Chapter 505: Heavy Gifts

Nan Zhiyi was preoccupied with the fact that her cousin's family was coming, and she took care of everything herself.

Together with Sister Zhang, we checked all the various snacks, dried fruits, seasonal fruits, and fine teas one by one. Fresh ingredients were also prepared well in advance and neatly arranged in the kitchen.

The entire building was bright and clean, and the stone path in the courtyard had been washed with water, giving it a refreshing feel.

In the morning, Sister Zhang received a call from Su Chengye to confirm the time; he would come to visit around 3 p.m.

Nan Zhiyi happened to have no classes that afternoon, so she consulted Gu Zhao and asked him for half a day off.

The little guy was so excited when he heard that he didn't have to go to school in the afternoon and could have free time. He was so excited that he couldn't sit still.

After lunch, Gu Zhao only took a short nap before waking up excitedly and couldn't fall back asleep.

He only dozed off for a short while before getting up. First, he checked up and down the stairs to make sure his toys were put away properly. Then he ran to the living room and helped his mother arrange the prepared snacks into a nice T-shape.

After finishing his work, he brought out his beloved transforming robot and a few toy cars, set up his "battlefield" on the stone table and chairs under the grape trellis in the yard, and said to Nan Zhiyi in a serious tone as he fiddled with them, "Mom, I'll play here and keep an eye on whether your great-uncle and uncle have arrived! You go ahead and do your work!"

Nan Zhiyi replied, "Okay, then we'll leave it to our little sentries!"

Around three o'clock, the sound of a car came from outside the courtyard.

Gu Zhao jumped up, not even bothering to grab the robot, and ran into the house, shouting, "Mom! It's here! There's a car!"

Nan Zhiyi wiped her hands, took off her apron, tidied her hair, and took Gu Zhao's hand as they went out to greet them.

Parked outside the courtyard gate was a black Toyota Crown sedan, with a novel design that was quite eye-catching in the courtyard at the time.

The driver, a staff member of the Overseas Chinese Federation, got out first to help open the door, and then went around to the trunk to take out several exquisite gift boxes and bags.

Su Chengye got out of the car first, then carefully helped his father, Su Chongshan, down. His aunt, Cheng Huixin, also got out of the car.

"Uncle, Aunt, Cousin! Welcome, welcome, please come in!"

"Hello, great-uncle! Hello, great-aunt! Hello, cousin!"

The mother and son greeted each other at the same time.

Mr. Su looked much better today than when he was in the hotel. He was wearing a well-tailored dark-colored light jacket and had a warm smile.

"Okay, okay, I understand. I'm sorry to bother you."

Auntie smiled and took Gu Zhao's hand, saying, "This child is so lovable."

The staff then handed the gift to Su Chengye.

He raised the object in his hand and said gently, "A small gift for my cousin, brother-in-law, and Gu Zhao."

Nan Zhiyi hurriedly said, "Cousin, you're too kind. It's enough that you've come to sit at our home. Why did you bring anything? Please come in and let's talk in the courtyard."

After exchanging pleasantries, everyone entered the courtyard.

Mr. Su slowed his pace and looked around the small courtyard.

The courtyard is lush with flowers and trees, with new green grapes, newly blooming roses, and budding roses, all neatly arranged and full of life.

Mr. Su stopped and looked around, nodding repeatedly: "Good, this courtyard is so well-maintained! It has flowers and fruit, childlike fun, and a lively atmosphere. Jing Si would be so pleased to see you living such a good life."

His tone was full of emotion.

Aunt Cheng Huixin patted her husband's arm and advised, "Old man, we've come to see Zhiyi in a good mood today, so let's not talk about those sad things... The children are all doing well, that's more important than anything else."

She turned to Nan Zhiyi, "Zhiyi, don't mind it, I've just been thinking about it for too long."

Mr. Su sighed, waved his hand, and didn't continue the topic.

Nan Zhiyi didn't want the atmosphere to linger on sadness, so she changed the subject: "Uncle, Aunt, Cousin, it's windy outside, let's come inside and have some tea and talk. Gu Xiao has important business at his department today and won't be back until dinner time, so he specifically asked me to apologize to you all. I've prepared some good tea, let's have a taste."

"Okay, okay, I'll go with whatever the host says."

Mr. Su smiled and agreed, and the group went into the house.

The room was bright and clean, with light-colored curtains filtering in soft sunlight, and newly arranged magnolias and crabapples in a vase exuding elegance and charm.

Sister Zhang served freshly brewed tea; the tea liquor in the white porcelain cup was clear and green, with a delicate aroma.

Mr. Su took the teacup and looked around the living room. “Your home is so neat and elegant. You are just like your mother, someone who loves flowers and knows how to manage a household.”

Nan Zhiyi smiled and served tea to her aunt as well, saying frankly, "Yes, I learned many habits from my mother. She often said that flowers and trees have spirits and are the best for nourishing the heart."

She didn't shy away from talking about her parents, and casually mentioned a few amusing stories about her mother's gardening days to Mr. Su, which made Mr. Su's face gradually light up with a smile.

While sipping tea, Su Chengye took out the gift boxes he had brought.

He first handed the largest, brightly colored cardboard box to Gu Zhao, who was staring at him expectantly. "This is for Gu Zhao. It's a Lego toy. You can build big ships, cars, and lots and lots of things. See if you like it?"

Gu Zhao took the box covered in foreign languages. He had never seen "LEGO" before, but the pictures of the models on the box ignited his natural love for assembling models.

He wanted to open it immediately, but remembering his manners, he kept looking at Nan Zhiyi with his bright eyes, while holding the box tightly in his arms.

Nan Zhiyi smiled and nodded. Gu Zhao then stood up and bowed respectfully, saying, "Thank you, Grandfather! Thank you, Uncle!"

Su Chengye didn't open the remaining gift boxes immediately. "Cousin, these are little trinkets for your family of three."

Nan Zhiyi's gaze swept over the boxes; they were exquisitely packaged. "Uncle, Aunt, and Cousin, your presence is the best gift. The rest... are too expensive..."

Mr. Su put down his teacup and raised his hand to interrupt her.

"Zhiyi, let's not talk about whether it's valuable or not. There's an old Chinese saying, 'One should not refuse a gift from an elder.' Your aunt and I are your mother's direct cousins. Over the decades, we've been separated by distance. I haven't been able to watch you grow up, nor have I been able to take care of you after your parents... It's always been a regret in my heart. Please accept it, so that I can feel more at ease."

Cheng Huixin also gently advised from the side, "Yes, Zhiyi. It's nothing special. If you keep refusing, it will only create distance. We are family, connected by blood, we don't care about these things."

Having said that, Nan Zhiyi could only nod: "Uncle, Aunt, ... Gu Xiao, Gu Zhao, and I thank you for your kindness. We will remember this kindness."

"Ah, that's right!"

Mr. Su's face cleared up, and he took another sip of tea.