The meal is finally over. As for how the food was and how it tasted, that's a matter of personal opinion.
After finishing your meal, you can't just put down your chopsticks and leave; you still have to exchange a few pleasantries.
Grandpa Gu forced himself to sit in the living room. He felt that this was the last time he would spend with the children, and every glance would be one less.
People may look back on their lives before they die, wondering how much better it would have been if things had turned out differently.
Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs" in life.
The old man closed his eyes and reminisced about the past, but the others had no such thoughts. They felt that they had come all this way but hadn't gained anything, and they were unhappy about it. They felt that not getting any benefits was a loss.
Grandma Gu was relieved to see that the old man was resting with his eyes closed and that his breathing was normal.
Grandma Gu actually had another purpose that she didn't say: Gu Feng and Gu Yuan were the children left behind by the second son, and she had always felt sorry for them.
A while ago, her two children came to visit her and told her about their family situation: there were too many people, the house was too small, and they couldn't fit everyone in.
The old lady remembered that Gu Ze's mother had left behind several houses. Now that Gu Ze was being transferred out of Beijing, the houses would just sit empty anyway, so she might as well lend them to relatives.
The old lady glanced at the old man and fell asleep.
"Gu Ze, I remember your mother left you a house. Now that you're being transferred, what's the arrangement for the house?"
Bonnie and Sister-in-law Gu exchanged a glance. They were stuck on work, so now they were talking about housing. They wouldn't give up until they got something out of them!
"There haven't been any arrangements. The small courtyard has always been rented out to others. The siheyuan (traditional courtyard house) has just been left there. It's not like those ten years anymore, where you can just occupy someone else's house."
Besides, even during those ten years, no one dared to occupy my house, right?
Gu Ze's words, spoken with a smile, carried more weight than those spoken with a cold expression.
"What about Gu Ye's house? It's empty too."
Although Grandma Gu disliked Gu Ye and his wife and children, what could she do when he had such a good mother?
"Don't even think about my house. It was given to us by my mother, and no one has the right to touch it."
Gu Ye replied curtly, "You're all dreaming."
“We meant well. Houses that are uninhabited for a long time tend to deteriorate. We thought we could stay here and help you look after the house.”
"That's right, that's right."
Gu Feng's wife and Gu Yuan are truly sisters-in-law; they're both shameless to the same degree—you couldn't even get a stab in them.
Bonnie glanced at Gu Ye, preventing him from speaking.
"Gu Ye didn't explain clearly just now. After all, you shouldn't flaunt your wealth, right? I've already converted our little courtyard into four small rooms and rented them out. The rent is quite a bit each month."
As for the courtyard house, you really don't need to be so kind. I've already tidied it up, and the autumn vegetables in the garden will be ready to be harvested soon.
I've cleaned up the pond in my older brother's yard. Next year, I'll fill it with water, raise fish, and plant lotus flowers.
Take the kids to stay for a few days when you have time. In ancient times, didn't wealthy families all have a summer retreat?
In their spare time, they can grow vegetables, fish, and admire the lotus flowers. The yard is so big that it's spacious enough for the children to play in.
So you really don't need to worry, everything's arranged perfectly. What can we do? We have such a wonderful mother!
Bonnie's words made most of the people in the room furious.
Gu Feng's wife and Gu Yuan looked displeased; Lin Baoni's words were infuriating.
"When a petty person gains power, he becomes arrogant and lacks depth."
Grandma Gu was also furious, and a string of criticisms came out of her mouth.
"Grandma, no matter how much you say, it's no use. What's ours is ours, and no matter how much you envy or are jealous, it won't become yours."
It's said that favoring one's children will only bring misfortune. I hope you're lucky enough to receive filial piety from your beloved grandchildren in the future, so that all your hard work and planning for them won't have been in vain.
Bonnie looked at Gu Feng and the others with a smile. What a filial grandson! Pushing his eighty-year-old grandmother out to seek personal gain, no one else does that.
"You can all go back now. Go about your business and take care of yourselves. I don't have the energy to manage you anymore. Just be on your own."
Grandpa Gu woke up at some point, and looked at the old lady and Gu Feng with a disappointed expression before closing his eyes again.
Gu Ye stood up first, grabbed Bao Ni and walked out, not wanting to stay a minute longer.
Gu Ze also pulled his sister-in-law along as they walked outside, while the children remained in the yard.
Suddenly, dozens of members of the Gu family arrived, leaving only two elderly people inside the house.
In the courtyard, Uncle Gu's big Jeep, with his family of about ten people, I don't know how they squeezed in.
Liu Jiu, San Qi, and Gu Xuanyi got into Gu Ye's jeep, while the remaining four members of Gu's family sat comfortably in the Hongqi sedan.
"Young people these days don't know how to respect the elderly and care for the young. They're so young, all they care about is enjoying themselves, and they don't consider their elders at all."
As Gu Xiaogu watched the Gu Ye and Gu Ze families get into the car, she didn't even offer them a seat, and blurted out some sarcastic remarks.
"It's not that we don't respect the elderly and care for the young, but that we don't have any elders to respect, so you don't count."
After Gu Ye finished speaking, he opened the car door, got in, and drove away.
Gu Ze followed in his car, leaving them with a plume of black smoke.
At that time, there was no traffic congestion in Beijing, and it only took about half an hour to drive to the family compound.
Bonnie said goodbye to Aunt Gu and the others, then went home; she was too tired.
When Sister-in-law Gu returned home, she learned that her family would be transferred in a month.
"Why so suddenly? Wasn't it supposed to be at the end of the year?"
“I just received the notice too. The work over there is quite urgent. Go back to your unit tomorrow and tell your supervisor to hand over your work. After that, you'll need to pack your things; you need to return this apartment.”
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