Chapter 305 Full Moon Banquet

Speaking of which, the last time Nan Zhiyi saw Zhou Anping was last month when she took Xiaoman to visit the Meng family on a weekend afternoon.

Zhou Anping had a rosy complexion and had become a bit plumper. Her child was also well-fed and chubby, lying in the cradle and waving his arms and legs excitedly.

Although Meng Qingshan was busy with work, he had Sister Zhao to help him at home, and she managed everything perfectly.

Zhou Anping was living a very comfortable life.

The child's name has been decided: Meng Zhongyuan, meaning to have lofty ambitions. It not only corresponds to the order of the Meng family's grandchildren but also embodies the expectations of the elders.

On the weekend of the 100-day celebration, Nan Zhiyi dressed her son in a brand-new navy blue suit, which made his skin look even whiter and made him so cute that people couldn't help but want to give him a couple of bites.

She did just that, hugging and kissing her son repeatedly before taking his little hand and strolling around the yard to digest their food.

Not long after, Zhang Yueran also returned.

She spotted Xiaoman immediately, rushed over and picked him up, kissing him several times on the cheeks: "Xiaoman! Auntie missed you so much! Tell me, did you miss Auntie?"

Xiaoman was touched by her aunt's enthusiasm and giggled, "I miss my aunt!"

Zhang Yueran was overjoyed. She held Xiaoman and spun her around in the yard. The joyful cries of the two of them mingled together and drifted far away.

Seeing that they were having a good time, Nan Zhiyi went into her study and quickly wrote a draft.

After a long while, Zhang Yueran came in carrying Xiaoman, craning her neck to urge, "My dear sister! How can you still sit there? If we don't go out soon, won't we be late?"

Nan Zhiyi calmly put down her pen and smiled, "Don't worry, I've asked around, the banquet starts at noon. The Meng family has many relatives and friends, so we don't need to go too early to join in the welcoming festivities. We can just get to the canteen in the compound before the banquet starts."

Hearing her sister's explanation, Zhang Yueran felt reassured; the distance was short and there was plenty of time.

Seeing that Nan Zhiyi was still writing furiously at her desk, she pulled Xiaoman to the courtyard, where the two of them played happily.

After finishing the last chapter, Nan Zhiyi carefully put away the manuscript paper and then called out, "Yueyue, come here, we should get going."

She took out two red envelopes she had prepared beforehand, then pointed to two beautifully packaged boxes placed to the side, and said to Zhang Yueran, "Yueyue, these are our wedding gifts, one for each of us. This longevity lock and silver bracelet are gifts for Lele, also one for each of us. When we get there, just give them to the person in charge of registration."

Zhang Yueran beamed and affectionately hugged Nan Zhiyi's arm, shaking it: "Sis! I knew you were the best! You must have prepared everything perfectly for me! It's so different to have a sister who loves you!"

Nan Zhiyi raised her hand and gently tapped her forehead. "You, if I don't think about you, who will? You're my own sister."

She glanced at her watch. "Alright, it's getting late, let's go."

Zhang Yueran responded loudly, carrying the packaged gifts in one hand and holding Xiaoman's hand in the other, and walked ahead with great interest.

Nan Zhiyi followed behind at a leisurely pace, occasionally pointing out directions.

The roads inside the army compound are well-organized, and after walking for a short while, we saw the cadre canteen in the center of the compound's living area.

The cafeteria today was clearly specially decorated.

A red banner was hung above the canteen entrance, with large yellow paper-cut characters that read: "Celebrating the birth of a son in the Meng family."

The windows were also decorated with many red "囍" characters and chubby baby patterns.

Upon entering the cafeteria hall, the tables and chairs have been rearranged, leaving ample space in the middle.

A dozen or so round tables were covered with white tablecloths, and a small dish of fruit candies and melon seeds and peanuts was placed in the center of each table.

There were some colorful paper streamers hanging on the wall, along with words like "Happy 100 Days" and "Growing Up Strong".

Nan Zhiyi soon saw the family that was the main character of today.

Zhou Anping, wearing a brand-new red plaid shirt, was holding his son and chatting with several women with a beaming smile.

Meng Qingshan stood by with several male relatives and friends, his face beaming with joy. Meng's mother, Lin Yaru, and a familiar aunt were busy greeting the guests and distributing cigarettes and candy.

Nan Zhiyi gently nudged Zhang Yueran: "Come on, let's go present the gift first."

The two handed over the prepared cash and gifts to the Meng family relative in charge of registration.

As soon as the registration was completed, Meng's mother and Lin Yaru greeted her with smiles: "Oh, Zhiyi! It's been a while since we've seen you. Did you bring Xiaoman with you too? This child is getting more and more energetic!"

Meng's mother lovingly patted Xiaoman's head, then looked at Zhang Yueran with a questioning gaze.

Nan Zhiyi responded with a smile, "Hello, Auntie. Hello, Sister-in-law."

She then gently pulled Zhang Yueran forward, saying, "Auntie, sister-in-law, this is Zhang Yueran, our little sister who grew up together. She's also very close to Anping. She's a sophomore at Beijing University now."

Mencius' mother nodded repeatedly with approval in her eyes: "A top student from the capital university! Oh my, truly remarkable! Comrade Yueran is clearly a smart and clever girl, with a good appearance as well. Her future is limitless!"

Lin Yaru also laughed and said, "Mom is right! To be able to get into Peking University, one in ten thousand is an exceptional student! Yueran is truly hardworking and promising, bringing honor to all of us women!"

This barrage of praise made the usually generous Zhang Yueran blush, and she quickly waved her hand, saying, "You flatter me. I was just lucky. I still need to work harder. I don't deserve such praise..."

Seeing this, Nan Zhiyi came to her sister's rescue, saying to Meng's mother and Lin Yaru, "Auntie, sister-in-law, we have many guests today, you are busy greeting them, let's go first..."

Lin Yaru understood, "Yes, yes, I was so busy talking. Come on, Zhiyi, Yueran, I'll take you to sit over there."

She led them to a table near the front, pointed to a middle-aged military officer not far away, and turned to Nan Zhiyi, saying, "Zhiyi, look over there, the one in the dark gray Zhongshan suit is my husband, and the one next to him is my son, Meng Bojia, he's like a little monkey, very mischievous."

Nan Zhiyi looked in the direction she pointed and saw a tall, refined-looking middle-aged man chatting with several officers. Beside him stood a little boy of about five or six years old, with a chubby face and bright, clever eyes.

“Sister-in-law, Brother Meng looks so steady and capable, he has such a good temperament. Bo Jia is really sturdy, with a robust face and a smart look, just like you and Brother Meng.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Yaru's smile widened.

She settled Nan Zhiyi and the other two into their seats, exchanged a few polite words, and then turned to greet the other guests.