Chapter 246: Nineties: Spring Water Family Chapter 246: Nian Xin, Nian Rou, Covered His Beloved's Name

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Protagonist:

Lin Xiyu

"Already know? Boy or girl?"

Sixth Grandpa's eyes lit up when the quadruplets were mentioned, and he perked up as well.

"No."

Guben and Qu Peng listened from the side and took the chance to interject: "The hospital has regulations forbidding them from telling us, and we didn't ask either. As long as the children are healthy, that's better than anything."

"Mm."

Sixth Grandpa nodded, giving him a meaningful look: "Xiao Bin, Sixth Grandpa came this time with something to entrust to you......"

"Sixth Grandpa, you say......"

Guben stopped smiling, his expression turning grave.

"Qu Peng......"

Sixth Grandpa beckoned to Qu Peng: "Bring out the documents I brought."

"Right away."

Qu Peng didn't dare delay, nimbly pulling out a paper document from the briefcase he carried.

"Xiao Bin, take a look."

Sixth Grandpa signaled for Qu Peng to hand the document to Guben.

"Okay."

Guben accepted it in deference to the old man's wishes, opening it before everyone; upon seeing the contents, his face involuntarily changed.

"What's written on it?"

Grandma Gu couldn't wait, craning her neck to ask.

"Read it yourself."

Guben handed the document to Grandma.

"Sixth Brother, this is......"

Grandma Gu took the document and glanced at it, likewise shocked to the core.

"Xiyu isn't home?......"

Sixth Grandpa answered with a question, scanning the yard; not seeing Lin Xiyu, he looked a bit puzzled.

"She's home."

Guben subconsciously turned toward the bedroom: "Pregnancy makes one drowsy; she's probably asleep. I'll go wake her."

"No need, let her sleep......"

Sixth Grandpa didn't want to disturb the pregnant woman, hastily stopping him.

"It's fine, I'll just check......"

Guben, tall and long-legged, strode into the bedroom in a few steps.

——

"Ah? Sixth Grandpa left the Siheyuan to me?"

Lin Xiyu, still groggy from sleep, heard Guben's words and snapped her eyes open in shock.

"Get up quick, Sixth Grandpa's looking for you."

Guben reached out, carefully lifting her down from the bed.

"Why would Sixth Grandpa do this?"

Lin Xiyu's feet touched the floor, yet she was still in a fog, unable to believe such good fortune had fallen on her.

"You'll know when you go out."

Guben adored her dumb-cute look, pampering her with a pinch on the cheek.

"An Old Beijing Siheyuan......"

Lin Xiyu's thoughts were entirely occupied by the Siheyuan: "How much must that be worth? Sixth Grandpa leaving it to me, a granddaughter-in-law — will the Gu family people agree? Won't it cause disputes again?"

"Those things can wait for later."

Guben dismissed it: "Right now the most important thing is not to let Sixth Grandpa lose interest. With the old man backing you, what are you afraid of? If he gives it to you, just accept it; no need to overthink......"

"Do you think not thinking is possible?"

Lin Xiyu still wanted to mutter a bit more.

"Stop muttering, hurry out."

Guben found it amusing, carefully supporting her as he ushered her out of the room.

——

In the yard.

"This pomegranate tree grows really well, auspicious meaning too — many children, many blessings......"

Sixth Grandpa sat under the pomegranate tree, looking up at the luxuriant branches.

"No wonder Xiyu could conceive quadruplets — it's exactly many children, many blessings."

Grandma Gu listened happily, grinning from ear to ear.

"Planting a persimmon tree would be even better......"

Qu Peng chimed in with a smile: "Everything as you wish, all the best."

"Plant it, we must plant it."

Grandma Gu slapped her thigh and decided on the spot: "This matter is entrusted to Little Bin, let him handle it."

"How come Guben hasn't come out yet?"

Upon hearing Guben, Qu Peng subconsciously glanced toward the bedroom.

"Coming, coming......"

Guben happened to come out the door supporting his wife at this moment; that careful manner of his, fearing his wife might bump into something, amused everyone watching.

"This kid....."

Qu Peng joked with a smile: "Once married he becomes a wife-slave, once he has children he becomes a son-slave, a daughter-slave, he'll never be able to turn the tables for the rest of his life."

"Don't you mock me......"

Guben gave a black-bellied smile and returned his words right back at him: "You're getting married soon too, once married it'll be the same, neither of us should mock the other."

"Qu Peng is getting married too?"

Grandma Gu was good at seizing the key point; her eyes brightened as she listened.

"He's not only getting married, he also got promoted."

Guben supported Lin Xiyu to the front of the group: "This kid really walked into dog-shit luck; a fugitive on the run for many years, he actually managed to run into one....."

"Caught a fugitive?"

Grandma Gu froze, a bit bewildered: "Little Qu works at the police station, right? He can still run into a fugitive?"

"He just got lucky."

