Chapter 210 - 207: Grandma Li’s Worry
Blinking his slightly moist eyes, Li Xiu said softly, "Master, I’ve brought my wife to see you. You know, your disciple’s wife. Didn’t I tell you before? My wife is incredibly smart. She went to college, graduated from a combined bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral program, and is now teaching at Beijing University. Master, what do you think? Pretty impressive of Jin Chen to find such a brilliant wife, right? You can rest easy. I’m doing very well. Oh, and as for those old acquaintances of yours... they’re all a handful. But I’ve been good—I’ve stayed out of the system!"
He glanced at Zhou Lian, who was kneeling beside him, and continued softly, "Master, they still think of you constantly. What on earth did you do to them back then? They all hold high positions now and really look out for me. Master, your legacy continues to protect Jin Chen and his family! As for me, in order to protect my wife and child, I’ve started mentoring the youngest son of one of your old acquaintances. He’s a pure and kind-hearted person. How far he goes in the future will be up to him. Master, you can rest easy. I’m very measured in what I do!"
’It was a good thing Ge Yunqi couldn’t hear him. Otherwise, he would have jumped up and cursed him out. Measured, my ass! If he was so measured, would he have single-handedly thrown the entire upper echelon of the Capital City into chaos, completely exposing himself to that pack of old foxes?’
After chattering on for a long while, Li Xiu finally pulled Zhou Lian to kowtow several times to his master, grandmaster, and grandmistress, before they packed up and headed back.
That evening, after getting Zhou Lian to sleep, Li Xiu went to his grandmother’s room. Just as he expected, she was sitting there waiting for him. Smiling, he poured her a glass of water and said softly, "Grandma, did you know I would come over?"
Smiling and nodding, Grandma Li gently stroked Li Xiu’s hair and said lovingly, "Seeing you and Nuonuo’s mother doing so well now, I can rest easy. You two must take good care of each other in the future. As for me, I’m hale and hearty, so you don’t need to worry."
Resting his head on his grandmother’s lap just like when he was a boy, Li Xiu said wheedlingly, "I know, Grandma. Why don’t you come stay with us in the Capital City for a while? I don’t have much time, so I can’t come back to see you often. I miss you."
"Silly child, Grandma can’t go with you to the Capital City. When people get old, they grow attached to their home," Grandma Li said with a gentle laugh. "You two should focus on your lives. Come back when you have time, and if you’re too busy, just tend to your own affairs. Grandma will watch over the house for you. I’ll be right here at home, waiting. As long as I’m alive, you’ll always have someone to come home to. Grandma understands!"
’How could she not know the temperament of her own eldest grandson? It was only because she was still alive that he came back. She feared that on the day she was gone, he wouldn’t return so readily, except perhaps to visit her grave. He was a boy who was at once deeply sentimental and utterly heartless. She wondered if anyone else understood that. She was old; she didn’t want to meddle, nor could she. Her children and grandchildren would have their own fortunes to make. It was all up to them now.’
"Grandma, you’ll definitely live to be a hundred! You still have to watch Yanyan get married and have kids!" Li Xiu said with a laugh. ’His grandmother was a long-lived woman. She’d had a long life in his past life, and she would definitely do so again in this one.’
"You silly child. A person’s lifespan is already set; it’s not something we can decide for ourselves. Let’s not talk about that. Tell me more about Nuonuo’s mother!" Grandma Li’s heart had been pounding with anxiety. She was torn, hoping her granddaughter-in-law was capable, yet also hoping she wasn’t.
Looking up at Grandma Li’s expression, Li Xiu understood. ’There must be gossip in the village again,’ he thought. ’Zhou Lian has been so busy these past few years, she hasn’t been back in three or four years. Those gossips in the village must be spouting all sorts of nonsense.’ He shook his head to himself and said with a smile, "Okay, I’ll tell you all about her, Grandma. It’ll make you happy!"
Grandma Li beamed and nodded eagerly.
"Bao’er has graduated, you know," Li Xiu began, showing off with a grin. "She has the highest academic degree you can get in our country; there’s nothing more for her to study. Now she’s staying on to teach at her alma mater—the best university—as their youngest lecturer. She’s even published a lot of articles in newspapers and magazines! She’s incredible."
"Oh, that’s just wonderful!" She hadn’t fully grasped all the details of what Li Xiu said, but she understood the important parts: her granddaughter-in-law was teaching at the best university and was writing for newspapers. That was enough for her.
"Is she busy, then? Does she have time to take care of you and the child?" Grandma Li asked worriedly. She was happy her granddaughter-in-law was capable, but she feared that being *too* capable might mean she would neglect her family.
Li Xiu knew what his grandmother was getting at. He said gently, "Don’t worry, Grandma. She is very busy, but she’s wonderful to me and our child. Every New Year and during all the holidays, she’s the one who prepares everything we send home. She always says that since we can’t be by your side to fulfill our filial duties, the least we can do is make sure you aren’t lacking for anything."
Upon hearing this, Grandma Li couldn’t stop smiling. She didn’t care about the material things; all she wanted was for her granddaughter-in-law to live a good and devoted life with her grandson. Since Zhou Lian hadn’t been back in several years, she had genuinely worried that once she became successful and saw the dazzling world outside, her heart might be led astray. Knowing now that everything was fine and she had just been overthinking things, she was absolutely ecstatic.
"Grandma, how have Eldest Aunt and Third Aunt been treating you? Have they been good?" Li Xiu asked quietly.
Grandma Li laughed. ’Her grandson wasn’t really asking about the wives of the first and third sons; he was worried that his own mother, the second son’s wife, was treating her poorly!’ She said softly, "They’re all doing fine. You know your father and uncles—all three of them are filial sons. Even if their wives don’t like me, they have to put on a show of being good to me. What’s more, now that you’re in the Capital City and everyone knows how successful you are, no one would be blind enough to come looking for trouble with me. Rest assured."
He thought about it and realized it was true. Li Xiu nodded, his mind finally at ease.
Glancing at Li Xiu, Grandma Li sighed. "Li Man and Li Yi are both married now. Grandma used the money you and your wife sent to give them their wedding gifts—one hundred yuan each. Consider it a way of settling your obligations as their brother."
Li Xiu looked at his grandmother and said softly, "Grandma, I know. I understand why you did it. In the future, just do the same for Li Yong and Li Xin. After all, we have the same parents. We can’t let outsiders see us as a joke. Grandma, I really do understand."
"How did you know? I never told you," Grandma Li asked, surprised.
Li Xiu just smiled. ’With Li Guo and Li Bo around, was there anything he wouldn’t know?’
Those two had written to him about it as soon as Li Man got married. The little schemers told him everything that happened at home, down to the smallest detail. That included the incident when his own mother had secretly gone to make trouble for Grandma over Li Man’s wedding. The boys had already written to him to brag and claim their reward for handling it. They had apparently stumbled upon his mother hassling Grandma and confronted her so directly that she was unable, and unwilling, to ever try it again.
Apparently, Li Guo had simply used their eldest and third uncles’ authority to pressure his mother, while Li Bo had been even more blunt. He’d threatened, "If you dare bother Grandma again, I’ll tell Big Brother. Who knows what will happen when he finds out?" Their mother was now terrified of Li Xiu, deathly afraid he would bring ruin upon her other precious sons.