CHAPTER 447: CHAPTER 447: THE LITTLE BOARDER

When Zhao Guangran heard they could continue raising chickens and growing vegetables in Beijing, he stopped complaining about not going there.

The adults had already addressed his concerns, so he didn’t insist on staying here.

Hua Miaozhu seemed a bit dismissive of people involved in farming, not because she looked down on farmers, but because she felt that once in Beijing, the focus should be on studying.

"Mom, you don’t know, although things in Beijing are reasonably available, you need coupons. We’re going there to study, so we should eat in the cafeteria, without coupon-supplied food," Zhan Jing explained to Hua Miaozhu, noticing her displeasure, about why they needed to do this.

To be honest, after farming for so many years, Zhan Jing wasn’t thinking about continuing to farm in Beijing, but without farming, what would the family eat or drink? Would they go to the cafeteria for every meal?

"Also, by raising chickens, the kids can have more nourishment." The kids were used to eating meat, and although they brought preserved meat with them, could preserved meat really compare to fresh meat?

It couldn’t compare at all, "On this trip to Beijing, we only had a few good meals at Uncle Zhuge’s house, but he didn’t have a lot of supplies either. I thought we might also bring something for him."

"In the future, when Ban Xia and the others go to Beijing, they will likely stay with Uncle Zhuge. We can’t let him bear all their expenses," Zhan Jing was truly grateful to Zhuge, as after so many years without contact, he was still warm and insisted they stay at his home.

What worried Zhan Jing the most was the promise made by their fathers in the past, which Uncle Zhuge was the first to bring up. Upon hearing of Ban Xia and their interest in traditional Chinese medicine, and that they had already started learning, he insisted they move to Beijing and study with him.

Ah, really? Gong Ruini knew the purpose of Zhan Jing’s trip to Beijing this time and didn’t expect the promise to still be upheld. Well, people now were more committed to their promises than in the future, but how did it sound like Ban Xia and the others would be living at this Doctor Zhuge’s house?

Gong Ruini remembered Zhan Jing mentioning that this elder had no family, just himself. Could he take good care of the twins?

Even if Zhan Banxia and the others weren’t picky eaters, how would their meals be arranged?

It wasn’t just about sending food and drinks over, but the issue of cooking.

"Ah, won’t we be living with Mom and Dad?" Zhan Banxia knew beforehand that they would have a senior mentor teaching them. Although they thought they could learn a lot from their mom, why did they have to live at the mentor’s house?

The twins couldn’t stand the thought of not seeing their siblings for a long time.

Don’t be fooled by their sweet talk; they are great at making others happy. Of course, that’s what Gong Ruini and the others thought. In Zhao Guangran’s view, these two brothers had very sharp tongues, but nobody could bear to see Ban Xia and the others living away from home at such a young age.

Hua Miaozhu knew this was an agreement her husband made with Zhuge when he was alive, but she felt that Zhuge wasn’t doing it with good intentions. "We don’t lack a place to live, why must Ban Xia and the others stay there?"

"Isn’t it because Ban Xia and the others need to study with Uncle Zhuge?" Zhan Jing also couldn’t bear it, but Uncle Zhuge was right. Ban Xia and they needed a solid foundation while they were young; otherwise, they’d fall behind even if they tried to catch up later.

Zhan Jing admitted she was somewhat swayed by Uncle Zhuge. Her father always said how knowledgeable Zhuge was and regretted not having frequent discussions with him.

Now, with the chance to fulfill her father’s desire, Zhan Jing didn’t want to miss it. But seeing her own mother’s and children’s reluctance made her somewhat regretful.

As for her mother mentioning no one to take care of the kids, she had something to say, "Actually, Uncle Zhuge’s Old Ge and his wife are still there; they continue to look after Uncle Zhuge."

For heaven’s sake, she’s a mother too. If there was only Uncle Zhuge there, would she really agree to let the twins study there? They’re her sons too, and she wouldn’t let them suffer.

"They’re still there?" Hua Miaozhu certainly knew who Old Ge and his wife were. She was surprised they were still with Zhuge. "They’re people of integrity; I remember their son joined the army, right? Usually, he should have become an officer."

"He’s an officer in the west; Old Ge is planning to visit this year. It seems their grandchildren are grown, but they’ve never met." Although they didn’t explicitly mention it, Zhan Jing knew why they hadn’t visited their grandchildren: not because of lack of time or money, but out of concern for Uncle Zhuge’s safety.

They were too busy to visit their grandchildren, indicating the situation wasn’t great before. Yet, in that era, there were so few people so committed to their promises.

Hua Miaozhu, though still reluctant, felt relieved knowing Old Ge and his wife were there with Zhuge. "Fine, let them go. I’ll visit too when I have time."

Although Zhao Xuran and Zhao Guangran were also Hua Miaozhu’s grandsons, Zhan Banxia and Zhan Zisu grew up before her eyes. Of course, the bond was deeper, especially since these kids were young and had never been away from their parents for so long. Who knows if they could adapt?

Zhan Banxia knew their mom went to Beijing this time to find them a teacher. Previously, they were aware of how skilled that teacher was; otherwise, their mom wouldn’t rush to find him. But they didn’t expect their mom to plan for them to live at his house.

The twins glanced at each other, "We don’t want to live in someone else’s house."

To the twins, even though they’d been bullied by Zhao Guangran often, he was still their second brother, and their brother would share his snacks and toys with them.

"Mom, we can be like Sister, attend school in the morning and come home after school," Zhan Banxia, a thoughtful person, figured that after moving to Beijing, their siblings would attend school.

Zhan Banxia thought they could treat it like going to school, allowing them to see their siblings every day.

Yes, Gong Ruini also couldn’t bear to let go of Zhan Banxia and the others, mainly because Zhuge seemed to be someone devoted to traditional Chinese medicine for a lifetime. Such a person might impose strict requirements on the twins.

Although here, Zhan Jing was also strict with Zhan Banxia and the others, there were people who chatted with them, comforted them when they weren’t happy, but would there be anyone to comfort them over there?

But whether they could avoid living in the Zhuge house depended on Zhan Jing’s decision.

Regarding this, Zhan Jing stated, "It was proposed by Uncle Zhuge."

This left everyone feeling deflated, realizing it wasn’t within Zhan Jing’s control. Ah, it made everyone feel helpless. Although the twins were unhappy with the outcome, fortunately, tears only lingered in their eyes.