Thinking about her two beloved granddaughters leaving, Han Yulan took Wu Ma to buy a lot of vegetables and meat, intending to give her granddaughters a good meal. After a busy afternoon, they prepared a large table of dishes. Little Yuanzhi's mouth dropped open in surprise, and she asked Han Yulan, "Grandma, is it New Year's?" Han Yulan was both amused and exasperated: "Grandma made you all delicious food. Will you miss Grandma when you go to Beijing?" Little Yuanzhi nodded: "Yes, I will. I'll miss Grandpa and Grandma." She had been lectured by her older sister earlier in the room and knew that saying she didn't miss Grandma would make her sad. The little one didn't want Grandma to be unhappy, so she said she missed Grandma, even though she didn't miss her at all right now.
In the capital, Xia Rong, upon hearing that her sister was going to pick up her two nieces, said, "Bring my daughter along too, I miss her." Xia Liang chuckled and teased, "What, you only miss my eldest niece, don't you miss my eldest nephew?" Hearing about her son, Xia Rong couldn't help but rub her forehead, feigning a headache, "That brat, he's absolutely terrible! I could beat him three times a day and still not be satisfied." Xia Liang laughed, "It's normal for kids to be a little mischievous. Bring him here for a few days, then send him back when school starts." Xia Rong could only nod; although she was a bit annoyed by the boy, she also found herself missing him after not seeing him for so long.
So, Xia Liang called Han Yulan again, asking Chen Yanling and Tian Longhui to pick up her nephew and niece when they arrived in the county. Han Yulan readily agreed, as this would allow her two granddaughters to stay at home for a few more days. When Chen Yanling and Tian Longhui arrived at the Gu family home, Han Yulan called Xia Liang again. Xia Liang instructed them to pick up her nephew and niece in the county and asked if they had enough money. She told them to let her know if they didn't, and she would have her mother-in-law give them some. The two replied that they had enough; they had been given 500 yuan for the trip, which covered train tickets, food, and lodging. However, Xia Liang was worried that returning to the county might not be enough, so she mentioned it. Chen Yanling said, "It's enough, Comrade Xia, you'll have some left over." Knowing that the two were used to being frugal, Xia Liang said, "Eat and drink as you please. As long as you bring my daughter and nephew and niece back safely, money is not a problem." The two agreed, hung up the phone, and headed towards the county.
After two days of travel, the two arrived in the county town and knocked on the Xia family's door. Zhou Xiaohui was now laid off and staying at home, spending her days doing laundry and cooking, not wanting to leave the house. In the first few days after being laid off, Zhao Danxiang noticed her daughter-in-law was in a bad mood, and everyone in the house was afraid to raise their voices, making the atmosphere particularly heavy. The two little ones also noticed that something was wrong with their mother and didn't dare to go out and cause trouble. But after things calmed down, Zhou Xiaohui cheered up. After all, her husband could still earn money, and the family wasn't short of money. At worst, she could go into business with her sister-in-law. These past few days, she had started cooking and doing laundry herself. Her mother-in-law wanted to do it, but she wouldn't let her. When Chen Yanling and Tian Longhui knocked on the door, she was feeding the chickens in the yard, calling out to them... As she put down the corn, she asked, "Who is it?" She got up and went to the door, opening it to find two unfamiliar people, a man and a woman. She asked, "Who are you looking for?" Chen Yanling spoke first, "Excuse me, is this Comrade Xia Rong's house?" Zhou Xiaohui nodded upon hearing her husband's name, "Yes, what can I do for you? He's not home right now." Chen Yanling smiled and said, "It's like this, sister-in-law, Comrade Xia Liang entrusted us to come to the provincial capital to pick up her two daughters. Comrade Xia Rong, upon learning this, said she misses her children and asked us to bring them to Beijing." Zhou Xiaohui, without suspicion, led the two inside for tea. After all, if they knew her husband's sister-in-law's name and her two daughters, they couldn't be lying. The two stayed home for dinner and one night, preparing to depart the next day. When Xia Rong's youngest son returned, he was soaking wet, clearly having gone fishing in the river. Enraged, Zhou Xiaohui chased after him with a stick, but Xia Yuxuan refused to stand still and let his mother beat him. He ran around the yard, and his mother couldn't catch him. Zhou Xiaohui, furious, threw down the stick and yelled, "I'm not going to care about you anymore! Your father sent you to pick you up and take you to Beijing. Let your father discipline you!" She turned and went into the main room. Seeing that his mother wasn't chasing him, Xia Yuxuan stopped running and started making faces. Zhao Danxiang couldn't help but glare at him and scolded, "You little rascal, always disobedient, just trying to upset your mother. Sooner or later your father will have to deal with you!" She then ignored her grandson and went into the kitchen. However, how could little Xia Yuxuan, who is not very old, be well-behaved? He is at the age where he is mischievous. But he was very happy to hear that he was going to Beijing. His aunt had taken him there a few times during the holidays and he stayed at his aunt's house for a while.
The next day, Chen Yanling and Tian Longhui took Xia Xinran and Xia Yuxuan to the provincial capital, where they picked up Gu Yunxi and Gu Yuanzhi. Han Yulan and Gu Weiguo saw them off all the way to the train station, reluctantly bidding farewell to their two granddaughters. Tears streamed down Han Yulan's face, and although Gu Weiguo didn't cry, his eyes were also red. He supported his wife and said, "They'll be back soon, won't they? Besides, we can visit them during our holidays." It was unclear whether he was trying to comfort Han Yulan or himself.
Along the way, Chen Yanling and Tian Longhui were exhausted. They thought it was just picking up a few kids, a simple and easy task that couldn't be easier. Xia Liang said the 500 yuan would be their allowance, and they could get reimbursed if needed, and any extra would be theirs. Thinking they could earn more money to send home, they set off happily. Who would have thought that these kids would be so noisy? The two felt they needed to get their ears checked at the hospital when they got back, fearing they might lose their hearing. Luckily, Xia Liang had been thoughtful and bought them sleeper tickets, so they had a room to themselves. If there had been others with them, they probably would have lost their temper long ago.
Xia Yuxuan said, "The day before yesterday, my friend and I went to the river and caught a turtle." His chin held high and his lips curled into an undisguised smile, proclaiming how proud the little guy was. Yunxi and Yuanzhi had never been to the river before, so they had no idea what was in there. Little Yuanzhi asked, "Is it the kind of turtle that's called a 'turtle egg'?" Xia Yuxuan thought for a moment and realized he didn't know either, but he couldn't admit he didn't know—that would be embarrassing—so he nodded and said, "That's right, that's it." Little Yuanzhi then asked, "Did you find any 'turtle eggs,' brother?" Little Yuxuan boasted without batting an eye, "Of course I found some! I found several!" Chen Yanling and Tian Longhui, standing nearby, were speechless.
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