Chapter 79: Lin Zhengran’s Childhood Betrothal

Chapter 79: Chapter 79: Lin Zhengran’s Childhood Betrothal

The five pairs of eyes staring at him left Lin Zhengran looking completely exhausted. He couldn’t even eat lunch without finding himself in the middle of a hassle. "What are you all staring at me for? Take back the food you just put in my bowl and eat your own meals."

The three girls blinked, remaining completely unmoved. It wasn’t until Lin Zhengran looked at Xiao Heqing that she got scared enough to take back the large prawn and eat it herself. She wouldn’t dare defy Lin Zhengran’s words. "I’ll take it back, I’ll take it back," she said timidly.

He then looked at Jiang Xueli. Although Jiang Xueli usually talked back to Lin Zhengran, it was all just talk; in reality, she didn’t dare make him angry. "I know," she muttered.

Finally, there was Han Wenwen. Lin Zhengran met her gaze. "You too."

Han Wenwen took back her spare rib and nibbled on it, blinking innocently as if nothing had happened.

Lin Zhengran then looked at his dad and mom, but his parents, swept up in the atmosphere, simply chuckled. Lin Zhengran gave them a helpless look. "Mom, Dad, can’t we just eat properly? Why are you joining in the chaos?"

Lin Yingjun laughed heartily. "Oh, right, girls, there’s soup over there! Ranran, you should have some soup too."

Lin Zhengran murmured in agreement. Just as he reached out for the ladle, he saw that Xiao Heqing and Jiang Xueli had already extended their hands.

"Let me serve you," they spoke in unison. The two girls’ hands gripped the ladle at the exact same time, and they looked at each other awkwardly.

Lin Yingjun fell silent. Lin Xiaoli was equally speechless. A single thought popped into the couple’s minds simultaneously, "This lunch is hard to swallow."

Only Lin Zhengran ate at a leisurely pace, picking up his food with his chopsticks. "I said eat your own meals. I can serve myself." Only then did they begin offering the ladle to one another.

Lin Yingjun muttered to his wife, "I have to say, Ranran really has the aura of the head of the house. Good thing he has a strong personality and can keep these girls in line."

Lin Zhengran naturally heard his dad’s muttering; after all, he was no ordinary person. "Dad?"

Lin Yingjun laughed again. "Eat, eat! Everyone, help yourselves to the food. Don’t stand on ceremony."

The couple found this lunch to be incredibly strange. Normally, when Wenwen, Qingqing, or Lili came to the house individually, the atmosphere was very harmonious. But once they all sat together, no one could say a single word. Only when Lin Yingjun or Lin Xiaoli occasionally said something did the girls chime in with a response.

After lunch, the three girls eagerly helped the elders wash the dishes and pots, brimming with enthusiasm. Right around this time, Lin Zhengran heard Lin Yingjun’s phone ring and reminded his dad.

Lin Yingjun glanced at the caller ID and found it was his father. He quickly answered, "Hello, Dad? What’s the matter?"

"Son, I’m at the entrance of your neighborhood," Lin Zhengran’s grandpa spoke over the phone. "Can you come pick me up?"

"Ah? Dad, you’re at our neighborhood?" Lin Yingjun asked in surprise.

Grandpa replied, "Yeah, I missed Ranran and came over to see him. I also have something to tell him. Ranran should be at home, right? Didn’t junior high already let out for the holidays?"

"Yes, junior high is on holiday. Ranran and I will come down to get you."

Wiping the table, Lin Zhengran overheard the chat. "My grandpa is here?"

Lin Yingjun washed his hands and went to change his shoes. "Yeah, your grandpa is at the entrance. Come down with me to pick him up."

"Okay."

Lin Zhengran also went to the door to change his shoes. Hearing the conversation, the three girls turned their heads, but they just glanced over before continuing to help Lin Xiaoli.

Lin Xiaoli asked her husband, "What is Dad doing here this time? Why so sudden?"

Lin Yingjun opened the door. "I don’t know either. He probably just missed Ranran, right? I’ll go get him first."

Lin Zhengran accompanied his dad to the neighborhood entrance and brought his hale and hearty grandpa back home.

On the way, Grandpa looked at Lin Zhengran with joy. "Little Ranran has grown so tall now? It feels like it’s only been half a year since we last met, yet you look completely different every time."

