Chapter 271: Nineties: Spring Water Family Chapter 271: The Old Man Protects His Own, Intangible Heritage Application Succeeds

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Protagonist:

Lin Xiyu

"You did that on purpose, didn't you? You only dared say that because you know Sixth Grandpa won't last much longer."

"Exactly. If Sixth Grandpa were still conscious, would we even need to ask you?"

"No need to ask — he did it on purpose. If the old man weren't unconscious, he wouldn't dare occupy that siheyuan with a clear conscience."

"We don't even know if the will is real. A will made while the old man was of unsound mind is invalid."

——

Guben and Grandma Gu have different statuses; he is a junior, and there are especially many who refuse to accept him.

Grandma Gu can rely on her seniority to scold them; aside from a few who have been spoiled rotten and don't understand respect for elders, no one else would make a sound.

Guben is different — the moment he speaks, it's like detonating a bomb in a calm lake, instantly stirring up towering waves.

Not only are the juniors unconvinced, even among the elders there are those muttering under their breath, revealing displeased expressions.

"What qualifications do you have to question me?"

Guben's sharp words pierced straight to the heart: "Ask yourselves — what is your purpose standing here? How many of you truly want what's best for Sixth Grandpa?"

"Sixth Grandpa is still fighting his illness, yet you've already started coveting his estate. Who the old man wants to leave his siheyuan to — what right do you have to question it?"

"If you really think you're filial sons and virtuous grandsons, go kowtow a few times at the South Sea Guanyin — that's better than standing here spouting nonsense."

——

"That makes sense."

Grandma Gu listened with great satisfaction, backing her grandson: "I was just feeling annoyed — a whole crowd of you loitering at the doorway, not a single one truly wanting to save him. What's the use of standing there? Better to go in one by one, kowtow to Sixth Brother, and at least give him some psychological comfort."

"Who says we don't want to save him?"

Someone stubbornly retorted: "We've all gone in to see Sixth Grandpa. He hasn't woken up; there's nothing we can do."

"Not waking up proves your hearts aren't sincere enough."

Guben sneered: "You think Sixth Grandpa doesn't know in his heart? Who truly treats him well, without a shred of selfishness — he's eaten more salt than you've eaten rice. Playing mind games, feigning filial piety before him — are you truly stupid, or just arrogantly clever?"

"Don't you act all high and mighty here — you don't have selfish motives?"

"You went in holding the child too? Did Sixth Grandpa wake up?"

"Speaking so righteously — then let us see, just how sincere are you? How many kowtows did you give Sixth Grandpa?"

There were plenty who refused to accept it; the corridor erupted in even greater commotion.

"How many kowtows I gave Sixth Grandpa doesn't matter. What matters is......"

Guben's disdainful gaze swept over the faces of those filial sons and virtuous grandsons, and he leisurely dropped a bombshell.

"Sixth Grandpa is already awake!"

——

Inside the ICU, a chaotic flurry — doctors and nurses who rushed over at the news gathered around the bed, giving the old man a comprehensive examination.

Lele was somewhat frightened, shrinking in his mother's arms like a little quail, not daring to make a sound.

Xixi was different — under the nurse's watch, she stuck her little bottom up and crawled back and forth on the bed, her babbling constantly drawing the patient's nerves.

The old man's eyeballs visibly turned following the direction of the babbling; wherever Xixi crawled, his eyeballs followed.

To stimulate the old man, the doctor pinched Xixi's little bottom.

"Wah."

Xixi was unhappy, pulling her little throat and wailing.

The old man clearly reacted — his right hand trembled violently a few times, and actually lifted up.

The doctor hurriedly brought Xixi over; under everyone's expectant gaze, the old man's right hand trembled as it moved, in a protective posture, pulling her close to his side.

"Awake, awake — this time he's truly awake."

The doctors and nurses were all very happy; Lin Xiyu also wept with joy, shedding tears of excitement.

——

Outside the ICU.

The moment Guben's words fell, the corridor fell into a moment of silence.

Reactions among those present varied.

Some revealed surprise and joy, some were half-believing, half-doubting.

And then there were those with water in their brains, who won't give up until they hit a wall.

"Come on, if you're going to fabricate a lie, at least don't make it so absurd......"

Gu Lan had just wanted to make a sarcastic remark when he was interrupted by a sudden commotion.

"Make way, make way!"

A dozen doctors and nurses pushed various instruments and a hospital bed out from inside.

What made jaws drop was that sitting on the bed was a chubby, fair, adorable little baby — seemingly finding the wheeled bed fun, grinning and laughing stupidly happy.

The corridor fell into a brief silence again; everyone's brains crashed, frozen in place.

"Make way, make way!"

The nurse at the very front impatiently scolded: "What are you all blocking the doorway for? Can't you see the patient has come out?"

