Chapter 227

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Protagonist:

Lin Xiyu

"If you don't want to work, just quit; I'll support you."

Guben felt heartache for his wife and didn't want her to keep suffering injustice.

"After studying hard for so many years, this is the result I get; I'm not resigned to it."

How could Lin Xiyu be resigned to it; she felt sour and miserable in her heart.

"Not quitting is also fine......"

Guben truly meant well for her: "How about taking a leave of absence without pay first, leaving your post for a while, so you can calm down and do something truly meaningful that you love."

"I don't know what it is that I truly love......"

Lin Xiyu felt somewhat at a loss: "All the efforts I made before were just to make money, so I could survive in this prosperous big city."

"Now we have money; there's no need to wrong yourself for money anymore."

Guben was indeed a perfect husband, always her greatest support: "You can do whatever you want freely, just like my uncle, going to Africa to be a volunteer protecting endangered wild animals, or traveling the world to any country you want to go to."

"Those aren't very attractive to me."

Lin Xiyu smiled bitterly: "Everyone's hobbies are different; your uncle likes challenges, adventure, and is passionate about stimulating sports; I'm different, I prefer a leisurely life, I like sitting alone in the yard, watching the grape vines and pomegranate trees grow daze......."

"Let's go back to Lao Jia."

Hearing about the pomegranate tree, Guben's mind stirred: "I know what's meaningful to you."

"Go back to Lao Jia?"

Lin Xiyu's eyes showed surprise: "What's suitable for me in Lao Jia?"

"Paper-cutting."

Guben smiled meaningfully and gave an unexpected answer.

"Paper-cutting?!"

Lin Xiyu clearly hadn't expected him to bring the topic to paper-cutting, and was obviously stunned for a moment.

"Don't forget, you are Hu Nainai's direct senior disciple."

Guben's expression was very serious: "Hu Nainai has always hoped you could make time to learn paper-cutting from her and truly pass on her craft."

"Now is a very good opportunity; since work isn't going well, let's just quit, go back to Lao Jia, go back to our old siheyuan, where there are the grape vines and pomegranate trees you like, that yard carrying the most beautiful memories of your youth is our true home."

——

"Being able to go back would naturally be great......"

Lin Xiyu's eyes showed joy: "Actually, in my heart, I've never had a sense of belonging to Shanghai; even though I've struggled in this city for over ten years, learned Shanghainese, speaking it not authentically, in Shanghainese eyes I'm still an outsider."

"Back then it was my mother's idea for me to stay in Shanghai; she said people strive for higher places, water flows to lower places, go to Shanghai, and neighbors will look up to you, and she could straighten her back in front of her school teachers, boasting about her daughter."

"I listened to her, worked desperately, wanted to take root in Shanghai, wanted to live as she hoped, but what this city gave me wasn't all beautiful memories; rather, more was pain."

——

"Go back, I'll go back with you."

Guben was extremely heartbroken and held the person tightly.

"You're also going back to Lao Jia?"

Lin Xiyu's heart trembled.

"Wherever you are, I am there."

Guben had no hesitation and said exactly what she most wanted to hear at this moment.

"Aren't you managing the company?"

Although Lin Xiyu was very moved, she still had to think for him.

"The company's operating mechanism is already very mature; with Li Hao and them there, there won't be problems......"

Guben smiled indifferently: "As for me, I'm already a bit tired of games; from now on, the focus of my life is you; whatever you want to do, I'll accompany you, serving you all the way."

"A personal assistant as expensive as you, I can't afford......"

Lin Xiyu felt warm in her heart hearing this, smiling and teasing.

"No money needed, I'll even pay you."

Guben used the most serious tone to say the most ambiguous love words.

"Pfft."

Lin Xiyu couldn't help it, covering her mouth and laughing out loud.

——

Resignation went smoother than imagined; the procedures were handled quickly, and it was almost approved without any obstacles. The company allowed her to take a leave of absence without pay, with the term tentatively set at two years, during which she had to pay her own pension and medical insurance.

Guben was extremely efficient; on the same day the procedures were done, he bought plane tickets and brought the whole family back to the long-awaited Lao Jia.

The old house scenery was as before; pushing open the door, one could see the lush pomegranate tree at a glance.

It was the height of summer; the grape vines were also green and very lush, strings of green, red, and purple grapes hanging on the branches, looking very pleasing.

"It's still best at home!"

Gu Nainai walked around the yard; looking at the fruit tree full of pomegranates, her heart and eyes were full of joy.

