Chapter 259: Completion

“Uncle, is Grandpa’s house finished? We plan to visit during the winter break. We didn’t have enough fun last time. I don’t know if Grandpa has recovered from his illness,” Yang Jian asked, sitting beside Wang Zhenhe with a concerned expression.

Seeing Yang Jian’s concern, Wang Zhenhe smiled and ruffled the little one’s head. “Grandpa is fine now, and the house will be ready by winter. Uncle will take you to play there, and we’ll have a feast with pork dishes.”

As soon as Wang Zhenhe mentioned the pork feast, the children in the yard couldn’t help but salivate. “Uncle, we agreed to eat lots of meat!”

Both families burst into laughter at the children’s words. “Yang, Cong, when we have the pig feast at our home, both of your families are welcome to join. You can’t do this in the city, and it’s not as lively as in the countryside. Let’s all gather and enjoy a hearty pork feast.”

The idea excited everyone, as there was no liveliness like in the countryside, especially during a pig feast. “Brother, let’s make a plan. When the kids are on break, we’ll gather at your place,” they agreed.

With the education matters of his nephews and nieces settled, Wang Zhenhe took Qu Kai to start their learning the next day, rotating shifts between the two.

Today was the day of their high school’s autumn sports day, bringing a lively atmosphere to the previously quiet campus. Some small vendors set up stalls, selling popcorn, ice pops, wild cherries, sodas, and various snacks. In the morning, Zhang Lan gave each of the siblings two yuan to buy snacks.

The city students probably had pocket money from their parents, making it a rare and exciting opportunity for them to enjoy the festivities and indulge in snacks.

Wang Qian sat leisurely in her chair, munching on sunflower seeds that her grandfather had brought over yesterday. Zhang Lan had cooked some for the siblings to enjoy.

“Hey, give us a bit more; we’ve finished them all,” Wang Qian’s desk mate Zhu Ling extended her empty hand.

Seeing the classmates around her looking unsatisfied, Wang Qian couldn’t help but smile. “Here, take it all. Eat a bit less; you still have events to participate in. Don’t tire yourself out. Our class is counting on you to score.”

Zhu Ling grinned and assured her, “Don’t worry, with all these snacks, I’ll definitely bring you back a first-place victory.”

Wang Qian just smiled, lowered her head, and continued reading her book. There was no need for her to participate in the sports day as she was too young and couldn’t keep up with the older students.

Zhu Ling happily ate the peach given by Wang Qian. She admired this “old buddy” in every aspect except her young age and quiet demeanor. While she was usually unassuming in class, her brother’s personality was the complete opposite. However, she admired the siblings greatly; despite their young age, excelling in high school studies made even older students like her somewhat envious.

Through the loudspeakers came the announcement of the men’s 4x400m relay final. Wang Qian lifted her head, not feeling nervous, and focused intently towards the field where Mingyuan was competing in the final.

From a distance, Mingyuan waved at his sister’s direction. A smile involuntarily appeared on Wang Qian’s face. Despite his young age, Mingyuan stood tall among the older students due to his regular exercise regimen, keeping his body in better shape than most.

As the starting gun fired, their brother Mingyuan shot off like an arrow, leading the pack. Unable to contain her excitement, Wang Qian couldn’t help but shout enthusiastically as he ran past, “Go, brother, go!”

Their classmates cheered for Mingyuan from behind, the drumming of support echoing loudly. Wang Qian’s heart only eased when she saw Mingyuan smoothly hand off the baton.

Although Mingyuan had a strong start, their class ultimately secured third place. Some team members were not entirely satisfied with the result. Seeing Mingyuan return with a hint of disappointment holding the prize, Wang Qian quickly comforted him, “Brother, victory and defeat are common in competition. We didn’t win this time, but we’ll do better next time. Even the greatest generals face defeat sometimes.”

At this moment, Mingyuan shook his head, quietly confiding in her, “Sister, you don’t know. During the final baton exchange, the opposing team member pulled one of our classmates back, causing us to fall behind. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have been in this position.”

“Did anyone see it?” Wang Qian inquired. Mingyuan shook his head. “It was chaotic, and with so many people, probably no one noticed.”

Understanding the situation, Wang Qian could only express her resignation, “Brother, let it go. There’s no absolute fairness wherever you go. When we graduate and enter the real world, you’ll understand this truth. Consider today a learning experience.”