The Gu family crowd was startled awake by the scolding, only then belatedly turning their gazes onto the patient.

"Sixth Grandpa?!"

Gu Feng's gaze was the sharpest; he recognized the old man first.

Following this cry of alarm, the corridor erupted completely.

"Sixth Uncle?"

"Sixth Grandpa."

"Great-Grandpa."

The Gu family members surged forward in a swarm, surrounding the hospital bed and asking after his well-being.

"Wah."

Xixi was frightened, and she pulled at her little throat, wailing loudly.

The old man puffed two coarse breaths from his nose, clearly revealing a hint of impatience.

"The patient has just woken up and needs quiet rest."

"Step back, step back, don't disturb the patient."

The doctor and nurses worked in concert, clearing out the idle onlookers, and continued pushing the bed forward.

The wheeled bed moved again; sitting on it swaying gently was very comfortable. Xixi stopped howling and started hee-hee laughing stupidly happy.

The old man breathed a sigh of relief, content; he gathered her with his arm, letting her sit beside him and frolic as she pleased.

This little girl is Guben's daughter?!

Seeing this scene, the Gu family's filial sons and virtuous grandsons all sucked in a breath of cold air in unison.

Before, they didn't believe the old man would leave the siheyuan to Guben's child; after this incident, no one dared to question it anymore.

The old man's protective attitude toward his cub couldn't be more obvious.

Whoever dares bring it up again is walking into the muzzle of a gun; if they provoke his displeasure, lifting a stone only to drop it on their own foot would be the lightest consequence.

One sentence from the old man could leave them with torn tendons and broken bones.

——

When people grow old, they like to reminisce about the past.

Sixth Grandpa was no exception.

Perhaps from thinking by day and dreaming by night, recently he kept dreaming of his first love, his mistress, who had passed away many years ago.

Before falling into a coma, he had chattered to the nanny, saying he had lived to a ripe old age and it was time to go down and keep her company.

This heart attack came on ferociously; even with the doctor's emergency treatment, the results were not as hoped.

The main reason was that the old man had lost the will to live; he was determined to go to the Yellow Springs and reunite with his beloved.

The doctor didn't know the knot in the old man's heart; he persuaded him many times to have heart bypass surgery, but he had never agreed before.

This time, on the line between life and death, he was pulled back from the Bridge of Helplessness by two little babies; only then did he have the motivation to keep living.

Nian Xin and Nian Rou are still young; they need his protection.

Especially Nian Rou, such a small child already has heart disease; thinking of it makes one's heart ache.

He cannot die; he must live well.

For the babies' sake, dragging on a few more years — Nian Xin and Nian Rou probably won't blame him.

When the babies grow up safe and healthy, and this worry is settled, he will go down and keep her company.

At that time, no one will ever be able to separate them again.

——

The doctor didn't know the myriad turnings of the old man's heart; hearing him personally agree to heart surgery, he mistakenly thought his own persistence, his physician's benevolence devoted to the patient, had moved the old man, and he was so moved he nearly shed tears.

Sanya 301 Hospital is the best hospital locally, possessing the highest-level cardiac surgeons in the entire HAN Province.

The Chief of Cardiac Surgery personally performed the operation, doing a heart bypass surgery.

The surgery was very successful; with someone to live for, the old man woke up smoothly on the day of the surgery.

Guben stayed at the hospital to accompany him throughout; Lin Xiyu also came rain or shine, bringing the children to visit every single day without fail.

Accompanied by his closest kin, the old man's body gradually recovered; the four little babies also grew up healthy and happy; days passed quietly, unconsciously, and in a blink it arrived at the Spring Festival.

The Spring Festival of 2006, the whole family spent in Sanya accompanying the old man.

After the festival, exciting good news came from the distant hometown.

Quan Shui Culture Paper Cutting's application for Intangible Cultural Heritage succeeded, and together with dough figurines, clay figurines, Shandong Kuaishu, banggu yangge, stilt walking, shadow puppetry, and other folk cultures uniquely characteristic of Jinan, they became JN City's first batch of Intangible Cultural Heritage items.

At the same time, Hu Nainai also became one of the first batch of old craftsmen to obtain the title of City-level Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritor.

——

Hearing the news, Lin Xiyu couldn't sit still for a moment; she wanted to go home and express congratulations to her together with her junior brothers and sisters.

Guben was uneasy leaving Sixth Grandpa alone in Sanya, and another thought arose: he wanted to persuade him to return to Jinan with them.

"You've accompanied Grandpa here for three months; Grandpa is already satisfied."

Sixth Grandpa didn't want to trouble them, insisting on refusing: "Grandpa can take care of himself; there are many old colleagues in the nursing home, usually everyone gathers together, plays some chess, chats, and a day passes just like that; it's not boring at all, so you don't need to worry about me......"