"Uncle, from now on we'll live here, not leaving, right?"

Ruirui also liked the old house very much, liking to play freely with little friends in the alley.

To him, Shanghai was a big city made of reinforced concrete; although prosperous, there was much less human warmth.

"At least two years, I'd say."

Guben didn't disappoint him, nodding with a smile.

"Oh, oh, that's great."

Ruirui was very happy, running out as if frolicking: "I can go play with Niuniu and the others, I want to go slide at Daming Lake..."

"Hey, hey, slow down..."

Grandma Gu was worried, hurriedly chasing a few steps but failing to catch up, watching him disappear from sight with wide eyes.

"I'll go."

Lin Xiyu put down her luggage, and just as she was about to step out the door, Guben grabbed her.

"No need to mind him..."

A certain uncle spoke righteously: "Let him go play by himself. When we were his age, we were already running all over the streets. When did we ever have adults following us?"

"Nowadays they're all only children, not like back in our day. They're precious."

Lin Xiyu smiled and scolded him, still wanting to pull away.

Guben held her and wouldn't let go: "But you can't follow him all day. He's a nine-year-old boy; it's time to let go. You can't keep spoiling him. If you really ruin him, Eldest Brother will blame me."

"Ruirui isn't even nine yet."

Lin Xiyu deliberately bickered with him: "His birthday is in November; there's still half a year left."

"You're doing it on purpose, right?"

How could Guben fail to see her little thoughts? Smiling, he teased: "I've seen through you. Once you're back home, you're showing off. With your natal family backing you, you don't put me, your husband, in your eyes anymore."

"So what if I'm showing off?"

Lin Xiyu pinched her slender waist and gave him a playful smile.

The next line, "What can you do to me," hadn't even left her mouth before it was cut off.

Guben separated immediately, and while Grandma wasn't paying attention, he stole a kiss, successfully suppressing that woman's arrogance.

Lin Xiyu's face turned red, and she glared at him, both shy and annoyed. Picking up her luggage, she scurried back to her own room.

"Hehe."

Seeing her slip away faster than a rabbit, Guben let out a teasing laugh from his throat.

—

"Xiyu, it's great that you're back. We sisters can see each other often again."

The female cousin heard the whole family had returned from Shanghai and came to visit the old house first thing.

"How did you get here so fast?"

Lin Xiyu had just finished cleaning the house and hadn't had time to rest when the female cousin already came in carrying a fruit basket.

"When I answered the phone, I happened to be at Grandma's house..."

The female cousin smiled and explained: "It's so close, I stopped by on the way."

"Is Grandma doing well?"

Lin Xiyu took the fruit basket and invited the female cousin into the room.

"Her health is okay..."

The female cousin thought for a moment and said: "She's just getting old. She's almost eighty-six, and it's obvious her spirits aren't as good as before. Her eyesight is also a bit blurry."

"Why is it blurry?"

Lin Xiyu's heart skipped a beat: "Have you seen a doctor? What did the doctor say?"

"The doctor said it's cataracts..."

The female cousin smiled helplessly: "It's not yet at the stage for surgery. He only prescribed some eye drops to use when she can't see clearly..."

"Is Grandma home alone?"

Lin Xiyu looked worried: "No one to keep her company? Who cooks for her at noon?"

"Well, my mom and I take turns. We go back to Grandma's house at noon."

The female cousin said somewhat awkwardly: "Auntie watches the shop and can't leave at noon. Uncle can't cook, so it's no use him coming back."

"I'll go from now on..."

Lin Xiyu's feelings for Grandma were sincere: "It just so happens I have nothing to do at noon. I'll go cook for Grandma."

"Don't you have your own house to take care of?"

The female cousin glanced at Grandma Gu's bedroom.

"Guben is at home."

Lin Xiyu said with a smile: "He knows how to cook. I don't need to worry about it."

"Where is Guben?"

The female cousin looked around, didn't see Guben's figure, and was a bit puzzled.

"He went to the vegetable market to buy vegetables."

Lin Xiyu didn't hide it: "We just got back. The fridge is empty. There's a lot to buy. He didn't want me to tire myself out, so he rode his bike out himself."

The female cousin looked surprised: "He's a general manager of a listed company, and you still make him do chores?"

"So what?"

Lin Xiyu took it for granted: "Doesn't a CEO need to eat? Take away that halo, and he's still just an ordinary person."

