After winter set in, the weather in the Capital got colder with each passing day.
The recent snowfall made Anning even more reluctant to go out.
Still, she had classes to attend and needed to study in the library, so there was no helping it; she had to bundle herself up in thick clothes and head out.
Anning was dressed like a ball, making her way to the library.
With the wind and snow intermingling, the snowflakes hit Anning's face, making her shiver and hunch her neck.
She pulled her scarf up to cover most of her face, revealing only her eyes, before braving the steps forward.
She hadn't gone far when someone called out, "Anning, you've got a letter."
It was a classmate of hers.
Anning turned around with a smile on her face, "My letter? Thank you for bringing it to me."
The classmate handed Anning the letter: "Are you heading to the library? I'm going too, let's go together..."
So, the two walked side by side.
By the time Anning got to the library, she finally felt a bit relieved.
She picked up some books, found a spot to sit, and warmed up for a bit before taking off her scarf and thick cotton-padded coat and placing them aside.
Anning didn't start reading immediately but opened the letter instead.
The letter was sent from home, dictated by Lin Aiguo and written by Lin Anping.
It said that the greenhouse vegetables at home were growing well; just chives and some green vegetables had sold for a good sum of money, and now they had harvested quite a bit of cucumbers and beans, part of which had been sent to the county and city, selling well. They expected sales to be even better by the New Year.
Seeing that her family had made some money, Anning's heart was happy, and a smile graced her face.
She read the letter again before putting it away to settle into her studies.
When the twelfth lunar month arrived and final exams were over, Anning started packing her things to go home.
She had bought her train ticket in advance and made a phone call to Xue Feng; they agreed to return home together.
After the school holiday began, Xue Feng specifically came to pick up Anning. He helped her with her luggage, and they rented a car to the train station together.
Anning sat in the van, smiling as she looked out at the bustling traffic, chatting with Xue Feng from time to time.
Traffic jams are common in the Capital, and driving on its roads is generally slow-paced. Anning had good eyesight and could see everything clearly through the window.
While looking at a road sign, out of the blue, she caught sight of Lin Anjie not far away.
Anning was startled; she hadn't expected Lin Anjie to be in the Capital.
Moreover, Lin Anjie wasn't alone; a man stood beside her, wearing what looked like an expensive cashmere coat, short and rather plump, and seemingly quite a bit older than Lin Anjie.
The man had one arm around Lin Anjie's waist, leaning over and whispering something to her.
Lin Anjie was coquettishly laughing and flirting with the man.
Anning watched them, a flash of complexity in her eyes.
"What are you looking at?"
Xue Feng, noticing Anning's focused gaze, leaned over to take a look.
"Nothing."
Anning didn't want Xue Feng to see Lin Anjie in that way; he was a good person, and she didn't want him to feel upset.
However, Lin Anjie and that man were too eye-catching, and Xue Feng caught sight of them instantly.
Seeing Lin Anjie flirting in the arms of a man much older and corpulent, his feelings for her might have faded, but the sudden sight still made him uncomfortable.
Xue Feng turned his face away, not looking anymore.
Anning said nothing, and the car quickly drove past the scene, with Lin Anjie disappearing from view when they looked out again.
The two of them were quite silent for the rest of the journey.
It wasn't until they boarded the train that Xue Feng spoke up, "How did she change so much? She doesn't seem like herself."
Anning settled her luggage and sat down in her seat, "How would you know what she was originally like?"
Xue Feng was stunned.
It took him a while to let out a sigh, "You're right, maybe she has always been like this, it's just that none of us have seen it clearly before."
Then, after a while, Xue Feng expressed his relief, "Luckily, I didn't elope with her back then."
Anning was momentarily taken aback.
She stared steadily at Xue Feng.
Xue Feng was somewhat flustered.
Awkwardly rubbing his face he said, "Well, uh, I spoke without thinking. Lin Anjie and I had a thing, and before she got married, we even discussed eloping."
Anning did not probe further.
It was only then that Xue Feng breathed a sigh of relief, "Don't tell anyone else about this, okay?"
Anning nodded, "I won't blabber about it."
After a long train ride followed by a bus transfer, Anning was genuinely tired by the time she got back home.
Lin Aiguo helped her carry her luggage into the house, and Anning just sat on the sofa, reluctant to move.
This sofa, which was new from this winter, was fairly soft and comfortable to sit on. Anning felt so comfortable that she just slouched against the back of the sofa and collapsed there.
Wang Cuixhua, seeing her sprawled out, couldn't help but laugh, "Alright, I know you're exhausted. Just sit and don't move; we'll eat in a bit."
Anning rubbed her stomach, "I'm starving, mom. You have to make something delicious for me."
"Definitely, definitely."
Laughing, Wang Cuixhua said, "Knowing that you were coming back today, your dad specially prepared a chicken and bought a big piece of ribs. Plus, we have the vegetables we grew ourselves. You'll have enough to feast on in a while."
While they were talking, Lin Anping came in with a plate of tomatoes, "Sis, try the tomatoes we grew. They're really tasty."
Anning was tempted, she picked a bright red tomato and bit right into it.
The skin of the tomato was very thin, her teeth easily punctured it, and then the sweet and sour juice flowed into her mouth, not only delivering a delicious explosion to her taste buds but also moistening her somewhat parched throat.
Anning, with a face full of enjoyment, finished a tomato and reached out for another.
Wang Cuixhua slapped away her hand, "Save some room for dinner."
Anning gave Lin Anping a wink.
Lin Anping gestured in understanding.
When Wang Cuixhua stepped out and came back in, she was carrying a full basin of potato ribs, while Lin Aiguo brought in a dish of braised chicken with mushrooms.
Then, Lin Anping brought over a dish of smashed cucumbers and tomato with scrambled eggs, alongside a plate of fried green vegetables.
A big bowl of steaming white rice was brought to the table, and Wang Cuixhua served Anning first, "Hurry up and eat, then go see your grandparents after."
Anning was truly famished and started wolfing down the fragrant dishes.
After having her fill of meat, she focused on eating cucumbers and green vegetables.
During the winter at school, she mostly endured with just simple carrots and cabbage, so now that she was back home, she especially enjoyed these fresh and crunchy greens.
Lin Aiguo, seeing Anning eating so deliciously, had a smile on his usually stern face.
He occasionally tucked some ribs and pieces of chicken onto Anning's plate, softly urging her to eat more.
After dinner, Lin Aiguo talked about some of the changes that had taken place at home over the winter.
This winter, the Lin Family had made a fair amount of money thanks to their greenhouse vegetables, and they had been able to purchase quite a few new items for the home.
With money in hand, Lin Aiguo wanted to renovate the house.
He discussed with Anning what kind of house to build.
Anning told Lin Aiguo not to rush, mentioning a high school classmate studying architecture in the Capital; she planned to find time to ask her friend to help design some blueprints. She also said that since the family house was going to be built, they should do it properly in one go and build something nice.
Lin Aiguo worried about not having enough money, but Anning laughed and told him they could just save up for a little while longer, to wait until they had enough before building, rather than skimping on costs and ending up with an unsightly and poor-quality house.
Lin Aiguo felt that Anning, a university student, was a knowledgeable person and was very willing to listen to her advice.
Furthermore, building a house in the countryside was a big deal, and he also felt that since they were going to build, they should do it well. So, he agreed with Anning's idea.
Afterward, Lin Aiguo also mentioned that many families in the village, seeing that they had made money growing greenhouse vegetables, were now interested in doing the same and asked what Anning thought about that.