"Ahhh! Grandma! Granny!"
Li Wu took off running without giving anyone a chance to react. His voice still lingered in the air as he dashed away, already far ahead.
"Slow down, slow down! What if you trip?"
Yang Yufen practically scooped Li Wu into her arms. The boy had grown bigger and stronger, nearly knocking her off balance. Thankfully, she kept up with her daily exercises.
"Grandma, Granny, I missed you so much! Look, I got first place! Am I amazing?"
Li Wu proudly showed off his award certificate, brimming with pride.
"Amazing, amazing," Professor Wen and Yang Yufen praised in unison.
"Li Wu, why are you running so fast? Come here. We’re taking group photos with your families as a keepsake. After this, you can grab your things and head home."
Teacher Gao shouted from a distance.
Hearing this, Li Wu immediately grabbed each elder’s hand and pulled them along.
"Grandma, Granny, look how much taller I’ve gotten!"
Li Wu chattered nonstop as they walked, and neither Yang Yufen nor Professor Wen showed the slightest impatience, answering each of his questions one by one.
After the photos, Li Wu didn’t even want to stay for a meal—he was eager to get home as soon as possible.
"Grandma brought your favorite smoked chicken. Share some with your friends, then we’ll go back."
Yang Yufen pulled out the smoked chicken she’d prepared. Li Wu hugged the lunchbox and ran off to distribute it—sharing treats was second nature among them.
"I’ll bring you something delicious next time. I’ll visit you in a few days."
Tang Sheng made plans with Li Wu. Since they both lived in the capital, they could still meet up during the break.
"I won’t see you guys until after the vacation."
Jiang Cheng wasn’t from the capital, and his family was waiting for him back home. Though he’d miss his friends, it wasn’t like they’d never meet again—there’d be plenty of chances later.
"Grandma, Granny, I want to go see Li Wen."
Realizing Hu Zhenghao wasn’t at the family quarters, Li Wu felt a little disappointed. He’d hoped they could play together this time.
"Sure, but don’t you want to eat first?"
"I want to eat the noodles made by Granny Gui Xiang. We can have them at the noodle shop, then go see my brother."
"Alright."
In the research institute’s break room during lunchtime, Li Wen tinkered with a small game on the computer.
"This kid really takes after Team Leader Qin—he’s got such a knack for computers."
Everyone gathered around Li Wen. The simple block-based puzzle game he’d created was inspired by Minesweeper. Though it lacked flashy graphics, translating the concept into a functioning program wasn’t something just anyone could do.
Most adults wouldn’t bother with such a small game, but once the kid made it, they found it surprisingly relaxing during breaks.
"This child has a bright future ahead. We can’t let talent like this go to waste. Since Team Leader Qin isn’t here, we might not match his expertise, but we still know more than most. Let’s find him some advanced books and materials."
"Books alone aren’t enough. Luckily, he’s part of our institute—we can guide him regularly."
"True. He’s naturally curious and approaches problems from fresh angles. He’s actually given us quite a few ideas lately."
Seeing the younger generation’s brilliance, the older researchers felt the future of their country glowing ever brighter.
The kids were bolder, more imaginative. While the elders followed the footsteps of predecessors, they were also laying the foundation for the next generation—so they could stand taller and reshape the world.
When Gui Xiang saw Li Wu, she not only served him an overflowing bowl of noodles but also packed an extra bowl full of meat and vegetables.
"That’s enough, enough! He won’t be able to finish all that," Yang Yufen quickly interjected.
"Thank you, Granny Gui Xiang!"
Li Wu hugged the bowl, grinning ear to ear. As always, coming home meant being the most spoiled kid around.
After happily devouring the noodles and side dishes, Li Wu dropped his things at home and followed Professor Wen to find Li Wen.
Meanwhile, Yang Yufen hopped on her tricycle and headed to the orchard.
"Old Liu, get me six chickens and a basket of eggs."
"Sure thing! Guests at home?"
"The kids are back. They’ve gotten so thin. They’ve got a two-week break—I’m going to cook them all kinds of good food."
Yang Yufen spoke cheerfully while grabbing a basket to pick fresh vegetables.
"Ah, Li Wu’s back? Then he definitely needs some hearty meals. Six chickens enough? The ducks are plump too—let me grab you a couple after the chickens."
"That’s plenty!"
"Old Zhou’s been into fishing lately. When he catches something big, I’ll have Little Zhang deliver it to you. Rare for the kids to be home—make sure to spend time with them."
Yang Yufen buzzed around energetically, returning with her tricycle loaded to the brim. She set water to boil on the stove just as Aunt Wang dropped by.
"I picked some grapes from the yard for the kids to have tonight. It’s been too long since Li Wu was home—the compound just isn’t as lively without him."
Aunt Wang chuckled, popping a grape into Yang Yufen’s mouth before helping with the chickens.
"This year’s grapes are perfect—dark purple, almost black."
"In another year or two, the vines around the orchard will start bearing fruit too."
Li Wu sat on a stool, enjoying the game but groaning at the calculations involved.
"Couldn’t you make something that doesn’t fry your brain?"
Li Wu shot his younger brother a look.
"Brains rust if you don’t use them. Or do you want to be a blockhead?"
Li Wen retorted, annoyed. The moment his brother walked in, he’d noticed how much taller he’d gotten—just as he’d finally felt ahead academically, that advantage suddenly vanished.
Especially when Li Wu deliberately compared their heights right after arriving.
"Little brother, haven’t you been eating well? Did you miss me that much? Food doesn’t taste the same without me, huh?"
The teasing remark confirmed it—this was the same annoying older brother. Clearly, he hadn’t assigned enough practice problems lately.
Li Wen quietly made a mental note to rectify that.
"It’s getting late. Your grandma must be cooking up a feast today—let’s head back early. Wang Xing."
Professor Wen stifled a laugh watching the siblings’ banter.
Wang Xing quickly packed his things and joined them.
"It’s been ages since I’ve had Grandma Yang’s cooking. I’ve missed it so much. Too bad Zhenghao isn’t here."
"You’ve got two days off too. Anywhere you want to go?"
Professor Wen led the three kids out of the lab.
"I want to visit the orchard!" Li Wu declared.
"I haven’t seen Grandpa Yang in a while either," Li Wen added after a pause. He’d rather go to the library, but that could wait—he’d let Li Wu have his way this time.
"Grandpa Yang got hurt recently, and we haven’t checked on him yet. Perfect chance to visit," Wang Xing agreed.
