Before we knew it, Grandma’s Journey was about to welcome the final day of their first trip.
The night before, while having dinner on the yacht, Chu Xingxing had specifically asked the grannies what they thought about the itinerary for the last day of the trip.
There were still plenty of fun activities to do on Pearl Island.
Things like snorkeling, ocean walking, banana boat rides, flowboarding, hiking in the crater volcano park, natural hot springs by the sea…
It wasn’t impossible to pack the day full of sightseeing.
But Chu Xingxing felt that the first three days on Pearl Island had been quite tightly scheduled. She considered that while the ‘old babies’ had been having a lot of fun these past few days, they were also quite tired.
So she decided to propose a rather bold suggestion.
Taking advantage of a moment to remind Granny Sheng Shuwen to take her medicine, Chu Xingxing leaned in closer and whispered, “Granny Sheng, I have a small, not-fully-formed idea, and I wanted to discuss it with you.”
“Let’s hear it.” Granny Sheng Shuwen swallowed her pill and looked fondly at the young girl whose eyes sparkled as brightly as her name suggested.
“Look, our daily itinerary for this trip has been really packed. I’ve looked up a lot of information about island travel and read tons of travelogues. After comparing them, I found that the most enjoyable part of an island trip for everyone isn’t actually the scenic spots or the tourist activities, but rather the island’s own relaxing, carefree slow-paced lifestyle.”
Chu Xingxing paused, stuck out her tongue, and gave an embarrassed little smile.
Why did she always end up talking to Granny Sheng Shuwen like she was reporting to a leader or a boss?
It must be because of the natural aura of a business tycoon that Granny Sheng carried with her!
Sheng Shuwen listened with a gentle smile the whole time and asked warmly, “Mm, so? What special ideas does our dear have for tomorrow’s itinerary?”
Chu Xingxing said, “I was thinking, why don’t we go nowhere tomorrow, and just enjoy a full day of life right here in the beach villa.”
Then, Chu Xingxing pulled out her little notebook, flipped noisily to a page, and showed it to Granny Sheng. “See this? I’ve drawn all the places within walking distance from our villa, all within ten minutes. There’s a small local farmer’s market, a handmade candy shop, a bakery, some food stalls, a little square, and a small park. Since we’re on the island, shouldn’t we experience the leisurely life of the islanders ourselves?”
Sheng Shuwen looked at the hand-drawn map in Chu Xingxing’s notebook and burst out laughing.
To be honest, Chu Xingxing’s map was drawn very accurately, even with a style reminiscent of military maps.
But alongside these sharp, clean lines, Chu Xingxing had used cute, chunky cartoon stick figures to mark each little shop, park, and stall.
For example, for the handmade candy shop, she drew a lollipop.
For the bakery, she drew a croissant.
For the location of the food stalls, Chu Xingxing drew… various skewers and beer?
[Wow! Xingxing’s drawing is so cute!]
[Xingxing has some kind of cute, unexpected charm, hahaha. The super cool, sweet, and beautiful girl actually has an adorable, kindergarten-style drawing technique?]
[Sometimes I feel Xingxing has a bit of a ‘sense of incongruity’ – not an insult, it’s a compliment. It’s like her persona has a cute bit of OOC (Out Of Character), I wonder if everyone understands?]
[I get it, I get it! I’m on the same wavelength as the sister above! It feels like usually, Xingxing acts very steady and reliable, but when faced with certain things, she becomes like a little kid (meaning truly like a child, here)! Of course, it’s very cute! I’m just really curious, what kind of family background creates such an adorable personality?]
[Same curiosity. I’ve heard Xingxing also has twin younger brothers. Are they as likeable as Xingxing?]
[Xingxing’s parents must really dote on her, and our Xingxing seems like she has great family upbringing.]
[But I’ve never heard Xingxing mention her biological family. I am a bit curious?]
“I think this suggestion is excellent. You’re really thinking of us old ladies, understanding that we’re a bit tired after the past few days, and besides, we haven’t even had a good chance to enjoy this beautiful villa and the beach yet.”
Granny Sheng Shuwen patted Chu Xingxing’s hand and continued with a smile, “It’s been hard work for you, dear, traveling with us old folks.”
“Granny Sheng, you’re underestimating my energy. It’s not hard work at all.” Chu Xingxing smiled and shook her head.
This kind of treatment, let alone in the apocalypse, even compared to her previous life before transmigrating, felt like heaven.
“Then it’s happily decided!” Chu Xingxing closed her little notebook, tilted her head, and said, “I just asked the other grannies for their opinions too. No one had any objections to spending the last day of the trip at the villa. Plus, Sister Xiaonuan is coming to our place for dinner this afternoon. She said she wants to cook for everyone, and we can’t possibly let her handle all the cooking for so many people by herself, right.”
“Mm, about Xiaonuan coming for dinner…” Sheng Shuwen glanced at Wen Han and nodded, saying, “Then let our Xiaonuan here take charge of the preparations. Xingxing, you assist him, be his sous-chef, how about that?”
“No problem.” Chu Xingxing snapped her fingers and looked at Wen Han.
Wen Han smiled helplessly. “Yes, ma’am.”
[Someone new is coming for dinner tomorrow! Excited!]
[Haha, not really a new friend, Sister Xiaonuan is already an old friend.]
[Ah! Is it the ‘Forest Princess’ Xiaonuan who helped Xingxing get her camera back from the monkeys? I really like that gentle sister!]
