Gu Jianing listened from the side, both amused and exasperated, but she didn’t step in to interrupt.
Her daughter was naturally beautiful, and at just three years old, Yueyue already had a charm that drew people in.
She believed that as Yueyue grew older, more and more people would come to like her.
There might even be quite a few boys pursuing her.
By then, her husband Brother Xi, the doting father, would surely have his hands full with worry.
But for now, she decided not to point it out.
Otherwise, her dear Brother Xi would probably start crying!
…
“So this is the courtyard house I was rewarded with back then,” Gu Jianing murmured, slightly astonished as she gazed at the vast, impeccably preserved siheyuan.
Although she had visited the capital a few times in the past few years, she’d never had the chance to see the courtyard house she’d been awarded.
This was her first time seeing it, and from the outside alone, the impression was remarkable. The gray bricks and tiles seemed to glow softly under the sunlight, exuding the timeless charm of old Beijing.
It was a three-section compound with countless rooms.
Clearly, it had been well-maintained. Stepping inside, she saw a straight, ruler-like path paved with gray bricks running through the central courtyard, flanked by flower beds where peonies bloomed in full splendor.
Against the walls stood rows of verdant green pillars.
In the courtyard, there was also a well. Lifting the cover, she could see the clear water inside, shimmering with ripples.
“Look, there’s even a pond here!” Gu Jianing exclaimed in delight.
Not only was there a pond, but small fish were swimming in it.
“After this house was awarded to you, didn’t you ask Grandma to help manage it?” Sheng Zexi explained. “She hired someone to take care of it. What do you think? It looks pretty good now, doesn’t it?”
Gu Jianing nodded. “It’s more than just pretty good—it’s fantastic!”
Walking further into the backyard, they saw a grapevine stretching across the corridor, its lush leaves forming a canopy overhead, with clusters of purple grapes hanging down.
“There are grapes too! Can we eat them?”
“Of course.”
Without waiting for her to ask, Sheng Zexi stepped forward and plucked a bunch of grapes.
He then washed them with water from the well.
The cool well water chilled the grapes slightly, even with just a quick rinse.
When Gu Jianing tasted one, the texture was crisp, the flavor excellent, and the sweetness just right.
“Yueyue would definitely love these grapes,” Gu Jianing said.
“Grandma knew you and Yueyue liked grapes, so she specifically had these transplanted here,” Sheng Zexi replied.
“Once we move in, the grapes will ripen, and you two can sit on rocking chairs under the vine, basking in the sun while eating grapes.”
Gu Jianing’s eyes lit up—it sounded like a wonderful scene.
Before long, Gu Jianing and Sheng Zexi met Chen Ma, the caretaker Grandma Sang had hired to manage the courtyard house.
From Grandma Sang, Gu Jianing knew that Chen Ma had a difficult life.
A native of Beijing, Chen Ma’s husband had run off with another woman when she was young, leaving her to raise their children alone.
Her son passed away early, and her daughter had also died not long ago, leaving behind several grandchildren in her care.
Life had been a struggle for her.
By chance, Grandma Sang had met Chen Ma. After assessing her character, Grandma Sang decided to lend a helping hand.
So, she hired Chen Ma to help take care of Gu Jianing’s courtyard house.
Chen Ma was deeply grateful to Grandma Sang and cherished this job dearly.
As a result, she had always maintained the courtyard house impeccably.
When Chen Ma met Gu Jianing, she was a little nervous.
Because she knew that this beautiful lady before her was the true owner of the courtyard house.
Whether she could continue working here depended entirely on her.
Gu Jianing was very satisfied with Chen Ma.
Once she started her work at Peking University and the hospital, she would be even busier.
There was no way she could manage such a large courtyard house on her own.
So, keeping Chen Ma on was a great idea.
When Chen Ma learned that the mistress was pleased with her and willing to let her continue managing the courtyard, she was overwhelmed with gratitude.
She repeatedly thanked Gu Jianing.
“Dr. Gu, the house is ready for you to move in anytime,” Chen Ma said, addressing her respectfully after learning of her profession.
“Great, then I’ll arrange to move in today,” Gu Jianing replied.
After returning to the Sang residence, Gu Jianing brought up the topic of moving.
“It’s fine if you want to live there—Chen Ma has been taking good care of the place,” Grandma Sang said.
“And it’s not too far from this compound, so we can visit each other anytime.”
“But before long, Ningning, you’ll be teaching at Peking University and working at the hospital, and Axi will be reporting to the military district. What about the kids?” Grandma Sang asked.
“For Xingxing and Yueyue, I plan to enroll them in kindergarten since they’re already three,” Gu Jianing explained.
“Then, based on their interests, I’ll sign them up for specialized classes.”
“Xingxing loves airplanes and physics, while Yueyue enjoys drawing.”
Grandpa Sang immediately interjected, “Xingxing likes airplanes? Then he can just learn from me!”
Gu Jianing’s eyes lit up at that.
Of course—Grandpa Sang was a top scientist in weapons design. No one could teach Xingxing better than him.
“But Grandpa, do you have the time?”
“Of course I do! How could I not?”
From Grandma Sang, Gu Jianing learned that Grandpa Sang was already semi-retired due to his age.
Originally, he should have retired long ago, but the weapons research institute still relied on him.
So, they had asked him to stay on for a few more years to mentor the next generation.
“That’s perfect. Then, outside of kindergarten, Xingxing can learn from Grandpa.”
“Great! Come, Xingxing, follow me. I’ve got plenty of interesting things to show you,” Grandpa Sang said excitedly.
During Xingxing’s previous visits, Grandpa Sang had noticed the boy’s fascination with weapons.
But back then, he hadn’t considered guiding Xingxing in that direction.
Now that Xingxing was genuinely interested, Grandpa Sang wanted to test his aptitude in the field.
To see if he could inherit his legacy.
“As for Yueyue, she can learn painting from me. No need to trouble anyone else,” Grandma Sang offered.
Gu Jianing: ?
Sheng Zexi wrapped an arm around her and explained, “You didn’t know? Grandma is actually a master of traditional Chinese painting.”
Gu Jianing: !!! How impressive!
It seemed this family was truly full of hidden talents.
“Alright, then Xingxing and Yueyue will be in Grandpa and Grandma’s hands.”
Gu Jianing couldn’t be more at ease leaving them with the elders.
“As for Tuantuan…”
“I’ll move into your courtyard house with you. I’ll help take care of Tuantuan, and since Chen Ma is there too, even if I’m temporarily busy, she can lend a hand. We can just increase her salary a bit,” Grandma Sang suggested.
“Perfect! That would be ideal,” Gu Jianing agreed without hesitation.
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