Chapter 322: An Unusual Encounter

In addition to taking group photos with everyone, Wang Qian also took a solo picture. As she grows into an adult in a few years, she wanted to preserve the somewhat naive image of herself now. It would be a way to reminisce about this era when she grows old.

By the time Wang Zhenhe returned with the family, Zhang Hua had already arrived and was engaged in a lively conversation with Bai Jianing.

Seeing her sister’s family return from the photoshoot, Zhang Hua joked, “If I had known you were going for photos, I would have come earlier. We could have taken a photo together. It’s been years since the two of us had a picture together.”

Wang Qian chuckled and replied, “Auntie, don’t worry. In the future, when we get our own camera, we’ll take colorful photos. Whatever you wear will be captured in the photo.”

“Oh, there are cameras like that? Qianqian, remember this for the future. Auntie is counting on you to take colored photos for me,” Zhang Hua remarked with surprise.

Zhang Hua, although aging, still retained a youthful heart and was curious to see how she would look in a colored photo.

Wang Qian smiled and nodded, “Auntie, you can count on me for that. You’ll see colored photos in the future.”

For lunch, the sisters busied themselves in the kitchen. Bai Jianing offered to help but was stopped by Zhang Lan. They felt that the two of them were sufficient, considering Bai Jianing’s limited cooking skills and the hot weather.

After receiving the photos, the Wang family returned to the city. They also brought Minggui along, who was experiencing the city for the first time and found everything fascinating.

“Sis, what do people in the city eat if they don’t farm?” Minggui’s question made Zuo Yu chuckle. “Minggui, people in the city are just like us. They need to eat too. They work in factories and use the money they earn to buy food, just like us.”

Wang Qian held her little brother’s hand. “Minggui, did you understand what Zuo Yu said?”

The young boy hesitated, “I understood some parts but not everything. Can we buy food to eat then? I haven’t seen us buying food; it’s all distributed by the production team.”

Zuo Yu found himself challenged by Minggui’s questions, each one more difficult than the last. As they walked, Wang Qian explained the difference between farmers and state workers to him until Minggui fully understood.

After spending some time playing in the city with Wang Minggui, both Mingyuan and Wang Qian received their acceptance letters without any surprises.

As Zhang Lan and her family prepared to head to the capital, there were still unfinished matters. Before they left, Wang Zhenhe personally escorted his young nephew back home. Wang Qian also sent the used dictionaries back with him, instructing him to study and practice writing diligently.

Wang Zhenhe organized things at the factory, treated the Yang and Cong families to a meal, and before their departure, Geng Lianhua presented Bai Jianing with a gift. Initially hesitant to accept the expensive gift containing money and a gold bracelet, Bai Jianing felt overwhelmed.

However, Zhang Lan and Zhang Weiguo persuaded her to accept the gift, explaining that it was a gesture from her mother’s heart. They reassured her that it was not excessive and to avoid feeling inadequate. The elderly lady had put in her best effort to arrange this gift.

Bai Jianing was both amused and touched. The extravagant gift felt a bit overwhelming, but she knew she would have to continue persuading her mother at home. Having seen the Zhang family, she found them all to be kind, easy to get along with, and reasonable – nothing like the difficult individuals her mother had described.

“Jianing, you’ve met my family and seen them. Should I also go to visit your family this time?” Zhang Weiguo inquired.

Bai Jianing was worried. She didn’t want Zhang Weiguo to face her mother’s difficult and unreasonable behavior. Such a heroic figure shouldn’t have to endure that, especially for her sake. She was unwilling to let him go through that hardship for her own sake, even if it was her mother.

“Weiguo, my mother isn’t as easy to deal with as yours. Frankly, if she doesn’t approve of someone, she can be very stubborn, even somewhat prejudiced at times. I’m afraid if I suddenly bring you home, you won’t be able to handle it,” Bai Jianing explained.

Despite knowing her mother’s temperament too well, Zhang Weiguo seemed unfazed. “Jianing, you underestimate me. I’m not afraid of enemies; why would I be afraid of your mother? She’s not a monster. Besides, I’m going to meet my future mother-in-law. I’m about to snatch away her precious daughter. I can handle her little challenges.”

Confident in his abilities, Zhang Weiguo was unaware of his future mother-in-law’s temperament. It wasn’t until they arrived in the capital that he realized he might have spoken too soon.

Wang Qian and her family accompanied Zhang Weiguo to the capital. Wang Xuan led them to the courtyard they had purchased to stay in. They had already tidied up all the rooms beforehand, so a simple clean-up was all that was needed when guests arrived.

