Because it was night, only a small wall lamp was on, and the whole room was softly lit, reflecting the soft expression of Chen Xuan, who was sitting by the bed with her head half lowered to look at the child. Wei Nian's heart also became softer, and he heard Chen Xuan ask, "What did the old lady say?"
Wei Nian told Chen Xuan what Madam Wen had said to him. Chen Xuan was indeed surprised and said honestly, "Why is Madam suddenly so sensible?"
"You may not have been unreasonable before." Wei Nian saw that his son was full, so he took him in his arms and said casually, "You are angry and confused. She is the one who wants to compete with mom for her grandson's awards, so how could she be willing for Shao and the others to study casually. Her biological grandson came to live with her half-sister, and the old lady came with him because she was worried. Of course, she wanted to examine our character and temperament many times to prevent her grandson from suffering."
Chen Xuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "The old lady really thinks a lot."
"A famous family in Jiangnan must be thoughtful." Wei Nian joked, and he wanted to laugh when he thought of how Madam Wen had always shown off her wealth.
Chen Xuan whispered to her husband, "I thought she would definitely help Aunt Wen."
"How could it be possible? She has lived under the same roof with her mother-in-law for so many years, and she is still so energetic. How can she be an ordinary person?" Wei Nian was much wiser than Chen Xuan in dealing with people. Wei Nian was curious about something. "How did you know that Madam Wen sold her house and land to support Mr. Wen's studies?"
"My madam told me. She said that A'shao and the others are coming, and Aunt Wen and the others are not worth mentioning. It's the old lady here, so she asked me to pay attention." Chen Xuan said truthfully.
Wei Nian was simply impressed by his mother-in-law.
Wei Nian held his son and asked Chen Xuan to take a bath first. Chen Xuan said, "We had agreed to take A Shao and the others to buy clothes tomorrow." The arrival of Wen Xiaogu disrupted Chen Xuan's plans. Wen Shao and the others certainly had clothes to wear, but their clothes were more formal, and they didn't bring much to lighten their luggage. So Chen Xuan wanted to help them buy some more.
"It's okay, just take them there tomorrow. If the Wen family's aunt comes again, I'll take care of it." Wei Nian teased in a low voice, "I think she's been hurt by you today, so she probably won't come looking for you tomorrow."
"She was wrong in the first place." Chen Xuan took out her pajamas from the closet and went to the bathroom.
The next day, when Chen Xuan said she wanted to go to the mall, Wen Shao was still a little hesitant. Madam Wen said, "Go shopping with your eldest sister. I saw that the children here have sportswear, which is fashionable and good-looking." Then, Madam Wen said, "I won't go. Your aunt is coming over today. I'll talk to her."
Old Mrs. Wei and the little girl both like to join in the fun, so they have to go. Especially in the mall, there is ice cream that the little girl likes to eat. My God, speaking of ice cream, Chen Xuan thinks it is similar to the ice cream in Beijing. But people only eat ice cream in Beijing once or twice in the summer, while the ice cream in the mall is still sold in the winter. Last winter, the little girl ate one, and Chen Xuan was afraid that she would get a stomachache from the cold. First, tell the little girl, "You can go, but you can't eat ice cream."
"Don't worry, Mom. I absolutely won't eat it." said the little girl.
Because there were so many people, Chen Xuan originally planned to call another car, but Qin Shu called and heard that they were going to the mall, so he drove over. Qin Shu was actually not familiar with Wen's family, because Qin Shu was still young when the family went abroad, but Qin Shu thought that the Qin and Wen families had always been close friends, so he came over to see if they could have a meal together or something.
On the way, Qin Shu learned about what happened yesterday. Old Mrs. Wei and the little girl were sitting in her car. The two of them couldn't keep things to themselves, so they chattered about what happened yesterday to Qin Shu. Qin Shu laughed and said, "If studying is useless, who would study so hard? Studying is very useful and has great use." Qin Shu's decision to continue to study for a doctorate was not a momentary impulse, but also her feelings over the years.
The little girl agreed, not quite understanding, "That's right." She said it as if she understood it very well.
Old Mrs. Wei said, "Xiao Qin, don't mention this anymore. The girl's mother lost her temper yesterday, but she just got better this morning."
"Don't worry, auntie, I won't mention it again."
When we got to the mall, we went shopping for clothes smoothly, and the little girl's trick didn't work. She was six years old this year, but she insisted on going shopping in the mall without complaining that she was tired. Then she was sweating all over, so she fanned herself with her little fleshy hands and said, "Oh, I'm too hot, what should I do?" Her grandmother brought her some water, and after drinking the water, she wiped her forehead with a small handkerchief and stood next to the ice cream machine, refusing to leave, pretending, "It's still hot, what should I do?"
Chen Xuan looked at the time and said, "It's time to go eat. It won't be so hot if you sit down and rest for a while."
The little girl was depressed, so she had to pout and go to eat with her mother.
