Ren Xiaofeng didn't retort; his mouth was full of biscuits. He just kept nodding, indicating that he was listening attentively but wouldn't change his ways.
Grandpa Ren cooked another pot of vegetable soup. The vegetables were grown in his own yard, fresh, juicy, and pollution-free.
After finishing the vegetable soup, dinner was officially over. Ren Meng took the initiative to lead Ruan Mingchu and Mu Yu to the guest rooms. The Ren family's guest rooms were very comfortable and clean, to the point that they could be checked in without any tidying up.
“When Grandpa was young, he received help from a family. That family was always ready to welcome unfamiliar guests at any time. So even though there are very few outside guests on Gude Star, Grandpa always prepares guest rooms.”
Having accepted love, Ren Meng hopes that Ruan Mingchu and Mu Yu can also become relay runners, spreading love throughout the universe and the stars.
Mu Yu and Ruan Mingchu said, "Let's prepare a guest room when we get back."
Ruan Mingchu smiled and said, "The guest rooms in the house are cleaned every day."
Ren Meng keenly noticed that the two were a couple and envied their relationship, from school uniforms to wedding dresses, how enviable it was.
After Ren Meng left, Ruan Mingchu and Mu Yu finished washing up and chatted in bed.
"Gudexing is great, Dasui City is great, and Grandpa Ren's family is great."
Three "very good"s are enough to express Nguyen Minh Thu's joy; coming here felt like going from hell to heaven.
Mu Yu hummed in agreement. He had been thinking about the student recruitment. "Ren Meng is a Beta, which seems like a good fit. Tomorrow, we'll ask him what his future aspirations are. If it's a good fit, we can recruit our first healthy student."
Ruan Mingchu knew that Mu Yu was concerned about this matter entirely because of her, so she pulled him closer to her, saying, "He may not necessarily want to leave here."
"Young people should aspire to travel far and wide; though they may travel far, their hearts should remain with their hometown, so that when they return in old age, they will have much to say about it."
Ruan Mingchu pondered these words and found them to make a lot of sense.
"I can't believe Yu Yu can say something so philosophical."
"Who do you think you are?" Mu Yu pushed him hard, but instead of pushing him away, it made them stick even closer. "I forgot where I saw it, but I remembered it when it made sense."
"Hmm, didn't Ren Meng say he had a two-day holiday? Let's find a chance to talk to him."
The opportunity came quickly, but it was met with a quarrel between Ren Meng and his father, Ren Xiaofeng.
During breakfast, they got into a heated argument as they talked.
Grandpa Ren listened with a smile and even invited Ruan Mingchu and Mu Yu to watch the play together.
They don't see arguing as a bad thing; it's just a matter of reconciling tempers and ideas. After an argument, they're still a close-knit family, and their relationship might even be better. What's wrong with that?
The argument stemmed from Ren Meng's college application. During a mock college application season in his second year of high school, Ren Meng was determined to attend a military academy and become a soldier, fighting on the battlefield.
Ren Xiaofeng, however, felt that there was no point in going out and wandering around; staying at home and farming was the proper way out. He didn't think this way because he was influenced by anyone; rather, it was because he had ventured out into the world when he was young and ultimately felt that farming at home was the best option.
Perhaps it's because the atmosphere on Gude Star is too friendly and the people are too simple and honest that young people who venture out to make their way in the world are often heartbroken or driven crazy by the troubles they encounter, and most of them choose to come back.
Ren Meng, on the other hand, felt that he liked fighting, and that his physical and mental strength levels were not low. His teacher also believed that he would definitely be able to make a name for himself.
He longed for the passionate life depicted in movies, and for the life of fighting for his compatriots.
They have a strong sense of mission from birth.
How suitable they would be to be among the first students of the school, setting a great and positive example for future students.
Similar arguments would erupt every now and then, and the father and son would end up arguing all day, but they would be fine when they came home in the evening.
This is what Grandpa Ren explained to Ruan Mingchu and Mu Yu, who were seeing a play for the first time, while watching the play.
