1990s: Spring Water Family

Chapter 256 The perfect husband is right here at your house!

"that is real good?"

Zhang Jie looked on with envy: "Having a stipend is the same as having a government job, right? It's like eating the government's rice bowl, an iron rice bowl."

"Money is secondary; the key is honor."

Li Ang has a different perspective: "In this life, one should always have some pursuits. We may not be able to do scientific research or build satellites, but we can still do paper cutting. As long as we can do one thing to the extreme, make contributions to society, and receive honors, our lives will be worthwhile."

Wang Lei chuckled: "You've put it so well, I'm even thinking of applying to become an intangible cultural heritage inheritor."

"What good thing are you thinking of?"

Zhang Jie rolled her eyes at him disdainfully: "With your skills, you think you can be the successor? Don't embarrass Grandma Hu."

"Not now, but who knows in the future?"

Wang Lei, young and impetuous, challenged her again: "Don't look down on me. I really have this idea. Sooner or later, I will apply to be a national-level intangible cultural heritage inheritor and show you."

"I am waiting"

Zhang Jie didn't believe him at all, and teased him with a laugh, "Don't just talk the talk, walk the walk! Don't wait until I'm old and toothless before I hear your good news."

"You two stop talking, Grandma Hu is tired and needs to rest."

Seeing that Grandma Hu wasn't in good spirits, Li Ang gave the two men a wink, signaling them to stop talking.

"Grandma Hu, close your eyes and take a nap."

Lin Xiyu bent down and carefully tucked the blanket around Grandma Hu: "You don't need to worry about the intangible cultural heritage matter. We will definitely take care of it for you. Just rest at home and wait for good news."

"it is good."

Grandma Hu was indeed a little tired. She smiled contentedly and closed her eyes.

Lin Xiyu gave her junior brothers and sisters a wink, and the three of them understood and followed her outside.

-

In the small courtyard.

Are you leaving?

Grandma Hu's eldest son, Hu Bo, was smoking under the eaves. When he saw the four of them come out, he threw his cigarette butt on the ground and stomped it out.

What is Grandma Hu's condition now?

Lin Xiyu's expression turned serious: "What did the doctor say?"

"Ugh."

Hu Bo's eyes darkened, and he sighed deeply: "The doctor said the cancer cells have spread throughout his body, and there's no cure."

"Is there no better treatment option?"

Lin Xiyu frowned: "Or we can use imported medicine, even if it's out of pocket."

"We do have imported drugs."

Hu Bo smiled wryly: "The key is that Mom is old and her body is too weak. I'm afraid she won't be able to handle another course of treatment."

"The doctor discharged me."

Zhang Jie suddenly interjected, her eyes filled with grief and indignation: "They just felt that the patient couldn't be cured and didn't want him to die in the hospital, which would damage their reputation, so they kicked him out."

"It's not reputation, it's the death rate."

Li Ang understood better than she did: "My grandfather was in the same situation. He was on the verge of death, but the doctors insisted on discharge and sent him home. We wanted to save his life, but they didn't see it that way."

"Is there any chance of such a thing?"

Lin Xiyu found it hard to believe.

"We can't generalize like that."

Fearing that Grandma Hu might hear, Wang Lei waved his hand, signaling everyone to move away from the window: "There are still good doctors. Not everyone is so snobbish and lacks medical ethics."

"I'll ask Gu Bin to think of another way."

Lin Xiyu frowned deeply: "If all else fails, find an old Chinese medicine doctor and have him drink some Chinese medicine."

"Drinking traditional Chinese medicine is okay."

Li Ang nodded in agreement: "As long as Grandma Hu can hold on until the selection results are out, we can use any method, even asking a shaman to perform a ritual."

"you."

Wang Lei gave him a speechless look.

"Let's not talk about these unreliable things."

Lin Xiyu took out 10,000 yuan from her handbag and handed it to Hu Bo: "This is a small token of our appreciation from Gu Bin and me. Please take it and use it to help Grandma Hu recover."

"You've already helped us a lot, we can't accept any more money from you."

Hu Bo verbally declined, but his eyes were glued to a thick stack of hundred-yuan bills.

Grandma Hu has been sick and has spent over 100,000 yuan so far. Without the help of Gu Bin and his wife, their family would not have been able to make ends meet. Even if the doctor did not allow her to be discharged, she would have given up on treatment on her own.

"This money is our gift to Grandma Hu."

Lin Xiyu pretended not to see through his little scheme and forced the money into his hand: "Take it if I tell you to. As long as you can take good care of Grandma Hu and let her have a few more comfortable days, that will fulfill the wishes of us apprentices."

