Nagging

After parking the carriage in the backyard of the noodle shop and locking the door, the group walked towards the market.

Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling, were a little reserved initially, but they gradually relaxed under the influence of the few older sisters.

Shu Botong was still as thick-skinned as ever. It didn’t take long for him to hit it off with the group. Being polite was Xiaoguo’s biggest misunderstanding of him. He was, in fact, a very thick-skinned man.

Although it was not as fun during the day as it was at night, the group still played from morning till afternoon. After having a meal in between, they went out again.

As evening approached, lanterns slowly lit up the streets.

The group sat in a teahouse on the second floor and looked out of the open window. The entire street looked extremely beautiful.

“Sigh, this is so nice. I haven’t taken a break in a long time.”

Ruyi stretched and said with a satisfied look on her face.

“Have you been feeling exhausted these days?”

Xiaoguo thoughtfully placed the snacks that the shop assistant had just served in front of Ruyi.

“The workload is still the same in the shop.” Ruyi scooped a mouthful of snacks into her mouth with a spoon. “It’s just that I haven’t taken a break in a long time.”

“Mmm, this is so delicious!” Ruyi exclaimed, sweeping away her fatigue from earlier and pointing excitedly at the snacks on the plate. She finished them all in just a few bites.

Xiaoguo looked at her helplessly, before passing her own portion to Ruyi. She didn’t forget to remind her, “You must make sure to balance work and rest. Your health is important.”

Ruyi smiled at her in embarrassment and continued eating. “Got it, Sister Xiaoguo…”

Jiang Danhe was paying attention to Xiaoguo at all times. Seeing that there was nothing left on her plate, he seamlessly placed his portion in front of her.

However, Xiaoguo did not notice his actions. She was still immersed in her ‘preaching’.

“You’re so young. You shouldn’t wear your body out. Although youth is your asset, it’s not infinite. Life is your most valuable capital…”

Ruyi nodded as she ate. She looked like she was listening, but occasionally, she looked like she was not paying attention. Seeing this, Xiaoguo quickly changed the topic and worked on the others in the group.

“All of you, remember this. Don’t think that youth equates to good health. Moderation is key. You have to remember that health comes first. Everything else should come after your health. Do you understand?”

The others who were originally watching the street scene, suddenly found themselves getting pulled into the conversation. They could only avoid Xiaoguo’s gaze and pretend to look focused on their food.

Xiaoguo looked like she had more to say. She had no choice. Once she started talking, she couldn’t stop herself.

Ruyi finally finished her snacks and looked up at Xiaoguo. She said happily and helplessly, “I know, I know. We all know…”

“But, speaking of which.” Ruyi smiled at Jiang Danhe. “Brother-in-law, don’t you think Sister Xiaoguo has been nagging quite a lot recently?”

The others nodded silently. That was right.

Jiang Danhe replied without thinking, “I don’t think so. She nags out of concern for you guys.”

The corners of Xiaoguo’s mouth curled up as she nodded gently. That’s right, that’s right. She was concerned about them…

Ruyi had to award him with a perfect score for that perfect answer. It didn’t matter if he got too smug about it.

Hearing his response made all the singles among the group blush.

As the only married couple present, was it really appropriate for them to display their affection in public like this?

“Aiyo…” Ruyi looked at him teasingly and then at Xiaoguo. Her eyes were filled with mischief. “Do you really think that Sister Xiaoguo was not slightly more naggy than she was last year?”

Jiang Danhe suddenly remembered how Xiaoguo was like in the previous year. Compared to how she was now, it seemed like she had… changed a little bit.

There was one time when he fell asleep before drying his hair after taking a shower. In the end, Xiaoguo found out about it and scolded him for the entire night. She even listed out a dozen health hazards such as strokes, facial paralysis, and headaches, which were associated with going to sleep with wet hair.

There was also the last time when she found out that he was drinking cold water frequently. She ‘expressed her concern’ for him again, saying that this would cause stomach problems, nerve pain, stomachaches, lung problems and so on.

