"By the way, Uncle Chen, what is it you wanted to talk about?"
Chen Hongjun poured them water. Seeing that Jian Dan hadn't introduced Qin Qinghuai's identity, he looked a little stunned. Upon hearing this, he glanced subtly at Qin Qinghuai holding the child, hesitating whether he could speak.
Jian Dan could tell, but she just wouldn't respond, her face still showing confusion and embarrassment.
"Uncle Chen, what's wrong? Can't you just say it to my face?"
If it's not urgent, just write a letter and we'll talk in the letter when I get back.
"Since I'm not busy right now, I thought I'd bring the kids back to let the grandparents know, and also take care of some things at home. Things are busy here, and it'll be even busier when the kids are older. Who knows when I'll be back next time?"
"So, you've come back this time just to pay respects to your ancestors?"
"Yes, I'm married now and my child is all grown up. I have to tell my maternal grandfather, my paternal grandfather, my parents about this happy occasion so they can all feel at ease."
"Yes, you've grown up too,"
Chen Hongjun seemed to have his memories stirred, his eyes looking somewhat distant.
After a brief glance, the conversation naturally veered towards Jian Liye.
"Yes, when I was little, my dad would always hug me when he came home and say that when I grew up, he would find me a son-in-law to live with him so that I wouldn't get married. But I still got married. I don't know if my dad would be happy if he knew."
Chen Hongjun then thought of Jian Liye, but didn't say much, only exchanging a few jokes.
"Your dad, he loves you. As long as you're doing well, he might be stubborn and have a dark expression, but even if he's angry, he won't treat you badly. He'll definitely be more concerned about your son-in-law."
"Uncle Chen, you really know my dad. I feel like I don't remember much about him anymore."
"Hey, you were little back then. Your dad only came back for a few days a year, so it's normal that you weren't familiar with the place."
But your dad is a good man.
After giving him a "good guy" card, Chen Hongjun clearly wanted to say something more, but after a pause, he abruptly ended the topic, abruptly changing his tone and getting to the point.
"Xiao Dan, did you come back this time simply to pay respects to your ancestors?"
The Qin family wasn't exactly a secret. Chen Hongjun had built up connections over the years, and being a retired soldier, he naturally had a few acquaintances in the military. Finding out what was going on wasn't difficult. Knowing about Jian Dan's marriage, he had someone investigate the Qin family's relationships and naturally learned about their current situation, especially the fact that the two elderly men, whose mere presence could shake the capital, had already retired.
Moreover, they left the capital.
She had no relatives in her maternal family, and later she found new relatives, but none of them were in the capital. Her husband's family was also not there. She brought her whole family to the capital just to pay respects to her ancestors. No matter who it was, they would have some doubts in their hearts.
Upon hearing this, I was truly relieved; Chen Hongjun really did have other ideas.
I wouldn't call it heartbreak, but I was still a little sad. After all, this was someone I had called uncle for several years, and I had heard that he had received a lot of kindness from the old man. To turn around and betray him like this, I wonder how the old man would feel if he knew.
Thinking this, the smile on his face didn't change at all.
"Yes, it was only in the last two years, after meeting more people, that I realized how many good things my maternal grandfather and paternal grandfather did for the country and the people, and how many people benefited from their help and kindness. When I was little, I didn't know why people were so nice to me when they heard I was a child of the Su family. Now I understand."
As their descendant, I naturally want to carry on their wishes. Alas, I am just an ordinary person. I wish I could be like them, but my abilities are limited, and for now, I can only struggle in our poor mountain village.
Uncle Chen, you don't know, we're so poor, it's hard to even get a full meal.
The little stuff they left me was gone in a flash; it was just a drop in the ocean. That's why I thought of these two courtyards. They're property, aren't they, Uncle?"
Qin Qinghuai looked up, pursed his lips, then looked down at the child again, thinking to himself that his wife was quite good at deceiving people. Knowing that someone was eyeing that courtyard, was she hinting at him or testing him?
Chen Hongjun was indeed somewhat shocked; his hands under the table suddenly clenched.
"You want to sell those two courtyards?"
Is it because they're really short of money, or have they discovered something?
Simple seemed oblivious.
"Well, I do have that idea. I'm already married, and the only people I care about here are my maternal grandparents, my paternal grandparents, and my parents. You know, my in-laws aren't in Beijing anymore, and the chances of me coming back are slim. This courtyard is just sitting empty anyway, so I might as well do something useful. That way, if anyone brings it up later, I won't be a disgrace to them."
Chen Hongjun rubbed his hands together, his mind racing with thoughts.
"By the way, Uncle Chen, I went to check on the place after I came down from the mountain the other day. Have all the residents moved out?"
"Uh, yeah, them..."
"That's great. After all, you were the one who helped me find the tenants, so I was thinking that even if I were to sell, I should at least let you know."
Surprisingly, Jian Dan actually breathed a sigh of relief and patted her chest.
"I was worried because someone was living there. No matter who was looking at the house, they would have to think twice. It wouldn't be good to suddenly ask them to move out. Isn't this just a coincidence?"
"Brother Huai, didn't Fourth Brother say he wanted to check out the East District? Why don't we ask him first?"
“If you give in, then he definitely won’t say anything. He’s been thinking about this for so long. He’s asked me several times already.”
"They have a large family, and with the two courtyards connected, it's quite spacious. The old man will be very happy."
"You can have both? Then..."
The couple were acting very seriously, and Chen Hongjun, whether he noticed or not, didn't interrupt.
"No need to give way to him,"
Qin Qinghuai's words were very righteous.
“Their family is well-off; they’ve been saving up for years to buy a house. We don’t need to frugal with them. In fact, I’ll have to make them treat us to Peking duck later.”
Suddenly, when the topic came up, the little one looked up and joined in.
"Cheers, I want some, duck!"
Chen Hongjun watched coldly, his heart sinking.
"Are you really sure you want to sell? You shouldn't be short of money. Your father's pension should have been a safety net for you. You wouldn't be..."
He looked at Qin Qinghuai suspiciously, as if he were a heartless man who only knew how to cheat people out of money.
"Could it be that they foolishly gave it all away to subsidize others?"
Xiao Dan, before your mother was alive, your uncle couldn't say anything. Back then, those Lin family members, you didn't even know how to resist, and they took so many things from our house. How come after all these years, you're still as naive as your mother?"
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