Chapter 54: First Arrival in the Capital
As soon as Guan Yuan and Zhao Shenggu stepped off the train, they were blown away by the sheer size of the capital's train station. It was the capital of the country, after all—even the train station looked grander than anywhere else.
They followed the bustling crowd toward the exit. When they reached the gate, they suddenly spotted a large sign being held up with their names written on it.
Guan Yuan and Zhao Shenggu both found it strange. They didn't know anyone in the capital!
As they got closer, they saw that the person holding the sign was a young man. Beside him stood a sharp-looking woman in her thirties, who was glancing around.
"Excuse me, are you here to pick us up?" Zhao Shenggu stepped forward and asked.
The woman finally noticed Guan Yuan and Zhao Shenggu. "Are you Guan Yuan and Zhao Shenggu?"
"If there's no one else with the same names, then that should be us," Zhao Shenggu said with a smile.
"Do you know Li Guofeng?"
"You mean Grandpa Li? County Chief Li from Yun County's father?" Zhao Shenggu asked.
"Then there's no mistake. That's him. I'm Li Guofeng's daughter, Li Wenqing. You can just call me Auntie."
Li Wenqing looked at the handsome Guan Yuan and Zhao Shenggu and took a liking to them at first sight. She said warmly.
"Auntie…" Guan Yuan and Zhao Shenggu said at the same time.
"Come on, let's go eat first. You must be tired after such a long train ride." Li Wenqing affectionately pulled Guan Yuan and Zhao Shenggu along, then turned to the young man beside her. "Xiao Wu, bring the car to the station entrance first."
Guan Yuan and Zhao Shenggu walked up to the car. They couldn't tell what brand it was, but these days, being able to afford a car wasn't just about having money.
Guan Yuan and Zhao Shenggu silently raised their estimation of the Li family's status.
"Auntie, how did you know when we'd arrive in the capital? Did Grandpa Li tell you?" Guan Yuan sat close to Zhao Shenggu in the car and asked Li Wenqing.
"Yes. Dad told me yesterday that you'd be arriving today and gave me your train number. He was worried you'd be lost since it's your first time in the capital, so he made a point of telling us to take good care of you."
"Us?" Guan Yuan was curious.
"I have two older brothers too. They're both busy today."
"Then Auntie, don't you have things to do today? We'd feel bad if picking us up kept you from something important," Zhao Shenggu said, gently patting Guan Yuan's back.
Hearing this, Li Wenqing liked Zhao Shenggu even more. Her father might seem rough around the edges, but he was actually very thoughtful. If he went out of his way to look after these two kids, they must be something special.
"It's fine. Today happens to be my day off."
Li Wenqing chatted happily with the two of them the whole way, and the more they talked, the more astonished she became. Guan Yuan didn't say much and stayed in Zhao Shenggu's arms the whole time, but he was clearly very smart. Zhao Shenggu's knowledge, though, left Li Wenqing constantly amazed. If not for his youthful face, she would have thought she was talking to a well-traveled old man. His business insight in particular was simply incredible.
Guan Yuan watched Zhao Shenggu speak so confidently and felt immensely proud. He had only shown Zhao Shenggu the future-era materials he'd collected in his space, yet Zhao Shenggu's growth had exceeded all his expectations.
Li Wenqing had reserved a table at a well-known, long-established restaurant in the capital. Guan Yuan and Zhao Shenggu had just arrived and didn't know what it was like, but the food was truly delicious—Guan Yuan even got a second helping of rice.
At the table, Zhao Shenggu kept his eyes on Guan Yuan the whole time. Whenever Guan Yuan reached for a dish more than once, Zhao Shenggu would put more of it into his bowl. Seeing him eat a lot made Zhao Shenggu very happy.
"Do you want more?" Zhao Shenggu asked softly when he saw Guan Yuan put down his chopsticks.
Guan Yuan shook his head. "No, I'm so full. Brother, the food here is really good."
The smile in Zhao Shenggu's eyes seemed about to spill over. "If you like it, we'll come here often." Worried that Guan Yuan might have eaten too much and feel uncomfortable, he slowly rubbed Guan Yuan's belly with his hand.
