Chapter 208: Not a Single Step Wasted
The next morning, once her family had packed their things, Ning Xiyue led them to the countryside courtyard house she had rented.
Although she had been “wandering” outside for the past three days, she hadn’t actually gone to check on the progress of the renovations. This would be her first time visiting the place — it was still completely unknown to her.
But she had a secret weapon, so there was nothing to worry about.
After checking out of the guesthouse and walking to the front gate, Ning Xiyue sprang into action.
“System, activate navigation function and plan the optimal route.”
“Ding! Navigation activated. Destination: Host’s courtyard house. Optimal route selected. Total distance: 3 kilometers. Estimated travel time: 30 minutes.”
“Ding! Please continue straight for now, and turn left at the next intersection.”
With the navigation system turned on and the familiar lazy-sheep voice giving directions, Ning Xiyue no longer had to worry about getting lost.
“Follow me, everyone. I’ll lead the way.”
She waved and walked ahead, letting the navigation voice in her head guide her.
The system’s navigation was far more advanced than any modern navigation app — no risk of not finding the destination, no errors in routing, and no “stupid” mistakes.
She could even talk to it in real time to ensure they reached the destination perfectly in the shortest possible time.
System: Our motto is: Not a single step wasted.
Hearing that, Ning Xiyue was reminded of how, in her past life, a certain map app once guided her on a ridiculous detour — circling a massive building for kilometers. Only after thirty minutes of walking did she realize the place she wanted was actually just fifty meters diagonally behind where she’d started, reachable by a small alley in less than five minutes.
It was partly her fault for not zooming out on the map and checking the route herself, but she had blindly trusted the navigation.
That memory was too painful to recall — every time she thought about it, it brought tears of frustration.
“System, I hope your navigation truly lives up to that motto. No detours.”
“Host, please rest assured. Our system is fair and reliable. We’ll never make such rookie mistakes — every navigation journey will be a pleasant experience.”
“I’m counting on it.”
Ning Xiyue trusted the system’s words.
For her first navigation mission, she followed its instructions to the letter.
In the end, the system lived up to its motto — they arrived at the courtyard gate in 26 minutes, a smooth journey that was even four minutes faster than predicted.
“Five-star rating,” Ning Xiyue said internally as she stood before the gate.
“Dad, Mom, we’re here. This is the place.”
She pulled a set of keys from her pocket and unlocked the door.
Ning Hai looked around and smiled with satisfaction. “This is really nice. The surroundings are peaceful and quiet — perfect for reading. And since it’s a standalone house, there won’t be any neighbor disputes. Excellent.”
Yun Xiulan and Ning Qingyuan both nodded, joy sparkling in their eyes.
“Let’s go in and take a look.”
Ning Xiyue unlocked the door, pushed it open, and gestured for them to enter.
“Alright, let’s see it.”
This was also her first time seeing how the place turned out compared to the design renderings — it felt like opening a mystery box, full of anticipation.
She walked in with them, eager to enjoy the sight.
As soon as they stepped into the courtyard, a chorus of “Wows” filled the air.
Ning Xiyue wanted to exclaim too, but since she was supposed to be the one who rented it, she had to maintain her “I’ve seen it before” persona. All her “wow” stayed in her heart.
The entire courtyard was simple but had a certain charm.
Bright red wintersweet blossoms bloomed in the corners, adding beauty and a touch of poetic elegance. On the left side, as Ning Xiyue had requested, a vegetable patch and an orchard were arranged in a staggered, harmonious layout — one in the front and one in the back.
“Wow! Dad, look over here!” Ning Qingyuan shouted, pointing at the upper-right corner of the stone-paved courtyard. “There’s a little pavilion here! And those look like grapevines growing over it. There’s a square stone table and four stone stools underneath — it must be so nice to sit here in the summer evenings!”
Father Ning turned his head to look where his son was pointing and immediately liked the pavilion. Sitting there to read or work would bring a rare sense of peace.
Yun Xiulan wasn’t interested in reading, so the pavilion didn’t excite her much. What caught her attention were the pomegranate and persimmon trees growing in the orchard.
Such large trees — they were sure to bear plenty of fruit next year. It was just a pity they weren’t hers to enjoy.
“Xiyue, this courtyard you rented is amazing. It’s beautiful, and you can grow your own vegetables and fruit. If your father and I could live in a place like this after we retire, living a worry-free life, we’d have no regrets.”
“Mom, you might not even need to wait until retirement. In a few years, you and Dad might have one of your own. Trust me.”
Ning Xiyue held her mother’s hand firmly. “Your daughter will work hard to save money and give you a good life.”
Hearing such filial words filled Yun Xiulan’s heart with warmth. She smiled and squeezed her daughter’s hand. “Good girl. They say daughters are their parents’ little cotton jackets — your father and I will just wait to enjoy your blessings.”
Ning Xiyue nodded. It seemed her parents loved this courtyard. All the effort she had put into designing it had been worth it.
After they finished exploring the yard, it was time to check out the house.
From the outside, the house looked like a typical countryside bungalow — bright blue brick walls and a tiled roof. Inside, besides the main hall, kitchen, and bathroom, there were five bedrooms, enough for everyone to have their own room.
But once they opened the main hall door and stepped inside, they were greeted with an unexpected sight.
Ning Qingyuan looked around in surprise — for a moment, he was stunned.
“Huh? It looks almost exactly like our own home inside. I actually thought I’d walked back into our house — it really feels like home. I love it.”
He wandered around curiously.
“It really does,” Yun Xiulan confirmed, giving her stamp of approval. “But I think it’s even prettier than ours.”
Ning Hai couldn’t stop nodding — it truly did look very similar.
“Little Sis, did you decorate this yourself?” Ning Qingyuan asked while looking around.
“Half and half,” Ning Xiyue shook her head. “I chose this place because its interior matched our family’s aesthetic so well — it really gave me that homey feeling. Once I got it, I made a few small adjustments.”
Then she lowered her voice: “Dad, Mom, let me tell you a secret — I’ve already spoken to the owner. If they ever decide to sell, they’ll consider us first. I want to buy this place. It’ll make visiting Big Brother in Shanghai much easier in the future.”
She needed to prepare them for the idea in advance.
After thinking for a moment, Ning Hai nodded. “Mm. If we get that chance, we shouldn’t miss it.”
Ning Xiyue grinned and waved her hand boldly. “Great. Then let’s tidy up and cook a celebratory lunch. Today, we’re eating something nice — Second Brother and I will handle the cooking.”
“But we don’t have any rice or vegetables,” Ning Qingyuan pointed out, spreading his hands. “We’ll have to buy some.”
Ning Xiyue smiled mysteriously at her parents and brother. “No need — we have them. To be honest, I went up the mountain yesterday and got some good stuff. It’s all stored here.”
