Are you suggesting I inherit three wives' households? I'll marry my eldest brother and bec

Chapter 262 Can we... not go?

Shen Li suppressed a laugh and said, "My second brother's mouth is indeed not as good as my eldest brother's. He's not as steady, and sometimes he speaks inappropriately."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Lu Nan immediately chimed in, "That's right! Eldest brother is much more mature and composed, and speaks more gently, unlike second brother who's so fierce!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Li thought to himself: Oh no, could this girl have feelings for my brother?

The older brother is almost thirty, while Xiaonan is still so young.

She still doesn't understand why some people would deliberately be fierce to someone they like.

I don't know if my second brother has feelings for Xiaonan, but Xiaonan is too young.

Is this going to turn into a love triangle?

Nuannuan, who was standing next to Lu Nan, listened intently and then looked up at Lu Nan, saying, "Aunt Nan, don't you think my dad is a bit dull? My second uncle is so much fun, and he talks so interestingly."

Shen Li has no children, but according to seniority, her niece Nuannuan will call Shen Li's children the same way, so she calls Lu Nan "Auntie" and has been calling her that ever since.

Lu Nan chuckled and pinched Nuannuan's cheek: "So, you're saying you dislike your own father?"

Nuan Nuan tilted her head and thought for a moment, then said seriously, "You can't say that. Nuan Nuan is just telling the truth."

Grandma Shen smiled broadly, "Our Nuannuan is the most honest one. Be careful your dad doesn't hear you say he's dull; he'll be heartbroken."

Nuannuan confidently raised her chin: "No, Daddy loves Nuannuan the most, he won't be angry!"

After dinner, Lu's mother took Lu Nan and Lu Zhou to practice driving, leaving only Grandma Shen, Grandpa Yu, Shen Li, and others in the main hall.

Remembering the plaster she had bought for her grandmother before, Shen Li asked with concern, "Grandma, how was the plaster you used last time? Did it work?"

Grandma Shen smiled and nodded: "The effect is quite good. My back feels much more comfortable after applying it. Lili is very thoughtful."

"It's good that it works," Shen Li breathed a sigh of relief. "Let me know when you run out, and I'll go buy you more."

"Okay." Grandma Shen replied, then suddenly seemed to have made up her mind and said, "Lili, Grandma has been staying here for quite a few days and wants to go back tomorrow."

Grandpa Yu, who was sitting next to him, paused almost imperceptibly upon hearing this, and his fingers holding the teacup tightened slightly.

Shen Li glanced at Grandpa Yu's reaction, then quickly squatted down in front of Grandma Shen, looking up at her and asking, "Grandma, are you not used to living here? Or is there anything that's uncomfortable? If there's anything you're not happy about, I'll have someone change it right away."

Grandma Shen reached out and patted Shen Li's head, smiling lovingly, "I'm not uncomfortable at all. Your courtyard is so big and comfortable, even more so than my own home. But living here all the time isn't a long-term solution."

"Grandma, what are you saying?" Shen Li held her grandmother's hand, her tone incredibly sincere. "I'm your own granddaughter! Lu Cheng and I each contributed half the money to buy this courtyard, so it's originally my share. You're living in your granddaughter's courtyard, how can you be considered an outsider?"

She paused, then continued, "Fourth Uncle is away from home most of the year. It must be so lonely for you and Aunt Wang to live there! My father isn't around either. At your age, you should be surrounded by your children and grandchildren. Why don't you stay here? If you can't bear to part with all those flowers at home, I'll have them moved over."

Seeing the sincerity in Shen Li's eyes, Grandma Shen's heart wavered slightly. She reached out and pulled her up, saying, "Good child, get up quickly. Grandma will think about it some more."

"Okay," Shen Li stood up and took Grandma Shen's arm. "Take your time to think it over. Anyway, I'm reluctant to see you leave. It'll be so lively if we all live together and visit each other! The bigger the courtyard, the better."

Grandma Shen knew Shen Li's filial piety well up in her heart, and sighed with a smile, "You, you just have a sweet tongue."

"I'm telling the truth," Shen Li said earnestly. "People live for themselves, do what they want, and don't care what others think. Grandma, you're getting on in years, so just do what makes you comfortable."

Grandma Shen chuckled, "Yes, I've lived to such an old age, but I'm not as insightful as my Lili."

"Grandma, you're so insightful," Shen Li said coquettishly. "You're just too considerate of others, always afraid of causing me trouble. But you don't know, I just want to live with you, it would be so much better if it were lively and fun."

Grandma Shen patted her hand and didn't say anything more, but her heart was already quietly at ease.

Later that evening, Grandma Shen and Grandpa Yu returned to their courtyard and resumed their unfinished chess game.

Grandma Shen stared at the situation on the chessboard and suddenly said, "When playing chess, you should play normally and not always try to let me win."

Grandpa Yu paused for a moment, then looked up and smiled, "I've always played normally. It's just that the opponents I've faced in the past were not as good as me, which makes it seem like I played well."

"Really?" Grandma Shen looked up at him, her gaze filled with a hint of inquiry.

"Of course," Grandpa Yu met her gaze, his tone extremely serious, "I would never lie to you, no matter who else I lie to."

Grandma Shen stared intently into his eyes, which were full of sincerity and showed no sign of pretense. Her doubts began to dissipate.

After the game of chess ended, the two were tidying up the pieces when Grandpa Yu suddenly spoke, his voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible tension: "Are you... really going back?"

Grandma Shen paused, her voice hesitant, "It's not decided yet."

Grandpa Yu took a deep breath, as if he had made a great decision, and softly pleaded, "Could you... not go back?"

Grandma Shen looked up at him: "Why?"

Grandpa Yu looked at her, his eyes full of anticipation: "I want to play chess with you often, just like when I was a child."

"I'm going back now, but you can come over occasionally," Grandma Shen said.

Grandpa Yu grew anxious, and his voice rose slightly: "I don't want it to be just occasionally; I want to play chess and enjoy tea with you every day, just like we are now."

Grandma Shen was stunned, staring blankly at him, speechless for a moment.

After Grandpa Yu finished speaking, he also felt that he had been a bit abrupt, his cheeks flushed slightly, and he fell silent.

Before anyone knew it, Wang Ma had quietly slipped out, leaving only the two of them in the courtyard, silently gazing at each other.

Time seemed to flow backward at this moment, and the person in front of them seemed to have returned to the way she was back then—she was still the graceful eldest daughter of the Jiang family, and he was still the ten-year-old boy following behind her.

That winter, the snow fell particularly heavily.

She went out to visit relatives and saw him shivering from the cold by the roadside.

She was never a soft-hearted person, but for some reason, looking into his clear yet stubborn eyes that day, she felt pity and took him back to the Jiang residence.

During those years, although he was young, he was exceptionally clever, sensible, and reliable, and always stayed by her side.

He was later found by his family and returned home, but then war broke out and they had to move around, so the two lost contact.

Unexpectedly, after decades of twists and turns, they met again in their later years.

After a long while, Grandma Shen withdrew her gaze and said softly, "I'm tired and want to rest. You should go back too."

"Okay." Grandpa Yu replied, and when he stood up, the disappointment in his eyes was impossible to hide.

He turned and slowly walked out of the courtyard, his steps somewhat heavy.