Guben laughed jokingly: "He went out for a late-night snack and ran into one."

"That's also because I have a good memory......"

Qu Peng defended himself unconvinced: "Born with the makings of a police officer, I never forget a wanted criminal's photo at a glance, I can pick them out of a crowd with one look."

"That's also a skill."

Grandma Gu nodded in agreement.

"Cut the bragging."

Guben teased him again with a smile: "You just saw the photo this afternoon, and ran into him that very night, and you still have the nerve to say you never forget a face?"

"Little Qu, what happened exactly?"

Grandma Gu found it interesting and got excited: "Tell us about it, your heroic deed of catching a fugitive."

"Hey hey, actually it's nothing much......"

Qu Peng touched his nose, embarrassed to boast in front of Grandpa Liu.

"If I tell you to speak, then speak."

Grandpa Liu saw through his little thoughts and feigned displeasure to scold: "It's not something shameful, what's there to be embarrassed about?"

"Qu Peng, stop dilly-dallying......"

Lin Xiyu also chimed in: "Hurry up and tell us, I want to hear it too."

"Uh."

Qu Peng gave an awkward laugh.

"I know about this too, let me tell it."

Guben came to his rescue and spoke up, recounting his heroic deed truthfully from start to finish.

——

As luck would have it, just the month before Lin Xiyu's pregnancy, Qu Peng was on night shift at the police station, stayed up most of the night, got a bit hungry, and took an auxiliary police officer to the night market to eat a bowl of beef noodles.

The two brothers in police uniforms sat down at a small stall; a person sitting at the next table, upon seeing them, clearly revealed a panicked expression, lowered his head, almost burying his face in the bowl.

That person's odd behavior caught Qu Peng's attention; the more he looked, the more he felt something was off.

When that person finished eating, paid the bill, and was about to leave, a flash of inspiration suddenly crossed his mind, and he realized where the strange feeling came from.

"Halt!"

He subconsciously called out, stopping that person.

That person trembled all over, not only did he not stop, but he took off running.

"Catch him, he's a fugitive."

At this moment Qu Peng was already certain; he was exactly the wanted criminal, the person seen on the internal police bulletin.

Upon hearing these words, that person ran even faster.

Qu Peng and his colleague pursued and intercepted, chasing for a full half an hour before cornering the man in a dead end alley.

Seeing he couldn't escape, the man revealed his ferocious true colors, pulled out a fruit knife and stabbed at them.

Qu Peng and his colleague both suffered injuries of varying degrees in the struggle; fortunately it ended without serious harm, and they successfully caught him.

——

"That dangerous?"

Grandma Gu, hearing Qu Peng was injured, looked concerned: "Where were you hurt? Is it serious?"

"It's nothing....."

Qu Peng didn't care at all: "Just a minor injury, healed long ago."

Guben joked with a smile: "If he were really badly hurt, he could get a First Class Merit and retire early."

"You child, how do you talk?"

Grandma Gu feigned reproach, glaring at him in dissatisfaction.

"Hehe, it's fine......"

Qu Peng and Guben had bickered since childhood and were used to it; he didn't take it to heart at all, and instead spoke up for him: "What he said isn't wrong, you can clearly see how burning hot this person's gaze yearning for merit is."

"Hehe, this kid, he really doesn't hide his ambition at all......"

Sixth Grandpa was in a good mood, stroking the sparse beard stubble on his chin, smiling so widely his mouth wouldn't close.

"Promotion and salary increase, got a wife too......"

Guben slapped Qu Peng's shoulder hard, expressing support in a brotherly way: "You kid have finally made it, didn't waste your time mixing in BJ."

"Where is Qu Peng's partner from?"

Grandma Gu took the opportunity to inquire about gossip under the guise of caring for the younger generation.

"Also from their public security system......"

Guben answered for Qu Peng: "This kid stepped in dog shit luck, was favored by a superior leader, became a son-in-law of the dragon and phoenix."

"Don't keep calling it dog shit luck, okay?"

Qu Peng's ear roots reddened, a bit feverish: "My conditions aren't bad either, more than a match for his daughter."

"Qu Peng is getting married soon too, how nice......"

Grandma Gu was full of emotion: "I still remember what you all looked like as kids, in the blink of an eye you've all started families and established careers."

"Exactly......"

Sixth Grandpa nodded in agreement: "The grandchildren have all grown up, how can we not get old?"

"You're at it again."

Grandma Gu smiled and scolded: "What old not old, think more openly yourself, living the present well is what's real, wait until you're ninety and look back, think about how young I was in my seventies, why didn't I go out more, play more, enjoy more, by the time you really can't walk, regret will be too late."

"Second Sister-in-law is right......"

Sixth Grandpa nodded in agreement.

【138】 "Don't just say it with your mouth, you have to act......"

"Don't just say it with your Mouth, you have to put it into action......"

Grandma Gu saw through his perfunctoriness, feigned dissatisfaction.

"Don't talk about me......"

