Father's Land Mother's River

Chapter 184
One week before the start of school, a family of four, with four suitcases, flew to Beijing by plane and sent Qiyu to report to Tsinghua University.Visited the Tsinghua Garden, the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Summer Palace, and watched the flag-raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square.

After playing for a few days, Liu Xiaonan, Meng Xiangxiang and Qimeng brought two suitcases, took the high-speed train to the provincial capital, and sent Qimeng to report to China Medical University.

After only staying in the provincial capital for one day, Liu Xiaonan and Meng Xiangxiang returned home and rearranged the two children's rooms.In the future, this home will only become a post station and a temporary home for the children, and they will only go home for a short period of time during holidays.

After tidying up the room, Meng Xiangxiang lay down on the sofa and said, "After all these years, I finally raised them and sent them out of the house. I finally feel relieved."

Sitting beside Meng Xiangxiang, Liu Xiaonan said, "You've put in a lot of effort over the years, so you should take it easy. But I can't relax at all. The children have grown up, and there will be more things to worry about."

"Can you still interfere with your children's marriages? Think about us, when did our parents worry about us? I believe in our children."

"I won't interfere with the children's marriage unless they force me to. By the way, when are we moving?"

Meng Xiangxiang sat up: "Move? Why do you want to move? Where are you moving?"

Liu Xiaonan said: "In a few years, the population of our family will increase significantly, and the current house cannot accommodate us. A few years ago, I emptied all my stocks and bought a two-story single-story building in Xinghai Bookstore. , I think there will be such a day. If my son stays in Bincheng in the future, leave this house for him to live in after he gets married."

Meng Xiangxiang smiled: "You have always thought far and wide, and you have arranged everything for the next ten years or so."

Liu Xiaonan said: "People without long-term considerations must have near-term worries. You have to think about your age at any age. Let's go, there is nothing to do anyway, I will take you to see the new house."

The two went downstairs and took the books, paper, exercise books and reference books weighing more than 100 catties from the children's room downstairs, and gave them to the old man who was scavenging.Sometimes I think about it, it is not easy for children. In the three years of high school, how much did you do just for reference books and exercise books?
Xinghai Shuyuan is a high-end residential area, built along the mountain, facing the sea and backed by green hills, all of which are villas with two floors.It's not far from their home, just over half an hour's walk away.Walking into the community, the trees are shady, the roads are neat and uniform, and it is quiet and leisurely.

Liu Xiaonan's house is located at the front of the community, with a small courtyard with blue bricks and red tiles, simple and natural.Climbing up the steps, you will find a large living room when you enter the door, the master bedroom and study room on the right, and the kitchen and dining room in the second bedroom on the left.Simple Chinese decoration, all furnishings are antique solid wood furniture.

On the front of the stairs on the second floor, there is still a large living room with two rooms on each side. The decoration style and furniture are modern, obviously reserved for children.

Standing on the large balcony outside the living room on the second floor, Meng Xiangxiang looked at the sea and said, "The house is enough, so it's good. It's too much space for the two of us to live in."

Liu Xiaonan said: "The house we live in now is still empty. Think about it, if nothing else is said, if the children bring their classmates back to play on the National Day, even if only one person comes, the house will not be able to live. Let the guests live in the farm?"

Meng Xiangxiang said: "Then move. After I arrange the daily necessities in each room, we will move right away. It's just that I have been neighbors with Sister Wang for more than ten years, and I am a bit reluctant."

"There is no never-ending banquet in the world. With the house now, we are still neighbors with Master Wang."

Walking out of the house and standing in the small courtyard in front of the building, Meng Xiangxiang said: "It's good to have such a small courtyard, as if I live in the country again, I will have a place to play with my grandchildren in the future."

Liu Xiaonan said: "It's normal for you to think like this. Don't always think that you are still a little girl with good hands and feet. In a few years, you will be a mother-in-law and a mother-in-law."

Meng Xiangxiang said: "Think about it, but I think it's too fast."

Liu Xiaonan said: "It's because you are young at heart, I hope you will continue to maintain it, and you can become sisters with your daughter-in-law in the future."

After a week, the two of them didn't eat well, and they talked less, often you stared at me and I stared at you.There is no noise in the house, and it suddenly becomes deserted, which inevitably gives people a sense of loss.The little bird's wings stiffened and flew away, leaving two old house sparrows to guard the empty nest and sigh endlessly.

Fortunately, during the day, the two of them have their own busy schedules.In the evening, Liu Xiaonan sat on the sofa and watched TV. Meng Xiangxiang chatted loudly with classmates, colleagues and friends on the Internet. He was no longer afraid of affecting the children, but the communication between the two became less.

