OBS Chapter 277 is about finding an opportunity to talk to Auntie.
Chapter 277 is about finding an opportunity to talk to Auntie.
"Uncle Chen, you even thought of these details," Yuan Bao exclaimed sincerely.
Mr. Chen chuckled and patted her on the shoulder: "I consider your itinerary a top priority! Xiao Lin, show the map to Xiao Yuan."
Brother Lin immediately unfolded a densely marked route map, circling attractions such as the Forbidden City and the Great Wall in red, and thoughtfully noted the best time to visit.
"Let's go to the courtyard house first, rest and recuperate tomorrow morning, and then go to Qianmen Street to buy New Year's goods in the afternoon."
Mr. Chen pointed at the map with his finger, "I've booked a New Year's Eve dinner at a time-honored restaurant, I guarantee you'll taste the most authentic Beijing flavor!" As soon as he finished speaking, Xiaoshan and Pingping cheered in the carriage.
Moved, Yuan's mother held Mr. Chen's hand and said, "Mr. Chen, we don't know how to thank you enough for all the trouble you've gone to."
Boss Chen laughed heartily: "No need for thanks! The medicine that Yuan Bao helped our company develop is currently in high demand and short supply! I'm the one who should be thanking you!"
At this moment, the driver poked his head out and said, "Mr. Chen, the luggage is all packed, and we can leave at any time!"
Mr. Chen nodded and turned to his grandparents: "Grandpa and Grandma, there are blankets in the car. If you feel cold, just let us know!"
As Yuan Bao watched Boss Chen and Brother Lin busy settling their family, a warm feeling welled up in his heart.
The minibus slowly started moving, and through the window, she saw the dazzling lights of Beijing gradually lighting up as it headed towards the courtyard house.
The minibus bumped along the cobblestone streets of the alley before finally stopping in front of two vermilion gates.
In the night, the red lanterns hanging under the eaves swayed gently, casting a warm glow on the brass door knockers.
Boss Chen strode forward and pushed open the courtyard gate. The subtle fragrance of winter plum blossoms, mixed with the warmth of the air, wafted over, startling the sleeping thrush in its cage under the eaves, which let out a few lazy chirps.
"We've finally arrived!" Aunt Yuan helped her aunt, who was still feeling carsick, out of the car, her feet wobbling.
Xiaoshan and Pingping, however, were like little motors that had been charged up, dragging their suitcases and rushing into the yard.
"Watch out for the threshold!" Mr. Yuan grabbed his son, but tripped over the threshold himself, causing everyone to burst into laughter.
Passing through the moon gate, four courtyard houses suddenly appear before your eyes.
Colorful lights were wrapped around the bare branches of the pomegranate tree in the east courtyard, and hot ginger tea was laid out on the stone table in the courtyard.
Boss Chen pointed to the east courtyard: "The bedding is all freshly aired, and there's chicken soup simmering in the kitchen. Fill your stomachs first. We just arrived today, so everyone can rest early!"
Inside the house, the heating pipes hummed.
On the octagonal table were braised beef, pea flour cakes, and steaming dumpling soup in a thermos.
Xiaoshan gripped the rim of the bowl, swallowing hard: "This dumpling soup looks even better than my mom's!"
His aunt laughed and patted the back of his head: "You heartless rascal, you haven't even tasted it yet, and you already know it tastes better than the ones at home!"
At the dinner table, Mr. Chen kept adding food to the elders' plates, but only picked up a few bites for himself.
He looked at the small mountain of food that they were wolfing down, and a smile appeared in his eyes: "Tomorrow morning I'll take you guys to eat douzhi and jiaoquan, I guarantee it'll be even more authentic than this!"
These words made Xiaoshan choke on his soup, coughing repeatedly: "I dare not drink soy milk. My cousin told me that it smells like swill!"
After the meal, Yuan Bao wanted to take everyone to visit the other three courtyard houses, but he found that his maternal grandparents were already dozing off in their armchairs, and his aunt was rubbing her temples and complaining of back pain.
She and her mother exchanged a glance and nodded in tacit agreement.
"Everyone's exhausted, let's all stay here tonight!"
Yuan Bao said loudly, "Tomorrow, after everyone has woken up, I'll take you to see the other courtyard houses next door. They're about as spacious as this one!"
After hearing this, everyone chose their rooms and went back to sleep.
