After using the bathroom, Xu Xingguang carried Xu Qingnian to the sofa and set him down. Then she efficiently changed all the sheets and covers on Xu Qingnian’s bed. Xu Qingnian leaned against the sofa, watching the scene with a complex expression, his eyes once again welling up with tears.

"Girl."

Xu Xingguang was tidying the pillows and didn’t turn around when she heard him, just responded with a ’hmm.’

Xu Qingnian dragged his words out slowly and softly said, "It’s going to be tough for you today."

Upon hearing this, Xu Xingguang knew Xu Qingnian had overheard their conversation outside last night and knew Chu Zimu was coming to visit today.

Xu Xingguang suddenly turned around, stared at the old man on the sofa, and asked Xu Qingnian, "Grandpa, do you think I should swallow this grievance or not?"

If she swallowed this grievance, then in the future, if You Mingyue successfully married into the Chu family, the Xu family could continue to live a carefree life relying on the familial connection with the Chu family. However, if she refused to accept this grievance, she would have to fight back and ruin the marriage.

Xu Qingnian stared into his granddaughter’s enchanting eyes, clear like precious jewels, and pointedly said, "He pursued you, but you rejected him, so you two should not have any ties. Asking you to call a man with whom you once shared a romantic entanglement ’brother-in-law’ is just not fair."

"Do whatever you want to do. Anyway, this Xu family, besides the people still having the surname Xu, everything else has changed." Even his son, who he remembered as being filial, was no longer the same.

With Xu Qingnian’s words, Xu Xingguang felt a sense of assurance.

"I understand, Grandpa." After opening all the windows to ventilate the room and carefully mopping the entire room with disinfectant, Xu Xingguang carried Xu Qingnian back to bed.

She let the elderly man lie on his side so that his bedsores wouldn’t feel so painful.

After she finished all this and took the cold noodles to the kitchen to reheat, You Mingyue and the others had already finished breakfast.

You Jingqiu laughed and said, "Xingguang is really capable. Mingyue, being an outsider, isn’t convenient to take care of Dad, and Jiaoyang has work to do. If Xingguang isn’t busy, she could help share the family responsibilities. I think from now on, we should let Xingguang take care of Dad."

"After all, you’re Dad’s own granddaughter."

You Jingqiu was calculating, eager for Xu Xingguang to take long-term care of Xu Qingnian.

"It’s not impossible for me to take care of Grandpa." Xu Xingguang turned off the stove and first served herself a small bowl of noodles.

She carried her bowl over to the dining table, sat down, and said, "School starts in a few days, and I’ll be moving to Cangshan Town to live, and Grandpa will come along with me."

Upon hearing this, You Jingqiu was overjoyed.

"You really are a filial child." Getting rid of two troublesome people at once, You Jingqiu felt extremely pleased.

"By the way." Xu Xingguang glanced at the housekeeper eavesdropping from the kitchen, intentionally raising her voice, "Auntie has been responsible for cooking and cleaning for years, as well as taking care of Grandpa. She has to do the work of several people, so she must be very tired."

The housekeeper was delighted, thinking Xu Xingguang was going to hire extra help.

You Jingqiu had the same thought as the housekeeper and was about to complain about Xu Xingguang’s extravagant lifestyle when she heard Xu Xingguang say, "Auntie is not young anymore, and she should find an easier job. There’s too much workload in our house, it doesn’t suit her."

"Let’s dismiss her."

The housekeeper tightly gripped the dishrag in her hand.

This was completely contrary to her expectations.

The work at the Xu family home was tiring, but the pay was substantial. At her age and capability, it would be very difficult to find a job in another household with a higher salary.

This housekeeper was brought in by You Jingqiu, who wasn’t exceedingly fond of her, but the housekeeper was still essentially You Jingqiu’s person. Xu Xingguang was dismissing the housekeeper, and this was a slap in the face for You Jingqiu. Naturally, You Jingqiu couldn’t let Xu Xingguang have her way.

You Jingqiu’s expression became severe, and she said unyieldingly, "Sister Zhang has been working in our home for two or three years and has adjusted to the family’s living rhythm. Suddenly changing housekeepers would be difficult; I don’t see any need to dismiss her."

Xu Zeqing also saw no need to dismiss the housekeeper and said, "Finding a new housekeeper would require re-adjusting and be troublesome. There’s no need to dismiss her."

Xu Xingguang smiled slightly, gazing at Xu Zeqing and You Jingqiu, and said, "When it comes to who is most familiar with everyone’s rhythm and habits in this family, isn’t it Aunt You?"

You Jingqiu: "..."

She immediately felt something was not right.

As expected, the next second she heard Xu Xingguang say, "Our company has been acquired, and it’s a tight economic time, so we should be cutting expenses. Once Grandpa and I move out, there will only be four people living here permanently. I don’t see the need to spend money on a housekeeper. Aunt You is competent, loves her children, supports her husband, and understands everyone’s dietary preferences, so why not let Aunt You do the cooking?"

"Moreover," Xu Xingguang pointed out, "Sister Mingyue and Brother Jiaoyang are both in their twenties, perfectly capable of taking care of their own rooms and helping Aunt You with cleaning and doing dishes."

"Sister Mingyue, Brother Jiaoyang, what do you think?" Xu Xingguang’s smile appeared more innocent and kind-hearted than You Mingyue’s usual demeanor.

You Mingyue’s brows furrowed tightly, her usually innocent face now full of resentment. She had been learning piano since she was young, keeping her hands in delicate condition, and aside from school duties, she never did any housework. It’s only the second day since Xu Xingguang returned to the Xu family, and she’s already assigning chores to her!

You Jiaoyang slightly furrowed his brow but soon relaxed.

He found it convenient to stay in the dormitory when he worked.

You Jiaoyang said, "That’s fine."

Hearing this, Xu Xingguang nodded, looked at You Jingqiu admiringly, and said, "Aunt You is truly fortunate to have such filial and sensible children."

You Jingqiu’s smile was incredibly stiff as she reached under the table to pinch Xu Zeqing’s leg, hoping Xu Zeqing would overturn Xu Xingguang’s decisions.

At this moment, Xu Xingguang suddenly looked at Xu Zeqing and said, "Grandpa has his retirement pension, and it should be enough to support him, but I need a caregiver while I’m in school. Dad, why not save the money for the housekeeper and hire a professional caregiver for Grandpa?"

Thinking about the strong Sister Lin who took care of her recently, Xu Xingguang continued, "The caregiver lady who looked after me lately would be perfect. She’s kind-hearted, strong, and professional in caregiving."

With a few words, Xu Xingguang arranged everything in the household perfectly, leaving no room for anyone to object.