Deng Jing could do nothing about her youngest daughter.
Yaoyao only wanted to get into a university in the capital. The whole family of her friend Yaoyao? Wait—Yaoyao herself was the one wanting to come to the capital; she insisted on going elsewhere to study animation in the fine arts department.
They respected their daughter’s wishes, of course, but they still did not want her to go so far away. There were fine arts colleges in the capital too, so why apply to one somewhere else?
But Yaoyao had made up her mind. She wanted to work at the Shanghai Animation Film Studio in the future, so she thought it would be better to go there early and get used to the environment.
Deng Jing and Su Jue had no way to dissuade her and could only agree.
After helping Jiang Chengzhou take a look at the house, Deng Jing took her daughter to Shanghai the next day.
As soon as she left, Lin Zhilan and her husband arrived in the capital with their two children.
Since the new school term had not yet begun, Lin Zhilan and Su Lang took the opportunity to spend several days at home with their parents-in-law after finally making the trip to the capital. They also went to visit Cheng Qingshan.
Cheng Qingshan was now practically retired and had considerably more free time than before.
The moment the family arrived, Dog immediately rushed toward Su Li, its tail whipping back and forth like a helicopter rotor.
Cheng Qingshan laughed. “Look at that. It still remembers you!”
Su Li had stayed there for a while before, taking Dog out for walks every day and forming a deep friendship with it.
Dog loved being active, but Cheng Qingshan did not have much time. Usually, the nanny only took it out for a quick walk in the morning when she went shopping for groceries. The poor thing had nearly been driven crazy from being cooped up.
When Su Li had been there, those had been Dog’s happiest days. Someone was willing to run and play with it, and it never seemed to tire.
Hearing that, Su Li hugged the big dog around the neck. “We’re best brothers.”
Cheng Qingshan cheerfully reminded him, “She’s female.”
“Then we’re best sisters.” Su Li did not mind at all and said it openly.
Cheng Qingshan liked his personality. The smile on his face deepened until his wrinkles all crinkled together.
Lin Zhilan and Su Lang put the things they were carrying on the living-room table. When they turned around, they saw that Cheng Qingshan was still playing with Dog and Linlin alongside Su Li.
The dog Tu Jing had given Cheng Qingshan was a native Taihang hound, commonly called a “big silly dog” in northern China.
It had been adorably cute as a puppy, but now that it was grown, it stood nearly seventy centimeters at the shoulder and was an enormous animal.
Linlin was a little afraid. Cheng Qingshan and Su Li each held onto one side—one restraining Dog and the other holding Linlin’s hand—as they taught her to pet its head.
Cheng Qingshan was rather peculiar. He had kept Dog for so long, yet had never given it a proper name. He simply called it “Dog.”
Dog had therefore assumed that “Dog” was its name and responded to it obediently enough.
Lin Zhilan spread her hands helplessly at Su Lang.
The moment they arrived, Cheng Qingshan had not even greeted them before running off to play with the children.
She simply rolled up her sleeves and went into the kitchen with Su Lang.
Cheng Qingshan’s nanny was still the same woman as before, and she remembered Lin Zhilan’s family well.
In fact, apart from work, Cheng Qingshan did not socialize much. Other than Tu Jing, the only person who often came to visit him was that young man, Jiang Chengzhou.
The nanny was good at reading situations. She knew that Cheng Qingshan valued Lin Zhilan’s family and treated them like his own children, so she did not dare neglect them.
As they sorted vegetables together in the kitchen, Lin Zhilan naturally asked about Cheng Qingshan’s diet and daily routine. None of it was confidential, so the nanny told her everything.
During the meal, Lin Zhilan began to scold Cheng Qingshan.
“Uncle Cheng, I heard you’ve started smoking again recently?”
Cheng Qingshan coughed lightly, looking a little guilty. He hurriedly put food into Linlin’s and Su Li’s bowls and answered vaguely, “No, no. Just one cigarette every now and then. It’s nothing.”
