193 cakes
Guan Yuehua and Gu Mannian only spent half a day outside with the two springy kids. The two kids were full of energy, running and jumping around, which made her finish shopping early because she was exhausted.
When they got home, she had to style their hair nicely and tell them stories. Gu Mannian wasn't idle either; she went into the kitchen to cook them delicious food.
Seeing that Lin Ting's strength had been almost completely exhausted, he started looking for his parents.
When Lin Ting couldn't stay still any longer and couldn't be coaxed with food, Guan Yuehe and Lin Yiku finally came to pick up the child.
I picked up the child downstairs.
Lin Ting was accompanied downstairs by Guan Yuehua and her family of three.
When they returned, Gu Mannian finally breathed a sigh of relief. "She refused to wait at home, and she didn't want to be taken back to Ginkgo Alley."
Lin Ting glared at them angrily, her eyes glistening with tears, her mouth almost pouting like a duck's beak.
Guan Yuehe suddenly felt guilty and regretted not bringing Lin Ting along. Actually, bringing her wouldn't have interfered with their date.
"Look what this is?" Guan Yuehe asked, lifting the paper bag in her hand.
Gu Yu exclaimed with delight, running around Guan Yuehe, "It's a small cake!"
Seeing the packaging bag, Guan Yuehua couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and sized up the couple in front of her. She never expected these two idiots would go out of their way to eat at a foreign restaurant.
"I thought you two going for a run in the park meant you were on a date."
At most, we can add a movie screening.
Guan Yuehe and Lin Yiku: "..."
I suspect her sister is being sarcastic again.
Guan Yuehua didn't expect that the two of them would finish watching a movie, eating out, taking a brisk walk in the park, and having a Western meal all in one day.
The decision to eat Western food was impromptu. Guan Yuehe suddenly remembered that a Western restaurant invested and founded by foreigners opened in September. Her colleague at work, who was particularly good at French, had recommended it to them, saying that the cakes in the pastry department of this restaurant were quite good.
Luckily they arrived early, otherwise they almost wouldn't have been able to buy any.
Lin Ting, forgetting her anger, quickly took two steps forward and leaned closer to the paper bag, asking, "What's the cake?"
"It's delicious, I brought it especially for you and Guyu."
Lin Ting was pleased, but still a little angry. She gave a couple of awkward hums and then reached out for a hug.
Once the child was calmed down, Guan Yuehe quickly handed over the portion for Gu Yu, then picked up Lin Ting and said, "Let's eat at home."
He casually weighed Lin Ting in his hand and deliberately exaggerated, "You're a little heavier than this morning. What did you eat today?"
Lin Ting started counting on her fingers the amount she had eaten that day, and the more she counted, the happier she became. She had actually eaten so much today with her aunt and the others!
When they got to the candied hawthorns, Lin Ting immediately covered her mouth and stopped talking. Her parents didn't give her candy, but she ate two candied hawthorns today!
Lin stopped talking, rested her head on her mother's shoulder, and giggled at her father behind her.
"Auntie, remember to take me next time!" Gu Yu reminded her while holding the paper bag.
"Okay, next time."
Guan Yuehe glanced at her older sister and brother-in-law, thinking that since she and Lin Yi could hardly find a day off together, it would be better to rely on her older sister and brother-in-law to take the two kids to a Western restaurant.
She was just feeling guilty for not taking Lin Ting out on a date, but now she's already planning to ask her sister and brother-in-law to help take care of the baby next time.
Guan Yuehua waited for a while, and seeing that she was staring at her without saying a word or leaving, she said, "Aren't you going home yet? Planning to go upstairs for a meal before you leave?"
"I'm leaving, I'm leaving." Guan Yuehe couldn't resist adding a sarcastic remark before leaving, "How could I dare let the upright official arrange the meal?!"
After saying that, they left, leaving only Lin Ting waving goodbye earnestly.
Guan Yuehua: "..."
She's such a grown woman, yet she still has such a sharp tongue and gets scolded so easily. Thankfully, her child is lovable.
