Grandpa Gu invited Gu Ze and his group to stay for dinner, saying they didn't know when they would see each other again.

Gu Ze would visit his grandfather a few times a year, bringing him his favorite braised pig's head and peanuts. Uncle Gu and Aunt Gu would also come, but they usually came to ask the old man for a favor, since they still had connections.

For minor matters, the old man might let him know, but matters of principle or those affecting Gu Ze were out of the question. After entering the retirement home, the old man also saw reality clearly: apart from Gu Ze and Gu Ye, the Gu family hadn't made any significant progress.

No matter how much Gu Ze and Gu Ye dislike having the surname Gu, they are still descendants of the Gu family, and no one can deny that. As long as they both thrive, it's good for the Gu family. The old man won't let them tarnish Gu Ze's reputation or hold him back; no one will allow that.

With no profit to be made, Uncle Gu and Aunt Gu visited less often, maybe twice a year. Old Master Gu had seen through his children and grandchildren; he no longer cared. He spent his time in the retirement home with a group of old friends, trying to live, just to see how far Gu Ze and his group could go.

"Grandpa, try this. It's seafood that Gu Ye and the others brought back. It tastes quite delicious."

Gu Ze served his grandfather braised sea cucumber with scallions and steamed prawns. Although he didn't agree with his grandfather's idea of ​​wanting the Gu family to prosper, he didn't deny that his grandfather had given him a lot of resources. His grandfather was getting old, and all he could do was visit him often and work hard. He knew what his grandfather wanted to see.

"Okay, I'll try it. I'm getting old, my teeth aren't what they used to be."

The old man ate a piece of sea cucumber, and it tasted good.

Grandma Gu sat next to Grandpa with a sullen face, practically screaming "I'm unhappy!" But no one paid any attention, letting her sulk by herself.

She wanted Gu Ze to help Gu Feng, but with Grandpa Gu present, she didn't dare to speak up. Everything she had now depended on Grandpa Gu's status; if she angered him and caused him any harm, she would lose everything.

Grandma Gu knew perfectly well that she couldn't rely on any of her two sons and one daughter. Even Gu Feng, whom she had always cared about, wouldn't care about her when the time came. But people's hearts are biased, and she couldn't control herself.

After dinner, the children chatted with the old man for a while. It was getting late, so it was time to go home.

"Grandpa, Grandma, take care of yourselves! Aren't you really coming to visit me for the New Year?"

Gu Ze wanted to invite his grandparents to his place for the New Year, but his grandfather disagreed. He had a son and a daughter, and it wasn't his grandson's turn to take care of them.

"No, we'll go to your third uncle's place this year. You can come visit when it's the first day of the new year." Once the old man has made up his mind, he usually won't change it.

After Gu Ze and the others left, the room immediately became quiet. Without the children's noise, it felt a little strange.

“Look at Gu Ye. He didn’t even glance at me after he came in. I may not have done anything special, but I have worked hard. He must hate me. Gu Feng is his cousin, a blood relative, but he doesn’t take care of him at all. He’s such an ingrate.”

Grandma Gu kept nagging, blaming all her dissatisfaction on Gu Ye, just like she did when Gu Ye was a child.

Grandpa Gu didn't want to talk to her and was getting more and more confused. It's really incomprehensible; he wasn't like this when he was young, so how did his personality change as he got older?

Nothing has actually changed; you just haven't seen through it yet!

Back home, I washed up and went to bed quickly, because I needed to get up early tomorrow to buy things; there would be plenty of supplies tomorrow.

Around 3 a.m., Gu Ze and Shen Jiaqi got up, divided up the food coupons and ration books, and prepared to rush to buy supplies.

"Big brother, sister-in-law, you should go now. I'll go with you." Gu Ye also came out.

"No need, it's no use having a lot of people. You need to have your food ration book, otherwise they won't sell to you even if you get in line." Gu Ye really didn't know that his family's New Year's supplies were all obtained by Bao Ni through bartering, and he had never actually experienced it before.

After Gu Ze and his wife left, Gu Ye went back to bed for a nap.

Bonnie woke up after six o'clock. After washing up, she picked up the supplies she had packed the day before, grabbed a cloth bag, and left. She had arranged to meet the chef at the hot pot restaurant to exchange the supplies again today.

In this day and age, people often say that eggs are a form of currency, but for Bonnie, sea cucumbers and abalone are the real deal, even more valuable than money.

"You've arrived. Everything is ready; all the things you asked for are here."

The head chef of the hot pot restaurant took out a bag of supplies, which was bulging and contained quite a lot of items.

"The sea cucumber and abalone are the agreed amount, along with some dried shrimp, dried kelp, dried shrimp, and dried oysters. They're a New Year's gift for you." Bonnie handed over the items, more than she had planned.

Both were very satisfied. After exchanging items, they each carried their things and went their separate ways.

Bonnie was hungry, so she went to a state-run restaurant and ordered a few large meat buns and a bowl of soy milk to fill her stomach first, otherwise she wouldn't have the energy.

Bonnie carried the bag into the compound and encountered many people returning from buying supplies, shivering from the cold. She'd gotten up so early and only bought two pounds of meat; it was true, there were plenty of supplies, but also so many people, and everything was rationed…

Groups of aunties and older women walked along, complaining as they went, but they dared not speak loudly for fear of being overheard and causing trouble for themselves or their families.

Bonnie didn't know them and there was no need to greet them. It was too cold, so she really wanted to go home.

"Hey, young lady up ahead, you've got quite a lot of stuff! Where did you buy it?"

Once someone started, others joined in the fun. They really don't seem to mind the cold; it seems they're not too cold.

Bonnie quickened her pace, not wanting to answer questions for these gossipy people.

"Hey, I'm talking to you, why aren't you responding? Why are you running so fast?"

Several aunties and older women watched the figure walk further and further away. The person was covered up so tightly that they couldn't tell whose family it was.

"My goodness, there's no shortage of people who love excitement everywhere!"

Bonnie, who had just entered the house, sighed with relief, saying that she was lucky she had run away quickly and covered herself up properly, otherwise, who knows what kind of gossip would have spread.

"Where did you go? We didn't see you when we came back. Gu Ye didn't know either. He went out to meet you. Didn't you two bump into each other?"

Sister-in-law Gu came out of the kitchen. After queuing for several hours, she finally managed to buy some scarce supplies.

"I didn't see him. I went to the hot pot restaurant and made an appointment with the head chef to exchange some supplies."

Bonnie carried the bag into the kitchen and started unpacking things.

Sister-in-law Gu watched from the side: a goose, two chickens, a pork rib, a piece of pork belly, and a leg of lamb.

"Sister-in-law, please pack your things. I don't know how to do it. Or, when Gu Ye comes back, he'll know what to do and how to pack."

Bonnie genuinely didn't know how to make these things; Gu Ye was responsible for bringing them home.

"Auntie, you're amazing! This year's Chinese New Year celebrations are so lavish!"

Xuanyu heard his aunt's voice, glanced inside from the doorway, and saw meat, all meat!

"It's Chinese New Year, so we should eat our fill and enjoy ourselves!"

Bonnie threw her things down and went to wash her hands.

"Your aunt is amazing!" Sister-in-law Gu couldn't help but admire her; she was even more shrewd than she, a local!