Chapter 367 – I Like Brother Xiangbei
Grandpa Xie had always had the habit of reading the newspaper in the morning.
He didn’t just read the Beijing Daily; he would read any newspaper. However, the Beijing Daily was the one he always read first.
That morning, after finishing breakfast and picking up the new issue of the Beijing Daily…
When he looked at it, he fell silent.
When he looked up, his eyes were already filled with tears.
He had read the front-page article more than once, reading and re-reading it over and over.
With each reading, his heart was filled with satisfaction and excitement.
In reality, Grandpa Xie could be considered one of the “predecessors” mentioned in Xu Jinning’s article.
They were the ones who truly pioneered for the country. Their generation had seen countless sacrifices made for the establishment and rise of the nation.
They did not know what the future of their homeland would look like. They relied entirely on their passion and deep-seated faith.
Many of Grandpa Xie’s contemporaries had long since sacrificed their lives; they could not see the present, let alone the distant future.
Yet, their hearts had been filled with hope.
Grandpa Xie knew that his age had advanced, and he could no longer serve the country.
He knew that he had limited years left and could not foresee a very long future.
In truth, he often imagined what the future of the country and its people would be like.
He had hope in his heart, but still couldn’t envision a clear picture.
But now…
This article in his hands showed him a concrete vision of what the future of the country and its people would be like.
That’s right. The future of the country and its people should be like this—powerful, stable, united, and beautiful!
The article’s specific depiction of the future made Grandpa Xie feel as though he had traveled to the future and explored it.
Seeing such a promising future, how could he not be moved to tears?
Yet, these tears were tears of joy.
Just as the article had concluded—this prosperous age had indeed turned out as they had wished.
After reading the article several times, Grandpa Xie’s heart remained stirred for a long time.
He thought that this article shouldn’t be read by just him; it should be read by the younger generation who are growing up in the country.
At the age of elementary school, children are forming their fundamental values and worldview.
They should read this article to bring them hope and to show them how strong and beautiful the future of their country and people would be.
“This article should be included in elementary school textbooks,” Grandpa Xie murmured to himself, making a mental note.
Just as he was about to call Shen Hui, he remembered he needed to find out about the article’s author.
He felt that the author of such an article must be an exceptional person, someone deserving of his respect.
To his shock, when he saw the familiar name, Grandpa Xie was stunned.
— Xu Jinning!
Yes, it was the name Xu Jinning!
At that moment, Grandpa Xie’s mind briefly wondered if it could be someone with the same name. But he quickly dismissed the thought.
He pictured the lively, vibrant girl with clean eyes—his future granddaughter-in-law.
He also recalled everything that had happened since his grandson met Xu Jinning, including that notebook, which was nothing short of miraculous.
That notebook had undoubtedly done immense good for the country.
The contribution made by that notebook was immeasurable.
The person behind that notebook had undoubtedly made a significant impact.
Grandpa Xie knew that, although the notebook had come into his grandson’s hands, it was not his grandson’s work.
He understood how indifferent his grandson could be.
So, could it possibly be Xu Jinning, his future granddaughter-in-law?
A voice inside him told him that Ningning was indeed a remarkable girl.
That’s why she was able to write such a vividly detailed vision of the future.
Not surprising, not surprising at all!
In fact, Grandpa Xie even entertained a somewhat absurd thought.
He wondered if the Ningning who wrote that notebook and this article might have come from the future.
Or perhaps had once been to the future in some way?
Although this thought seemed absurd, it didn’t feel entirely impossible.
However…
Grandpa Xie ultimately set aside his suspicions.
No matter what, he decided to keep these guesses to himself, as it was the best way to protect his future granddaughter-in-law.
So, even after such analysis, Grandpa Xie chose to remain oblivious and act as if he knew nothing.
Suppressing his suspicions, Grandpa Xie called Shen Hui and recommended the article…
This led to the subsequent meeting and phone call to Lu Guang from Shen Hui’s department.
Since the incident of replacing someone in college, Shen Hui had an immense trust in Grandpa Xie.
He also believed that Grandpa Xie would never mislead him.
Therefore, Shen Hui placed great importance on Grandpa Xie’s opinions.
Of course, after reading the article, Shen Hui also found his eyes misty and felt that Grandpa Xie was right—the article deserved to be included in elementary school textbooks and read by generations of students.
Perhaps, decades from now, there would be a generation of students who, when they read this article, might find themselves in the very prosperous and beautiful era it described.
Perhaps, by then, what the article depicted would no longer be the future but the present of that generation.
*
At the moment, Xu Jinning was unaware that her article had been published in the Beijing Daily, was being reprinted by other newspapers, and might even be included in elementary school textbooks.
In fact, when she wrote the article, she hadn’t thought about any of this.
The theme of the essay was about the future, and since she was from the future, it naturally flowed for her to write about everything she knew.
She hadn’t anticipated such a huge reaction.
Currently, Xu Jinning was hosting Huang Minyue at the small courtyard.
During the day, they had agreed that Huang Minyue would come over for dinner, so arrangements were naturally made.
From this meal, and from the way Huang Minyue’s eyes occasionally lingered on her brother, Xu Jinning was certain that Huang Minyue really liked him.
Not only did she notice, but so did her elder sister.
Her second brother, however, didn’t seem to notice.
When Huang Minyue served him food, he simply accepted it with a smile, seemingly oblivious to anything else.
Her second brother was truly too dense when it came to emotions!
Xu Jinning couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
Finally, after dinner, under her elder sister’s subtle hint, Xu Jinning took Huang Minyue out to the yard.
“Minyue, I need to ask you something, and you must answer honestly.”
“Sure, go ahead,” Huang Minyue replied.
Hesitating for a moment, Xu Jinning said, “Minyue, you seem a bit off today, and during dinner, you kept looking at my brother. Are you…”
“Ah, Jinning, you caught me!” Before Xu Jinning could finish, Huang Minyue covered her face with her hands, her shyness clear but her tone candid. “Yes, Jinning, I like your brother. I like Brother Xiangbei.”
