Chapter 74 Zhao Zhao Goes to Her Grandparents' House
Lu Qi returned home around 6 a.m. on the morning of the third day of the Lunar New Year.
Yesterday, their film crew finally wrapped up filming, and after resting for a few hours, she rushed to the airport.
Everyone in the family was probably asleep. Lu Qi dragged her suitcase back to her room, took a hot shower, and planned to have some breakfast before going back to sleep.
These past few days of non-stop work have exhausted her. Now that she's back in her cozy little home, she can finally lie down comfortably.
As soon as Lu Qi stepped into the kitchen, she heard a soft, childlike voice behind her.
"Second sister!"
Lu Qi turned her head: "Zhao Zhao? Why are you up so early?"
"Welcome home!" Lu Yinzhao ran over and hugged Lu Qi's leg.
Lu Qi squatted down, cupped Zhao Zhao's face in her hands and rubbed it a few times, "Thank you, baby. It's so nice to see our Zhao Zhao as soon as we get home!"
"Mom and Dad are still sleeping. I've come to get a drink of water."
Lu Qi looked down and saw that the little guy was still holding his small cup. She smiled and said, "Sister will pour you some water."
Of all the family members, Lu Yinzhao has the most regular schedule.
I go to bed early and wake up early; I wake up automatically at the appointed time, as if my body has an alarm clock installed.
Lu Yinzhao climbed onto the chair and sat down. Lu Qi placed a water glass in front of him and continued, "I'm planning to fry an egg now. Does Zhaozhao want some?"
Lu Yinzhao nodded: "Eat!"
"Okay, baby, wait a minute." Lu Qi put on her apron and went into the kitchen.
Lu Yinzhao remembered that there was still toast at home, so he jumped off the chair and went to get it.
There was a toaster on the island platform. He skillfully put the toast in and pressed the switch.
A short while later, Lu Yuan got up and came out of the room. He saw the bread in the toaster suddenly bounce up and thought he had gotten up too quickly.
He rubbed his eyes and was shocked to see that it really was Zhaozhao baking bread.
"Zhaozhao, why are you up?" Lu Yuan rushed forward, afraid that his younger brother would get burned.
"My second sister is back. She's frying eggs, and I'm toasting some bread for her so we can eat them together later," Lu Yinzhao replied calmly.
Lu Yuan said, "Brother will handle it, you sit down."
With so many people in the family, they still couldn't keep an eye on one early riser.
Lu Yuan said to Lu Yinzhao earnestly, "Zhaozhao, when your older brother, sister, father, and mother are not around, you must not turn on these dangerous electrical appliances by yourself."
Lu Yinzhao was stunned. He thought that his second sister was in the kitchen, and he hadn't paid much attention to it when he did it.
Putting yourself in his shoes, it's normal for Lu Yuan to be worried about him getting hurt.
So he immediately corrected his attitude and nodded: "I understand, Third Brother, I won't do it again next time."
"Hey? Why are you up so early too?" Lu Qi came out carrying a plate. "I didn't make any for you."
Lu Yuan said helplessly, "I don't need you to do it, I can do it myself."
He then walked into the kitchen.
"Zhaozhao, did you bake this toast? You're so amazing, baby!" Lu Qi couldn't help but praise when she saw the perfectly baked toast on the table.
"Second sister, you eat." Lu Yinzhao pushed the plate over.
The three people in the restaurant were eating breakfast when, halfway through, several other family members came out of their rooms.
Lu Wenyan said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Zhaozhao, Mom and Dad overslept."
Lu Yinzhao shook his head: "It's okay, I can take care of myself."
To be precise, he got up too early; it's only a little past seven o'clock now.
Everyone else arrived except for Lu Cheng, who was still in bed.
Lu Xun and Lu Yuan knew that Lu Qi was coming back this morning, and they were both thinking of getting up early to greet him. Unexpectedly, the first person they greeted was Zhao Zhao.
"Your mother and I discussed it and decided to go to your grandparents' house tomorrow." This was agreed upon from the beginning, and now that Lu Qi has returned home and everyone is here, it's natural to arrange a time nearby to visit the elders for the New Year.
"Okay, no problem. I don't start work until the seventh day of the Lunar New Year."
