While the Wens were talking, Chen Xuan hadn't rested yet. She had just finished bathing Sibaoer when Wei Hong went to the bathroom again. Since the child came to the Wen family, he had to go to the bathroom four times in the afternoon. Chen Xuan asked Wei Hong if he felt uncomfortable. Wei Hong lay between his parents and said seriously, "I'm not uncomfortable, I just think it's nice to have a bathroom."
Well, living in a courtyard house in Beijing, all of them have dry toilets. Chen Xuan and Wei Nian were not unaccustomed to it. Wei Xin has always been very adaptable. Wei Yu is a little bit spoiled and picky, and his father gave him some advice. Si Baoer is still young, and as long as he has food, drink and mother, he has no complaints. Even the little Wei Hong didn't say a word from beginning to end. Chen Xuan used to think that the younger daughter was more sensible than the older son.
Thinking that this child has always been quiet, Chen Xuan touched her little daughter's hair and said, "Why didn't you tell your mother before?"
"Mom, there's nothing you can do. I've researched and found that my uncle's house doesn't have a sewer system, and neither do the neighbors' houses. It's obvious that all courtyard houses are like this. There's no way to change it, and there's no point complaining." Wei Hong's logic is clear and strong, not to mention far better than her peers, but also better than her brother Wei Yu, who is five years older than her. Wei Hong despised Wei Yu's behavior and said childishly, "I'm not a spoiled brat like my brother."
Chen Xuan felt sorry for her youngest daughter. She had studied child psychology as a minor and knew that parents tended to love their first child the most, and would also love the youngest child very much, but would neglect the middle child. Chen Xuan had given birth to her children at long intervals, and she was very careful and meticulous in raising each of them, and was worried that the child would feel neglected and think that her parents did not love her. Chen Xuan said to Wei Hong, "Ahong, sleep with your mother today."
Wei Hong said, "Sibaoer and mommy sleep in the same bed."
"Let Sibaoer sleep with daddy today, and you sleep with mommy."
Wei Hong thought for a while and said, "Okay then."
Then, Sibao, who slept like a piglet, was moved by his mother to his father's bed, and Wei Hong went to his mother's bed and lay with her. Wei Hong said, "Mom, why doesn't Dad produce milk? If Dad produces milk, Sibao can sleep with you, and I will sleep with you."
Wei Nian asked his little daughter, "Don't you like sleeping with Daddy?"
Wei Hong said, "I am a big girl now. I cannot sleep in the same bed with my father. When I am ten years old, I will not sleep in the same bed with my mother either."
Originally, Wei Hong planned to sleep with his mother until he was ten years old, but he didn't expect that his younger brother Sibaoer came when he was six years old, which disrupted Wei Hong's plan. Chen Xuan discussed with her daughter, "When your elder brother was six years old, your mother gave birth to you. Then, your elder brother slept in his own room. When you were six years old, your mother gave birth to Sibaoer. If you, Hong, still want to sleep with your mother, why don't we discuss a plan, one day a week, you can come and sleep with your mother, okay?"
"Okay." Wei Hong agreed happily. Her little body nestled in her mother's arms and she soon fell asleep.
Wei Hong has always been the calmest and most logical one among his brothers and sisters, but he is also the most affectionate one.
**********
The next morning, Chen Xuan got up at around five o'clock. This was a habit she had developed over the years. In winter, she would get up at six o'clock, an hour later.
After getting up, Chen Xuan would go to the yard to stretch her muscles, read a book, etc. Wei Hong also got up with his mother. Seeing that his father and Sibao were still sleeping soundly, Wei Hong despised people who stayed in bed in the morning. (Wei Nian: In the summer, getting up at six o'clock is considered a stay-in...)
In short, Wei Hong is a girl as hardworking as her mother. She gets up with her mother in the morning and does exercise together. Old Madam Wen is getting old and sleeps less, so she gets up early in the morning. The three of them were walking in the garden. Wei Hong listened to the elders talking and knew that grandma came home very late yesterday and would be able to see her soon. Chen Xuan asked, "Are mom and Uncle Wen always so busy?"
Madam Wen smiled and said, "In their positions, being busy is a good thing. But sometimes they feel that it is too hard. Fortunately, they are used to it. If you ask me, it is better for you to study and research like you do. You can have a clear mind and achieve something just as well."
"Everyone has their own talents. I tend to be more rigorous and less flexible, so I'm suitable for this kind of work. Mom is different from Uncle Wen, their strengths lie in the level of national politics. It's good for everyone to do their best in what they are good at." Chen Xuan said, "I have a different view from the old lady. I think being busy is a good thing. If people are always idle, they will feel that life is boring. People need a career to support their lives. Like you, the old lady, you have trained Uncle Wen to be so outstanding. When you were 60 years old, you went abroad with your grandchildren because you were worried about them. You care about their studies and lives. Seeing them succeed, you must feel a special sense of accomplishment."
Old Madam Wen had long been impressed by Chen Xuan's language skills, but every time she listened to Chen Xuan speak, she was always in a happier mood. Speaking of her children and grandchildren, Old Madam Wen couldn't help but show a hint of pride on her face. She said, "Wen Shao and the others are all thanks to your guidance."
"I'm just a sister, but you're the elder."
"I used to think that I was not remiss as a mother and grandmother. But, Axuan, you are better than me and your mother." Madam Wen had long stopped showing off her status as a famous family in Jiangnan. She truly admired Chen Xuan's character. Madam Wen said, "As for me, I have fulfilled my responsibilities as an elder. As for your mother, she pays more attention to her career. It's even harder for you. You are excellent in study and research, but you also put a lot of effort into raising children. This is very, very difficult."
