Chapter 229

Bai Lan and Uncle Yang knew that Li Yufeng was coming. Today, except for receiving guests who had booked dinners a week in advance, they wouldn’t entertain anyone else. The sign “Sold Out for the Day” hung outside all day. They had prepared a rich dinner early, eagerly awaiting their return.

There were hardly any cars on the road these days, so there was no such thing as traffic jams. Driving was convenient, and they arrived at Bari Hutong just in time for dinner.

They didn’t rush to unload their luggage. Su Xiaoxiao took Li Yufeng and the others to eat first.

“Mom, our small restaurant is called ‘Three Meals and Four Seasons.’ Next year, it will be moved to Brother Gu’s shopping mall and will no longer open here.”

When they arrived, it was the moment the lights were being turned on. The capital appeared prosperous with its vast and majestic expanse, tall buildings, and bright lights. However, compared to the bare and desolate branches in the south, where trees remained evergreen year-round, Li Yufeng felt something was missing. It wasn’t until Su Xiaoxiao drove the car into the hutong and they saw the courtyards with fireworks on the roofs that Li Yufeng began to feel somewhat reassured.

Li Yufeng nodded, “This place is nice, better than the busy streets outside.”

Su Xiaoxiao instructed the kids, “Take Grandma in to eat first. Mom will park the car a bit ahead.”

Xiao Tangyuan led her grandma into “Three Meals and Four Seasons.” A white dog with a big tail rushed out, and Li Yufeng instinctively held Xiao Tangyuan close.

Xiao Tangyuan said: “Grandma, don’t be afraid. He’s Cotton Candy. He’s very well-behaved and doesn’t bite people.”

Li Yufeng was surprised, “It’s a dog?” The village dogs in Sujia Village were either black or yellow, skinny, dirty, and always shedding. Li Yufeng couldn’t believe this dog was covered in silky white fur.

Xiao Tangyuan nodded and said: “Yes, grandma, it’s a dog.” Xiao Tangyuan reached out to touch Cotton Candy, and Cotton Candy obediently nudged her hand with its paw.

Li Yufeng didn’t know that the cotton candy was brought with them from Qingfeng Town. She marveled at how even the dogs in the capital looked different from those elsewhere.

The children often mentioned Sujia Village and their relatives there. Su Family’s Sanbao had also lived in the capital. Bai Lan and Uncle Yang were not strangers to Li Yufeng, and she felt a sense of familiarity with them after just one meal. By the end of the meal, Li Yufeng even insisted on washing the dishes, but Tiantian’s grandma kept saying it was her job and teased her about trying to steal her job. Li Yufeng couldn’t argue, and the dishes naturally didn’t get washed by her.

After dinner, Li Yufeng immediately divided the things she had brought into several portions. Some went to the old friends in the store, some to Grandpa Zhuzi, some to Gu Zhanwang, some to Uncle Han Cheng, and even some to Teacher Han Cheng… The more she divided, the more she felt it wasn’t enough.

While dividing, Li Yufeng muttered to herself, “The capital is too far away. After changing cars and planes, it’s not easy to bring things. If we took the train, we could bring more. Alas, I could only bring so little. It’s hard to distribute.”

Su Xiaoxiao was speechless, “Mom, this is not Qingfeng Town. There aren’t so many social conventions. We don’t have much contact with Han Cheng’s uncle, and Brother Gu is even less likely to cook. Let’s just give some to Zhuzi and the others and leave the rest in the restaurant so that everyone can eat it.”

Li Yufeng wasn’t so stubborn about these things. After all, her daughter knew better how to get along with them. She simply let Su Xiaoxiao handle the distribution.

She glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost ten o’clock, and Xiao Roubao had not come back yet: “Isn’t Xiao Roubao coming back to sleep here?”

Su Xiaoxiao said, “If he doesn’t come back by nine, he’s probably staying at Brother Gu’s place. Brother Gu sends someone early to let us know if there’s anything. Mom, you don’t need to worry. Xiao Roubao will not treat himself badly wherever he goes.”

Li Yufeng said, “I really miss Xiao Roubao. Xiao Tangyuan has grown so much, and Xiao Roubao must have grown even more.”

Su Xiaoxiao replied, “He’ll only stay for one night; he’ll be back tomorrow. Let’s go to sleep first.”