—
As soon as they got home, Yuanbao from across the street came over to check if they had also gone on an autumn outing to the park today.
Guan Yuehe cut a piece of cake for her and used it to shut her up.
Lin Ting was also pleased by the cake in front of her, and ate it with gusto, even asking them when they would go again.
Going to a Western restaurant again seemed a long way off, but in mid-December, Guan Yuehe went on a business trip to Haishi and brought back a decorated cake.
The train journey from Shanghai to Beijing takes a full day and night. If it weren't for the cold weather, the food probably wouldn't have survived the journey.
During this business trip, Guan Yuehe noticed that there were far fewer petty pickpockets at the train station.
It's all thanks to the crackdown that happened recently.
"You've made business trips a regular occurrence for you now," Lin Sitian said enviously. "It's hard for me to even get a break." Let alone leave Beijing to go to other places.
Guan Yuehe enjoys business trips, but hopes the joint venture with Shanghai Automotive will end soon.
Before she could speak, Aunt Fang patted Lin Sitian on the back, "Focus on your studies, and stop thinking about going out to play all the time. Also, about that matter I mentioned, you and Lizhong should discuss it as soon as possible."
Lin Sitian was recommended by the Workers' Hospital to study at Beijing Medical College for a year. Aunt Fang thought that if she and Chen Lizhong were planning to have a child, they should do it now.
"Both of you are busy. When you come back from your studies, the workload will be even heavier. Will you still be able to handle it then?"
Lin Sitian winked at Guan Yuehe, who understood and immediately started to divide the cake they had brought back.
"If we don't split it soon, Lin Ting's face will be buried in the cake."
Aunt Fang turned her head and exclaimed, "Oh dear!" She quickly lifted Lin Ting's head and said with a smile, "Look how hungry the child is! Are decorated cakes only available in Shanghai? Tsk! How come our tobacco and sugar companies and food factories in Beijing are still lagging behind?"
When Aunt Fang returned to Courtyard No. 3 with the cake, Lin Sitian immediately said, "Mom, you make it sound so easy. Did you think that child could just take it whenever he wanted?"
After careful consideration, Guan Yuehe concluded that she and Lin Yiku were relatively quick; they said they wanted a baby, and it didn't take long for the baby to arrive.
"You two..."
Guan Yuehe had just opened her mouth when Lin Sitian stopped her from continuing. They had been good friends for over thirty years; they could understand each other's thoughts with just a glance.
"There's nothing wrong with us, we just don't want kids yet."
"oh."
Guan Yuehe agreed with her plan, saying, "Studying is quite tiring, no easier than working. It's not too late to have children a year or two later."
"I knew you would understand me." Neither of them excelled academically; they would have to put in extra effort to do well.
"Dr. Lin has been studying hard, have another piece." Guan Yuehe divided the remaining small piece into three portions, one for her, one for Sitian, and one for Lin Ting.
"Wow!" Lin Ting's eyes narrowed with satisfaction. She sat next to Lin Sitian, one big and one small. Except for their eyes, their other features looked like they were made from the same mold.
The old neighbors in the alley often joked that Sitian probably couldn't give birth to a child who looked so much like her.
Not only do they look alike, but they also have similar personalities; they're both very sweet-talking.
Lin Ting then set aside the extra small piece, saying, "I'll save it for Dad."
Guan Yuehe told her to eat it herself, "It will spoil if you leave it until your dad gets home from get off work. Bring it for him next time, and he can eat it all up."
"Ouch!" Lin Ting didn't hesitate and fed herself another big bite.
"What do you want to eat?" Song Xibei knocked on the door and poked his head in.
Lin Ting's eyes lit up, "Uncle Northwest!"
This uncle is a bit strange. He often stops her and asks, "Who am I?" But he wears clothes like her father and brings her delicious food!
"You're too late, there's no more for you."