[This is a really special, really unique connection. We have two ‘Xiaonuans’ now: one is Best Actor Xiaonuan, and the other is ‘Forest Princess’ Xiaonuan.]
[Really looking forward to Sister Xiaonuan coming for dinner. She seems like someone with a story!]
[Right right, I’m so hoping to hear Sister Xiaonuan’s story about why she lives on Pearl Island. Can’t wait!]
“Okay?” Chu Xingxing blinked her eyes, using her mouth to silently ask him, turning her back to the camera.
Even though they had already talked about the other Xiaonuan last time, Chu Xingxing still habitually checked in on her friend.
“Of course.” Wen Han looked at her with a gentle gaze and smiled silently.
He knew Old Madam Sheng had her reasons for doing this.
Just like when Wen Han was little, there was a period of ‘cold war’ with Sheng Luzhi, where they couldn’t stand each other.
The more they clashed, the more Old Madam Sheng would arrange for Wen Han and Sheng Luzhi to do things together, binding them as partners.
Little boys, after all, liked mostly the same things, and spending time together naturally made their relationship better.
Wen Han understood that Old Madam Sheng was worried he might feel hostile towards the other Xiaonuan, and might be unwilling to accept that sister with no blood relation.
On this point, Granny Sheng Shuwen had truly underestimated Wen Han’s open-mindedness.
For Wen Han, as long as something made his mother happy and content, he had no problem accepting it.
A child raised in an environment full of love doesn’t lack a sense of security either.
—
Granny Sheng Shuwen had already finished her dinner.
The old lady took a sip of her post-meal tea to help digestion, her gaze sweeping over the backs of Chu Xingxing and Wen Han’s heads as they leaned together, a smile curving her lips.
Why else would Granny Sheng Shuwen have always admired Xingxing privately, even off-camera?
In her eyes, this young girl had strong observational skills, was very organized, and was neither impatient nor sluggish.
Having met countless people, Sheng Shuwen could tell that Chu Xingxing hadn’t grown up in a wealthy or powerful family, yet she possessed excellent upbringing and manners, acting with both courage and strategy, never fawning over the rich or powerful.
As a ‘guide’ for all the grannies, Chu Xingxing deserved a perfect score. She took meticulous and appropriate care of them.
She showed the same concern for the crew members around her.
This young girl seemed to have a natural affinity. Perhaps that was what people called audience appeal?
As for Shengshi Group’s projects in the culture and entertainment industry – Sheng Shuwen hadn’t touched upon that field when she was at the helm. After her eldest grandson, Sheng Luzhi, took over the group, he started venturing into asset-light industries like entertainment.
Recently, Shengshi Group’s acquisition of a large amount of CBM Entertainment shares as a ‘White Knight’, becoming the largest shareholder behind CBM Entertainment, was precisely Sheng Luzhi’s strategy.
Sheng Luzhi recognized the foundation CBM Entertainment had built over the years. At the negotiation table, he consistently projected an attitude that Shengshi Group was simply expanding its portfolio, with no intention of entering the entertainment industry.
This was a major reason why CBM Entertainment ultimately chose to cooperate with Shengshi Group. Jiang Haidong’s biggest fear was losing actual control of CBM Entertainment.
And a group like Shengshi Group – ‘wealthy and kind’, and newly managed by the third generation of an established family – perfectly suited Jiang Haidong’s needs.
Old Madam Sheng knew her eldest grandson well. Sheng Luzhi had never been ‘an easy pushover’ since he was a child.
Her A-Zhi must have ambitions for CBM Entertainment that went far beyond those of a typical hostile acquirer.
Take a healthy, sunny, beautiful young girl like Chu Xingxing. She wasn’t from a performing arts background, had strong professional skills – especially a very serious and correct attitude – yet had seen little progress in two years at CBM Entertainment, faced constant online attacks, and her company ignored her even when she suffered malicious editing on a show.
Old Madam Sheng couldn’t help but lament – the only reason CBM Entertainment couldn’t make Xingxing a star –
Must be because the team wasn’t professional enough, right?
After all, not every ‘second generation’ or ‘third generation’ could hold up the empires built by their elders like Sheng Luzhi could.
Take, for example, the second young master of CBM Entertainment’s Jiang family. While his recent performance was better than before, he was still a bit green.
Judging by the current situation, Chu Xingxing’s management team truly didn’t match her talent and ability.
So perhaps…
Old Madam Sheng raised an eyebrow: After the trip ends, she’d have A-Zhi find Xingxing a new agent~
Jiang Changsheng, who had just gotten his dinner in the driver’s cabin, suddenly sneezed several times in a row, and his arms inexplicably broke out in goosebumps.
Jiang Changsheng frowned: Who’s thinking about me???
—
The final day of the Grandma’s Journey trip.
The night before, the ‘old babies’ had gotten a good amount of exercise, so they all slept well and woke up early in the morning.
It was their fourth day on the island. The previous days, they had all gone out early every day, leaving no opportunity for morning exercise.
Especially since the grannies had heard that Xingxing and Wen Han went out for morning exercise together every day, running and doing HIIT.
The night before, while everyone was sitting in a row soaking their feet before bed, Ms. Wen Xuelan asked, “Xingbao, how about leading us in some HIIT tomorrow morning?”
Granny Jiang Yao also said, “Right, right. We usually do square dancing or yoga and Pilates. We’ve never done HIIT before.”
Chu Xingxing thought for a moment, then said with slight difficulty, “HIIT might not be very suitable for our precious babies. The exercise load is quite high, maybe too intense. You guys should stick to square dancing. It has a much lower intensity and is much simpler.”
