The little girl ate the porridge we talked about last night in the morning.
Chen Xuan said, "Don't spoil her like this. You can't do whatever you want with her."
Mrs. Wen laughed, "This is not a rare meal. When you come to grandma's house, you can eat whatever you want."
The little girl nodded and agreed with Madam Wen seriously, "Grandma, I think so too."
Wen Shao said, "We have to go to school today, and tomorrow is Saturday. Big sister, I will take you to visit Nanjing tomorrow. There are many good things in Nanjing."
Chen Xuan asked, "Don't you have to do your homework?"
"When do you write your homework differently? This is your first time in Nanjing, elder sister." Wen Shao treats Chen Xuan very closely. He has heard from his father that this sister is an extremely self-reliant person. Seven or eight years ago, she was illiterate, but this year she was able to pass the exam to study abroad. Although she is studying abroad at her own expense, she is much better than ordinary people.
"Yes, it would be a shame if we don't go around Nanjing. Confucius Temple, Qinhuai River and Ming Palace are all famous places, and there are many delicious foods." Wen Xin also said. Wen Yin said, "Ah Xin must want to go out for a walk too, right?"
Wen Yin really asked the right person. The little girl immediately expressed her feelings, "I really want to!"
Chen Xuan didn't insist anymore and smiled, "Okay! Let's go for a walk together, and you guys will be our guides."
Old Madam Wen said hurriedly, "You will go with your eldest sister. She is familiar with Nanjing." The eldest sister here is Wen Yaying. Wen Shao said, "Grandma, I don't know if the eldest sister is free. If she is free, we can go together."
"If there is time, there must be time."
Madam Wen's words were very powerful. Wen Yaying really didn't give the old lady face. Since Chen Xuan and the others came, Wen Yaying had never shown her face. Madam Wen couldn't do anything to Wen Yaying, let alone others. Wen Shao was used to it. In fact, although Wen Shao and Chen Xuan didn't spend much time together, the three Wen Shao brothers didn't spend much time with their eldest sister Wen Yaying who went abroad to study a long time ago. Wen Yaying was full of hostility towards Madam Wen. Wen Shao and the other two were Madam Wen's biological sons, so it was naturally impossible for her to favor Wen Yaying, not to mention that Wen Yaying had never been right in front of Madam Wen. In addition, Wen Yaying was also very cold to her three younger brothers. Mr. Wen only had three sons, and Wen Shao was the eldest son. With the status of the Wen family, Wen Shao was often praised by others. He really couldn't get close to such a weird elder sister even if he wanted to.
In comparison, Chen Xuan, the half-sister whom Wen Shao met for the first time, was extremely kind. Wen Shao felt that the eldest sister he imagined should look like this sister. Even Xiaoyatou, the chubby little niece, was very likable, and Wen Shao was willing to get close to her sister's family.
Without Wen Yaying, the group had a more enjoyable shopping trip, because there were old (Mrs. Wei) and young (little girl) with them, and the eldest sister was pregnant, so they did not visit any place that was too tiring. They just drove there, tasted Nanjing's famous dishes and snacks on the cruise ship on the Qinhuai River, and paid homage to Confucius at the Imperial Examination Hall. Wen Shao was quite particular at a young age, and knew that his sister, brother-in-law, and sister Yin would have another round of interviews in the United States, so he asked his sister, brother-in-law, and sister Yin to pay homage to Confucius and bless them with good luck in the exam.
The little girl also bought a lot of silk. Yes, the little girl bought it.
Neither Chen Xuan nor Wei Yin had such a big face. Besides, if they were going abroad, they would naturally bring the most important things with them. The little girl was too polite to be polite. She couldn't move her feet when she arrived at the silk and satin shop. Wen Shao saw that his niece was still wearing the old-fashioned dress, so he wanted to buy her some white gauze skirts that were popular in Nanjing. However, the little girl said those clothes were rustic, so she chose fashionable ones. She picked out the bright red, purple, green, and yellow fabrics in the silk and satin shop and bought a lot of them. Chen Xuan didn't allow her to buy more, and the fabric for one set of clothes was enough.
