On the second floor, Ou Yanan hesitated as he walked back to Gu Nuan’s room and stood at the door.
Next door, Tang Sili heard the noise, opened the door, and seeing him standing there foolishly, asked, "What’s wrong?"
"The stuff is in the garage. I ran into the butler, and he said he could fetch it," Ou Yanan turned to him and replied.
But Tang Sili had obviously heard sothing and asked him, "Did soone co downstairs?"
"It seems so—" Ou Yanan said, his expression seemingly unchanged, "It’s a pair of middle-aged won, probably guests of the hoowners, sitting in the living room drinking tea."
Thinking back, Tang Sili said, "It could be Mrs. Xiao’s parents. I heard Mr. Xiao ntion that his father-in-law and mother-in-law were coming."
Was it her parents?
A glint flashed in Ou Yanan’s eyes, but he remained composed and only asked, "Professor Tang, did you et them when you went to the county town the last ti?"
"Yes, by chance, they were with Mr. Xiao," Tang Sili said flatly, slipping a hand back into the pocket of his doctor’s coat.
In the living room, Father Gu seed to ponder and then asked Mother Gu, looking back, "The person standing on the stairs just now, was he a doctor?"
"Didn’t you see him wearing a white coat?" Mother Gu said, lowering her head.
Recalling the figure of Ou Yanan standing on the stairs, all dressed in white, one could tell at first glance he was a doctor, especially since the butler had addressed him as ’Doctor’. This filled Father Gu with imnse emotion, and he couldn’t help but blurt out, "Back in the day, that child always said they wanted to be a doctor."
Mother Gu knew whom he was referring to and buried her head even lower, not saying a word.
Father Gu seed to touch upon her thoughts, sighed, and turned his head away, equally unwilling to continue this topic.
At the doorstep of Aunt Qiu’s house, Grandpa Gu, Grandma Gu, and Second Auntie Gu were thinking about what to do next after hitting a snag.
Aunt Qiu gave them a suggestion: "Can’t find Gu Nuan? Isn’t her daughter living around here? Go stay with her. Didn’t you stay there last ti as well?"
During their last visit, it was Second Auntie Gu’s daughter and son-in-law who played hosts, but it was just for a day or two, nothing like the extended stay they were contemplating now. Moreover, they didn’t actually stay at their ho last ti. After all, Second Auntie Gu’s son-in-law didn’t like having too many people over. This was sothing even Grandpa Gu and Grandma Gu couldn’t do anything about; the son-in-law was wily, claiming his house had just been renovated and wasn’t suitable for two elderly to stay, fearing it could affect their health and possibly lead to leukemia. Hearing this, the two elderly dared not stay at their place and instead spent two nights in a hotel.
Staying in a hotel for a day or two might be affordable, but who could afford a longer stay?
It seed inevitable that they would have to leech off Gu Nuan and her husband.
Second Auntie Gu’s eyes rolled, and she pulled Aunt Qiu aside, saying, "Look, you let the old folks stay here, and I will find a place outside to stay by myself, so I won’t crowd you."
"Humph. You make it sound so easy, letting them stay at my place to be taken care of by while you live comfortably in your daughter and son-in-law’s big house," Aunt Qiu wasn’t falling for it.
Second Auntie Gu glanced at her, "Think it through. They are Gu Nuan’s grandparents, the real elders of the Gu Family; everyone in the Gu Family has to listen to them. When the ti cos, will Father Gu be able to disobey Gu Nuan?"
Aunt Qiu beca sowhat silent.
Second Auntie Gu continued, "I don’t mind staying here to take care of the old folks. But do you have a place for to stay?"
"You can set up a bed on the balcony," Aunt Qiu said.
This was the biggest concession she could make.
Second Auntie Gu frowned.
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