Earth, Ningcheng.
Everyone says July is scorching hot, but in Ningcheng, the air still seems to retain the lingering heat of summer. During this summer vacation after the college entrance examination, groups of high school graduates can often be seen playing and frolicking in the neighborhood. Once, they almost pulled up the giant, delicious radishes in the community's green belt, causing the community property management to chase after these mischievous kids every day.
The time right after the college entrance examination is when a person is closest to adulthood and about to leave behind the identity of "child". These college entrance examination candidates can't wait to fly straight to their dreams like a fledgling eagle learning to fly.
The community pavilion is always the place where the aunties, grandmas, and older women of the neighborhood exchange information. A few moving company trucks had just driven out of the community, and within ten minutes, someone noticed:
"Hey, have you all heard? It seems the Xu family is moving?"
"Really? If you ask me, they should have moved out a long time ago. Look at their daughter, she opened a restaurant a couple of years ago and made a lot of money, right? Then she contracted over a thousand acres of land to grow ping-pong grapes... That family probably does nothing all day but lie in bed counting money..."
"Sigh, we've been neighbors for over ten years. It's really hard to move. You know, you really can't just accept your fate in life. Look at Liu Hongmei. A few years ago, her husband ran away with a mountain of debt, leaving behind two children in school. Now her daughter is successful, her son is grown up, and she's even brought her father to live with her in his old age... We'll just have to wait and see how good things are going to be for her in the future!"
"Tell me, thanks to them, our neighborhood has had no shortage of radishes and mushrooms these past two years. Other neighborhoods can only envy them. Just the other day, my grandson's kindergarten asked me if we could hold a parent-child activity in our neighborhood—our neighborhood is now that kind of 'internet celebrity neighborhood,' with lots of people coming to take photos and check in every day!"
A group of people were chattering away when suddenly someone said sourly:
"So what if they got some lousy seeds? Why are you all fawning over them like this? Can't you see? They're worth more now, and they feel it's beneath them to live with us, so they moved into a villa. What's with all the showing off?"
Aunt Zhou took the lead, waving a palm-leaf fan as she began her "performance":
"Oh, judging from the sour tone, anyone who didn't know better would think someone owes you over thirty million. What, now that you're rich, instead of moving into a big house, are you going to dig up your ancestral graves and build a new house? Qinqin's mom, you're usually so attentive to Xiao Liu, calling her 'Sister Liu, Sister Liu,' but now that you're not getting anything out of her, you're starting to be so sour? You weren't acting like this when you were taking her grapes before, were you?"
"Exactly! We've been neighbors for over ten years, how can you be so clueless? If someone can make money, that's their ability. If you're so capable, why don't you raise a girl as successful as that?"
"Ignore her. She's been arguing with her mother-in-law about the house these past few days. She's just jealous that other people bought new houses..."
A group of people couldn't help but retort to the woman who was speaking, until she herself was too embarrassed to continue, and she slunk away.
As the conversation went on, everyone's topic veered off course again:
"...I heard that his daughter is going abroad for summer vacation? I see news reports about protests every day, I wonder if it's safe?"
"Why are you so worried? They're rich and have connections. What danger could they possibly face while they're out having fun..."
"Hey! I was just saying. By the way, does anyone else need some radishes? The radish under my window is probably ready to be pulled up. And the big mushrooms at Xiao Sun's house, we need to get a crane in and dig them up quickly, otherwise they'll block the sunlight downstairs!"
...
...
Returning to Earth in its original plane, one sees blue skies and white clouds overhead, a clear and boundless expanse, and lush green grass below, creating a stark contrast to the overall gray and hazy atmosphere of Earth II.
The vast difference between the two dimensions always gave Xu Milu a subtle sense of disconnect.
"Dami, come out here right now! The new sofa I ordered for you has arrived. See where you can put it in your room?"
Liu Hongmei stood on the second-floor balcony, hands on her hips, and shouted at her:
“I’m planning to put a big bed, a wardrobe, and a computer desk in your brother’s room. She can tidy up the rest herself when she comes back. By the way, your room is big and it’s on the second floor. If you don’t want anyone to bother you, just lock the door to the second-floor staircase. Nobody can come up there.”
The familiar voice pulled Xu Milu back to reality, and she shuffled back into the house in her slippers.
—This is a duplex villa right next to the forest park. It has two floors and an attic. There is also an elevator inside for easy access. Not only is the scenery beautiful, but the transportation is also very convenient. Most importantly, there is a large open space in the villa yard for Liu Hongmei to grow vegetables.
"Mom, you don't need to worry about my room. I can stay anywhere. Anyway, I spend most of my time at the resort, so leaving the room is a waste."
Xu Milu casually tore a grape off the table and popped it into her mouth, saying:
"Also, didn't Xiaomi say he wanted to set up a game room in his room? Why don't we just wait for him to come back and tidy it up himself?"
"How can that be? This house is yours. Your grandfather and I are just living here because of you. After your Uncle Sun and I pass away, this house and the house in the family building will definitely be yours. Whether you live here or not, you have to have a house that belongs to you, understand?"
Liu Hongmei glanced at the spacious villa and couldn't help but whisper:
"And to put it bluntly, what if something happens to me in the future, and your dad... comes looking for you to support him in his old age, or he starts pestering your brother to support him in his old age, or he tries to take over this house? Even brothers have to keep clear accounts. If you don't live here, people will think this house belongs to your brother—what's yours is yours, and you have to protect it yourself, understand?"
Xu Milu blinked, then couldn't help but hug Liu Hongmei and say coquettishly:
"Mom, how can you be so good to me? I love you the most."
"Alright, alright, stop being so mushy. Don't you need to log into some game? Go do it now. I'll call you when dinner is ready. Go, go, go."
Liu Hongmei nudged her daughter a little embarrassedly, then turned around and went back to unpacking the packages.
...
...
Xu Milu did have something to do, but it wasn't logging into the game.
Since her last public appearance as "Ren Honghe," she has not appeared at the company, so she knows nothing about the operation of the "Angels Home" Foundation or the latest progress of the laboratory.
Previously, the researchers in the lab always complained that the lack of lunar soil was slowing down the cloning progress of the silver osmanthus tree. This time, she brought back more than five tons of lunar soil from Earth-2. I guess those scientists must be ecstatic.
—After all, the moon soil of the bald eagle is measured in grams, while the moon soil of their Red Harvest Technology is measured in tons.
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