Proposal (Part 2)
Nie Heng, Dahui and Xiaohui are going to follow Nie Beilou back to his hometown. In this way, only Ruan Qi, Ruan Munan and the Ruan couple will be left in the imperial capital.
The courtyard is so big, and it's a bit desolate for just the four of them to live in it. Yang Liu had nothing to do recently, so she wanted to go back to Qingyun Village with Grandpa Ruan and Grandma Ruan to spend some time.
As soon as Yang Liu left, Ruan Fengmian, the wife's treasured man, wanted to follow. Ruan Qi saw that her parents, grandparents, and master had all run away, and she couldn't sit still and was eager to follow.
Everyone wanted to go back to their hometown, so Ruan Munan was the only one left in the imperial capital.
So, Ruan Munan was also unhappy.
I didn't like going to work on such a hot day. If there were people at home to make it more lively, I would be able to feel a little happier. But Ruan Qi and the others were all going back to Qingyun Village. Wouldn't Ruan Munan be left alone in the huge courtyard every day after work?
This is too much like an empty-nest young man.
Ruan Munan didn't want to be an empty-nest youth, so he handed over all the work to his subordinates and prepared to return to Qingyun Village with his family.
When Ruan Fengmian saw that everyone in his family was about to leave, he thought of his eldest nephew Cheng Jinyan.
Cheng Jinyan is also a member of the Ruan family, and they cannot isolate him.
So, Ruan Fengmian informed Cheng Jinyan. When Cheng Jinyan heard that they were going back to their uncle and aunt's hometown, he immediately put down his work and planned to go together.
Xi Jiu, who had been unhappy for several days because Ruan Qi was going back to her hometown, suddenly became upset when he learned that Cheng Jinyan was also going back to Qingyun Village with her.
Everyone can go back to Qingyun Village, even Cheng Jinyan can go back, why can't he go back?
Although he and Ruan Qi are not engaged yet, their parents have already met each other, and he is half a member of the Ruan family. Why not take him with him when he returns to his hometown?
Xi Jiu felt depressed.
But he was a dull person and didn't show it. He just tortured Ruan Qi severely at night.
Ruan Qi hadn't slept well for several nights because of Xi Jiu. When she woke up in the afternoon of the fourth day, her whole body felt like it had been disassembled and reassembled. She gently took her pulse.
Very good, I have a little kidney deficiency.
Ruan Qi felt that she couldn't continue to indulge herself like this.
For the sake of her own kidneys, Ruan Qi stopped Xi Jiu from partying every night and asked him directly about the reasons for his abnormal behavior in the past few days.
After being questioned repeatedly, Xi Jiu finally told the truth in a low voice.
After hearing this, Ruan Qi felt incredible at first, and then burst into laughter.
"Jiujiu, if you want to go back to Qingyun Village with me, why don't you just say it? It's not some ancestral forbidden place. If you ask, how can I not take you back?"
Xi Jiu said in a muffled voice: "I'm afraid my father-in-law won't agree."
Although Ruan Fengmian has accepted Xi Jiu as his son-in-law, he is still the pig who stole his own cabbage, so Ruan Fengmian still dislikes him intermittently.
Xi Jiu was worried that Ruan Fengmian didn't want to take him back to Qingyun Village, so he kept silent and depressed until now.
After hearing his reasons, Ruan Qi felt both amused and distressed.
She raised her hands, cupped the man's face, and kissed him hard on the lips: "Don't worry, Dad. I'm the boss in the family, and I have the final say. This time when we go back to Qingyun Village, Jiujiu will go with us. Our ugly son-in-law also wants to go back to see his fellow villagers!"
So, it was decided that Xi Jiu would also return to Qingyun Village.
After learning about this, Ruan Fengmian didn't say anything, but just rolled his eyes silently.
However, since Xi Jiu also went to Qingyun Village, Ruan Fengmian thought of another person - Old Man Xi.
Mr. Xi had helped Ruan Fengmian a lot in his early years, and Ruan Fengmian was a grateful person who always remembered his kindness. Therefore, after returning to the imperial capital, Ruan Fengmian often called Mr. Xi to ask about his recent health and would often send him some supplements and food to express his concern.
Old Master Xi also treated Ruan Fengmian as his half-son. When he was free, he would invite him to his home for a short visit. The two of them would drink tea and play chess, and their relationship was very harmonious.
This time, the Ruan family returned to Qingyun Village together. When Ruan Fengmian looked at Xi Jiu, he thought of Old Xi.
The weather in the imperial capital is too hot. Although Mr. Xi is an ancient martial artist, he is old after all and his heat tolerance is not as good as that of young people.
So, an idea came to Ruan Fengmian's mind - why not bring Mr. Xi back to Qingyun Village as well?
