The next morning, after waking up, Jian Yiling handed a paper bag to Grandma Jian.
"Here's something for Yu Jie." She still wasn't used to calling others "brother."
She had finished knitting a sweater for Jian Yujie, but she wasn't sure when she'd find the time to deliver it herself. So, she asked her grandmother to help pass it on.
Grandma Jian opened the paper bag and looked inside. A gray sweater greeted her—a high-necked design similar to the one she had given to Jian Yuncheng. It was simple yet aesthetically pleasing, perfect for a cozy winter wear. Grandma Jian had watched as Jian Yiling diligently worked on it over the last few days, knitting during her commutes to and from school.
"Look at this," Grandma Jian teased with a hint of jealousy in her voice, "the eldest got a sweater for his birthday, and now Yu Jie has one too. I wonder when this old lady will get a handmade piece. Ah, I bet my granddaughter's sweaters are incredibly warm."
Nearby, Grandpa Jian couldn't resist teasing his wife. "Breakfast isn't supposed to be sour, but I smell a whiff of sourness wafting around!"
Grandma Jian shot him a disgruntled glare. "I'm allowed to be sour; you just focus on your food!"
Grandpa Jian turned to Jian Yiling and said, "Knitting sweaters must be quite a task. You already have enough on your plate with school. Grandpa doesn't want you to knit sweaters; you shouldn't have to do it for your grandma either. Let her be sour; she'll get used to it after a while!"
Jian Yiling responded softly, "It's not hard."
To her, knitting was hardly a strenuous activity; it didn't require much brainpower.
Grandma Jian quickly countered, "Not hard? Just look at you! You don't look like someone who isn't tired at all! Your grandpa is right; don't overwork yourself. Make sure to go to bed early tonight. If you can't finish your homework, leave it for another day. If the teacher asks, just tell them to come and speak to your grandma. I'll go to your school and ask why teachers assign so much homework! Only a teacher who can't explain things clearly in class would assign that much!"
"I'm fine," Jian Yiling tried to explain.
"Alright, alright, you're fine," Grandma Jian said, her tone brightening.
After dropping Jian Yiling off at school, Grandma Jian instructed the driver to head to He Yan's house. She wanted to personally deliver the sweater that her little darling had knitted for Yu Jie.
On the way, Grandma Jian asked the driver, "Do you have paper and a pen in the car?"
"Yes, there are some in the storage compartment."
"Find a place to park and pull over for a moment, then pass me the paper and pen."
The driver complied, and once she had the paper and pen, Grandma Jian started to write.
"Why not just tell Second Madam directly?" the driver asked, confused.
"You don't understand. He Yan is quite shrewd. What is a simple brother-sister relationship between Yu Jie and my little darling might get twisted in her mind. There's no point in discussing it with her."
Grandma Jian believed this was a straightforward matter between the siblings, but she feared that when it reached He Yan, it could be misconstrued as something self-serving.
"You could just send a text to Young Master Yu Jie, and he'd get it. That way, there won't be any confusion."
"But if I send a text in advance, it'll spoil the surprise! I'll write a note and hide it in the sweater. He'll see it naturally. This little rascal will be overjoyed when he realizes his sister made it for him with her own hands!"
Grandma Jian wrote diligently, her handwriting elegant and fluid, a hallmark of her literary upbringing. On the note, she penned: *This is the sweater that Xiaoling stayed up late knitting for you these past few nights. The weather is getting colder, so take care of yourself.*
Satisfied with her note, Grandma Jian tucked it away inside the sweater before continuing on her way, a smile of anticipation playing on her lips. She could already imagine the delight on Yu Jie's face when he discovered the heartfelt gift from his sister.