As soon as Chen Xuan and the others left, Aunt Wen came to pick up Old Madam Wen for dinner, and Wei Nian certainly would not stop them. Uncle Wen wanted to invite Wei Nian out for coffee, but Wei Nian was calm and asked his eldest sister to take care of the children, and said to Uncle Wen, "I know a good coffee shop nearby."
Wei Nian and Uncle Wen are not good, their fighting power mainly lies in their wives, and the two men can still go out for coffee in a friendly manner. Wei Nian suggested a nearby cafe. The weather was good, so they just sat outside under the parasol. Uncle Wen started very friendly, "I didn't know you came to the United States last year, otherwise we should have gotten together a long time ago."
"Yes, there are many Chinese students studying in Boston. I don't know what the situation is like in New York." Wei Nian said, "I only heard that New York is a good place."
Uncle Wen smiled, "It's mainly because I have some family businesses in New York. Otherwise, I also like Boston. Anian, come travel to New York during the holidays. It's very nice."
"Not now. My husband is still mad at my aunt. I tried to persuade him all night yesterday but it didn't work."
"It's all a misunderstanding." Uncle Wen smiled. "Last year, we knew that my mother-in-law, Yaying, and A Shao were coming to the United States. My wife and I were very happy. Boston is known as the Athens of America, and the education here is excellent. My eldest brother and his wife let A Shao and his family study in Boston, which was really insightful. The one in our family thought that we had been abroad for many years and had not been able to fulfill our filial duties to my mother-in-law. Moreover, she also wanted to be closer to the children. I always say that she has good intentions, so why can't she speak. In fact, it's different in Boston. You are also A Shao's sister and brother-in-law, and this is what my eldest brother and his wife meant. As aunts and uncles, although we are far away, we will feel relieved as long as we know that the children are studying and living well."
"Yes, after hearing what you said, Master, I can finally put my mind at ease." Wei Nian said.
Uncle Wen said, "It's like this, An Nian, we are not strangers, so I will call you by your name."
Uncle Wen is a hundred times wiser than Aunt Wen. Uncle Wen thought for a moment before speaking, "You are the guardians of A-Shao and the others. I also know that you and A-Xuan are both very outstanding young people. What A-Xuan said yesterday was something I had to applaud. Shouldn't we be serious people? This is what I think. I also ask you to understand our feelings as an aunt and uncle. A-Shao and the others are enrolled in Boston. We want to know their annual transcripts so that we can feel at ease. Do you think this is okay?"
How could Wei Nian refuse such an appropriate proposal? He immediately said, "Of course, even if Master Gu doesn't say it, I will send their transcripts over. Don't worry, I will inform you and Auntie if there is any situation. As an elder, I can empathize with you."
Uncle Wen smiled sincerely, "That's great."
The two of them sat in a roadside cafe, chatting and laughing while drinking coffee, and then Wei Nian went home to see his children.
Aunt Wen felt that her mother had been deceived by the Wei family. As soon as Aunt Wen mentioned that Wen Shao and the others were going to study in New York, Old Madam Wen said to her, "What did you say yesterday? You really brought shame to our Wen family!"
"What's so shameful about it? It's the way it is. With Big Brother's current position, it's enough for A'Shao and the others to come out and get a degree to keep up appearances."
Madam Wen was angry, "What kind of talk is this! You came all the way abroad to study, just to save face when you go back? Studying is to learn skills. With skills, you can save face in any way! If he doesn't have enough skills, forcing him to save face will only break his body! Are you stupid? Is this how you usually teach your children to study?"
Aunt Wen was still a little scared when she saw her mother getting angry. She shrank back a little and said, "Mom, isn't that what the government does now? If you have connections at home, it's not difficult to arrange a job for your child, and then slowly climb up."
"Do you think that Ah Shao and the others are just idiots? Our Wen family has been a famous family for hundreds of years. Our descendants will not be idiots in the future!" Madam Wen said to her daughter, "Be careful about what you say in front of others and behind their backs. Even when educating your children, don't be so casual. There are many people with connections in the government. Do you think all of them can get high positions? It's not easy to get ahead!"
Madam Wen said, "You guys should go back to New York now. You don't need to worry about Ah Shao and the others."
Aunt Wen asked, "Mom, do you really want Shao and the others to study in Boston?"
"I'm here with you, so what are you worried about? Mrs. Wei is more experienced than you. Listen to what she says, and then think about what you said. You haven't even learned how to gloss over the situation." Thinking of the embarrassment her daughter made yesterday, Madam Wen became angry.
Wen Xiaogu was depressed. "Just study hard and be smart in dealing with people. If you want to get a job in the government in the future, didn't you often tell people about it?"
"You are so stupid! That was during a social gathering. I was just being polite because I saw someone's child was so poorly educated. Would I say your child is a fool? A waste? A idiot? Your child's life is over? How could I say that? I was just being polite to others. Of course I have to set high standards and strict requirements for my own child!"
The old lady was confident.
Wen Xiaogu was stunned.
The author has something to say: ps: Updated in advance, good afternoon everyone! Two updates today!