Chapter 1000: What a Coincidence (4)

When Ruan Jiaojiao arrived at the dining room, everyone else was already eating.

Ruan Jiaojiao glanced around and noticed that Ruan Hao was no longer there—he must have gone to school. She felt a slight pang of disappointment.

Seeing her hair unbound, the Ruanlin Family worried it might be inconvenient for her to eat breakfast. She went back to her room, fetched a hair tie and comb, and fixed Jiaojiao’s hair in the living room before heading to the dining room for breakfast. At the same time, Sister Shu Jiao emerged from Shu Wen’s room.

"How’s Grandpa doing?" the Ruanlin Family asked with concern.

Sister Shu Jiao shook her head. "He’s fine. He’s just getting older—give him some rest and he’ll be okay." She then turned to Jiaojiao and said, "Jiaojiao, your aunt will be arriving later today. Would you like to go to the station to pick her up?"

"Sure!" She had nothing else to do at home anyway.

Shu Wei’s train was scheduled to arrive at Beidu Station at ten in the morning. Ruan Jie, having stayed up late playing games, wanted to sleep in and opted not to go. In the end, it was Sister Shu Jiao, Jiaojiao, and Xiu Xi who went.

Ruan Jianguo and the Ruanlin Family stayed home. Jianguo wanted a chance to show off and stayed behind to take care of Shu Wen, while the Ruanlin Family remembered that Shu Wei loved her homemade cooking and decided to make a few simple dishes in the kitchen.

The weather in Beidu today was slightly warmer than yesterday, but not wanting Jiaojiao to catch a cold, Sister Shu Jiao bundled her up tightly.

The three arrived at Beidu Station at nine-thirty. After waiting for over twenty minutes, they went to meet her at the station entrance just before ten.

Standing at the entrance, Ruan Jiaojiao’s eyes lit up upon spotting a familiar figure. She tugged on Sister Shu Jiao’s arm and pointed at a man standing tall not far away. "Mom, look! Uncle Jiang is here too. Is he picking someone up?"

Sister Shu Jiao followed her gaze and indeed saw Jiang Bin. He was craning his neck toward the outside, visibly anxious and expectant.

As she debated whether to approach him, Jiang Bin noticed them. He paused for a moment, then walked over after a few seconds.

"Sis... Sister Shu Jiao, are you here to pick someone up too?" Jiang Bin seemed to stumble over his words, initially about to call her "Sis-in-law" but quickly corrected himself.

Sister Shu Jiao didn’t take note of the change in his address and smiled as she explained, "Yes, Jiaojiao’s aunt is arriving today. They haven’t seen each other in two years, so we came especially to pick her up."

"Uncle Jiang, are you here to pick someone up too?" Ruan Jiaojiao tilted her head up, her curiosity piqued.

Jiang Bin hesitated briefly and then smiled with a nod. "Yes, I’m here to pick someone up." He didn’t specify who exactly.

Sister Shu Jiao didn’t press further and instead asked, "How’s Xiu Xun doing? Has he adjusted to being back home?"

"He’s doing very well. He just started his winter break a few days ago. He ranked first in his class for the finals—top five in his year. He doesn’t know you’ve come to Beidu yet, but if he finds out, he’ll definitely be thrilled."

"That boy is smart; he has a bright future ahead," Sister Shu Jiao said warmly.

Achieving first place in a class back in Xiahe Village wasn’t much of a surprise—the village only had one class, and teaching resources were limited. However, coming first in a class within Beidu and ranking in the top five of the entire year was truly impressive.

"Yes, he’s definitely smart, and incredibly hardworking too," Jiang Bin added, his tone filled with pride. Talking about Xiu Xun seemed to open the floodgates, as he continued discussing him enthusiastically. Although the Jiang Family wasn’t one of the top-ranking families in Beidu, they were still recognized as a prominent household. As a descendent of the Jiang Family, Xiu Xun wouldn’t have needed to put in so much effort.

Jiang Bin’s other nephews and nieces had all performed at an average level academically, but Xiu Xun stood out for his dedication. He had already heard his elder brother mention multiple times that the boy often studied well into the night.