The little girl had a plan for every piece of material, which one to make a small jacket, which one to make a small skirt, which kind of yarn to make a summer jacket, which kind of brocade to sew her a small quilt, which could make the shopkeeper dizzy. Wen Shao was surprised, "Ah Xin knows how to dress up at such a young age."
The little girl was busy choosing fabrics and didn't have time to talk to her uncle. Chen Xuan glanced at the little girl who was busy choosing fabrics and said, "You are so conceited." Then she said to the little girl, "Don't choose too many, just pick one."
Wei Nian was so happy that he even went over to give his daughter some advice, which made the little girl even more excited. Moreover, with her father around, she dared to buy more items.
Seeing her buying so many things, Chen Xuan thought that she couldn't ask her brothers to pay for it, so she went to pay. Wen Shao said, "Don't bother, elder sister, just put it on the bill at home." He told the shopkeeper, "Send all the things you just picked to Wen Mansion on Yihe Road."
When the shopkeeper heard that he was a big customer from Yihe Road, he treated him even more warmly.
The little girl's cunning nature can be seen in this purchase. She bought so many fabrics to bring back. Even Wei Nian, who is always thick-skinned, felt a little embarrassed because the Yue family paid for it. This was the first time for his daughter to come to the Yue family, and she bought so much, as if she didn't care about the money. In fact, Wei Nian and Chen Xuan have the same temper. The family is not without money. In the past, the fabric shop at home was also chosen by the little girl herself. Wei Nian also wanted to pay for his daughter himself, but he didn't expect that the Yue family had an extraordinary status and could just put the bill on the account.
Madam Wen was always a bit unfriendly. When she saw all the fabrics, she said, "Oh my, you must have bought half of the silk and satin shop."
The little girl first picked out a crimson piece of clothing and said to Madam Wen, "Madam, you are white, so red looks good on you. This is for you." She gave one to each of the three uncles, "Uncle Eldest, you wear this bamboo green, uncle Two, you are more suitable for sky blue, and uncle Three, you wear this."
Then it was for grandma and grandpa, and finally for my family. Even my eldest sister-in-law, the little girl chose a pink one. The rest were picked by the little girl for herself. Old Madam Wen even grumbled in private, "She's really like a smart bean." She used my money to give me gifts, and I can't say who else she is. This family is really smart! This is really her grandmother's own granddaughter!
The little girl actually had her own plan. She told her grandma and grandpa, "We are going to the foreigners' place. I heard that the foreigners all wear those ugly puffy skirts made of gauze and lace. I wonder if they have silk clothes like we have here!"
Mr. Wen smiled and said, "Is what we bought today enough? Let's buy a few more tomorrow."
"No, my mother will be angry. My mother is very frugal and won't let me buy more." The little girl sighed, "Just buy these few pieces first and make do with them."
Mr. Wen always laughed when he heard the little girl talk, especially when her chubby face pretended to be sad. Mr. Wen discussed with his wife privately, "The current situation is getting worse and worse. I'd better listen to you and let A Shao and the others go abroad to study. Ya Ying and our mother can also go with them and take care of A Shao and the others."
Madam Wen said, "A Shao and the others should go to boarding school, so they can get some exercise."
"A Shao and A Xin won't be a big problem, but A Yin is too young. We should wait until he reaches junior high school before sending him to a boarding school." Mr. Wen discussed this with his wife. Mrs. Wen said, "Boarding or not is easy to decide. The old lady is old and has always doted on the children. You know Ya Ying's personality. Can she take care of A Yin?"
"Let her try?" Mr. Wen finally wanted his eldest daughter to be closer to his sons.
"You know in your heart that Axuan is a thousand times more suitable than Yaying." Mrs. Wen exposed her husband's thoughts. "If Yaying can understand, she and A'shao are siblings with the same father, and they can't be that distant. But she is such a person that she always waits for others to accommodate her. Even if others rush to get close to her, she still looks down on them. Although Axuan does not have much experience abroad, she is very diligent in her studies, and Axin has also been well educated. The whole family of the Wei family went abroad, and his old lady is not bad to people. Axuan is a perfect A complete family. For Ayin, having an older sister, brother-in-law, elderly people and children is more conducive to Ayin's study. If Ayin is left with Yaying, who will take care of whom? If Ayin is in his twenties, he can take care of Yaying, but he is still young now. He doesn't even have the ability to distinguish between good and bad. Foreign countries are more open than foreign countries. How many children of aristocratic families go abroad, but they don't learn any skills, but come back with a lot of trouble. I can't let Ayin follow Yaying here!"
