Chapter 067 Chapter 67

The four of them carried the boxes upstairs, and Ah Yan listened to Xiao Bao complaining beside him.

"I told Dabao that it would be best to buy a stair climbing machine. It is really troublesome to move the boxes up and down every time."

The heavy single-unit iron door behind him made a loud noise. Ah Yan looked at the family building he had left for half a year. As he spoke, the voice-activated lights in the corridor lit up.

"Eh? The wall is painted?"

Ah Yan was a little surprised when he saw the old wall when they left Ningcheng.

This batch of houses in the family compound were built in 1990, and are now over 30 years old. They look old and heavy from the outside, and the condition inside the building is also quite old.

However, because the old neighbors were used to living there, and the distance from the family compound to Ningda for classes was short, most of Ayan and Zhujue's neighbors from childhood to adulthood were still there, except for those who were forced to move away due to mobility problems.

"Yes, this year the family home raised funds to clean up the sanitation, clean the walls, check for fire hazards and so on. After all, the grandparents here are all old." said Tan Xiaobao.

Ah Yan nodded. In the past, Ningda allocated houses to professors. So many years have passed. There was no such thing as property management before, let alone now. It was all solved by everyone together.

In recent years, except for a few households, most of the houses, big and small, in the family compound have been renovated, and a lot of barrier-free and elderly facilities have been added.

My old family building has six floors in total. Because it is a large square meter, there are only two households on each floor.

Ayan and Zhu Jue's homes are both on the fifth floor, and Aunt Tan's home is on the fourth floor.

"I will donate a batch of elevators to the family home this year no matter what. They must be installed. This technical problem must be solved." Tan Dabao made a grand wish after climbing up to the fifth floor with a box.

Ah Yan laughed, "It's not that we can't afford to donate the elevator, it's that it's too difficult to renovate it."

On the fifth floor, there were identical red paper couplets on the security doors of both houses, but the handwriting was different.

At this moment, the door was already open.

"I heard it in the house."

"Hey, Dabao and Xiaobao, why do you have to wait downstairs in such a cold weather?"

A Yan's mother, Ms. Yu Feiwan, was standing at the door wearing only a single layer of clothes, and four pairs of slippers had already been prepared at the door.

She had short curly hair, one hand on her waist, a smoky voice, and watched the four children come in leisurely.

The suitcases were placed at the door and both people's backpacks were taken off.

Ayan and Zhu Jue were taking off their down coats when they noticed that everyone in the room was looking at them.

"I've lost weight."

"Look at how thin the two children are. They swelled due to the heat and shrank due to the cold. They became thinner due to freezing in the south. They have gained weight in the past two months since they came home with heating."

"Mom!" Ah Yan shouted helplessly.

"I gained two pounds, and I feel like I gained three pounds. I haven't lost even half a pound."

Yu Feiwan immediately frowned, "How is that possible? Yang, what do you think?"

Zhu Yang stepped forward and rubbed Ah Yan's face, and immediately agreed: "How can you not lose weight? Our girl's face is almost sunken."

"Son, have you grown taller again?" Zhu Yang measured Zhu Jue's height with doubts in his heart.

"It's grown one centimeter, Mom." Zhu Jue said.

Faced with the two old mothers insisting that they had lost weight, Ayan and Zhu Jue were helpless.

Okay, there is a kind of thinness, which is when your mother thinks you are thin.

They changed their trousers and washed their hands, then leaned against the radiator for a while, gradually adapting to the indoor temperature.

The coffee table in the living room had been moved away, and the round folding dining table was opened, on which were placed a lot of hot dishes. The two old fathers were busy in the kitchen. Ayan and Juejue just called "Dad" and were called to the sofa.

"Children, don't go into the kitchen. Sit down and wait for your meal." Aunt Tan pulled the two of them out.

"I'm a little hungry." A Yan touched his stomach.

As soon as she finished speaking, two small bowls of noodles appeared in front of them.

Tan Dabao and Xiaobao appeared beside them and brought chopsticks over.

"Dad Yan just cooked it."

"Let's go home and eat the egg dumplings." Tan Xiaobao said with a smile.

