The days passed quickly into 1984 amidst Li Xiangdong's uneasy speculations.

The New Year's Eve dinner in 1984 was unprecedentedly lively.

First, Bai Yulong and Li Lan's family of four brought Luo Hongkai, Liu Jiangsu, Luo Yonggang, Bai Yufeng, and Luo Jinbu's family of five back from visiting relatives in western Sichuan for the Spring Festival.

Seeing her mother come to celebrate the New Year with her, Zhao Sufang was so excited that she couldn't sleep for several nights.

Li Zhen and Liu Junbo were given a holiday on the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month. They packed their things and headed straight from Yanjing to Lijiapo that same day.

On the 18th day of the twelfth lunar month, Zhou Hongsong took Qiao Xiaohuan to Duyanggang in Guitang County for another simple wedding.

The main purpose was to introduce Qiao Xiaohuan to the Zhou family members, so that everyone would know that Zhou Hongsong had settled down and started a family.

The day before Lunar New Year's Eve, Zhou Hongsong took Qiao Xiaohuan to visit the graves of his deceased parents to pay their respects. Then, ignoring his crippled fourth uncle's attempts to persuade him to stay, he hurriedly returned to Huichuan County.

Next, Ning Ruoruo, who was detained by her teacher to do experiments at school, and Grandma Jiang, who had always lived in Douzui Hutong, and Dr. Gu, arrived late on New Year's Eve.

Because they hadn't seen Grandma Jiang for a long time, at Li Ying's urging, Grandma Hong and her family also came to Lijiapo for the New Year.

Including Li Jin's family of six and Gui Yuhe, there were a total of 28 people celebrating the New Year together!

This is why Li Xiangdong's courtyard is large and has many rooms, which allows him to hire so many people.

Li Lan's hot pot chicken restaurant closed on the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month. He paid his employees their wages and gave them New Year's gifts such as rice, flour, and oil. The year was considered to have come to a perfect end.

She had also prepared all the chicken, duck, fish, meat, fruits, and vegetables for the New Year's Eve dinner well in advance.

On the afternoon of New Year's Eve, Bai Yulong, Hong Shui, and Liu Junbo, brothers-in-law, were assigned to help knead dough and steam buns inside the house.

Grandma Jiang and Grandma Hong said that men are strong, and the dough they knead is elastic, resulting in layered steamed buns that taste sweet.

The women were busy picking and chopping vegetables, frying meatballs, deep-frying meat, and stewing fish and meat.

Grandma Jiang, Grandma Hong, Doctor Gu, and Liu Jiangsu were playing mahjong inside the house. Luo Hongkai didn't like playing mahjong, so he went outside to coax the children.

Xiao Jinbu, Xiao Baitian, and Li Ying's three little children, Hong Dundun, were all wrapped up tightly and were playing happily in the yard.

The children fell and hurt themselves, but they didn't cry. They just got up and continued running around like crazy.

Li Xiangdong walked in carrying firecrackers for the New Year. In the distance, he seemed to see several balls rolling along the ground...

Upon closer inspection, wow, they turned out to be three crazy little potatoes.

Li Xiangdong scooped up Xiao Jinbu and gave him a quick kiss on his fair cheek before finally putting him down, satisfied.

Hong Dundun was unhappy, so he also came over and let his second uncle kiss him before he was satisfied.

Looking at the lively scene inside and outside the house, Li Xiangdong felt a surge of happiness.

Perhaps, this is the meaning of life!

The New Year's Eve dinner was divided into three tables: one for the men, one for the women, and one for the children.

The dishes on all three tables were the same; there was no situation where women were not allowed to eat at the table, or where women and children were made to eat leftovers.

Before we had even finished eating, the sound of firecrackers going off outside started, followed by fireworks.

Through the glass window, one could see colorful fireworks continuously blooming in the dark sky.

The children couldn't sit still any longer and hurriedly clamored to go to the yard to release the flowers.

Just as Ning Ruoruo finished eating, she said she wanted to take the children to set off firecrackers.

After the four or five children left, the previously noisy room became much quieter.

Li Xiangdong finished his rice, put down his chopsticks, and said to the people at the table, "I'm full. I'm going out to watch them set off firecrackers. Those little brats, don't let them blow their hands up!"

The expressions on the faces of the people at the table changed slightly; upon closer inspection, they were all suppressing laughter!

Only Hong Shui didn't know what was going on. He looked left at his eldest sister's husband, Bai Yulong, and right at his fourth sister's husband, Liu Junbo, and couldn't help but ask his father-in-law across the table:

"Dad, what...what's going on?!"

Li Jin downed the Moutai in his small wine cup in one gulp, his face beaming with joy. However, not wanting to tease his son, he smiled but remained silent.

Liu Junbo raised an eyebrow at the flood, "Third brother-in-law, this is good news, a joyous occasion!"

Hong Shui scratched his head, still puzzled.

Li Xiangdong wasn't angry at their teasing and leisurely left the house on his own.

Once Li Xiangdong and Ning Ruoruo were no longer in the room, the people at both tables suddenly burst into laughter, as if by unspoken agreement.

The flood looked left and right, and was amused by everyone's laughter.

Seeing her husband's silly expression, Li Ying walked over and lightly punched him, then whispered something in his ear.

Hong Shui suddenly realized what was going on, and with a smile on his face, he picked up the Moutai bottle and filled Li Jin's wine cup.

"Congratulations, Father! Congratulations, Second Brother, on finding such a wonderful daughter-in-law!"

Li Jin nodded and drank it all in one gulp.

Zhao Sufang, sitting at the next table, also smiled, then looked a little worried and asked Old Mrs. Jiang:

"Sister, it's not that I look down on my son, it's just that Xiangdong didn't go to university, while Ruoruo is a top student at a prestigious university. Are they a good match?"

Grandma Jiang smiled dismissively and said, "What's wrong with that now?"

Not having a degree doesn't mean you don't have knowledge. Look at Xiangdong in our family, does he look like someone who is ignorant and incompetent?

It's not that I think my own child is better, but he's a perfect match for Ruoruo.

In fact, Zhao Sufang thought the same thing.

However, hearing these words from Grandma Jiang made her even more certain.

In the courtyard.

Ning Ruoruo was watching the children set off firecrackers with her hands in her pockets.

Hearing the sudden burst of laughter from inside the room, she turned around and saw Li Xiangdong walking towards her.

What are they laughing about inside?

Li Xiangdong pretended not to know.

"Who knows? Maybe they just found the skits on the Spring Festival Gala funny!"

Li Xiangdong walked to Ning Ruoruo's side and put the hood on the back of her winter coat.

"It's so cold outside, why aren't you wearing a hat? Look, your ears are going to freeze off!"

Ning Ruoruo blushed slightly as Li Xiangdong spoke to her like he was coaxing a child, though it was hard to see in the darkness.

She didn't speak, but silently felt the warmth that Li Xiangdong brought by standing beside her.

Perhaps because more people had finished their New Year's Eve dinner, everyone came out to set off fireworks.

The sound of firecrackers grew louder and louder without stopping, and the night sky was filled with colorful fireworks.

The explosions of fireworks rose and fell, like a grand concert, heralding the New Year.

Soon after, Grandma Jiang and the others came out one after another, looking up at the fireworks in the sky and enjoying this wonderful moment.

Children cheered and jumped for joy under the fireworks, while adults smiled at each other.

The light from the fireworks illuminated everyone's faces, making their smiles even brighter.

As he was looking around, Li Xiangdong suddenly noticed something amiss.

He stared intently and saw a dark figure standing motionless by the doorway.