"But mom is going abroad and won't let Ayin follow her. Mom is afraid she will be worried about Ayin."
"My aunt's home is in Niuyou. Let the old lady live with her for a few days and find a primary school in Boston for Ayin. You can keep in touch with her by phone. You can visit her during holidays." Madam Wen said, "Yaying has always been close to my aunt. Let Yaying and the old lady live with her. Maybe my aunt can give her some guidance."
Therefore, my mother-in-law’s villa is not a comfortable place to live.
Mrs. Wen told Chen Xuan and Wei Nian that they wanted their three sons to study abroad, so Chen Xuan asked, "Where are your brothers going to study? It would be great if they could be together so that they can take care of each other. They are still young, will you go with them, too?"
"I can't leave here, Old Wen. I was thinking, since A-Shao and A-Xin are older, we should let them go to boarding school, while A-Yin is younger, so she will go to day school. By then, our old lady and Ya-Ying will go abroad together, and they will live with my aunt in New York. As for A-Shao and the others, I want to find a school in Boston for them. What do you think?" Although Mrs. Wen wanted to entrust her son to Chen Xuan's care for a period of time, she also had to listen to the opinions of Chen Xuan and his wife.
Chen Xuan and Wei Nian looked at each other, and Chen Xuan said, "I think my brothers are all very sensible, so there won't be any big problems. But you know my living conditions here, and I have never been abroad. My brothers will have to live the life of an ordinary family if they follow me."
"What's wrong with that? They should have lived a normal life a long time ago. Abroad is not like China. In China, people respect Old Wen and are naturally polite to them. Take a look abroad and see who knows who. When family power is useless, they will know that they have to rely on their own abilities!" Even when talking about her own son, Mrs. Wen would be impolite and reveal a hint of coldness. She took a deep breath and said, "You and Anian are both smart. I'm not afraid of you taking care of them when I entrust them to you. It's better to take care of them now and teach them clearly than to let outsiders teach them later."
Chen Xuan understood what Madam Wen meant. She was a very honest person. "I don't know how to say it either. Anyway, I treat them as my own brothers."
Madam Wen looked at Chen Xuan with relief and said to her, "So he is my biological brother."
Wei Nian asked, "Mother-in-law, will my brothers-in-law go with us this time?"
"Not yet, until next year. Lao Wen and I are planning to let them go abroad early next year."
Chen Xuan said, "We will be settled by then. Mom can send me a telegram in advance and I will clean up the room."
Madam Wen privately told Chen Xuan about the situation of the Wen family's aunt. Madam Wen said, "She suffered at my hands before. She was the one who instigated Yaying's current situation. That idiot has turned her own niece into an even more stupid idiot than she is. Don't let Ah Shao and the others go to New York. What wisdom can they learn from such an idiot!"
Chen Xuan's peaceful personality was in stark contrast to Madam Wen's. She was frightened when she heard it, wondering if Wen Xiaogu was the second Wen Yaying. However, Chen Xuan was not afraid. She had memorized the map of the United States and knew that Boston was hundreds of miles away from New York, so it was difficult to see them. Besides, she was not afraid even if she saw them. Madam Wen entrusted the person to her, not to Wen Xiaogu.
Mr. Wen said to Chen Xuan, "Just teach these three to be half as studious as you are."
Chen Xuan smiled, "My brothers are already very good."
Chen Xuan thought for a moment and then said, "Well, the Japanese devils are coming soon, you have to be careful in the country."
Mrs. Wen knew that the situation in Peking was not good at the moment, so she said softly, "Don't worry, I will keep an eye on it."
Chen Xuan originally thought it was just an ordinary entrustment, but she didn't expect that this matter would cause quite a stir in the Wen family. Of course, this is a story for later, so let's not talk about it for now. After staying at the Wen family for three days, the Wei family will take a bus to Shanghai, see Rong Yang again, and then board a ship to the United States, leaving the country and going to study in another place.