1990s: Spring Water Family

Chapter 279 Write a plaque for the door: Spring Water Family

"Kneel down and kowtow."

Gu Bin teased him with a smile, "Sixth Grandfather might give you a courtyard house out of respect for your sister."

"Old Beijing's courtyard house?"

Chen Xiaoyi has a thick skin; he immediately tried to kneel down.

"Suburbs of Jinan."

Gu Bin laughed jokingly: "A courtyard house in Dajinzhuang."

"Uh."

Chen Xiaoyi was embarrassed, his knees remaining in a half-kneeling position, which looked quite comical.

"Pfft."

"Hahahaha"

Rui Rui couldn't help but laugh so hard she almost fell over.

-

With the little koi fish, the children are even happier. Watching the little fish swim around in the water, they can sit by the fish pond for an entire afternoon.

During a break from cutting clothes, Lin Xiyu watched the babies playing freely through the window and listened to their cheerful, childlike voices. All her fatigue vanished instantly.

Under the guise of seeking advice from his brother-in-law on game development, Chen Xiaoyi visited the old house every single day.

"Sis, Grandma's birthday is coming soon."

That day, he came from his maternal grandmother's house again. Instead of going to the study, he slipped into his sister's room first: "Sister Leilei asked what our plans are, how we're going to celebrate Grandma's birthday."

"Isn't it customary to spend the holiday at Grandma's house?"

Lin Xiyu put down the scissors in surprise: "Why doesn't the whole family just get together, buy a birthday cake, and have a meal? What other tricks does she want to play?"

"Sister Leilei said that your family has a lot of people this year, with four babies alone."

Chen Xiaoyi chuckled and repeated his cousin's exact words: "Grandma's living room is too small; there's not enough room for so many people."

"Then we'll have to go to a restaurant."

Lin Xiyu thought for a moment and then said, "Or we could come to the old house. We can set up a few tables in the courtyard and sit under the shade of the trees to cool off."

"Don't let your maternal grandparents' relatives come to your house."

Chen Xiaoyi genuinely cared about her sister: "It's not good to keep bothering you. Serving a whole family a meal is exhausting, even if you have a nanny."

"If they don't come to the old house, I have no other choice."

Lin Xiyu rubbed her sore shoulders and said with an embarrassed smile, "All my energy is occupied by paper cutting right now. My mind is blank and I can't think straight."

"You're only thinking about applying to be the successor."

Chen Xiaoyi understood: "I don't care about anything else."

"You should discuss it with your cousin."

Lin Xiyu smiled apologetically: "I don't mind, anything is fine. We can eat at a restaurant, and my family can chip in. My cousin and I can split the cost, so you don't need to pay anything."

"Okay, I'll tell my cousin when I get back."

Chen Xiaoyi smiled happily when he heard that he wouldn't have to pay.

When do you plan to go to Shanghai?

Lin Xiyu couldn't stand his spineless attitude and looked away in disgust.

Chen Xiaoyi gave an awkward laugh: "After Grandma's birthday."

Did Mom agree?

Lin Xiyu's question hit the nail on the head.

"She has no time to care about me now, she's too busy making money."

Chen Xiaoyi said with a hint of resentment, "As soon as I'm not home, someone takes over my place."

You mean Zhang Juan, right?

Lin Xiyu understood immediately: "She is Nana's cousin. She is a very unfortunate child. She was born into the wrong family. If it weren't for your brother-in-law and Sister Leilei bringing her back, she would have suffered a lot with those parents."

“I heard it from Sister Lei Lei.”

Chen Xiaoyi was both amused and exasperated: "I don't think she's being nosy, it's just that it's a little strange to suddenly have another person in the house."

"So you moved to your grandma's house?"

Lin Xiyu teased him with a smile, "You're causing trouble for Grandma."

"I didn't want to either."

Chen Xiaoyi laughed awkwardly: "You have no idea how scared I was when I got off the train late at night and saw a tomboy wandering around the house without the lights on. My hair almost stood on end."

"Tomboy?"

Lin Xiyu couldn't help but laugh when she heard him describe Zhang Juan like that.

Chen Xiaoyi kept complaining: "Her hair is shorter than mine, what else could she be but a tomboy?"

"You don't need to complain anymore."

Lin Xiyu suppressed a laugh and said, "She'll be starting junior high in September. Sister Leilei said she'll be living at school, so she won't be taking up your room."

"Let her do whatever she wants."

Chen Xiaoyi said nonchalantly, "Anyway, I'm going to Shanghai soon. There's nothing going on at home, so I won't be coming back often."

"Wow, time flies! You're going to Shanghai too."

