After the discussion, Li Zhengguo continued to guard Grandpa Xiao in the east room.
Tian Jing went to the backyard to continue.
"Aunt Xu, you only have one way to live."
Aunt Xu nodded. "Please instruct me, Young Miss."
"Be a double agent, otherwise, not only will your Master Xiao kill you, but your son's entire family will also die."
Aunt Xu kowtowed to Tian Jing with a thud. "Thank you, Young Miss, for your mercy."
"That's enough," Tian Jing waved her hand, stopping her from kowtowing further. "For now, you are a cook I'm displeased with. After I replace you, you'll only be allowed to do cleaning and laundry."
"I'm still in my probationary period, so I need to be careful. I won't be able to pass any messages out for now."
"As for your young lady, stop interfering with her. Let her fend for herself."
"Yes, yes, thank you, Young Miss, thank you, Young Miss."
"You may leave."
"Yes."
After Aunt Xu left, Tian Jing asked Xiao Shuyuan, "Do you hate him?"
"I do."
"Who do you hate?"
"Second Master."
"No, your heart harbors a trace of resentment towards your master. If he hadn't yielded, if he couldn't contend with his two elder brothers, you might not be in this state now."
"No, no, no, no, absolutely not."
Xiao Shuyuan shook his head vigorously. How could he possibly hate his master?
Tian Jing stared at him silently.
Xiao Shuyuan couldn't continue shaking his head. "Young Miss, your subordinate only feels a tiny bit of resentment. It's truly not hate. Master has had a very difficult life."
Tian Jing didn't quibble over words. "Never mind. You just tend to the flowers and trees. Keep Grandpa company when you have free time. Be good, and your later years will be peaceful. If you don't want to be good, you can cause trouble."
Xiao Shuyuan gratefully thanked her. "Thank you, Young Miss, thank you, Young Miss. Your subordinate understands."
While tending to the plants, Xiao Shuyuan noticed that climbing roses had been added to the walls of various courtyards.
The roses weren't wild; they were growing neatly and orderly, with even flower buds beginning to show. He didn't cut them, leaving them for decoration.
...
In the east room, Grandpa Xiao woke up to see four pairs of eyes intently watching him.
He smiled. "Hao Hao, Xiao Bo."
"Great-Grandpa, you're awake?"
"Yes, I'm awake."
"Then please wait a moment. Dad said you'd be told when you woke up."
"Alright."
Li Weihao got out of bed and ran out to call his father.
As soon as Li Zhengguo entered, he asked Grandpa Xiao if he felt dizzy, and if there was any numbness in his face or limbs on either side.
He also had him move his eyeballs left and right, and lift his arms and legs to demonstrate, before he finally felt relieved and helped him to slowly sit up.
"Are you dizzy? Is your vision blurry?"
Grandpa Xiao happily shook his head. "I'm fine, I feel very good. I know your emergency measures were very effective. I've dodged the risk of a stroke. From now on, I'll be calm and collected and won't worry you anymore."
Li Zhengguo responded, "Exactly. Why worry about them? They are servants with their soft spots in other people's hands. If there's any trouble, leave it to us to solve."
"Mmm, mmm."
Seeing Grandpa Xiao stand on his own feet and walk steadily for a few steps, Li Zhengguo finally breathed a sigh of relief, but he was still uneasy about him walking alone.
He called Xiao Shuyuan, who was pruning branches, to accompany Grandpa. Only then did Li Zhengguo go to the backyard to help his wife with her cover-up.
That's right, the dry well was in the backyard. At this time, there was no one in the backyard, and his wife was moving everything from underground out of the yard.
They would continue moving things towards the Prince's Mansion direction at night.
Although it was only eight to nine hundred meters from the Prince's Mansion Museum, there were many residents and intersections in between. They had to move carefully, and also be cautious not to encroach on other people's basements.
It was very time-consuming, so they wanted to move as much as they could now.
Dinner was made by A'feng using ingredients available at home.
Of course, she separately stewed a pot of dry river fish soup for Tian Jing. "Young Miss, we only have dry river fish. Tomorrow, ask A'guang to buy a hen, and I'll stew you a river fish and chicken soup."
Tian Jing nodded. "Mmm. If you need any ingredients, just write out a shopping list and give it to A'guang. These errands are suitable for him."
Aunt Xu lowered her head, not daring to speak. She hadn't stewed a single pot of soup for the Young Miss these past few days.
