Chapter 585 | Chapter 586 | Chapter 587
Chapter 585: A Delicate Boy?
“This… this won’t be dangerous, right?”
Eldest Sister-in-law Gu was a bit worried. Could some ill-intentioned person be tailing them in the dead of night?
“I don’t know about other dangers, but…” Sheng Wanyan trailed off.
Eldest Sister-in-law Gu didn’t catch her drift. Seeing the other vehicle draw closer and stop, someone stepped out. As the figure approached, she suddenly realized what the “other danger” her third sister-in-law spoke of was.
Sheng Wanyan looked at the man outside her car window. Gu Tingxiao had a cold expression. He leaned through the window, pulled out the car key, and said, “Get out.”
Sheng Wanyan got out of the car. Eldest Sister-in-law Gu had already been pulled into the rear vehicle by Eldest Brother Gu, and Gu Jinfang hurriedly scrambled after them.
Sheng Wanyan sat in the passenger seat. Gu Tingxiao looked at her, feeling both exasperated and amused. He was amused that she was playing petty tricks on him and intentionally making him worry, but he was angry that she disregarded safety by driving so fast. This was practically trying to climb a tree before she even learned how to run, without considering whether she had the capability to pull it off.
“Tingxiao.”
“Cough… Sister-in-law will be fine, right?” Sheng Wanyan asked carefully.
Gu Tingxiao looked at her. “You’d better worry about yourself.”
Sheng Wanyan shut her mouth, not daring to look back at the two children, terrified that they would notice her flushed ear tips.
Gu Tingxiao started the car. On the way back, he didn’t look at her and focused on driving, but Sheng Wanyan constantly felt like a wolf was eyeing her.
When they returned home, the older children went to wash up and sleep. Lailai and Maomao had already been coaxed to sleep by Mother Gu. Having been weaned from breast milk, the two babies were very easy to look after.
Gu Jinyu stayed with the twins every day. He was also a fussy, crying baby, and he and Maomao would take turns; the moment one stopped, the other would start.
After taking a shower and returning to her room, Sheng Wanyan immediately closed her eyes to sleep, lest a certain someone unleash his beastly nature.
When Gu Tingxiao returned from his shower and saw Sheng Wanyan already asleep, he laughed out of sheer exasperation. Fine, my little ancestor.
The next morning, Sheng Wanyan woke up at half past six. Having gone to bed at ten last night, she was fully rested. The moment she opened her eyes, however, she felt a heavy weight pressing down on her.
Before she could push it away, her body went soft. Subjected to an relentless onslaught, her limbs turned entirely numb, leaving her without a shred of strength.
“Gu! Ting! Xiao!”
Sheng Wanyan’s cursing was utterly useless. When a man turned into a sly fox, he couldn’t hear a single thing.
An hour later, Gu Tingxiao cleaned her up, coaxed her back to sleep, and changed into his uniform for work. Before leaving, he changed the diapers for the twins, helped Yi Yi into her clothes, and took her downstairs for breakfast.
“Is Mama not getting up?”
“Mama is tired.”
Yi Yi didn’t doubt her father’s words at all. Holding his hand, she went downstairs obediently to eat breakfast.
By the time Sheng Wanyan woke up, it was already half past nine. Everyone in the house was awake, and even the crying, nursing babies had filled their diapers a few times.
Sheng Wanyan went downstairs and finished her breakfast. She saw Eldest Sister-in-law Gu pacing back and forth while holding Gu Jinyu (Chouwa), changing his diaper yet again.
“Sister-in-law, what’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. Chouwa keeps having diarrhea.”
Hearing this, Sheng Wanyan stepped forward to examine Chouwa’s stool. It was watery with mucus and traces of pus and blood.
“Does he have a fever?”
Eldest Sister-in-law Gu felt Chouwa’s forehead. He didn’t have a fever, but his energy was very low, and his crying sounded feeble. “No fever.”
“It’s bacterial enteritis.”
