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On New Year's Day, Lin Xiao was traveling back to Beijing with Li Hao and Professor Sun. This was her first time going on a trip with Li Hao, and while she felt excited, there was also a tinge of nervousness.
The car left Lido Water View and drove directly to the High-Speed Rail Station. Li Hao had booked three business class seats. There were many people traveling for the holiday, but the spacious business class was relatively quiet. Li Hao was busy working on his laptop, while Professor Sun was engrossed in a book. Lin Xiao felt fortunate to have brought a book as well, but when she glanced at the ancient text that Professor Sun was reading, she hesitated to take hers out. Would Aunt think I’m too superficial? Recently, Lin Xiao had been struggling to finish her graduation thesis and didn’t want to think too hard, so she had brought Agatha Christie’s "And Then There Were None."
Li Hao caught a glimpse of the title of Lin Xiao's book and smiled. Noticing her slightly regretful expression, he became serious. After all, she was a PhD advisor in classical studies; if Lin Xiao were reading something similar to her, that would truly disappoint her. You see?
Lin Xiao thought Li Hao made a valid point. She realized she was being overly sensitive and cautious.
The four-hour journey passed quickly. Another black business car arrived at the station to pick them up. The driver saw them and respectfully called out, "Professor Qian, Li Secretary," then nodded slightly in Lin Xiao's direction as a greeting.
The driver appeared to be in his fifties, standing tall in a black suit and white shirt—completely different from drivers like Xiao Wang.
The car moved steadily through the city and entered a residential area guarded by security personnel before finally stopping in front of an elegantly traditional courtyard.
When they entered, Li Hao's grandparents were already there, but his grandfather was absent. His grandmother greeted Lin Xiao warmly without any airs, praising Li Hao for choosing such a wonderful girl.
His grandfather had a head full of white hair and stood tall like a pine tree with a serious expression. Upon seeing them, he simply said, "You’re back."
Li Hao took Lin Xiao to look at old photographs hanging on the wall—pictures from his grandfather's younger days. There were only a few photos from his youth, each labeled with the date, while there were many more taken after the founding of the country.
Li Hao explained the locations and battles depicted in each photograph.
As Lin Xiao looked at his grandfather, she felt he appeared even more imposing and couldn’t help but express her admiration: "Grandpa is truly remarkable. The peace we enjoy today is earned through the blood of the older generation of proletarian revolutionaries."
Li Hao agreed with Lin Xiao’s sentiment. This hard-won peace was something their generation had the responsibility to protect and pass on.
Although Li Grandpa was outside playing with birds, he heard every word they said. Each generation has its own guardianship; the older generation’s journey is nearing its end, their mission nearly complete. He hoped that the next generation would take on their responsibilities.
Having lived through so much turmoil, all he wished for in his old age was for his descendants to be safe and sound.
Li Boshan returned just before dinner. Lin Xiao couldn't tell if it was his imagination or if he was simply too nervous, but Li Boshan's presence seemed to lower the atmosphere in the house significantly.
Li Boshan glanced at Lin Xiao, acknowledging his greeting to his uncle. He then called Li Hao upstairs to the study, and Lin Xiao couldn't hear what they were saying from downstairs, but the argument above grew increasingly loud.
Li Grandma comforted Lin Xiao, saying that the father and son always argued when they met, and it had nothing to do with him.
Lin Xiao forced a smile, watching Professor Sun in the yard tending to the flowers, seemingly oblivious to the ongoing dispute. It appeared that arguments were indeed a regular occurrence in this household. Yet, with all that noise, Lin Xiao wondered why Professor Sun didn't step in to mediate.
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