Chapter 257

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Protagonist:

Lin Xiyu

"This is your home......"

Maternal Grandmother had concerns: "Maternal Grandmother is here as a guest, staying a few days is fine, but if it's too long it will become a bother."

"How could that be?"

Lin Xiyu puffed out her cheeks, feigning unhappiness: "Maternal Grandmother, saying that makes you too much of an outsider. You are my real maternal grandmother, I should be filial to you, just agree. With you by my side, guiding me at all times on how to care for the little babies, I can also be at ease. Otherwise, raising four children at once, I'm a bit at a loss, always feeling panicked and unsettled in my heart."

Maternal Grandmother smiled benevolently: "With the maternity matron helping you watch the children, what do you have to be unsettled about?"

"They aren't you......"

Lin Xiyu curried favor and acted cute: "In this world, the one closest to me is you. In my heart, no one can compare to you, not even the four babies added together."

Maternal Grandmother deliberately teased her: "What if you add the children's father?"

"All five added together still can't compare to you."

Lin Xiyu acted spoiled and cute, answering more smoothly than could be described.

"Hehe."

Maternal Grandmother smiled until her eyes narrowed, very happy.

——

The four babies' charm was irresistible, just as their father had predicted. People coming to visit under various pretexts came in an endless stream.

One wave of people after another, from morning until dark, almost never stopping.

Not only adults, children were also very curious.

Ruirui finished school, bringing over a dozen classmates she usually played with, and the house was as lively as a vegetable market.

Grandma Gu feared startling her precious great-grandsons and great-granddaughters. With a River East Lion's Roar an octave higher than usual, she scared off a whole bunch of little monkeys.

Near mealtime, the neighbors coming to visit gradually dwindled. Grandma Gu had just caught her breath in relief when she heard the big iron gate of her own courtyard being knocked on from outside again.

"Who is it? At this hour still coming? They don't eat dinner, but we still have to eat, don't we?"

Grandma Gu complained a good deal, unwillingly opening the door.

"Aiyo!"

The next second, she stopped complaining. The moment she saw the visitor, a huge surprise rushed straight to her brain, short-circuiting her thoughts, causing a momentary trance.

"Grandma, you don't seem too welcoming of me."

Fu Zheng had sharp ears and eyes; he had heard her complaints from inside and outside the courtyard.

"Xiao Zheng ah, is it really you?"

Grandma Gu came back to her senses, both startled and delighted: "You're back, why didn't you say so in advance?"

"It was a last-minute decision. Before boarding the plane, there wasn't time to make a phone call......"

Fu Zheng explained with a smile, carrying his luggage inside.

"You came back at just the right time."

Grandma Gu beamed with joy: "Xiao Bin's child was just discharged from the hospital. The house is lively right now."

"I heard."

Fu Zheng didn't say it explicitly. It was precisely because he received his younger brother's good-news phone call that he immediately requested leave and flew back from Nanjiang.

"Ruirui, come quick, look who's here."

Grandma Gu saw her eldest grandson. Amidst her excitement, she didn't forget there was still a little one at home. Her mood was even more eager, even more expectant of the father's arrival than her own.

"Dad?!"

Ruirui heard the shout, saw the visitor's face, and indeed was so excited she couldn't control herself, rushing out from the living room like a gust of wind.

"Son."

Fu Zheng was also very excited. He put down his luggage, used both arms with force, and lifted his son up.

"Dad."

Ruirui took the chance to hug her dad's neck, refusing to let go.

"Almost ten years old already, and still letting Dad carry you?"

Grandma Gu feigned reproach, but tears involuntarily welled in her eyes.

"Eldest Brother, back so fast? Worthy of China speed......"

Guben heard the commotion and also came out from the living room, smiling as he teased.

"Heard your summons. Could I not hurry?"

Fu Zheng put down his son, smiling in reply.

"Family relatives, it's not proper to come empty-handed......"

Guben glanced at a cardboard box he brought, the implication very obvious.

"Is that how you act as an uncle?"

Grandma Gu laughed and scolded: "The father and son's warm enthusiasm hasn't even passed yet, and you're already opening your mouth asking for gifts."

"The four in the little cribs are his own nephews and nieces......"

Guben argued confidently: "A real eldest uncle giving his nephews and nieces a meeting gift, isn't that proper?"

"Hahaha."

Fu Zheng laughed loudly: "No need for you to remind me. The gifts are already brought."

"Hurry up, stop dawdling, take it out......"

Guben had grown up playing and roughhousing with Eldest Brother, so he spoke without any concern.

"Ruirui, go get a pair of scissors, open the cardboard box."

