Lin Yan's lips twitched, but she managed to suppress it. This familiar sense of pressure. Who hadn't been lectured like this as a child! Even though she had gone abroad at a young age, she had heard plenty of such rhetoric.
"I even carried you," "Do you still remember me?", "Do you know what you should call me?"
This situation had occurred at her wedding with Ye Hao in the previous world. However, since she was the bride, they hadn't chatted for long. To her surprise, she found herself experiencing it again in this new world.
Was it true that elders in every world spoke to the younger generation this way? Perhaps with no common ground, this was the only way to find a topic of conversation!
"Third Great Uncle!" Lin Yan called out obediently.
"Good, good, good. Your grandfather entrusted you to me, so you are my granddaughter. Come, let me introduce you." The Third Great Uncle said excitedly and proceeded to introduce everyone in the family.
He had three sons: the eldest, Wu Wei Guo, was married to Li Xiu, and they had two sons. The second son, Wu Wei Dang, was married to Zheng Fang, and they had one son and one daughter. The third son, Wu Wei Jun, was married to Yang Mei, the middle-aged woman who had pulled Lin Yan in earlier. They also had two sons. She was called "Fourth Aunt" because she had a second great uncle, who had since passed away.
Her second great uncle had two sons, who were her eldest maternal uncle and fifth maternal uncle. The Third Great Uncle had already sent a cousin to call them.
Her maternal grandfather was actually a second cousin to these two brothers. However, due to their frequent interactions, they were very close, no different than real brothers.
After her eldest and fifth maternal uncles and their families arrived, a group of people crowded into the main hall. Lin Yan met more relatives.
Her eldest maternal uncle, Wu Yong Jun, was already quite old, in his fifties. Her fifth maternal uncle, Wu Ai Min, was younger, only in his thirties.
Lin Yan's mother was the only girl of that generation and the most accomplished, as becoming a university teacher was truly remarkable in that era.
Lin Yan's five maternal uncles were all very kind to her, and her aunts appeared amiable on the surface. This was likely related to the gifts her maternal grandfather sent back each year. Of course, her maternal grandfather also received many things; the affection was mutual.
However, the numerous male cousins in the room gave Lin Yan a headache. Fortunately, her memory was good, and she managed to remember everyone in a short period.
"Third Great Uncle, it's getting late. I need to return to the educated youth point. I have to work tomorrow!" Lin Yan said to her Third Great Uncle, looking at the sky that had already completely darkened.
"Return where! Stay at home. You can share a room with your cousin Qiao Jie. Tomorrow, I'll have your brothers help move your things over!" the Third Great Uncle said, displeased. He couldn't imagine his eldest grandson having a granddaughter return and then staying elsewhere; how could he explain that to his elder brother!
"Yes, Yan Yan, you should stay with me. I've always wished for someone to share with!" a young girl next to the Second Aunt said happily.
She was the only girl of her generation and had always envied families with sisters. Now that Lin Yan was here, she no longer needed to envy others.
"Third Great Uncle, that might not be ideal. I still need to return at night. If you're worried, my cousins can escort me. I'll talk to the people at the educated youth point first before discussing moving in," Lin Yan persuaded gently.
"Yes, Father-in-law. Yan Yan arriving so abruptly might lead to gossip from those gossips. We can go together tomorrow to pick Yan Yan up and let everyone know she's your granddaughter. That would be wonderful!" the Fourth Aunt said, speaking very diplomatically.
As expected, her words made the Third Great Uncle relent. He then called two grandsons to escort Lin Yan back. Lin Yan's Second Aunt even brought her some food from the kitchen, saying it was in case she got hungry at night and to have something to tide her over.
Lin Yan was sent back to the educated youth point by her two cousins. Along the way, they asked many questions. However, judging by their attitude, they seemed quite welcoming of their suddenly appearing cousin.
When Lin Yan returned to her room, Yuan Kang Mei was still awake. "Lin Yan, where have you been? Why are you back so late?"
"Visiting relatives," Lin Yan replied without elaborating. She then used the leftover water to wash up quickly.
Perhaps it was due to the gene optimization fluid, but she felt her constitution had improved, and she seemed more resistant to heat. She hadn't sweated much all day.
"You have relatives here?!" Yuan Kang Mei sat up in surprise.
"Yes, relatives from my maternal grandfather's side," Lin Yan said, not saying much more. After emptying the water, she returned to her bed and lay down.
"Then why didn't you go yesterday?"
"I just arrived yesterday, and I didn't know where they lived. I found out their address today after asking others."
"Sigh, how wonderful!" Yuan Kang Mei sighed. "It's so good to have relatives in such an unfamiliar place! I wish I had relatives too, at least I wouldn't be alone!"
"It's alright, aren't we educated youths like a family!" Lin Yan consoled. "Go to sleep, we don't know what work we'll have tomorrow!"
Lin Yan closed her eyes, her mind replaying the original owner's memories. In the previous life, the original owner worried about burdening her uncles and therefore didn't contact them too much.
However, she had received a lot of care from them, especially from her cousins, who had helped her with a great deal of labor. Without them, the original owner wouldn't have made it to the college entrance examination. Later, the original owner also became very close with her relatives here, actively helping her uncles with strategies, and her cousins' futures all turned out well.
But after the male protagonist was reborn, the original owner was always tied down by family matters and couldn't help her uncles. Her uncles also didn't want to trouble her, and eventually, their contact became less and less frequent.
Lin Yan didn't believe the original owner would burden her uncles now. The original owner's worry stemmed from being scared in the city. Lin Yan considered for a long time. She couldn't stay at the educated youth point; otherwise, she didn't know what the male protagonist might do. It was impossible to be on guard against a thief for a thousand days.
She couldn't live alone in the village either. Even if the village head approved a homestead for her, the safety issue alone meant she couldn't live alone. Therefore, her uncles' homes were the best option.
Although her Third Great Uncle's family still lived together, they had actually separated their households. From her memories, apart from the Fifth Aunt, the other aunts were quite easy to get along with.
Moreover, she had money and coupons. Although not much, it was enough for her to eat. Her health was good now, and she could work in the fields to earn work points. She should be able to support herself.
Thinking this, Lin Yan gradually fell asleep.
In the early morning, Lin Yan woke up before Yuan Kang Mei again. She looked at the sky, didn't wake her, and took her used clothes to the river to wash.
By the time she finished washing her clothes and returned, everyone had already washed up and was preparing to eat. Lin Yan first hung her clothes to dry, then went to the kitchen to serve rice and ate with everyone in the courtyard.
"Um, I will probably be moving out of the educated youth point today," Lin Yan said to Xu Hua Sheng, who was eating.
"Why are you moving out of the educated youth point? Where will you live after moving out?" Xu Hua Sheng asked, frowning.