The next morning, everyone went to bed much later than usual.
It snowed a little last night and the weather was very cold.
Cheng Tianyuan got up first, ran out and bought a large bag of soy milk, put it in a pot to warm, and then put the soup dumplings he bought into a steamer to steam.
Several children were laughing and playing in the living room, watching TV or playing chess or poker.
Dad Xue and Xiaoxin play chess.
Mother Xue was sitting aside knitting.
Cheng Tianyuan called them to the kitchen to have breakfast, then turned and returned to the room.
Xue Ling was lying on the bed looking at her phone, as if she had no intention of getting up yet.
"It's ready to eat."
Cheng Tianyuan urged: "Go brush your teeth and wash your face quickly."
He came to open the curtains, and there was a heavy gray outside, as if a heavy snow was brewing.
Xue Ling stretched out lazily and murmured coquettishly: "It's so warm under the quilt... I don't want to think about..." Cheng Tianyuan chuckled, took off his coat and hung it up, walked over and sat next to her.
Xue Ling took the opportunity to get into his arms and whispered: "It's the end of the year again..." "Yeah."
Cheng Tianyuan stroked her hair gently and murmured: "It's so fast."
Xue Ling chuckled: "When we return to Rongcheng County, let's go out for a walk.
When it snowed last night, I couldn't help but think of that winter when we lived in a rented house and I sat under the window translating foreign books. You came back in the cold and drank hot water with me."
Cheng Tianyuan's eyes darkened and he couldn't help but fall into memories.
"...Okay, let's go to the county town and pick up some memories hidden in our memories."
He leaned down and kissed her forehead.
The two looked at each other, smiled, and looked out the window at the same time.
……Winter passes and spring comes, spring passes and summer solstice comes.
"Woudi, be good! I'm going to be late!"
Xue Yang opened the door, grabbed a heavy schoolbag with one hand and a hand-made cake with the other, and rushed into the elevator.
Cheng Tianyuan poked his head out and saw that the elevator door had been closed. He turned around and said to his youngest daughter and son, "You are relatively close, so there is no need to hurry."
Xiaoxin's mouth was bulging after eating, and she asked: "Dad, are you free tomorrow night?"
"have it."
Cheng Tianyuan asked: "What's the matter?"
Xiaoxin raised her chin proudly and answered: "It's a chess competition! I'm in the finals! Tomorrow is the top five competition, and I want you and mom to go and cheer me on."
"good."
Cheng Tianyuan smiled fondly: "My grandpa and uncle went with you before, but this time my parents are going too."
Xiaoxin laughed happily.
Xiao Chong was reading the comic book and eating slowly, his thoughts on the paper, and he didn't hear the chat between his father and his sister at all.
Cheng Tianyuan glared at him and said in a deep voice: "Chong'er, you're almost late!"
Xiao Chong smiled coquettishly, hid the comic book secretly, and ate it with big mouthfuls.
When Xiaoxin was full, she took out a tissue and wiped her mouth.
"Dad, where did mom go?
Normally she would have breakfast with us at this time! Isn’t she still up?”
Cheng Tianyuan cleared the dining table and replied: "She went to Sanxinyuan. She said that a batch of furniture ordered from other places arrived overnight last night. She went to sign for it and take a look."
It is said that the back garden of the Xue family's old house used to be called "Xinyuan". After discussing with Xue's father, Xue Ling planned to name the new courtyard "Sanxinyuan", firstly to commemorate the place that once belonged to the Xue family, and secondly.
In memory of the third uncle.
Xiaoxin asked excitedly: "Dad, when can we move in?"
"It was all completed last month."
Cheng Tianyuan explained: "However, the furniture and some corner decorations have not arrived, and the designer asked us to move them next month.
Your mother said it would be nice to have more ventilation in the new place, so she decided to move at the end of next month or the next month."
"The end of next month!"
Xiao Chong chuckled and said: "Didn't you say that all the materials are pure wood and pure natural stone bricks?