Eldest Sister-in-law Gu was startled out of her wits, and Grandfather and Grandma Gu looked at Chouwa with deep worry.
“I have pediatric anti-infection medicine in my room. I’ll go bring it down.”
Eldest Sister-in-law Gu was too panicked to process her words, but Grandfather Gu immediately urged her to fetch it when he heard she had medicine.
Sheng Wanyan quickly went upstairs, retrieved the pediatric anti-infection medication from her space, removed the packaging, wrapped it in straw paper, and brought it down to Eldest Sister-in-law Gu.
“This medicine is taken once a day, half an hour after lunch. Just dissolve it in water for him to drink.”
Grandma Gu quickly took it to the kitchen to mix it inside a baby bottle, then cradled Chouwa to feed him. Eldest Sister-in-law Gu assisted her. The moment Gu Jinyu caught the scent of the medicine, he grew highly reluctant, but Eldest Sister-in-law Gu didn’t coddle him and forced him to drink it. After fussing and finishing the medicine, he fell asleep shortly after.
“In the future, don’t let him grab toys so often; putting them in his mouth lets all the bacteria in,” Grandma Gu instructed.
Eldest Sister-in-law Gu nodded repeatedly. Chouwa loved playing with a little bronze drum and constantly stuffed it into his mouth.
“What’s wrong with Little Brother?”
When Gu Jinfang returned at noon and saw the sickly Gu Jinyu, he felt rather unaccustomed to it. Usually, his little brother’s loud shouting at noon was the most energetic thing in the house. How was he so quiet today?
“Chouwa is sick. He’ll be fine in a couple of days.” Eldest Sister-in-law Gu ruffled Gu Jinfang’s hair.
Gu Jinfang nodded. Looking at his sick little brother, he was terrified that he would grow up to be a delicate, fragile boy. The mere thought of a delicate little brother trailing behind him in the future, requiring his protection at every turn, made his skin crawl. He rubbed his arms, already getting goosebumps.
“Mom, Chouwa won’t grow up to be as delicate as a girl, right?” Gu Jinfang couldn’t help but ask. If he really turned out to have a delicate temperament, could he just turn into a girl instead?
“What nonsense are you spouting, brat?” Eldest Sister-in-law Gu looked at him with amusement, while Grandfather and Grandma Gu couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Gu Jinfang rubbed his head. Had he said something wrong?
“Brother, I am a girl~” Yi Yi ran over to hug Gu Jinfang, tilting her chubby little face up to look at him with absolute sincerity.
“Right, right, right, you are, you are.” Gu Jinfang pinched her cheek, rubbing his fingers together afterward to savor the texture.
Yi Yi rubbed her own face, and Gu Jinfang watched as she squished her own flesh together. His fingers twitched again…
Chouwa recovered after taking the medicine for two days, resuming his crying duets with Maomao. The house returned to its usual raucous state, and Sheng Wanyan felt that the world was no longer beautiful.
“Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah~”
“Wah, wah, wah, wah, wah~”
The house was entirely filled with the wails of the two babies. Lailai cast a look of pure disdain at Maomao before closing his eyes to sleep.
“I’m heading out.”
“I’m going out for a stroll too.”
Grandfather and Grandma Gu departed one after the other. Gu Jinfang and Yi Yi exchanged a look.
“I’m going to find my friends to play.”
“I’m going to find my little sisters too~” Yi Yi and Gu Jinfang held hands and walked out the door.
Gu Jingjing looked around and spoke to Sheng Wanyan and Eldest Sister-in-law Gu with great politeness. “Eldest Aunt, Third Aunt, I’m heading to my teacher’s place to practice drawing.”
The children departed one after another, leaving Sheng Wanyan and Eldest Sister-in-law Gu sitting on the sofa, staring at the three little ancestors left in the house. Listening to the relentless wailing, Eldest Sister-in-law Gu actually found herself wondering if Chouwa could fall sick just one more time.
“Let’s carry Lailai upstairs; he’s fallen asleep.”
