589. Grandpa’s House
“Dad, Dad!”
In the small courtyard of Grandpa’s house, Wen Yang was earnestly repeating to his daughter, “Come on, say it with me, Dad.”
The once well-kept little courtyard had been neglected for a long time. Fallen leaves and weeds were everywhere, except for a section in front of the gate that was still somewhat clean. The big black dog had passed away long ago, leaving behind a stone-brick doghouse and a rusty chain.
Ning Chu wandered out of the house with a handful of sugar tangerines, moving at a leisurely pace. “Why are you calling her Dad?”
“I’m teaching her to talk.”
The daughter babbled incoherently, completely ignoring Wen Yang’s lessons.
“Look, tangerine.”
Ning Chu tore a tangerine in half and handed it over. “I’m going to check out the convenience store. Grandpa and Grandma are probably over there watching people play mahjong.”
Having brought the child out for a rare visit, she had hoped to surprise the grandparents. However, even though the gate was wide open, there was no sign of Grandma and Grandpa.
This situation wasn’t unusual, but Ning Chu hesitated a bit as she headed towards the convenience store. Unlike the apartments in the city, where she didn’t even know her neighbors’ names, in this small village, nearly all the elders recognized her and knew she used to be a man.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t be so reluctant to visit Grandpa; every time she brought virility-enhancing liquor, it was always Wen Yang who picked it up.
It was not a holiday, and standing at the village entrance, she could hardly see a soul. Most of the doors were tightly shut, and an occasional old man or woman could be spotted.
Once she arrived at the most bustling convenience store in the area, she swung the door open, only to be hit by a thick cloud of smoke that made her cough.
The noisy space quieted for a moment.
When she lifted her head, she found the small room occupied by two mahjong tables. Besides the eight players, there were several seniors chatting, boasting, and watching others play mahjong, including her Grandma and Grandpa.
“Grandpa…”
The sudden entrance made most of the old men turn to look at Ning Chu. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she shyly called out, lowering her head as she hurried over.
“Why didn’t you say anything before coming?” Grandma cheerfully got up and affectionately wrapped an arm around her. “I haven’t even met your child! You brought her back this time, right?”
“Uh-huh.”
Among the younger generation, only Ning Chu inherited the same kind of curly hair as Grandma, instantly making her the favorite grandchild in Grandma’s eyes.
“Let’s go! Let’s go buy some veggies in town. Get something you love to eat.”
Grandpa rolled up his sleeves and joked, “Wen Yang manages to come over every now and then, but you barely show up all year. This time you actually made it back! I’d think he’s my grandson.”
Ning Chu could only awkwardly laugh, “It’s fine if you treat him like your grandson…”
With the eyes of the crowd on her, she felt quite uncomfortable. She could vaguely hear snippets of conversation about her, but it was all too jumbled to make out.
“Let’s go…”
She tugged at Grandma’s arm, making her way outside. “Wen Yang is waiting for both of you. He didn’t even eat breakfast before coming and is starving.”
Grandma and Grandpa were both in their seventies or eighties, but the succubus didn’t age much. So Grandma still looked to be in her forties or fifties, a bit plump but healthy enough.
Grandpa’s face, though, was marked with age spots, and while he still stood upright, he walked with a slight wobble.
Ning Chu kindly supported Grandpa, and suddenly thought of herself and Wen Yang, gray-haired and trembling, unable to walk in the future.
Looks like one of them needed to be less worn out, at least let Wen Yang have the same spirit as Grandpa when he’s seventy or eighty. She didn’t want him to be on the verge of the grave…
Returning to the small courtyard, Grandpa and Grandma instantly spotted the baby stroller in front of Wen Yang.
“Grandpa…”
Wen Yang’s greeting barely got out before the elderly couple rushed over, shoving him aside to peer into the stroller.
“Oh, what a pretty little girl!”
Hearing Grandma’s compliment, an odd sense of accomplishment surged through Ning Chu, and she stood with her hands on her hips. “Just look at who her mom is! How could she not be pretty?”
