofu’s family had lunch at the home of Grandpa Zhong Boqiang. Perhaps having heard something from his daughter, he was also greatly shocked and immensely relieved, feeling extremely grateful to Sisi for the life-saving favor she had done. Therefore, as soon as he had arranged some village tasks, he hurriedly brought Jin Duofu’s family over to Sisi’s house.

Old Man and Tian Bajin were puzzled by the Jin Man Yuan family’s elaborate visit and could not figure out the reason. Nonetheless, Old Man still showed warm hospitality and had Granny Zhao serve tea and snacks such as melon seeds and peanuts. After drinking the tea, Jin Man Yuan slightly squinted his eyes and sighed, "What excellent tea!" Jin Man Yuan, who had ventured to Shanghai at the age of fifteen with a machete, had his fair share of worldly experience to instantly recognize the extraordinary quality of the tea.

"Taste good, I will bring some back later. This tea is Mingqian Tea that your sister-in-law fried herself, freshly made. You are just in time," said Old Man. He himself didn’t like tea and preferred alcohol, yet every year just after the Grain Rain and before Qingming, Granny Zhao would go up the mountain to pick and roast the tea leaves herself. The yield wasn’t much, only about two or three kilograms, which she would send to their elder son in the army.

"Alright, then I won’t be shy, I really must thank your sister-in-law," Jin Man Yuan, who loved tea, smiled with his eyes slightly narrowed.

Granny Zhao, chuckling, hurried into the back room to pack the tea leaves. Having her own fried tea leaves praised by a guest made her particularly happy—mainly because her family members didn’t much care for tea, except her son in the army who would drink some. Each year, the tea she made often ended up being used to boil tea eggs, which always pained her heart. Now that someone finally appreciated her homemade tea, how could the old lady not be joyful?

"Brother Liu Jin, Bajin brother, our main purpose for visiting today is to express our thanks, to thank Sisi for saving our entire family!" After Jin Man Yuan exchanged a few pleasantries, he revealed the reason for their visit.

Upon hearing this, Sisi immediately sat bolt upright; she didn’t expect Jin Duofu’s family to be so bold to openly express their thanks for such a matter—weren’t they afraid of letting it slip? What Sisi didn’t know was that the Jins had also thought it through. If it were any other family, they might have pretended ignorance, but with the Tian Family, of course, they couldn’t do such a thing, primarily because they completely trusted that the Tian Family would never stab them in the back.

Old Man and Tian Bajin did not grasp Jin Man Yuan’s intention; however, they didn’t ask further and quietly waited for Jin Man Yuan to continue. When he quietly mentioned the incident that occurred yesterday and the words Taiwan came up, Tian Bajin was so frightened that he jumped up instantly, hurried to the door to check if anyone was around, and only then relaxed. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he returned to his seat and chided, "How could you become so muddled with age? You still dare to speak such words openly now, it’s fortunate that it’s in my big brother’s house. If it were somewhere else, do you not wish to live?"

Jin Man Yuan replied with a smile, "It’s precisely because I’m in Brother Liu Jin’s house that I dared to speak like this. If it were some other family, I wouldn’t mention it. If it were anyone else, I would have pretended to be unaware and shamelessly accepted such a great favor. But it’s different with Brother Liu Jin’s family; I must personally come and express my thanks, otherwise, it would weigh on my heart."

Actually, Jin Man Yuan also had his selfish motives; he saw this as an opportunity to foster good relations with Tian Liu Jin’s family. Jin Man Yuan, being a shrewd person, well understood that the type of friends one has determined the kind of pathways open to them. Thus, when he heard that the person who had saved his grandson was Tian Liu Jin’s granddaughter, his mind started working, seeing it as an excellent opportunity to form a connection with Tian Liu Jin’s family.

Of course, such selfishness is not blameworthy as it lacks malicious intent. Jin Man Yuan is quite adept at maneuvering, but his strategies differ from Zhong Liangcai’s. They don’t harm others’ interests nor cause any resentment. Jin Wangcai understands this all too well because, as a son brought up by Jin Man Yuan, he agrees with his father’s approach, considering the need to think about his children’s future prospects. Making connections with influential people would undoubtedly benefit them.