Ruan Mingchu: "Won't you give me some pointers?"
Grandpa Ren winked mischievously. "If I were to enlighten them both, they would know that life needs a little spice, after all."
He spoke very softly, but Ren Xiaofeng and his son Ren Meng still heard him.
The father and son were filled with mixed feelings. Although they knew that their father/grandfather always treated their quarrels like monkeys, they never expected that the quarrels would actually bring some joy to their lives.
Grandpa Ren, upright and dignified, wasn't embarrassed by the two staring at him. "Why are you looking at me? Keep arguing, or these fried dough sticks won't taste good."
Ren Xiaofeng and Ren Meng fell silent, and the argument came to an abrupt end. However, it also made Ruan Mingchu and Mu Yu decide to do their best to recruit Ren Meng as a student.
After Ren Xiaofeng went to the fields, Ren Meng went up to Grandpa Ren, hugged his arm and said coquettishly, "Grandpa, you are so naughty. You have seriously hurt my heart. Only Qingyan can heal me."
"Besides, it's rare for guests to come, so you have to let them try our specialties."
Grandpa Ren tapped Ren Meng's forehead. "You're such a little glutton. Make a feast for the hungry ghosts tomorrow night."
"Yay!"
“Let’s go buy some ingredients today,” Ren Meng said enthusiastically, determined to get started. “I heard from Xiao Ya that a new batch of high-end goods arrived at the market, and they’ll be sold out if we’re late.”
Grandpa Ren said helplessly, "Go and clean up the dishes and table. After you're done, we'll go to the market."
"Get it ready right away!"
Ruan Mingchu and Mu Yu wanted to help, but were stopped by Grandpa Ren. "He'll be busy preparing for the Qingyan feast tomorrow. Let him rest today. It's his own fault for wanting to eat."
Ren Meng, who was washing dishes, peeked out from behind the curtain: "Grandpa is the best."
Grandpa Ren laughed heartily, “People are most sweet-talking when they need something from others.”
Despite his insistence, Ruan Mingchu and Mu Yu did not go to help. Instead, they drank a pot of tea with Grandpa Ren.
A cup of tea in the morning makes for a refreshing day.
Ruan Mingchu drank half a cup of tea in one gulp. It's no wonder that young people who go out all want to come back. Ruan Mingchu also wants to stay here for the rest of his life.
75. Successfully, there are now a total of twenty-one students.
To recruit Ren Meng as a student, it wasn't enough for him alone to agree; his father and grandfather, who deeply loved him, also had to agree.
Ruan Mingchu tentatively asked Old Master Ren what his attitude was towards Ren Meng going to school outside, and Old Master Ren lowered his voice.
"It's like when you go to buy shoes. The salesperson says that size X is the best fit for you, but you're already there, so why don't you try them on? You have to try the shoes on yourself to see if they fit. No matter how eloquently others say it, it's useless."
Therefore, Grandpa Ren supports any choice Ren Meng makes. "The advantage of having adults at home is that they can provide a warm haven for the child when he wants to come back. I don't tolerate any restrictions or imposing one's own ideas on others."
Even though Ren Xiaofeng's son is already so grown up, in Grandpa Ren's eyes he's still a child with a lot of room to grow.
Ruan Mingchu thought about it carefully, then gave Grandpa Ren a thumbs up, "You've got it all figured out."
Grandpa Ren laughed heartily.
"Hey!" Ren Meng suddenly jumped behind Grandpa Ren, touching his neck with his wet hands. "Grandpa, you're so mean! You clearly support me but didn't say anything. I heard everything, and I'm going to use your words to pressure my dad."
Old Master Ren looked disgusted, but he kept smiling. "Wouldn't that be an unfair victory for you?"
"Hmph, I call this concentrating all the power that can be concentrated."
Ruan Mingchu asked, "Is there a school you'd like to go to?"
Ren Meng sighed dramatically, “I’m looking for one. I want to go to the battlefield, kill the enemy, and become a general, but most military academies nowadays only recruit logistics personnel. They don’t even give us Betas a chance to compete.”
