Si Nian had already moved into the house.
The orientation of this house was excellent, with a north-south through layout.
The lighting was very good.
All the rooms were spacious, not at all oppressive.
Not only did everyone have their own room, but there was also a study.
There was even a children's room.
It was practically tailor-made for them!
The house had been cleaned and was very tidy.
However, in a place that had been unoccupied for a long time, the air still carried a bit of a stale smell.
The younger son, who had originally said he wanted to live on the third floor, let out a huff when he saw his older brother moving his things to the second floor.
Hands on his hips, he declared, "Big brother, don't blame me for not rooming with you. I'm already a grown-up, I should have my own privacy. From now on, you can have a room to yourself."
He wore an expression that said, "Don't blame me for being heartless."
Zhou Zedong paused, glanced at him, and said nothing.
He continued walking with his luggage.
Just as the younger son was about to walk away triumphantly, he heard his brother's voice.
"Mom, let me carry that for you."
He slammed on the brakes and hurriedly poked his little head out to look down the stairwell.
He saw his mother carrying her luggage to the second floor.
To the large room next to his brother's.
Boom—
The younger son felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck his head.
Shattering his heart into pieces.
Mom had actually chosen the room next to his brother's and not his.
Seeing his things placed in the room beside hers, Si Nian smiled and asked, "Xiao Dong, aren't you going to the third floor with Xiao Han?"
Zhou Zedong lowered his gaze slightly and said, "Little brother said he's already a grown-up and wants his own room."
Si Nian thought that made sense. Anyway, there were plenty of rooms; they could arrange themselves however they liked.
She entered her room and had just stepped back out when she saw the younger son, who had already gone up to the third floor, huffing and puffing as he carried his own luggage back down.
"Brother, I suddenly think I'm still young. At such a tender age, I shouldn't be trying to act tough. I should room with you at night."
Zhou Zedong: "..."
Once the family had sorted out the rooms, they began cleaning.
They opened all the windows to let fresh air circulate.
In the afternoon, Lin Xiao brought over Da Huang and the rabbits.
Hearing that Da Huang and the rabbits had arrived, Zhou Zehan shot out like a gust of wind.
Si Nian followed behind, telling him to slow down.
Da Huang was panting with his tongue out, looking quite fierce.
He was clearly spooked from the journey.
People in the vicinity kept their distance.
Seeing Si Nian and the others, he finally came trotting over, nuzzling against them.
"Grandma, look, such a big dog!"
A neighbor's child next door clung to the iron gate, practically sticking his head out to look.
"Heavens, what a huge dog."
"Did the family next door move back in?"
The house next door had a similar layout to the new house the Zhou family had bought.
A woman in her fifties looked curiously at Si Nian and the others unloading the dog and rabbits.
She seemed puzzled.
Hearing the voice, the younger son curiously glanced over.
He saw a little boy dressed in a cool-looking blue tracksuit.
His eyes nearly popped out of his head.
The little boy was also staring back at him, wide-eyed and full of curiosity.
The younger son hurriedly tugged at his brother's sleeve, stammering, "Bro-brother, look, there's a person."
Zhou Zedong, holding several rabbits, glanced over at the remark.
Seeing it was the neighbor, he looked away, unfazed.
He didn't see what was so interesting about it.
He walked off with the rabbits.
"Hey, hey, brother, wait for me!"
The younger son's eyes were still glued to the neighbor. He had been thinking that since they lived so close, maybe he should say hello.
But he lacked the courage, afraid the other boy might look down on him for being from the countryside.
Now that his brother had left, his courage vanished entirely, and he hurried to catch up.
Lin Xiao helped move all the things inside.
Staring at the house, he was stunned for a good while.
But he quickly snapped out of it.
Si Nian wanted to invite him to stay for dinner.
But Lin Xiao had other matters to attend to and left.
Si Nian knew he was busy and didn't press him to stay.
She waved goodbye as he left.
