Chapter 304 A ghost town

Many villagers had moved to the city, and few returned, so the place looked deserted, as if they had walked into a ghost town.

Occasionally, they’d come across a few adults gathered together chatting, or a few children playing and roughhousing.

Those returning from the city clearly had a different demeanor from the villagers who had lived there all their lives.

So the appearance of Alana and Stephan naturally caught the villagers’ attention.

One middle-aged woman, looking at Alana curiously, said, “Isn’t that... Lana, the Martin family’s granddaughter?”

Alana recognized the woman as the neighbor who often brought her grandmother treats.

“Aunt Rosa, it’s me.”

Aunt Rosa realized who she was, “It really is Alana! I haven’t seen you in ages. You’ve grown so beautiful... I almost didn’t recognize you. But aren’t you working in the city? Why are you back home?”

Alana replied, “My grandmother is sick. I came home to check on her and visit my home while I’m at it.”

Aunt Rosa nodded. “Oh, right. Your grandmother’s sick. How is she now? Is it serious?”

“She’s out of danger for now. We just need to take good care of her from here on out.”

“That’s a relief.”

Aunt Rosa couldn’t help but glance at the man standing beside Alana, eyeing him curiously. “And this is...”

Alana glanced at Stephan and introduced him, “He’s my boyfriend.”

Hearing this, Stephan couldn’t help but let the corners of his mouth turn up slightly.

“That’s right, I’m Alana’s boyfriend.”

Aunt Rosa was surprised. “Oh my, your grandmother was always asking when you’d bring a boyfriend home. I never thought you actually would! This young man is really handsome...tall and well-built. He looks like a city guy, isn’t he?”

Alana nodded. “He is from the city.”

Aunt Rosa said, “Lana, you’ve made a great choice. City folks are the best. If you marry into the city, you won’t have to come back to the countryside and suffer.”

Most people in the countryside prefer city life. They haven’t seen much of the world and think that anyone who can live in the city is a cut above the rest.

It seems that was how most people in the countryside think.

Alana smiled but said nothing more.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with Aunt Rosa, Alana continued leading Stephan deeper into the village.

They ran into a few familiar faces along the way, and Alana greeted them all.

When asked about Stephan by her side, she told them honestly that he was her boyfriend.

Stephan asked with a smile playing at the corners of his mouth, “Lana, you tell everyone I’m your boyfriend. If I don’t come to ask for your hand in marriage and bring you home, won’t that make me a total jerk?”

Alana blushed slightly. “If I didn’t say you were my boyfriend, I bet you would have started throwing tantrums.”

Stephan chuckled, “Then why don’t you just say I’m your husband? I’d be even happier if you said that.”

Alana blushed and whispered, “Wait until you come back next time to ask for my hand in marriage.”

Stephan’s eyes lit up, looking almost incredulous. “What did you say?”

Alana bit her lip, struggling to contain her shyness. “I said, when you come to ask for my hand next time, I’ll... introduce you that way.”

Stephan was thrilled; he felt every cell in his body buzzing with excitement, radiating his exhilaration.

He gripped Alana’s shoulders and stared intently at her face. “So, does that mean you’ve decided to marry me?”

Alana blushed and said, “It’s still too early for that. Let’s wait until my grandmother is discharged from the hospital and I return to back to the city to meet your parents first.”

After all, she didn’t know if his parents would approve of them. If his parents didn’t approve of her, there was nothing she could do.

Stephan smiled and couldn’t help but pull her into his arms.

“Alright, once we’re back in Beijing, I’ll take you to meet my parents.”

Alana hugged him back, a smile spreading across her face.

A group of children ran over and, seeing the happy couple embracing, couldn’t help but tease them.

“How embarrassing!”

“So embarrassing! Hugging right out here on the street!”

Alana, being a bit shy, couldn’t help but nudge Stephan’s chest. “Okay, stop hugging me.”

Stephan said shamelessly, “I’m hugging my wife. Those little brats just can’t have what they want, so they’re just jealous of me.”

Alana playfully punched Stephan and scolded him.

“We’re almost at Grandma’s house. Let’s hurry up.”

They turned a corner and arrived at Grandma’s house.

The door was a pair of wooden double doors, locked, yet easy to push open.

Alana took out her keys and unlocked the door. What met their eyes was a charming little courtyard.

The little courtyard was usually tended to with care by Grandma, who had planted all sorts of flowers, plants, fruits, and vegetables.

It was lush and full of life. Several fruit trees stood in front of the gate: lychee, peach, pomelo, and a grapevine supported by a trellis in the corner.

There was also a swing swaying beneath the lychee tree.

Alana’s memories were immediately stirred.

She remembered how, as a child, she used to envy the other kids who got to eat fruit, while she didn’t.

That child would hold the fruit up in front of her to show off.

“Alana, my parents bought me some fruit today. You don’t have any, do you?”

“You don’t even have a mom or dad, so of course no one would buy you fruit!”

“You’re so pitiful...you have nothing!”

Alana would run home in tears.

Her grandmother saw how upset she was and asked her why she was crying.

She didn’t tell her grandmother the real reason; she just told her that she wanted fruits, she wanted to eat lots and lots of fruits.

As soon as Grandma heard this, she took her out to buy some fruit without a second thought, and she even bought a few fruit trees to plant in front of their house.

Grandma cared for them with great love, and the trees grew tall and strong. Every year they bore an abundance of fruit, and she never went without again.

There was also a swing, which Grandma had made for her.

Whenever she felt bored, she would sit on the swing while Grandma pushed her from

behind.

There was also a small vegetable patch.

Every day, Grandma would water and harvest the vegetables in the garden, while she played nearby, catching crickets and grasshoppers, getting her hands and clothes covered in mud.

Grandma saw this, but she never scolded her; she just wanted her to have fun.

Come to think of it, Grandma was truly very patient with her.

Stephan noticed Alana’s eyes gradually welling up with tears. He furrowed his brow, immediately pulled her into his arms, and cupped her soft cheeks. “Why are you crying?”

Alana’s eyes welled up with tears. “It’s nothing.”

“It’s just... this place holds so many memories of me and Grandma. Thinking about the house being demolished someday... I just feel a little reluctant to let it go.”

Stephan gently ruffled her hair with his large hand and said affectionately, “If you’re reluctant, then we won’t tear it down.”

Alana blinked. Just because she couldn’t bear to tear down the house, did that mean she didn’t have to?

She might not be able to, but Stephan might have the financial power to make it happen.

Still, the deed was still in her possession; she hadn’t handed it over yet. She’d wait until she received official notification from the government before deciding what to do.

Alana took Stephan’s hand. “Come on, I’ll show you my room.”

The room Alana had lived in as a child was small, but it had plenty of natural light. She hadn’t stayed there in a long time, but the room was spotless and tidy.

Clearly, her grandmother had taken excellent care of it.

The room was small, so there wasn’t much space for furniture.

There was just a 1.5-meter bed, a wardrobe, a desk, and a chair.

There were a few old books on the desk.

Those were the textbooks she’d brought home after graduating from college; she hadn’t had time to put them on the bookshelf yet.

Opening the drawer, she found some girl’s combs, a small mirror, and hairpins inside.

The small mirror even has a crack in it.

She no longer used many of these things and had even thrown some of them away.

She hadn’t expected her grandmother to have secretly retrieved them and put them back in the drawer.

As she rummaged through the drawer, she also came across several photos taken when she was a child.