Chapter 333 Welcome Party 2

Seeing the two boys finally carrying their change of clothes towards the bathroom, Nan Zhiyi breathed a sigh of relief. Only then did she have a free hand to take Xiaoman, who had been curiously looking around, to the kitchen. She carefully washed his little hands, which had been touching everything, with perfume, and settled him by the coffee table in the living room, letting him slowly eat fruit.

She went back into the kitchen and asked with a smile, "Sister Zhang, what delicious food are you preparing for tonight?"

Sister Zhang pointed to the table, which was almost ready, and explained it to her in detail.

Nan Zhiyi nodded: "That's good." Thinking that the weather was hot and there would be some drinks at the dinner table, she said to Sister Zhang, "I'll go to the service store and buy some chilled drinks."

As soon as Xiaoman heard that they were going to the service center, she immediately slid down from the coffee table, took her mother's hand, and ran outside.

He was very familiar with the service center and moved around quickly with his short legs.

As soon as he entered the store, he immediately leaned over the wooden freezer and looked at his mother longingly: "Mom, have that!"

Nan Zhiyi saw that the ice cream was small, so she bought him one.

I went to the beverage counter and bought several bottles of orange soda and Arctic Ocean soda in glass bottles. I paid the money and a deposit, and I have to return the bottles after I finish drinking them.

She carried a net bag full of drinks in one hand and held her son's hand as he licked an ice cream in the other, walking home.

Just as I reached the row of sycamore trees not far from my home, I saw Gu Xiao walking towards me from another direction.

The two locked eyes from a distance.

Nan Zhiyi smiled and said, "Fifth Brother."

Gu Xiao's expression softened instantly. He strode over, took the heavy net bag from Nan Zhiyi's hand, and walked home with her side by side.

Xiaoman held up her half-eaten ice cream, "Daddy, have a bite! It's so sweet!"

Gu Xiao glanced at the ice cream that had been licked until it was slightly distorted, and ruffled his son's head with a hint of disgust: "Good son, you eat it yourself."

Xiaoman didn't mind and continued to enjoy the delicious food.

When the family of three returned home, Li Xiuqin and her two sons had already finished washing up.

Hearing the noise, Li Xiuqin came out with a big smile: "Fifth brother, fifth sister-in-law, you're back!"

She quickly called into the house, "Gu Yong, Gu Meng, stop sitting there like an idiot, come out and greet your fifth uncle."

Upon hearing the sound, Gu Yong and Gu Meng immediately stood up from the living room sofa and quickly walked to the door.

Before the two children arrived, their parents repeatedly reminded them that their fifth uncle now held a high position in the capital and had a promising future, so they must be respectful and polite and not be negligent in the slightest.

Upon seeing Gu Xiao in his military uniform, exuding an imposing aura, the two boys became even more nervous, standing up straight and greeting him in unison, "Hello, Fifth Uncle!"

Gu Xiao nodded gently to his two nephews, "Sit down and rest, don't be too reserved."

Seeing her sons' tense expressions, Li Xiuqin said, "Alright, alright, your fifth uncle has spoken, so relax."

She then said to Nan Zhiyi, "You told me not to be polite, but you two are being too polite. You had Sister Zhang cook a whole table of delicious food, and now you've even gone out of your way to buy drinks. It makes us feel embarrassed."

"Sister-in-law, please don't say such things. We're overjoyed that you've come all this way to the capital, so it's only right and proper that we prepare these things. If we don't treat you well, that would be truly impolite of us."

Gu Xiao succinctly echoed, "Of course."

Seeing that his son's hands and face were sticky after eating the ice cream, he nodded to his sister-in-law and took his son to wash his hands and face.

A little while later, Sister Zhang called out from the kitchen doorway that it was time to eat.

Nan Zhiyi went to the kitchen to wash her hands and helped Sister Zhang serve the dishes.

Li Xiuqin, the eldest sister-in-law, was also a diligent person and immediately followed in to help get the bowls and chopsticks.