Wen Han carried over the freshly boiled hot water and refilled the portable foot-soaking buckets for the old babies. “I agree with Xingxing. You little old ladies should stick to some gentler exercise. Just stretch your tendons on the terrace and do some square dancing in the morning.”
Even though the little old ladies didn’t say much at the time, each of them felt a little unconvinced inside.
How dare they say square dancing is simple?!
Like, is HIIT really that hard?!
—
7:30 AM, Villa Entrance.
Chu Xingxing had already changed into her workout clothes. She raised her slender, fair arm, holding a hair tie in her mouth, and deftly tied up her ponytail in front of the entrance mirror.
She needed to hurry, because someone was waiting for her outside.
Wen Han had also changed his clothes and was doing some simple pre-jogging stretches at the door, but he didn’t forget to gently remind Chu Xingxing at the entrance: “Xingxing, no rush, take your time.”
He had known since he was a child that you should never rush a girl when she’s getting ready to go out.
Besides, Wen Han was naturally emotionally stable and mild-mannered, and since he was waiting for the lovely Xingxing, he naturally had no objections.
“I’m ready!” Chu Xingxing quickly finished her ponytail. Just as she was about to push the door open, she heard someone calling her from behind.
Ms. Wen Xuelan, dressed in an outfit that looked like something a vintage 90s aerobics girl would wear, waved at her. “Xingbao! Don’t go out for your morning run today! Come do aerobics with us!”
Then, Ms. Jiang Yao, clad in a trendy, baggy hip-hop outfit, sauntered out of her bedroom. “Dear, we’re doing our morning exercise too, join us~”
[Hahahaha! The grannies are so cute, Xingxing should join them!]
[Our little Granny Jiang is indeed at the cutting edge of fashion! My fifteen-year-old brother has been begging mom to buy him this brand, hahaha.]
[What brand is Ms. Wen Xuelan’s workout wear? I kind of like this old-school style!]
[Want to see Xingxing learn square dancing from the grannies!]
[Although I was prepared to do HIIT with Xingxing for our morning exercise, I don’t mind a change of pace today, doing square dancing with the grannies!]
Chu Xingxing turned her head to look at the two ‘dressed-to-impress’ old babies, hesitating about whether to join them.
Her hand hovered above the doorknob for a few seconds, and then she saw another figure emerge.
Granny Sheng Shuwen, who usually had a very business-like fashion sense, had changed into a loose, flowing dress with a magenta and peacock blue color-block design.
Chu Xingxing’s eyes widened. Whoa! It’s just morning exercise.
Why were the old babies dressed so elaborately???
Sheng Shuwen waved. “Come on, Xingxing! The grannies will teach you to dance. That day at the ‘Idol 101’ restaurant, you were the only one who couldn’t quite dance. No matter what, we’re going to teach you today.”
Ms. Wen Xuelan pulled Granny Ai Minli over. “The square dancing we do isn’t ordinary. Those other grannies use backing tracks. We perform live, fully unplugged, and you can even request songs!”
Granny Ai Minli, dressed in an flowing gauze skirt, said, “Xingxing, don’t you love ‘Drunken Butterfly’ the most? I’ll sing it for you.”
“‘Drunken Butterfly’ is so good!” Chu Xingxing’s eyes sparkled. It was her favorite song.
And it was also because of this song that she had become connected with this group of lovely old babies.
Whoa. That completely convinced Xingxing.
[Xingbao’s music taste… I’m speechless (in a teary way).]
[I never expected Xingbao to like ‘Drunken Butterfly’?!]
[Shouldn’t a beauty like Chu Xingxing listen to some trendy Western singles or something? Hahaha, she’s such a down-to-earth beauty!]
“Wen Han,” Chu Xingxing pulled open the door and stuck her head out, “Let’s skip the morning run today. Let’s do square dancing with our precious babies instead.”
Wen Han was stunned for a second. “S-square dancing?”
Chu Xingxing’s face was full of excitement. “Yeah! Granny Ai Minli is going to sing ‘Drunken Butterfly’! Plus, I don’t know how to dance, and I want to learn from Granny Sheng and the others.”
“You’re sure you want to learn dancing from them?” Wen Han looked at her with a smile.
Chu Xingxing nodded. “Definitely.”
Wen Han shook his head and gently explained, “Xingxing, you might not know, but square dancing isn’t really a formal dance category. If you want to learn Latin, Jazz, or Popping, I can teach you…”
“Latin and stuff sound so hard. I saw you dancing at the ‘Idol 101’ restaurant – you’re amazing, incredibly graceful – but it’s just too hard for me…”
Chu Xingxing wasn’t backing down without trying; she knew her own limits.
She had never received any dance training, and didn’t even have basic rhythm.
When she was dancing with the old babies at the ‘Idol 101’ restaurant, Chu Xingxing had seen the kind of ‘square dancing’ the grannies did. It was at least much simpler than what Wen Han did.
When in doubt, consult a search engine.
Chu Xingxing pulled up her search app, took a look, and then made a ‘come on’ gesture to Wen Han. “Square dancing is a type of aerobic exercise done in motion… so it’s actually similar to what we do with HIIT. Come on and join us. Our original plan was to jog to warm up and then do HIIT anyway.”
Wen Han didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
It seemed like this ‘square dancing’ hurdle had to be crossed, even if he didn’t want to…
But who could resist it when Xingxing beckoned him like that?
[Xingxing is really good at convincing people, hahaha!]