It didn't matter whether he brought one Xi family member or two. Mr. Xi had been so concerned about his life over the past twenty years, so this was a good opportunity to let the old man see it for himself.
Thinking of this, Ruan Fengmian called Xi Jiu to ask for his opinion.
Xi Jiu naturally had no objection. He called his grandfather on the spot, and when Grandpa Xi heard that they were going to Qingyun Village, he agreed without a second thought.
So, what was originally a trip back home for only Grandpa Ruan and Grandma Ruan turned into a glorious return for the entire Ruan and Xi family.
"That's the thing. Our family is going back to our hometown to live for a while and will come back in the fall. Grandpa Xi is old, so he's going back to escape the summer heat. I'll also take Jiujiu back to meet my family."
Ruan Qi explained it to Bai Li. Bai Li sat in his sea of consciousness, looking worried and sighing.
"I really envy you guys. I also want to go to Qingyun Village to play."
But now he is only the size of a palm and is trapped in the sea of consciousness, with no way out.
Seeing Bai Li's low mood, Ruan Qi couldn't help but comfort him: "Uncle Bai Li, there's a long way to go, and we have plenty of opportunities. When you recover, I'll take you back to my hometown for a visit."
Bai Li was barely comforted.
He tugged at his beard and asked Ruan Qi, "What about your movie? Isn't it about to be filmed?"
"It's still early. The team has been established and is currently in the casting stage. With the director, screenwriter and professionals here, I don't have to worry too much."
Ruan Qi said as she packed her toiletries into her suitcase. "The film is tentatively scheduled to start shooting at the end of September, which is perfect for me to go back home for a month. Get your mind right and come back to work hard!"
Bang!
The trunk is closed.
In the lush and green month of August, the Ruan family, along with their son-in-law and his grandfather, set out on their journey back home.
——
Qingyun Village is a small mountain village nestled in the mountains and beside the water in Baicheng, China, about a six-hour drive from the imperial capital.
The Ruan family set out early in the morning and dispatched four cars, finally arriving at the Baicheng Expressway Exit at around 1:00 p.m. that day.
After entering the highway, the car headed south, passing through the bustling city and finally entering a sparsely populated road.
About forty minutes later, the entrance to Qingyun Village appeared at the end of the road.
Small yellow flowers gradually appeared around the flat asphalt road. Lush trees formed a dense shade. The hot sun was isolated by the layers of leaves, making people feel fresh and cool.
Ruan Qi, who was sitting in the car, couldn't help but roll down the window.
The fresh air outside the window suddenly blew in with the summer breeze. Ruan Qi took a deep breath. The familiar smell that she had smelled for more than ten years made her heart leap with joy.
"Jiujiu, this is the only road leading to Qingyun Village. When my brother went abroad to study, I would always sit on the big rock at the end of the road and wait for him to come back."
Ruan Qi pointed to the end of the road.
There, stood a large stone with the words "Qingyun Village" clearly engraved on it.
Behind the boulder stood a towering tree, its trunk so thick it required two people holding hands to wrap around it. Beneath the layers of shade, a few small stools were arranged in a row, alongside several stone blocks. Perhaps from so many people sitting on them, the blocks had rubbed their surfaces smooth.
Xi Jiu looked out the car window at the large tree and the scattered stone pillars, and a yellowed picture emerged in his mind.
Little Ruan Qi, wearing a white dress, sat alone on a stone pier, staring longingly at the asphalt road stretching out.
She didn't know when her brother would come back, but she would come here every day after dinner to sit down. Who knows, one day, her brother might suddenly appear like a surprise Santa Claus.
Xi Jiu imagined the little girl sitting on the stone pier, and his cold eyes gradually became warm.
He curled his lips, reached out and held Ruan Qi's hand, and said gently: "The baby must be very cute at that time."
Ruan Qi laughed shyly and turned her face away embarrassedly.
"It's okay. I was a bit naughty when I was little, and my clothes were always dirty. Luckily, we have a washing machine at home, otherwise my parents would have to wash several sets of clothes for me every day."
Ruan Fengmian, who was sitting in the front, couldn't help but turn her head when she heard this. "My girl, even if we had a washing machine at home, I would have washed your clothes a lot before. The speed at which you ruin clothes is simply too fast for the washing machine to keep up, okay? And not only did you ruin them by yourself, you even dragged Xiaodouzi from next door into ruining them too. Xiaodouzi's family doesn't have a washing machine, and every time he soiled his clothes, he would be beaten by his mother and run all over the village. After all these years, I wonder if Xiaodouzi will still bear a grudge against you."
Ruan Qi was caught off guard by her father's exposure of her dark history, and her face turned red all of a sudden.