She had taken off her plush hat in the house. The girl's face was full of collagen. Ah Yan couldn't help but pinch it twice.

Ah, this feeling, I haven’t felt it for a long time.

"Sister! I'm not a child anymore! I will be seventeen this Chinese New Year!" Tan Xiaobao looked at her helplessly with his big eyes.

Ah Yan made a face at her, "Hehe."

Tan Xiaobao took this opportunity to poke A Yan's face with his finger, and A Yan immediately tickled Xiaobao's itchy flesh.

"No respect for elders or younger ones."

"Oh sister, sister, I was wrong!" Tan Xiaobao immediately begged for mercy.

The girls were making a lot of noise. Tan Dabao was huddled together with Zhu Jue, looking at something on their phones. The three mothers looked at them lovingly.

The room was filled with hot steam, and there was also the constant smell and aroma coming from the kitchen.

When the children came back, the house became even more lively.

From tiny children to adults who are now taller than their parents, time has passed, but in the eyes of the older generation, they will always be children.

"Stop making a fuss, stop making a fuss. Hurry up and eat the noodles. They will become clumpy soon. Fill your stomach."

Ayan stood up, and she and Juejue quickly ate two mouthfuls of noodles.

I said two bites, and it was gone after just two bites with my chopsticks. I still have to have a sense of ritual when I go home. I always feel like I am not full if I don't eat this noodle first when I get home.

Ah Yan felt hot all over after playing with Tan Xiaobao. She scratched her hair and felt sweat on her forehead.

"Mom, is the heating so good this year?" Ah Yan was wearing a sweater at the moment. She was afraid that she would not be able to adapt to the temperature difference, so she did not wear only a single piece of clothing like her mother.

At this moment, Zhu Jue was carefully holding her hair with his fingers and quickly tied it into a bun.

"It's too warm. I'm not used to it. It feels like around 25 or 26 degrees." Ah Yan leaned half of his body on Jue Jue, with his legs resting directly on Xiao Bao's thighs, enjoying the two human cushions comfortably on the sofa.

"Home is still the best." Zhu Jue said.

"The temperature is the same as in previous years. You two are frozen in Bincheng." Ms. Yu said bluntly.

"It's the same at Binhai University. Can't they install a few more electric heaters for the children in the dormitory?" She immediately started complaining.

The university is chosen by the children themselves, so we can't blame the children themselves. We can only blame the school.

"That's right." Dabao agreed immediately.

"As long as the conditions are reasonable, we can all apply to our university of science."

I’m jealous. A Yan is really jealous. They are both top in the country, so why is there such a big gap between them?

Although she has air conditioning now, it would be warmer if there was an electric heater in the dormitory.

"Dabao, I want to eat strawberries." A Yan ordered without any hesitation.

"Yes, sir." Tan Dabao looked at the two people who were being suppressed by her and working hard without complaint, and stood up silently to get the fruit.

The TOP status of this family is already very obvious. From childhood to adulthood, you just need to get used to it.

The fruits had been washed in advance, and Tan Dabao just took them from the tea table.

At this moment, he deliberately sat on the ground holding a fruit bowl filled with washed strawberries, cherries and blueberries.

"Ancestor, do you need me to feed you?"

"Waiter, just hold the basin." Ah Yan casually gave a name.

Tan Dabao, the waiter holding the fruit bowl, held the fruit bowl in one hand.

Ms. Yu standing by half covered her face with one hand. It was really unbearable to watch these kids acting so funny.

The smug and domineering look of their daughter...well, it's not entirely the result of the couple's own efforts to raise her.

Ah Yan took the strawberries and fed them one by one. After he ate only one strawberry, he was called up by the fathers who were serving the dishes to the table.

"We'll have fruit after dinner. The children are coming to eat."

The Yan family's parents and the Zhu family's parents are two completely different couples with completely different personalities. However, the way they get along with each other is very similar.

A Yan's mother, Yu Feiwan, is an only child born in the Northeast in the 1970s. She is straightforward and the backbone of the family. At home, the mother is responsible for giving orders, and Yan's father is responsible for obeying with a smile and acting according to the instructions.

