Chapter 2

"Xiao Yu... you're here..." Just as Jiang Yuan was curiously looking at the beautiful girl in front of him, and the girl was also staring at him in amazement, an elderly voice came from behind them.

Both of them turned their heads to see an old man holding a towel walking out of the house, chuckling, "Xiao Yu... don't you recognize him? This is your Xiao Yuan brother, he just came back yesterday..."

"Ah... uh... you... you're Xiao Yuan brother..." Hearing the old man's words, the girl was taken aback again, and after looking at Jiang Yuan once more, she finally came to her senses. Her face instantly turned a rosy pink, and she cutely frowned, calling out to Jiang Yuan and then lowering her eyes, seemingly embarrassed to look at him any longer.

The old man walked over, smiling at Jiang Yuan with a look of deep affection in his eyes. He handed a towel to Jiang Yuan and said, "Xiao Yuan... quickly dry yourself, don't catch a cold..."

Seeing the towel being handed to him and hearing the familiar voice, Jiang Yuan's body trembled slightly. Then, looking at the smiling old man, his eyes welled up, and he trembled, "Grandpa..."

Hearing this familiar call, the old man's hand also trembled slightly, and he said in a trembling voice, "Good... quickly dry yourself... don't catch a cold..."

"Um..." Jiang Yuan nodded vigorously, then took the towel from his grandfather and rubbed his face vigorously...

"Xiao Yu... are you bringing Ming Grandpa some dumplings again?" The old man looked at the thermal box in the girl's hand and chuckled, "Your family always thinks of this old man... next time, just keep them for yourselves. Do you really think I'm so old that I can't even find something to eat?"

"Ming Grandpa... what are you saying..." Xiao Yu lightly stomped her foot, a hint of pique appearing on her delicate and gentle face. Then she glanced cautiously at Jiang Yuan, who was drying his face with the towel, and her face turned slightly red again. She said in a clear voice, "Ming Grandpa, Xiao Yuan brother is finally back... now you don't have to worry anymore..."

After saying this, Xiao Yu placed the thermal box in the old man's hands and smiled, "I didn't know Xiao Yuan brother was back. I'll go back and bring him a bowl of dumplings, and I'll also tell my parents. They will be very happy too!"

"Oh... no need, no need..." Jiang Yuan was about to say no, but Xiao Yu had already quickly run out of the courtyard gate.

"This child..." The old man smiled and shook his head, then looked at Jiang Yuan and said, "Xiao Yuan... go change your clothes, then come and eat the dumplings. Xiao Yu's mother is very good at making dumplings, they are very delicious..."

"No... no... Grandpa, you eat..." Jiang Yuan waved his hands repeatedly and then walked into the house to change his clothes.

Walking into the room, he opened the somewhat old but spotlessly clean wardrobe. Seeing the neatly folded clothes inside, which still had a fresh scent, clearly indicating they were often taken out to be washed and aired, Jiang Yuan's eyes instantly reddened.

Seeing Jiang Yuan come out in a clean set of clothes, the old man carefully examined him and nodded in approval, "Xiao Yuan, you've grown taller..."

Jiang Yuan stretched his arms slightly to make the tight T-shirt fit better. Looking at the old man's already white hair, his heart ached. He thought, if he hadn't been able to come back, what would have happened to the old man in front of him...

Seeing his beloved grandson sitting opposite him, with a neat short haircut and a face that had become much more handsome and strong, the old man felt very gratified. However, he didn't ask about Jiang Yuan's experiences over the past three years or why he had suddenly appeared at home. The current situation was indeed a bit strange, and he was afraid that asking the wrong question might have the opposite effect. If Jiang Yuan wanted to talk, he would do so on his own.

The old man smiled and handed Jiang Yuan a pair of chopsticks, then pointed to the thermal box on the table, "Xiao Yuan, are you hungry? Try them... Xiao Yu's mother is very good at making dumplings, they are very delicious..."

"No... no... Grandpa, you eat..." Jiang Yuan shook his head repeatedly, unwilling to eat first.

Seeing Jiang Yuan's reluctance, the old man smiled slightly, put down his chopsticks, and said, "That was Xiao Yu from next door. Her family moved here from elsewhere a couple of years ago... they are a very nice family. After I treated her father, we became very close, and they often bring over some of their homemade food!"

The old man sighed, "These past two years, while you were away, I really relied on this child to visit me often..."

Jiang Yuan nodded guiltily and said softly, "Yes... Grandpa, I shouldn't have gone on that trip..."

"Child... it's good that you're back. These past few years... you haven't wasted your time abroad. At least... you've grown stronger and more mature. Grandpa is very happy..."

At this moment, the two of them were sitting in the courtyard, talking about some intimate matters. Suddenly, a cheerful but somewhat low voice came from outside the courtyard gate, "Old Jiang... congratulations, I heard Xiao Yuan is back..."

Hearing this, the old man turned to see a tall, thin middle-aged man walking in and smiled, "Thank you, thank you..."

"Xiao Yuan... this is Uncle Li... these past two years, your grandpa has been taken care of by Uncle Li's family!"

