After eating and drinking his fill, Grandpa Shen leaned back on the bed, waiting for his grandson to come and see him. He felt that he had already compromised, and his grandson would not continue to argue with him.
They waited and waited, but their eldest grandson never showed up.
"Dad, what are you looking at? Are you waiting for Xiaoze?" Shen Huixian asked as soon as she entered the room, noticing her father craning his neck and staring at the door. She couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle.
Grandpa Shen arrogantly turned his head to one side: "How could that be? I don't even care about this unfilial grandson. He doesn't care about me, his grandfather, at all."
Shen Huixian sat down on the chair by the bed: "Dad, I just mentioned that to Xiaoze, but he didn't want to."
“I also think it was my fault for not thinking things through. You know your own temper. What if you just give someone the cold shoulder? It would be so embarrassing for them.”
Grandpa Shen was instantly enraged, his beard bristling and eyes wide with anger: "What's wrong with my temper? In your eyes, I'm just a grumpy old man, right? Everyone despises me."
As he spoke, Old Master Shen became somewhat saddened, realizing that old age indeed makes one more disliked.
"Look at what you're saying. Who in the family would dare to look down on you?" Shen Huixian said somewhat bluntly. "You and Xiaoze can handle your own affairs from now on. I'm caught in the middle and don't stand a chance. I won't interfere in this matter anymore. But no matter who Xiaoze likes, I will support him."
Upon hearing this, Old Master Shen looked angrily at his youngest daughter: "This is betrayal. I was wrong to trust you."
"I will no longer play along with your tantrums. From now on, I will support Xiaoze instead."
Shen Huixian's tone carried a hint of threat: "If you keep acting up, I'll tell him everything about you faking your illness and secretly withholding Xiaoze's letters. Let's see if Xiaoze will still talk to you after that."
"You...you traitor!" Old Master Shen looked at his youngest daughter in disbelief, so angry that he didn't know what to say for a moment.
Shen Huixian smiled smugly at her father: "I'm not going to chat with you anymore. I'm going to pick up Xiaoyi from school. I'll bring the two kids over for dinner later. You can decide what to do."
As soon as Huang Chenxuan and Huang Chenyi arrived at their maternal grandfather's house, they went straight to Song Ze's room.
"Big brother, my mom said you and grandpa had a fight, and she asked me to come and comfort you."
Upon hearing his cousin's words, Song Ze laughed and said, "I don't need your comfort. You guys should go and comfort Grandpa. He's probably furious with me."
Huang Chenxuan shrank back in fear. Who would dare to comfort his grandfather? It would be good enough if he didn't get scolded by his grandfather.
"Big brother, you're amazing! You actually dared to argue with Grandpa," Huang Chenyi said, blinking his big eyes and looking at Song Ze with admiration.
He and his brother were both a little afraid of their grandfather because he was very serious and liked to be stern.
Song Ze smiled and pinched Huang Chenyi's cheek. His little face was chubby because of the good nutrition he received.
"Big brother, I overheard my mom and dad talking on the phone. They said you've fallen for a girl, but Grandpa doesn't approve of you being with her, right?" Huang Chenxuan asked curiously.
He was already 15 years old, a time when he was just beginning to understand and be curious about relationships. Some time ago, some people in his class had started dating secretly, which made Huang Chenxuan even more curious about the girl that Song Ze liked.
"The old man is getting old and confused, I won't hold it against him," Song Ze said casually, speaking ill of his grandfather.
Huang Chenxuan chuckled twice: "Is the girl you like pretty, big brother? I really want to meet her."
"Of course she's beautiful. She's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. I'll bring her to Beijing sometime so you can see her then," Song Ze said, his expression softening as he mentioned Xia Qingqing.
This amazed Huang Chenxuan, who never expected his older brother to be so gentle.
His maternal grandfather had a bad temper, but Song Ze, who was raised by his grandfather since childhood, wasn't much better off.
"Okay, I'll treat my sister-in-law to Peking duck then," Huang Chenxuan patted his chest and promised, speaking with great confidence.
That evening, the family had a happy meal together. Grandpa Shen didn't throw a tantrum anymore, but he only talked to his two grandsons at the dinner table and ignored Song Ze.
Song Ze knew he was angry with him, so he put a piece of food in his bowl with his chopsticks and said, "Grandpa, eat more."
Grandpa Shen gave a haughty snort, said nothing, but still ate the food in his bowl.
He can't control his eldest grandson anymore, so he should take the opportunity to save face.
——
Early in the morning, Xia Qingqing opened her door and immediately felt a chill rushing towards her.
She rubbed her arms, then immediately turned around and went back to her room to put on another layer of clothing.
"Qingqing, come and eat!" Zhang Hongyan placed the prepared white flour dumplings on the table. Seeing her daughter run back into the room after leaving, she couldn't help but urge her.
"Okay, I'll be right there," Xia Qingqing replied while getting dressed.
When she sat down at the dinner table and looked at the big bowl of white noodles in front of her, Xia Qingqing felt a sense of satisfaction.
I still remember when I first transmigrated to this world, my family was eating porridge that scratched my throat. Now life is so much better.
At her insistence, the family would eat rice, wheat flour, and other dishes every now and then. Occasionally, when she went to the county, she would try to bring back some meat. The four family members gained weight and their complexions improved a lot.
Zhang Hongyan was initially very opposed to such extravagance, thinking that Xia Qingqing was too wasteful. But now she has gradually gotten used to it. Even if Xia Qingqing doesn't remind her, she will occasionally cook a nice meal to improve everyone's lives.
Today, Xia Qingqing is going to the county. Seeing that the weather is getting colder and colder, she plans to buy some cotton to make cotton-padded jackets and quilts.
Zhang Hongyan came out of the room and handed a small stack of banknotes to her daughter, saying, "Qingqing, remember to choose a nice piece of fabric for yourself. Don't choose any drab colors."
Xia Qingqing understood the underlying meaning of her mother's words: she was a grown woman who would be getting married soon, so she needed to dress herself up.
Most of the girls in the village who are the same age as Xia Qingqing are already married. A very few families are reluctant to let them go and want to keep them for a couple more years, but they have all found suitable partners. Zhang Hongyan doesn't say it, but she is actually anxious.
"Okay, I'll go ask my classmate if they have any fabric that doesn't require coupons. I'll buy a few more pieces so our whole family can have new clothes," Xia Qingqing said, putting the money and coupons into her pocket.
Zhang Hongyan waved her hands repeatedly: "Your dad and I have clothes to wear, you and Gou Dan can just share one set."
"What clothes do you have? Those two cotton-padded coats that have already clumped together?" Xia Qingqing was speechless. She had no idea how many years her parents had worn those two cotton-padded coats.
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