Sheng Wanyan nodded, carried Lailai upstairs, placed him in his crib, and tucked him in with a small blanket. After settling Lailai, she came downstairs to coax Maomao to sleep, but Maomao simply refused to settle down, his little legs kicking relentlessly.
“If you don’t sleep now, I’m going to have your father come deal with you.”
Chapter 586: The Sensation Caused by the New Car
The moment Maomao heard that, he immediately closed his eyes to sleep. Sheng Wanyan seemed to have found the perfect way to deal with him.
She tested this method several times afterwards and found that it worked every single time. Consequently, the house finally enjoyed a prolonged period of peace and quiet.
Time trickled past. On days when Mother Gu had time off from work, she would stay home to help look after the children, which allowed Sheng Wanyan to make trips to check on her two shops in the Capital.
Visiting the clothing store, she listened to the store manager report on the shop’s recent operations and revenue.
“Boss, a lot of customers have been asking if we carry menswear, especially for children. They all want to buy some.”
“We do. The workshop is already producing it, and it will be available on the shelves next month.” Before heading to Hong Kong, Sheng Wanyan had already arranged for the workshop to get on it. Sometimes, menswear could be even more profitable than womenswear.
“Understood, Boss.”
Sheng Wanyan stayed at the shop for the entire afternoon. Seeing that the shop assistants were highly adept at hosting customers, she felt reassured. Checking the time, she noticed it was already four o’clock, so she headed over to the general store, where Father and Mother Sheng were both present.
“Mom, Dad.”
“Wanyan.” Mother Sheng hurriedly pulled her close. Knowing that her daughter had traveled to Hong Kong for academic studies, her heart was bursting with pride.
“Mom, where are Grandfather and Grandmother?”
“Your grandparents went to climb the Great Wall. They said they want to walk around and see more of the world while their limbs are still nimble.”
Sheng Wanyan smiled and nodded. She was genuinely happy that her grandparents could go out and enjoy themselves independently now.
“Wanyan, there’s something I need to discuss with you.”
“What is it?” Noting Mother Sheng’s somewhat hesitant tone, Sheng Wanyan knew it wasn’t a minor matter.
“It’s like this: your dad and I still feel that at your grandparents’ age, they should travel more while they’re still mobile. Staying over at Peking University all the time isn’t as convenient as being in the city proper, where they can stroll around everywhere. Over time, the two elderly folk will get bored. So, your dad and I were wondering if your grandparents could stay in your courtyard house in the city for a period of time, so they can truly enjoy themselves.”
If it weren’t an absolute necessity, Mother Gu would never trouble a daughter who had already married out; after all, she feared her son-in-law might object. The courtyard house back in Nancheng was livable, but traveling from there to the city to explore every day required taking a bus, which was highly inconvenient. Therefore, she and Old Sheng figured that since the shop wasn’t too busy right now and the grandparents were willing to go out, they should quickly make the arrangements.
Sheng Wanyan had thought it was a monumental issue, but turned out it was just this??
“Mom, why wouldn’t they be allowed to stay there? That courtyard house is just sitting vacant anyway. It works out perfectly since we head back on weekends; Yi Yi can even go out to play with Grandfather and Grandmother.”
Seeing her agree so readily, Mother Sheng breathed a sigh of relief, though she still reminded her to seek Xiao Gu’s input. “You should still ask for Xiao Gu’s opinion when you go back.”
Sheng Wanyan nodded. In Mother Sheng’s eyes, if she made a decision entirely on her own without consulting Gu Tingxiao, she would be acting completely thoughtless.
“I know, Mom. Rest assured.”
Mother Sheng nodded. For the sake of the two elders, she was thoroughly willing to put her pride aside.
That evening, Sheng Wanyan brought it up with Gu Tingxiao. Naturally, Gu Tingxiao had zero objections. The weather in the Capital was wonderful right now, so traveling around was perfect.
“My mom was actually worried that you and I wouldn’t see eye-to-eye on this,” Sheng Wanyan mumbled.