Once the food was served, everyone took their seats.

Nan Zhiyi took out the glass bottles of soda she had bought and placed one in front of each person.

She picked up her glass of soda, and Gu Xiao did the same.

"Come on, let's all wish Gu Yong all the best in getting into his dream university and having a bright future!"

Sister-in-law Li Xiuqin beamed with joy and quickly responded with her two sons, "Thank you, Fifth Brother, thank you, Fifth Sister-in-law! We appreciate your kind words and hope that Xiaoyong will be as successful as his Fifth Uncle in the future!"

Nan Zhiyi smiled and praised Gu Yong a few more times, saying that he was sensible and hardworking, which made Gu Yong feel embarrassed.

After a welcome feast.

After dinner, Nan Zhiyi arranged for her sister-in-law and nephews to sleep in the two bedrooms downstairs.

After everything was settled, the family of three returned to their bedroom upstairs.

Gu Xiao went to the children's room first, settled Xiao Man in, and coaxed her to sleep.

When he returned to the master bedroom, Nan Zhiyi had already taken a shower and was wearing a cotton nightgown, combing her half-dry long hair in front of the fan.

Seeing Gu Xiao come in, she put down the comb, snuggled into his arms, and didn't want to move.

Gu Xiao naturally put his arm around her. "Wife, what's wrong? Are you tired?"

He assumed she was tired after a day of organizing the hospitality.

Nan Zhiyi shook her head. "No, I was just thinking about where I should take my sister-in-law and the kids to go tomorrow... We can't just stay cooped up at home all the time."

She counted on her fingers, "The Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace... these are the only famous places in Beijing."

Hearing that this was what she was worried about, Gu Xiao breathed a sigh of relief. "Tomorrow, ask your sister-in-law where she wants to go. I'll have Xiao Li drive with you and take care of picking you up and dropping you off."

"Yes, that's a good idea."

Nan Zhiyi responded, letting out a soft sigh, "Time flies so fast. In the blink of an eye, Gu Yong is already in college, a young man. Looking at them, I think of Xiaoman... He will grow up day by day, and soon he will be carrying his schoolbag and going to school too..."

"Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. Xiaoman has his own path to walk. As parents, we have given what we should give and taught what we should teach. The rest is up to him."

Gu Xiao patted her back, "Wife, don't think about those unhappy things..."

Nan Zhiyi recalled her chat with her sister-in-law after dinner and added, "My sister-in-law said they've been in the Northwest for so many years. The wind and sand are fierce, and supplies are scarce; conditions are indeed quite harsh. It's truly remarkable that Gu Yong was able to stay focused and pass the exams in that environment..."

Curious, she hooked her arm around Gu Xiao's neck. "Well... my brother has been over there for so many years, and he's reached a certain position, hasn't he considered..."

Gu Xiao did not hide anything.

He adjusted his position to make her more comfortable before patiently explaining in a low voice, "My brother is over there, holding the actual rank of deputy army commander. As for living conditions, given his rank, his rations and housing are definitely very good by local standards. His family won't suffer. What my sister-in-law meant by hardship is more about the overall environment in the Northwest. Education, medical care, and supplies are indeed incomparable to those in Beijing or major coastal cities."

"As for the transfer... it's not that we haven't considered it, but it's not that simple. My elder brother's foundation, the troops he's led, the merits he's made, and most of his connections and influence are in the Northwest. Dad's intention is also to let my elder brother establish a firm foothold there. That's an important strategic direction, and it requires someone trustworthy and capable of keeping things under control. Moreover, given my elder brother's age and experience, the next step will either be a lateral transfer or an effort to advance further there. A hasty transfer elsewhere, starting everything from scratch, would not be ideal."

Nan Zhiyi nodded gently in his arms.

"So that's how it is..."

Gu Xiao knew she understood, so he said no more.

He carried his wife to the bed in one swift motion.

"Go to sleep early, don't think too much. You still have to go out with your sister-in-law and the others tomorrow."