Su Qingmeng was awakened by the crowing of a rooster in the morning. She said, "I haven't heard this sound in years."

Lin Xiuyao picked up his watch and looked at it. "It's only half past five. Let's sleep a little longer." He hugged Su Qingmeng and the two of them took a nap and didn't get up until eight o'clock.

After breakfast, they went to the commune to buy some food. Lin Xiuhe would also be back for the Chinese New Year this year, so they had to prepare more food.

Lin Xiuyao went to look at his small house in the commune. It had been unoccupied and unmaintained for several years, and it was already a bit rundown.

Lin Xiuyao thought about talking to Er Pingzi in a couple of days and asking him to rent out the house for him. It was not a good idea to just leave it like this.

After returning home, Su Qingmeng took out Lin Xiuyao's pre-marriage quilt and placed it in the west room. These were the only quilts in her hometown, and she didn't like giving her quilt to others. It felt awkward. Lin Xiuyao's pre-marriage quilt was not torn, so she gave it to her eldest brother and the others.

After they pasted up the couplets and the word "Fu", Zheng An came over to talk to Lin Xiuyao. He was already married and brought his daughter with him. The little girl had big eyes and a very sweet smile.

Lin Xiuyao was envious. He wished he could have such a lovely daughter in the future. He asked him, "Do you want to go to Beijing? I opened a clothing store. You can help me run the store."

"Forget it, I'm married now, and life in the village is pretty good. I'm even planning to open a pig farm!" Everyone has their own aspirations, so Lin Xiuyao didn't force it.

Lin Xiutong returned to the village that evening. He'd been assigned to a machinery factory in Ji City after graduation, and had just returned today after a three-day Spring Festival holiday. He told Lin Xiuyao about work, "I'm planning to take the process engineer exam this year."

Lin Xiuyao told him that he had resigned. Lin Xiutong was surprised and asked, "Why?"

Lin Xiuyao said that the country is now vigorously developing the economy, and he does not want to work step by step in a government department, but wants to start his own business.

Lin Xiutong was the first and only one to know about this from his hometown. He kept it a secret from the others. He instructed them, "Remember to keep it a secret."

Lin Xiutong: "Okay, I won't tell anyone, but second brother, have you thought about it?" It's so nice to have a stable job now, and all university graduates are assigned as cadres.

However, his second brother had his own ideas since he was young, so he didn't try to persuade him.

Lin Xiuyao joked, "Do you have a partner?" Xiutong is 22 years old this year.

Lin Xiutong blushed. "The older sister at work introduced me to someone, and I just met her. But I'm not in a hurry. Nowadays, people advocate delaying marriage and childbirth."

"Yes, you have to be careful when you marry a wife. As the saying goes, a virtuous wife brings less trouble to her husband, and marrying a wife who is not afraid of disasters will bring disaster to three generations. You are not that old, so if you start dating someone, you have to spend a few years with them and get to know the character of her family members." Lin Xiuyao shared his experience with him.

Although he married a good wife and lived a happy life, he had also seen many of his friends and classmates' family affairs and had some experience.

At night, Su Qingmeng and the others had gone to bed. Lin Xiuhe and his family knocked on the door, and the two thought they would not be able to arrive that day.

Lin Xiuyao put on his clothes and went to open the door. His eldest brother was holding his nephew, and his eldest sister-in-law Zhang Wangyue was holding his niece. Both of them were carrying a few bags. He took them to the west room.

"Brother, why are you here so late?" It's already past eight o'clock.

Lin Xiuhe: "The train was late, so we walked back from the county town."

Lin Xiuyao patted his niece's head and wanted to ask why she didn't stay overnight in the county town, but swallowed his words and said, "This is Mengmeng, right?"

He remembered that his eldest niece was named Lin Meng.

Lin Xiuhe: "Mengmeng, call someone, this is your second uncle."

Lin Meng obediently called him "Second Uncle."

Lin Xiuyao: "Hey, that's good. Big brother, put the child on the kang. There are beddings in the box."

The eldest sister-in-law went to spread the quilt, and the eldest brother put the child down. Su Qingmeng put on her clothes and came over, "Brother, sister-in-law."

Lin Xiuhe doesn't look much like Lin Xiuyao. He has almond-shaped eyes, dark skin, and a cold and hard temperament. The eldest sister-in-law has a round face and almond-shaped eyes, and looks quite gentle.

Su Qingmeng greeted them and asked, "Are you hungry? Do you want to eat?"

Lin Xiuhe said embarrassedly: "A little bit, I had dinner at six o'clock."

Su Qingmeng: "Then I'll go cook noodles for you." The noodles they brought back from the capital were cooked quickly.

Lin Xiuyao followed him out to help, "Brother, you guys clean up." The two of them simply sipped some soup, added noodles and vegetables, and it was done in 10 minutes.

After the meal was done, Lin Xiuyao called them out to eat. The little nephew was still sleeping, so the eldest brother, sister-in-law and Mengmeng ate together. In the end, Lin Xiuyao paid for everything. Su Qingwang was shocked. She had underestimated their appetite. Soldiers really can eat a lot.

It was quite late after dinner, so everyone went back to their rooms to sleep.

The next morning, Su Qingmeng woke up at almost seven o'clock. She habitually stayed in bed for a while in the morning.

There was already movement outside the door. Su Qingmeng nudged Lin Xiuyao, "Your elder brother and the others are up."

Lin Xiuyao: "Don't worry about them. You are already so old, do you still need others to serve you?"

The two of them were cuddling in bed.

Lin Xiu and his family had indeed gotten up. They had developed the habit of waking up at 6 o'clock in the army.

When he came back from running, he found that his younger brother and the others had not yet gotten up, so he said to Zhang Wangyue, "You go cook first."

"I don't know how to use a big pot." She was a city girl and had never used a farmer's stove.

"I'll light the fire for you," Lin Xiuhe opened the cupboard and took out some rice, "just make some porridge."

The eldest sister-in-law looked unhappy. There was noise coming from their side, and my sister-in-law must have heard it, but she didn't come out to cook.

Su Qingmeng and the others didn't get up until eight o'clock. When they came out, their eldest brother and his family were having dinner.

Lin Xiuyao said calmly, "Brother, sister-in-law, you guys got up really early."

Lin Xiuhe wanted to teach him a lesson, but seeing his brother and sister-in-law there, he just said, "It's already eight o'clock." People who come from the army can't stand them staying in bed like this.

Lin Xiuyao shrugged, not taking it seriously, and went out to wash up. Su Qingmeng went to the bathroom. It was inconvenient to have outsiders at home. She couldn't even enter the space. After all, Lin Xiuhe was a soldier. When he was at home, the two of them had to act cautiously.

After Su Qingmeng finished washing up and had dinner, Lin Xiuyao fried a plate of eggs for her, and they ate it with porridge.

The little nephew Lin Xuan was looking at them from the side. Lin Xiuyao waved at him, "Come here." He shyly ran back into the house.

Su Qingmeng met her nephew and niece for the first time. Mengmeng was five years old and Lin Xuan was three years old. She gave gifts to them both, a set of clothes and a toy for each of them.

Today is the 30th. My uncle said it was rare that so many people were gathered together, so we came to their house to have a reunion dinner.

Su Qingmeng was very happy to agree this time. If she didn't go, she might be asked to cook for her eldest brother's family, which she didn't want to do.

Su Qingmeng took the roast chickens she bought at the commune yesterday, a total of three, to make a dish and as a gift for her eldest cousin's children.

My eldest brother and his friends also went to my uncle's house together, and everyone was holding gifts in their hands.