"Guben really is a twenty-four filial piety good husband."

The female cousin clicked her tongue twice and sighed emotionally: "A man so devoted to his family would have been normal in the past, but in today's society, he's really hard to find."

"Envious?"

Lin Xiyu deliberately teased her: "If you're envious, it means it's time to find a partner. Always being single isn't right. You're almost thirty, so it's no wonder Aunt Da and the others are anxious."

"Envy... not quite."

Female Cousin didn't take her bait: "If I really wanted to find one, it wouldn't be hard at all — the company's full of them, young, energetic young men, a dime a dozen."

"Young doesn't necessarily mean suitable."

Lin Xiyu deliberately pointed it out: "Mature and steady, good temper, personality that clicks with yours, someone who can tolerate you — that's what's good."

"You're describing my dad, right?"

Female Cousin laughed, teasing: "In this world, men who completely fit those conditions you listed — probably only him."

"Hey hey, you..."

Lin Xiyu held back a laugh, feigning displeasure: "Every time this comes up, you deliberately talk nonsense. How can there be no good-tempered men? Is it hard to find someone who clicks? As long as you don't deliberately pick fights, it'll be fine. Bottom line, it's not that you can't find a suitable one — you're just too picky yourself."

"I admit, I'm pretty picky..."

Female Cousin stopped smiling, revealing a touch of melancholy: "Maybe that's exactly why you miss so many opportunities, miss so many people?"

"Regret it?"

Worthy of being real sisters, Lin Xiyu knew at once she was thinking of Li Xiao again: "Back then you refused to marry, he waited for you all those years, and you were unmoved. Now he's gone, regret's too late. If they hadn't planned parenthood, that couple would probably have popped out several kids by now."

"Oh right, speaking of kids, almost forgot about that..."

Female Cousin slapped her forehead, only now remembering the purpose of this visit: "A few days ago I went out of town, ran into an Old Chinese Doctor, pretty amazing, specializes in difficult miscellaneous conditions. Heard one pill down and you can get pregnant, and they come out twins."

"That amazing?"

Lin Xiyu's eyes showed doubt: "These years Guben's accompanied me all over the country, we've seen plenty of miracle doctors, and none were as mystical as you make it sound."

"I'm not bragging, it's true."

Female Cousin leaned forward, sidled up to her ear, lowered her voice and said softly: "I specifically asked around — lots of women took the pill and had twins, some even had triplets or more."

"There's really such a thing?"

Lin Xiyu didn't believe it.

"Really, absolutely true."

Female Cousin nodded solemnly: "I also heard someone gave that pill a name — Duozi Wan, pretty vulgar, but vivid. Anyway, it means able to birth lots of little ones."

Lin Xiyu expressed doubt: "Would that thing be good for your body if you ate it?"

"Should be fine."

Female Cousin laughed, coaxing: "You want to try? Might just get pregnant, and hug two at once."

"Probably won't work."

Lin Xiyu poured a basin of cold water on Female Cousin's face without giving her any face: "That thing definitely wasn't invented by that Old Chinese Doctor alone. We don't understand it, but doctors would? If a pill could get you pregnant, why would it have dragged on this long? It would've been cured ages ago."

"You girl, why won't you listen to advice?"

Female Cousin said with some frustration: "I ran all the way out of town specially to ask about this for you, and you yourself don't care instead."

"Okay okay, I'll listen, I'll listen, alright?"

Seeing she was truly angry, Lin Xiyu laughed to ease the atmosphere: "Thanks, Sister. I'll remember this. When Guben gets back, I'll discuss it with him. If we really go, I'll definitely tell you in advance."

"Deal."

Female Cousin was satisfied, smile back on her face: "With those words from you I'm at ease. Trip wasn't wasted."

"Your company not busy lately? How come you didn't go out of town?"

Lin Xiyu smiled, then asked: "Aren't you always running around the province? How come you're so free, have time to cook for Maternal Grandmother?"

"Much better than before..."

Female Cousin talked about her business, instantly energized, eyes even gaining brightness: "Done these years, trained quite a few people, several who can handle things. Don't need me to personally do everything anymore."

"That's pretty good..."

Lin Xiyu was genuinely happy for Female Cousin: "You've made it through the hard times. While you've got people helping you work, let yourself rest properly, nurture your body well too."

"Sigh."

Female Cousin smiled bitterly: "Us sisters, truly birds of a feather. Not even thirty yet, both turned into medicine jars."