Old Man was quite surprised when he heard Jin Man Yuan’s account and hadn’t expected Ah Nan to have done such a good deed today. It seemed that Ah Nan was indeed a person of great fortune, as those around her stand to benefit in small or big ways. Old Man looked affectionately at the seemingly confused Tian Sisi (all feigned), this naive girl, still unaware of what was going on.

"There’s no need to come all the way here to express gratitude, my Ah Nan was merely at the right place at the right time. However, your boy mustn’t speak carelessly in the future. In these times, it is wiser to speak less." Old Man shook his head and sighed, while Jin Bianfu stood next to Jin Man Yuan looking ashamed.

"Yes, it’s better to act more and talk less. Regardless, we must thank Sisi. Otherwise, our entire family would have suffered losses." Jin Man Yuan was genuinely grateful, a sentiment that Old Man and Tian Sisi both sensed, hence they felt a favorable impression towards both father and son from the Jins, knowing that those who are grateful do not possess a bad character.

Ever since Jin Duofu saw Tian Sisi in a dress, he had shyly hung his head without speaking out. He thought Tian Sisi was pretty enough at school, but he hadn’t expected her to look even more beautiful at home, almost like a movie star. The young teenager, just stepping into adolescence, felt profoundly shy.

Jin Man Yuan had planned to take his leave after expressing thanks, but the Old Man strongly urged them to stay for dinner, even inviting Zhong Boqiang and Zhong Fugao to join in the evening. Tian Bajin also persistently urged them to stay. Jin Man Yuan, already interested in establishing a good relationship with the Old Man, feigned reluctance for a while before agreeing.

In the afternoon, Tian Bajin and Zhong Boqiang went to work, while Tian Sisi took Jin Duofu to visit He Chengsi. Jin Man Yuan stayed at home, chatting with Old Man. They found each other’s company quite engaging, feeling a sense of a meeting long overdue, with Jin Wangcai occasionally chipping in a word or two.

Zhong Cuiyu couldn’t sit still and helped Granny Zhao with chores while chatting. Granny Zhao was picking soybeans, planning to make several pounds of tofu for storage, as the tofu used last time for the Qingming cake had run out. Having some stocks of tofu at home was beneficial, whether for household consumption or to prepare dishes for guests. Upon seeing Granny Zhao carrying a cloth bag weighing thirty to forty pounds of soybeans, Zhong Cuiyu was inwardly shocked by Tian Family’s wealth. Despite her family’s decent living conditions, they couldn’t immediately afford twenty or thirty pounds of soybeans. Moreover, when she looked at the furnishings of the Jins, weren’t they all from Shanghai?

Having made this quiet assessment, Zhong Cuiyu couldn’t help but suppress her intentions. After hearing about the school incident from her son yesterday, she harbored thoughts of becoming in-laws with the Tian Family. In Zhong Cuiyu’s mind, her family’s situation was quite a match for Tian Sisi, a girl who was adopted. Of course, what really motivated Zhong Cuiyu most was the Tian Family’s military influence, hoping that forming marital ties could provide some support for her children. But today, upon seeing the Tian Family’s demeanor, Tian Sisi’s attire and dress, and the extent of the Tian Family’s affection for her, Zhong Cuiyu didn’t dare to bring up the matter, deciding to bide her time and strategize slowly.

Tian Sisi walked out of the courtyard and sighed deeply. Jin Duofu’s mother’s gaze made her incredibly uncomfortable, as if she were sizing up a piece of merchandise. However, Jin Duofu’s grandfather and father were not so bad. Even though they were somewhat utilitarian, it was human nature, as everyone strives for better, and as long as it’s not overdone, it was within an acceptable range.

PS: Thanks to Fat Girl 0915, Mimoca, I Love Myself XX, pen pal 150707080753665, Maple Leaf Frost Far, and other supporters!