Zhu Jue's mother, Zhu Yang, is from Jiangnan. She always speaks softly but with a firm voice and has the final say at home. Zhu Jue's personality is very similar to his father's. He always does everything calmly.

At this moment at the dinner table, Ayan and Juejue looked at the bowls in front of them with more and more food, and they couldn't bear it!

"Oh, it's too much. I can't finish it." A Yan said coquettishly.

"Eat more. You've become so thin. Eat quickly." Mom urged.

Ah Yan was helpless. It was not like she had no hands, and it was like she couldn't hold the rotating table.

She didn't need to roll the stir-fried vegetables and shredded pork with Beijing sauce herself, her father had already rolled them for her.

The steaming hot crispy pot and sauerkraut pork ribs soup were served in different soup bowls waiting for her to taste.

When I get home, I feel like a child again, without having to do anything. Food and clothes are provided for me.

The two were really hungry, but they ate slowly, bit by bit, and answered questions from adults and their younger siblings while eating.

"Roommates? They're all nice. Oops, I forgot to tell Brother Xiao that we've arrived." Ah Yan suddenly remembered.

I was so excited when I got home that I forgot to say hello to Brother Xiao.

"I sent him a message." At this moment, Zhu Jue put a large piece of rich braised hairtail into her bowl.

"That's good." Ah Yan felt relieved immediately. It was almost eight o'clock now. If they hadn't sent any messages, Brother Xiao wouldn't think that something had happened to them.

The two briefly introduced their roommates, where they lived, and what they were studying...

Zhu Jue briefly explained Chu Shen's situation, and none of the parents had any objections.

"We can't let the child spend the New Year alone. Come on, let him come before the New Year and have a good time in Ningcheng. We party members don't believe in feudal superstitions." Ayan's mother waved her hand proudly.

"It's not that there's not enough room at home. I guess the kids are embarrassed to see us, so you can move out when they come to visit for a few days. We bought the house together, so there should be enough room for them." Mother Zhu said.

The two heads of the two families made the final decision. Ah Yan and Zhu Jue nodded, and were secretly observed by the two treasures beside them.

"elder brother--"

"sister--"

"Can you take us with you when you go out to play?"

Obviously, I will be seventeen after the Chinese New Year, and will soon become an adult.

These two young geniuses, who seemed to be absolute geniuses to outsiders, now looked at A Yan and Zhu Jue as if they were cats and dogs seeing their relatives who had not returned home for half a year, and they couldn't wait to stick to them.

The young boys and girls looked at them eagerly, and A Yan and Zhu Juebai stepped back.

"We'll see when the time comes. We don't know when he will come. We are all at home now." A Yan comforted.

"Aren't you two going to do scientific research at school during the winter vacation?" Zhu Jue asked.

"Brother, you are so cruel. I haven't seen you for half a year, and you are still talking nonsense. You even want me to go back to school." Tan Dabao said in a sad voice.

Ah Yan and Jue Jue:......

Shit, I don’t have any children yet, but I’ve already experienced the feeling of being criticized by children.

"Okay, okay, Tan Dabao, stop it. Where did you learn this?" Aunt Tan stopped at this moment.

Auntie Tan, with her translucent white skin, looked like a funny girl. At this moment, she rubbed her arms with an exaggerated expression: "I have goosebumps all over my body. Xiaoyan and Xiaojue just came back, let them have a good rest for two days."

"Sister, I want to sleep with you tonight." Tan Xiaobao secretly poked A Yan.

Ah Yan looked at her and finally sighed, "Go to sleep, let's sleep together."

Her 1.5-meter bed was squeezed by two people since they were young.

At the same time, Tan Dabao looked at Zhu Jue. Zhu Jue calmly scooped a spoonful of crispy meatballs and placed it in front of A Yan, then met his expectant gaze.

"You lay the floor." Zhu Jue said.

"Yes sir!" Tan Dabao immediately raised his hand to salute.

Aunt Tan shook her head helplessly, "That's great, you two should just get used to it."

But when she looked at the four children, her eyes were full of smiles.

