The Chen family's mansion was located in an alleyway, inaccessible by car. The car stopped at the street corner.
This street is bustling and lively. There are also stalls set up along the street, where people perform acrobatics.
There was a monkey trainer who tied a monkey to a rope and made it keep banging a broken gong. Soon a crowd gathered around.
Huihui and Chenpu, being children, both stood still and refused to leave immediately, insisting on watching for a while longer.
There was no rush, and Chen Zikang and Li Wan were both doting parents. So they stood outside with them, looking inside.
The little monkey was good at many tricks. One moment it would take a mask out of the box and put it on, the next it would do a somersault. After each trick, the monkey trainer would take something out of his pocket and give it something to eat.
Wait until it finishes eating before letting it continue performing.
Xu Keke subconsciously looked at Chen Zikang and Li Wan. Chen Zikang's few kind words this morning were like the little treats that monkey trainer would give her.
I won't give it all the time, nor will I give it all at once.
Seeing Xu Keke looking at them, Chen Zikang assumed she didn't want to watch anymore, so he generously threw a few yuan on the ground and told them to leave.
Although they were somewhat reluctant to leave, Huihui and Chenpu didn't make a fuss and obediently followed.
After passing through an alley, the road behind is paved entirely with bluestone slabs.
The Chen family's house is located at the very back. Although it is in an alley, it is a standalone building, consisting of several small two-story houses connected together.
Li Shi said that this was a property that the new government found for Chen Hui when they asked him to come out. It wasn't particularly good, but it was in a bustling area and close to the government building.
From a distance, you can see wooden frames hanging on the protruding white stone terrace, displaying a variety of dried vegetables. Occasionally, children can be seen darting past between those frames.
Xu Keke could see with her naked eye that Chen Pu was becoming excited. He had a strong urge to try it out.
At the main entrance are two green doors whose bright colors have faded, revealing their original color in many places. This shows that the owner, when moving in, embraced the new era.
Walking through the porch, in the outermost room, a servant was waiting at the door. Inside, there were three mahjong tables, some people were looking down at their tiles. Others looked up and saw them, smiling as they greeted Mr. and Mrs. Chen Zikang.
Men and women sat together, and at first glance it looked like a room full of people, but if you listened carefully, you could only hear the sound of playing cards. Surprisingly, it didn't give people a chaotic feeling.
Further in, the door to the middle room is wider than the other rooms.
The old man sat in the very center. Behind him, under a glass cover, was a clock that had clearly stopped for many years. Above him was an enamel lampshade. It matched the mahogany furniture that filled the room perfectly.
The old man appeared to be in his sixties or seventies, but was in excellent health, with silver hair and beard. He wore a long blue robe, giving him a somewhat otherworldly air. He casually placed a pair of black cloth shoes with white soles on his feet.
Beside him was a young woman wearing a bright pink, wide-sleeved loungewear blouse. She kept gesturing and moving around him.
Chen Zikang and Li Wan called her Sixth Aunt. Only then did Xu Keke realize that this young woman, not yet thirty, was actually her great-grandfather's concubine.
The way Grandpa looked at Xu Keke when he raised his eyelids was very indifferent. There was neither liking nor disliking.
"They say that the wet nurse kidnapped you, and you ran away on your own. What kind of family did she sell you to? Were they struggling? This family, they're not doing well either, why would they buy someone else's child?"
He took the tobacco pipe from his sixth aunt and waited for Xu Keke to speak.
It's rare for anyone to ask about her past experiences. Over there, people keep asking. Xu Keke is getting tired of talking about it.
After disembarking from the ship, only Chen Pu from the Chen family asked her a few questions about the past, mostly about playing and eating.
Xu Ke could probably tell that the old man in front of her wasn't really interested in listening. So she simply gave a brief account of her experiences.
“This child has suffered. My grandson has brought her back and will make it up to her.”
The sixth concubine just turned around. Her thin lips curled slightly, and she glanced at Chen Zikang with a hint of disdain.
"Now that she's back, tell her the rules of the house. She's old enough to go to school, so she should go with the other children. In any case, teach her to follow the rules of the house."
Chen Zikang honestly agreed.
"This child is behaving himself today," Aunt Liu suddenly said, her voice clear and pleasant.
Everyone followed her gaze and looked at Huihui. She had been gloomy all day, which was not a good sign.
The old man snorted coldly, "This child gets more and more unruly as he grows up. I had to tell you this last time. There's no such thing as a 'little child.' If you don't establish rules for them when they're young, you won't be able to control them when they grow up..."
Xu Keke now realized that that indifferent glance was actually quite kind. This great-grandfather harbored extreme dislike for Huihui.
After a few words, Chen Zikang could only nod in agreement. The sixth aunt stood behind, pursing her lips and secretly smiling.
“I could hear Father scolding Zikang from afar. You really value Zikang too much, why don’t you look at what you’re saying about the other children?”
A woman in her forties, wearing an indigo cheongsam, walked in while talking. Her hair was piled up tightly, making her eyebrows and eyes appear raised.
Judging from her manner of speaking and acting, you can tell she's a straightforward person.
She came in, grabbed Li Wan's arm, pulled Xu Keke's hand, and started to walk out.
"Alright, Zikang is here. Let the old man continue to show favoritism. He knew you were coming today, so he's been waiting in that room."
"Take this child to meet his relatives, so he won't be a stranger to everyone later." Old Master Chen showed no dissatisfaction whatsoever, and even gave instructions from behind.
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