Chapter 15: Little Uncle’s Wish
Grandfather did not enter the room. It wasn’t due to any strict family rule, but rather a local custom. In this region, it was believed that children under the age of seven were in a state of spiritual instability. Since older men possessed strong yang energy, their presence could easily scatter a child’s fragile spirit. Therefore, to protect these young ones, elderly men generally avoided entering the rooms of sick children under seven. Grandfather held this belief even more strongly, as her studies were eclectic and included knowledge of fengshui and numerology. Zhu Yanyi didn’t fully understand the taboos involved, but she knew Grandfather adhered to them strictly.
Upon hearing Grandfather’s call, Xie Chengyu’s face instantly turned pale. He paced nervously in the cramped room. “It’s over, it’s over. I’m going to get beaten.”
Although Zhu Yanyi often teased Xie Chengyu, she genuinely cared for her little uncle. With a quick thought, she said, “Grandpa, I asked Little Uncle to tell me a story. I’ll come to you in a bit.”
Grandfather, Xie Zhong, held absolute authority in the household, and her dignity as the head of the family was formidable. However, she doted on her two granddaughters, Zhu Yanli and Zhu Yanyi. She had chosen both their names, a fact Zhu Yanyi was quite grateful for. Fortunately, she hadn’t named them with common characters like “Hong” (red), “Hua” (flower), or “Cao” (grass), which were trendy at the time, along with names like “Fang” (fragrant).
Grandfather knew perfectly well that Zhu Yanyi was indirectly pleading for Xie Chengyu. However, she believed that disciplining a child required the right moment, so she agreed to her request. “Fine. Let her tell you a story. If she does a bad job, tell Grandpa, and I’ll scold her.”
“Okay, okay,” Zhu Yanyi nodded.
Grandfather asked through the door, “Ani, are you still feeling unwell?”
“No, I’m fine now. I’ll be able to accompany Grandpa to the drying ground to enjoy the sun tomorrow,” Zhu Yanyi replied.
“Good, good. Then rest well.” Satisfied, Grandfather walked away. Little Uncle let out a sigh of relief and looked at Zhu Yanyi with gratitude. “Ani, you really are my good niece. Tomorrow, Little Uncle will pick some more dates for you.”
Zhu Yanyi glanced at her little uncle. “Little Uncle, if you don’t study hard and perform poorly on exams, Grandpa will still discipline you. So, if you don’t want to be lectured, you’d better study hard and get into university.”
Little Uncle sighed. “I know you’re right about going to university, but I want to attend a Business College. Your Grandpa always wants me to go to a Science and Technology University. Even if it’s not that, he’d accept a Language Institute or something else, or even an Agricultural College. He just opposes me going to a Business College.”
Zhu Yanyi knew from future developments that the business sector would grow rapidly. Since her little uncle had this interest, she believed it was worth supporting. “What did you tell Grandpa?”
“I just told him I wouldn’t go to the university he chose.” Little Uncle tilted his head, clearly displaying a rebellious attitude.
“Didn’t you tell her you wanted to go to a Business College?” Zhu Yanyi asked.
“No. Is that important?” Little Uncle tilted her head, looking at Zhu Yanyi. “Besides, you’re just a child. Don’t act like an adult. It’s not good to be too mature.”
Zhu Yanyi was speechless. So the conflict was caused by a lack of communication. She needed to apply lessons from the future; communication between the two sides was absolutely necessary, especially regarding future prospects. Zhu Yanyi believed that as long as they communicated, there would be no conflict between Grandfather and Little Uncle. She knew her Grandfather well. Although she had a patriarchal streak at home, she actually valued her children deeply, even her daughters. It was often the environment that dictated their choices.