msmithbooks Chapter 234 The generational hierarchy is indeed a bit messy.
Chapter 234 The generational hierarchy is indeed a bit messy.
Chapter 234 The generational hierarchy is indeed a bit messy.
The BMW drove smoothly on the road leading to the Lianhe Zaobao building.
Along with the slight tire noise, Lao Lin's cheerful laughter reached Yu Huan's ears.
"I brought two packs of cigarettes, just enough for your old man to smoke."
Yu Huan gripped the steering wheel and slowly pressed the accelerator, gradually increasing the car's speed.
He stared intently at the road ahead and said, "Dad, it's just a simple lunch, there's really no need to bring anything."
"Your grandfather is still alive, so you should still show some courtesy."
Old Lin chuckled softly, his tone filled with ease and contentment:
"Besides, these cigarettes were taken from the factory by your mother, they're not worth much."
"Is it not allowed to circulate in the market?" Yu Huan asked curiously.
"Yes, the cigarettes come in a pure white package, but they actually contain premium Baisha cigarettes. It's just that the taste might be a little different from what's available on the market," Old Lin explained.
Upon hearing this, Yu Huan jokingly brought up the old man's shortcomings: "Is it that special? Knowing my grandfather's personality, he would definitely show it off outside. Doesn't that matter?"
Old Lin smiled and said, "There are actually quite a few of these so-called white cigarettes out there, but nine out of ten are fake."
“If it was Mom who made it, then it must be genuine!” Yu Huan paused, then continued with a hint of doubt, “But speaking of which, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Dad smoke it?”
Old Lin shook his head slightly and said humorously, "It's not good for me to smoke this kind of cigarette outside. At home, let alone smoking, even if I light a lighter, your mother will come over to see what I'm doing. Usually, she takes it away to give away."
Upon hearing this, Yu Huan couldn't help but smile broadly.
The father-in-law and son-in-law chatted idly, and soon the little BMW gradually slowed down and stopped on the roadside outside the dormitory of the unit behind the Morning Post building.
Old Lin took out his phone from his pocket and made a call:
"Hey, Brother Xu..."
"Xiao Yu and I are already waiting outside..."
"What's the trouble..."
"it is good."
A few moments.
Yu Huan turned her head and saw that the large iron gate of the newspaper office dormitory was tightly closed. Xu, the editor-in-chief, wearing a sun hat and carrying a fishing gear bag, pushed open the side gate and walked out calmly.
He was about to unbuckle his seatbelt and get out of the car to greet him, but Lao Lin laughed and said, "You're the driver today, so I'll get out."
"Okay," Yu Huan nodded in agreement.
Old Lin closed the car door and walked around to the rear of the car.
Yu Huan looked out the car window.
As Lao Lin and President Xu approached, their lips moved slightly, and after exchanging a few pleasantries, Lao Lin helped him put his fishing gear bag into the trunk.
He then warmly opened the right rear door and greeted President Xu with a cheerful chat.
Seeing this, Yu Huan smiled and greeted him loudly, "Good morning, Uncle Xu!"
"Hello to you too. It's been a while since I last saw you. You've gotten even more handsome, Boss!" President Xu joked as he settled into the right rear seat.
After Lao Lin helped him close the car door, he also sat in the passenger seat.
"Uncle Xu, you're joking so much, I almost believed it."
Yu Huan turned her head to look at President Xu's shiny black hair, and gave him a sly look:
"But to be honest, you look at least twenty years younger with this hair dye. You look about the same age as my father-in-law."
Old Lin was fastening his seatbelt when he heard this and jokingly interjected, "Looks like I need to get my hair dyed soon, or I'll really be outdone by this older brother."
Yu Huan turned around and looked closely at the few gray hairs on Old Lin's side: "Dad, you don't need to dye them. I'll just pluck them out for you."
President Xu laughed so hard that the wrinkles around his eyes gathered together. He continued, "The more you pluck gray hairs, the more they grow. It's better not to pluck them. I have a big meeting in a few days, so I can't help it. Even the best hair dye is harmful to your health."
It's true that hair dye is harmful to your health, but there's no scientific basis for the saying that plucking gray hairs will cause them to grow back larger; it's just an old folk saying.
Old Xu probably just said it casually.
Yu Huan smiled, of course he wouldn't act like a know-it-all and talk about science with negative emotional intelligence.
In a few words.
Yu Huan had already driven his little BMW at breakneck speed along the wide road.
Old Lin suddenly turned around and asked President Xu, "Brother Xu, what would you like to eat for breakfast?"
"Let's get two packets of pickled mustard greens." President Xu took off his sun hat and put it aside.
Listening to their conversation, Yu Huan slowed down slightly: "Then I'll drive slower, and stop when I see a steamed bun shop on the side of the road."
He paused, then asked, "Uncle Xu, what is Brother Chen busy with?"
"Him?" President Xu replied with a smile, "He went on a romantic trip with my son."
In Changsha, the kinship term 'zai' is used very frequently, referring to both sons and daughters.
Upon hearing this, Yu Huan nodded slightly in understanding: "No wonder Brother Chen didn't go fishing this time."