[Xingxing’s logic be like: Square dancing = Aerobics, HIIT = High-Intensity Interval Training, therefore Square dancing ≈ HIIT]
[Actually, I’d kind of like to see the Best Actor do square dancing. It’d probably be hilarious, hahaha.]
And just like that, Wen Han inexplicably got pulled into the old babies’ morning square dance team.
—
“No matter how I flutter, I can’t escape this flowery world~ If I were a single, drunken butterfly~”
Granny Ai Minli’s clear, melodious voice rang out across the entire private beach in front of the villa.
Ms. Ai Minli’s personal music taste was rather unique; she was passionate about unplugged folk-style songs.
Singing ‘Drunken Butterfly’, a tune beloved by the middle-aged and elderly, was purely to satisfy her old sisters’ preferences.
But now, there was another reason – to make her dear Xingxing happy.
Since Xingxing liked it, singing it once wasn’t a problem.
“Come on, Xingbao, follow our movements…” Ms. Wen Xuelan tossed her head back and very coolly put her hands on her hips. “Let’s start with just the footwork. Left foot forward, tap, back. Right foot forward, tap, back…”
The other old babies had already started moving to the lively rhythm.
The square dance steps were simple and easy to pick up.
After following the grannies’ footwork a few times, Chu Xingxing quickly added the arm movements.
You know, those moves looked like they didn’t require much effort, but when done correctly, you could clearly feel your body heating up.
“Left foot tap three times, close. Right foot tap three times, close. Now we’re going to do yangge steps. Sway your hips, sway your hips. One, two, three, four. Two, two, three, four…”
Granny Sheng Shuwen was surprised to find that after two repetitions, Chu Xingxing could completely keep up. She learned things quickly.
Wen Han, even more so, easily followed along.
In fact, he danced much more elegantly than Xingxing.
At first, Chu Xingxing thought she was doing pretty well, but after catching Wen Han in her peripheral vision, she quietly moved her position a bit.
Let’s just say, there’s no harm without comparison.
[Watching Xingxing alone, she looks pretty good. But looking at Wen Han, suddenly our Xingxing looks like she’s doing military boxing, hahaha.]
[After doing yangge steps, Xingxing has escaped from Wen Han overnight, hahaha.]
[Actually, following Granny Sheng’s steps, even a dance idiot like me managed to find a rhythm!]
[I did ‘Drunken Butterfly’ with the grannies twice. Just checked my heart rate and it’s actually up! And my body doesn’t feel the extra fatigue like after HIIT.]
[I’m kind of starting to like square dancing, but I’m not really into the music…]
Sheng Shuwen: “Since Xingxing has learned it, it’s time for the advanced version!”
Chu Xingxing looked blankly at the old babies who were revealing slight ‘mischievous’ grins, feeling a bit flustered. “What… advanced version?”
Wen Han knew that these little old ladies were just being playful. He handed a bottle of water to Chu Xingxing. “It’s okay, they’re just teasing you.”
Granny Sheng Shuwen put one hand on her hip and snapped her fingers in the air with the other.
Granny Ai Minli nodded to her and smoothly switched to a new song with practiced默契 (tacit understanding).
As soon as the energetic DJ intro music started, many viewers in the comment section began to get excited.
[OMG OMG OMG! It’s that, that, that song! Oh my! I forgot the name of the show I was binge-watching yesterday!]
[It’s Brother Gao’s BGM from ‘The Knockout’! Sisters, I’m ready!]
[Read ‘The Art of War by Sun Tzu’, savor Brother Gao’s life, be a confident woman! Even the grannies are catching up on dramas, hahaha!]
[Suddenly, there’s 1, 2, 3, 4… ‘Big Sisters’ in front of me?]
[Whoa! Is this a high-end game???]
“… abandoned us. Listening to the hurt in your breath, listening to the狂 (madness) in your heartbeat ~~~”
Granny Ai Minli’s high notes soared straight up.
The remaining three grannies tossed their heads back, stood coolly in a row, and started dancing in perfect synchronization – their movements heroic and dashing!
Wen Han ‘snorted’ with laughter, amused by these little old ladies.
So they deliberately chose an easy song first, just to get their Xingxing ‘hooked’.
Now that Xingxing had joined, they could unashamedly go for a ‘high-end game’ and have some real fun.
These little old ladies, back in the era when he was a kid and they were called ‘aunties’, had always loved ‘teasing’ the younger generation.
On the surface, they were all ‘proper and dignified’ individuals, but once you got to know them, they loved to mess with the kids.
Wen Han had been ‘teased’ like this since childhood, so he knew the pattern all too well.
Fortunately, he had a dance foundation and barely managed to keep up.
This was torture for Chu Xingxing, who had just learned left foot tap, right foot tap, spin three times.
She frantically tried to follow the old babies’ ‘Knockout’ moves, but by the end, Xingxing felt like she was just ‘randomly knocking’ or ‘chaotically hitting’…
Finally, Chu Xingxing started ‘acting like she didn’t care’.
Since she couldn’t do it anyway, she simply gave up and just started ‘shaking’ randomly to the beat.
[Xingxing’s long arms and legs struggling to keep up with the old babies’ devilish pace is just too cute!]
[Our Xingxing can definitely go the comedian-beauty route. The way she shook it at the ‘Idol 101’ restaurant had such good atmosphere. In broad daylight, her true colors are revealed, hahaha!]
[We love Xingbao no matter what she’s like! Being down-to-earth is the truest, hahaha!]