What Ayan couldn't finish, someone around him naturally took the initiative to finish it, and Ms. Yu was full of emotion.

"Lao Yan, you haven't picked up any leftovers in years."

Ah Yan looked at his mother angrily, what do you mean by leftover dog!

"We are practicing frugality and saving money," she said confidently.

Yan's father smiled but said nothing. Zhu Yang took over the conversation, glanced at his lover beside him, and said timidly:

"Zhu Jue's father was the same when he was young. When we went out to eat, he would not say that he did not have enough to eat, but would wait for me to finish and then pick up more."

"I almost thought he couldn't afford to eat, so I had to order more each time."

"Then they were said to be freeloaders and living off the fat of the land."

At this moment, Zhu's father slowly put down his teacup. The tall man was silent for a moment before speaking: "This bowl of soft rice is still very delicious."

The banter between the parents made the children laugh secretly. The ladies moved to the sofa in the living room, and the men were responsible for cleaning up the remaining things. Ah Yan took Tan Xiaobao into the room.

The wheels of the suitcase had been wiped up and down with alcohol wipes and rags. Tan Xiaobao sat on the bed and watched her start to quickly pack things back.

"Sister, after you and my brother went to Binda, Dada and Wanyi have been depressed for many days. It seems that they are in a bad mood."

"We were a little afraid to come back during those two days, for fear of upsetting the masters and aunts." Tan Xiaobao said while hugging his legs.

"You make it sound like something happened to us." Ah Yan said.

"I think in high school it took a week or half a month to come back, so it's not that serious."

"Oh, you don't know, someone in the family compound asked if you two had a conflict with your family and ran off to Binda instead of staying at home."

"The boss and the aunts all said that they respect your wishes. You just want to go out and have some fun. But there are always people who don't believe it and think it's just nice talk." said Tan Xiaobao.

"Bincheng is still pretty good. It has a completely different feeling from Ningcheng. It's just uncomfortable in winter." A Yan said.

Ayan and Juejue had decided not to go to college in Ningcheng long before the college entrance examination, and had given their family members a heads-up early on, so their four parents had already accepted this established fact.

Since they were young, they would not change their decisions. Their parents never dissuaded them by saying how nice it would be to go to college near home, where so many neighbors and acquaintances would be there, and they could even not live in the school and go back home after class.

When Ah Yan and Zhu Jue informed them that they had applied for the program and when they were finally accepted, their parents’ attitude was always, “Okay, go ahead if you want to.”

At that time, Ah Yan was still immersed in the fact that he could finally leave Ningcheng, a place of troubles. In addition, his parents had always let go of him since he was a child. In high school, the two of them gave up the affiliated high school of their school and took scholarships to attend a private high school. I think this also caused their parents to get into a lot of trouble.

They never mentioned that they should choose one that was closer to home, or that the coastal city was too bad. They never nagged or repeated it over and over again, but just respected their children's choices as always.

"I think I should stay in different places more often and experience different atmospheres. Just say whatever you want, family members know their own business." Ah Yan said, feeling heavy in his heart.

Most of the next eight years will be spent in Bincheng. During the holidays, parents have to work on scientific research projects or travel with students. Ah Yan feels that the time he spends with his parents is indeed getting less and less.

Ah Yan pulled the drawer of his desk. The table was spotless, the closet he had just tidied was also fragrant, the floor was clean without a speck of dirt, the sheets were soft, the electric blanket was already turned on in the quilt, and even the humidifier next to it was turned on in advance.

A Yan sniffed and said, this is home.

"Knock, knock, knock--" There was a knock on the door.

"Can I come in now?" Juejue asked.

Ah Yan shouted, "Come in."

She saw Juejue and Dabao come in, one carrying a fruit plate and snacks, and the other carrying hot Lulu.

There is a "quilt" on the floor of Ayan's room. The square quilt is just big enough for four people to put one leg in.

When he opened the door, Ah Yan heard his mother's devilish laughter in the room. He wondered what the adults were talking about.

With a smile on her face, she accepted the blueberries that Jue Jue fed her. Her legs and heart felt warm.

