Jiang Qiao pulled the two brothers up and down, then teased, "You guys are really something! Where did you find all this? I think I've given away quite a few already. Do you still have some left?"

Jiang Qiao took care of all the clothes for the adults and children in the family. She knew exactly what they had and didn't have, but she just couldn't figure out where they came from.

Gu Zhixuan and his brother chuckled, "Keep a couple of items as a backup. They might come in handy when you're out and about. Otherwise, you'll be at a disadvantage. We can't let you take them all away."

Jiang Qiao gave a thumbs up, "Impressive, you even thought of that. I'm impressed. Let's go."

The three siblings set off on two bicycles, and Wen Jingwan saw them off with some concern.

"Sigh, I should have gone over there to take a look."

Qiao Jie disagreed, saying, "What were you doing there? The child was only sent back because they were worried about him. You'd better stay home quietly. Today I'll teach you a simple pulse-taking method—"

Having something to learn will at least distract Wen Jingwan from her distractions.

When Jiang Qiao and the others arrived, the gate was locked.

Gu Zhixuan stood at the door pushing his bicycle, muttering to himself, "What does this mean? It's so cold, and Grandpa Liu isn't home. Where did he go?"

Not to mention Gu Zhixuan, even Jiang Qiao was puzzled. "What happened? Has something happened? Let's go to the cowshed and take a look."

When Jiang Qiao and the others arrived, not only was Gu Hanting in the cowshed, but Ma Liu was also there. Of course, there was also an older woman among them. Jiang Qiao and the others didn't think twice; it was highly likely that this woman was Dong Chunxiao.

Jiang Qiao immediately noticed that this woman's life was much better than her grandfather's. Her face was well-maintained, and she didn't look like someone who had been through a lot. Moreover, her clothes were quite nice; at least they weren't patched, and the style was modern.

Dong Chunxiao was initially taken aback when she saw Jiang Qiao and his two children, but she understood when she heard them call him "Grandpa".

"Brother, these are all your grandchildren."

Gu Hanting smiled and nodded, "Yes, come here, children, this is your great-aunt—"

After Jiang Qiao and the other two finished calling out to their great-aunt, they gathered around Gu Hanting and Ma Liu.

Dong Chunxiao looked troubled. "Look, I haven't prepared anything. If this were before, given our family's circumstances, we would definitely have to give the children a gift for their first meeting—"

Although Dong Chunxiao said that, she still took out a few pieces of candy from her pocket.

"Your aunt doesn't have much, so here's a piece of candy for you to sweeten your mouths. It's nothing special, so don't be offended—"

Dong Chunxiao has explained everything, good and bad. If the rest of them don't accept it, it would seem like they're being unreasonable.

When Jiang Qiao and the others received the candy, they took a special look at Dong Chunxiao's hands. They weren't rough, which showed that she usually took good care of her hands. At least, for now, her hands didn't look like those of a country woman, which were chapped and cracked.

"Let me see, this is the eldest son, this is the second son's daughter, and this is the youngest son, right?"

Gu Hanting nodded. "You're right. One per family, no more, no less. You know our Gu family doesn't have many people."

Jiang Qiao could sense that her grandfather and this great-aunt didn't seem very interested in chatting. They talked casually, but there was no sign of any enthusiasm between them.

Ma Liu was even more so, leaning against the pile of quilts, not issuing any orders. This was not like Ma Liu's usual behavior. What exactly happened?

"Chunxiao, you should go back first. The children are coming back, and there's not enough room in this house. It smells bad, and you won't be comfortable with it. Go back and keep the children company. We can talk again this afternoon."

"Sigh, if this were before, I could have entertained you at the old courtyard. Unfortunately, this is my only place to live now. Even if I wanted to, I don't have the means. Please forgive me."

"Brother, what are you saying? Having a place to shelter from the wind and rain is already pretty good. Besides, you have two promising sons. You're only in a temporary situation now. Things will definitely get better in the future. Maybe we can even get our old house back. No rush, let's talk again this afternoon."

After Dong Chunxiao left, Jiang Qiao and the other two eagerly inquired about Dong Chunxiao's situation.

Speaking of his younger sister, Gu Hanting sighed deeply, and even Ma Liu curled his lip in disdain.

"Don't even mention it. Your great-aunt is really good at scheming. Look at their clothes, it's like they're not going to get away with this."

You didn't see her son and daughter; they were looking at us like we were monsters.

They were even unwilling to live in the cowshed. Your grandfather didn't even have to say anything; they went to the village chief to resolve it. Humph, people like that don't even have the most basic attitude. Do you really think she genuinely came to recognize relatives?

"Oh dear, Old Gu, how come your family only has one daughter like this? She's not even as grateful as a servant..."

Ma Liu was probably holding back a lot of frustration, and as soon as he saw Jiang Qiao and the others, he started complaining. Gu Hanting just smiled wryly and said, "You said she wanted to come, but she didn't even discuss it with us. She just came straight here. What can I do? I'll just have to play it by ear."

"Sigh, only Zhengkai and Zhengfeng are successful; otherwise, she probably wouldn't have ever come back to see them again in her lifetime."

Jiang Qiao was eager to know what this woman's purpose was in coming here.

"What else can she do? Her youngest son wants to join the army, but he failed the political review. He's trying to get in through your father's connections. Her daughter and son want to get decent jobs, so they've come to ask your grandfather for help too."

Jiang Qiao and the other two were surprised. "No, their home is so far away. Even if my uncle and grandfather have the ability, they can't reach that far."

Ma Liu rolled his eyes. "What do you mean you can't reach her? Her daughter came here with her son-in-law. I heard that she and her son-in-law are both in their second marriages. Her daughter moved to this area because of her son-in-law's job transfer."

Otherwise, would this old lady even show her face?

Jiang Qiao sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) and took out the things she had brought, handing them to the old man. "Grandpa, Grandpa Liu, you two have a bite to eat. I brought these back from the city."

"Fried oysters? Oh my, you don't get to eat this often. Come on, Old Gu, have some!"

Ma Liu reached out and grabbed one, stuffing it into his mouth as he ate, nodding as he said, "This tastes authentic. Girl, you didn't make this, did you?"

Jiang Qiao smiled and nodded, "My uncle and aunt from the seaside are here. My aunt has been getting acupuncture at home for a few days, so she fried this for us. I saved some for you to bring over. Eat up, there's some dried food too. Remember to make some for yourselves later."

Ma Liu sighed again, "Don't even mention it. I don't know what's wrong with Dong Chunxiao. She insists on going back to the old house. I didn't let her, and she even argued with me. I haven't bothered to talk to her these past two days."