Lin Xiyu sighed, "I still remember what I was like when I first went to Shanghai. Back then, I was just like you are now, full of wonderful dreams for the future."

"Unfortunately, the gap between reality and imagination was too great, and I couldn't make it. I came back with a lot of regrets."

"My sister is back, and you're leaving again, just like the ebb and flow of the tide, the cycle of generations."

-

"You still have a house in Shanghai, don't you?"

Chen Xiaoyi tentatively advised, "You haven't completely broken away from that circle. You can go back anytime you want."

"By the way, speaking of houses..."

After being reminded by him, Lin Xiyu finally got to the most important thing: "When you go to Shanghai, do you want to stay at my sister's house? That riverside house is empty, you can go and stay there."

"No."

Chen Xiaoyi refused decisively: "Your apartment is too big. It's a bit creepy for one person to live there. I'll stay in Xingyao Building instead. There are plenty of rest rooms for duty officers. I can just make do for one night."

"Staying for one night is fine, but staying there all the time won't do."

Lin Xiyu glared at him irritably: "Aren't you going to shower and change your clothes? Don't let yourself get all scruffy and unkempt, making you unpleasant to look at."

"So what?"

Chen Xiaoyi didn't take it to heart: "Aren't all Hao Ge and the others like that? Compared to them, I'm more concerned about my image."

"You can't do it this way."

Lin Xiyu was a little worried, concerned about his future image: "Those guys like Li Hao are over thirty and still single. Don't follow their example. Mom is counting on you to get married soon and have a big, fat grandson."

I'm only 21.

Chen Xiaoyi didn't take it seriously: "There's no rush to get a wife, it's too early to talk about having children now."

"Didn't you have a girlfriend in college?"

Lin Xiyu, taking advantage of being the older sister, openly inquired about gossip.

"No."

Chen Xiaoyi said with embarrassment: "The girls I liked didn't like me back, and the ones who liked me, I felt we weren't compatible. So I've been single for three years."

"You're quite picky."

Lin Xiyu teased him with a smile, "A girl likes you, and you're not happy about it?"

"Sis, actually I think I'm quite traditional at heart." Chen Xiaoyi didn't want to be misunderstood by her sister, so she felt it was necessary to explain herself: "I like quiet and gentle girls, not the loud and boisterous kind with flashy hair. To put it bluntly, I'm looking for a virtuous wife and loving mother type. She doesn't need to be very pretty, as long as she has a good temper, is understanding, and can tolerate some of my little flaws."

"so"

Lin Xiyu smiled knowingly: "The girl who likes you is the second type?"

"Uh."

Chen Xiaoyi was a little embarrassed, and after stammering for a long time, he finally managed to say three words: "I guess so."

"What does it mean?"

Lin Xiyu was dissatisfied: "You even kept it from your sister, that's so unethical. I'm not going to take care of you anymore."

"Hey, sis, I didn't mean to hide it from you."

In his haste, Chen Xiaoyi stammered dramatically: "Actually, well, there's really nothing between her and me, nothing to explain."

"Alright, I won't ask anymore."

Lin Xiyu suppressed a laugh and said, "I'll let you off the hook for now, lest you really become a stutterer and Mom will blame me again."

"Xu."

Chen Xiaoyi escaped unscathed and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

-

For the sake of her younger brother's image, Lin Xiyu strongly urged him to move into her home and requested that a housekeeper come to clean his room at least once a week.

Chen Xiaoyi initially didn't want to go, and just as a rebellious thought began to emerge, his brother-in-law's words silenced him.

Gu Bin heard the siblings arguing from the yard and only said through the window, "If you don't listen to your sister, you're not allowed to go to your internship." The room immediately fell silent.

-

"That's why they say everything has its counter."

Afterwards, when Lin Xiyu talked about this with Gu Bin, she couldn't help but laugh when she thought of her younger brother's expression at the time: "That brat Xiaoyi, you're the one who has to deal with him. A hundred words from me are not as effective as one word from you."

"That's because you didn't pinch the right spot."

Gu Bin laughed mockingly: "To strike a snake, you must strike its vital spot. If you grab its neck, it's helpless."

"So, I'm still too soft-hearted."

Lin Xiyu chuckled, then pretended to be fierce and waved her fist: "If this kid dares to disobey again, I'll beat him up."

"Ah."

An uncle who was playing with his nephew in the yard suddenly felt a chill down his spine and sneezed, covering his mouth.

-

A spring was unearthed in the old house, and my cousin was overjoyed. Upon hearing the news, she specially canceled a dinner party and came over for a stroll.

"Tsk tsk."