Chen Xuan smiled, "I am not the only one who has contributed to raising my children. Brother Nian and my old lady have helped a lot, and the children are also sensible. If it were me alone, I would not be able to handle it all."
After chatting for a while, it was time for Wei Hong to learn poetry in the morning. Little Wei Hong ran back to his room, took out his poetry book, and recited loudly in the small garden. Chen Xuan sat beside him and listened. Wei Hong was the most organized and organized child among his brothers and sisters. Chen Xuan always taught her children step by step when they were young. Therefore, when the children were young, whether it was poetry or counting and simple calculations, Chen Xuan taught them personally. After the children entered school and learned to look up words in the dictionary, Chen Xuan let them choose poems and recite them by themselves. If there were words they didn't know, they could ask their parents and elders, or look them up in the dictionary themselves.
Wei Xin and Wei Yu are both lazy people. They never look up things on their own when they can ask their parents. Wei Hong is different. He will do his homework one day in advance, look up the words he doesn't know in advance, and recite them the next morning. Chen Xuan particularly appreciates this point of Wei Hong.
Wei Hong not only memorized a poem, but also read a passage in Latin. The school she attended taught some Latin. Wei Hong was born in the United States, so her English was naturally no problem. Latin was not a common language, so Wei Hong would insist on learning it during the summer vacation to avoid forgetting it.
**********
When Mr. and Mrs. Wen got up, Wei Hong had finished his morning homework. It was Wei Xin and Wei Yu's turn to recite poems in the garden. Especially Wei Yu, the dishonest boy, actually recited a poem he had recited before, trying to fool the test. As a result, he was discovered by his mother. Not only was he criticized, but he was also required to recite two new poems to atone for his sins. Influenced by this, Wei Yun also took out a book and read for a while. Mrs. Wei's pleasure was to sit by and listen to the sound of her grandchildren reading, which she always felt was particularly exciting.
Mr. and Mrs. Wen knew that the children were studying, so they did not disturb them. After the children finished reciting the poems, the family talked in the small garden. They had not seen each other for ten years. The children had grown up, and the elders had more or less some traces of time. Mrs. Wen's figure remained perfect, except for a few fine lines at the corners of her eyes, which did not change much. She still had straight shoulders and a light lotus-colored cheongsam, which was extremely noble and elegant.
To be honest, Chen Xuan and Madam Wen don't look alike, especially now their temperaments are completely different. Compared to Madam Wen's meticulous refinement, Chen Xuan is more simple and casual in trousers and white shirts. In recent years, Chen Xuan's bookish air has become more obvious, and the whole person has a sense of relaxation and confidence from the inside out. Su Dongpo's poem "A man of knowledge is naturally elegant" is best reflected in Chen Xuan.
Whether a person's life is good or bad can really be seen.
Mr. Wen said, "Ah Xuan's temperament is getting better and better."
Chen Xuan brought the children to greet the elders, "Mom and Uncle Wen are still the same." Except for Wei Xin, it was the first time for the three children to see their grandparents. Wei Yu and Si Baoer were fine, these two children looked exactly like their father. Mrs. Wen knew that the men in the Wei family basically had this kind of good looks with high noses, deep eyes and white skin. But Wei Hong was really strange, he actually looked like his grandma. Wei Hong was also quite surprised when he saw his grandma. Mrs. Wen also said, "In the past, A Shao and his friends wrote back and said that A Hong looked like me, but I didn't believe it. This child really looks like me."
Wei Xin was still explaining, "Grandma, my dad really respects you because Wei Hong looks like you. The three of us siblings all have nicknames. My nickname is Little Girl, Wei Yu's nickname is Little Radish, and the other is Sibaoer, which is also a nickname. As for Ah Hong, when she was born, my dad saw that she looked just like you, so he didn't even give her a nickname, but just her real name."
Wei Nian was determined not to admit it. He said, "You gave your sister a very miserable nickname and insisted on calling her Little White Cabbage. I couldn't stand it, so I gave Ah Hong a big name. Our Ah Hong is not like Little White Cabbage at all. From now on, he will at least be Golden Peony."
"I didn't know that pakchoi was the name of an unjust case at that time," Wei said with a smile. "I just thought that pakchoi grown in summer was delicious. Blanch it in boiling water and mix it with pepper oil, and it tastes crunchy when you bite it."
Wei Xin was a very outgoing person. She hadn't seen the Wen couple for more than ten years. It was rare that she was so affectionate to them as if they had just separated yesterday. Mrs. Wen looked at the children and hugged Sibaoer, praising him, saying, "What a heavy little fellow."
Wei Nian said, "None of the children were so well-behaved when they were young. Sibao has a good temper and smiles all day long as he is full." It was just that last night when she was sleeping with her father, she habitually touched his breasts and almost made them swollen.
Wei Yun had also met Mr. Wen and Mrs. Wen. Mrs. Wen said, "Ayun looks like Ayin."
Wei Yin smiled and said, "Ayun's personality is similar to mine."
The Wen couple met Wei Yin's two children. Mrs. Wen was such a thoughtful person that she prepared a gift for each child. Although Mrs. Wen and Wei Hong looked alike, Mr. Wen said that they were somewhat similar in temperament. Strangely, Mrs. Wen did not show any special preference for Wei Hong. Wei Hong did not express any attachment to an elder who looked very similar to him. The two were just an ordinary first meeting between grandparents and grandchildren. Mr. Wen, on the other hand, liked Wei Hong very much and especially liked talking to him. He thought Wei Hong was a thoughtful child.
Even Wei Nian, who hasn't seen his mother-in-law for more than ten years, still feels a lot of pressure when he eats at the same table with her.
The author has something to say: ps: Good night~~~~~~~~~~~~