Chapter 485 A Dream of Youth 17
"Qi'er, do you still remember the way to Grandma's house?"
"I remember, I remember!" Xie Qi walked ahead first, carrying the gifts he had prepared for his cousins.
Because of the rain last night, this dirt road is still muddy and difficult to navigate.
Xie Wangzhi then prevented Xie Ning from walking on his own, to avoid him falling. After all, the child was light, and he could easily carry him.
It was the season for transplanting rice seedlings, so the rice paddies along the roadside were filled with farm women with their trousers rolled up and backs bent over transplanting seedlings, men pushing plows, and children following hunched-over old women to deliver breakfast.
It's quite a distance from the village, and some families find it too troublesome to stay in the fields, so they have their family members bring them food.
There wasn't much food; better-off families would serve thick porridge, and only the strong laborers got to eat steamed buns, since they wouldn't have the strength if they didn't eat dry food.
"Wangzhi? Wangzhi is here! And Uncle Geng, come to my house for tea later! We have freshly made apricot blossom tea and sweet wine made from apricot blossoms!"
"Come to my house for a meal too. We hunted a wild rabbit, so it's good to have some game."
Someone spotted Xie Ning and exclaimed in surprise, "Oh, isn't this Bao'er? She's so beautiful, just like a celestial attendant under the Heavenly Venerable."
Xie Wangzhi responded to each person, and Xie Ning followed suit, greeting each person one by one.
Xie Qi, who was walking ahead, had already stood quite far away, chatting with several children about his age on the ridge of the field, and giving them some malt candy.
Before long, he started running forward again, showing none of the demure and well-mannered demeanor he displayed at the academy.
When the group finally arrived at the Xie family's old house, Xie Qi was already being held in his great-grandmother's arms, who called him "my darling" and even took out food hidden in the cupboard for him to eat.
This is a privilege that no other child receives.
Xie Qi hesitated for a moment, "Grandma, my father and the others are right behind us, I'll go and meet them."
After saying that, she ran out. The other children exchanged glances and followed her out. Only the old woman sat demurely in the hall, waiting for Xie Wangzhi and the others to come and pay their respects.
Xie Ning looked at the flat bluestone path below and wanted Xie Wangzhi to put her down, as she could still walk on her own. However, Xie Wangzhi pretended not to see her and carried her straight to the entrance of the old house before putting her down.
The old house has no courtyard wall, only a fence about half a person's height to enclose a yard, with unknown vines winding around the fence and blooming with small yellow flowers.
There is an apricot tree in the yard, which must be about twenty years old. Its branches are lightly layered, half open and half closed in the quiet garden.
There weren't many adults in the courtyard at the time; it was mostly children. When they saw Xie Wangzhi and the others, they greeted them politely, "Grand Uncle, Grand Aunt, Uncle, Aunt!"
As for Xie Yun, they were still young, and Xie Yun rarely returned to the old house after getting married, so the children didn't recognize her. It was the woman cooking in the kitchen who introduced her to them with a smile, "This is your aunt."
After the children obediently greeted the woman and received a few candies, the woman welcomed them inside. The old woman inside couldn't wait any longer and quietly went to the door to peek in. When the children came over, she plopped back down and sat down.
After Xie Geng and his son and daughter-in-law finished exchanging greetings, the old woman's gaze finally fell on Xie Ning. "This must be Ning-jie'er, right? Is she feeling any better?"
"I'm much better now, thank you for your concern, Grandmother." Madam Chen held Xie Ning as they sat in a chair, a polite smile on her face.
The old woman gave a soft "hmm," and then said, "This child must have been spoiled. Why not let her stay at the old house for a while? She'll definitely be as strong as the other children. Look at her pale face, she has no color at all."
For a moment, Chen's face cracked; here it comes again.
“You’re young and don’t know how to be well-mannered. Your mother-in-law gave me the responsibility of raising the children. Look at Wangzhi and Ayun, how strong and healthy they are.”
Only after speaking did she realize how poor Xie Yun's health was, which displeased her. "Young people are just so immature; they can't even take care of their own bodies, let alone children..."
Before the great-grandmother could finish speaking, Grandfather Xie interrupted her.
“Mother, Ayun’s poor health is due to the Guo family’s mistreatment of her. Why are you still talking about the child…”
"What? Can't I say that?"
The old woman raised her eyebrows, but her face darkened. "She hasn't taken care of her own health. She hasn't conceived a child in all these years, yet she still has the nerve to cause trouble for the Guo family! The fact that the Guo family hasn't divorced her immediately shows that they are being lenient with her."
"You even sent Guo Dayong to that yamen, weren't you sincerely trying to sever ties between the Guo and Xie families?"
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