Sixth Grandpa laughed awkwardly, changed the subject himself: "Xiyu is here, we should talk serious business too."

"Sixth Brother......"

Grandma Gu frowned: "You're in good health, why make a will now?"

"It's because I'm happy."

Sixth Grandpa had already thought up his reasoning before coming, answered very smoothly: "Xiyu is pregnant with quadruplets, this is a great happy event, me as the grandfather, if I don't show some sincerity, wouldn't that be a joke?"

"That doesn't mean you have to give a siheyuan, right?"

Guben quickly chimed in: "Old man, your sincerity is too great, makes us feel it's too hot to handle even just looking."

"The siheyuan is for Xiyu and the children......"

Sixth Grandpa widened his eyes, feigning displeasure: "Not your share, don't butt in."

"Sixth Grandpa......"

Guben didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Your bias is too absurd, right? I'm your biological grandson."

"If it weren't for Xiyu writing you a letter, would you have come back from the United States?"

Sixth Grandpa put on a stern face and scolded: "Did you think of Sixth Grandpa then? Did you treat Sixth Grandpa as your real grandfather?"

"You drove me away......"

Guben lowered his head and muttered softly.

"What are you saying?"

Sixth Grandpa didn't hear clearly, glared at him dissatisfied.

"Nothing, didn't say anything......"

Guben laughed luckily, denied it thick-skinned.

"Sigh, Xiao Bin ah......"

Sixth Grandpa, old and crafty, how could he not know he had a knot in his heart: "About the past, Sixth Grandpa admits, I was indeed too strict with you, you were still young then, only nineteen, one person bearing so much, Grandpa recalls it, even now still heartache."

"This siheyuan, ostensibly for Xiyu, is also compensation for you, as long as you treat Xiyu well all your life, have no second thoughts, that counts as fulfilling one of Sixth Grandpa's wishes, not letting down my expectations for you."

——

"Sixth Grandpa......"

Lin Xiyu was moved to tears: "You're too good to me, I feel unworthy."

"This is what you deserve......"

Sixth Grandpa looked at her face, had a moment of trance, as if recalling that tragic past again.

Lin Xiyu's breath caught, subconsciously looked up at Guben.

Guben happened to look over at this moment too, the two gazed at each other with a tacit understanding, both understood the hidden meaning in the other's eyes.

"Even if Xiyu is pregnant with quadruplets, this siheyuan is too precious."

Grandma Gu didn't know the inside story, obviously her thinking wasn't on the same frequency as theirs.

"Sixth Grandpa, I thank you on Xiyu's behalf."

Guben reacted swiftly, not waiting for Sixth Grandpa to answer, spoke first: "To express our couple's sincerity, when the children are born, if there is a daughter, we'll name her Nian Xin, if two, the other will be named Nian Rou."

Sixth Grandpa's deceased beloved was named Mu Xinrou.

Nian Xin, Nian Rou!

Covered the name of his beloved.

"Good good good......"

Sixth Grandpa was greatly comforted, said three 'good's in a row, expressing inner joy.

"What riddles are you playing?"

Although Grandma Gu didn't know the truth, she could also tell something was fishy.

"Grandma, don't you think these two names sound nice?"

Guben couldn't speak plainly in front of Sixth Grandpa, so he could only casually brush it off with a sentence, wanting to muddle through.

"They sound nice, they do......"

What a shrewd person Grandma Gu was, how could she be easily muddled through by him.

"Grandma, just don't ask."

Guben interrupted her with an embarrassed smile: "This is an agreement between me and Sixth Grandpa, can't tell others."

"Hmph."

Grandma Gu, for the sake of the Siheyuan, hmphed once, and there was no follow-up.

"Hehe."

Guben gave an awkward smile, then lifted his eyelids and exchanged a tacit glance with Sixth Grandpa.

Qu Peng's eyelids blinked, very smartly pretending not to have seen.

Although Lin Xiyu knew the inside story, it wasn't good to say much either, pretending to admire the pomegranate tree, she also averted her gaze.

"The pomegranate tree grows really well, many children many blessings......"

Sixth Grandpa also raised his head, looking at the lush pomegranate tree, his gaze deep and far-reaching, sinking into contemplation.

——

The old master rarely makes a trip, he must be served well; in the evening Guben personally cooked, making several dishes the old man liked to eat.

Qu Peng was also there, keeping him company drinking a few cups.

Sixth Grandpa was old in years, a few cups down and sure enough he got drunk again.

Guben supported him to the guest room to rest, and kept him company chatting for a while, not leaving until the old master closed his eyes and fell sound asleep.

——

Qu Peng didn't leave, waiting in the small courtyard the whole time; seeing him come out from the room, he took out a box of cigarettes from his pocket, pulled one out, and tossed it to him.

"Don't smoke, wife doesn't like smelling this scent, quit."

Guben caught it, held it up to his nose and sniffed, then with an awkward smile tossed the cigarette back.