Fu Zheng didn't mind either, casually patting his son's little head.

"Sure thing."

Ruirui was also curious, coming and going like a gust of wind, nimbly fetching scissors from the kitchen.

"Wow, it's a plane."

The cardboard box was opened, and the plane model that met the eye made the young boy's eyes light up, and he couldn't help but cheer loudly.

"Is this a J-10?"

Guben took the plane model out of the box, examining it with great interest.

"Right."

Fu Zheng spoke of China's independently developed fighter jet, full of pride: "The J-10 is China's first all-weather supersonic multirole fighter jet with independent intellectual property rights, nicknamed the Vigorous Dragon....."

"Nice!"

Guben's eyes showed approval: "This step of yours counts as the right move, our country's air force level is getting higher and higher, and the treatment for you pilots is getting better and better, right?"

"He's in Nanjiang....."

Grandma Gu frowned: "How good can the conditions be?"

"Our air force base in Nanjiang has developed quite well now, with complete supporting facilities."

Fu Zheng lowered his eyes to glance at his son who was staring at him expectantly, hesitated slightly, and stated the true purpose of this return.

"What, you want to take Ruirui back to Nanjiang?"

A moment later, Grandma Gu's incredulous cry rang through the entire small courtyard.

——

Living room.

A rare family reunion dinner was eaten in an exceptionally heavy atmosphere.

Ever since learning Eldest Grandson's true intention, Grandma Gu hadn't given him a good look.

"Not eating anymore, I'm full of anger."

Halfway through the meal, the old lady lost her temper again, slapped her chopsticks on the table, and walked off in a huff.

Fu Zheng wanted to explain to her but it was useless; the old lady's main stance was not wanting to deal with you, she entered her own room, bolted the door lock, and no amount of persuasion would make her open the door.

"Eldest Brother......"

Guben rubbed his brow with a headache: "You suddenly pulling this without giving me a heads-up in advance, I wanted to help persuade her a couple sentences, but didn't even have time to think of what to say......."

"I also didn't expect Grandma's reaction to be this big....."

Fu Zheng smiled bitterly helplessly: "Originally thought since you two had a child, and the old lady's age is advanced, me taking Ruirui away would be reducing the burden on you, Grandma should have agreed."

"If it's just because you're afraid of troubling us, it's completely unnecessary."

Guben glanced at Ruirui who was pricking up his ears listening to the brothers talk, gave a teasing smile, waved his hand, and called him over: "Ruirui has been sensible and obedient since childhood, never gave anyone worry, instead it should be me this uncle thanking him."

"During the days when Xiyu couldn't get pregnant, it was Ruirui's appearance that filled the emptiness in her heart; for so many years, the aunt and nephew have gotten along very well, not mother and son, but better than mother and son."

"You suddenly saying this, wanting to take Ruirui away, not only Grandma, Xiyu also won't be able to bear it, only she's ultimately just the aunt, can't express it strongly like Grandma......."

——

"I also know you've taken care of him for so many years, and already have deep feelings......"

Fu Zheng affectionately patted his son's little head, eyes showing kindness: "So before this trip, I also hesitated for a long time; of course, whether to take Ruirui away, I'll also respect his own opinion, whether he wants to continue staying here, or go to Nanjiang with Dad......"

"I want to go!"

Ruirui didn't wait for him to finish, seizing the chance to speak.

"Good son."

Fu Zheng smiled with relief, and patted his son's shoulder hard again.

The ten-year-old young boy's features had already opened up; standing close, he looked more and more like his mother.

That elegant and moving graceful figure in memory, already somewhat blurred, at this moment became clear again, letting his heart once again be occupied by endless sorrow and longing.

"Ruirui, you must think clearly......"

Guben glanced at Grandma's room door, deliberately raised his volume: "Don't listen to your dad's coaxing, the environment in Nanjiang isn't as good as he says, everywhere is high mountains and snowfields, deserts and uninhabited zones, the wind blows and your mouth is full of sand, go there and you've really reached a godforsaken place."

"I'm not afraid of hardship, I want to go!"

Ruirui clearly knew Grandma was listening, yet still clearly expressed his own wish.

"You must think clearly......"

Guben, concerned about Grandma's feelings, asked again: "If you really go, no regrets allowed, no crying."

"I'm already 10 years old."

Ruirui was quite speechless: "Not a little kid anymore, won't cry."

"Sigh, a grown son no longer listens to his mother......"

Guben felt heartache for Grandma for one second, gave up on the plan to continue persuading.

"Dad, when are we leaving? I want to say goodbye to Niuniu and them, and the teacher and classmates......"