"I'm fine with that too, I have a two-week vacation this time."
"Me too."
After everyone had expressed their opinions, Lu Yinzhao felt he should say something too, so he said, "I'm free throughout the entire winter break."
Everyone looked at Lu Yinzhao upon hearing this, and then burst out laughing.
“Zhao Zhao is so different now that she’s in school, hahaha!” Lu Wenyan said.
"Our baby has a schedule, okay? It's not something you can just book anytime," Yin Song joked.
“I can just imagine how happy Grandpa and Grandma would be if they saw Zhao Zhao now. What old person wouldn’t love such a clever child?” Lu Qi covered her mouth and laughed.
"Make sure Zhaozhao gets all dressed up nicely before we go tomorrow."
"Dress something festive."
"I agree."
Zhao Zhao is just like a little baby who stepped out of a New Year's painting. Her face is chubby and glows with a healthy radiance, as if you could squeeze honey out of it if you pinched it gently.
Her eyes, round like black grapes, curved into crescents when she smiled. Her eyelashes were thick and long, fluttering like two small fans. Her nose was small and pert, with a touch of natural pink at the tip. Paired with her rosy little mouth, she was simply adorable.
Although Zhao Zhao has been beautifully sculpted since birth, she will only become more and more beautiful as she grows up.
If you randomly put her in a group of children, the one who stands out the most is Zhao Zhao, her skin is so white it practically glows.
*
The next morning, Lu Yinzhao was dressed in a red Tang-style cotton-padded jacket by Yin Song.
The design features a modern Chinese style, with white velvet trim around the edges of the garment, adorned with delicate Chinese knot buttons and auspicious embroidery.
Lu Yinzhao was a little embarrassed because it was the first time she had dressed so colorfully.
This is indeed... festive, very festive.
"Are you all ready? It's time to go!"
"Wait a minute, my hair isn't done yet!" Lu Cheng's voice came from the bathroom.
"Hurry! Hurry!"
"Get on the bus and we'll get it done. I've already told your grandparents in advance, so don't be late."
"Alright, alright! I'm coming!" Lu Cheng rushed out in a hurry.
Lu Qi complained, "You spent half a day getting your hair done in the bathroom and this is it? I can't see any difference before and after."
Lu Cheng: "..." That hurts.
The whole family sat neatly in the car, which then headed towards their destination.
On the other side.
In the Lu family's old house, the elderly couple, having heard that their son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren were coming, prepared a lot of delicious food at home well in advance.
“Wen Yang sent me photos, and Zhao Zhao looks a lot like Wen Yang when he was a child.” Lu Mingqi said as he took out his phone and looked at his grandson’s photos again.
"Oh? He just sent it to you?" Wen Youtang smiled slightly. "Wen Yang sends me Zhao Zhao's photos every month."
Lu Mingqi: "..."
"You just can't sit still. You like to go to your drama theater all the time. Wouldn't it be better if we went to see the children together?" Wen Youtang said reproachfully.
Lu Mingqi thought differently. He stroked his beard and said, "Children have their own lives. Why bother them? When I was their age, I hated parents who had no boundaries."
"You're just being stubborn. You clearly have the same idea in your heart." Wen Youtang didn't argue with the old man and tidied her appearance in front of the mirror.
Today, the old man and woman were dressed very well and looked very energetic, all to happily welcome the children.
"Songsong said that her in-laws will be coming this afternoon. It's been several years since we last got together, so you'd better bring out all your good wine to entertain them," Wen Youtang added, remembering the occasion.
"Okay, okay, do you think I'm the kind of person who's stingy? Don't worry about it, I'll arrange everything properly." Lu Mingqi was annoyed by the nagging and waved his hands repeatedly.
"It seems like they've arrived? I can hear the car." Wen Youtang looked out the window.
"Go check at the entrance." Lu Mingqi had also heard the commotion.
The two elders walked together toward the gate, their smiles lasting only a few seconds before their faces fell when they saw the second son of the Lu family get out of the car and run toward them.
"Dad! Mom!" Lu Wangchi grinned, showing his big teeth. "Oh dear, why are you both here to greet me at the gate? It's cold outside, please come inside."
