Reborn in the 1980s: I became a stepmother in the 1980s Ⅱ

Part 234 Neighbor

Li Jiajia stomped her foot in frustration. "Whatever, it's just this rundown place, and it's far from the military district. I can let go of ninety-nine of my worries." Liu Dongdong felt an inexplicable sense of relief upon hearing this. For some reason, she didn't want Si Nian to have a better life than her. Si Nian was sent to the countryside, while she, coming from a rural background, had managed to establish herself in the city. Liu Dongdong felt a bit superior about it, as if her advantages extended beyond just this situation. Looking around, the place did seem quite old, which made her feel somewhat relieved. While it was lively here, it couldn't compare to the luxury of the new district. Still, the houses were well-built; no wonder Li Jiajia said the wealthy used to live here.

"Let's go, forget about her. We need to hurry back; Brother Fu Yang will be off work soon." Thinking about having to deliver food to Fu Yang, Li Jiajia pushed Liu Dongdong along, disregarding Si Nian. Liu Dongdong had wanted to sneak a look inside, but seeing Li Jiajia like this, she decided not to say anything and just left.

...

Si Nian returned home and headed straight for the kitchen. The house was old, and the kitchen had a traditional stove with a large iron pot mounted on top. Nowadays, not many people in the city cooked over an open fire; most relied on coal and electricity. Still, there were some dry branches stacked to the side, likely sent over by Zhou Yue Shen.

Si Nian quickly got a fire going and prepared the meal. She was quite skilled at this by now, finishing in just a few minutes. The kitchen had a chimney, so the smoke didn't linger in the house. Before long, the once-empty home was filled with the enticing aroma of cooking.

Si Nian cleaned the fish, shrimp, and crabs she had bought. A few kids had never tried crab and had been eyeing it all day, so she decided to get some for them. Surprisingly, even though this wasn't a coastal city, crabs were quite expensive. But no matter the cost, when it came to food, Si Nian never held back. Plus, she had a craving for crayfish, so she bought a good amount of those too.

Si Nian planned to make steamed crab, garlic crayfish, and fish soup. The fish soup was nutritious and packed with protein. Since today marked her first day in the new place, she wanted to treat her hardworking partner. The thought of Zhou Yue Shen made her smile softly.

Before long, the delicious aroma wafted through the house. A child from next door, peering from the second floor to watch a big dog, began to sniff and whine, straining to see into Si Nian's home. "It smells so good! What is that smell?"

...

Just as Si Nian finished steaming the rice, someone knocked at the front door. She opened it to find a woman in her fifties holding a small child, who gazed longingly at her home. The scene startled Si Nian for a moment, reminding her of the first time she visited Zhou Yue Shen's house, where Aunt Zhang stood with a little Shitou in the same way.

However, the difference was striking; the woman wore a patterned silk dress that, while outdated, clearly indicated high quality.

The woman's hair was neatly styled, adorned with a simple jade hairpin. Her face bore the marks of time, yet her skin was fair and well-maintained, exuding vitality. She looked every bit like the wealthy matriarch one might hear about in tales. The little boy beside her was dressed in a blue tracksuit, featuring a logo that was a luxury brand of this era. He was about the same age as Xiao Han, and quite adorable.

As Si Nian sized them up, they were doing the same to her. She stepped forward, opened the door, and greeted them politely, "Hello, may I ask who you are?"

"Hello, I'm from the house next door. I saw you moving in today and wanted to come over to say hello. By the way, my last name is Jiang; you can call me Aunt Jiang or just Aunt. This is my grandson, Jiang Jiu." The woman returned the greeting graciously, her voice warm and friendly.

Si Nian blinked in surprise. "Oh, you're our neighbor! I'm sorry; we just moved in today and haven't had the chance to introduce ourselves yet."

"Aunt Jiang, hello! I'm Si Nian," she said.

Aunt Jiang looked puzzled. "Si? Aren't you relatives of the Wang family?"

The Wang family had moved away four or five years ago, leaving the house empty since. When she saw someone moving in, she naturally thought it was someone from the Wang family. She didn't expect it to be someone with the last name Si.

Si Nian explained, "We bought this house; we're not relatives of the Wang family." Aunt Jiang seemed to understand now. "Oh, that makes sense."

"Hello, big sister! Your house smells so good, and you have a big dog!" The little boy, seeing he was being overlooked, let go of his grandmother's hand and stepped forward, looking up with enthusiasm.

Si Nian was taken aback for a moment, then smiled. "Hello, little friend! This is my dog, Da Huang."

Hearing the commotion, Xiao Lao Er rushed out and quickly spotted the boy standing in front of his mom, hands behind his back, looking quite obedient. His eyes widened in recognition. "Ah! It's you!"

"Ah! It's you!" they both exclaimed, pointing at each other.

"Grandma, I want to play with him!" Without waiting for permission, the little boy dashed toward Xiao Lao Er, extending his hand proudly. "Hello, I'm Jiang Jiu."

Xiao Lao Er was momentarily confused. "Jiang Jiu?"

"No, it's Jiang, with 'J' for Jiu," the boy clarified.

"Ha ha, your name is so funny! It's not like mine. I have two names and a nickname, so I have three names! I'm the one with the most names in our village!" Xiao Lao Er boasted, his nose in the air.

Si Nian could only chuckle at their innocent banter.

Si Nian awkwardly turned to Aunt Jiang. "I'm sorry, Aunt Jiang. This child doesn't know better; I'll teach him later." Aunt Jiang just laughed, "Ha ha, it's fine. They're just kids."

Jiang Jiu's eyes widened with envy. "Really? Why do you have so many names?" Xiao Lao Er hesitated, unsure, but in front of his admiring audience, he confidently replied, "Maybe it's because I'm awesome! I'm the fastest runner in my class."

Si Nian couldn't help but smile.

Xiao Lao Er continued, "You can just call me Xiao Lao Er; my parents like that." He explained further, "I'm not called Xiao Lao Da because I have an older brother. Otherwise, I'd be the oldest."

Jiang Jiu looked even more envious. "Wow, that's great! You have a brother. I only have a younger brother."

Xiao Lao Er, feeling slightly insulted, quickly shifted the topic, eager to share more about himself.

After telling the story behind his three names, Jiang Jiu rushed to his grandmother, declaring, "Grandma, don't call me Xiao Jiu anymore!"

His grandmother raised an eyebrow. "Then what should I call you?"

Jiang Jiu puffed out his chest, nostrils flaring. "Call me Xiao Lao San!"