Just after the old men entered the study, Ruan Ruanru breathed a sigh of relief.
"Tong, do you think Grandpa and the others heard our conversation? Are they inside discussing their next move?" Ruan Ruan looked at the closed study door with worry, feeling uneasy herself.
"Host, don't worry, they must have heard you, otherwise they wouldn't have entered the study without a word."
"Then... what do you think? When they come out later, will they lock us up and torture us, or dissect us piece by piece?" Ruan Ruan thought of how it was always portrayed on TV: a perfectly healthy person is given anesthesia, stripped naked, placed on an operating table, and their flesh is cut away piece by piece. Then the person wakes up in pain and, unable to bear it, tells everything.
"Host, don't worry. You know the Supreme God will protect us, and your grandfather and maternal grandfather are here too. They won't let anything happen to you."
"Why is it the Supreme God protecting me, and not you?"
"Because...because..."
Just as the system was racking its brains for an answer, Ruan's mother brought Qian Ling to Ruan Ruan's side.
"Ruan Ruan, this is your sister Qian Ling. Next month, she'll be your sister-in-law. She heard you were back, so she took a day off to come see you. You're both girls, you'll definitely have something in common, have a good chat!" After introducing Qian Ling to Ruan Ruan, Ruan's mother went about her business. It was almost noon when only one group of the boys who went to buy groceries returned.
"Hello Ruan Ruan, I knew you were coming back, but I didn't have time to prepare anything. This is just a small token of my appreciation. I hope you like it." As she spoke, Qian Ling took out a white dress with a fitted waist that she had specially bought at the Foreign Trade Building that morning. It was very sheer, flowing, and very beautiful.
"Thank you, Sister Ling." Ruan Ruan stood up to take the clothes, then pulled Qian Ling to sit on the sofa next to her. Before sitting down, the two looked each other up and down.
Qian Ling thought to herself, "This younger sister is really blessed with good looks. She has inherited the best qualities of both the Ruan and Gu families. Even the young ladies from prominent families in the capital probably can't compare!"
Ruan Ruan was thinking that if Qian Ling hadn't been demoted and had married her elder brother directly after the Qian family didn't report her, could she have also developed weapons? Then, could we consider the weapons that the US later produced as robberies? Would the US then be required to apologize to China internationally?
"Host, don't think too much right now. You need to know that the elders are working on this matter. There's no way the Qian family will be demoted. After tonight, Qian Xueyi's project will be successful, and the weapons will begin production."
"Yes, just wait until Grandpa and the others come out and you'll see their expressions." Ruan Ruan knew she was overthinking things. Now that she was here, she wouldn't let things happen again.
Just as Ruan Ruan and Qian Ling were chatting casually about gossip in Beijing, the young men who had gone out to buy groceries, chickens, and fish all returned.
The senior figures only came out around lunchtime. At the table, Old Master Ruan said a few words first, and then ate in silence, with no other noise except for the clinking of bowls and chopsticks. Normally, people can talk and chat while eating, without so many rules, but today the senior figures were all gathered, and only Ruan's second son's family, Gu's second uncle and his wife, and Ruan's mother were present. Ruan's father could have come back, but after receiving a call from the old man, he realized the seriousness of the situation and couldn't return. Apart from Ruan Ruan, who was in a good mood, the other younger generation were genuinely afraid.
After dinner, the old men returned to their study, presumably waiting for a reply from Mr. Ruan.
As the eldest son, Ruan Shaohong led his younger siblings to the backyard.
"That really scared me to death!" Upon arriving in the backyard, Ruan Shaolin peeked towards the study before finally patting his chest and saying, "That really scared me to death!"
"You, now that you're a deputy battalion commander, how come you're still so unreliable?" Ruan Shaohong placed two chairs behind Ruan Ruan and Qian Ling, gesturing for them to sit down, then turned and sat down on the flower bed next to Qian Ling.
"This can't be compared. Do you dare to speak loudly in front of Grandpa and Grandpa on your mother's side?" Grandpa alone is already enough for him; now with Grandpa on the other side, it's even harder.
The atmosphere today is off; everyone can sense it. Even if something is amiss, no one will discuss it openly. As scions of prominent families, everyone knows what to say and what not to say.
"Grandpa and Grandpa on the other side are so kind and gentle, why are you all so afraid of them?" Ever since everyone met at noon, Ruan Ruan hadn't quite understood why her brothers were so afraid of the old man, not daring to even breathe loudly in front of him. It really made them seem so unmanly.
"We're not afraid, we're in awe," said Brother Ruan, his face clearly showing he wasn't afraid.
"Sister, don't you feel like you're being seen through when you see Grandpa and Grandpa Gu? It's like you have no secrets from them, just one glance and I feel like I'm naked in front of them, it's really scary!!" Ruan Shiya didn't know how to describe how she felt in front of the old man. Every time she thought about it, her hair stood on end. She shook her head, trying to shake the image off her mind.
"I didn't feel anything special. I just thought they were a few cute old men and women," Ruan Ruan said after thinking for a moment, holding a grape in her hand.
Perhaps because she grew up with her grandfather, she sees no difference between her current grandparents and those from the 22nd century.
"Little sister, your idea is a bit dangerous," Ruan Shaolin said, picking up a grape and tossing it into the air before catching it with his mouth, unable to comprehend his little sister's words.
"By the way, little sister, tell us about the family that adopted you." They mainly wanted to know if Ruan Ruan was doing well in that family.
When her older brother asked, Ruan Ruan suddenly remembered something she had forgotten: today was her 18th birthday, and Huo Haocheng had promised to come back to celebrate with her.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no, I completely forgot!" Ruan Ruan exclaimed in shock, standing up and rushing into the house. She needed to find her grandfather and call Huo Haocheng.
Thanks to Grandpa Huo's connections, the Red Flag Brigade had electricity, and he even specially installed a telephone in the brigade to make it easier for the children who went out.
"What's wrong? Little sister, explain yourself first, don't rush." Seeing Ruan Ruan's state, the others were also confused and could only follow her quickly to the study door.
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