Seeing the old lady enter the house, Beibei immediately squirmed to get down.
Zhan Yin crouched down, setting his daughter on the floor, and the little one ran straight to the old lady.
“Beibei’s up. Great-Grandma will give you a hug.”
The old lady stepped forward, scooping up her great-granddaughter as she ran over.
“Great-Grandma.”
“Did Beibei sleep well last night?”
The old and the young, both treasures of the Zhan family, settled on the sofa with the old lady holding her little treasure.
Zhan Yin followed and sat across from his grandmother.
“Grandma, you were out walking for quite a while today.”
“In the morning, before the sun was up, the air was fresh, so I strolled a bit longer. Now the sun’s high, and it’s really hot outside. The weather’s getting warmer every year.”
The greenhouse effect.
Summer temperatures were rising year by year.
Looking at her spirited eldest grandson, the old lady said, “Take it easy. Tongtong’s health is important.”
Zhan Yin’s face reddened slightly, a rare sight. He said, “Grandma, absence makes the heart grow fonder. I’ll be more careful in the future. I care about Tongtong’s health more than anyone.”
Last night, both husband and wife had been particularly passionate, perhaps a bit too much.
It had worn Tongtong out.
“Bring breakfast up to Tongtong later.”
The old lady assumed her eldest grandson’s wife was exhausted and still sleeping.
“Tongtong’s already awake. Your little treasure here woke her up. Once she’s up, her mother can’t go back to sleep.”
“Tongtong went to get Baobao up.”
The old lady looked down at her great-granddaughter, nestled sweetly in her arms, and couldn’t bear to say a harsh word. Instead, she praised, “Beibei’s so good, waking Mummy up.”
Zhan Yin: “…”
If Baobao had woken Tongtong, Grandma would have scolded him for sure.
Grandma was blatantly biased. Her great-granddaughter could do no wrong, but her great-grandson would get a scolding for missteps, even told that men shed blood, not tears, if he cried.
Praised by Great-Grandma, Beibei’s little face beamed with pride.
“Grandma, have you had breakfast?” Zhan Yin asked with concern.
“Not yet. I wait to eat with you all. Normally, it’s just me, your parents, and them. Even the tastiest dishes don’t taste good.”
“When you’re all home, even eating cabbage feels like dragon meat to me.”
“When you’re old, you fear loneliness. I love having you all around, but you young people have work and can’t stay with me every day. Thankfully, you’re all filial, sending the kids back during holidays.”
Zhan Yin felt a pang of guilt and said, “Grandma, we’ve been too busy lately and haven’t spent time with you. That’s our fault.”
“You don’t need to keep me company now. This summer, having the kids around is enough. I don’t have to stare at your parents or aunts and uncles all day. The kids are adorable. Even watching them argue or fight is entertaining.”
Zhan Yin laughed, “When they fight, do you give them pointers or cheer them on?”
“I remember when we were kids, you did that when we fought.”
Zhan Yin didn’t fight with his brothers, but when his younger brothers were little and had disputes, they’d get physical. He recalled Grandma not stopping them but giving tips, pointing out whose moves were off or suggesting better ones.
The nannies were torn between laughter and tears, hoping the old lady would break up the fights, but she’d only teach the young masters how to win.
The old lady laughed, “Now only Baobao and Jingchen have started learning martial arts. The others haven’t yet, so I don’t do that.”
Great-grandsons who’d learned martial arts would definitely fight better.
