Serenity said, "Just keep running. I can''t push you, but your big brother can. One day, he''ll show up in person-and trust me, he''s not as gentle as I am. If he can''t get through to you, and Grandma ends up flying over herself, you''ll see how miserable things can get."


    River sighed helplessly. "Sister-inw, it''s not that I don''t want to get married-I just haven''t met someone who meets my standards. Our family has really high expectations when ites to choosing a wife. Go ahead and call my big brother so he doesn''t worry. I''m taking the kids out for a bit."


    With that, River quickly left the house with the two children.


    Serenity let out a long sigh.


    As she watched River disappear with the kids, she turned her attention back inside, pulled out her phone, and made a call-not to Zachary, but to the olddy first.


    It took a while for the olddy to pick up.


    Her hearing wasn''t what it used to be. She hadn''t heard the phone ringing until someone nearby pointed it out. She quickly put on her reading sses and hearing aids before answering Serenity''s call.


    "Grandma."


    Serenity greeted her sweetly. The olddy smiled through the phone and asked, "You''ve arrived in Eaglioncile?"


    "Yes, Grandma, we got here a while ago. We found River first-he took us out for some snacks and then brought us back to his ce. I finally have a moment to call. What are you up to, Grandma?"


    Serenity could hear someone chatting in the background and asked about it. "Oh, nothing much," the olddy replied. “Just invited a few friends over to chat and take a walk with me."


    Most of her oldpanions had passed away. Only one or two were still around, and even they weren''t in great shape.


    The olddy was older than them, but they came from humble backgrounds and had lived hard lives. They had long histories of illness, and now that they were older, they were constantly struggling with their health.


    Because of that, even when the olddy felt lonely, she didn''t often ask them toe up the mountain to visit her. Instead, she sometimes had the butler drive her down to see them- those friends she had known and chatted with for over twenty years.


    At the York household, any worker who brought along elderly parents was given housing so the family could stay together. And when those elderly rtives got sick, the Yorks arranged free medical checkups and treatment.


    They just wanted to make sure those elderly folks livedfortably so they could be goodpany for the olddy whenever she wanted someone to talk to. Even though the olddy had plenty of kids and grandkids around, she often said they weren''t great at keeping herpany. She much preferred chatting with her peers in their eighties.


    People the same age always had something to talk about.


    Even if the topic was repetitive, they could chat about it for days.


    "If you''re walking around the vi, Grandma, make sure the aunts are with you," Serenity reminded her.


    She worried because Grandma''s old friends were not in good shape anymore. Serenity didn''t feelfortable knowing Grandma might be walking alone with them.


    "I know," the olddy said. "They''re all here with me. Even some of the little ones are tagging along, ying nearby. Before, I kept hoping for great-grandchildren. Now I''ve got seven or eight running around, and they''re driving me crazy!" Sheined about the noisy little ones, but the elderly folks nearbyughed. "You love the chaos, Old Lady," one of them teased. "You''re lucky. If we had seven or eight great-grandkids running around us, we''d be grinning in our sleep."