Chapter 377 The Doorway

A moment of silence fell over the long table. Everyone knew that Commander Gu was hinting at Gu Jianjun's situation; he seemed to have completely given up on his second son, not even mentioning Gu Jianjun's name...

Gu Weiguo was the first to pick up his teacup and stand up, his expression serious: "Dad, don't worry! We've all kept your words in mind! We brothers will definitely remember your teachings, stay true to our duties, bring honor to our family, and never bring shame to the Gu family!" He spoke with a firm and powerful voice.

Gu Xiao replied earnestly, "Dad, I've remembered your words. No matter what position I hold, I will fulfill my duties and live up to the family's expectations. I'd like to offer you a toast with tea instead of wine, wishing you good health!"

When he spoke, the brothers present all looked extremely serious.

Gu Weiguo and Gu Weimin are genuinely grateful to their younger brother. They remember his support when their father was seriously ill, and the protection he brings as he becomes a pillar of the Gu family in his current position.

Although Zhao Zhigang had a smile on his face, his eyes were somewhat unfocused. He felt a mixture of respect and fear, as well as an inexplicable sense of estrangement, towards his brother-in-law, who was young but held a high position and had a powerful aura.

After Gu Xiao put down his teacup, Gu Weimin and Zhao Zhigang also expressed their views one after another, speaking earnestly and saying that they would keep their father's instructions in mind.

When it was Gu Yan's turn, he slowly stood up, holding his juice glass, and looked at Commander Gu with a smile. "Dad, I'll remember this well. This is the first time you've praised me! Just for this, I'll do my best to run the company even better and never bring shame to your reputation! I'll drink this one!"

As he spoke, he actually drank most of the glass of juice in one gulp.

His witty remark immediately dispelled the slightly serious atmosphere, and everyone couldn't help but laugh, even Commander Gu's tense lips relaxed a little.

"Alright, alright, let's start eating! Everyone, eat more!"

As Commander Gu picked up a piece of beef with his chopsticks, the New Year's Eve dinner officially began.

Everyone started offering each other food and drinks.

Zhao Zhigang, who was always fond of drinking, was now without any alcohol, so he could only hold a juice glass. However, he still put on a show of toasting and drinking, and his words were overly enthusiastic. He kept flattering Commander Gu and Gu Xiao, and he looked like he was already a little drunk even though he hadn't drunk any alcohol, which made him seem a bit out of place.

Gu Min, sitting at the children's table, felt embarrassed as her husband's ramblings became increasingly incoherent. She picked up her youngest son, Zhao Heng, and walked over, nudged Zhao Zhigang's arm, and whispered, "Zhigang, eat your food properly and say less."

Zhao Zhigang then sheepishly restrained himself and buried his head in his food.

Gu Yan found the atmosphere at the dinner table uninteresting. He quickly ate a few bites of dumplings, and seeing that the children's table had almost finished eating and were all staring longingly out the window, he wiped his mouth, stood up, and called to Gu Yong and Gu Meng: "Kids, stop looking! Go and move those big guys out!"

He walked over to Xiaoman, picked the little girl up, and said, "Come on, Xiaoman, Uncle will take you to set off the biggest fireworks!"

Xiaoman immediately cheered.

Over here, Gu Xiao was eating dumplings when he noticed that Nan Zhiyi's bowl was empty, and her gaze followed Xiaoman, who was being carried out by Gu Yan, with a gentle smile on her face.

He turned his head and asked her in a low voice, "Are you full?"

Nan Zhiyi snapped out of her daze, looked at him, her eyes sparkling under the light: "I'm done eating, I'm waiting for you."

She quietly took his hand under the table and repeated, "I'm waiting for you."

Gu Xiao grabbed her hand tightly, a slight smile playing on his lips: "My wife made these herself, and she even served me so many. I have to finish them."

Nan Zhiyi smiled, squeezed his palm, and said softly, "Okay, okay, take your time eating, no rush."

After Gu Xiao leisurely finished the last dumpling in his bowl, the two of them stood up and greeted Commander Gu, who was sitting at the head of the table, and their older brother and sister-in-law, who were still eating: "Dad, eldest brother, third sister, fourth brother, we've finished eating. Let's go out and check on the children."

The other women laughed and agreed, "You go first, we'll go out and watch the fun after we're done cleaning up."

Several men were still talking to Commander Gu.

Gu Xiao led Nan Zhiyi to the entrance, picked up her heavy coat, carefully helped her put it on, and then wrapped a wool scarf around her tightly to make sure it was windproof before going to get his own coat.

Nan Zhiyi also stood on tiptoe to help him put on his hat properly, straightened the hair under the brim, and then took his arm and walked out of the courtyard gate.

Gu Yan clearly spent a lot this year, buying several new large fireworks and deliberately moving them to a small, open garden a little distance from the house to set them off.

A large crowd had already gathered there. Besides the Gu family's excited children, neighbors who had been drawn out by the firecrackers were also standing in twos and threes.

Gu Yan directed Gu Yong and Gu Meng to place the largest firework tubes in the center of the open space. The two boys, their faces flushed with excitement, responded loudly and ran back and forth to prepare.

"Ignite!" Gu Yan gave the order.

Gu Yong and Gu Meng lit the fuses at the same time and then ran away quickly.

Several beams of light shot into the sky with long trails, exploding in the dark blue night sky and transforming into countless huge clusters of gold, red, and silver, shimmering and dazzling, illuminating the smiling faces below.

Nan Zhiyi tiptoed and whispered in Gu Xiao's ear, "So beautiful, Fifth Brother!"

Gu Xiao hummed in agreement. He wasn't particularly interested in these fleeting lights and shadows. His gaze lingered on the sky for only a moment before returning to Nan Zhiyi's profile, which was illuminated by the fireworks.

Watching fireworks is far less moving than seeing the brilliance reflected in your wife's eyes.

He put his arm around Nan Zhiyi's shoulder and pulled her closer to him, letting her lean against his chest to shield her from the cold wind. He looked down and asked her, "Are you cold?"

Nan Zhiyi leaned back against him, absorbing his warmth, and shook her head: "It's okay, I'm not cold."

There were still some neighbors around, so Gu Xiao couldn't hold her completely in his arms. He could only hold her hands tightly and stuff them into his coat pockets, keeping them firmly covered.

Amidst the continuous explosions of fireworks and the faint smell of gunpowder, Nan Zhiyi turned her gaze and saw Meng Qingshan walking diagonally across from her. He was holding his eldest son, Lele, in his arms and pointing to the fireworks blooming in the sky for his son to see.

Behind them, Zhou Zhengping and Zhou Anping, who was heavily pregnant, slowly walked over. Zhou Anping's hand was still unconsciously protecting his slightly protruding belly.