Old Lin, who had been intently looking out the window, suddenly said, "Xiao Yu, slow down, there's a breakfast shop up ahead."
"it is good."
Yu Huan immediately turned the steering wheel to the right, driving the BMW toward the curb.
Old Lin touched the seatbelt buckle with his right hand and asked, "Xiao Yu, what do you want to eat? I'll go downstairs and buy it."
"I want two big meat buns."
Yu Huan spoke without thinking, then added after a moment's thought:
"Dad, let's not buy water yet. The fishing spot is inaccessible by car, and we still have to walk for another 10 or 20 minutes. When my cousin brings my grandpa over on her electric scooter later, I'll have her bring it over."
Upon hearing this, Old Lin nodded in agreement: "Okay."
The streets were still very quiet in the early morning, with most shops not yet open, creating a somewhat desolate atmosphere.
A few scattered breakfast shops were brightly lit, and in front of the steamed bun shop, two large stacks of steamers were steaming.
Yu Huan glanced at Lao Lin's back as he bought breakfast through the passenger window.
He then picked up his phone from the armrest and sent a message to Yu Chengcheng:
"When you bring the old man fishing, also buy five large bottles of mineral water, the 1.5-liter kind, and some fruit."
"How are the tangerines at Songnian's house?" Yu Chengcheng replied instantly.
"Okay." Yu Huan typed and sent the message, then added after a moment's thought, "You and the old man can set off now."
I'm already at your doorstep, carrying a small bag of tangerines. I'll buy some water at the convenience store later.
"walk slowly."
The clouds floating in the sky were gradually illuminated by the dawn.
The rising sun burst forth unexpectedly, its fiery rays turning half the sky a blazing red.
Although it was early, there were already a few vehicles parked along the small road leading to the entrance of the Laodao River bend.
These are all people who came to catch the early morning meal.
Some hardcore anglers even arrive at their fishing spots as early as four or five in the morning to bait the area, and in the summer, they need to arrive an hour earlier.
Yu Huan casually swerved the BMW to the side of the road, with half of the car lying on the grass.
After turning off the engine, he casually picked up the unopened plastic bag on the armrest box, which contained the breakfast that Lao Lin had bought for him.
There were not only two large meat buns, but also an egg and a carton of milk.
The three people got off the bus one after another and leisurely walked to the back of the bus.
Yu Huan breathed in the incredibly fresh air, held the plastic bag, took a big bite of half of the meat bun, and sipped her milk in the other hand.
President Xu adjusted his sun hat, his smiling gaze sweeping back and forth between the father-in-law and son-in-law: "You two are really not afraid of getting a tan, aren't you?"
"I only go fishing occasionally, and the sun isn't too strong in winter, so it's okay if I get a little tanned; it actually makes me look healthier."
As he spoke, Lao Lin opened the trunk, unzipped the fishing tackle bag, took out a red plastic bag containing rectangular items, and casually set it aside. Then, he moved his and President Xu's fishing tackle bags out of the trunk and placed them on the ground one after the other.
Yu Huan swallowed the bun in her mouth and asked, "Dad, there's a hat and sunglasses in the glove compartment. Do you want to wear them?"
"I don't need it." Old Lin paused for a moment, then joked, "You should wear it, lest You Rong find out I called you out fishing and you got all tanned and complain to me."
"That's not the case."
Yu Huan couldn't help but chuckle, sucking on the straw as she finished the remaining half-carton of milk, then sighed and continued:
"I'm not really used to wearing hats either."
"Xiao Yu, you're a young man, your image is the most important thing. Once you get tanned, it's hard to get your fair skin back," President Xu teased, bending down to pick up his fishing gear bag.
"I was wearing a baseball cap in the car, but it was too stuffy. I could wear sunglasses though." As she spoke, Yu Huan casually stuffed the remaining buns and eggs into her coat pocket.
Wearing a hat only slows down the rate of tanning; using a parasol is useless as it doesn't block the reflected light from the water at all.
He walked to the passenger seat, flattened the milk carton, and opened the car door.
After placing the flattened milk carton in the car door storage compartment, he opened the front glove box and took out a pair of sunglasses, which he then put on his nose.
It was around seven in the morning, and the light wasn't very strong yet. Putting on sunglasses made it immediately dark.
He had previously tried Lin Yourong's Ray-Ban sunglasses.
It provides a filter-like effect for daytime vision, and you can still see things at night without falling into a pit while walking.
In contrast, the sunglasses I bought from the ten-dollar boutique, though also with gray lenses, show a clear difference between the two.
As long as it works, that's fine.
Yu Huan gently closed the passenger door, and after a moment's adjustment, quickly walked to the back of the car.
President Xu looked him up and down, giving him a thumbs up: "These sunglasses make you look even more handsome, like a movie star. No wonder you're our newspaper's heartthrob."
"You flatter me too much." Yu Huan stopped walking with a smile. "As for whether you're a heartthrob or not, Uncle Xu, I'll take your joke seriously!"
Old Lin closed the trunk, beaming, "Little Yu, help Uncle Xu carry his fishing gear bag. It's heavy and has a lot of stuff inside."