Lin Zhengran smiled. During ninth grade, he had indeed shot up a bit more. "I haven’t grown that much. Oh, by the way, Grandpa, my dad said you have something to discuss with me?"

Grandpa nodded. "Yes, there is something. I’ll tell you once we get upstairs. It’s not a small matter, but it’s not a huge one either. I had originally forgotten all about it, but then you scored nearly perfect marks on your high school entrance exam." At this, he looked rather proud of his grandson. "You were pretty much the top scorer in town, weren’t you? I was chatting about you at a gathering with some old comrades, and it reminded me of something."

"What exactly is it? Dad, just say it," Lin Yingjun said, looking completely bewildered.

As the three of them talked, they had already arrived at the front door. Lin Yingjun helped open it.

Inside, the three girls, along with Lin Xiaoli, heard the sound of the door opening and hurriedly came to the entrance to welcome him. Holding onto the stair railing, Grandpa stepped through the doorway and answered, "Haven’t I told you before? Back when I was young and serving in the army, I had a very good relationship with an old pal. But at that time, there was a big age gap between you and his daughter.

"So, we could only arrange a childhood betrothal for Ranran. We talked about this at the gathering, and he said his granddaughter seems to be attending the exact same..."

Grandpa’s footsteps froze at the doorway as he stared at the three beautiful girls in the living room, aside from his daughter-in-law.

"...high school," he finally blurted out the last two words, tacking on one final thought. "He wanted them to meet, and if they hit it off, maybe try dating..."

At this very moment, Lin Yingjun, Lin Xiaoli, Han Wenwen, He Qing, Jiang Xueli, and even Lin Zhengran all widened their eyes. For the first time, everyone spat out the exact same words in unison, "A childhood betrothal?!"

After the shock subsided, Han Wenwen and the other two finally reacted and greeted him. "Hello, Grandpa..."

A short while later, Grandpa sat on the sofa while Lin Xiaoli brought him some water. Han Wenwen, Jiang Xueli, and He Qing stood to the side, unanimously glaring at Lin Zhengran with jealousy. Clearly, they had never heard of this before.

Lin Zhengran looked back at them. "What’s with those looks? This is my first time hearing about it too."

Grandpa blinked. He never expected things to get this awkward. "These three young ladies are..."

Lin Yingjun introduced them. "Dad, these three are Ranran’s... good friends."

Grandpa watched the three girls looking jealously at his grandson and whispered to his son, "Are you sure they’re just good friends?"

Lin Yingjun gulped and whispered back into his father’s ear, "Dad, aren’t you asking the obvious? Do they look like just simple good friends? By the way, what exactly is going on with Ranran’s childhood betrothal? Why don’t I remember this?"

Grandpa looked at the three girls again and frowned. "What can you even remember? But... is it still okay for me to talk about it now?"

Han Wenwen spoke up first. "Grandpa, what did you mean earlier about classmate Lin Zhengran having a childhood betrothal? We’re all very curious."

Jiang Xueli and He Qing nodded as well, paying utmost attention. "Yes, we’re all very curious."

Grandpa was sweating buckets. He thought to himself, "I was initially afraid my grandson wouldn’t be able to find a girlfriend, but now it seems I worried for nothing." He cleared his throat. "Well... actually, girls, regarding the matter of Ranran’s fiancée..."

The three of them said in unison, "How did it suddenly become a fiancée?!"

Grandpa quickly corrected himself. "Oh, no, no, a childhood betrothal! I mean a childhood betrothal! Although I did arrange a childhood betrothal for Ranran back then, and my old comrade was very willing, whether it actually works out in the end still depends on Ranran, doesn’t it? I just wanted to come over and mention the matter this time."

Silence hung in the air.

Grandpa felt it was absolutely absurd that he had to encounter such an interesting scene at his age. "Oh, right!" He pulled out a photo from his coat pocket. "I have a picture of the girl here. My old comrade gave it to me. It’s from when she was in junior high. Ranran, do you want to take a look?"

Lin Xiaoli took the photo and looked at it, while the three girls quickly huddled around to peek. Upon seeing it, they were all completely astonished.

"So pretty..."

In the photograph, the girl stood on the grass wearing a pure white dress, one hand holding onto a large sun hat. Although it was only a side profile, her exceptional beauty was undeniable. A pair of aloof eyes gazed into the distance, her long, jet-black hair frozen in the wind.