As night deepened, the lights in the courtyard houses went out one by one.
Moonlight climbed up the carved window lattice, casting the image of magpies perched on plum blossoms from the window paper onto the blue brick floor.
Yuan Bao lay in bed, listening to the snoring coming from the next room, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.
She knew that when she opened the window tomorrow morning, what awaited her family was the most lively atmosphere of winter in the capital.
They slept soundly through the night, and the next morning, everyone in the courtyard gradually awoke.
Xiao Shan rushed out of the house with messy hair and half a half-eaten sugar-coated sesame seed cake in his hand: "Sister Bao! What's for breakfast? I'm starving!"
"I knew you little glutton would be thinking about food." Yuan Bao smiled and lifted the bamboo curtain in the kitchen, and the aroma of soy milk and fried dough sticks wafted out.
At the dining table, Aunt Yuan was ladling millet porridge into a blue-and-white porcelain bowl. Seeing that everyone had arrived, she greeted them, "Please sit down, please sit down. Try the pickles that General Manager Chen sent. He said they are made with the old Liubiju recipe."
At the dinner table, Xiaoshan, with his mouth full of fried dough sticks, mumbled, "Uncle Chen is so kind. He's taking us to eat roast duck tomorrow!"
Pingping handed him a tissue with disdain: "You eat so rudely. My cousin is going to take us to see the three houses next door later!"
After the meal, Yuan Bao led everyone through the moon gate.
The winter sun shines on the gray bricks and blue tiles, and the three courtyards stand quietly in a row.
Pushing open the first courtyard gate, you see an old locust tree with gnarled branches, and half-dried wintersweet petals still remain in the stone mortar beneath it.
“This courtyard has three main rooms and two rooms each in the east and west wings,” Yuan Bao introduced. “In the summer, it’s most pleasant to set up a shady shed under the locust tree, drink tea and play chess.”
My aunt touched the carved railings under the eaves and exclaimed repeatedly, "The wood grain is so beautiful, it's obviously an old piece."
Father Yuan pushed open the wooden door to the west wing, and sunlight immediately poured in, illuminating the faded New Year pictures on the wall: "It's just that no one has lived here for too long, so we need to tidy it up properly."
The second courtyard has a similar layout, but it has an extra small back garden. In the pond next to the Taihu stone, where a thin layer of ice has formed, withered lotus leaves have been frozen into ice sculptures.
Xiaoshan ran around the pond twice and said excitedly, "Goldfish can definitely be raised here in the summer!"
The last courtyard was the most spacious, with five main rooms in a row and a grape trellis in the corner.
Yuan Bao pointed to the stone table and benches under the grape trellis: "When the grapevines are fully climbing the trellis in spring, it will be so comfortable to sit here and have dinner."
Seeing the delight in everyone's eyes, Yuan Bao dared not reveal that all four courtyard houses were now under her name. So, still using Mr. Chen as an excuse, she carefully began, "Actually, these courtyards belong to Mr. Chen's friends. If..."
She paused for a moment, then said, "If we really want to settle down in Beijing in the future, I can ask Mr. Chen for help to try and buy it at a discounted price."
"Each family lives in their own household, visiting each other occasionally, and gathering together to make dumplings during festivals—isn't that more lively than back home?"
The eldest brother, Baoguo, winked at Yuan Bao with a look that only he understood.
Grandpa, leaning on his cane, shakily touched the stone mill in the yard: "Can this old man of mine still settle down in the capital?"
Yuan Bao took her grandfather's arm: "Of course! Look at this yard, it's close to the park, so it's convenient to walk the birds in the morning, and we can even video chat with Old Zhang to compare bird calls at night!"
The uncle nodded thoughtfully: "To be honest, I've been feeling a bit stifled at my job. If Xiaoshan gets into a university in Beijing, I'll come here to do freight business."
Buying a courtyard house here would be a good option, but can we really afford it at this price...?
His aunt gently nudged him: "You're just dreaming!" Though she said that, her eyes were full of anticipation.
Yuan Bao wasn't in a hurry; she just told everyone to work hard to save money so she could ask Boss Chen for a favor.
My uncle and aunt were clearly interested, and my aunt seemed interested too, but my eldest aunt was a little hesitant.
Yuan Bao noticed everyone's expressions and understood his aunt's concerns. It seemed he needed to find an opportunity to talk to her...