“Planning to have another boy to keep her company?” Grandma lifted the baby from the stroller and turned to ask.
“This…” Ning Chu glanced over at her husband.
Wen Yang firmly shook his head. “No way, having kids is too much trouble; one daughter is enough.”
The memory of Ning Chu’s painful delivery months ago was still fresh, and at that time, all he could do was weakly comfort her with words. Every time he thought back, his heart ached, and he couldn’t stand to see her in such pain again.
“We need a boy to continue the family line, you know?”
“Nothing to worry about; I don’t care about that.”
Grandpa nodded in agreement. “What era are we in already? When I’m gone, you think they’re going to burn incense for me?”
“Could you say something auspicious?” Grandma shot him a glare. “Why talk about dying?”
Usually, Grandpa was the head of the household, but when Grandma scolded him, he never objected. He discreetly changed the subject and bent down to lift the baby from the stroller. “Here, let Great-Grandpa hold her.”
“She’s really pretty, her eyes are like Ning Chu’s, and her nose is like Wen Yang’s,” Grandpa said with a grin. “When she grows up, she’ll definitely be a big beauty.”
But their usually well-behaved daughter simply stared at her Great-Grandpa and then, without a hint of decorum, cried out loud.
That sharp cry instantly tightened Ning Chu’s emotions. She rushed forward, panic filling her voice:
“Grandpa, let me hold her; she might not be used to it.”
The sound of a crying baby was something she could never tolerate, being sharp and high-pitched, enough to give anyone a headache.
“Don’t cry, don’t cry, that’s your Great-Grandpa…”
Meanwhile, Grandma hopped on her electric bicycle to go buy groceries, while Ning Chu paced back and forth in the courtyard, trying to comfort her daughter.
Grandpa watched the two of them and asked Wen Yang, “How’s work going? Can you support both of them?”
“Expenses have been high lately, and there’s still the mortgage to pay. I earn as much as I spend; my wallet is getting thinner,” Wen Yang sighed. “It should get better in some time. With a newborn, there’s lots of stuff to buy… like that stroller, over a thousand, but Ning Chu insisted on it, saying it can last until she’s five.”
Grandpa chuckled, creasing his eyes with wrinkles. “By five, she’ll want to run around, not be stuck in a stroller every day!”
Wen Yang shrugged. “Buy it if we have to; if it makes her happy, it’s worth it.”
“Hubby! Hubby!”
Ning Chu returned to Wen Yang, anxiety plastered on her face, her forehead glistening with a thin layer of sweat and her eyes gleaming with concern. “She keeps crying, she just won’t stop…”
“Is she hungry?”
“No, I checked already.”
A look of panic and frustration was evident on her face as she clumsily thrust the baby into Wen Yang’s arms. “I changed the diaper, tried to feed her, but she won’t drink. I’ve been soothing her for ages, but she’s still crying!”
Wen Yang reassured his wife while soothing their daughter. “Don’t panic; what kid doesn’t cry?”
“There must be a reason for the crying… What if something’s wrong? Should we take her to the hospital? She didn’t cry like this before.”
“Maybe she’s too hot?”
“Huh?”
Wen Yang cradled the baby while heading indoors. “On a hot day like this, you’ve got her in two layers. You can’t even handle it for long.”
“She wears two layers at home too…”
“The air conditioning is on twenty-four-seven. Look at her face all flushed!”
Sure enough, once they stepped into the cool interior, the baby’s cries visibly softened.
“Just stay calm; don’t get flustered every time she cries,” Wen Yang said, glancing back at his wife, who was trailing closely behind him. “You weren’t this antsy before.”
“I… uh-huh.”
Ning Chu replied absently, her eyes still glued on their daughter in Wen Yang’s arms.
It was clear she wasn’t absorbing any of the advice.
Wen Yang sighed lightly. “No worries; if she keeps crying, just let me handle it. You get all worked up, and everything goes sideways.”
Since their daughter was born, it was evident that Ning Chu had changed significantly.