"Do you want to play cards? Four-star-four? Landlord?" Tan Xiaobao suggested.

Ah Yan shook her head in pain. She didn't want to continue seeking death while playing cards with two geniuses. Even though she and Jue Jue could remember the cards automatically, for Da Bao and Xiao Bao, it was just a matter of quick glance without even thinking about it.

"The IMO special training is about to begin, how about we come up with a few questions together?" Dabao suggested again.

Ah Yan, I feel:......

"Is it possible that I am a liberal arts student and have never been to IMO?" A Yan said expressionlessly.

Now, she doesn't want to talk to the genius who won the world IMO championship.

How should I put it? Her way of entertainment is to do some International Mathematical Olympiad problems, and when she has nothing to do, she goes to a party to write a translation software. She hasn't been in touch with it for half a year.

This feeling is so nostalgic and sad...the gap between me and a true genius.

"Let's go watch a play or variety show." Ah Yan decisively pressed the curtain switch, and she and Xiao Bao moved to the bed and leaned against the pillows.

When ordinary people gather to relax, they just have a meal together, sit together and watch TV and complain and laugh.

Because of the recent final exams, and because Ah Yan doesn't watch TV dramas very often, she was flipping through the latest variety shows on her phone.

Ah Yan took into consideration that mystery variety shows would be criticized by Dabao for being stupid and having bugs, that singing competitions would be criticized by Xiaobao for how many notes were edited, and that comedy variety shows would make people frown because of the crazy and stupid people... She found a travel variety show that was said to be harmonious and interesting.

As the travel variety show played, the opening set started with a quarrel, and A Yan silently pressed the pause button.

She took a deep breath and said, "Let's not watch the variety show. Let's watch a video of one of our friends."

“A travel blogger I met during the last Extreme Car Team trip.”

Tan Xiaobao immediately became excited: "It's that Kaka, right? Travel Kaka! President Li and President Qin told us."

"Kaka, I'm so jealous of her because she can go out and play with my brother and sister." Tan Dabao said sourly.

Ah Yan, I feel:......

Dabao, how come you are so lazy all of a sudden after not seeing you for a few months?

We only met once, what is there to envy?

"Yeah, I also envy Kaka for being able to go out and play after graduation." A Yan deliberately didn't respond and changed the subject.

Tan Dabao pursed his lips and pretended nothing had happened.

The lights in the bedroom were turned off because of the projection screen. Ah Yan no longer leaned against the wall. She lay on the edge of the bed, wrapped her arms around Jue Jue's neck, and rested her chin on his shoulder.

Xiaobao also lay down and began to ravage his brother who was born only two minutes earlier than him.

"Xiaobao, give me a back rub. It feels good!"

“It hurts, it hurts!”

Ah Yan stretched out a hand and suddenly flicked Tan Dabao's head, causing him to burst and flash back at the speed of light.

"Ouch." Dabao suddenly felt pain.

Tan Xiaobao burst into laughter at this moment.

"Xiaobao, you sneaked up on me!"

"It's not me!"

“It’s you!”

Ah Yan lay on Jue's shoulder and laughed. In the darkness, she bent down and kissed Jue's cheek. The neck of the man under her was surprisingly hot. Her two hanging hands were held by Jue's broad palms and their fingers were intertwined.

"Dabao, we are going to visit our friend's kitten in two days, do you want to come with us?" Ah Yan asked softly.

The brother and sister who were arguing with each other said in unison: "Of course! We both want to go."

“Go ahead, go ahead.” Zhu Jue’s voice was hoarse, as if he had a headache because of the quarrel between the two people. At such a young age, what was the difference between this and raising two children?

"Okay, stop making trouble and watch the video." A Yan, the culprit of all this, cleared his throat at this moment.

The bedroom suddenly became quiet, with only the pixelated little man Kaka left on the projection screen.

The picture shows the little man Kaka sitting on the bed of a green train, which is covered with white snow. As the green train moves, snow marks can be seen on the rails.

【Travel Kaka】: 【Taking the Snow Country Train, I saw the forest and snow fields. This is the winter in Northeast China. 】