“If you can avoid smoking, then don’t smoke. It’s not good for you. Chengzhou comes to see you so often—you need to set a good example for the children.”
Cheng Qingshan nodded repeatedly. “All right, all right. I won’t smoke anymore.”
Seeing him like that, Lin Zhilan softened a little. “I brought you quite a lot of dried shrimp this time. They were boiled before being roasted dry, so you can eat them directly or use them in cooking. If your mouth feels bored, chew on a dried shrimp now and then instead of smoking.”
Su Lang said, “Linlin, you should come over more often in the future and keep an eye on your Grandpa Cheng. If you catch him smoking again, call your mother and tell on him.”
No one could really control Cheng Qingshan, but he was still willing to listen to a few words from Lin Zhilan.
“All right!” Linlin replied, her eyes curving into a smile as she held her chopsticks.
Cheng Qingshan glared at Su Lang.
He did not dare argue with Lin Zhilan, but he was not nearly as tolerant of Su Lang.
Su Lang had his wife backing him, though, so he was not afraid. He even gave Cheng Qingshan a smile.
Cheng Qingshan snorted but did not pursue the matter.
He also wanted Linlin to come and see him more often.
Su Lang had his own motives as well.
With Linlin in the capital, she had her grandparents and her second uncle and aunt there, but she had previously been with him every day, right under his watch. Now that she was suddenly no longer by his side, Su Lang felt uneasy, afraid that she might suffer or be mistreated outside.
Even though Cheng Qingshan was getting older and had handed part of his power over to others, he was still a highly influential figure in the capital.
Su Lang only wanted to borrow some of that influence and give his daughter an extra layer of protection, just in case.
At Cheng Qingshan’s level, he had dedicated health-care doctors. There were both traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and Western doctors, and they came to his home once or twice a week on a fixed schedule to monitor and record his condition.
Lin Zhilan knew that his health-care doctor would be coming that day, so she stayed until five in the afternoon.
In truth, Cheng Qingshan lacked for nothing. He had people specifically assigned to care for him, and there was not much Lin Zhilan and Su Lang could do for him.
While Lin Zhilan discussed his health with the doctor, Su Lang took the two children into the yard and tried to build a grape trellis for him. Dog ran around the yard excitedly as well.
Cheng Qingshan sat nearby with his teacup, watching them. An unconscious smile rested on his face.
This, perhaps, was the very essence of family happiness.
After visiting Cheng Qingshan, it was officially time for Linlin to report to school.
Jiang Chengzhou did not have a summer vacation, but he had taken a day off specifically to escort her to school.
Yan Yuan and Shen Man came along too.
As for Li Xuan, he had been sent abroad on a government-sponsored study program and could not make it.
There were certainly parents bringing their children to school, but few arrivals caused as much commotion as Linlin’s.
Shen Man was not surprised to hear that Linlin planned to commute from home, but she still offered a reminder.
“Living at home will certainly be more comfortable, but I’ve heard that your school requires everyone to stay in the dormitories during the first half-month of military training.”
Linlin was not troubled by this and nodded.
In truth, she could endure hardship. It was simply that the people around her protected her so carefully that they could not bear to see her suffer.
Jiang Chengzhou hurriedly explained the precautions for military training to his younger sister, while Yan Yuan occasionally added a few words.
Linlin was surrounded by her older brothers and sisters, leaving even her parents, Lin Zhilan and Su Lang, no choice but to step aside.
This was Su Li’s first time entering a university, and he was as excited as a puppy let loose. If Su Lang had not grabbed him by the back of his collar, he would have run off and disappeared long ago.
There was a large open area inside the Capital Aviation University, where several retired aircraft were displayed. They were used as practical teaching aids for students’ classes and training.
Su Li had only ever seen airplanes in the sky. This was his first time seeing one up close, and he finally realized just how enormous an airplane was. He immediately became fascinated.
“Sis.” Su Li squeezed past his brother and went over to Linlin. Pointing at the airplanes, he asked, “If you study here, will you be able to fly in an airplane in the future?”