Both realize this too, and both want to make a change by talking as much as possible before bed.

Liu Xiaonan would ask, "What kind of person do you want your future daughter-in-law to be?"

Meng Xiangxiang would ask, "What kind of person do you want your future son-in-law to be?"

"It would be nice to have another child, at least I won't be so lonely."

"One more child, and I'm afraid you'll be bored."

The conversation is also limited to this, and there are not many topics or substantive content to talk about.

Ten days after the child left for school, Gu Yu lost his composure and called Liu Xiaonan, asking if he wanted to go and see the child together.

In the end, Fang Shujun did not obey his parents' arrangement and stayed in a university in Bincheng to study law. Instead, he stayed away from his parents and went to a "211" university in the provincial capital to study business administration, not far from his dream school.

Liu Xiaonan smiled into the phone and said, "Missing the child? You are so worthless as a mother. The child has only been away from you for a few days? You can't be like an old hen, keeping the child under your wings."

Gu Yu said on the phone: "I understand the truth. It's the first time for a child to leave your side. It's understandable to miss a child. You don't want a child?"

"I don't want to. I am absolutely relieved that my children let go, because they are not spoiled and raised, and they are very capable of self-reliance."

"Let's go and see the child next weekend, okay? It's the military training period, how has the child suffered so much?"

"Compared to our childhood, what kind of hardship is it? I won't go, I'm going to ask Meng Xiangxiang to see if she wants to go with you."

When Gu Yu called, Liu Xiaonan was selling crabs on Liuzi Street.This year, the supply of river crabs in the market exceeds demand, and the price is generally low. He decided to sell the river crabs from Liuzi Street first, and reserve the river crabs from Longwangtang Farm for several major festivals.

He lived in Liuzi Street for a few days, and only half of the river crabs were sold.He decided to continue living there until it sold out.

Liu Xiaonan lives in Liuzi Street, and has another thing on her mind.My mother is 70 years old this year, most of her hair is gray, her body is a bit bent, and her legs and feet are not very flexible. She has never stopped doing farm work, and her life is always worrying.He wanted to mobilize his mother to leave Liuzi Street and live with him and Meng Xiangxiang's grandchildren.

Liu Xiaonan said to her mother: "Mom, I'm going to move again. This time it's a two-story building with a single courtyard, which is similar to ours. Come with me this time. If you are willing to grow vegetables, I also have a small yard. You Come to my place to plant."

Jiang Changling was thinning autumn cabbage and autumn radish, slowly raised her waist and said, "I'm not leaving. I've lived in Liuzi Street all my life, and I'm used to it. It's a pity to throw away such a good house."

Liu Xiaonan squatted aside, and patiently persuaded: "The house stands here, and no one can take it away, right? Don't keep thinking about your pots and pans. When you reach a certain age, you have to throw away everything that should be thrown away. Besides, you Living alone, people in the village will talk about me and Xiaomeng being unfilial."

"Whoever likes to talk will talk. I know in my heart whether my son and daughter-in-law are filial. Your father told me that as long as you can move, you can't live with your son and daughter-in-law, so as not to drag others down."

"My dad has been gone for ten years, why do you still believe his words?"

"Actually, I don't want to part with these five houses. I have been married to Lao Liu's family for 30 years, and I have been living in a dilapidated house. I didn't live a good life until you and your father built these five houses. What was the one I lived in before? Houses, what kind of life do you live in? Now think about it and be content. Don’t say you are a two-story building, even if it is a high-rise building, I don’t care about it. I only have feelings for these five houses.”

"Mom, you're really embarrassing me."

"You don't have to make trouble. If you are really filial, you can take me to your home when I can't move."

My mother is very stubborn and easy to understand, so I can only do what my mother said.After selling the river crabs in the pond, Liu Xiaonan returned to Bincheng, and Meng Xiangxiang and Gu Yu had just returned home after visiting their children.

Meng Xiangxiang said to Liu Xiaonan: "Sister Gu Yu took me to see the children. It's superfluous. Their children don't want to go home at all, and military training is not as hard or tiring as imagined. Our family, Qimeng and Fang Shujun, often go out to play together. Eating skewers and eating barbecue, the military training period was very nourishing."

Liu Xiaonan asked, "What did Gu Yu tell our daughter?"

Meng Xiangxiang said: "Of course it's a topic of concern. It's okay, but she bought a set of clothes for our daughter, which is quite expensive. She said she is a college student, so she doesn't have to dress so plainly."