Grandpa Xiao also felt regret. He had only three people around him, nominally a family. Aunt Xu, between A'yuan and A'guang, had played some role.
A'yuan had already told him how Jingjing had handled Aunt Xu.
He understood that Jingjing's handling was the best, allowing them to monitor the other party's movements. However, he was still unhappy. "Aunt Xu, your wages will be deducted for three months."
"Yes."
After Aunt Xu acknowledged, Grandpa Xiao continued, "A'yuan will still be the nominal steward. For anything that needs to be handled, report it to Zhengguo and Jingjing."
"Yes."
Xiao Shuyuan quickly replied.
"A'guang, you need to learn from the incident with your adoptive parents. Before, I was too preoccupied with my own health to pay attention, so I let things slide. From now on, all of you need to abide by the rules."
"Yes."
"Yes."
"Yes."
"Yes."
A'feng also chimed in with the family of three, causing Grandpa Xiao to look at her. "You are just an employee."
"Young Miss said I could stay here and live out my retirement."
Grandpa Xiao looked at his granddaughter.
Tian Jing nodded. "Yes, Sister Feng was specifically invited back by Brother Zheng. She's single, so let her stay with us."
This Sister Feng was a descendant of imperial chefs, and by her generation, she was the only one left.
Years later, she was deceived by a scrupulous boss under the guise of partnership. After working like a beast of burden for several years, the boss claimed there was no written agreement and no contract, and she eventually died unjustly.
It caused quite a stir in the capital at the time.
When Brother Zheng saw that Aunt Xu hadn't stewed soup for her for two consecutive days, he went out to invite this Sister Feng.
Brother Zheng explained their family's actual situation to Sister Feng, stating that they would leave the capital after they finished their business, and asked her to consider.
When Sister Feng agreed to come, he then told her about the condition of living out her retirement.
She wouldn't take just anyone into her home. The fact that Sister Feng had been deceived by that boss for years showed she was rather naive.
Aunt Xu's scalp tingled. She hadn't even seen the young son-in-law go out. When did he invite her?
Since his granddaughter said so, Grandpa Xiao agreed. "Since you're staying for retirement, you'll have to follow the same rules as A'guang and the others."
"Yes, thank you, Master."
Tian Jing felt a headache coming on. If Grandpa established these rules, what would happen when they returned to Kushan?
"Grandpa, we're a socialist society now, and rules aren't established like this."
"How do you suggest we change it?"
"We'll call the Xiao family 'Uncle Xiao,' 'Aunt Xu,' and 'A'guang.' Sister Feng will still be Sister Feng."
"They will directly call us by our names, and still call you 'Master.'"
"How can that be? No, no."
Aunt Xu and Xiao Shuyuan repeatedly waved their hands.
"Before, because I was dissatisfied with your attitude, I deliberately made things difficult for you. Now it's a new society. If you use old titles, Brother Zheng and I will be gossiped about."
"Believe me, ask Sister Feng. After you came back, you should have noticed that the common term is 'comrade,' right? Things are truly different here."
A'feng nodded repeatedly. "Yes, it's better now with the reform and opening up. A few years ago, if anyone dared to use such titles, they would be publicly criticized. It was completely capitalist behavior."
Grandpa Xiao agreed. "Alright, we'll listen to Jingjing. A'yuan and Aunt Xu will call me 'Master,' and A'guang will call Sister Jing and Brother Zheng."
"Yes."
"Yes."
"Yes."
The Xiao Shuyuan family of three responded.
Li Zhengguo glanced at A'guang, who was staring intently at the dining table. "A'guang, call me 'Brother Li' or 'Brother Zhengguo.' 'Brother Zheng' is a name only Tiantian calls me."
"Hahaha, yes, yes. A'guang shouldn't call me 'Jing,' oh, wait, he shouldn't call me like Tiantian. From now on, call me 'Tiantian,' okay? 'Tiantian' sounds better than 'Jingjing.'"
A'guang, still staring at the food, eyes never leaving it, said, "Brother Li, Sister Tian."
"Mmm." Read books!
Li Zhengguo was very satisfied. Ever since picking him up at the train station, Li Zhengguo had found A'guang more likable than Manager Xiao.
"Mmm."
Tian Jing was also satisfied. She deliberately elevated A'guang to usurp Manager Xiao's authority. A'guang was always like this, unhurried and focused on eating.
With the serious matters concluded, Grandpa Xiao picked up his chopsticks. "Let's eat!"
A'guang immediately reached for the Eight Treasure Balls he had his eye on.