บท 39: Long Family's Land

Su Ruan grabbed one of her luggage and followed Ma Yu Xi to her assigned bedroom. They went to the second floor and Ma Yu Xi began to talk to her a little bit about the house. As they walked around the house, Su Ruan could not help but look around.

Her grandparents' place was big and clean. There was a small garden in the middle of the courtyard which Su Ruan thought was pretty interesting. The sounds of water from the manmade pond were relaxing. Just staying here for a few minutes had already made her feel rejuvenated.

After walking for a while, Ma Yu Xi finally stopped in front of the door. She turned around and smiled. "Sister Ruan, this is your room." She pointed to the closed door on the right and said. "This one is second aunt's bedroom. She especially wanted you to stay closer to her."

Ma Yu Xi pushed the door open and went in. She placed the luggage on the floor and said. "What do you think?"

Su Ruan stepped into the room with her mouth slightly agape.

The furniture and decoration in the room were mostly made of sturdy wood. There was a double bed in the center, a large wardrobe as well as a desk. A potted tree was put on the corner of the room, bringing a little color and life.

"It's beautiful." Su Ruan said after a while.

Ma Yu Xi laughed happily. "I'm glad that you like it. Once Grandma heard that you were coming to visit, she began to busy herself to make you comfortable. I helped her to choose the bedding."

Su Ruan shifted her gaze to the soft green and blue bedding. "It's beautiful."

Ma Yu Xi watched as her cousin checked out the room and finally found the bathroom. She walked over to the window and waved her hand at Su Ruan. "If you think that this room is beautiful, then you should look at the scenery."

Su Ruan came out of the bathroom and walked over to her cousin's side.

Her breath stuck in her throat the moment she saw the scenery outside the window.

They were on the second floor and had a wider view of everything outside.

From where she stood, Su Ruan could see the tall trees ahead. In the orchard, a few workers were busy tending after the trees. A little farther ahead was the lake that she had seen earlier.

The sounds of the birds chirping were melodious. The wind blew gently to her face. Su Ruan thought that if she stood in front of the window for a long time, she might as well fall asleep.

For a moment, she almost could not believe that she could witness such a beautiful scene before her. Su Ruan started to wonder just why did she wait for too long to return to this beautiful place.

Su Ruan continued to look around the place while Ma Yu Xi told her a little bit about the place and the orchard.

As she looked around, Su Ruan's gaze fell on a building on top of the hill not too far away from them. She pointed towards that area and asked, "What is that place?"

Ma Yu Xi followed her line of gaze and smiled. "That… is the Long family's old residence." She pointed towards the hill area and continued. "Actually, that whole area was a part of the Long family's residence. You see that fence over there?"

Su Ruan looked at the fence that separated her grandfather's orchard and the forest area. "Uh-huh." She nodded.

"That is the divider that separated Grandpa's orchard from the Long family's land."

"And we're not supposed to walk past the fence and trespass?" Su Ruan guessed.

Ma Yu Xi laughed. "That's not what I was going to say. It's fine if you walked over that area. The Long did not mind it and there were a few spots in the woods that was very pretty. As long as we don't go up to the residential area, it's fine."

Su Ruan raised her brow as if she could not believe her cousin's words.

"Of course, I would not suggest you enter that area alone," Ma Yu Xi said. "I don't want you to get lost in the woods. If you wanted to look around, I will bring you another day." She began to make plans for both of them. "Later, I will take you to the lake to swim. Sister Ruan, you can swim, right?"

Su Ruan was about to reply when her mother appeared at the door.

"Su Ruan, how do you like your room?" Ma Zheng Zheng asked.

"Mom, it's beautiful. I like it very much."

"I'm glad." The smile on Ma Zheng Zheng's face widened. She snapped out of her thoughts as she remember the reason she came to find her daughter. "Lunch is already prepared. Let's go and eat together. Your Grandma and Grandpa are waiting."

The three of them walked together to the dining area.

When they arrived, Su Ruan recognized that there were a few more familiar faces in front of her. Ma Zheng Zheng quickly introduced them as her eldest uncle, Ma Xin Yu, and his wife, Lu Yi.

Su Ruan greeted her uncle and aunt and took a seat around the table.

An older auntie walked into the room to help her grandma serve some food. Soon, the feast began and the family began to eat happily.

Ma Zheng Zheng picked her daughter's favorite vegetable dish and placed it in her bowl. "Come, eat a little bit more. You are too skinny."

Su Ruan had gained a little weight after eating too much during the festivity but seeing that everyone was in a good mood, she began to eat a little bit more.

"That's right, Su Ruan, you haven't told us how long are you planning to stay in this town," Ma Zheng Zheng spoke. "It's rare for you to return. At least, stay around for a week."

Su Ruan bit at her lips and hesitated. "Then, would you mind if I stay longer?"

"Of course, not!" Ma Hao Dong spoke. "This is also your house. You can stay for as long as you wanted to. Grandpa and Grandma would be happy to have you around."

"Thank you, Grandpa."

"But what about your work?" Ma Zheng Zheng finally noticed another problem. "Would your boss not mind if you take a long vacation?"

Her hand tightened around the chopsticks. "Actually, I quit my job before the New Year." Su Ruan explained a little bit about her job but did not get into too much detail.

Everyone around the table looked at her in surprise. They turned to look at each other but in the end, no one asked more about this matter.

"That's fine too." Ma Zheng Zheng said. "Then, you can stay here and accompany us. Just take your time."