Shi Jianjun felt a pang of sadness; his parents looked much older than before when he came back this time.

Since he left home at the age of sixteen, his parents, fearing that he would be distracted by his work, always only reported good news to him and never the bad.

Later, he transferred to Beijing, where he got married and had children, spending less and less time with his parents.

Unable to be by their side to fulfill their filial duties, he and Song Yan have had to find ways to send more money home over the years.

But the elderly couple were used to being frugal, so they not only didn't spend their money, but also continued to farm their own land to be self-sufficient.

The money they gave them was all saved by the elderly couple, who said they would leave it to their grandson.

Shi Jianjun looked up and around; the layers upon layers of mountains seemed to widen the distance between them.

He felt helpless. Although the scenery here was beautiful and the environment was pleasant, it was not as convenient as a big city.

My parents are getting older and older; how can they be left without anyone to take care of them?

His resolve to take the elderly couple away became even stronger.

Seeing that the group of people looked exhausted, the elderly couple from the Shi family immediately opened the door and let them in to rest.

Having learned from experience this time, Song Yan took out a bag of candy from her bag and distributed it to the children present.

The children were overjoyed to have candy before the New Year, and their sweet talk was irresistible. Song Yan received a whole host of nicknames.

Sister-in-law Shi, Aunt Shi, Grandma Shi...

Finally, the village chief arrived, said a few words to Shi Jianjun, and then dismissed the villagers.

After a long and tiring journey back from Beijing, I need to rest before I can do anything else!

After telling Zhu Zi and Gang Zi to go inside and rest, Song Yan immediately pulled the whole family to sit in the main room.

Shi Jianjun winked at his wife, signaling her to speak.

Song Yan organized her thoughts and then spoke up: "Mom and Dad, I want to take you and my little sister to live in Beijing."

Song Yan's words stunned the Shi family members, but after they came to their senses, they all shook their heads in refusal.

Mr. Shi sat on the threshold, took a couple of puffs of his pipe, and then said, "Your mother and I aren't used to the climate there, and there's nothing to do there anyway, so we're not going."

He looked up at his daughter, gripped his pipe, and said, "If it's not too difficult for you, could you take Fangfang with you?"

Shi Fangfang's tears welled up instantly: "Dad, if you don't leave, I won't leave either. My brother has important things to do in Beijing, and I don't have a high level of education, so I can't be of much help. Besides, if I leave, who will take care of you two if you get sick?"

"Your father and I are in good health now and can take care of ourselves. If we ever become unable to move, we will come to Beijing to find you." Shi's mother shared the same idea as Shi's father.

"I don't care, if you guys aren't going, then I'm not going either." Shi Fangfang turned her head away.

"Why are you so stubborn, you little brat!" Shi's mother patted her daughter on the back.

"Do you know that the Deng family is spreading rumors about you everywhere? You'll never be able to get married if you stay in Nanjiang! Waaah~" Mother Shi couldn't help but cry.

"If I can't get married, I'll stay at home to take care of you and support you in your old age..." Shi Fangfang couldn't help but cry as well.

Finally, the mother and daughter embraced and wept bitterly.

Song Yan didn't interrupt. She hadn't spent much time with her sister-in-law and didn't know her character well, but it seemed that at least she was quite filial.

"Alright! Stop crying. Jianjun and Song Yan just got back, and now there's crying in our house. The villagers will start gossiping again." Father Shi sighed and tapped his pipe.

Both Shi's mother and Shi Fangfang were people who knew what was important, and they gradually stopped crying after hearing Shi's father's words.

Shi Jianjun had no idea what his wife was up to. Normally, she would have jumped up and explained herself by now, but there was still no word from her. Something was wrong.

After everyone calmed down, Song Yan knew that her chance to shine had come.

She first let out a heavy sigh, then said with self-pity, "Alas! I was hoping that my parents and sister could help me this time I came back, but I didn't expect that none of you would agree."

After finishing her sentence, Song Yan sighed again, her voice filled with endless disappointment.

Mr. and Mrs. Shi exchanged a glance. What had happened?

Mr. Shi immediately asked anxiously, "Song Yan! Has something happened between you and Jianjun?"

"Dad, you should have heard from Jun-ge that I opened a new business in Beijing, and it's become incredibly popular."

"Isn't it good that business is booming?" Shi's mother said worriedly.

"Don't speak, let Song Yan continue," Mr. Shi tugged at his wife's sleeve.

"Yes, yes, Song Yan, you say it." Shi's mother also realized that she had interrupted her daughter-in-law.

"Business is good, of course it's good! But I'm too busy to handle it all!" Song Yan said helplessly, spreading her hands.

"Just hire two more people and the problem will be solved." Mr. Shi had worked as a peddler when he was young, so he knew a thing or two about business.

"Dad, I don't need anyone to do the work!"

Song Yan's words left the Shi family completely bewildered. What did she mean by that?

"Mom and Dad, let me put it this way. You've been to Songzhuang before, you know it's a village on the outskirts of Beijing. Now that my business is doing well, the main store has moved to the city, and I was thinking of having Dashan and Xiaoshan go to school in the city with me. But I'm extremely busy with business right now, and I can't rely on Jun Ge, so there's no one to take care of the kids."

Upon hearing that it was about their grandson, Mr. and Mrs. Shi both took it seriously.

"As you all know, my parents are older than you, and I have several older brothers and sisters-in-law's children to take care of in the village, so they can't come with me. That's why Dashan and Xiaoshan have been staying in the village to attend school." Actually, Song Yan and Shi Jianjun had already discussed the issue of Dashan and Xiaoshan's schooling, and they would transfer schools after they finished this semester.

"But how can the teaching quality in the village compare to that in the city? And the two kids are so mischievous. Their father and I aren't with them right now, and we're always worried they'll go astray."

"But it will be different after you go there. There will be people who can lend a hand, and on rainy days they can bring the children an umbrella so they don't get wet on their way home!" Song Yan's voice was full of heartache.

"Then let their aunt go, she can help you take care of the children!" Mr. Shi felt bad too, his two grandsons didn't grow up by their side, they didn't take care of them much, and he felt guilty.

Shi Fangfang wanted to say something, but in the end she didn't open her mouth.

"Dad, if we only let Fangfang go, her brother and sister will definitely be worried about you, and they'll be distracted. Besides, it's over a thousand kilometers from Beijing; it's just too far."

Mr. Shi wanted to say something, but after hesitating for a long time, he still didn't open his mouth.

"Mom and Dad, this is what I'm thinking. Fangfang isn't young anymore, and now that she's divorced, who knows what her future holds? As her sister-in-law, I can't just stand by and watch. My shop is doing very well right now, and I'm planning to open a branch in Beijing. It doesn't matter who runs it, I want to hand it over to Fangfang. If she does a good job, she can save up some money in a few years, and even if she doesn't get married in the future, she'll still be able to live comfortably."