Lu Mingqi glanced at him, then turned and went inside.
Wen Youtang did the same. She glanced at her son, seemingly wanting to say something but then hesitated, before going inside without saying anything.
Lu Wangchi looked completely bewildered: "??"
What does it mean by the disappointed look on my parents' faces?
He had barely stepped inside when he heard his father mutter, "You have time to come over every day, but no time to bring a girlfriend home? You're not getting any younger..."
"Why hasn't your brother arrived yet? Is there traffic on the road today?" Wen Youtang changed the subject.
Lu Wangchi was speechless; he finally understood what was going on.
So it turns out his parents weren't waiting for him at the door?
Lu Wangchi is still unmarried, and since his workplace and residence are close to the Lu family's old house, he likes to go there every few days.
These days, the two elderly people are no longer surprised to see Lu Wangchi.
They were hoping that their second son would find a good home.
"The road was alright today, not too congested, but my brother's family lives far away, so I don't know about the road conditions there. Don't worry, they have a whole family, they probably need a lot of time to prepare before they set off."
After Lu Wangchi's reminder, Lu Mingqi and Wen Youtang also realized it.
That's right, the eldest son's family has many children, so it will take some time to settle Zhaozhao in.
In their minds, children are the most difficult to deal with.
Going out once might lead to all sorts of situations, and you never know when someone might cry or fuss on the way.
"Have you prepared all the red envelopes? The children will be here soon, so don't show favoritism." Wen Youtang asked Wang Chi.
Lu Wangchi patted his bulging bag. "Mom, everything is ready, so don't worry. I haven't seen my nephews and nieces in a long time, and I miss them quite a bit."
They were talking inside when two loudspeaker blasts suddenly came from outside the door.
"Dad, Mom!" someone called out.
Lu Wangchi immediately stood up: "It's my elder brother and the others!"
Lu Mingqi and Wen Youtang followed their son out, where Lu Wenyan's car was already parked in the yard.
The car door opened, and the whole family appeared one by one.
"Grandpa and Grandma! Happy New Year!" Lu Qi waved happily!
Hello, Grandpa and Grandma!
One greeting after another came, and the old couple's smiles returned, and wrinkles appeared at the corners of their eyes.
He quickly replied, "Okay, okay! My dear grandson, you must be tired from the journey. Come on, let's go inside and rest for a while."
Lu Yinzhao was the last to get off the bus; Lu Xun carried him out.
The two elderly people in front of me have an extraordinary air about them. You can tell from them that they were handsome men and beautiful women when they were young, and they are still elegant in their old age.
Lu Mingqi saw Zhaozhao at this moment. He stared into his grandson's eyes and grinned, "Zhaozhao? Do you know what to call me?"
"Grandpa~" A sweet, childlike voice melted Grandpa Lu's heart.
"Oh! My sweetie!"
"Grandma~" Lu Yinzhao called out to the old lady next to him again.
"Oh, let Grandma hold me." Wen Youtang couldn't move when she saw the adorable Zhao Zhao.
He took the initiative to step forward and offer to carry Lu Yinzhao.
Lu Yinzhao dared not let the old lady hug him; he was well aware of his own limitations.
"Brother, put me down," Lu Yinzhao whispered to Lu Xun.
Lu Xun put Zhao Zhao down, and the little girl took the initiative to walk towards the old lady and hold Wen Youtang's hand.
"Grandma, aren't we going inside? I'll hold your hand and lead you," Lu Yinzhao said sweetly.
Wen Youtang repeatedly said "okay" and quickly called to Lu Wangchi: "Don't just stand there, quickly pour a cup of tea for the children."
"Okay, sure." Lu Wangchi readily took on the role of assistant.
The two elderly people hadn't seen so many people at home in a long time; today was truly a special day.
"Zhaozhao, are you hungry? Look, is there anything you like to eat here?" the old lady asked, pointing to a table in the living room that was covered with various snacks and desserts.
Seeing the dazzling array of New Year's goods, Lu Yinzhao couldn't help but marvel at the true extent of the bond between grandparents and grandchildren.
His grandparents are really spoiling him rotten.
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Author's Note: Zhao Zhao: I'm the group's darling. [Glasses]
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