Hua Xiangyun took her clothes, feeling both amused and exasperated. The two elderly people were making preparations for both possibilities.
Only Wu Chenxi appeared confident, believing that this master-disciple relationship was already destined and could not be changed regardless of whether the Hua family agreed or not.
Hua Guangzong, whose granddaughter was about to stay in the county for a while, inspected the place thoroughly and even helped chop firewood in the yard before taking Tian Guihua back home.
Hua Xiangyun settled down in the county seat and began to study.
Hua Zhiping asked several times, and Tian Guihua could only tell him quietly that Hua Xiangyun had taken on a master and was learning skills from someone, but she didn't go into details about what she was learning.
Hua Zhiping had other ideas in mind. His younger sister would graduate next year, and maybe his grandmother could use her connections to find some old friends to learn something from so that she could find an easier job in the future.
Tian Guihua didn't press her eldest grandson for details, nor did she offer any further explanation.
As the end of the year approaches, Hua Xiangyun is packing her things. "Master, why don't you come back with me? It'll be more lively if we celebrate the New Year together."
Over the course of more than ten days, Hua Xiangyun and Wu Chenxi grew increasingly close.
With her, Hua Xiangyun felt an unprecedented maternal love.
"Over the years, I've long since gotten used to being alone."
"It's impolite to come here so abruptly. I'm not used to it, and I imagine your family wouldn't feel comfortable either." Wu Chenxi, having lived alone for many years, had developed her own habits and refused without a second thought.
Hua Xiangyun folded the clothes and put them in her own closet.
There's a whole wardrobe of clothes here; I don't know where the tailor got them from, but every single piece fits perfectly.
She didn't plan to take any of these back with her, only the change of clothes that Tian Guihua and the others had given her before.
"By the way, Master, don't remove the talisman I pasted here, so it will be quieter at night."
The window that always made noise in the middle of the night quieted down the day she received the talisman paper, drew a few talismans, and pasted them on.
Wu Chenxi glanced at it and said, "You should take it off. I've gotten used to their presence all these years."
Hua Xiangyun, "..."
Wu Chenxi walked over and opened the window, which faced the locust tree in the backyard.
At this moment, the locust tree moved swaying without wind, as if greeting Wu Chenxi.
Hua Xiangyun had long harbored suspicions; otherwise, she would have already used a talisman to purify the backyard.
Now that we see the interaction between the two sides, is there anything we don't understand?
"Master, aren't you afraid of scaring me?" Hua Xiangyun feigned a wronged expression. "I almost ran home the next day."
Wu Chenxi didn't believe in that. "Heh, I see you've managed to keep them all under control these past few days. They're confined to this backyard and don't dare to run around anymore. You're personally taking care of all the little things in their lives."
Hua Xiangyun felt a lump in her throat; so these eerie creatures in the backyard had such a purpose.
Wu Chenxi smiled mysteriously and didn't explain further. "Since you've packed everything, hurry up and leave. Remember to come back early after the New Year."
Hua Xiangyun also missed her family. Carrying her cloth bag, she said, "Master, if you need anything, just send someone to tell me, and I'll come right away."
Wu Chenxi stuffed another bag into her hand, "Take these with you too, don't mistreat yourself."
Hua Xiangyun knew what these things were without even opening them. She wondered where her master had gotten half a fresh pig from, which had been frozen in the yard for the past few days so she could take it as needed. She hadn't gone hungry at all during her time here.
"Master, we should have these things at home..."
Hua Xiangyun didn't continue, because she then realized that this was in the era of bills, and it was truly a rare item.
"Alright, stop dawdling. Do you think your master would be short of these things?" Wu Chenxi pushed the person out the door, and as soon as the person was standing still, she slammed the door shut.
Hearing the bolt being pulled in from inside, Hua Xiangyun blinked, somewhat incredulous. Shouldn't she be reluctant to part at this moment?
Unbeknownst to her, behind the door, Wu Chenxi let out a long sigh of relief.
Taking on an apprentice is a good thing; it means someone will inherit your mantle.
But she, who was used to quiet, felt that Hua Xiangyun's presence was still too noisy.
Aside from asking about formations, he's curious about everything.
Because he saw through her background, he began to let loose and became very curious about this era, with dozens of questions waiting for him every day.
Finally, the day I've been looking forward to when my child comes home has arrived, and I can finally have some peace and quiet.
Hua Xiangyun walked back in a somewhat dejected mood. As she passed the first house, she ran into Wenjie standing there.
"Grandpa Wen, it's a bit chilly today. Please don't stand here; it's windy."
Wenjie slowly turned around, squinting as he looked Hua Xiangyun up and down. "You're the little girl who lived at Granny Wu's house. What happened? Did that old woman kick you out?"
With her terrible temper, not many people can get along with her.
Hua Xiangyun's smile faded. "Grandpa Wen, I suppose you have a very good temper. I haven't seen any other members of your family these past few days. Are they all working in the county town?"
Wenjie, "..."
Hua Xiangyun didn't wait for his reply and walked past him, saying, "See you later. I wish you a happy new year and a happy family reunion."
Wenjie, "...a brat who doesn't appreciate kindness."
&
Huajia, Heping County
"Xiao Guai should be back today, right? Do you want to go pick her up?" Tian Guihua had been busy since early morning.
Yesterday, her eldest grandson brought home two bags of Chinese cabbage. Today, she needs to pickle what needs to be pickled and store what needs to be stored.
The sticky rice cakes should be prepared in advance, and the cleaning should be done gradually.
Hua Guangzong glanced at the sky, immediately stood up, and pushed his bicycle out. "Then I'll go pick her up. Remember to go to the supply depot later. Lijuan has definitely chosen everything. Don't let her carry it back."
Today, their eldest grandson was sent on a business trip to the neighboring county, so naturally they dared not let their pregnant granddaughter-in-law do heavy work.
Hua Guang's family had just stepped out of their courtyard when they ran into Zhou Jinfeng and his group.
"Uncle, why are you heading out so early?" Zhou Jinfeng asked with a smile. "Are you going to buy something?"
Hua Guangzong didn't expect the Zhou family to be so shameless, acting as if there was no conflict between the two families.
And that Zhou girl, it's one thing to not greet me, but what is she looking at?
He hummed in agreement, parked his bicycle, turned around and tightly closed the gate to block Zhou Xiaolan's probing gaze.
"Grandpa Hua, we haven't seen Xiangyun for several days. Is she still angry with us? Why doesn't she come out to play with us?"
Hua Guangzong said coldly, "She's not home, and besides, we've learned our lesson from last time. Our child shouldn't get involved in this mess."
As he spoke, he helped his bicycle past them, thinking that it was better to see his beloved granddaughter sooner rather than waste time arguing with them.
"Look at his attitude!" Bai Ailian muttered in dissatisfaction. "Don't be so proactive in the future. Don't you even consider whether he wants to talk to you?"
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