“Lin Ping’an, someone is looking for you at the school gate.”
At Peking University, Lin Ping’an, who was in the lab, heard someone calling him.
He initially didn’t want to respond, as many people usually came looking for him. Most of them were there to confess their feelings.
Lin Ping’an bore a sixty percent resemblance to Lin Zhen but carried the refined aura of a scholar. Standing at 187 cm tall with broad shoulders, long legs, and a well-built physique, he maintained a habit of exercising every morning, even at school—a routine he had developed since childhood.
With such good looks, talent, and a promising future, it was no wonder the female students at the school adored him. However, for now, Lin Ping’an was fully devoted to his experimental project with his mentor and had no interest in romance.
“I’m not—”
Suddenly remembering something, Lin Ping’an called out to the person.
“Wait, are they two adults with a few children?”
“Yes, they seem to be your family.”
Hearing this, Lin Ping’an’s usually aloof face instantly broke into a smile. Without hesitation, he put down what he was holding.
“Professor, my family is here to see me. I might need to take a few days off.”
“Sure, it’s time for you to relax. Since your family has come all this way, spend some quality time with them.”
As Lin Ping’an left, many people in the lab grew curious about what his family was like.
“Did I see that right? He looked so happy just now.”
“I thought Senior Lin only had eyes for experiments. It seems he has a great relationship with his family.”
Lin Ping’an hurried to the school gate and immediately spotted Lin Zhen, who stood out prominently in the crowd due to his height.
“Brother, Sister-in-law!”
Lin Ping’an smiled just as warmly as he always had. As he walked over, two soft little bundles quickly latched onto his legs.
“Uncle, we missed you so much! Did you miss us?”
The two adorable, chubby-cheeked twins spoke in soft, sticky-sweet voices, drawing the attention of everyone around them. So cute!
Lin Ping’an bent down, picking up one child in each arm, and planted kisses on their plump little cheeks.
“Of course I missed you. I think about you every day.”
The aloof academic genius of the school transformed into a cheerful, sunny boy in front of his family. Students who knew Lin Ping’an and passed by the school gate couldn’t believe their eyes.
“Wow, is that really Lin Ping’an? Does he have a twin brother or something?”
Ignoring the stares from others, Lin Ping’an carried his two little nieces and led Lin Zhen and Song Wei away from the gate.
“I’ve asked for a few days off from my professor. Let’s get settled first.”
“Alright.”
Lin Zhen owned a house in Beijing—a courtyard home, in fact. Not only him, but Song Wei and their two sons also had properties there. Lin Ping’an had one too, all located in the same area, not far from each other.
Back when the economy was just beginning to change, many of Beijing’s courtyard homes were put up for sale.
Some people, out of fear, sold their houses and went abroad.
Some needed money, or sold their houses for all kinds of reasons.
Lin Zhen remembered Song Wei’s words and seized the opportunity, buying five siheyuan of various sizes all at once.
Now they were settled, and with the development of the economy and society, housing prices were rising. Especially in Beijing, the price of siheyuan had increased several times compared to previous years.
They didn’t plan on buying any more.
As for their two daughters, once they grew up, Song Wei and Lin Zhen planned to simply pass their own house down to the sisters.
At the moment, they were going to Lin Ping’an’s house.
“Your place has been empty all this time. Even though I’ve had people clean it, it lacks any real liveliness. Since you’re only staying a few days, you’d better just stay at my place for now.”
The siheyuan was large, with more than enough rooms.
Song Wei and Lin Zhen had no objections.
But they still wanted to visit the other houses.
When mealtime came, Lin Ping’an directly took them to the best private restaurant in Beijing, where the whole family ate to their hearts’ content.
“Brother, sister-in-law, do you want to try roast duck? Beijing’s roast duck is famous.”
“Yes, yes, we want it!”
Before Song Wei and Lin Zhen could reply, the children were already shouting excitedly.
Song Wei shot them a glare. “What are you yelling for? Isn’t your belly full already?”
“Of course roast duck has to be eaten hot. We’re stuffed now—if it gets cold it won’t taste good.”
Lin Ping’an always listened to Song Wei. He immediately said, “Then tomorrow morning I’ll buy it for you.”
After a day of rest, the next morning, Lin Zhen and Lin Ping’an—who both had a habit of morning runs—finished their jog. Remembering his promise from yesterday, Lin Ping’an detoured to buy roast duck for his nieces and nephews.
So when everyone woke up, they were greeted by the delicious aroma of roast duck.
“Smells so good, Little Uncle, you’re the best!”
The two little girls, sweet-tongued as ever, flattered Lin Ping’an until his grin nearly reached his ears.
“Where do you all want to go?”
Lin Zhen said, “Tiananmen, to watch the flag-raising.”
If you came to Beijing, you had to see the flag-raising at Tiananmen, otherwise the trip wouldn’t feel complete.
Xiao Nan nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes, I was thinking the same as Dad.”
Lin Ping’an said, “That’ll have to be tomorrow. You need to get up really early to get the best spot to see it. There are huge crowds there every day, just waiting for the flag-raising. In summer, it’s even more crowded. Some people even sleep on the ground overnight just to secure a good spot.”
Such perseverance was truly impressive.
“Today, let’s go climb the Great Wall.”
Xiao Bei chimed in, “I also want to go to the Forbidden City.”
“And the museums…”
There were plenty of places to visit in Beijing.
Lin Ping’an wrote down everything everyone wanted to see and made a reasonable plan.
They bought the supplies they needed for climbing the Great Wall and set out.
When the majesty of the Great Wall came into view, everyone was filled with awe.
Seeing it in books and seeing it with one’s own eyes were two completely different experiences.
Standing at the foot of the Great Wall, everyone was brimming with energy.
“Let’s go!”
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