She went straight to the fishpond as soon as she entered the house, craning her neck to look inside, and couldn't help but marvel: "It really is a spring! Just like Pearl Spring, it's bubbling up in strings. Your family is going to be famous now. You should hang a plaque at the front door and find a calligraphy master to write a few big characters: 'Spring Water Family'."

"Why hang a plaque on the door?"

Lin Xiyu covered her mouth and laughed: "Are you trying to make sure everyone knows? We just want to have a few more days of peace and quiet, we can't afford such a big publicity stunt."

"Xi Yu, don't you think there's something strange about this?"

My cousin looked away from the water and smiled meaningfully.

"What are you thinking about now?"

Lin Xiyu rubbed her arms a few times, then chuckled and scolded, "You're so mysterious, your smile is creepy."

"You think so."

My cousin didn't notice her little actions and was still lost in her own thoughts: "In 93, on the day of your college entrance exam, you saved someone, right? Because of that, you participated in the filming of the documentary 'The People of Springs,' and from then on, you became connected with springs. You married Gu Bin, lived in the old courtyard house, and now you've unearthed a spring. Isn't this all part of fate? God has arranged everything, and you have to follow the steps He has laid out. Even if there's a slight deviation, He can correct it for you."

"do not talk"

Lin Xiyu was speechless at her charlatan-like remarks: "What was supposed to be a happy occasion has become quite unsettling after your explanation."

"Just listen to me."

My cousin chuckled and said, "I really think so. You see, you put in so much effort to develop your career in Shanghai, but in the end you still felt disheartened and left that place of heartbreak. It's like there's an invisible thread pulling you back no matter how far away you are."

“It’s not all bad things that have happened to me in Shanghai.”

Lin Xiyu was both amused and exasperated: "The principal called me a few days ago, wanting me to go back to teach. If it weren't for applying to become an intangible cultural heritage inheritor, I would be a university teacher now."

"That's exactly what I wanted to say."

My cousin reacted incredibly quickly, blurting out, "Didn't you hesitate before? Were you unsure if your decision was the right one?"

"Now I'm telling you, it's 200% correct. Trust your sister, she's willing to say this. Jinan is your lucky place. Staying here to develop is the best choice for you."

-

"You're just being wise after the event."

Lin Xiyu looked disgusted: "This happened so long ago, what's the point of bringing it up now?"

"Hey, hey."

My cousin laughed awkwardly, then complained to her, "I didn't mean to be a hindsight expert, but it's because you were so unfair. You didn't tell me about something so important, and I only found out from Grandma after so long."

Is Grandma still blaming me?

Lin Xiyu immediately wilted upon hearing her grandmother's name, losing all her previous bravado.

My cousin asked, puzzled, "Why would Grandma blame you?"

Lin Xiyu looked guilty: "She always hoped that I could go back to teaching and have a stable job."

My cousin realized: "That's how the older generation thinks."

"Has the venue for Grandma's birthday banquet been decided yet?"

Lin Xiyu wanted to cheer up her grandmother: "How about we stay at the old house? I'll cook a few of Grandma's favorite dishes myself to apologize to her."

"also."

My cousin hesitated for only a second before agreeing without hesitation: "Your family is already doing well, and now you have a spring. When Grandma finds out, she'll definitely be willing to come."

"Then it's settled."

Lin Xiyu's eyes lit up with joy: "I'll have Gu Bin go to the seafood market tomorrow and buy some fresh seafood. Grandma likes to eat yellow croaker, so I'll make her a braised yellow croaker dish."

"I'll also buy some prawns, swimming crabs, oysters, clams, and scallops."

My cousin didn't hold back at all, rattling off several of her favorite seafood dishes. Finally, she added righteously, "To apologize to Grandma, you have to be sincere."

Lin Xiyu: "."

Just say you like this kind of thing.

There's no need to beat around the bush like that.

-

The arrival of a spring in the courtyard was a joyous occasion, and Grandma was indeed delighted to hear it. On her birthday, she arrived at the old house early in the morning, accompanied by her filial sons and grandsons.

"Eeya, ya"

The babies were playing by the fish pond when they saw a large group of people rushing in through the gate, which startled them a little.

"Peace and joy, do you still remember your great-uncle?"

The uncle was well-prepared to coax the baby. As soon as he entered the door, he took out a handful of milk candies to lure the little cutie.

"whee."

With the milk candy, the babies weren't scared anymore, and they happily clutched the candy.

"Xi Yu, you really know how to raise children!"

"These four children are so well raised, they're all chubby and healthy, and they're so adorable."

My aunt and uncle's wife were also very fond of the baby and fought over who would hold him.

(End of this chapter)