It was Li Yufeng’s first time sleeping on a heated brick bed, and she found it quite uncomfortable. She said, “Dear daughter, this bed is too hot for me. Maybe I should sleep in the next room.”

Su Xiaoxiao, still adjusting herself, understood the difficulty for her elderly mother and wondered when they could install underfloor heating.

“Mom, the north is too cold. We can’t do without heating the kang. It’s cooler in the early morning. Let me get you another blanket to use as padding. Wear less and sleep on your side. I also had a hard time adjusting when I first arrived, but I’ve gotten used to it now.”

Li Yufeng sighed: “The capital is good, but it really doesn’t suit me. My skin gets itchy even with snowflake cream on, and I’m always thirsty. Drinking water means frequent trips to the bathroom, and it’s freezing cold getting up at night. Our Su family village is better. Qingfeng Town is good, too.”

Li Yufeng is not a picky person. On the contrary, she was quite resilient. She participated in road construction in her youth and slept in haystacks by the roadside with the others. However, she really couldn’t adapt to the climate in the north.

Su Xiaoxiao had originally intended to bring her family to live with her, with plans to eventually bring her eldest brother, second brother, and father over as well. However, it now seemed like a mere wishful thought. Leaving her hometown was difficult. Besides the familiar faces and surroundings she had known for decades, the climate also played a significant role. The difference between the northern and southern climates required a long adjustment period, even for young people, let alone for the elderly.

Su Xiaoxiao hugged Li Yufeng and said, “Mom, since we’re here, let me show you around for a couple more days. If you can’t get used to it, you can return early. I’ve come to realize that as long as our hearts are connected, the distance doesn’t matter. Sometimes, I just miss you so much.”

Li Yufeng stroked her daughter’s head and replied, “I understand. I feel the same way. How could I not be upset seeing my daughter move away when she grows up? As long as I know you are well, I can be at peace wherever I am.”

Su Xiaoxiao rubbed Li Yufeng’s neck affectionately. She really loved her mother.

Su Xiaoxiao hadn’t mentioned buying a house for the three grandchildren yet. Once the transfer procedures for that house were completed, she didn’t plan to renovate it immediately. Instead, she intended to rent it out for a while and wait until they moved here before deciding.

Li Yufeng slept in a daze in the first half of the night but slept well in the second half. Surprisingly, she didn’t wake up early. By the time she got up, the children had already finished their exercise and brought breakfast back, making her feel a bit embarrassed.

“It’s so cold, and you’re still exercising?” Li Yufeng knew they regularly exercised, but she didn’t expect them to keep it up even in such cold weather. Her daughter hadn’t even woken up yet.

Fantuan said, “Grandma, moving around keeps us warm. Take a look at breakfast; if you don’t like it, we can go to the store.”

Li Yufeng waved her hand, “As long as it’s filling, Grandma isn’t picky about food.”

Fantuan: “Then I’ll heat it in the pot. First, there is porridge, soy milk, buns, and fried dough sticks; Mom can eat it when she wakes up later.”

Li Yufeng really thinks her daughter is blessed. While most mothers were busy caring for their children, her situation was quite the opposite. During holidays, she would sleep in until she woke up naturally, and her children took care of her needs in return. Each of them was so obedient. She increasingly believed that her daughter had opened the store just to ensure the children had three meals daily, leaving her with nothing to worry about.

Around nine-thirty, Xiao Roubao returned. Last night, Gu Zhanwang took him to an exhibition and then to dinner. Afterward, he happily followed Gu Zhanwang home and managed to get a box of chocolates and a box of egg rolls from him, saying Grandma was visiting and he wanted to take them back as gifts.

The chubby Xiao Roubao, bundled up in a large cotton coat, rushed into Grandma’s arms with the gifts, almost knocking Li Yufeng over.

Xiao Tangyuan scolded him, “Third Brother, slow down, you’re going to hurt Grandma!”

Xiao Roubao coaxed, “I just missed Grandma. Did Grandma miss Xiao Roubao? Grandma, this is a gift for you that I got from Gu Zhanwang.” The little guy was indeed sincere.

