Xu Nian’an rolled around on the bed. Compared to the hardwood bed, the Simmons bed was heaven and earth apart!
"Second brother, how come I never noticed your voice is so shrill!"
As Xu Nianhua walked up to the second floor, she saw the living room furnished with a sofa and coffee table. There was also a bookshelf next to it, holding all the books they had left at home, neatly arranged. Moreover, their photographs hung on the wall, conspicuously on display.
"There’s no kitchen upstairs, so we made three rooms, plus a bathroom for your convenience when you get up at night," Ji Ying explained.
Xu Nianhua looked at the door to her room, a handmade wooden door with a coat of clear varnish that brought out the beauty of the wood grain. What could be behind that door?
"Take a look, see if you like it." Ji Ying stood at the door, signaling Xu Nianhua to push it open.
"Little sister, go on. Open it and see what your room is like!" Xu Nian’an ran over, too, his face brimming with curiosity as he eyed the handmade door, wondering what her room would look like.
Xu Nianhua reached out her hand, feeling unexplainably excited. She took a deep breath, pressed down on the doorknob, and the moment she pushed the door open, it was as if she submerged into a pink ocean. The first thing she saw was the girlish, pink, large bed covered with a mosquito net due to summer; the breeze from the window blew, making the net flutter—utterly enchanting.
"Your elder brother personally bought this mosquito net from South City. It’s not like the old ones that were so tightly woven they didn’t let air through. This net is especially breathable and much prettier. How about it, do you like it?" Ji Ying explained that the mosquito net was one of a kind.
Xu Nianhua walked into the room. It was a decent size, with a whole wall fitted with wooden cabinets, simple yet attractive. By the window, facing the side of the bed, there was a pretty dressing table; at the foot of the bed, a large custom desk and bookshelves were placed for her convenience when doing homework and storing books.
She opened the cabinet to find not only new clothes but also her clothes from before that she had left at home.
"It’s not fair!" Xu Nian’an, looking at the dreamy room and the clothes in the cabinet, couldn’t help but complain, "My room isn’t nearly as pretty as little sister’s, and I don’t even have a mosquito net over my bed?"
"Your elder brother brought back four mosquito nets, but one of them was damaged," Ji Ying cleared her throat, explaining, "We were planning to get you a new one before the summer break."
Xu Nian’an felt aggrieved.
"I love this room." Xu Nianhua stood by the window, gazing into the distance at the layers of mountains, the green hills and clear waters, with the evening glow hanging in the sky, utterly beautiful.
"Your dad put a lot of thought into your room," Ji Ying looked at the joy in her eyes and felt truly happy. Xu Qinghe had put in quite a bit of effort for the cabinets and the dressing table.
"Thank you, Dad. Thank you, Mom."
Xu Nianhua felt a profound gratitude from the bottom of her heart; this beautiful room would be hers from now on.
That evening, they had a true family dinner in their new house, with everyone gathered around a round table, steaming dishes full of color, aroma, and flavor.
Xu Nian’an had brought soup and dishes to the hospital and then hurried back to join the first family dinner after moving into the new home.
Under the light, there were smiling faces all around; Xu Qinghe, Xu Nianji, and Xu Nian’an, father and sons, happily drank, Xu Qinghe’s face flushed red, but the smile in his eyes grew ever brighter.