"If you don't go, the babies will miss you."

Guben invoked the babies again: "Especially Lele; he misses Grandpa, and if he cries and fusses it's bad for his health."

"Lele's little body is too weak."

Hearing this, Sixth Grandpa couldn't help but frown.

During Lele's stay in Sanya, despite meticulous care, he still couldn't avoid catching colds and falling ill.

A high fever in the middle of the night; sent to the hospital, a check revealed pneumonia, scaring the whole family half to death.

Fortunately, the doctors at 301 Hospital had superb medical skills; after staying in pediatrics for a week he was completely cured, without triggering other complications.

"Exactly......"

Guben seized the opportunity to coax: "Lele can't withstand tossing about; a few cries easily trigger inflammation."

Grandpa Gu still had concerns: "You have Second Sister-in-law at home, I'm just an old man, staying a few days occasionally is fine, but staying there all the time would be inconvenient."

"You don't need to worry about that."

Guben had prepared early on: "I bought another house on Ban Shan Street, first floor with a small courtyard, especially close to Black Tiger Spring, just down the steps, if you want to use spring water to make tea, you can take a kettle and go fetch water anytime."

"Black Tiger Spring, huh......"

Grandpa Gu had a deep impression of Black Tiger Spring, the spring water was especially clear, many residents living nearby would go there to fetch water every day.

When Lin Xiyu had just become pregnant, Guben had accompanied him there a few times, the tea brewed with spring water was fragrant, sweet, and delicious, with an endless aftertaste, the memory remains fresh to this day.

"Black Tiger Spring isn't far from Wangfu Pool."

Guben continued to persuade: "It's a ten-minute walk, Lele misses you, he can come find Grandpa anytime, and you can also come to our house often to stroll around, see the children, just consider it strolling to aid digestion and exercise."

"Is that so......"

Grandpa Gu was a bit tempted.

"Then it's settled, we'll go back together, I'll go buy plane tickets right now."

Guben was secretly delighted, not giving the old man a chance to go back on his word, he immediately stood up from the chair.

"Hey hey, you kid......"

Seeing him leave the moment he said he would, Grandpa Gu truly didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Guben pretended not to hear, striding on his long legs, he walked out of the room in a few steps.

——

In the third month of spring, with warm weather and blooming flowers, it was once again the best season of the year.

The pomegranate tree in the old house's small courtyard had bloomed, clusters of gorgeous flowers hung all over the branches.

Petals danced lightly, adorning the gentleness of spring.

"It's still best to be home."

Grandma Gu looked at the lush pomegranate tree and grape vine, smiling so wide she couldn't close her mouth.

"Last year we didn't get the chance......."

Guben smiled in agreement, deliberately trying to please Grandma Gu: "This year we must plant another persimmon tree, everything goes as wished, for good luck."

"Plant it, we absolutely must plant it."

Grandma Gu was indeed very happy to hear this, her face beaming with smiles.

"What kind of tree does Grandpa Gu want to plant in his courtyard?"

Guben was impartial, turning his head again to curry favor with Grandpa Gu: "I'll buy one and bring it back for you too."

"I live alone, it doesn't matter whether I plant trees or not."

Grandpa Gu didn't want to trouble him, smiling and waving his hand.

"Still, plant one......"

Grandma Gu smiled and persuaded: "With a small courtyard, not planting a tree, not growing some flowers and plants, would be too much of a waste."

"In my opinion, just planting trees and flowers is too monotonous......"

Lin Xiyu came out of the room holding a bamboo mat, smiling as she chimed in: "We should also plant some loofah, pumpkin, and such in the courtyard, let the babies gain more experience."

"Plant them, absolutely must plant them."

Hearing it was for the babies' sake, Grandma Gu agreed with incomparable readiness.

"What are you doing?"

Seeing his beloved wife busy non-stop, Guben hurried over to help.

"Spread it under the pomegranate tree......"

Lin Xiyu unfolded the bamboo mat: "There's flower shade and coolness, let the babies play in the courtyard, get more sun."

"Let me do it, you rest first."

Guben understood her meaning, and brought out a soft quilt from the room, spreading it on top of the bamboo mat.

The babies were already nearly 6 months old, visibly having grown another circle bigger.

Especially Pingping and Xixi, chubby little arms and short legs tumbling back and forth, crawling especially nimbly.

Anan was slightly lacking, not having as much strength as his brothers and sisters, he would prop himself up for a while then flop down, like a little loach, using his little feet to arch his body forward, crawling with a *slish-slish* sound, looking especially endearing.

Anan liked quiet and disliked movement, sitting alone in a corner of the bamboo mat, not moving a muscle, able to sit quietly for half a day.

The kind that doesn't make a single sound......