Li Wenqing found it amusing listening from the side. Even with her salary, eating here once a month would be a splurge—let alone coming often.
But she wasn't going to say that out loud. "Shenggu, what are your plans for the future? My dad said you came to the capital to study. How are your grades?"
Old Master Li had only repeatedly instructed his children to take care of Guan Yuan and Zhao Shenggu. He hadn't told them anything else about the two, which was why Li Wenqing was asking.
Guan Yuan and Zhao Shenggu knew that her question meant she wanted to help with their schooling. That was fine—they had just arrived in the capital and didn't know their way around. Old Master Li wasn't an outsider, after all, and having their help would save them a lot of trouble.
"Both Xiao Yuan and I got perfect scores on our high school entrance exams."
"What!" Li Wenqing exclaimed in surprise. Perfect scores—what did that even mean? Math was one thing, but Chinese essay grading was subjective. Getting a perfect score on an essay was no easy feat.
"With grades like that, transferring in will be easy. Dad really gave me an easy job." Li Wenqing joked.
"How can you say that, Auntie? We don't even know which way the city gate opens in the capital. If you hadn't come to pick us up today, we'd probably still be looking for a place to stay, let alone something as important as school," Zhao Shenggu replied, his hand still rubbing Guan Yuan's belly.
After that conversation, Li Wenqing—who had originally only been looking after them because of Old Master Li's request—now genuinely cared about these two children. "No problem. Leave it all to me. Just give me your transcripts. With two students this good, those schools will be fighting over you."
Guan Yuan had been on the train for so long, and now he was full and comfortable from Zhao Shenggu rubbing his belly. He felt sleepy and gave a lazy yawn.
"Sleepy?" Zhao Shenggu asked softly.
"Yeah." Guan Yuan buried his head in Zhao Shenggu's shoulder and closed his eyes.
Zhao Shenggu gently stroked his head and rested it on his own lap. "Take a nap for now. You can sleep properly once we're back."
Li Wenqing was stunned watching this. Zhao Shenggu really spoiled Guan Yuan. Who indulged a kid this old like that? If those little troublemakers in her family dared to act like this, she'd give them a good scolding.
"Auntie, let's head back first. Xiao Yuan is tired from the train ride."
"Oh, yes, yes, let's go. I've already arranged your accommodations," Li Wenqing said, standing up.
"Thank you, Auntie Li." Zhao Shenggu carefully lifted Guan Yuan into his arms and walked outside, trying to keep his movements as smooth as possible.
On the way back, Li Wenqing sat in the front, while Guan Yuan and Zhao Shenggu sat in the back. Because they didn't want to wake Guan Yuan, no one in the car spoke.
Zhao Shenggu held Guan Yuan in his arms, gently patting his body.
Li Wenqing happened to glance at the mirror in front of her and saw Zhao Shenggu lower his head, seeming to kiss Guan Yuan's face. Li Wenqing found it very strange—she must have seen it wrong.
Zhao Shenggu had been watching Guan Yuan the whole time and hadn't paid attention to where the car was going. It wasn't until the car stopped outside a courtyard with two armed guards at the gate checking them that Zhao Shenggu realized they had arrived.
After the inspection, the car was allowed to enter.
"We're here," Li Wenqing said from the front.
After getting out, they discovered there were several houses in the courtyard. Li Wenqing led him straight toward the middle one. "A few families live here. This is my home. From now on, just treat this place as your own home."
Zhao Shenggu thanked her. They would stay here at most a few nights, but there was no need to tell Li Wenqing that right now.
Entering the house, a middle-aged man with glasses was sitting on the living room sofa reading a newspaper. Beside him were two boys around ten years old, noisily fighting over the TV.
Li Wenqing quickly stepped forward to introduce them. "Shenggu, this is my husband, Ma Yu. Just call him Uncle Ma. Lao Ma, these are the two kids my father mentioned."
Hearing Li Wenqing's words, Ma Yu merely looked up and gave Zhao Shenggu a faint nod, then frowned slightly in disapproval as he looked at Guan Yuan in Zhao Shenggu's arms.
Though the movement was brief, Zhao Shenggu still caught it.
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