In addition, there was also the time before the last when he didn’t dry himself off after showering, and Xiaoguo happened to chance upon him, leading to another round of ‘concern’.

There were also countless instances before that.

However, he thought that it was a sign of Xiaoguo’s love for him. If she didn’t care for him, why would she even bother to keep reminding him so patiently?

Jiang Danhe came back to his senses and couldn’t help but smile. Then, he said calmly and firmly, “No.”

He had to protect his wife’s image!

“Oh…” Ruyi didn’t have a way to keep track of time, but she could estimate how long he hesitated. “Brother-in-law, you hesitated for a moment there. That pause was as long as it took to sip a mouthful of tea.”

As she spoke, she pointed to Uncle Xu who was drinking tea at the side. Just when she directed the question at Jiang Danhe, Uncle Xu had brought the tea to his mouth. Jiang Danhe only spoke after the mouthful of tea was completely swallowed.

It was much slower than his speedy reply earlier. It was hard not to suspect that he was lying.

Jiang Danhe panicked for a moment. He subconsciously looked at Xiaoguo and met her gaze.

“Oh no, I can’t explain myself…”

“Well…”

“Ah, Since I’m a year older, it’s inevitable that I have gotten a little more naggy. I’m one step closer to being a centenarian.”

Xiaoguo retracted her gaze calmly and took a sip of the steaming tea. She couldn’t help but reflect on herself. She seemed to have become more naggy recently, but she really couldn’t help herself. She couldn’t help but worry for the people around her. If this continued, she would definitely turn into an old lady.

At the thought of this, Xiaoguo couldn’t help but sigh loudly for her future.

Jiang Danhe was watching her every move, afraid that she might be unhappy. When he heard her sigh so loudly, he was scared out of his wits. Therefore he continued coaxing her cautiously and nervously.

“Sigh, how could you be seventy years old? The most I can say is that you are approaching your thirties.”

Ruyi didn’t understand. Sister Xiaoguo was only in her twenties. To round it off, she was at most thirty? How could she be in her seventies?

Xiaoguo smiled and said, “30 is already in sight. Is 70 that far off?”

“Haha, the way you calculate is too scary…”

Shu Botong put down his teacup and continued, “If you are seventy years old, Anming and I would be ancient.”

“Hey, leave me out of this. I’m a few years younger than you.”

Qin Anming was the first to protest. He was still young.

When Shu Botong heard this, he snorted helplessly and looked around. Xiaoguo, Jiang Danhe, Zhuang Zhuang, Xiao Zhu, and Yu Ling were sitting around him. Sitting across from him were Ruyi, Qin Anming, Xiao Cui, Linglong, and Fu’er. They were not considered adults. The only one who could match his age was Qin Anming, but he simply refused to admit it.

He had no other options. “Then there is only…”

Shu Botong quickly locked onto Uncle Xu in the corner and said with a smirk, “Uncle Xu has not spoken yet. What are you upset about?”

“Hahahaha…”

As soon as he said that, everyone burst out laughing. Even Zhuang Zhuang giggled along with them.

Uncle Xu was the only one who didn’t know what was going on. Seeing that everyone was looking at him, his hand, which was wiping the fog off his glasses, paused. What had happened? He only knew that the green tea here was fragrant and mellow. He was thinking of ordering another pot.

Looking at his indifferent expression, the few of them felt even more amused. At this moment, he seemed to have the mentality that only elderly people have, although he had not yet reached that age.

“Hurry up and eat. The lantern show is starting soon.”

After laughing, Xiaoguo suddenly raised her head and looked outside. The sky had turned dark without them realizing it. The lanterns were now illuminating the streets, and they were all flickering and emitting their own glow.

There was also red paper pasted on the walls. On them were lantern riddles of varying difficulty, waiting for people to solve them.

The few of them quickly finished up the snacks on the table and settled the bill. After which, they headed off to the lantern show.