Chapter 177 Reunion

The car window was being pounded on, and Gu Yan's face, red from the cold, was pressed against the glass: "Xiaoman, Xiaoman!"

He couldn't see his brother and sister-in-law at all; he was only focused on winking and making faces at the little baby in the car.

Nan Zhiyi quickly stopped Gu Xiao, who was about to open the door: "Wrap Xiaoman in the cloak first..."

Before he could finish speaking, Gu Yan had already opened the car door, and a cold wind carrying snowflakes rushed in.

He took Xiaoman directly from Gu Xiao's arms, lifted her into the air, and tossed her gently twice.

Xiaoman wasn't shy at all, and giggled, ruffling Gu Yan's hair with her little hands.

"It's so cold, why don't you wait inside?" Nan Zhiyi asked.

"It's stuffy in here," Gu Yan said, pouting. "A whole room full of people, it's giving me a headache. And Dad glares at me the moment he sees me. I'd rather come out for some fresh air."

He wrapped his cloak tighter around Xiaoman and turned to walk into the courtyard.

The courtyard quickly became lively, as everyone had clearly heard the sound of the jeep.

Commander Gu stood under the corridor wearing a military overcoat, followed by several of his brothers and sisters-in-law, all bundled up tightly.

"Dad," Gu Xiao greeted, and Nan Zhiyi followed suit with a soft greeting.

Commander Gu nodded, his gaze sweeping over Gu Yan: "All you do is fool around. Quickly take the child inside."

Gu Yan secretly rolled his eyes, then quickly slipped into the house with Xiao Man in his arms.

Commander Gu watched his youngest son's retreating figure and snorted coldly.

The eldest brother, Gu Weiguo, stepped forward first to take the luggage, his military boots crunching on the snow. The second brother, Gu Jianjun, smiled and patted Gu Xiao on the shoulder, then went to help carry the things in the trunk. The fourth brother had already walked to the jeep and started talking to Gu Xiao.

The women surrounded Nan Zhiyi and exchanged pleasantries.

Sister-in-law Li Xiuqin stepped forward and took the bag from Nan Zhiyi's hand: "Fifth sister-in-law, you must be tired from your journey. It's warm and cozy inside, please come in and rest."

"Okay, eldest sister-in-law, third sister, fourth sister-in-law."

The living room was warm and cozy, and a black-and-white television was broadcasting the news, with several children huddled together, engrossed in watching.

When they saw Nan Zhiyi come in, they all stood up and called her "Fifth Aunt," but were then ushered back to their seats by the adults.

Nan Zhiyi greeted her sisters-in-law and went into the kitchen.

Aunt Wu was busy at the stove when she saw Nan Zhiyi come in, forgetting to put down the spatula: "Zhiyi! You're back!"

Her eyes were a little red, and she exclaimed, "I've lost weight, I've lost weight, sigh..."

Her sigh made Nan Zhiyi's nose sting, and she coaxed her, "Then you should cook me more delicious food these next few days, and make sure I get plenty of nourishment."

Aunt Wu wiped her eyes with her apron, "Of course, I bought your favorite foods especially..."

Second sister-in-law Zhang Xiufen, who was chopping minced meat, chimed in with a smile, "Of course! Aunt Wu heard from the Commander that your family arrived today, and she's been talking about you and Xiaoman all day. She even saved the pickled quail eggs just for you."

Nan Zhiyi was even more moved, and she didn't bother to discern the sourness in her sister-in-law's tone.

To be honest, of all the people in this room, the one she missed the most was Aunt Wu.

At this moment, the men outside brought in their luggage and belongings, and Gu Xiao also came in carrying gifts, making the living room even more lively.

Nan Zhiyi also helped Gu Xiao distribute the gifts.

The children were overjoyed to receive the Longjing tea for their father, the wolf-hair brush set for their eldest brother, the Moutai liquor for their second and fourth brothers, and the wool scarves for their third sister and several of their sisters-in-law. They all gathered around, delighted to receive the toys and stationery that were popular in Beijing.