"That's for sure."

For the sake of money, Hu Bo said very nicely: "My own mother is lying inside. How can we, as her children, not be filial? Even if you don't say anything, we will take good care of her and never miss a single chicken soup."

"That's good"

Lin Xiyu felt relieved and said goodbye with a smile: "Please bear with us. We'll be going now and will come to see Grandma Hu again tomorrow."

"Alright, you can all go and get busy."

Hu Bo politely saw them out of the yard, saying, "There's water on the ground, so please walk carefully."

"Alright, you can go back now, no need to see me off."

Li Ang, representing the four of them, waved to him, and the four of them walked side by side, leaving the alley together.

-

Wangfuchizi West Street.

When Wu's mother heard that the four babies had been discharged from the hospital, she was overjoyed and brought Nuannuan to the old house to see the children and chat with Grandma Gu.

Are you moving too?

When Grandma Gu heard from Wu's mother that she and her husband were also moving soon, she found it hard to believe.

There is a spring in the courtyard of No. 1 Xigengdao Street, and many long-time residents habitually go to their courtyard to fetch water.

Everyone in the neighborhood knows about that well. Wu's family even had a dispute with other residents because they didn't want to move.

No one could have predicted that someone who valued the spring more than his own life would one day leave this world.

"We don't want to leave either."

Wu's mother explained with an awkward smile, "It's because my daughter has given birth and needs someone to look after the baby."

"Where can't you look after your child?"

Grandma Gu asked in confusion, "Nuan Nuan has been with your family for eight months now, why is she suddenly leaving again?"

"Ugh."

After hesitating for a moment, Wu's mother finally told the truth: "It's mainly those old houses. They're so dilapidated. The roofs aren't sturdy, and they're almost dangerous buildings. We went to the neighborhood committee to ask, and they said that we can't buy public housing. Since it's not our own house, it's not worth spending so much money to renovate. Mengmeng advised us to buy a new one, and her father agreed."

Grandma Gu suddenly realized: "You bought a new house?"

"Bought."

Wu's mother nodded: "Mengmeng kept insisting that we buy it, saying that if we don't buy it now, we won't have another chance. Her father thought that young people nowadays buy those trendy clothes and don't care about making clothes anymore. I have less and less work. Rather than working like this and not having any business, I might as well do as my daughter wants and buy a new house with gas and central heating so that it will be warm in winter."

"Central heating is really good."

Grandma Gu smiled knowingly: "It's a pity that the old courtyard houses don't have central heating, so we have to use underfloor heating ourselves."

“Underfloor heating is so expensive, we can’t afford it,” Wu’s mother said with a sigh. “Now that I think about it, people can’t fight against the times. After the old neighborhoods were renovated, they were all replaced with centralized heating. No one will use charcoal for heating anymore, and honeycomb briquettes are almost impossible to buy.”

"That's true."

Grandma Gu laughed and chimed in, "Don't even mention honeycomb briquettes, there are fewer and fewer gas stations. If you want to change a gas cylinder, you have to go a long way to find one."

"you do not say."

Wu's mother laughed awkwardly: "Our generation can't deny getting old. Mengmeng's father hurt his back carrying a gas cylinder last year and had to stay in bed for almost a month before he could get out of bed."

"Our family owes a lot to Wang Meng and his wife."

Grandma Gu looked grateful: "They are so thoughtful, buying everything for the family so I don't have to worry about anything. It's thanks to them that Xiao Bin didn't have to worry about the family during Xi Yu's hospitalization and could take care of her and the children wholeheartedly."

"Xi Yu is a good person too."

Wu's mother knew the whole story: "Teaching their children created a good connection."

"Xi Yu is really good."

Grandma Gu wholeheartedly agreed: "Her belly was also very cooperative, she gave birth to four in one pregnancy."

"Grandma, you've really gone to great lengths for me."

Wu's mother smiled and flattered, "Now you have both a son and a daughter, and now you have great-granddaughters too."

You can do it too!

Grandma Gu praised in return: "My daughter is filial, and Nuannuan is also very cute. Anyone who sees her will like her."

"My little darling is so breathable."

Wu's mother bounced her granddaughter around and teased her with a smile: "I hope that when she grows up, she won't be like her mother, always siding with outsiders."

"whee."

Although Nuannuan didn't understand what her grandmother meant, she happily jumped twice on her grandmother's lap when she saw her grandmother smiling at her, giggling and laughing foolishly.

"Isn't Mengmeng very good to you two?"

Grandma Gu chuckled and teased, "What's wrong with you now? Is there something you're not happy about?"