[Haha, this is the kind of embarrassing history Xingxing will want to hide in the future, right? Calling Xiao Quqi! Hey! JAM’s dance leader, come teach your friend to dance!]
[I love tall, uncoordinated beauties! Xingbao’s dancing has a kind of ‘brain-deficient’ (non-derogatory) aesthetic, hahaha.]
[You guys, leave Chu Xingxing alone, hahaha. I really can’t bear to watch anymore.]
[Xingxing: Save the child, save the child, save the child!]
As the song ended, Chu Xingxing only felt one thing: “I’m done for…”
Wen Han thought her dazed and bewildered look was adorable. He handed her a towel to wipe her sweat.
But the old babies didn’t intend to let her off.
“What’s wrong, Xingbao? Your stamina can’t keep up?” Granny Wen Xuelan laughed, her eyes squinting.
Little Granny Jiang grinned. “Compared to HIIT, this is a lot simpler, isn’t it?”
“We’re not completely decrepit yet, are we?” Granny Sheng Shuwen crossed her arms, tilted her head to look at Wen Han and Chu Xingxing. “Want to try leading us in some HIIT next time?”
“Pfft…” Chu Xingxing finally understood the reason. She was truly tickled pink by these occasionally ‘petty’ old babies.
Being one who always knew when to read the room, Chu Xingxing immediately raised both hands in ‘surrender’. “Square dancing is way harder than HIIT! Our precious babies are the best!”
“Keep going, keep going! Xingbao will catch up in no time!” Wen Xuelan pulled one of Chu Xingxing’s hands down and gave Ai Minli a look.
Then, the music for another BGM started playing seamlessly.
The old babies had smoothly transitioned to another ‘high-end game’ square dance song – ‘Sun Never Sets’.
“I want to send you a longing that never sets, a love letter sent. I want to send you a love that never sets, hearts connected as we travel the world ~~~”
The spot where everyone was square dancing just happened to be on the villa’s large observation deck.
The newly risen island sun shone on everyone’s cheeks, and the slightly cool morning breeze brushed the heat from everyone’s skin.
Luckily, this song ‘Sun Never Sets’ was much simpler than ‘Chaotic Knockout’. Chu Xingxing could barely keep up.
Not only did she keep up, but Chu Xingxing suddenly began to feel the joy of dancing.
Her body moved to the music. Every beat, every pause followed the rhythm.
Compared to hardcore, boring HIIT, square dancing was a type of exercise much more suitable for the general public.
Aside from professional dancers, for most people, it doesn’t matter if you dance well or badly, if you can follow the beat perfectly or not. As long as you get moving and let yourself relax, it’s the best way to exercise.
The old babies’ movements were perfectly synchronized, a clear sign they’d practiced together often in private.
They really liked using popular contemporary music to choreograph their square dances.
It wasn’t about pretending to be young, but rather enjoying the lively, youthful feeling.
Who says the elderly are like the sunset? With vitality and energy, your mindset can forever feel like the ten o’clock morning sun.
[Wow! The grannies dance so well! Xingxing is keeping up! Wen Han is still super graceful, hahaha.]
[Love, love, love it! This kind of square dancing I could do too!]
[I’ve already recorded the screen, hahaha. Gonna learn it right away~]
[Seeing the grannies’ lovely smiles and joyful atmosphere is wonderful. I hope I can live as freely and unrestrictedly as them when I’m old.]
—
The Grandma’s Journey live stream passed a very happy morning.
On the last day on Pearl Island, with no group itinerary scheduled, the old babies and the two ‘guides’ all had plenty of personal time.
After breakfast, Granny Sheng Shuwen put on her sun hat and went out to stroll around the nearby local shops, habitually trying to gauge the business opportunities and residents’ living standards.
Little Granny Jiang, a trendsetter, didn’t know how to drive, so she asked Xingxing to call her a tuktuk. She was going to the Little Mushroom Arts District, a favorite among Pearl Island’s young people, which had many independent galleries and unique craft shops.
Granny Ai Minli, an otaku who loved 2D culture, chose not to go out. She put on her earphones, hugged her tablet, and lay leisurely on a beanbag under the sun umbrella, catching up on her anime.
The remaining group – mother and son Wen and Chu Xingxing – had, for the moment, become a ‘team’ acting together.
Chu Xingxing received an email from Xiaonuan, asking if she could bring her dog to the villa.
No one had been home for too long, and Xiaonuan was worried her dog would be too lonely.
The grannies had no problem with that, of course.
Chu Xingxing and Wen Han had no issue either.
For Xingxing, not only was there no problem, she was really looking forward to petting a dog, especially since Sister Xiaonuan owned a Golden Retriever.
So adorable!!!
Xiaonuan said in her email that she would come around 4 PM with ingredients and her dog, to prepare dinner for everyone and act as a good host.
Chu Xingxing and Wen Han discussed it. They would go to the nearby farmer’s market to buy some ingredients and fresh fruit to welcome Xiaonuan, and also order a few dishes from nearby restaurants to take back.
There was no way they could let Xiaonuan do all the work for dinner herself.
Except, among those in the house who could cook, it seemed only Wen Han could, and his cooking wasn’t very good.
Ms. Wen Xuelan had never suffered hardship since she was a child. She was the daughter of a wealthy, prestigious family. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say her fingers had never touched water for chores.
Before marriage, she was well cared for and cherished by her parents; after marriage, she was doted on by her husband.
