CHAPTER 322: CHAPTER 322: SURPRISE

Lin Xue got into the car dazedly, listening to the two little ones chatter away.

"Yay! I’ve brought big sister back home again! So great!" Little Lin Cai sat in the back seat, clapping her hands gleefully.

Little Lin Feng had the demeanor of his fourth brother Lin Shan, sitting steadily, allowing his sister to make noise, while maintaining that gentle and quiet manner.

So young, yet not at all like the mischievousness expected at this age.

"It’s you who are taking the big sister home!" Zhang Yuan corrected Lin Cai while driving.

"What’s going on exactly?" Lin Xue asked with a somewhat serious expression.

Zhang Yuan glanced at her expression, feeling a bit guilty, "Honey, don’t be angry, I just wanted to give you a surprise!" Zhang Yuan reached out a hand to hold hers ingratiatingly, "Honey, you’ll find out when we get there! Our house is right next to my parents’, truly neighbors!"

"But did Grandpa and Grandma agree to this? They’ve always wanted us to live with them, right?" Lin Xue was really quite surprised, but thinking about her grandparents, it seemed unlikely they would agree.

"Grandpa and Grandma agreed, as long as we visit them often when we have time! They’ve even set up a room for us at home! We’ll go back to stay in the future!" Zhang Yuan explained with a smile.

In the back, Zhang Yu arranged for a car to bring her family back.

Once the car stopped, all the kids quickly got off, but they didn’t know which house was big sister’s.

"I’ll take you to big brother’s house!" Zhang Yu came over, smiling obsequiously at Lin Xia.

"Are you really that kind? What are you up to?" Lin Xia didn’t trust his character.

"Look at what you’re saying, I’m always this kind, no? Come on, let’s go! They’re already here!" Zhang Yu said with a mischievous grin, then greeted everyone to follow him, Wang Cuihua included.

Lin Xia stomped her foot and followed, wondering what on earth Zhang Yu was up to, thinking she’d skin him if need be.

But this time, she really wronged Zhang Yu; he was purely kind, bringing them over and taking the opportunity to see what big brother’s house looked like himself.

Initially, when buying the house, he accompanied big brother, but later during the renovation, it was all done in secret, so he wasn’t allowed there, and to this day, he hadn’t seen what it looked like inside.

Just in time, under the guise of escorting family, he got a legitimate reason to go inside for a look.

On Lin Xue’s end, she fell in love with the house right after stepping inside. The layout and style resembled the courtyard house she bought next door, with the room’s design also looking similar to her own next door, except they had two rooms. One with a heated kang bed for winter warmth.

And the other room had a regular bed for summer, cool and breezy, and it was a bed brought from some other space, she didn’t even know when Zhang Yuan took it out.

"When did you buy this house?" Lin Xue asked while holding her little siblings’ hands, approaching Zhang Yuan.

"Two years ago, I had Xiao Yu watch it for me, and the moment this house went up for sale, I bought it! But the setup was only completed these few days, a bit rushed, later we can change it to however you like!" Zhang Yuan held a string of keys in his hand, standing in front of Lin Xue, gently placing the keys in her hand, "Welcome home, dear lady."

Lin Xue laughed, from the heart, laughed so brightly, taking the house keys securely.

From now on, she had a real home, truly her own, not just a house.

The two shared a moment of sweet affection, and the two little ones, not understanding, went off hand in hand to explore the house.

Until Zhang Yu brought people over, the couple couldn’t feel the cold, standing in the middle of the courtyard, planning on raising fish, flowers, grass, and building a gazebo with a fruit tree in the future.

As soon as everyone followed Zhang Yu inside, they couldn’t help but exclaim, "Wow... this is exactly the same as your house next door! Xiao Xue just married from the east courtyard to the west courtyard, if the courtyard walls weren’t so high, you could just hop over the fence! Cuihua! And you were all crying your heart out unnecessarily! Isn’t your daughter still right here with you?" Remarked the usually verbose Feng Minghua, unable to control her mouth no matter where.

Wang Cuihua was also stunned at this moment, because she didn’t even know about this, but stunned as she was, upon realizing her eldest daughter’s home was just a wall away, she couldn’t suppress the overwhelming joy in her heart.

Bai Xianglan also laughed, sincerely lamenting, "Who’d have thought it would turn out like this, here I was, feeling sad thinking that my eldest granddaughter would be far away once married! Never expected Xiao Yuan to be so thoughtful!" she said to Grandpa Wang and Li Xiuying, smiling through tears.

Speaking of sentiments, she had the most to share, having been married off to an older man in town by her family as if being sold, she thought she would never have good days. Yet her in-laws treated her particularly well, even the man she never looked kindly upon treated her nicely, and she even got a job. However, after having a son, her body was injured, and she could no longer have children.

It was a pretty happy life, even though there was only one son, it extended the family line.

Unexpectedly, that son grew up wrong, not working properly, loafing about, even gambling, mixing with unsavory types.

Got him married, but his wife left, and after the man died, he became even worse.

The family’s savings were squandered and not even lifeline food was spared, to the point where he would hit her if she refused.

In utter despair, there were times she considered joining her husband in death.

Who would’ve thought there was a sudden twist of fate, this wretched son was not her own, her biological son was excellent, even giving her numerous grandchildren who were all outstanding, the son being honest and sincere, and the daughter-in-law filial.

She now leads the life of an aristocratic old lady, no longer burdened by the toil of making a living, enjoying the pleasure of doting on her grandchildren, partaking in the bliss of having a full house with descendants.

Now, she could even come live in this adored Capital city, along with the newfound revelation that her married granddaughter ended up as their neighbor, enabling her to see her every day in the future! How could she not be happy, how could she not cry.

"Dear old sister, from now on, just watch over your grandkids and enjoy the familial bliss!" Li Xiuying said, tears in her eyes, delighted for her precious daughter.

She never expected, that the daughter who suffered so much hardship through life’s grind, could now live like this.

Filial children, loving spouse, harmonious in-laws, smooth life, no worries for life’s necessities, living a carefree, well-fed life.

She could close her eyes contentedly, no longer fearing for her daughter being starved at home unknowingly, no longer having anything to worry about.

Lin Xue looked up and saw that her family was there, released Zhang Yuan’s hand and walked over.

Presently, she was wearing a red cheongsam dress, exuding the allure and poise of a mature woman, charming smiles making her eyes sparkle, captivating all who looked, regardless of age or gender.

"Dad, Mom, Grandma, Grandpa, come in and take a look around my house! I just found out myself! Such a surprise and delight!"

As she spoke, she advanced towards them, looping her arms through her grandmother’s and great-grandmother’s.

"Hey! Let’s go and see! Go inside and check it out!" The two elderly ladies, happy as can be, were led inside by their granddaughter.