Li Yufeng set his gift aside, hugging her adorable grandson and laughing heartily, “You’re filial. Xiao Roubao, you’ve grown up and gotten heavier. You almost made Grandma worry to death. After that movie of yours, I don’t know how many people have asked about you. Grandma couldn’t keep up.”

Xiao Roubao: “Then grandma said that when we return to Sujia Village in the future, they are always welcome to bring gifts to visit us!”

Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t help laughing: “Bring gifts? Why don’t you just charge admission?”

Xiao Roubao thought seriously for a moment, “Mom, I think that’s a good idea. Godfather says I’m quite valuable now. If we charge admission, we can buy meat for Grandma and Grandpa to eat!”

After the grandmother and grandchildren finished reminiscing about the past, Su Xiaoxiao drove Li Yufeng to visit Beijing. Earlier, a magazine company had reached out to Gu Zhanwang through the comics featured in the “Guowang” shopping mall. They had introduced Fantuan and Xiao, leading to the publication of a special New Year comic edition that was met with enthusiastic reception and quickly sold out. The magazine wanted to release a Lantern Festival edition next, but they were pressed for time to complete the manuscript and had little opportunity for leisure activities before the New Year.

Fantuan had previously communicated with the magazine about expanding the team. They planned to add two more friends to the group, increasing the main writers from the original three to five, and inquired if the magazine would be okay with this change.

The magazine responded that they had no objections as long as the quality was maintained, and Fantuan assured them that it would be. Consequently, Da Bao and Xiao Bao joined the team in the capital to work again. Fantuan continued to set the main storyline, and the tasks had been assigned in advance. Even Zhuzi, who had returned to the old house to handle family matters, brought work with him.

Once they entered high school, they would no longer take on such work, as their focus would shift entirely to their studies, which was an understanding among the older kids. This winter vacation was the last one for Fantuan and Zhuzi before high school, so they took the opportunity to accept more work and earn extra money.

On such a cold day, Li Yufeng had a strong desire to go out, so Su Xiaoxiao took her to “Guowang” Mall instead. Xiao Roubao was tired of going there and didn’t want to go, while Xiao Tangyuan clung to his marshmallow and preferred to stay indoors. In the end, Su Xiaoxiao took Li Yufeng and the youngest child out.

When they reached the “Guowang” shopping mall, Li Yufeng was deeply impressed. It was her first time seeing such a large and luxurious shopping mall.  At the entrance was a photo of Xiao Roubao, who was taller than Xiao Roubao himself. The more she looked at it, the stranger it seemed. When Su Xiaoxiao explained that the paintings at the entrance and the cartoons on the walls were all created by the children from their homes, Li Yufeng felt a swell of pride.

Li Yufeng gazed at them and remarked, “If I hadn’t come to the capital, I wouldn’t have realized how capable the children were. They hadn’t mentioned anything about it when they returned home. They only said that Fantuan had taken them to paint, and they made some pocket money. They also bought a pair of Jiefang shoes for their several classmates in the village who had to go to school barefoot in the winter. They are truly wonderful children.”

Su Xiaoxiao never doubted that her children were good kids.

Su Xiaoxiao took them up to the sixth floor in the elevator. Li Yufeng touched the elevator and couldn’t help but sigh repeatedly. Su Xiaoxiao mentioned that she planned to open “Three Meals and Four Seasons” there next year. The entire floor would be filled with various restaurants, creating a food court. In the future, she aimed to expand the restaurant chain back to Duancheng and their small county town, hoping to grow it into a nationwide chain.

Although Su Xiaoxiao’s plans sounded a bit ambitious, Li Yufeng understood them.

She used to think that it was not easy for her daughter and son-in-law to live in the capital with so many children. After coming here, she realized that the capital was very different from what she had imagined.

Her daughter was clearly not suited for farm work; even a half-grown child could perform better than she could. In Sujia Village, there was no place for her daughter’s skills to shine, and she was often the subject of gossip. When she moved to Qingfeng Town, Li Yufeng worried about whether she could take care of many children and manage the housework. It wasn’t until she arrived in the capital that she realized her daughter was actually quite capable. In a larger and more prosperous environment, she seemed to thrive and be able to showcase her talents more effectively.

Times were advancing, society was progressing, and people were progressing. Li Yufeng believed that in the future, she wouldn’t have to worry about her daughter anymore. She had found her own path with the new development of the society.