Forty years ago, when most families were just getting enough to eat, Ms. Wen’s household had seven or eight people including nannies, child carers, and tutors just to care for her two sons. She only needed to provide emotional support and quality companionship for her children.
When it came to the practicalities of childcare, Wen Xuelan was utterly clueless, let alone cooking.
The other grannies also weren’t accustomed to cooking for themselves.
Chu Xingxing could only make simple combination foods, like sandwiches. Anything requiring actual cooking was out of the question.
Wen Xuelan insisted on going to the farmer’s market with Xingxing and Wen Han, but her main purpose was to buy a bouquet of flowers for Wen Nuan.
Wen Xuelan had never been the type of mother who was very attentive to the practical details of her children’s lives, but she was a mother who remembered everything her children liked.
During the limited time she lived with Wen Nuan, Wen Xuelan remembered clearly to this day every color, food, book, toy, etc., that Wen Nuan loved.
Wen Nuan’s favorite flower was the orange sunflower.
—
After the noon rest.
At exactly 4 PM, the villa’s doorbell rang promptly.
Chu Xingxing ran to open the door.
As soon as the door opened, she was met with a big Golden Retriever panting ‘haha’ and bumping into her. Luckily, her core was strong, or she would have been knocked over.
“Sister Xiaonuan~” Chu Xingxing gave Wen Nuan a hug. “Welcome, welcome.”
“Nice to see you again, Little Xingxing.”
Wen Nuan lived up to her name. When she smiled, her eyes were sweet and crescent-shaped, very warm.
Wen Nuan’s tone carried a slight apology. “There’s quite a bit of stuff; I might need your help to get it from the car.”
“Okay, I got it, I got it.” Before Chu Xingxing could even step out, Wen Han beat her to it.
“You’re not the only ‘guide’ here. I’ll get it.” Wen Han said, then nodded to Wen Nuan with a smile and naturally called out to her, “Sister Xiaonuan.”
Unlike the overly polite greeting from their last meeting, Wen Han’s tone was natural, as if he were addressing his own cousin.
In his eyes, Wen Nuan was simply his sister, who had come into his parents’ lives earlier than he had.
“Xiaonuan, come here, let me show you something!” Wen Xuelan spread her arms wide, draped one arm around Wen Nuan and the other around Chu Xingxing, and pulled the two girls inside.
On the kitchen island stood a large, beautiful bouquet of vibrant orange sunflowers.
Wen Nuan’s eyes felt prickly with tears as she looked at Wen Xuelan.
She hadn’t expected that such a brief mother-daughter bond would allow ‘Mom’ to remember her favorite flower.
The other three grannies also gave Wen Nuan big hugs, and no one mentioned anything about the past.
For a moment, Wen Nuan felt a bit dazed, as if she hadn’t fled the capital city back then, but had grown up well in the Wen family.
But then she smiled and shook her head. She couldn’t think like that.
If that had happened, perhaps there would be no Wen Han.
At least after she left, ‘Mom’ had another Xiaonuan to keep her company.
—
Wen Nuan still didn’t call Wen Xuelan ‘Mom’ in front of the camera.
One reason was to avoid causing trouble for the Wen family, and the other was that she truly felt uncomfortable exposing private matters on camera.
Wen Xuelan understood. This was indeed her family’s private affair.
Finding this daughter, whom she had thought she might never see again, was already a great fortune gifted to her by heaven.
That night, Wen Xuelan had read Xiaonuan’s diary.
All those years, she never thought her way of raising children was wrong. It was only after reading Wen Nuan’s diary that Wen Xuelan began to feel regret.
Just like the question her husband had raised before they adopted Wen Nuan, it was only today that Wen Xuelan understood – there truly were many differences between raising a girl and raising a boy.
Every child is also an independent individual, with different personalities and temperaments.
All the children in the Wen family were gentle and kind, but that didn’t mean all children in the world were like that.
Some children carried evil within them.
If parents didn’t protect their children when they needed it, it was a dereliction of duty.
That was why Heaven punished her, making her almost lose such a wonderful child, right?
Wen Xuelan thought.
—
In the end, Wen Nuan still took charge of cooking this final dinner.
Chu Xingxing and Wen Han were her sous-chefs.
The old babies initially wanted to help too, especially Ms. Wen Xuelan.
But soon, Ms. Wen Xuelan was politely ushered out of the kitchen for being more of a hindrance than a help.
The thoughtful Wen Nuan even remembered the old babies’ taste preferences. Without needing Chu Xingxing to remind her, she prepared a table of delicious, light, and palatable healthy food, full of color, aroma, and flavor.
Using fresh fish, caught at the port that very morning, to make the soup base, Wen Nuan cooked a large pot of fragrant, soft, and silky smooth boat congee.
[After following the grannies for days of ‘cloud eating’ seafood feasts, seeing boat congee makes me crave it even more!]
[I mean, no matter how delicious seafood is, you can’t eat it every day. It feels so warm and familiar to suddenly see authentic Chinese cuisine!]
[This boat congee and side dishes are made with skill. A thumbs up from a local Guangzhou person.]
Chu Xingxing was completely mesmerized the whole time, blown away by Xiaonuan’s superb cooking skills.
She sighed again, feeling truly lucky to know such amazing girls!
Besides the local Pearl Island specialties like baby lobsters, mud crabs, and razor clams, which were steamed or cooked with garlic as basic preparations,
Wen Nuan also brought fresh Chinese toon sprouts grown in her own small yard.
Wen Nuan was originally from Yucheng, where Chinese toon wasn’t commonly eaten. During the little over a year she briefly lived in the capital, she remembered the Wen family had the habit of eating Chinese toon in spring.
