Chronicle of the 70s-Chapter 357 - 342: The New Auntie

The next day was the weekend, and Qin Xi had to work overtime. She rode her bicycle to work in the morning, and Hu Zi drove the rest of them to the hospital.

The doctor examined them and looked at the bump on Ba Yi’s head, suggesting that a warm compress and massage would suffice, and advised the adults to be more vigilant. After all, children are still young and might get frightened, so it’s important to pay extra attention.

But Li Xianglu couldn’t help feeling that the two children showed no signs of fright. They slept straight from nine at night until eight in the morning, only waking up because they were called; who knows how long they would have slept if left to wake on their own.

Following the incident, Su Yan was no longer willing to send the children to kindergarten. On one hand, the children were too young; on the other, she felt the kindergarten was not good. Not only did they not learn anything, but they were also getting into fights. It was just too much.

However, Gu Niannian began to visit often, especially on the weekends. He would come in the morning and not be picked up by his father until evening. Gu Niannian’s mother had not come over again, and Li Xianglu figured she was probably embarrassed.

At first, Su Yan was reluctant to let her great-grandchildren play with Gu Niannian, thinking that a child who snatches things from others must have been poorly raised and would be a bad influence.

But Qin Xi said, Gu Niannian’s grandfather was an old Red Army soldier, who retired due to injuries, and receives treatment equivalent to the retirement of a modern-day corps commander. This old man saved many senior leaders, many of whom are still in power.

Of course, these were not the reasons to socialize. It was the old man’s character, his unique Red Army integrity—somewhat domineering and uncompromising, quick to resort to guns and fights. But he was upright and admitted to his actions. Gu Niannian was raised by his grandfather, and although the child seemed a bit naughty, he always admitted his mistakes when he was wrong, thus making him worth befriending. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Li Xianglu couldn’t help but laugh after hearing this, "How do you know so much?"

Qin Xi had just returned from overtime work, holding a big bowl of Saozi Noodles, took a few bites, and then said, "Gu Niannian’s father is Gu Congsheng."

Li Xianglu’s eyes widened—no wonder. Gu Congsheng was precisely the county’s Deputy Magistrate that Qin Xi was working with, a very capable man of thirty-two. He was also the first to agree and strongly support Qin Xi’s proposal to reform the rural economic structure. Qin Xi had mentioned him many times, but she hadn’t expected such a coincidence.

However, she thought again, if Gu Congsheng was such a good person, then what about Zhu Hong? The way she acted that day was clear to any discerning person—she was blatantly trying to extort them.

Qin Xi, of course, knew what Li Xianglu was thinking and explained, "Zhu Hong is an orphan, the grandson of Old Sir Gu’s comrade-in-arms. After Zhu Hong’s grandfather passed away, he lived with his uncle in the countryside, which is why he may seem a bit petty and calculative."

Now it made sense. Su Yan, curious, asked, "Did Gu Congsheng tell you all this?"

Qin Xi replied with a smile, "It was because of the fight between the three children that day. After Gu Congsheng went home and saw Zhu Hong hitting the child, he inquired about it and found out it involved our family. So, the next day, he specifically apologized to me and offered an explanation."

Therefore, Gu Niannian was accepted by Su Yan, but it was not a permanent acceptance, rather a probationary period.

But Su Yan soon discovered that despite Gu Niannian’s unsightly appearance with a runny nose and dirtiness, he had a really nice personality and was exceptionally intelligent.

She had thought her great-grandchildren were very smart. Now at one year and nine months old, Ba Yi and Ba’er could recite many poems and communicate simply in English. Su Yan had brought an electronic keyboard when she came.

She taught the two children to play simple monophonic tunes. After three or four times, both could remember them, then press the keyboard keys with their little fingers. Although the rhythm was not smooth, the notes were all correct.

And this Gu Congsheng also has a good memory. On weekends, after breakfast, Su Yan would first teach the two children simple English conversations, teaching them a few words, and then the rest of the conversations would be in English.

Although the children couldn’t possibly understand, what’s most important in learning a language is the language environment. If everyone speaks English, you’ll gradually be able to say a few phrases just by listening.

Su Yan didn’t pay much attention to Gu Niannian, but one time, when she brought a plate of sliced watermelon to share with everyone, Gu Niannian took a piece and said, "Thank you!"

Su Yan was taken aback at that moment, then smiled and asked in English if he liked watermelon.

The child thought for a while before hesitantly replying in English that he really liked it. Although hesitantly spoken, the grammatical structure was correct, and the pronunciation of every word was accurate.

This surprise delighted Su Yan even more, but she did not show any reaction and did not offer praise. As usual, she simply included Gu Niannian in the lessons she gave to the twins.

Upon learning this, Li Xianglu was very curious. Su Yan is a very proud person; she disdains most people, let alone a little brat who had bullied her treasure.

But Su Yan responded indifferently: "I think this child can be cultivated to assist Yu Cheng in the future; he has the potential to be taught. I just thought to teach him something, hoping he would learn to be grateful."

Li Xianglu was immediately shocked. This is the difference between people. The child was so young, yet Su Yan was already thinking of arranging an assistant for him and was bestowing favors this early. No wonder Su Yan always said she herself wasn’t making progress. Look at others, with their foresight and planning.

However, Li Xianglu felt that this was a bit utilitarian. Letting things take their natural course is good; this is probably why she could never become someone like Su Yan.

As for Gu Niannian, he had many good qualities—smart, sweet-talking, eloquent. The new maid was Sister Xing’s sister-in-law, who was originally a village teacher. It had been agreed that after teaching for three years, she would be made a permanent staff member, but her position was taken by the village chief’s daughter; in a fit of anger, she resigned.

Now at home, and just as Li Xianglu was looking for a maid, Sister Xing recommended her sister-in-law.

Su Yan was somewhat intrigued when she heard that this person was a former teacher, and even more satisfied after she arrived.

Sister Su had a height of 1.72 meters. Although she was already 38, she was neat and clean, her complexion not as dark as that of the average village woman but rather fair, exuding a strong scholarly aura. Key was her demeanor—she had presence.

A woman being beautiful isn’t everything; what’s difficult is having presence, such sensory attributes are hard to come by, which is why Su Yan was very pleased at first sight.

Then Sister Su cooked a meal, stir-fried some dishes, and also made some rice, which was about the same level as Sister Xing’s cooking, except with a little less oil and the rice was a bit too soft.

Li Xianglu didn’t see any problem with it, as the family had elderly and children, and they usually ate soft food, but Su Yan asked her why she steamed the rice so soft.

Sister Su originally thought she hadn’t done well and that the head of the household was not happy, so she apologized with some embarrassment. She explained that since there were elderly and children at home, she was afraid that eating too hard would be bad for digestion, so she made the rice softer.

Su Yan was very pleased with Sister Su’s subconscious action, and after the meal, she decided to keep her on.

Thus, the twins no longer went to kindergarten.