The elder sister-in-law handed over a return gift: "It's a sweater I knitted myself; the yarn was brought back from Shanghai by someone."

The second sister-in-law also presented her newly made insoles.

Nan Zhiyi sincerely thanked her brothers and sisters-in-law.

"Fifth brother, fifth sister-in-law, you've gone to so much trouble." Gu Weiguo's voice was loud and clear.

Third Sister Gu Min immediately wrapped a maroon scarf around her neck, smiled, and twirled around: "It matches my new military uniform perfectly."

Commander Gu nodded slightly: "You've put in a lot of effort."

The third sister and several sisters-in-law surrounded Nan Zhiyi, chatting about their family life in the capital. They also mentioned that they had packed some clothes and put them in their bedroom for Xiaoman to wear.

Nan Zhiyi thanked her again.

My third sister's husband didn't come this year; he said he went back to his hometown to take care of a sick elder.

The older brothers also sat down on the sofa and asked about Gu Xiao's work situation in the Beijing Military Region.

Gu Xiao adhered to the principle of saying only half of what he could say and resolutely refusing to say what he couldn't, engaging in witty banter with his older brothers.

Commander Gu, who had been sitting on the sofa watching, finally spoke up: "Fifth Brother, take Zhiyi upstairs to rest for a while. She must be tired from the journey. She can come down after dinner."

Gu Xiao nodded and, without hesitation, took Nan Zhiyi's hand and went upstairs, ignoring his brothers and sisters-in-law downstairs with their various expressions.

The bedroom was the same as always, with a newly washed peony-patterned sheet on the double bed. After closing the door, Nan Zhiyi let out a long sigh of relief, "Gu Yan was right, it's really noisy."

Gu Xiao agreed, and he reached out to help Nan Zhiyi take off her coat, revealing a light purple sweater.

He unbuttoned his military uniform, revealing only a white shirt, which made his shoulder line appear even more sharp.

Are you tired?

Nan Zhiyi leaned against his chest and breathed a sigh of relief: "It felt like we'd been through a battle. But everyone was happy."

He lowered his head and kissed her forehead: "Wash your face first. You can take a shower tonight." After saying that, he put his arm around her waist and went into the bathroom, where he wrung out a hot towel to wipe her face.

The mirror reflected their close silhouettes, and Nan Zhiyi suddenly chuckled softly, "It's like we've gone back to when we first got married."

Gu Xiao wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder: "It's better than before."

"Why?"

"Now you only see me."

His clear eyes looked over, a gentle smile playing on his lips, making Nan Zhiyi's heart flutter.

"So...you've always only seen me?"

She turned to look at him, raised her hand to touch his face, and he took her hand and gently kissed her fingertips.

"It always has been."

Upon hearing this, Nan Zhiyi smiled and nestled into his arms, the two of them cuddling together in the misty steam.

Suddenly, Gu Yan's loud shouts rang out from outside the door: "Brother! Zhiyi! Help me!!"

Gu Xiao went to open the door, and Gu Yan walked in looking disheveled.

A large dark water stain had spread across his off-white sweater vest, and his shirt was also mostly wet.

Xiaoman was lifted far away by his armpits, the little guy's two legs kicking happily in the air, his chubby face full of innocence.

"That little brat actually peed!" Gu Yan cried, his face contorted with grief. "My brand new sweater!"

Gu Xiao took his son with a disgruntled expression: "Do you think he's a doll?"

"Having babies is just for fun," Gu Yan said, tugging at his wet vest. "Who knew it would be so troublesome to take care of them! I don't want any kids in the future..."

"Go tell that to Dad." Gu Xiao skillfully supported Xiaoman's bottom.

Gu Yan immediately made a zipper-sealing motion to seal his mouth and slipped back to his room to take a shower and change clothes.