143: Jiaotou Village

Bai Yan's hometown is called Jiaotou Village, located on the easternmost edge of Island City, and it is an excellent place to watch the sunrise over the sea.

Jiaotou Village, the end of the reef—as the name suggests, it is very remote.

Li Aiguo sat in the back row, looking at Wu Fan's tall and straight figure, liking him more and more the longer he looked.

"Wu Fan, I truly don't know how to thank you. Without your help, I'm afraid I would have gone to the Western Paradise."

His tone was filled with gratitude.

Wu Fan drove seriously. "Grandpa, you're being too polite. You will live a long life."

Hearing this, Li Aiguo laughed heartily. "That's thanks to you."

Bai Yan sat in the passenger seat, silent.

At this moment, she felt inexplicably nervous inside.

Every time she returned to her hometown, trouble always arose.

Her mother, Hu Xiaoqiu, would complain about this and complain about that, always cursing and never showing a pleasant face.

Hu Xiaoqiu had always treated Bai Yan as a burden, an unwanted baggage she couldn't shake off.

Naturally, she didn't have the genuine, heartfelt love that other normal mothers possessed.

If she could just refrain from cursing a few times, that would already be a miracle.

Wu Fan noticed Bai Yan's worried look and asked with a smile, "What's wrong? You're going back to your hometown, why the solemn expression?"

Bai Yan smiled awkwardly. "When you meet my mother, if her attitude isn't good, please don't take it to heart."

She paused before continuing, "You know I've never been well-regarded at home."

Wu Fan nodded. "It's fine. She is your mother, after all. No matter how she acts, I will face her with a smile."

A warmth spread through Bai Yan's heart, and she finally showed a slight smile.

The car drove on the winding mountain road for over an hour before finally arriving.

The tiled house where Li Aiguo lived alone was very old and quite rudimentary.

To the far left was an earthen stove, with firewood piled next to it.

There was a gas stove on the side wall that didn't look like it was used much, likely because Li Aiguo was reluctant to use the gas.

Gas on the island was indeed nearly fifty yuan more expensive per cylinder than outside.

There was only one gas company, operating as a monopoly.

In the middle of the house were a small square table and several long wooden stools, and in the right corner was a bed.

Besides that, there was nothing else of note.

Wu Fan looked at the scene before him, stunned for a moment, and immediately thought of his own hometown.

However, his family's house in his hometown had been renovated a few days prior.

His parents' lives were also much better now.

Since Wu Fan acquired the cashback system, he would transfer money home at irregular intervals.

Sometimes it was fifty thousand, sometimes a hundred thousand, and the largest single transfer recently was five hundred thousand.

All told, the accumulated transfers amounted to well over three million.

He didn't dare transfer too much at once, fearing his parents wouldn't be able to handle it.

After gradually increasing the transfer amounts over a period of time, his parents now completely believed that he was earning a great deal of money and running a large company here.

Now, his parents were also willing to spend money.

Seeing the money in their pockets grow, their confidence had increased.

Even his father, that old miser, now actively bought good things to eat.

All of this brought great comfort to Wu Fan.

Looking at Bai Yan's grandfather's dilapidated house now, it felt as if he had returned to the scene of his own hometown when he first acquired the system, filling him with emotion.

Li Aiguo took Wu Fan's hand. "AFan, you two should go back. You are so busy, and you specifically brought me here. Thank you so much."

"Grandpa, you are too polite. We are family."

Li Aiguo took Bai Yan's hand and placed it into Wu Fan's palm. "AFan, Xiao Yan is entrusted to you from now on."

After speaking, he patted the back of Wu Fan's hand heavily.

Bai Yan's eyes welled up, and she was deeply moved.

"Grandpa..."

She couldn't help but throw herself into Li Aiguo's arms.

Li Aiguo patted her back. "You two hurry back. Grandpa is healthy now, so don't worry."

Bai Yan wiped the tears from her eyes. "Grandpa, if anything happens, call me anytime, okay?"

Li Aiguo nodded. "Grandpa knows. Go see your mother now, hurry. No matter what, she is still your mother."

Bai Yan nodded.

The two of them took a few turns down the village paths and arrived at her mother's house, a two-story stone building.

This type of house is characteristic of the island, built entirely of stacked stones. It is very sturdy, effective at resisting typhoons, and warm in winter and cool in summer.

Bai Yan paused at the entrance. "Brother Fan, maybe you shouldn't come in?"

"Why?"

"I'm afraid Mom will misunderstand and think you are my actual Boyfriend, and then it will be hard to explain."

Wu Fan raised his hand and lightly tugged her thick earlobe. "You can stay out, but that adds ten instances, because you violated the rules."

Hearing this, Bai Yan blushed slightly. "Alright, alright, let's go."

When they pushed the door open, Hu Xiaoqiu was busy in the kitchen, and wafts of fragrance drifted out.

It seemed like she was frying some kind of snack.

Bai Yan carefully called out, "Mom..."

Hu Xiaoqiu looked back through the door crack and said fiercely, "Oh, you're back? I heard you paid for your grandpa's surgery?"

Bai Yan softly murmured, "Mhm."

Hu Xiaoqiu turned off the gas stove, opened the kitchen door, strode out, and cursed, "Are you brainless? Your grandpa is so old, why waste that money?"

"Where did you get so much money? I heard the villagers discussing that the surgery cost one point five or one point six million. Is that true?"

"You wretched girl! If you could get that much money, why didn't you buy your little brother an apartment in the county seat?"

"I really raised you for nothing."

"Why are you back? Get lost immediately! Go back wherever you came from! I don't have an unfilial daughter like you!"

Hu Xiaoqiu stared at Bai Yan, her mouth firing off a barrage of words like a machine gun.

Bai Yan's eyes were teary, and she didn't know how to respond.

She looked back at Wu Fan pitifully, feeling very wronged.

Only then did Hu Xiaoqiu notice Wu Fan standing at the doorway, and her gaze clearly paused.

This man looked tall, handsome, and impeccably dressed; he must not be an ordinary person.

"And you are?"

Hu Xiaoqiu managed to force out a small smile.

Wu Fan's gaze was stern, and he replied coolly, "I am Bai Yan's Boyfriend."

Hu Xiaoqiu scrutinized Wu Fan again. "You paid for her grandpa's medical treatment?"

Bai Yan quickly interjected, "Mom, it has nothing to do with him."

She was terrified that Hu Xiaoqiu would start cursing Wu Fan as well.

Hu Xiaoqiu had a volatile temper and would flare up easily.

"Bai Yan, you can't fool me. With your capabilities, how could you raise that much money?"

Wu Fan wrapped an arm around Bai Yan's shoulder and spoke calmly.

"Auntie, I heard that she hasn't spent a single penny of the family's money since middle school. So why are you still so harsh on her? And why do you keep demanding that she send money home?"

"She is still just a college student. Where is she supposed to get money? In a normal family, shouldn't the parents be providing her living expenses?"

"She is already very capable, working odd jobs and tutoring to support herself. What right do you have to demand that she take care of the family's finances?"

While Wu Fan said these words, he wore a slight smile, speaking slowly, methodically, and logically...