Hearing her, Gu Tingxiao looked down at her, his large hand playfully twisting her hair. “Your mother is just worried about you.”
How could Sheng Wanyan not know that? It was just that Mother Sheng was constantly petrified of causing her trouble, when these were her own grandparents. To worry over a minor detail like staying at her house was unnecessary.
Sheng Wanyan reached out to rub Gu Tingxiao’s buzzcut. It was often said that a man’s head and shoulders shouldn’t be touched, but with Gu Tingxiao, Sheng Wanyan faced no such rules. His wife simply loved challenging his boundaries, constantly wanting to test his reactions. She was incredibly playful, yet completely oblivious at times.
Sheng Wanyan: “……”
Sheng Wanyan went to convey the message to Mother Sheng the next day. Upon learning about the arrangement, Grandfather and Grandmother Sheng felt both delighted and apprehensive.
“Grandfather, Grandmother, just go stay at my place for a while. My dad goes to the city proper frequently nowadays anyway, so you can join in the bustling atmosphere at the general store there. There are many shops open in the city, so you two can browse around. Tingxiao and I have agreed that when we return on weekends, we’ll have to trouble you to take Yi Yi out to play.”
Only after hearing these words did Grandfather and Grandmother Sheng agree to move in. Once settled, they ran out to explore every single day. The Forbidden City, the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, the Old Summer Palace, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven, Prince Gong’s Mansion, the hutongs… the two elders familiarized themselves with absolutely everything.
Time slipped past as the two elders enjoyed their travels, and Sheng Wanyan’s family eventually moved back to the vicinity of Peking University, as her classes were about to resume.
Returning to Peking University, their car was packed to the brim with Mother Gu’s continuous care. Although Sheng Wanyan had told her that the general store carried absolutely everything, Mother Gu still couldn’t put her mind at ease.
Gu Tingxiao drove. It was Aunt Hu’s first time riding in a car, and she sat inside completely frozen without daring to move a muscle, looking exceptionally nervous.
“Yi Yi, make sure to sit properly.”
Sheng Wanyan sat in the passenger seat cradling Lailai. Aunt Hu sat in the back holding Maomao and Yi Yi, while Mother Sheng, Pan Yue, and Hu_zi also hitched a ride back. With the children held on their laps, the three adults fit perfectly in the back seat.
“I’m sitting properly~” Yi Yi placed her small hands on her lap. Held by Mother Sheng, she still sat incredibly straight, her small backpack set to the side as her eyes focused dead ahead.
Seeing her posture, Gu Tingxiao’s eyes filled with amusement as he started the car to head back to Peking University.
The family driving a private vehicle back to Peking University quickly caught the attention of the surrounding neighbors, who swarmed out one after another to watch the spectacle.
“Oh my goodness!”
“Is that a private car?”
“My word, how much must that cost!”
The neighbors swarmed around the car to look. Upon seeing Sheng Wanyan’s family climb out, they weren’t too surprised. Who didn’t know that Sheng Wanyan’s family was wealthy? Their business had expanded to the point of opening branch stores.
“Is that your daughter’s car?” a neighbor familiar with Mother Sheng quickly pulled her arm to ask.
Mother Sheng nodded proudly. “Yes.”
Mother Sheng maintained a perfectly nonchalant expression on her face, but the intense pride in her eyes could not be contained no matter what.
“Then why didn’t your two elders return with you?”
“Oh, it’s just that my daughter-in-law, daughter, and son-in-law are far too filial. My daughter-in-law said that while the two elders are still mobile, they should enjoy themselves in the city proper instead of staying home to look after children. She straight-up gave them cash to let the two elders enjoy their blessings; she couldn’t be more filial. And my daughter and son-in-law have a courtyard house in the city, so my son-in-law straight-up insisted that the two elders stay there to enjoy themselves. Buying so many courtyard houses has finally proven to be of some use.”
The crowd: “……” Do you want to re-read what you just said?