Seeing Uncle no longer opposed, Ruirui excitedly threw himself into Dad's arms.

"No rush......"

Fu Zheng's brows and eyes were pampering: "Dad will handle your transfer procedures first, at least still have to stay in Jinan for three or four days, plenty of time for you to say goodbye to your little friends."

"Yay."

Hearing the definite word, Ruirui ran out like a madman: "I'm going to find Niuniu and them right now, tell them this thing."

"It's already dark out, and you still want to go out?"

In the brief moment Fu Zheng was stunned, his son had already run off without a trace.

"Never mind him, he's used to running wild."

Guben smiled jokingly: "My wife and I have always followed a free-range policy with him, letting him play as he pleases, never restricting him."

"I can tell......"

Fu Zheng's gaze showed gratitude: "Ruirui has changed a lot compared to when he was little, much more lively and cheerful, you and Xiyu have raised him well."

"The two of us are secondary."

Guben glanced toward the inner room again, and through the door coaxed the old lady: "Actually the one with the greatest merit is Grandma, she loves Ruirui from the bottom of her heart, no matter what good food or drink, she always thinks of her great-grandson first, sometimes it makes me jealous just watching."

"I know......"

Fu Zheng looked at the tightly shut door and sighed gloomily: "Grandma truly dotes on Ruirui, me suddenly taking Ruirui away, she can't bear it, she has complaints against me, I can understand that too."

"Alright, let's not talk about it."

Guben, on the pretext of comforting Eldest Brother, was actually still speaking for Grandma Gu to hear: "You don't need to feel too guilty either, the child has grown up, his wings have hardened, sooner or later he'll fly away, Grandma has lived a lifetime, she's eaten more salt than we've eaten rice, what is there she can't see through."

"Rest assured, before tomorrow dawns she'll have figured it out, these years in Nanjiang you've had a hard time too, having a child by your side gives you some spiritual sustenance, otherwise continuing to endure alone in loneliness, I'd worry for you too, afraid a moment of not thinking it through and you'd go down a path of no return."

——

"What you're saying......"

Fu Zheng's sword brows furrowed slightly, just about to question him "Are you cursing me?", when he saw his younger brother repeatedly squeezing his eyes, signaling him with meaningful looks.

"Eldest Brother being alone all the time definitely won't do."

Lin Xiyu, as a bystander, reacted faster than him: "You still need someone by your side who knows cold from heat, if you don't want to remarry, the only one you can count on is your son."

"Exactly, that's what I mean."

Guben slapped his thigh, laughing as he flattered: "Still the wife who's smart, one look and she understands what I want to say."

Fu Zheng caught on, playing along with the couple's script: "Then you didn't have to say I'd go down a path of no return, did you?"

"I'm genuinely concerned about you......"

Guben said half-truth half-joke: "Don't I know your temperament? Since childhood you've been single-minded, once you set your mind on something eight bulls couldn't pull you back, if it weren't like that, would you have left your homeland, run off alone to that godforsaken place? What guarding the border, don't make it sound so noble, you just couldn't think it through, insisting on finding suffering for yourself."

"Maybe."

To move Grandma's heart Fu Zheng went all out, not hesitating to tear open his own scar, using it to win sympathy: "What you say is true, when I left back then I never thought of returning, that home of ours held our most beautiful memories, everywhere were traces she left behind, I couldn't bear that kind of pain from losing my beloved, gnawing at the bones and burning the heart, so I chose to escape, wanting to leave far away, to keep myself from collapsing into despair, losing the courage to continue living."

"Sigh."

Guben sympathetically patted Eldest Brother's shoulder, comforting him in a brother's way: "Take Ruirui and go, Grandma will agree, she doesn't want to watch you continue alone in loneliness either."

"Take care of yourself, take care of Ruirui, when Ping'an Xile grows up, us husband and wife will bring the kids to Nanjiang, find his granduncle and older brother, then you mustn't dislike our family having too many people, you must fully play the host, provide food and lodging."

——

"No problem, however many of you come is fine."

Fu Zheng readily agreed: "Our unit's canteen, steamed buns are plenty, eat as you like."

"Tsk tsk."

Guben feigned disdain, curling his lip: "We rarely make a trip, and you're just treating us to steamed buns?"

"What do northerners eat if not steamed buns?"

Fu Zheng rarely showed his black-bellied side, deliberately teasing him: "Where we are, hosting relatives means eating steamed buns, the fillings have their rules too, elders come and eat pure meatball ones, wives come and eat shrimp ones, for a younger brother like you, carrot vegetarian ones, making do with it will have to do."