Autumn had arrived, and the weather in Guangzhou was gradually turning cool.
Withered leaves littered the courtyard.
Swish! Swish!
Lian Youming swept the courtyard with a broom.
Yan Lingyun sat nearby, working a pair of bamboo needles in her hands, turning, hooking, and picking as she knitted a sweater and hummed a little tune.
On the kitchen stove, a pot of red-braised pork and another of sauce-braised bones simmered over low heat. The rich aroma of meat mingled with the overpowering fragrance of spices, smelling good enough to carry for miles and making people dozens of meters away swallow repeatedly.
There was more besides: plenty of prepared ingredients lay on the chopping board.
There was no other reason. It was Yan Lingyun's birthday, so they were having a good meal.
As for Lian Youming's birthday, that would come after spring began.
The morning sun rose in the east.
Outside the courtyard, two sets of footsteps approached from the distance.
It was Yan's Father and Yan's Mother.
"Grandpa! Grandma!"
Hearing the sound, Little Stone, who should have been fast asleep beside Yan Lingyun, actually climbed up on his own. Giggling, he clenched his little fists and ran toward the gate.
At the sight of their grandson reaching out to be picked up, Yan's Father and Yan's Mother, who had come from Wuzhou, immediately beamed.
Though the Yan Family was flourishing and had plenty of descendants, Little Stone was the first to be raised so plump, so strong, and so lovable. He was an absolute treasure in the elders' eyes.
"Come here, let Grandma hold you!"
Yan's Mother had brought plenty of food, too. She hurriedly freed both hands and gathered her grandson into her arms.
To Lian Youming's surprise, the boy opened his mouth and popped out a few more words