Song Tan’s Chronicle - Chapter 139.1

The car smoothly drove along the road.

Inside the car, Qiao Qiao was sitting in the passenger seat, playing with his new colorful clay — a toy he had just bought in the morning.

In the back seat, Seventh Granduncle was holding a tote bag, occasionally burying his head in it to take a deep sniff. His sneaky behavior was so embarrassing that Seventh Granduncle’s wife had to turn her head to look out the window.

In the back of the pickup truck, various jars and containers were packed tightly together, interspersed with boxes, plastic buckets, and a set of knives wrapped in foam, all stacked up. There was even a huge chopping board, which had been passed down for generations — a slab sawed from an old tree stump. For years, it had withstood every chop and hack without a scratch, still smooth and shiny.

If it weren’t for the absence of bedding, it would have looked like they were moving houses.

Even so, Seventh Granduncle, sitting in the back seat, couldn’t help but comment, “You know, you seem smart, but you did something silly. Why did you waste so much time explaining all that? If you had just brewed this tea for me first, I would have agreed to come with you without a second thought!”

He was clearly pleased with himself.

However, Song Tan, who had flattered him with sweet words earlier, now that she had him on board, revealed her true colors. Far from being as polite as before, she smiled and replied:

“Seventh Granduncle, if I had relied on just that to get you to come, what if Seventh Granduncle’s wife wasn’t willing?”

Gaining trust through reason and emotions was the key to a lasting relationship.

Seventh Granduncle: …

He had gotten a little too carried away earlier, and now he remembered himself. Next to him, his wife gave a cold snort:

“Our old man calls all the shots in this house. What I think doesn’t matter. Even his cabbages on the balcony are more important than my opinion!”

They even uprooted the vegetables to give them away before leaving.

She then turned to speak kindly to Song Tan:

“Tan Tan, our old house hasn’t been repaired in years. Will someone help us fix it?”

Now that they had brought the chef back, and since Seventh Granduncle had even said he didn’t need a salary — just a share of the good food — arranging for the house to be fixed was only right.

Song Tan nodded, “Don’t worry!”

“But everyone is busy planting trees for me today, so fixing the house will have to wait. You’ll have to stay at my place for a night.”

“First thing tomorrow morning, I’ll make sure someone comes to tidy up the house!”

It’s easy enough to prepare a guest room.

In the countryside, there may be little else, but there are always plenty of rooms.

Upon hearing this, Seventh Granduncle’s wife relaxed, and she couldn’t help but start to daydream:

“Oh, it’s been so many years since I’ve stayed there for a while. I wonder if the vegetable garden in front of the house is still overgrown…”

After working in the fields for a lifetime and being cooped up in the city for years, she now felt an urge to plant seeds whenever she saw empty ground.

Her expression was full of joy and anticipation.

Song Tan didn’t say much, instead giving them a rundown of the current situation in their hometown:

“The road to our village isn’t easy, but it’s not too bad either, just a bit narrow.”

When they built the roads back in the day, it was a good while ago. The road was three meters wide, and after years of patching up, it was still navigable.

Just a little bumpy.

“There aren’t many young people in our village now, but there’s a village-to-city bus route that goes from the town to the city every day. Just call ahead, and you can hop on right at your doorstep.”

If there was an emergency, Song Tan would take them herself, but it was good to let them know about this alternative to ease their minds.

Song Tan always thought things through thoroughly.

“Seventh Granduncle’s wife, Seventh Granduncle just didn’t want me to bring up the salary. But now that you two are back, you can’t be working for free, right?”