"What am I talking about? Gu Yu has been harboring evil intentions all along. It's not about a suit of clothes. It's a sugar-coated cannonball with ulterior motives."

"It's not as serious as you said. The two children played together when they were young, and they were in the same school in high school. You and Gu Yu have a deep and solid friendship. If the two children are really in love, you can still be cruel. break up?"

Liu Xiaonan wanted to say: "The daughter of Lao Gu's family refuses to marry me, so why should my daughter marry her?" He swallowed the words, and said, "Your idea is too simple. Think about it. , What if, what I said is if. If our daughter married her family and listened to their family talking about those things in the officialdom all day long, if it were you, would you be bothered?"

Meng Xiangxiang said, "Two people can live independently."

"Gu Yu is a man of one word. One day, our daughter will not have a good life. I would rather offend my daughter and let her suffer temporary pain than let Gu Yu's plan succeed."

Meng Xiangxiang looked at Liu Xiaonan: "You said that your father is arbitrary and can't understand the thoughts of young people, so you were rebellious when you were young and opposed your father. Look at your current appearance, compared with your father, More than that. I fear that one day, you will experience what you did to your father."

Liu Xiaonan stared at Meng Xiangxiang, but was unable to refute.

After a few days, the two moved.There is no need to move any big items, just pack daily necessities, clothes and books, put them in the car of two people, drive there, rearrange the room, and the house is finished.

Living in a new home, I felt even more empty, and cleaning upstairs and downstairs was a hassle, so I discussed hiring a nanny.Meng Xiangxiang went to the domestic service center, and when he came back, he told Liu Xiaonan that he had found the most suitable nanny.

Meng Xiangxiang said: "The first time I saw that child, I immediately recognized her in my heart. The little girl is called Sun Yuxiu, she is only 19 years old, and she is refreshing. The moment I met her eyes, I believe she also Confirmed me. From her eyes, I saw pure kindness and desire."

Liu Xiaonan reminded: "You can't judge a person preconceivedly, everything remains to be seen. After you bring home, first set the rules, and after you start to set the rules, you will be the rules. Strict first and then loose, she will think you are tolerant; Song Houyan, she will think you are mean. People do not rely on kindness, dogs do not rely on fullness, some people, the more kind you are to him, not only does he not know how to be grateful, but he thinks you should."

Meng Xiangxiang said: "She first promised herself that she would clean the room every day and would not bring outsiders into the house. I chatted with her briefly, and she said that she came from a mountainous area and dropped out of school. In the past two years, I have worked in a few companies before, but none of them worked well. Either the hostess was mean or the hostess harassed me. I can tell that she is not lying, because I am also from the mountains."

Liu Xiaonan said: "Being defensive is essential. Young people today are not as innocent as we were back then. Take them home tomorrow and try them out for a month. If it suits you, treat them with sincerity. If it doesn't suit you, find another one."

When Meng Xiangxiang brought Sun Yuxiu in front of Liu Xiaonan, Liu Xiaonan did see a bit of Meng Xiangxiang's back then, with plain clothes and no impurities in his eyes.

He said to Sun Yuxiu expressionlessly: "You are as old as our children, if you can treat this place as your own home, your aunt and I will also treat you as a child. Ugly words first, The room must be cleaned. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know how to cook. You can ask me and your aunt, and you can learn by doing. Watch TV, make phone calls, and read books, but remember to put them back in the original place after reading, and take good care of them. books."

Sun Yuxiu bowed and said, "Uncle, I remember."

Liu Xiaonan said: "Your aunt and I also came from the countryside, and we also started from supporting ourselves. I hope this can become what we and you have in common. Don't feel inferior because of being a nanny. If you are treated unfairly, you must know how to fight.”

Sun Yuxiu smiled shyly: "I haven't had a master who asked me to fight."

Meng Xiangxiang said, "Your uncle is different, and we hope you are different too."

Meng Xiangxiang arranged for Sun Yuxiu to stay.That night, Liu Xiaonan personally cooked a few dishes, one was to welcome newcomers to the family, and the other was to demonstrate for Sun Yuxiu to watch.

When eating, after Sun Yuxiu took a bite of each dish, she didn't dare to continue to stretch out her chopsticks, showing a timid expression on her face.

Liu Xiaonan smiled at Sun Yuxiu: "I was taught by a famous teacher, and ordinary people can't learn it. It's not that you must be at my level, but you have to study hard and do simple things to the extreme. It's not easy."

(End of this chapter)