Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 1317 Sweeping Them All in One Wrap

After crossing Di'anmenwai Street and passing through Wannian Hutong, the bustling crowds and noisy car bells and horns suddenly disappeared, as if I had entered another world.

The pedestrians here all walk with a relaxed and carefree pace.

The afterglow of the sun danced on the water's surface, emitting dazzling specks of golden light.

The tour boats on the lake slowly converged towards the rental dock, making room for more water.

A gentle breeze was carrying away the last bit of the daytime heat and bringing a touch of coolness from the water.

When they reached the lakeside and there were fewer people, Chen Xiaohui wriggled to get down. Xiaowei put the quiet Wang Yan down as well, and the two little ones immediately held hands and ran happily ahead, their little heads huddled together, seemingly talking about something.

Chen Hui took a breath: "Hiss, I never realized it before, but Wang Jiwei has stolen my sister away, and now my son is in danger too."

Chen Xiao nodded: "Catch them all in one fell swoop."

Qin Xuemei blushed and pinched Chen Xiao: "What nonsense are you spouting? Can't you two be serious for once?"

Chen Hui sighed, "The situation is irreversible; there's no way to reverse it."

Xiao Hong cooperated, touching her belly: "Luckily we came late, so we're still safe."

Xiao Wei burst into laughter.

Life has many facets; happiness is always there if you look for it.

Qin Xuemei belatedly realized, "Oh, we've come all this way, we should go and take a look at that little courtyard over there."

Xiao Wei asked, "Which courtyard?"

Xiaohong said, "The place we prepared for my brother-in-law's family is being tidied up. There aren't many changes over there, just some tidying up and turning a storefront into a shop on the side. The yard is basically untouched, just changing the tiles and fixing the toilet. We'll see it all together when it's finished."

Xiao Wei, unaware of the situation, asked, "Where is it? How big is it? Is it big enough?"

Chen Xiao pointed eastward: "It's about two hundred meters behind my sister's bookstore. It's in Nanwazi Hutong. We've taken over quite a few families in that area. The one we left for my brother-in-law's family is a detached house facing the street with three main rooms."

The two east wing rooms facing the street were converted into shops. Inside, there are three main rooms for living, and the west wing serves as the kitchen, toilet, and storage room. It's sufficient, but the courtyard isn't large; the central atrium is only about twenty square meters, less than thirty. It's alright.

Xiao Hong said, "There used to be four or five families living in the courtyard, so it was definitely enough. It's just that the courtyard is a bit small."

Xiao Wei asked, "What about the other four or five families?"

Xiaohong said, "We were in a hurry to get his house, so we discussed moving out early and moved to the Lotus Pond area. All the other families in his courtyard chose that area. We'll move in as soon as our house becomes available. The rent in between will be on our end, and it will be deducted from the house payment."

Chen Hui asked, "Do you know how much he spent on rent?"

Chen Xiao said, "We helped them rent it, how come I didn't know? I paid all the rent. Oh, right, return the money, six thousand seven hundred yuan."

Chen Hui scratched his head: "This money isn't your business to ask me for, is it, brother-in-law?"

Wang Jiwei, who was squatting there talking to Chen Xiaohui and Wang Yan, turned his head and asked, "What money?"

Chen Hui said, "Do you think I'm stupid? If you hadn't mentioned money, I would have really thought you weren't listening."

Qin Xuemei said, "I'll settle the bill in the end. Chen Xiao said to get things sorted out first, and we'll settle the bill together, including the rent for the room and the cost of cleaning."

Xiao Wei said, "What's there to calculate? If we don't give it to you, whoever spends it deserves it. Sis, you need to learn how to exploit others, understand?"

Qin Xuemei said seriously, "Anything else is fine, but this is not. It must be settled clearly. What's mine is mine."

Chen Xiao turned to look at his Mongolian restaurant: "It seems there aren't many people here today. How about we have lamb for dinner as a family? They probably haven't made any yet, right?" He checked the time.

Xiao Wei glanced at his watch: "It's about time. Never mind, let's do it tomorrow. It's been a long time since I've had lamb, and I'm really craving it."

Chen Xiaohui ran over, tugged at Chen Hui's clothes, and looked up to ask, "Dad, how old do I have to be before I can go boating on the lake?"

Chen Hui gestured to his chest: "This tall. Otherwise, how would you row if you weren't even as long as the oar? Right, son? Will you be rowing or will the oar be rowing you?"

Chen Xiaohui laughed and ran back: "My dad said I'm being rowed by a paddle now, hahaha."

The sound of a flute drifted from the lake, faint and indistinct, yet all the more melodious. Looking up, one could not see anyone. The branches of the weeping willows swayed gently in the wind, as if dancing to the flute music.

Smoke filled the air, and the boats on the water became dark shadows in the setting sun. The water was unusually bright at this moment, so bright that it was hard to open one's eyes.

The sounds of vendors hawking their wares along the old alleyways have disappeared; only people returning home from get off work are heading to their doors, and schoolchildren with their backpacks are scattering into the narrow lanes after school.

Xiao Hong stood by the lake with Qin Xuemei on her arm: "This place is so nice, I love it here."

Qin Xuemei nodded: "Quiet, relaxed, without the oppressive feeling of skyscrapers. It feels like living freely. I've never been to the water towns of Jiangnan, but I think it's just like this."

Chen Hui said, "I can go there for a visit later. It feels quite different. Everything there is small and exquisite, the houses are not big, and they are all wooden houses. The houses are right next to the water, and there are arched bridges everywhere. It's just a bit damp, though; there are mold spots all over the house."

Xiao Hong burst out laughing, and Chen Xiao pinched Chen Hui: "You can't say anything right, you're ruining the mood."

Chen Hui looked at everyone and said, "What's wrong? I'm just telling the truth. It is indeed very good-looking."

Xiao Wei said, "The houses in the south are indeed small; I guess none of us would be used to living there."

Chen Hui said, "Moreover, it's not soundproof. Every step on the stairs makes a loud thud, and you can hear everything that's going on inside. In the old days, people always said that walls have ears, and that people can hear you all the time. That's all about the South. In the North, you can let him come and listen. There's a brick wall a foot thick. Let him drill a hole in it. He'd be lucky if he could drill through it in one night."

Xiao Hong said, "There's nothing we can do about it. When many historical allusions and idioms were formed, China was only so big in the south, and the area around Kyoto was still inhabited by nomadic peoples."

Xiao Wei thought for a moment and nodded: "It seems that's indeed the case. From the Song Dynasty onwards, the area north of the Yellow River was inhabited by Mongols and Tatars, as well as the Hui and Manchus."

Xiao Hong said, "Not only that, Xiangyang was the front line before the Southern Song Dynasty, and Bianliang (Kaifeng) was also lost. Fighting was taking place in Guangdong and Jiangxi, and the only remaining front was around the Huai River and the Yangtze River."

Chen Xiao looked at Xiao Wei and Xiao Hong: "You two, how did you manage to steer the conversation to such a profound historical topic?"

Xiao Wei pointed at Chen Hui: "Your family started it."

Chen Hui said, "That's right. Wen Tianxiang's poem about Lingdingyang is about the area around Hong Kong, right? The Mongols even went that far. It's strange, isn't it? They captured him and were about to kill him, so how did he write his poem, and how did it survive? Was it the Mongols who promoted it?"

(End of this chapter)