Upon seeing the grand house in front of her, Zhang Lan was taken aback. It was even larger than the house they had built by the seaside. The size was somewhat overwhelming, explaining the considerable expense. The intricate carvings and elegant architecture gave off an ancient, classical vibe, making them feel like they had stepped into the home of a high-ranking official from ancient times.

“Qianqian, am I dreaming? This house is so beautiful, it feels like a residence from ancient times,” Zhang Lan expressed her astonishment.

Wang Xuan chuckled, “Mom, this estate was indeed built by people in the past. It seems like it was once home to an official from the Qing Dynasty. However, his descendants sold the house to us. How does it look? Our choice was right, wasn’t it? I fell in love with it at first sight. If my sister and I live in this courtyard, wouldn’t we feel like ancient noblewomen?”

Wang Qian smirked, “Sis, we are just simple and delicate girls. Noblewomen are a far cry from us. Their fathers were officials, while ours were true farmers. But not just any farmers — proud farmers, in my opinion. Don’t underestimate us. Even though rural girls nowadays dream of marrying city men, who knows, in many years, city girls might dream of marrying rural boys like us.”

Wang Qian was not just making baseless predictions. However, Wang Xuan and the others were skeptical. While they found it unlikely, they couldn’t refute her without evidence. They knew Wang Qian well enough to believe she wouldn’t speak without reason or exaggerate.

Wang Xuan led everyone on a tour of the entire courtyard, and even Bai Jianing and Zuo Yu couldn’t help but admire it.

“Qianqian, this house is amazing. Tell you what, save a room for us three brothers. When the time comes, I’ll definitely come to stay. Let’s experience the lifestyle of the old officials,” Zuo Yu expressed his admiration.

Bai Jianing also requested a room for herself in the future. She wanted to visit and stay over when the opportunity arose, knowing her family didn’t have the means to own such a large house.

“Sis, I envy you all. With a house this big, we could accommodate as many people as we want,” Zuo Yu remarked.

It took them quite a while to explore the entire house. The new house came with a garden and a pond. Wang Qian roughly estimated the space, realizing it was quite sizable. They had already started growing vegetables in the garden and even had edible fish in the pond. Instead of ornamental fish, they decided to be practical and economical by raising fish for consumption, a decision that would save them money.

Wang Qian toured her siblings’ ^[1]siblings here were talking about Yang Nuo, Cong Tao and Chen Xu impressive work with a smile, marveling at their practicality in daily life. Despite being children of officials, they were thrifty individuals. The vegetables in the garden looked genuine, and she suspected the boys in the family had pitched in. Even if her brother had time to plant, he likely wouldn’t have time to manage it.

Yang Nuo and Cong Tao had finished unpacking and started tidying up the house. By the time everyone returned from their tour, the rooms they were going to stay in were already neat and organized.

Lunch was prepared together by the mother and daughters. After the meal, Yang Nuo and the others had to check on their business affairs.

Bai Jianing went home first to inform her family and discuss when to introduce Zhang Weiguo. Doing so abruptly didn’t sit well with Wang Qian. It was better for Bai Jianing to communicate with her family before anything else.

After lunch, Wang Zhenhe led them to visit Old Chen. The whole family went to pay their respects, making sure to visit each family.

Carrying gifts, they marched towards Old Chen’s residence. Since classes hadn’t started yet, and Old Chen was on break, Wang Zhenhe wasn’t worried about him not being home.

Upon arrival, they heard arguing in the courtyard. Wang Zhenhe, initially reaching for the door, hesitated and pulled back upon hearing the commotion.

“Alright, looks like we’ve arrived at a bad time. Let’s wait outside and listen in to see what’s going on inside,” Wang Zhenhe suggested.

The group stood outside, listening intently, afraid of missing any details. The intense arguing inside mainly consisted of middle-aged men’s voices, occasionally interspersed with women’s voices. However, there was no sign of Old Chen’s voice. The argument seemed centered on the house and money. Wang Qian and the others outside worried for Old Chen, as the arguing inside seemed to disregard his feelings, focusing solely on property and wealth.

Realizing the internal conflict, Wang Qian sighed, “Mom, what are people really living for? They argue when they have no money and they argue when they do. They fight over trivial matters without considering the old man’s feelings.”

Her thoughts didn’t just dwell on Old Chen’s family dispute but also reminded her of the family conflicts she had seen on TV, all revolving around money, property, and caring for the elderly. For these reasons, families would go to great lengths, sacrificing relationships for material possessions.

Zhang Lan shook her head, “I don’t understand either. I’m not sure what they are thinking. Perhaps they are truly facing difficulties that led to this situation?”

She wasn’t entirely certain. Despite Old Chen being an educator, there should at least be a basic sense of family affection. Those living inside weren’t strangers; they were their own father.