After the family had dinner at the eldest uncle's house, the eldest aunt arranged accommodations for them. Lin Xia went to stay with her parents, and her room was given to Lin Yuan and Zhao Huanhuan for the night.

Mr. and Mrs. Zhao have their own room from before Mrs. Zhao got married, which has been empty. Before the Lunar New Year, Mrs. Zhao cleaned it up and lit the kang (a heated brick bed), waiting for the family to come back and stay there.

As for my second uncle's family, they also have their own old house. The whole family is living in their house. My eldest aunt helped tidy it up before the New Year, and they have been keeping the kang (heated brick bed) burning these past few days.

Everyone was very grateful to their aunt for her thoughtfulness, starting preparations for their return in the first month of the lunar calendar before the new year.

Of course, after everyone has settled into their accommodations, no one will go to bed so early. They will all gather together to drink tea, chat, play cards, and strengthen the bonds between relatives.

Zhao Huanhuan didn't know how to play, so Lin Yuan sat next to her and taught her step by step.

The way the two of them were all lovey-dovey made their younger cousins ​​giggle.

The next morning, my aunt got up early and cooked dumplings. After they finished eating, the van from the previous day arrived.

Before they got on the bus, Lin Yuan's aunts each gave her twenty yuan. Lin Yuan refused, but her aunt said it was a New Year's gift for her nephew-in-law on their first meeting.

Lin Yuan was a little embarrassed. When he looked at Zhao Huanhuan, Zhao Huanhuan smiled and nodded, telling him to accept it, explaining that he wouldn't get this treatment if he came again next year.

The two aunts laughed, and Lin Yuan smiled too, then accepted the gift.

This car was arranged by my second uncle yesterday. He was going to pick them up this morning. My second uncle was going back to his original city and would drop off my brother-in-law's family in Zhao Village on the way.

Just like yesterday, the men sat outside and the women sat inside.

However, Lin Xia is also here today; she's going back to her hometown and will be starting work the day after tomorrow.

Lin Hua was then held on her aunt's lap.

Upon arriving at Zhao Family Village, they were taken directly to the gate of the Zhao Family House. The second uncle and aunt greeted the eldest uncle who came out, exchanged New Year's greetings, and then the family got into the car.

After their uncle and cousins ​​accompanied them to see the car off, the whole family happily went home.

My second and third uncles no longer live in the Zhao family's courtyard; they have built their own courtyards.

The main courtyard of the Zhao family only has the house of the fourth son, Zhao Fugui. Although his family no longer lives there, the Zhao family has always kept it for them.

Zhao Fugui's plan upon returning this time was to give the two rooms to his eldest nephew, not his elder brother. This was something the couple had agreed upon.

Huanhuan is now married and lives in Shanglin. They won't be coming back to live here anymore.

Today, my eldest uncle's family also invited my second and third uncles' families to their house for a meal, just so that the four brothers' families could have a reunion. They knew that my fourth brother's family would definitely leave in the afternoon, so they didn't give them time to invite each family to dinner individually.

After visiting his eldest brother's house with his wife, daughter, and son-in-law, Zhao Fugui then visited his second and third brothers' houses with gifts, offering New Year's greetings to them.

When the uncles and aunts saw Lin Yuan, they all praised her for looking like a soldier, said she was a good match for him, and that the two of them were a perfect match.

Lin Yuan was so embarrassed by the aunties' praise that she became shy.

Zhao Huanhuan almost burst out laughing; it was the first time she'd ever seen Lin Yuan and she was even shy.

The aunts also gave Lin Yuan twenty yuan each as New Year's money.

Zhao Huanhuan then gave her younger brothers ten yuan as New Year's money. Her parents also gave them ten yuan.

Actually, it's just an exchange, but it creates a New Year's atmosphere and brings people closer. It's just a matter of reciprocity among relatives.

At noon, my uncle's family set out two tables of sumptuous dishes, all homemade New Year's goods, similar to the dishes served at Lin Yuan's family's New Year celebrations. My aunt's New Year's goods were also very delicious.

My second and third aunts also came over to help make dumplings; they cooked the dishes and steamed the dumplings together.

Zhao Huanhuan and Lin Yuan's favorite dish is their aunt's pickled cabbage stewed with pork ribs, which tastes delicious.

They had never made their own sauerkraut and had never eaten braised sauerkraut.

Auntie could tell that Zhao Huanhuan and Lin Yuan really enjoyed the food. After the meal, she took five heads of pickled cabbage from the sauerkraut jar, put them in an enamel basin, and then packed them in a cloth bag, intending to give them some to take home.

After dinner, the whole family sat down to drink tea and chat.

Of course, the tea they drank was brick tea. Their family has been drinking this tea since they were little. They would add a little salt to the brewed tea, which is the taste they have always been used to.

After finishing their cups of tea, Zhao Fugui and Zhang Jinhua let out a long sigh of relief; it was that familiar taste.

Lin Yuan drank this when she was a child, so she liked it very much. Zhao Huanhuan didn't like it very much, finding it a bit astringent and salty.

Lin Yuan saw that she took a sip and then put it down without drinking any more. She chuckled and gave her a piece of candy without saying anything.

Zhao Huanhuan took it, said thank you, unwrapped the candy, and put it in her mouth.

Although the elders were chatting, they also saw the interaction between the two of them. They smiled gently, happy for their Huanhuan. This Xiaolin is very attentive and considerate to Huanhuan.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, my third uncle hitched up his oxcart and took the family home. My aunt brought them pickled cabbage and a small cloth bag of sesame seeds.

The second and third aunts each brought them some cowpeas, black beans, red and white beans, and peanuts, all of which were crops they had received last autumn.

Back home, Zhang Jinhua gave each of the three families a piece of the roasted pork that Lin Yuan's mother had brought her, saying that it was from Lin Yuan's mother and that each family should share one piece.

He also took the goji berries Lin Yuan gave him, broke one bag into three portions, and gave one portion to each of the three families. He also gave some of the meatballs and crispy chicken he made to each of the three families.

After Uncle San drove the oxcart away, the family washed up and went to rest for a while.

Zhao Huanhuan and Lin Yuan were lying on the bed in the bedroom, resting together and chatting quietly about their relatives.

Both families had more boys than girls. Grandma's side hadn't had a daughter for three generations, until she finally became the only girl in her generation.

On my maternal grandparents' side, Lin Xia was the only girl, and even my aunt's family had only boys.

Lin Yuan suddenly placed his large hand on Zhao Huanhuan's lower abdomen, gently stroking it, and asked in a low, husky voice, "So, do you prefer a boy or a girl?"

“I’m fine with either a daughter or a son, but I wonder if my parents prefer boys? Have they told you about this?” Zhao Huanhuan asked him.

Lin Yuan nodded, "They said it didn't matter, whatever we have is fine, and that we should only have one child, whether it's a boy or a girl."

Zhao Huanhuan breathed a sigh of relief. "Did they really say that? I was feeling a bit pressured before, but after hearing what you said, I suddenly feel less pressured."

Lin Yuan chuckled softly, kissed her forehead, and sighed, "Don't overthink it. No matter when you get pregnant, no matter if it's a boy or a girl, we'll let nature take its course. I just hope you can live happily and don't put pressure on yourself. Your parents are easygoing people; they've never made any demands on me, they just want me to be happy."

Zhao Huanhuan gave a soft "hmm".