Chapter 39: Chapter 39 Grandpa Gu
Her face turned red involuntarily.
But she still had half a packet in her hand and had no choice but to feed him once more.
He ate it the sa way as before, giving her that sa sense of crispness, even making her feel a tug in her lower abdon.
After finishing that half packet, she decided she wouldn’t feed him anymore.
Feeling too embarrassed to eat alone, she rested her chin on her hands and looked at the scenery outside the window.
Gu Wei, who was driving next to her, was puzzled; why had she cooled down again when she had been so enthusiastic just a mont ago?
…
After more than an hour, the car entered a village.
The houses in this village were neatly built in a unified style that harmoniously blended with nature, making it a pleasing sight.
Passing through a forest, over a stone bridge, and by a strawberry farm, Gu Wei stopped the car in front of an old mansion.
Once she got out of the car, Su ixi started observing the mansion.
The other farmhouses in the village were clearly built in recent years and were very modern, but Grandpa Gu’s mansion seed to have been built years ago; the attic was a bit old, and ivy covered the exterior walls.
There was a yard with a pond dug out for raising goldfish where several koi, of indistinguishable colors of white and yellow, swam around.
The yard also had an old scholar tree, which during this sumr season, bore clusters of small white flowers. When the wind blew, so petals fell scattered around the yard, creating a classic and ancient charm against the old walls.
Most importantly, the yard was well-kept and tidy.
Shortly after entering the yard, a woman around 50 years old ca out. On seeing Gu Wei, she imdiately beca excited, “Gu Wei has arrived? Your grandpa was ntioning just yesterday that you would co today and asked to make your favorite osmanthus cake.”
Gu Wei politely responded, “Yes, Aunt Zhang, we’ve just arrived.”
While expressing her enthusiasm, Aunt Zhang didn’t forget to notice Su ixi, “Is this Xiao Su?”
“Yes.”
Gu Wei introduced her, “This is Aunt Zhang; she takes care of my grandpa here.”
Su ixi quickly greeted Aunt Zhang who approached with a smile, “Xiao Su, I’ve been in the Gu Family for so long, yet this is the first ti I’ve seen Wei bring a girl ho. Ah, you are so beautiful, just like a blossoming flower.”
Aunt Zhang’s praise made Su ixi a bit nervous.
Despite being a housekeeper, Aunt Zhang carried herself with grace, seemingly soone who had experienced much.
“Gu Wei, Xiao Su, co inside. Your grandpa is in the living room.”
Gu Wei then led Su ixi into the living room.
Upon entering, she imdiately noticed an ink fragrance in the air; an elderly man over eighty with silver hair but a robust physique was inside writing calligraphy with a brush.
Unlike Aunt Zhang, whose enthusiasm was readily apparent, the old man simply paused, looked at Gu Wei and Su ixi, and said, “You are back? If you’re tired, have a seat first; let grandpa finish these characters.”
Gu Wei then led Su ixi to sit by the coffee table.
Inhaling the ink-scented air, hearing the occasional cicada calls from outside, and feeling the breeze passing through, Su ixi felt as if life’s pace had slowed down.
She looked around the living room once more.
At first glance, it seed like stepping back into the ’90s.
The walls were decorated with landscape paintings and several old photographs, though Su ixi could not make out the details from afar.
From these decorations, she guessed that Grandpa Gu must have a pension; otherwise, he couldn’t afford a housekeeper, but he was likely not very wealthy either.
Once Gu Guo’an had finished his writing and laid out the characters, he ca over, his face kindly asking, “Was there a traffic jam on the way?”
Gu Wei answered, “No.”
Su ixi also shook her head.
Gu Guo’an then looked at Su ixi, “Xiao Su, I hear you are a doctor?”
“That’s right, grandfather, I specialize in pain managent.”
“Focused on traditional Chinese dicine?”
“Yes, though I also know so Western dicine,” Su ixi said.
“Studying dicine is good, you help save lives and aid the injured,” Gu Guo’an comnted with a smile, picking up the tea-making tools from the table to prepare tea.
Gu Wei quickly went to help wash the cups.
Then, Aunt Zhang ca in and served them a plate of osmanthus cake.
Gu Wei handed Su ixi a piece of osmanthus cake, “Aunt Zhang makes particularly delicious osmanthus cake.”
Su ixi also tried a bite, and it indeed was soft, glutinous, fragrant, and sweet, unlike those sold outside.
After tea and conversations, Gu Guoguang went to the backyard.
Although there was a housekeeper in the old house, Gu Guoguang seed to be always busy.
Apart from writing, he had to tend the vegetables in the backyard, deal with pests, weed, and pick ripe cucumbers and beans.
Su ixi asked Gu Wei, “Shall we go help him?”
Gu Wei hurriedly said, “Absolutely not, Grandpa doesn’t like others helping him with his tasks, he prefers doing things by himself.”
Su ixi then went to look at the photos in the living room.
Most of them were black and white and yellowed.
Su ixi pointed at a young man in a military uniform in one of the photos, asking Gu Wei, “Is this your grandpa when he was young?”
“Right.”
“You resemble him.”
Gu Wei smiled, “Everyone says so.”
“Was your grandpa always in the army?”
“Pretty much.”
Su ixi pointed at a couple’s photo, “Is this grandpa and grandma? Where is grandma?”
“Grandma passed away, Grandpa cherishes the past, so he has lived in this old house since retiring.”
“Oh.”
There were also a few color photos, probably taken after the 1990s.
In one of them were Grandpa and Grandma, and Gu Wei’s parents, each holding a child.
Su ixi pointed to the two children and asked, “Is this you and your older brother?”
“Right.”
“And… your parents?” Su ixi finally had a chance to ask about his parents.
“My father passed away, my mother is abroad,” Gu Wei said.
Su ixi was stunned. His father had died?
She looked at the photo, at the face resembling Gu Cheng.
Gu Wei looked like his grandpa, and the older brother looked like their dad.
She was about to ask how it had happened when Aunt Zhang ca over and asked, “Gu Wei, Xiao Su, are you staying here tonight?”
Gu Wei nodded, “Yes, Aunt Zhang.”
“Shall I clean up the big room upstairs for you?”
Gu Wei quickly said, “Thank you, Aunt Zhang.”
It was then that Su ixi rembered, she and Gu Wei had never shared a room!
What to do?
But they couldn’t ask Aunt Zhang to clean up two rooms, could they? They had co back as a married couple.
As soon as Aunt Zhang had left, Grandpa Gu ca in, handing them a basket of freshly picked cucumbers, and cheerily said, “Do you want to try the cucumbers I grew? They’re very crisp, much tastier than those you eat in the city.”
Seeing that the cucumbers were washed, Su ixi picked one up and took a bite.
Hearing a “crisp” sound, she felt the water in the cucumber flood her mouth.
She couldn’t help but praise Grandpa Gu, “These are really delicious.”
“Right? I’ve improved them; of course, they’re tasty. See how many you can eat, take the rest ho tomorrow.”
After finishing, Grandpa Gu went to the front yard, this ti to feed his koi fish.
Feeling stuffy inside the house, Su ixi followed him to the yard for so fresh air.
Seeing Su ixi following him, Grandpa Gu handed her the fish feed, “Xiao Su, why don’t you feed the fish?”
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