Siheyuan Great Craftsmen

As Zhou Ming told Luo Na about his elder brother Zhou Tian's contributions one by one, Luo Na's eyes looked at Zhou Min more and more brightly.

Of course, he didn't say anything he shouldn't have said.

It was not until Zhou Min braved the biting cold wind and brought Luo Na safely to the police station dormitory that the two reluctantly said goodbye to each other. Zhou Min turned around and gradually disappeared into the dark night.

The next day, Zhou Tian entered the research institute as usual, and immediately immersed himself in the tackling of the first-generation lithography machine project.

Except for a short lunch break at noon, he did not step out of the office all day.

It was not until the announcement of the end of get off work sounded that he slowly packed his backpack, rode his bicycle and leisurely left the institute.

In fact, it’s not that he can’t drive the jeep home, but he feels that driving every day is not good. Besides, the distance between his home and the research institute is not far, so there is really no need to drive.

After returning home, Zhou Tian had just parked the car in the front yard when he saw his grandparents walking out from the backyard with happy faces, holding two packages in their hands.

"Grandpa and grandma, where are you going?"

Seeing the two elders so happy, Zhou Tian couldn't help but ask curiously.

"Where else can I go? Of course I should go to your third brother Zhou Min's engagement!"

Grandma responded with a smile on her face.

"Engaged? Grandma, does that mean Xiaomin's marriage is settled?"

Hearing about the engagement, Zhou Tian became interested and walked straight to grandma's side, asking with a gossipy look on his face, "Grandma, did you meet Xiaomin's girlfriend yesterday? What does she look like?"

"It worked. If it didn't, why would we two old guys be busying ourselves?" Grandma smiled so hard that her teeth were almost showing. "Besides, that girl is extremely pretty, not inferior to Xiaojun's wife at all!"

"Really? It seems that Xiaomin is quite capable. Grandpa and grandma, do you know where Xiaomin's girlfriend lives? How about I drive you two there?"

As Zhou Min's elder brother, Zhou Tian felt that he should help his younger brother.

Although in this era, most people are simple and kind, and there are few people who despise the poor and love the rich like in later generations, this does not mean that there are none.

Besides, my grandparents are old, and it would be bad if they really encountered something on the way and became ill from anger.

"Xiaotian, that's not necessary. Grandpa and your grandma are not too old to walk. You should go back and rest."

The grandfather loves his eldest grandson and knows that he is busy with work, so he doesn't want to disturb his rest.

"It's okay, grandpa and grandma. Our home is not far from the institute. Wait for me for a moment. I will go with you two."

Zhou Tian ignored his grandparents' attempts to stop him, turned around and walked towards the bicycle, pushed it out of the yard again, and then rushed all the way to the research institute.

Ten minutes later, Zhou Tian arrived at the institute, greeted the security staff, pushed his bicycle back to the shed, drove the jeep out of the institute and returned home.

At this time, the grandparents were still standing at the door waiting. When they saw their eldest grandson driving the jeep over, they could only smile helplessly and pick up their things to get in the car.

After Zhou Tian went back to say hello to his mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, he drove the jeep to his second uncle's house, picked up his second uncle, aunt and Zhou Min, and then sped towards Picai Hutong.

Bicai Hutong is located near the ruins of Dashifo Temple in the west of the city. It is rumored that a Dashifo Temple had been built here. Later, because Zang Youchen, an educator in the late Qing Dynasty, opened the "First Private Elementary School in the Capital" here, it was renamed "Bicai Hutong" with the homonym of "Picai", which means "developing talents".

Since then, this place has been home to many schools, making it a treasure land for education. There are many famous schools, including the Experimental Middle School Affiliated to Beijing Normal University and Hongmiao Primary School. Zhou Tian’s second brother Zhou Hao is currently studying in the second year of high school here.

The jeep was speeding like lightning. If you usually ride a bicycle from Nanluoguxiang to here, it would take at least half an hour, but now it only takes a dozen minutes by car.

Luo Na's home is located in a two-story courtyard in Bi Cai Hutong. Although the courtyard here is not as spacious and grand as the one in Nanluoguxiang, it exudes a strong humanistic and classical charm everywhere.

Whether it is the couplet at the door or the majestic stone lions, they all demonstrate the profound cultural heritage of this place.

As soon as the jeep stopped at the gate of the courtyard, it instantly attracted the attention of everyone around, and a group of people cast inquiring glances at it.

After Zhou Tian and his group got off the car, the people at the door immediately started talking and speculating about the identity of the visitor.

"It seems that the Zhou family is here to propose marriage?"

Just as everyone was whispering and guessing, an old lady slapped her thigh and suddenly realized something.

"Ma'am, how do you know?"

A woman next to him in a gray cotton jacket asked curiously.

"How do you know? Look at that silly boy with a simple and honest face. Isn't he the boyfriend of that girl Rona?"

As the old lady spoke, everyone's eyes focused on Zhou Min, and they suddenly realized.

"It seems to be true. That guy is Xiaona's boyfriend. I remember seeing him last time! But I didn't expect that he could afford a jeep."

"Yes, it seems that Xiaona has found a rich husband!"

Just as everyone was talking in low voices, a woman hurriedly turned around and ran into the courtyard, heading straight to the east wing in the backyard, and shouted loudly: "Xiao Na's mother, there are guests in your house!"

"Who's coming?"

Accompanied by a clear and pleasant voice, a graceful woman in her forties walked out from the east wing. Her oval face was full of confusion as she looked at the woman in the yard.

"It looks like the family of Xiaona's boyfriend. They must be here to propose marriage, and they came in a jeep!"

The woman seemed to be afraid that the other party would not believe her, and she said anxiously again, "If you don't believe me, go out and take a look. They will be at the door soon!"

"Really? Xiaona, Xiaona, you silly girl, your boyfriend is here and you still don't come out. You didn't even tell your family about such a big thing in advance!"

When the slim woman heard this, she was immediately panicked and shouted anxiously towards the house.

"Mom, I'm here, why are you in such a hurry?"

As she was talking, Rona also walked out of the house. Although there was a hint of shyness in her eyes, she was still unyielding.

"You stupid girl, you dare to talk back? Go, tell your second sister to go to your uncle Liu's house and call your father back! Go buy a pound of pork and some vegetables. You stupid girl, you didn't tell me about such a big thing in advance!"

Having said that, the slim woman didn't care about anything else. She gave an order and hurried to the front yard, leaving Luo Na and her second sister Luo Ping, who came out after hearing the sound, looking at each other in bewilderment.

"Sister, your boyfriend really brought his family to get engaged, why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Luo Ping looked at her elder sister, feeling helpless. After all, if Aunt Liu had not come to report such a big thing just now, they would probably not know about it until the other party stepped into the house.

“I didn’t expect this either.”

Rona felt aggrieved when she heard her sister's complaints.

After all, although Zhou Min's father mentioned yesterday that he would come to get engaged today, who can be sure whether he will come? Moreover, she didn't know whether Zhou Min's father would agree. To be safe, she didn't tell her family about what happened yesterday in advance. Who knew that when it was getting dark, their family actually came to the door.

"Okay, stop complaining. Here, here's twenty dollars. Go quickly!"

Luo Na was afraid that her sister would continue nagging and that everyone in the Zhou family was about to enter the house, so she quickly took out two big black tens from her pocket and handed them to her sister, and sent her to buy groceries quickly.