The words have not yet fallen.
Yu Huan then took the heavy, large fishing gear bag from President Xu's hands.
President Xu smiled and continued, "The main weight in this package is the three bran cakes."
"Hmm, I'd estimate it weighs around 30 or 40 pounds." Yu Huan weighed the bag in her hands, then started walking, becoming the leader.
"I didn't bring a fishing umbrella, but that should be about right." President Xu nodded and followed Yu Huan onto the gravel path.
Old Lin quickened his pace, walking alongside President Xu.
He looked around at both sides of the narrow path.
It was winter, and the bushes on both sides were lush but not dense, and the trees were not as leafy as they were in other seasons.
The intermittent cool breeze in the morning rustled through the air.
Old Lin took a deep breath of fresh air and said contentedly, "This is my first time here."
"Of course you haven't been here."
Old Xu strolled leisurely along:
“We used to go to paid fishing spots and reservoirs. My son-in-law heard about this place from his colleague. It has a beautiful environment and the fish are biting better than in ordinary reservoirs.”
Yu Huan, who was walking ahead, said with a smile, "That's right, this is indeed a good place for fishing. Last time I came here with my grandfather, we happened to run into Uncle Xu and Brother Chen."
"Speaking of your grandfather, has he come yet?" Old Lin asked.
Upon hearing this, Yu Huan, unable to resist the urge, almost blurted out the word "Buddha".
Fortunately, he stopped himself in time before he could say it.
The old man wasn't one to drag things out, and he got up early, so he must have been ready and waiting for Yu Chengcheng to arrive.
Yu Huan mentally calculated the time and replied, "We should be there soon."
President Xu is over sixty years old. Although his hair is now dyed jet black and shiny, he is more than ten years older than Lao Lin, so you can't help but think of him as an old man.
Yu Huan carried the heavy fishing gear bag, and because she had to take care of President Xu, she didn't walk very fast on the winding and rugged gravel path.
After walking slowly for about ten minutes, we had covered about half the distance.
Yu Huan gazed at the river through her gray glasses.
The water shimmered, like thousands of tiny mirrors reflecting the brilliance of the rising sun; every beam of light danced and sparkled on the surface—it was absolutely beautiful.
Suddenly, I caught the faint sound of tires rolling over gravel.
He paused briefly, turned around, and looked through the gap between Old Lin and President Xu.
Yu Chengcheng, wearing a straw hat, was seen wobbling along, holding onto the handlebars of a large electric scooter.
The fishing tackle bag stood diagonally on the footboard in front of her.
The old man peeked out from behind her, exchanged a smile with Yu Huan, and said to Yu Chengcheng, "Chengzi, slow down."
Upon hearing the sound, President Xu slowed down and turned around.
Upon seeing the familiar face, he greeted him with a smile: "Brother Yu!"
Everyone stopped.
Yu Chengcheng also slowly brought the electric scooter to a stop.
The old man's gaze seemingly casually swept across Old Lin's face before turning to President Xu, who was greeting him.
After a careful look, he grinned and said, "Brother Xu, you've dyed your hair so black, I almost didn't recognize you."
"Your grandson also said I look ten or twenty years younger."
The old man immediately nodded: "Indeed."
"Grandpa!" Yu Huan called out, then pointed to Old Lin with his palm up and introduced, "This is my father-in-law."
Having received instructions from Teacher Wu long ago, the old man was well aware of the situation today.
This father-in-law of the grandson did not act on a whim; he came prepared.
To show his respect, he stepped off his electric scooter and prepared to greet Lao Lin.
At the same time, Lao Lin took out a box of Furongwang cigarettes from his pocket and took out three sticks.
He first offered a cigarette to the old man who approached, and said with a smile, "Uncle Yu, nice to meet you. Looking at your energy and spirit, you are no less than a young man!"
The old man accepted the cigarette with a smile, his lips twitching as if he was about to say something polite.
When Lao Lin handed the cigarette to President Xu, the latter suddenly interjected jokingly, "Brother Yu, our generational hierarchy sounds a bit confusing!"
“Of course we each do our own thing.” The old man put a cigarette in his mouth and took out a lighter from his coat pocket to light it.
He paused, a smile playing on his lips, and said to Old Lin, "Then I'll call you Little Lin, is that alright?"
"Of course, no problem." Old Lin smiled and nodded slightly.
He turned to look at Yu Chengcheng, who was supporting herself with one foot on the ground and holding onto the electric scooter with both hands: "Is this your granddaughter?"
The old man exhaled a puff of smoke and nodded: "Yes, he's a year older than Huanhuan, just a few months younger."
When Yu Chengcheng saw that the topic had turned to her, she quickly and obediently said, "Hello, uncles and elders."
Although her tone and expression were very obedient, the fact that she was such a big girl sitting on the electric scooter didn't really give off an obedient vibe.
Upon hearing this, Yu Huan was both amused and exasperated: "I have to say, the generational hierarchy is indeed a bit messed up."
The words fell.
Everyone burst into laughter.
The old man strode forward: "Let's go, don't just stand here, let's go to the shore to talk."
(End of this chapter)