Although the family's belongings had been moved in, the kitchen was completely empty.
They still needed to buy groceries to cook a meal.
Seeing that the cleaning was mostly done, Si Nian took the children out to buy food.
As they walked, she carefully observed the surroundings.
Although it seemed like an older neighborhood, it was conveniently located, with shops selling everything.
After walking a while, they saw a school, a market, and so on.
The children were also looking around their new environment with curiosity.
Was this where they would live from now on?
It was so lively!
Zhou Zedong held his little sister's hand.
The younger son followed behind, carrying a small basket and bouncing along happily.
The family arrived at the farmers' market.
This market was ten times larger than the one in their town.
Vegetables, fruits, seafood, fresh meat, dried goods... you name it, they had it. There was nothing they could think of that wasn't here.
Si Nian had a lot to buy, and in no time, the younger son's basket was full.
He had been strong since he was little, so carrying a full basket didn't bother him.
His eyes were still darting left and right, unable to take it all in.
"Mom, are those crabs? Why are they tied up?"
"Wow! Brother, look, this fish is colorful! It must be delicious!"
His exclamations were a far cry from the timid, hesitant boy he was during his first trip to the city.
Zhou Zedong didn't seem embarrassed by him either; the usually stern corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
"Haha, want some, little guy? You can eat these after steaming them."
"That's a koi, not for eating. It's for ornamental purposes."
The younger son's behavior didn't annoy anyone; instead, the vendor warmly explained.
"Ah, no wonder it's so pretty. Koi? What a nice name. I want it, I want it! Mom, I want this one."
The younger son hugged his basket, hopping up and down on the spot.
Si Nian glanced over. The younger son was looking at her, eyes sparkling.
She remembered there was indeed a pond in the yard; the previous owners probably kept fish too.
She immediately said, "Alright. When your dad gets back, I'll have him fill the pond with water, and then you can keep them."
Cultivating a hobby of raising small animals wasn't a bad idea.
Since the house was quite empty, it was good to accommodate the children's wishes.
They shouldn't let such a big house go to waste.
Then, she looked at the older son. "Xiao Dong, is there anything you want?"
Zhou Zedong looked at her in surprise. "Mom, I can have something too?"
Si Nian immediately replied, "Of course you can."
Zhou Zedong's eyes lit up. He said, "I... I'd like a desk, for doing homework."
Si Nian was taken aback for a moment, then smiled wryly, touching her forehead.
"Okay, I'll have your dad make you a desk. We'll get chairs too, so you can sit at the desk to do your homework from now on."
It wasn't good to always sit on the sofa or in the living room to write.
They shouldn't develop bad habits.
"Mom, what about little sister? What does little sister want?"
The younger son asked, tilting his head up.
Hearing her name, Yaoyao immediately piped up anxiously, "Mama, Mama, want White Rabbit, candy~"
"Okay, we'll buy candy for Yaoyao! Oh, and there's still the children's room. Once your dad fixes it up, Yaoyao will have her own room too."
Si Nian smiled and patted the little girl's head.
Although Zhou Yueshen wasn't home yet, the side quests had already updated.
1. Order a desk for the older son.
2. Build a fish pond for the second little one.
3. Make a children's bed for his little sweetheart.
Si Nian thought, being a father is truly exhausting.
Good thing she's the delicate and frail mother.
This kind of labor is, of course, a man's job.
The family, carrying large and small bags, walked contentedly back to their new home.
They completely failed to notice someone standing dumbfounded, watching them from behind.
If something doesn't seem to connect, be sure to look back at the previous parts.
Although I update at twelve, I write in such a rush that there are typos and awkward sentences, so I suggest everyone read around twelve-thirty—that's just right. Otherwise, many of you who follow closely might lose the thread of the previous plot. Wuwuwu, I'm guilty.
What, you ask why I don't just post half an hour earlier? Because until the very last moment, I can't get the writing out.
Who understands the thrilling, heart-pounding adrenaline rush of hitting a deadline?