She blanched the Chinese toon shoots, put them in a food processor with olive oil and a small handful of pine nuts, and blended them into a green paste similar to pesto.
Then, she fried a small pot of fragrant Sichuan peppercorn oil, made a simple soy sauce mixture, and mixed it with the Chinese toon paste as a sauce for cold noodles.
The pureed Chinese toon paste fully released its special aroma, blending with the oil fragrance of pine nuts and olive oil, and the smoky scent of Sichuan peppercorn oil. Mixed with hand-made, springy, smooth cold noodles that had been shocked in cold water, it was truly the taste of spring in the capital.
[Wow! Chinese toon!!!]
[The Chinese toon DNA of capital kids is activated!]
[Sister Xiaonuan is so amazing! She can make southern dishes and northern dishes. I wish Xiaonuan could be my sister!]
[This Chinese toon pesto cold noodle is simply off the charts! So authentic!]
After making the Chinese toon sauce, Wen Nuan prepared a batter mix of raw and cooked starches.
“Xingxing, are those pork slices cut?” Wen Nuan’s hands were full, so she had assigned the task of slicing the pork tenderloin to Chu Xingxing.
“Coming!” Chu Xingxing brought over a plate of evenly sliced meat, smiling sheepishly. “But I didn’t cut them. Mine were too thick. Wen Han cut these…”
I mean, why was it so easy to chop zombies with a knife, but so hard to slice small pieces of meat?!
“Thank you.” Wen Nuan looked up and smiled at Wen Han.
“No problem.” Wen Han raised a hand to scratch the back of his neck, smiling back. “I couldn’t help much else, just washing and cutting.”
Wen Nuan’s gaze fell on Xingxing and Wen Han, and she gently shook her head. “No, you’ve both helped me a great deal.”
Wen Nuan coated the pork slices in batter. She also brought some homemade hawthorn syrup, planning to make sweet and sour hawthorn pork for the two youngest ‘kids’ in the house.
Even though they were adults, in Wen Nuan’s eyes, these two young people, ten to twenty years younger than herself, were just kids. So of course, she wanted to make them a dish kids love.
The pork slices fried in the raw-cooked starch batter were especially crispy. Even if they cooled down and were coated in the sticky, sweet and sour hawthorn syrup, they stayed super crunchy, delicious even eaten plain.
The cold noodles were ready, each strand coated with the green, glistening sauce.
The bright red, glistening hawthorn pork was out of the pan.
The boat congee, fresh enough to make your soul ascend, was placed on the table.
These three authentic Chinese dishes completely stole the spotlight from the lobster, mud crab, mantis shrimp, and other extravagant seafood.
—
The final shot of the first trip in the Grandma’s Journey live stream.
Chu Xingxing smiled and waved goodbye to the camera. “Bye-bye, everyone. We’re going to start eating now. See you on the next trip~”
“For our second stop, we’re going to travel to Europe! Thank you so much to all the kids for liking us! You kids should also, like Xingbao, eat well and exercise more so you can have healthy bodies! Well then, see you next time, finger heart!”
Little Granny Jiang tilted her head playfully and made a heart shape at the camera. The next stop would be her ‘home turf’ after all.
If it weren’t for the confidentiality agreement, Jiang Yao would love to announce some particularly good news to the young viewers right now.
Everyone sat around the table laden with a sumptuous dinner. Behind them were the fine, golden-white sand and the endless coastline. The golden sunset cast a soft light, making everyone’s lovely, smiling faces look as if sprinkled with a light gold powder.
It was quite coincidental. The first trip for the old babies and Xingxing had begun with a spectacular sunset greeting them on Pearl Island.
And now, the same scene bid them farewell.
[Wuwuwuwu, I’m so reluctant to let go!]
[What! It’s over already? The first trip went by too fast! When will the second trip start streaming? I can’t wait!]
[Ah!!! Many days without seeing Xingxing and the old babies again, boohoo.]
[Not filming the dinner? Still want to hear Sister Xiaonuan’s story about why she lives on the island!]
[While waiting for the second trip, I’ll just have to rely on replaying the past live streams and enduring the long days…]
—
The reason the Grandma’s Journey live stream ended more than two hours earlier than usual was due to a request from Granny Sheng to the production team.
Before dinner, Wen Xuelan had specifically approached the eldest sister, hoping she would negotiate with the team to stop filming during dinner.
Wen Xuelan could see that Wen Nuan was somewhat uncomfortable in front of the camera and didn’t want Wen Nuan’s ‘homecoming’ first meal to be ruined.
Sheng Shuwen immediately called the head director over to discuss this.
The head director couldn’t make the final call and went to Jiang Changsheng, the current head of the show.
Young Master Jiang was a bit hesitant, but ultimately agreed.
The reason for his agreement wasn’t pressure from Shengshi Group, nor was it about ‘sucking up’, but because of a single sentence from Granny Sheng Shuwen.
Sheng Shuwen said: “Everyone has someone they want to protect. Tonight’s dinner involves a private arrangement. We hope everyone understands. We can film some behind-the-scenes clips tomorrow during departure as compensation.”
That sentence – “Everyone has someone they want to protect” – inexplicably touched Jiang Changsheng.
Besides his own family, he now had someone he wanted to protect too.
—
This dinner was the most relaxed and pleasant for everyone.
Especially for Wen Nuan. Without the presence of dense camera lenses and a swarm of crew members, she felt much more at ease.
