“I won’t be going back for a while. I’ll stay with you guys. If you really come, I can still help,” Dai Xingyun said solemnly.

Shen Xiaoxiao quickly shook her head and refused without hesitation: "No need! I can protect myself. You rarely come home, and you have to go back to school in a few days. You should enjoy the time with your family."

"Besides, it's still the first month of the lunar calendar, the Lunar New Year. There will definitely be a lot of people visiting to offer New Year's greetings. How can you not be home?"

Dai Xingyun frowned, seemingly wanting to refute, but Shen Xiaochuan interjected, "I still have a few days of leave. I'll be here these days, so you don't need to worry."

"After I return to my unit, I'll have to trouble you to take care of my little sister. I'll also try my best to catch those people in the next few days and make sure they don't get away with it!"

After hearing Shen Xiaochuan's words, Shen Xiaoxiao felt a little more at ease. After all, she was just an ordinary person before, and she was still caught off guard by such a sudden event.

As she was thinking, she subconsciously looked up, her eyes meeting Dai Xingyun's, and she smiled slightly.

Then he asked, "Where is Xiahou? How is he? I haven't seen him."

Dai Xingyun used serving chopsticks to put a piece of food on her plate: "He went to the next city to accompany his mother to his grandmother's house. He hasn't come back yet."

Hearing this explanation, Shen Xiaoxin finally felt relieved and nodded in understanding.

By this time, everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, and the dishes on the table were completely gone. Shen Xiaochuan rubbed his stomach contentedly and exclaimed, "The food here was really good! I'm stuffed!"

Looking at the scene before her, Shen Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes and said to Shen Xiaochuan in an annoyed tone, "Brother, can't you even look at where you are?"

"They're a century-old establishment, a truly prestigious brand! Do you really think the food here wouldn't be good?"

Shen Xiaochuan was embarrassed by his sister's words and retorted irritably, "Hmph, I knew you brat would sabotage me! Alright, alright, stop nagging and let's go! Let's go see where the house we bought is."

After saying that, they all stood up.

Upon seeing this, Dai Xingyun quickly went downstairs first and paid for the meal.

The siblings didn't intend to compete with him, after all, they would have many more opportunities to meet in the future, so why would they be afraid of not being able to repay the favor?

After paying, Dai Xingyun put the change into his pocket, turned around, and said gently to Shen Xiaoxiao, "Let's go, I'll take you to see the house first."

"The house has been cleaned spotlessly, and the beds have been made for you. All the bedding and other items are brand new, so you can move in anytime."

Shen Xiaoxiao was overjoyed to hear this and happily replied, "Okay!"

The three got into the car, and soon they arrived at their destination.

Shen Xiaoxiao stepped out of the car lightly, and as soon as her feet touched the ground, her gaze was drawn to the courtyard gate.

The gate had clearly been freshly painted, and the paint still emitted a faint smell.

Dai Xingyun walked to Shen Xiaoxiao's side and said, "This is it! This is your home." His voice was filled with joy.

Shen Xiaoxiao could not hide her joy. Like a happy little bird, she couldn't wait to step over the threshold and into the yard.

The moment she stepped into the courtyard, a sycamore leaf, as if waiting for her, gently drifted down and landed on her shoulder.

Shen Xiaoxiao looked around curiously. Although the courtyard was quite old, the remaining painted decorations on the pillars still gave people a sense of its former grandeur.

Although the colorful patterns have faded somewhat, they still evoke a sense of their former glory.

Shen Xiaoxiao walked slowly down the corridor and arrived at the door of a room.

Dai Xingyun followed behind her and pointed to the east wing, saying, "This room was designed for you. The desk is placed under the window, so you can see the bamboo grove perfectly."

His fingers traced patterns in the air as he explained earnestly. "When spring arrives, I'll bring some more flowers to make your room even cozier," Dai Xingyun said with a gentle smile.

Just then, Shen Xiaochuan's voice suddenly came from the backyard: "Xiaoxiao! There's a well here!" His voice echoed in the empty courtyard.

With a smile on his face, Dai Xingyun walked slowly to the well and explained to the two of them, "The water in this well is sweet. I specially invited an experienced master craftsman to test it."

After saying that, he gracefully bent down, grasped the handle of the well pulley with both hands, and gently turned it. With a clattering sound, a bucket of clear well water was slowly lifted up.

Dai Xingyun scooped up a ladle of water and carefully handed it to Shen Xiaoxiao, saying softly, "Here, try this well water."

Shen Xiaoxiao happily took the water ladle and took a small sip.

Just as she was tasting the well water, she suddenly noticed a small character "沉" (chen, meaning sink) engraved on the bottom of the ladle.

She couldn't help but look up at Dai Xingyun, a hint of surprise in her eyes, and a gentle smile appeared on her lips.

Dai Xingyun noticed the smile on Shen Xiaoxiao's face, and his gaze softened. He said softly, "A few days ago, when I was tidying up the yard, I also had this well cleaned again and a washing pool made here."

"From now on, you can fetch water directly from here and then put it in the sink to wash clothes, which will be much more convenient."

"And here, we've rebuilt a toilet and washroom for you, so you won't have to go out and queue with other people to use the toilet anymore."

Dai Xingyun said with a smile, then led the two to a corner of the kitchen, where a new bathroom and washroom had been built.

Upon hearing this, Shen Xiaoxiao felt a surge of excitement and rushed inside to check.

Upon entering, she saw a bathroom on the left, furnished with a toilet and shower facilities, and a washroom on the right, equipped with a large mirror and an elegant washbasin.

Shen Xiaoxiao was very satisfied with the new bathroom and washroom. She said happily, "Thank you, Dai Xingyun, you've really thought of everything!"

After viewing the new house, Dai Xingyun led them to the neighboring courtyard.

He gently pushed open the courtyard gate, and what appeared before him was a scene completely different from before: there was a grape trellis in the courtyard, with a stone table and stone benches placed under it, and various flowers and plants planted all around, making it look particularly quiet and elegant.

Dai Xingyun said somewhat embarrassedly, "This is my home. I usually like to make little things myself." As he spoke, he kicked a piece of wood away from the ground.