Song Xibei didn't pay any attention. He had come to borrow tools from Zhou Hongqi to repair furniture, and seeing that Guan Yuehe's door was open, he came over to chat for a bit.
Guan Yuehe suddenly remembered a crucial question, "Why did your family visit leave last so long?" It's been two months since you came back.
"You're not going to transfer back to civilian life, are you?"
She had heard Lin Yiku mention that it wasn't always difficult for soldiers to be assigned to good units after leaving the military. Song Xibei hadn't been in the army for many years, so it would be even more difficult for him to return after his transfer...
"No." Song Xibei waved his hand, then scratched his head a little embarrassedly, grinning broadly: "I did well, and I'll be going to military academy for two years of further study after the New Year."
His father suffered from a lack of education when he was in the army; otherwise, he wouldn't have been unable to advance beyond his service age and had to be discharged. When he joined the army, with Lin Yiku as his role model, he dared not fall behind in his studies.
He actually got his chance; the student at the bottom of the class got a recommended spot for further studies.
The reason I was able to stay on this family visit leave for so long was because of some other tasks. But there's no need to go into that.
"Not bad!" Guan Yuehe patted his shoulder, feeling very gratified to see the little brats who had grown up becoming so successful.
What was that director Zheng saying again?
"Opportunity favors the prepared mind. Never stop striving for progress."
"Yes!" Song Xibei replied, then, recalling some old memories, suppressed a laugh.
He finally understood why Yi Ku Ge called Yue He Jie "Political Commissar Guan".
After Song Xibei borrowed the tools and left, Lin Sitian coughed twice, straightened up, and deliberately asked, "What instructions does the leader have for me?"
Guan Yuehe was so angry that she reached out to tickle her, and the room was immediately filled with their laughter.
Lin Ting protectively hid to the side of her small plate, afraid that her mother and aunt might accidentally knock over her cake.
Within days, when the news came out that Song Xibei had been recommended to study at a military academy, his neighbors in the alley were even more eager to introduce him to potential partners.
"Two years of further study is perfect for dating first. After you finish your studies, you can get married. It's that simple!" The neighbor even found a ready-made example: "Yuehe and Yiku got along just like that. They knew each other well and could even develop feelings for each other. Isn't that great!"
Tsai Ing-wen gritted her teeth and refused to budge.
Back then, it was possible to be transferred back to the Northwest, but now it's not easy to be transferred back. Can it be the same?
But among the people who came to introduce Song Xibei to potential partners was Sister-in-law Ding, and the person she introduced was Ding Xiang, which was something Cai Ying had never expected.
Cai Ying refused, and instead advised her and Ding Laoda not to make any haphazard arrangements for the child.
Dingxiang got into university on her own merit, and with only six months left until graduation and job assignments, what kind of good partner does she want to find? Maybe Dingxiang already has a plan.
"Huh? What are they after?"
Guan Yuehe came to No. 2 Courtyard to buy roasted melon seeds from Luo Guifang. Upon hearing about this, she couldn't help but frown.
Aunt Bai whispered, "I think the couple is worried that Dingxiang will marry far away and won't be able to take care of them, so they're thinking of having Dingxiang marry a man in the alley."
"Didn't they consider that Dingxiang and the Northwest might get together, and Dingxiang might follow the army?" Some people went with the army, and might spend most of their lives there.
"They probably think they can be transferred back after their advanced studies in the Northwest." Aunt Bai curled her lip and said disdainfully, "Who knows what those two are thinking? Just like Aunt Ding, they can't figure things out."
“When Dingxiang comes back from her vacation, we’ll give her a few words of advice. She finally got into university and has a bright future ahead of her. Don’t let her parents ruin it.” Aunt Zhao spat out a sunflower seed shell. “It’s rare for a child to be successful, and she has such unreliable parents. They must have lost their minds.”
"That needs to be reminded," Auntie Er echoed.
Guan Yuehe gave a thumbs-up to the group of older women, saying, "The neighborhood committee should give the older women in our No. 2 courtyard an award certificate."
How kind of you!
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