Initially, Wen Nuan was still somewhat nervous, afraid the grannies might ask questions she wouldn’t know how to answer.
But later, Wen Nuan completely relaxed.
The grannies simply raved about her cooking, showering it with praise, and didn’t ask a single thing about the past.
It wasn’t surprising that the grannies praised her so much. Chu Xingxing had become a complete fan of Wen Nuan, falling in love with every dish she made.
In fact, Wen Nuan had a small question she wanted to ask this group of lovely old babies.
But after hesitating repeatedly, she didn’t voice it.
After all, Wen Nuan had been away from their lives for decades. Perhaps some people hadn’t been able to come on the trip due to unavoidable circumstances.
Asking such a question would only spoil the joyful atmosphere.
—
After the meal, Granny Sheng Shuwen took the initiative to pull Little Granny Jiang and Granny Ai Minli to wash the dishes, treating it as an after-dinner digestive activity.
Wen Han and Chu Xingxing volunteered to tidy the table and clean the floor.
Everyone coordinated tacitly, leaving the outdoor terrace space entirely for Wen Xuelan and Wen Nuan alone.
—
Villa Outdoor Terrace.
Wen Xuelan and Wen Nuan leaned side-by-side against the glass railing, listening to the sound of the waves, watching the moon reflected on the sea’s surface. They chatted casually, like a real mother and daughter.
Wen Xuelan said, “Xiaonuan, I won’t force you to come back home with me. I just want you to know, you have a home in the capital, you have family, you have a mom. You’re welcome back anytime you want to come home.”
“Mm…” A warm current surged in Wen Nuan’s heart. She nodded.
She truly wished she had been braver and more confident when she was a child.
“However…” Wen Xuelan paused, then said in a joking tone, “Usually, mom lives in the house alone. It is a bit lonely, but then again, since your mom is rich, the house is too big.”
Wen Nuan lowered her head and smiled softly. “Actually, I also bought a small apartment in the capital, near the old house. I’m… not as wealthy as you, but my income over the years has been okay.”
“So we’ve got a rich old mom and a rich young mom, is that it?” Wen Xuelan put her arm around Wen Nuan’s shoulder and laughed heartily. “Ha! Like mother, like daughter! A rich mom doesn’t have a poor daughter!”
Wen Nuan deliberately bent down and gently rested her head on Wen Xuelan’s shoulder, laughing softly.
The mom who was as beautiful and tall as a fairy back then seemed to have ‘shrunk’.
But her mother’s embrace was still warm.
Chu Xingxing had finished cleaning the table early. Having no other tasks, she noticed the wind was picking up outside. Worried that Wen Xuelan and Wen Nuan might get cold, she grabbed two blankets from the sofa to take to them.
—
Wen Xuelan held Wen Nuan, chattering softly about funny incidents from her childhood.
“You probably don’t remember a lot of things, right? Kids always forget, but Mom remembers them all, very clearly.”
Wen Xuelan raised her hand and tightened her hold around Wen Nuan’s shoulder against her, speaking gently. “Xiaonuan, just because a blood relation doesn’t exist doesn’t mean the care and yearning stop. You called me Mom, and for this lifetime, I’ll always be your mom. Mom is here, always. Don’t be afraid…”
Perhaps Chu Xingxing’s footsteps were too light.
Neither Wen Xuelan nor the others noticed the girl standing a few meters behind them, frozen as if hit by a immobilizing charm.
“It’s not just about blood relations… the care and yearning… Mom is here, always…”
That sentence kept echoing in Chu Xingxing’s mind.
Instinctively hugging the blankets tighter, Chu Xingxing felt as if something heavy were pressing on her chest, making it hard to breathe.
Chu Xingxing couldn’t understand it.
Why, why could a mother without a blood relation genuinely love her daughter, but her own parents, who shared her blood…
Obviously, she had stopped caring a long time ago. It didn’t hurt to think about those things anymore. She didn’t know if it was because she had been spending so much time with these lovely grannies and they had spoiled her, but her former self wasn’t so prone to feeling sappy or melodramatic.
Yes, at this moment, Chu Xingxing felt envious of Wen Nuan.
“Huh? Xingbao…” Wen Xuelan turned her head and saw Chu Xingxing standing not far away, holding the blankets and looking stunned.
“Ah…” Chu Xingxing snapped out of it. She quickly took two small steps forward, handed them the blankets, and looked down, trying to hide her emotions. “The wind outside is so strong, it’s getting cooler. I was afraid you might get cold, so I…”
Before she could finish speaking, Chu Xingxing realized the warm blankets were being wrapped around her shoulders.
Only then did she notice that one of the blankets in Wen Xuelan and Wen Nuan’s hands had become a scarf, the other a shawl – both draped over her own body?
“We’re both wearing long sleeves and pants, not cold at all. But you, Xingbao, standing there for so long in just a tank top and shorts – aren’t you cold?”
As Wen Xuelan spoke, she reached out and pulled Chu Xingxing into her embrace as well.
Wen Nuan reached out, adjusted the blanket a bit tighter around Xingxing, and pinched her nose tip affectionately. “Kid, before caring for others, you need to take care of yourself first.”
Wen Xuelan gathered both girls in her arms, holding them tightly, and said teasingly, as if cooing to a little baby, “The three of us will huddle together. Huddling together keeps the cold away!”
The moment she was held by Wen Xuelan and Wen Nuan, Chu Xingxing’s nose tingled slightly.
So this is what it feels like to be loved by family?
