The next morning, under the supervision of Yan Rushan, the three children began their difficult days of self-sufficiency. Not surprisingly, their mouths were full of food residues, and a lot of food was spilled on the table. Zhong Yuxiu didn't care and asked Yan Rushan to go over and talk to the children.

Yan Rushan did not feel tired, but enjoyed it. He even spoke in a much better manner. The children were not so repulsive to him anymore, or at least they would not go against him anymore. The relationship between the four of them had begun to improve.

Two days passed in this leisurely and interesting way. As the New Year was approaching, Yan's parents came back; Yan Rushan also came back with them. They first went to the compound, but when they didn't see anyone, they came to Hongxing Village. With three more people in the house, the house suddenly became lively.

"Mom and Dad, I'm starving. I wonder if the family has prepared food." Early in the morning, Yan Ruhai touched his hungry stomach. He looked listless and seemed to be still sleepy.

Yan's mother asked curiously, "You didn't sleep all night? Look at you, your face is pale, your eyes are dull, and you look haggard." Suddenly she felt disgusted.

Yan Ruhai looked at his mother pitifully, "Mom! Last night, the village set off firecrackers until midnight, and people were setting off firecrackers in the early morning. How could I sleep? I felt sleepy at first, but later I couldn't fall asleep at all. All the sleepiness was scared away."

"That's how it is in the countryside when celebrating the New Year. You'll get used to it after a few times." Yan's mother didn't take it seriously. Moreover, her complexion looked very good and rosy, so she must have slept well.

Yan Ruhai sighed deeply, "Why can't I sleep? I wake up as soon as the firecrackers go off."

Walking beside Yan's mother, Yan's father looked him up and down before concluding, "You also stay up late at the institute, don't you? Your complexion and skin look so bad."

Under normal circumstances, if a person stays up late occasionally, there will not be much difference in his appearance; this will only happen to those who stay up late frequently and damage their physical foundation.

"Yes! You know the work in the research institute. We rely on energy and inspiration when we work. When inspiration comes, how can we sleep? We can only grit our teeth and persevere. If we are busy, we may not sleep all night. By the time we realize it, it is already dawn." Yan Ruhai yawned, feeling lazy and unable to muster up energy.

"Then ask your sister-in-law to take a good look at you. There must be something wrong with your body. You can't be like this. How are you going to get married and have children in the future?" Yan's mother frowned. "A man's health is very important. Staying up late is not only a taboo for women, but also for you men."

Yan Ruhai didn't take it to heart at all. "I'll recover after two days of good sleep, Mom and Dad, don't worry. I'll go find something to eat first, then go back to sleep. Don't call me!"

"Got it, go to the kitchen and eat something and then go back to bed."

Yan Ruhai staggered away. His mother looked at him with a distressed look on her face. "Xiao Hai, this job isn't what it seems! It may look glamorous on the surface, but it's not good for your health at all."

"It's probably because he doesn't get enough exercise. You know your son." The strict father shook his head. "He loves to be lazy. Look at Rushan, he runs all the time. How could that be the case? It's probably because he doesn't get enough exercise."

Yan's mother nodded in agreement. "Indeed, it's just right that we're back. You should train him well during the next two weeks at home. I still want to have a granddaughter. Dashan and Yuxiu definitely can't have any more children. With the implementation of family planning, families can only have one child. Dashan is fine. Even if he has an extra child, it won't have any impact. Yuxiu's workplace must have clear regulations, so it can't affect her."

So, let’s put our hopes of having a granddaughter on our youngest son.

"No problem, give him some good training these few days. This kid just needs it." Yan's father also wanted to have a girl at home, but there hadn't been any girls in their Yan family for several generations. "Don't get your hopes up too much. Maybe our family just doesn't have a good relationship with girls."

"Let's wait until Xiao Hai has a child. A granddaughter would be best, but a boy would be fine too."

My eldest daughter-in-law gave birth to three sons, and she herself also gave birth to two. To be honest, I really don’t like grandchildren, so I hope there won’t be another one.

Yan's father and mother went to the kitchen to get some hot water and fetched the towels and toiletries Wang Daya had prepared for them the day before. After a quick wash, they helped carry breakfast to the main hall. On the way, they met Yan Rushan, who had also come to get some hot water, and Yan's mother asked.

"Is Yuxiu awake yet? Breakfast should be eaten hot in winter. Eating it cold is bad for your stomach."

"Get up. We're going to visit relatives and friends today, so we have to get up early." Yan Rushan said, and his mother nodded. "I'll go with you then. Your father and I should also go for a walk."

The old man has retired and has not been noticeable in recent years. That's because he is still alive; the relationships are still maintained. If the old man is gone one day, it is only a matter of time before people forget him. Personal connections need to be managed and maintained.

"You and Dad just came back..."

"It doesn't matter. We are busy all year round, so these few days won't make a difference. We can have a good New Year's celebration only after paying New Year's greetings. This year we are living in Hongxing Village, so there shouldn't be many people coming to pay New Year's greetings, so we can have a quiet celebration." In previous years, people would leave one after another, or even come in a bunch of people at once. Every day of the New Year's celebration was spent in a noisy atmosphere, and sometimes I really felt that it would be worse to celebrate the New Year in the army.

Now that the sons have grown up and the eldest son has married a good wife, the burden on the parents has been lightened; the eldest son and his wife can share most of the pressure for them, which makes them feel more relaxed. However, this will make the burden on the young couple heavier.

She had no hope for her youngest son, a man who had been spoiled from childhood. Being able to work at the institute without worrying about anyone was already the limit for him. She couldn't delegate the burdens of the family to him, not even to his older brother. His work at the institute meant he lacked connections, and the lack of connections at home meant he was simply a researcher.

"Okay, you and Dad go to the main hall and talk to Grandpa first. We'll come over after we wash up."

"good."

Going their separate ways, Yan's mother and father went to the main hall, "Dad, good morning."

"Good morning." The old man was holding a foreign book in his hand. Yan's mother and father were quite surprised. "Dad, you actually read foreign books."

"I just took a quick look. I couldn't understand a lot of the meanings, but that didn't stop me from taking more looks."

"What are you reading if you don't understand?" The strict father leaned over and saw that the books were all written in tadpole script, not just foreign books, but also English books. He said he couldn't understand much, and many of the words were known to others, but he didn't. "All these words make my eyes blur. You are so patient."

Yan Guofeng watched and spoke without delay, "You are not very old, you still need to learn more; Yuxiu once said that you should learn as long as you live. Otherwise, life will be boring. If you have nothing to do after retirement, you still need to find something to do."

There is no shortage of spiritual food.