Having a courtyard house in the city proper, yet you’re actually acting dismissive about it?
“What about you all? Where did you go to enjoy yourselves over the summer break?” Mother Sheng quickly inquired.
The crowd looked at her with dark faces. Which household possessed that kind of spare cash to go out and travel?! They didn’t even have enough coupons for household use, let alone traveling to the city proper. They weren’t like her family, possessing food, lodging, and spare cash to spend.
Chapter 587: The Professors Scramble for Her
“Hehe… we went too.”
“We went to that, that Tiananmen Square!”
Mother Sheng didn’t expose their lie. When dealing with people, one had to know when to play dumb. Even when you wanted to show off, you still had to leave some face for others, or else no one would listen to you next time.
“Is that so? That’s wonderful then.”
Sheng Wanyan and Aunt Hu carried the two children inside. Mother Gu had come back a few days ago to help clean up the house. Yi Yi ran to help her father carry things. Among the tokens of affection her grandmother had packed were her new clothes and toys.
Gu Tingxiao: “…” A leaky winter jacket indeed.
The car parked at the entrance was still being admired by the neighbors. Some wanted to reach out and touch it, but Mother Sheng stopped them all.
“How much did this car cost your son-in-law’s family?” someone asked curiously.
Mother Sheng didn’t know the exact amount either, but she knew it wasn’t cheap.
“It must have cost at least ten thousand yuan or so…” Mother Sheng guessed.
Hearing this, the crowd was instantly shocked. Their eyes widened as they stared at the sedan before them. Those who had reached out their hands immediately pulled them back.
“What!!!”
“Over ten thousand yuan???”
“Yes, I heard from my daughter that just buying the car alone cost over ten thousand.”
“And those registration procedures and whatnot cost quite a bit of money too.”
There was nothing that couldn’t be said about this. The crowd would find out the price easily enough if they asked around. It was better for her to tell them directly than to let them pry, lest rumors get passed around and twisted into god-knows-what.
“Your son-in-law is far too incredible.”
“Bullshit! It’s clearly her daughter who is incredible.”
“Exactly.”
The crowd stepped forward one after another to praise Mother Sheng for raising her child well. Seeing how quickly everyone changed their faces, Mother Sheng was highly amused.
“Why doesn’t your family buy one too?” an envious older aunt couldn’t help but say sourly.
Mother Sheng retorted without a shred of politeness, “Is a car like cheap cabbage? Why don’t you buy one and show me?”
“Your daughter has made it big, yet she doesn’t even help her maiden family.”
Hearing this, Mother Sheng immediately put her hands on her hips and shouted at the speaker!
“What? Are my son and daughter-in-law dead or crippled?”
“Why would they need a younger sister to prop them up!”
Mother Sheng wanted to say more, but noticing Pan Yue and Hu_zi standing to the side, she didn’t want Hu_zi to pick up her habit of cursing at people. Shifting her tone, she infuriated the other party thoroughly.
“But then again… your son isn’t as capable as mine.”
“You wouldn’t understand this feeling of having household life go so smoothly.”
“You…!”
The aunt opposite her instantly exploded, lunging forward to have a proper debate with Mother Sheng. The surrounding neighbors hurriedly held her back. The aunt trading barbs with Mother Sheng grew even angrier, shouting, “Every single one of you is a snob!”
“Let me tell you! I am absolutely never going to buy anything from your general store ever again!”
Hearing this threat, Mother Sheng’s temper flared. She was actually being threatened now?
“Don’t buy it then, see if I care!”
“If you have the capability, go buy your things in the city proper!”
Mother Sheng didn’t coddle her in the slightest. The aunt hadn’t expected Mother Sheng to be so uncompromising, completely blocking her path forward.
“You!!!”
“What about me! Did I say anything wrong?”
The aunt’s chest heaved with rage, yet she couldn’t do a single thing to Mother Sheng. If she truly severed ties completely, did it mean she would have to endure a three-hour round-trip bus ride to the city to buy goods every day in the future?