She glared at him with her round eyes and tried to defend herself, "Kids, of course, get their clothes dirty. I've been very careful. Sometimes when we go fishing in the river, I don't let Xiaodouzi join us, but he can't sit still and insists on going, and I can't stop him. Besides, his mom didn't beat him up because of his clothes, but because Xiaodouzi gave the hairpin that mom had saved up for a month to buy to the little girl next door!"
Ruan Fengmian raised his eyebrows when he heard this: "There's such a thing? Xiaodouzi likes the girl next door? How come I don't know?"
Ruan Qi: "How would an elder like you know about young people's affairs? Xiaodouzi has always liked Xiaoya. When I left Qingyun Village a few years ago, he said he wanted to apply to the same university as Xiaoya. I don't know if they passed the exam. I'll find out when I go back later."
Ruan Qi and Ruan Fengmian were chatting animatedly, and Xi Jiu, sitting beside them, was listening with great interest.
He really liked listening to Ruan Qi talk about these things. He had no chance to participate in Ruan Qi's childhood during those years, and only through this way could he understand Ruan Qi's childhood more deeply.
"Baby, is Xiaodouzi your neighbor?" Xi Jiu asked Ruan Qi when Ruan Fengmian turned around to drink water.
Ruan Qi nodded. "Yes. Xiaodouzi lives next door to me. He has a big yellow dog that's one year younger than Dahui and Xiaohui."
"What about Xiaoya? Are you close to them?"
"Great~" Ruan Qi's eyes lit up when she mentioned her childhood friends. "Xiao Ya is Granny Wu's granddaughter. She's been playing with me since we were little. We often played together, fishing and climbing trees, and even went to the mountains behind to explore. But that was all in our childhood. After Xiao Ya and the others started school, we didn't have much time to play anymore. The year I went to the capital, they were all preparing for the college entrance exams."
Ruan Qi never went to school when he was a child. At the age of fifteen, he went abroad to study as an auditor at Ruan Munan's university. Later, he went to a famous university in Country Y to study for a double doctorate.
Her educational path was different from that of most of her peers, and this difference made her lose the opportunity to go to school with her friends.
But Ruan Qi didn't feel any regret.
Everyone's life is different, and she doesn't need to copy the lives of most people just to cater to the masses. And her friendship with her friends will not become weaker just because they don't go to school together.
Amid the conversation between Ruan Qi and Xi Jiu, the car drove smoothly into Qingyun Village.
Sparse houses gradually appeared on both sides of the road. These houses were very exquisite in appearance, with two-story buildings and three-story villas. Every household had a large yard, and it seemed that they were well-off.
As the car continued to drive, more and more houses appeared. At the same time, Ruan Qi saw many familiar faces on the roadside.
"That's Grandma Sun's house. That's her little grandson standing at the door, right? He's grown so big in two years!"
"And that's Sister Huang's house. Did Sister Huang marry her boyfriend? Didn't she say she wanted to meet her parents two years ago?"
"Wow—Uncle Liu's family built a new house! A three-story villa, so luxurious!"
Ruan Qi started talking more after entering Qingyun Village. She seemed to have shed the constraints of the city and become the wild little girl who grew up in the village again.
Xi Jiu looked at her lively eyes and eyebrows, and suddenly thought of his first meeting with Ruan Qi in the fishing village ten years ago.
Ruan Qi at that time was also so bright and full of life. The little girl with pigtails was just like that, like a chattering little sun, she bumped into his life.
"Jiujiu, we'll be home soon!" Ruan Qi suddenly pulled him.
Xi Jiu pulled his mind away from memories and looked forward following Ruan Qi's finger.
On the right side of the road ahead lies the most beautiful villa in Qingyun Village.
The villa is made entirely of wood, in a neo-Chinese style. It has three floors, and flowers and plants are climbing on the outside of each floor. Looking around, it looks like a flower farm, full of vitality and beautiful.
Xi Jiu immediately sat up straight: "Is that Bao Bao's home?"
"Yes, that's my home." Ruan Qi stared at the three-story building with bright eyes and said to Xi Jiu with a smile, "Actually, when my parents first settled in Qingyun Village, the village's economic conditions were not good, and everyone lived in bungalows. Later, when my parents became prosperous, they boosted the economy of the entire village, and everyone's life gradually improved. Our small villa was also rebuilt later. When I was born, our family only had two large tiled houses."
As soon as he finished speaking, the car stopped steadily in front of the Ruan family's door.
The four cars the Ruan family drove were all black Cullinans. They were parked in a neat row, their majestic and luxurious black exteriors gleaming in the sun.
Several families living near the Ruan family heard the brake sounds and looked outside.
Five minutes later, everyone in the village knew that the biggest boss in Qingyun Village was back!
Coming
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