There is no indoor pollution, so mom is too careful, right?
Besides, the courtyard is very ventilated, with plants and large windows everywhere, so you don’t have to worry about pollution – it’s super ventilated!”
Cheng Tianyuan glanced at him and said: "The key is that a lot of furniture in the garden has not been installed yet.
The designer said that the furniture and supplies inside should try their best to match the ancient style of the entire garden, so they are all made-to-order products.
This can’t be done quickly, it will be fast if we can get it all in a month or two.”
"Tsk tsk!"
Xiao Chong was filled with pride: "Our family is about to move into the most luxurious and beautiful garden in the imperial capital - our new home! Wow!"
Xiaoxin danced and cheered excitedly: "New home! New home! Our new home!"
"Don't brag all day long."
Cheng Tianyuan urged: "Eat quickly, you will be late."
Xiao Chong stuffed his hands to grab the cake and muttered: "Dad, I'm not just bragging! It was said so on the news! News! There is also that TV program that introduces classical gardens, and it filmed the outside of our 'Sanxinyuan'
Heyuan said the same thing."
Cheng Tianyuan's eyes moved slightly and he whispered: "I'm doing it to give you face. Even if you are the most luxurious and beautiful now, there will definitely be a bigger and better garden in the future. We don't want to brag about it.
Your mother doesn’t like you to pay too much attention to material things, so why have you forgotten it again?”
"Oh..." The two agreed in unison, nodding obediently.
Cheng Tianyuan reminded: "The weather forecast says there may be heavy rain in the afternoon.
If it rains after school, stay in the classroom and study first.
Come out around five o'clock and wait for me on the road opposite the school gate."
"good."
The two responded.
Xiaoxin asked: "Third brother, will you come and watch me play chess?"
"What?"
Xiao Chong asked: "When?"
Xiaoxin replied: "Tomorrow."
"That won't work."
Xiao Chong said: "I don't have time on weekends."
Xiaoxin rolled her eyes and asked: "What do you do on weekends?
I haven’t seen you for several weekends! How about tonight?
You’re not free at night either?”
"we'll see!"
Xiao Chong rushed out of the kitchen and said, "I'm going to get my schoolbag! We'll leave in one minute!"
Xiaoxin stuck out her tongue at his back and picked up the schoolbag beside her.
"Dad, I think Third Brother has been acting weird lately..." Cheng Tianyuan's movements in clearing the dining table were slightly sluggish, and he asked, "Where is the weird thing?"
What's weird?"
Xiaoxin lowered her voice: "He goes to the next class after class and is always away from home on weekends. He hasn't gone swimming or playing with his brothers for several weeks.
He said he was unavailable this week.
I guess...he must be hiding some secret from us."
"oh?"
Cheng Tianyuan asked curiously: "What are you doing in the next class?
Have you asked?"
Xiaoxin's pretty face turned slightly red, and she whispered: "They were all boys, and they were all gathered together... I didn't go there."
Cheng Tianyuan thought for a while and lowered his voice: "You can observe secretly these days. If there is nothing wrong with him, just let him be."
"Um!"
Xiaoxin nodded.
Xiao Chong had already packed his schoolbag and shouted: "Let's go! Dad, we are going to school!"
Cheng Tianyuan watched them enter the elevator before closing the door.
The three elderly people are not at home, and the house is empty after the children go to school.
After my father passed away last year, my mother stayed with Ahu Ma on the Rongcheng River, growing vegetables and raising various poultry and small animals during the day.
Perhaps due to more exercise and hard work, her high blood pressure has improved a lot. She is thinner, but her energy is getting better, and her whole person is obviously stronger.
They went to Rongcheng to spend the Chinese New Year with her. The father-in-law and mother-in-law liked Ahu's mother's large vegetable garden and small farm so much that they even stayed there with their old mother.
My old father-in-law misses all the chess friends here and will come back after spring.
The mother-in-law and old mother were reluctant to come back and continued to live by the river.