"It's true that my daughter is filial, but it's also true that she favors outsiders."

Wu's mother sighed sincerely, "This silly child, she's so frugal with herself, she wouldn't even buy herself a few new clothes, but when it comes to spending money on Li Liang, oh, she's so generous. Her dad stewed a pot of pig's trotters, and before I even had a bite, she took one home for her husband."

"Hahaha"

Grandma Gu was amused by her humorous tone and couldn't stop laughing.

"you say."

Wu's mother felt a mix of emotions: "Isn't this infuriating?"

"Mengmeng is honest and kind-hearted; she treats everyone the same."

Even if Grandma Gu agreed with her own mother in front of her, she couldn't really say anything bad about her daughter, so she could only give a vague answer to get by.

"I finally understand."

Wu's mother laughed angrily: "Having a daughter is like having a debt to collect. I've worried about her since she was little, and she's still a worry in her old age."

"Let alone daughters, sons are the same."

Grandma Gu laughed and said, "Especially now, with rising housing prices, the cost of getting married is even higher. That's why people say having a son is like building a construction bank, while having a daughter is like making a business bank."

Wu's mother didn't understand: "There's such a saying? What does it mean?"

"I heard it from the old lady I dance with."

Grandma Gu patiently explained to her, "Having a son means you have to buy a house, right? All the money you save in your whole life goes to the Construction Bank, so you're called a 'Construction Bank'."

"Ha, these people really know how to think things through."

Wu's mother suddenly realized and asked, "Then why is my daughter named China Merchants Bank?"

"When a daughter grows up and gets married, can't we receive a bride price?"

Grandma Gu covered her mouth and laughed: "A bride price is like attracting money, which is similar to attracting investment."

"Oh my!"

Wu's mother couldn't stop laughing: "These people really know how to make wild guesses; they can connect these things together!"

"I always say it's better to have a daughter."

Grandma Gu pinched Nuannuan's chubby little cheeks and teased her with a smile, "You'll be living a life of luxury with a granddaughter like this. When Nuannuan grows up, we'll find you a rich husband."

"Isn't your perfect husband right here at your house?"

Mother Wu smiled and said, "Mengmeng said that Xiyu has agreed. We can choose between our two sons. We're practically in-laws now."

Grandma Gu: "."

-

After leaving Grandma Hu's house, Lin Xiyu went directly to Qinglong Back Street.

Grandma was thinking about the baby, and as expected, she agreed to go home with her and stay at the old house for a while.

When Gu Bin heard that his grandmother was coming, he specially added a sofa bed to the guest room so that the new nanny, Sister Huang, could share a room with her. This way, someone could take care of her at night and make it easier for the elderly woman to get water and get up at night.

Grandma was very pleased with his filial piety, and when she saw the four adorable little babies, she couldn't stop smiling.

"Grandma, isn't my Ping An and Xi Le very pretty?"

Lin Xiyu has a motherly bias and praises her son to everyone she meets.

"Pretty!"

Grandma also had the same bias towards her great-grandmother, and her answer was incredibly helpful: "The babies are one month old, and Great-Grandma gave each of them a little silver lock."

"Babies, quickly thank Great-Grandma."

Lin Xiyu deliberately tried to make her grandmother happy by pinching Da Bao's chubby little hand and waving it, asking him to express his gratitude on behalf of his younger siblings.

"whee."

Da Bao is a lively person. When someone teases him, he kicks his chubby little legs hard and kicks the blanket off his body in a few seconds.

"Quickly cover him up, so he doesn't get cold."

In mid-October, the weather gradually turned cold. Grandma was worried that her precious baby would get cold, so she bent down to cover the baby with a blanket.

"Let me do it."

Sister Liu had been staying by the crib, and upon seeing this, she hurriedly went over and covered the baby with the blanket.

"Wow."

At that very moment, Sanbao Xixi burst into tears.

"Did the baby pee?"

Grandma was even more eager than the nanny, and she wanted to take her little steps over to change the baby's diaper.

"Grandma, with Sister Liu and Sister Xu here, you don't need to bother."

Lin Xiyu found it amusing and quickly helped her up, fearing that the old lady might become flustered and hurt her own back.

Sister Xu joked with a smile, "When there are children around, the elderly are happy and can live several more years."

"Grandma, please stay here and don't leave."

Following her words, Lin Xiyu affectionately hugged her grandmother's arm.

“good good”

Grandma beamed with joy: "Grandma will listen to you and stay a few more days."

"It's not just a few days' stay."

Lin Xiyu insisted: "Stay for at least a month, no, a year, until the babies turn one year old before you leave."