After tidying up the towel Mingyuan received, Wang Qian said, “Hehe, I’ll save this towel for you to use in college as a memento. Here, have some soda.”

Witnessing the siblings’ interaction, others couldn’t help but feel envious. “Little Qian Qian, don’t we get a share too?”

Wang Qian smiled, “Your share is already prepared, waiting on your seats. Just don’t compete with my brother.”

With no more events for Mingyuan, Wang Qian didn’t show much interest either. She spent the rest of the day hanging out with Mingyuan, enjoying food and drinks.

After school, Mingyuan invited several relay teammates to his house. Knowing the school meals weren’t great, Mingyuan often brought good friends home for meals. As they all lived in school dormitories and came from rural areas, they got along well. Wang Qian was accustomed to these gatherings.

Seeing her son bring friends home, Zhang Lan quickly got busy preparing food, with Wang Qian lending a hand. Zhang Lan cooked some delicious dishes for the kids. At least at their house, they could eat heartily, unlike the limited portions at school. The students felt especially comfortable and welcomed in Zhang Lan’s home.

“Auntie, we feel bad for coming to eat at your place,” one of the students expressed.

Zhang Lan replied with a smile, “Don’t worry about it. Consider this your own home. Take your time with the meal; I’ll bring some soup for you all in a moment.”

After dinner, Mingyuan took his friends out for a workout, a routine they had grown accustomed to over the years. Meanwhile, Zhang Lan and her daughter sat in the yard chatting. “Mom, during the winter break, I want to go out and explore with Dad. Our repair shop needs a source for spare parts, and I want to explore other ways to make money,” she expressed.

Zhang Lan was content with their current life and had no grand ambitions. She was satisfied as long as their needs were met, and any extra money was simply saved.

However, Wang Qian had a different perspective. She felt that while things were fine now, financial security was crucial for the future, especially for emergencies like illness. Without money, proper healthcare would be out of reach. She believed that even their spatial abilities required expensive gemstones like jade to heal effectively. Last time her grandmother fell ill, the transformation of a once precious stone into a common rock was a stark reminder of the costs involved.

After much consideration, Zhang Lan agreed, “Alright, going out to explore isn’t a bad idea. It’s good to broaden your horizons. Don’t rush if you can’t find a source right away. Take it slow.”

Upon learning of his daughter’s plans, Wang Zhenhe was delighted. He too wanted to venture out and see what the world had to offer. Having lived in the small county town for so long, he felt it was time for a change.

After the autumn harvest, Wang Zhenhe took his family to see their newly constructed house. Zhang Wanyou and his wife had already moved into their new home.

Seeing their newly built house for the first time shocked Zhang Lan. The number of rooms and the additional small houses outside the courtyard surprised her. She couldn’t believe they had spent so much money. However, as she explored the premises, she became increasingly satisfied with the layout and functionality of the house.

“Wang Qian, tell Mom about your plans. Why did you build so many rooms? We have a small family, you know that,” Zhang Lan inquired, a bit puzzled by the excessive construction.

Wang Qian’s purpose for building these houses was indeed strategic. With the beautiful scenery in their area, potential future development was a possibility. While she couldn’t openly express these thoughts, she knew the importance of utilizing the land before it became scarce. Wang Qian grinned at Zhang Lan, “Mom, with so many houses, we have nothing to worry about. If your son, grandson, or great-grandson ever need a place to live in the future, we can all live together. Having multiple generations under one roof is wonderful and lively. Besides, having property is a form of investment.”

Although Zhang Lan didn’t entirely buy into her daughter’s ideas, she appreciated the comfort and spaciousness of the large courtyard. “Sister, the money is well spent. I envy you a bit,” Zhang Hua teased as she approached with her husband.

“Dear sister, you and your husband went through a lot for this. Without your help, who knows when this house would have been built,” Zhang Lan patted Zhang Hua’s shoulder.

Zhang Hua continued, “I may not have much money, but I need to contribute. After all, this house is for our parents. I had to help; otherwise, people might criticize me behind my back. By the way, go inside and take a look. Your brother-in-law had the furniture made according to the designs provided by Qian Qian. The carpenters loved the design, so we saved quite a bit on labor costs.”

Wang Qian knew the value of the design drawings and didn’t plan on pursuing a career in that field. Thus, saving on labor costs was a welcomed benefit.

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