On the way over, Jiang Si had already explained the whole situation to Grandpa and the others in the car.
So now, when faced with the eldest son and his wife, as well as Aunt Dong from the Huo family, Grandpa didn’t even spare them a glance, let alone acknowledge them.
But in the face of Grandpa’s indifference, Huo Tingtao felt an inexplicable flicker of unease.
Ever since Grandpa and Grandma returned from their recuperation in Daihe, they had been staying at the Western Hills compound.
He had visited a few times, but Grandpa had always avoided seeing him.
When Guard Chen came looking for him the other day, he thought Aunt Dong’s words had finally had an effect.
But instead of taking a stance, Grandpa and Grandma had used the excuse of renovating the old house to kick out the other three branches of the family.
Now, the division of the family estate was set in stone.
Huo Tingtao didn’t expect Grandpa and Grandma to speak up for him, but he hoped they wouldn’t interfere when Aunt Dong fought for his share.
With that thought, Huo Tingtao quickly put on an ingratiating smile and hurried over.
"Grandpa, let me help you—"
But before his hand could even touch Grandpa’s arm, Guard Chen’s iron-like grip blocked him.
Huo Tingtao’s hands froze midair.
He looked at Grandpa in confusion. "Grandpa, what’s going on?"
What’s going on?
If it weren’t for the fact that he still needed to expose this beast’s actions publicly, Grandpa would have already beaten this heartless creature to death with his cane.
After giving him a cold glare, Grandpa turned and walked into the Huo family’s old house.
Now, not only was Huo Tingtao completely baffled, but even Dong Lihua, who was following behind, sensed something was off.
"Auntie, what’s wrong with Uncle? Tingtao was just trying to be nice—why is he acting like this? Look how upset the poor boy is!"
"By the way, where are Big Brother and his wife?"
She knew full well that Big Brother and his wife had been avoiding her these past few days.
But did they really think hiding would work?
Still, if Big Brother and his wife weren’t here, she could just talk to Grandma Huo instead.
During her years in the Huo household, Dong Lihua had figured one thing out:
The Huo men were all decent, but they had one fatal flaw—they were weak-willed. None of them could stand their ground at home.
Grandpa was like this, Huo’s father was like this, and even the younger generation was the same.
The only exception was Tingtao.
Too bad he hadn’t married well.
Just thinking about the disdainful looks from his mother-in-law made Dong Lihua complain to Grandma Huo.
"Auntie, it’s not right for Tingtao to keep living at his in-laws’ place. After the family division, they should move back here with the kids."
She wanted to bring up the division again, but Grandma Huo was far too sharp.
It was freezing outside, and she had no patience to listen to this nonsense.
Besides, she didn’t want her precious granddaughter-in-law catching a chill.
Grandma Huo said flatly, "No need to talk about the division. Your brother and his wife have already made their decision. But don’t worry—Tingtao will get his ‘fair share’!"
At this, the eldest son and his wife immediately looked over.
Had they heard right? Did Grandma’s words mean they agreed with Aunt Dong’s proposal?
Dong Lihua reacted the fastest, her face lighting up with joy.
"Tingtao, did you hear that? Your parents still care about you!"
"What are you standing around for? Hurry up and thank your grandma!"
Huo Tingtao was genuinely stunned for a moment before quickly bowing to Grandma Huo.
"Grandma, thank you! I’ll work even harder to bring more honor to the Huo family!"
His sycophantic act made Grandma Huo sick to her stomach.
"Jiang Si, the furniture you picked out has arrived. Let’s go upstairs and take a look. If anything’s missing, just tell me."
Jiang Si played along. "Sure."
With that, the two of them headed upstairs.
Huo Tingzhou’s room was in a corner on the second floor. The layout was average, but it had good sunlight, and the walls had been freshly painted.
It was about 40 square meters, with a bedroom and a living room.
Outside the bedroom was a small five-square-meter wrought-iron balcony.
What Jiang Si loved most was the view of the century-old ginkgo tree in the compound.
This was the perfect season to admire it—a sea of golden leaves stretching as far as the eye could see.
Just looking at it lifted her mood.
Grandma Huo also thought the room was nice, though a bit small.
It would be fine for the newlyweds now, but once they had children, it might feel cramped.
Luckily, she already had a solution.
She patted the wall to the left. "Once you have kids, we’ll just knock this down. The room next door is your grandpa’s study—about 20 square meters."
It wasn’t like the old man actually read books. He just used it for chess and calligraphy now and then.
And those could be done anywhere—the living room downstairs was huge, or he could even set up a table in the bedroom.
Jiang Si laughed. "Grandma, calligraphy is Grandpa’s only hobby. I can’t take that away from him."
Besides, Huo Tingzhou wouldn’t be transferred back to Capital City for another five or six years.
By then, given his rank, he’d probably qualify for a larger two-bedroom place.
And they’d only be visiting the grandparents on weekends anyway, so this room was more than enough.
Half-joking, she added, "Grandma, you can’t just tear down walls—especially load-bearing ones. It could weaken the whole structure and turn the house into a death trap."
Huh?
Grandma Huo hadn’t known that.
Jiang Si thought she’d made her point clear, but Grandma Huo immediately countered, "Then we won’t tear it down. By the time the kid’s old enough, they can sleep in their own room. A wall might actually be good."
Jiang Si: "…"
Well, that was pointless.
Before she could say anything else, Grandma Huo opened the wardrobe.
"With the heating here, I didn’t make the quilts too thick. These are all four to six jin—just right for warmth without being too heavy."
"The two wool blankets underneath were brought back by Fourth Uncle and his wife from the northwest."
"I didn’t notice any strong smell. They’ll be perfect for spring and autumn."
"These cotton shoes were made by your second sister-in-law. Oh, and she knitted you a sweater too."
Speak of the devil.
As soon as Grandma Huo finished, voices rose from downstairs.
It sounded like Second Brother and Fourth Brother were back.
Grandma Huo brightened. "Jiang Si, you haven’t met your second brother and fourth brother-in-law yet."
"Come on, let’s go say hello."