“Tch.” Mother Sheng rolled her eyes, leading Pan Yue and Hu_zi back inside the house. Before entering, she turned around to drop one last line.
“If you break it by touching it, you’re paying for it!”
Everyone hastily withdrew their uncontrollable hands. Only a ghost could afford to pay for something worth over ten thousand yuan. Better head home and cook dinner instead.
Sheng Wanyan was already long accustomed to Mother Sheng’s victories, but Yi Yi and Gu Tingxiao stood in the courtyard for a long while, unable to snap out of their daze. Snapping back to reality, Gu Tingxiao looked down at Yi Yi. Yi Yi looked back at him, the little girl looking completely dazed.
“Grandma is so incredible.”
“Mm. Don’t learn from her.”
Yi Yi nodded, completely ignoring her father’s instruction. Instead, she committed Mother Sheng’s words entirely to heart.
Soon, the day classes resumed arrived. Yi Yi continued going to her dance classes, even bringing delicious pastries for Teacher Hu.
Sheng Wanyan returned to the university. On the first day back, the exam results from the end of the previous semester were announced.
“Professor.” Sheng Wanyan greeted Professor Zhao and Uncle Hu.
Uncle Hu was looking at her exam results for her French elective. Although Sheng Wanyan hadn’t become his personal disciple, she had chosen to take his French class as an elective. He placed immense value on her academic progress; rather, there wasn’t a single campus leader who didn’t value her.
“The first-place scorer for the major course is Sheng Wanyan again!”
“And the first-place scorer for French is actually Sheng Wanyan too!”
The students from both the French and Russian majors looked at her with pure admiration. Meanwhile, the professors from other majors within the Foreign Languages Department looked at her with glowing eyes. If she could score first in an elective course, didn’t it mean she could learn their major courses exceptionally well too…?
The professors from the Foreign Languages Department immediately swarmed into the president’s office. Professor Zhao and Uncle Hu argued with everyone for an entire afternoon, strictly refusing to let anyone target Sheng Wanyan!
“Absolutely not. She needs to continue her advanced studies in French; she cannot be distracted by learning other languages.”
“Why not! If she can pursue advanced studies in your French, why can’t she pursue advanced studies in my German?”
“Advanced German my foot! All that gibberish. She should be pursuing advanced studies in my Spanish.”
“Your language is the one that’s gibberish!”
The professors of the Foreign Languages Department bickered fiercely. Looking at the elderly professors, the president of Peking University felt a massive headache coming on. These professors were all older than him; did he even dare to speak up?
“Professors…”
“Shut up! Don’t talk.”
The president shut his mouth, looking weakly at the old professors who were arguing up a storm inside his office.
“I don’t care! If this matter doesn’t get a satisfactory resolution, I am sitting right here and not leaving.” One professor pulled out a chair opposite the president and sat down, putting on a grand display of remaining until dark.
Seeing this, the president hurriedly tried to soothe them, lest he be prevented from getting off work to head home for dinner.
“Professors!!!”
“Speak!”
The president finally secured an opportunity to express his input. He had finally realized that these professors hadn’t come here to seek his approval; they had merely borrowed his office to hold an argument, then instruct him to issue the final directive.
“It’s like this: Comrade Sheng Wanyan is a talent of the university and a talent of the nation. We must naturally cultivate her properly, and we absolutely cannot let such talent go to waste. Please calm down, professors. The university can make an exception for Comrade Sheng Wanyan, allowing her to concurrently study everyone’s major courses.”
Hearing the president’s words, the professors instantly stopped arguing and turned their gazes toward him.
“However, shouldn’t we first consult Comrade Sheng Wanyan’s opinion on this? We can’t force her, wouldn’t you agree, professors?”
The president looked at the professors. The professors exchanged glances, satisfied this time.
“Fine. Go call Comrade Sheng Wanyan here to ask her.”
Seeing that the professors had been appeased, the president breathed a sigh of relief and dispatched someone to call Sheng Wanyan to the office.
