Teacher Xie Nan visited the village twice.
The last time, most of the villagers didn't notice Teacher Xie Nan.
But this time, Teacher Xie Nan had been in the village for some time, and coupled with Su Changjiu and his wife telling everyone they met that she was Su Xiaocao's biological mother, many people in the village now recognized Teacher Xie Nan.
Teacher Xie Nan was a very polite person and got along well with the villagers.
Furthermore, Teacher Xie Nan had heard from Su Xiaocao many good things about the kindness of the villagers, which gave her a very good impression of them.
Perhaps it was the excellent influence left by cultural figures like Shen Zizhen in the village, or perhaps it was because the Su family's children's lives improved after they started studying.
The villagers greatly respected educated people.
With both factors at play, Teacher Xie Nan's relationship with the villagers grew better and better.
Su Xiaotian sat by the stove, warming herself and quietly listening to everyone talk.
She had actually been worried about whether Teacher Xie Nan could adapt to interacting with the villagers.
After all, everyone knew that Teacher Xie Nan was quite reserved with people she didn't know well.
She never expected that Teacher Xie Nan, who was so serious at school, could mingle so well with everyone in the village and even earn their praise.
She wondered if the other teachers at school would be shocked if they saw this!
The Su family sisters-in-law went to the kitchen to cook.
Perhaps due to the long car ride, Su Xiaocao didn't feel like eating. She roasted some potatoes and sweet potatoes in the stove, planning to eat them later.
Everyone was considerate. As it neared mealtime, they began to disperse, and Grandpa Su's persistent invitations to stay could not keep them.
Grandma Su smiled and said, "In the past, our lives were difficult, and food was scarce. It's not a big deal to stay for a meal now! Why are they all leaving?"
Su Taohua and Shen Zizhen, the couple, stayed behind, saying they couldn't be bothered to cook at home and would join the Su family for meals during their stay in the village.
Grandma Su naturally agreed.
They thought that after dinner, the family could finally rest. Little did they know that after the meal, many more people arrived. The older generation rested, and the younger generation came over.
By this time, Su Sangong had already gone out somewhere.
Wang Xianghua smiled and chided, "He's forgotten his mother now that he has a wife. He's definitely gone to the village chief's house to find Xiaocao!"
Although her words were a playful scolding, everyone could hear the affection in her tone.
The young people chatted and reminisced until past ten o'clock. Fearing they would disturb the Su family's rest, they each bid farewell and went home.
The Su family had brought many gifts on their return, but due to the hurried nature of their trip, they hadn't sorted them out yet and decided to deliver the gifts the next day.
Su Taohua and her husband also went home. The exhausted Su family members simply washed up and went to rest.
No one knew when Su Sangong returned.
The night passed without incident.
The next morning, the Su family woke up early.
This time, Su Shouwen and his wife did not return with the family because their child was still young.
Everyone else who was in the capital had returned. The large family once again seemed to have returned to the lively scene of many years ago.
The first thing everyone did after waking up was to tidy up the courtyard and prepare the new house.
Su Taohua and her husband also arrived early, insisting on helping.
Li Zhuzi and his wife arrived after breakfast, a little later than Su Taohua and her husband.
After that, many more people came, some who were close to the old Su family, and some who were close to the Su brothers.
And some, naturally, came for the Su family's current prestige.
The new house would be the rooms where the Su brothers lived.
As for the other male children of the Su family, under Su Taohua's unified arrangement, they all stayed in Su Taohua's old courtyard.
With more people, the work went faster, and soon, things were mostly done.
Su Xiaotian looked at the crowded house and felt that the courtyard was a bit small.
"Grandpa, our courtyard is a bit small. When everyone comes back in the future, there won't be enough space."
Indeed, there wouldn't be enough space. In the future, if the brothers all got married and had wives and children, these few rooms wouldn't be enough to accommodate them.
Grandpa Su had also thought of this problem, but the family was currently in the capital and didn't often come to the village, so building a house wasn't cost-effective. Su Dan Novel Network
"It is a bit small. For Sangong's wedding, we'll have to stay at Aunt Taohua's house," Su Xiaosi immediately agreed with his younger sister's opinion.
Su Xiaotian thought that if her grandparents wanted to return to the village to live in retirement, this house wouldn't be suitable.
These were old houses from many years ago, built with earth and wood. Not only were they old, but their insulation was also poor.
It would be best to renovate the courtyard and rebuild the house into a small Western-style building.
Each of the nine brothers should have his own room, and the elders should also have their own rooms.
They would also need to reserve a room for each future nephew and niece.
Considering all this, the courtyard was truly insufficient.
She wondered if she should ask Uncle Changjiu later if there were any more residential plots available in the village.
Speaking of which, in Nanling Village, the old brothers who had split the family had each built their own courtyards.
It was rare for families like the old Su family to still live together.
After all, once a family splits, they are no longer one unit, and living together often leads to disputes.
Grandpa Su understood the meaning behind his grandchildren's words, as he knew his own family best.
Thinking about rebuilding the house, the old man hesitated.
If their family were to renovate the house, it would be a major undertaking, and he didn't know how much it would cost.
After all, this was no longer just a matter of the first generation of brothers, Su Laoda and his two brothers, splitting the family.
If one were to think broadly, the younger generation was also at the age to split the family.
"Xiaotian, we don't plan to return for the time being, so this house will have to do for now!"
If Su Sangong's wife wasn't Su Xiaocao, they most likely wouldn't have returned.
In the future, when children like Xiaosi and Xiaowu get married, they would certainly be settling down outside the village.
There was no need to undertake a major renovation of the house for the time being.
Su Xiaotian nodded.
She had thought about building a house primarily for her grandparents.
If they weren't returning for the time being, there was indeed no need to renovate the house, so they could wait a few more years.
"Father, even if we're not building a house for now, we should still get the residential plots approved," said Su Laoda.
If they hadn't been away these past few years, the residential plots should have been approved long ago.
It would be better to take advantage of this trip home to finalize the matter of the residential plots.
The policies were becoming stricter, and it might be more difficult to apply for and process residential plots in the future.
Grandpa Su nodded.
"Laoda, you're right. The three of you brothers have long since split the family, so it's reasonable to approve a residential plot for each of you."
"Alright, I'll talk to the village chief about this during the New Year," Su Laoda agreed and took on the task.
Su Xiaotian leaned over to Su Laoda and said, "Uncle, when you apply, apply for slightly larger plots. The brothers have all grown up, and they can't keep crowding together."
Su Laoda glared at Su Xiaotian and said, "You're the only one who knows this? Am I an adult and don't know this?"
Although the children would definitely not return to live in the village in the future, it was reasonable to keep a room in the old house.
"Uncle, how about we apply for a residential plot each in our brothers' names!"
Su Xiaosi had a sudden idea. After all, their family was a typical example of having many children bringing good fortune in the village. Their second branch alone had four sons.
Su Laoda cursed, "What good things are you thinking about? In a village, how many residential plots can be approved in a year? You're still thinking of approving nine residential plots at once? Uncle Changjiu would hit you on the head with a rolled-up newspaper!"
Su Xiaosi touched his head and fell silent.
Speaking of Su Changjiu, Su Laoda remembered another issue.