Grandma Qian couldn't suppress the corners of her mouth from turning up. Who doesn't like to hear others praise them? "You brat, you're so sweet-talking. Don't think that just because you praised me, you can keep clinging to me forever."

"People! In this life, you should do the right thing at the right time. You won't realize it when you're young, but you'll regret it when you're old. You'll see other people with children and grandchildren, while you're all alone and miserable. How pitiful will you be? How old are your grandpa and I? How much longer can we stay with you?"

"You still have to find a partner yourself. Your parents and siblings can't be with you for a lifetime. Only a husband and wife can be the ones who stay together until the end."

Qian Xiao scoffed at this. How many couples exchange sweet words and make vows of eternal love when they're dating, only to end up as unhappy spouses after marriage? Even people born from the same womb can't always love each other for a lifetime, let alone people separated by a womb. In the end, everyone has to rely on themselves.

However, Qian Xiao didn't show it. The old people have their own ideas. You may not agree, but you should never argue with them. Just listen to what they say. If you think it's right, you can do it. If you think it's wrong, just keep it to yourself. Why do you have to argue with your face red and neck bulging?

There's no point in a family arguing to determine who's right and wrong; it only wears down their relationship.

Qian Xiao was slapped awake: "You silly girl, I'm trying to teach you life lessons, and you're getting distracted? Alright, I know you young people don't like listening to these things, and you're still young, we'll talk about these things later."

"It's getting colder and colder. By the time you come back next time, the mountains might be blocked by heavy snow. How will you get back then? Isn't it cold at school?"

"It's not cold at school; people even have firewood burning. You forgot, we handed in the firewood when school started, and that's what we need now. I'm also worried about what to do next time I come back. I'm wondering if I can ask for leave to study at home?"

"If the snow is too heavy, I won't even be able to get home."

Every winter when the mountains are blocked by heavy snow, it is extremely difficult to leave the village. The snow can sink up to your thighs with each step, and it takes an unknown amount of time to walk step by step. The worst part is the cold; it feels like you're being frozen solid.

Grandma Qian was also worried. She didn't have any close relatives in the county town or the commune. If her granddaughter came back for a visit, she would have to go back to school without even resting from walking.

"Then you should talk to your teacher about it. If it really doesn't work out, then forget it. I don't know if there are any houses for rent in that county. If not, Grandma will stay with you in the county."

The old lady is stingy, but she doesn't hesitate to spend money where necessary, especially on her eldest granddaughter. She's very generous with money when it comes to her.

"No need. If you come with me, what will happen to my grandpa? I'll talk to my teacher when I get back this time and see if it's okay to go during the exam."

To be honest, that school was really cold. I thought the accommodation would be better in high school, but it was still a dormitory with more than 20 people living in one room. They were chattering all day long, which was really annoying.

But she had to endure it because it was too far from home. She had originally planned to study hard for two years in high school before taking the college entrance exam, since she was too young. Being a child prodigy is not easy.

Who would have thought that the school's accommodations were so bad? They started using firewood recently, and she sleeps at the end of the kang (a heated brick bed). She wakes up several times a night from the cold. If she weren't so healthy, she probably would have gotten sick from the cold long ago.

She did want to rent a place outside, but the security situation was terrible these days, and it was really unsafe for a young girl to live outside. It was better to stay at school.

This is also why she decided to take the college entrance examination early. After all, there is still plenty of time. Even if she stays in high school for another year, she can still graduate smoothly before that event.

"Then you should go back and talk to your teacher properly. It's okay if you only have to go once during the exam, but it's better to stay at home. Home is better than school."

The granddaughter said the old lady didn't believe it. How could so many people live together peacefully? The third son told her about it when he brought Erdan back last time. She's been keeping it in mind ever since. Erdan is quite noisy.

"Okay, don't worry about me, there's no one who can bully me yet."

"You brat, try not to fight outside. Just bear with it as much as you can. We'll get back at them when we find a quiet place later. We can't let anyone catch us red-handed."

"I understand, Grandma. Don't worry, I know your granddaughter well."

"By the way, Grandma, Qian Wangcai is missing. Why aren't his family going out to look for him? Aren't the family members the first to worry when someone goes missing? Why are they making such a fuss in the village? Do they think making a scene will bring him back?"

Grandma Qian pursed her lips: "Isn't this just so you can ask your great-uncle to go and look for them? You're not even worried about your own family member being lost, yet you want to rely on others? What a pipe dream! You want someone to do things for you without spending a penny? Do you think she's some kind of landlord?"

How stingy is this person? They don't even want to pay a penny for a bus ticket?

"It's not just about the money. They're also scared. They've never traveled far in their lives, and they're afraid to suddenly go to the county town to look for someone. Plus, none of the brothers in that family want to get involved, so they can only ask your great-uncle for help."

Qian Xiao couldn't understand this way of thinking. She always wanted others to help with her own affairs. But since it wasn't her own business, who would really be willing to help her wholeheartedly?

The grandmother and grandson returned home, and before they even entered their own gate, they smelled the aroma of meat.

Qian Xiao sniffed: "It smells so good, Grandma, did you make meat? I'm so embarrassed, it's not like I came back for anything big, why are you making meat?"

I've never been treated like this when I came back before, what's going on today?

"What are you dreaming about? The meat was made, but it wasn't for you. Do you remember what your father said last time he came back?"

"Oh! What's wrong? Is it about someone moving in?" I think her dad mentioned it when he came back last time.

"Yes, the elderly couple came over seven or eight days ago, along with their little grandson. They figured it was your dad who introduced them, so they should visit each other often. They've finished getting ready, so they thought they'd have someone come over today to meet us and have a meal."

"Oh, how is that person?" City people look down on country people. It's like that in school. When those city students see country students, they act like they've seen some kind of virus.

Of course, no one dared to look at her like that. She had already intimidated those troublemakers with her fists when school started, but it didn't look very pleasant, so she just let it go.

"They're quite nice. They speak politely, unlike other city people who look down on us country folk. They seem easy to get along with. Well, if they're easy to get along with, we should visit them more often; if they're not, we should visit them less often."