Gender discrimination is everywhere, affecting everyone from the elderly to newborns.
"A new military academy is under construction on the Imperial Star. The newly built school will definitely treat its students like treasures. Perhaps we should consider it."
In the public's mind, a newly established school can never compare to an established one, because in reality, most established schools have better resources and can offer students a broader future.
However, the Ren family wasn't picky at all in this regard, so Ren Meng hurriedly asked, "Is there an official website? What are the specific admission requirements?"
Although the "school" is still under construction, other related things are easy to obtain and have already been completed.
Ruan Mingchu took out his terminal and transferred the URL to Ren Meng.
Immediately following were various exclamations of surprise from Ren Meng.
"Wow, the principal is actually His Highness the Crown Prince, and the teachers are all retired military officers, including General Lai Yin! He's my idol! If I go there, I might just meet him!"
"Wow, there are two campuses. Students can actually travel and attend classes on a starship. That's so cool."
"Look, sir! We can even go to the border for actual combat, which counts as military merit! If I work hard, I can become a general right after graduation."
Old Master Ren flicked Ren Meng's forehead. "You're really dreaming. Such a good school must have high admission requirements. Let's focus on getting into the school first."
Before Ruan Mingchu and Mu Yu could react, the grandfather and grandson were already actively preparing for the entrance examination.
Ruan Mingchu: ? ? ?
They didn't use a single word they were prepared to say. They're so carefree! Is this what it means for the elderly and children to be so uninhibited?
Finally, Ren Meng thanked Ruan Mingchu for recommending such a great school to him.
This made Ruan Mingchu a little embarrassed, so she decided to stick to her identity as an admissions officer from now on.
Although he really liked the school, the most important thing right now was the banquet tomorrow night. Ren Meng pulled out four folding bikes from the storage room and gave one to each person.
Grandpa Ren said, "To hold a successful Qingyan banquet, there are a lot of things to buy."
Ruan Mingchu asked, "Will you invite the neighbors to participate?"
"Of course, how can it be called a banquet if there aren't many people? It's precisely because there are many people that it's troublesome to hold a banquet, so there aren't many times. However, every family will hold one at least a few times a year, so there are quite a few banquets to eat throughout the year."
“Very rare,” Ren Meng interjected. “I want to have a banquet every day, but it’s been so long.”
Grandpa Ren laughed and scolded, "With your greedy nature, who can satisfy you?"
"Hehehe."
We chatted and laughed, and it felt like no time had passed before we arrived at the market.
Just as Ren Meng said, a new batch of high-end goods arrived at the market, and everyone rushed over to buy them, afraid that if they were too slow, they would be snatched up by others.
The market was bustling with activity, filled with the sounds of chatting, bargaining, laughter, and children whining and begging for XX.
Grandpa Ren was very popular. As soon as he entered the market, many people would come up to greet him. He was always able to socialize wherever he went.
He was on good terms with every stall owner, so he didn't have to pick things out himself when he went to buy them. The stall owners would pick out the freshest and best quality items for Grandpa Ren, and even round down the price.
Grandpa Ren also enjoys the process of shopping, buying things, and chatting with others. He occasionally stops to chat for a few minutes and praises the guests who come to his home.
For the entire morning, Grandpa Ren's mouth never stopped. All four of the folding carts he brought were unfolded and piled high with items.
Grandpa Ren held a cup in his hand, taking sips every now and then, so the cup was never empty.
Because when the drink is almost empty, the vendors will always be there to refill it.
Having come out with them, Ruan Mingchu and Mu Yu have seen the real world and just how popular people can be.
Because Mr. Ren was a helpful person, and because everyone here is grateful for kindness.
I ate lunch at a market stall: fresh meat wontons and vegetarian pancakes. A bite of wonton, a bite of vegetarian pancake, and a sip of hot soup—my nose, mouth, and stomach were all satisfied.
When I got home, I spent quite a bit of time sorting out all the ingredients and preparing anything that needed to be done in advance.