Looking at the middle-aged man with a slightly sallow complexion but a very approachable demeanor, Jiang Yuan smiled, stood up, and nodded politely, "Uncle Li... thank you for taking care of my grandpa. Please, come and sit down!"

"Oh oh... no need, no need... saying this makes us seem too formal. We are neighbors, no need to be so polite... cough cough..." Uncle Li smiled and looked at Jiang Yuan, then laughed heartily, "Indeed, you are handsome and talented... no wonder Old Jiang always said you were handsome and sensible from a young age. Now that I see you, it seems Old Jiang didn't do you justice... cough cough..."

Hearing the middle-aged man's somewhat heavy cough, the old man's face changed slightly, "Old Li... did you do some heavy work these past two days? I told you to be careful. Your old injury needs to be slowly treated for a year, or it will be hard to recover if it gets worse!"

"Oh... it's nothing, nothing..." Old Li laughed dryly, "I just moved a few boxes upstairs yesterday, used a bit of strength... I'll be fine after resting for two days, cough cough..."

Seeing Old Li's face turn slightly red after coughing, the old man sighed lightly and then turned to Jiang Yuan, "Xiao Yuan... go up the mountain later and see if you can find some old ginseng and wild notoginseng... I'll make a few more doses of medicine for Uncle Li. The Chinese medicine in the pharmacy these days is not very effective, it's hard to achieve the desired results!"

"Ah... okay, Grandpa... I'll go up the mountain later..." Jiang Yuan nodded in agreement. He could see that Uncle Li had likely suffered a serious internal injury in the past, which had damaged his lungs and had not fully healed. He needed old ginseng to replenish his vital energy and wild notoginseng to promote blood circulation and resolve stasis. So, he quickly agreed.

Seeing Jiang Yuan nod, the old man smiled at Old Li, "Old Li, I'm old and can't go up the mountain to find good medicine for you anymore. Now that Xiao Yuan is back, he used to climb mountains and gather herbs with me when he was young, so he is familiar with this. If he can find some old ginseng and wild notoginseng, your injury will be well treated in three to five months..."

"Oh... Old Jiang, that's too much trouble. Going up the mountain to gather herbs is not easy... I'll just buy some medicine from the pharmacy. If the medicine is less effective, I'll just take more doses!" Hearing the old man's words, Old Li was initially delighted but then thought of something and quickly said.

Seeing Uncle Li's concern, Jiang Yuan understood that he was worried about his safety. He smiled and said, "Uncle Li, don't worry. I've been gathering herbs with Grandpa since I was young, it won't be a problem..."

Just as Old Li was about to speak, Xiao Yu came in again, carrying a large porcelain bowl filled with steaming hot dumplings.

Seeing his daughter bring another bowl of dumplings, Old Li quickly chuckled, "Old Jiang... Xiao Yuan... come, come, eat quickly... they won't be as good if they get cold..."

The two of them hadn't eaten anything early in the morning, and the smell of the dumplings made them feel hungry. So, they didn't hesitate and started eating after the old man called them.

Jiang Yuan picked up a dumpling and took a light bite. The rich and mouth-watering aroma mixed with the flavor of the dough filled his mouth and nose, making it indescribably delicious.

Poor Jiang Yuan, who had been abroad for years, fleeing from place to place, mostly ate coarse and simple food. He had no chance to taste such authentic Chinese cuisine, especially since Xiao Yu's mother's dumplings were even more exquisite, making Jiang Yuan almost swallow his tongue.

Seeing Jiang Yuan eating heartily, the Li family father and daughter couldn't help but smile. Especially Xiao Yu, who watched Jiang Yuan eating the dumplings with big bites, her beautiful big eyes often twinkled with a smile.

Hearing that Jiang Yuan, who had been missing for three years, had returned, the neighbors all came to congratulate the old man. Over the years, the old man had saved many lives and helped many people, earning a lot of goodwill. Especially during the three years when Jiang Yuan was missing, he treated people for free, earning a high reputation and great respect in the community.

The old man and his grandson had been living together, and finding his grandson was a great joy. People who had received the old man's help within a few miles often came to visit, bringing gifts like an old hen, a bag of eggs, or a bag of dried mushrooms...

The people in this rural mountain village were so simple and honest. If you did them a favor, they would always remember it...

However, some of the village boys also came to the Jiang family's courtyard gate, peering curiously inside.

"Hu Zi... this Jiang Yuan, after a few years abroad, has really become a pretty boy..." A boy with a round face stared at Jiang Yuan in the courtyard for a few moments and snorted.

Hu Zi glanced a few times and also snorted, "A pretty boy is just a pretty boy. Can he be eaten? Look at what he's wearing, clearly old clothes. He couldn't even afford new clothes abroad, so he must not have done well. Who knows where he came back from, probably begging!"

"Uh... you're really sharp, Hu Zi. I thought he came back looking good... spit... let's go to the next door. Xiao Yu is back, let's go talk to her!"

"Hmph... Bao Zi, Xiao Yu is very high-maintenance. She won't pay attention to you," Hu Zi looked at the round-faced boy with a sidelong glance and sneered.

Bao Zi grinned, "Let's go... even if she doesn't pay attention to me, we can still look at her..."

"Alright... let's go and see... that girl is getting more and more beautiful..."