Chapter 361 The First Birthday Banquet
Seeing this, Huo Tingzhou patted his short hair. He could still find a way to meet his other requests.
But this... it's truly a case of a clever father having no rice to cook!
Fortunately, Sui Sui is very easy to coax.
Just as Huo Tingzhou finished tying Zhao Zhao's hair into two cute little buns and was about to take the two little ones downstairs...
Zhao Zhao's little hand had already opened the drawer before he could.
"Scented~~" She wanted to apply perfume.
After applying perfume, you need to apply face powder.
These all taste like Mommy's, she wants them too!
Getting dressed and tying hair into braids are things Huo Tingzhou can do perfectly well, but applying makeup to his face is something he really doesn't know how to do.
Besides, a one-year-old baby's skin is as tender as tofu, so why would they need to apply this?
But when he looked at Zhao Zhao's exquisitely beautiful face, which resembled his own wife's, Huo Tingzhou's heart softened completely.
Finally, amidst Zhao Zhao's whimpering, Huo Tingzhou picked up a lipstick and dotted a circle on the forehead of each of the two little ones.
It seems like everyone in the family compound lights a cake when a child turns one year old.
They actually look rather cute.
The two little ones were finally satisfied and obediently followed me downstairs.
The old man and his family are having tea in the living room right now, and they are delighted to see their two great-grandchildren dressed so beautifully and looking so energetic!
The elderly couple were extremely fond of it.
After breakfast, I happily took my two little ones out for a stroll.
When I returned, quite a few guests had already arrived at my home.
The first group to arrive were all of Huo's mother's family members, including her aunt who lived far away in Chengdu and made a special trip back this time.
At this moment, Huo's mother was chatting intimately with her older sister, and Jiang Si was sitting next to her.
As soon as the two little ones saw their mother, they immediately let go of the old man's hand.
"Slow down!" Huo's mother's words had no effect. The two little ones looked up abruptly and found that there were two grandmothers sitting in front of them.
Huo's mother and her sister were identical twins, and they were wearing Lenin suits, which were the most common at the time.
Even adults would get confused if the two of them sat together, let alone two children.
Fortunately, the two little ones are very clever.
They were very familiar with their grandmother's scent.
Without Jiang Si even needing to remind them, the two girls rushed into Huo's mother's arms, crying, "Grandma~~"
Mrs. Huo's face was beaming with pride. "So good!"
"This child is so well raised," said Yue's eldest sister. "He's smart and sensible."
"It's all thanks to Si Si and the others for teaching him so well," said Mother Huo, who was very good at speaking. "He mainly inherited it from Si Si; he's very clever."
Jiang Si felt a little guilty from the praise. "Mom, Aunt, you two chat first. Tingzhou and I will go outside to greet them."
"Go on, put on your coat, it's chilly outside today."
Jiang Si nodded.
The two had barely arrived at the entrance of the family compound when their master, mistress, Chairman Zhou, and several others arrived.
Shortly after, the High Court and Professor Li's group arrived.
I glanced at the time; it was almost ten o'clock.
Just as Jiang Si was wondering why Chi Heng and Chris hadn't arrived yet, Huo Tingzhou glanced intently into the distance.
"They should have arrived by now; that's the embassy's car."
It must be said, pilots have excellent eyesight.
The license plate number is clearly visible even from this distance.
Sure enough, the car pulled over and stopped shortly afterward.
"Thank goodness we made it in time, I was so scared!" Chris couldn't help but complain to Jiang Si as soon as she got out of the car.
Seeing that she looked shaken, Jiang Si quickly asked with concern, "What happened? Did something happen on the way?"
Chris said, "When we came from that street just now, a few kids suddenly darted out. Luckily, Chi Heng reacted quickly and stepped on the brakes, otherwise we would have hit them."
"Were you scared?"
“It’s alright.” Chris said with a hint of helplessness. “It’s just that the child’s family is being unreasonable. They insist that we scared their child, and they’re blocking us from leaving. They even want us to pay them fifty dollars.”
"Fifty dollars?"
Jiang Si frowned upon hearing this; fifty yuan was no small sum.
"So you gave it to me?"
"We have no choice but to give it to them. They're throwing a tantrum, and if we don't give it to them, who knows how much longer we'll have to wait."
On this joyous day, Chris didn't want to mention any unhappy things. "Luckily, I didn't miss the two babies' first birthday celebrations."
"It's good that everyone is alright. Let's go inside."
"Wait a minute." Chris turned around and gestured for Chi Heng to open the trunk.
A moment later, she took two cakes out of there.
One is vanilla butter flavored, and the other is creamy fruit flavored.
Chris smiled and said, "This is for my two darlings, happy birthday!"
After glancing at the packaging, Jiang Si exclaimed in surprise, "You made this cake yourself?"
Yesterday she wanted to order a cake for the two little ones, but unfortunately there are very few pastry shops in Beijing.
She went to four or five stores but couldn't find any, but unexpectedly, Chris made two and brought them over.
That's really thoughtful.
“Yes.” Chris nodded. “These two were just made this morning. The ingredients were limited, so they don’t look very pretty, but they should taste pretty good.”
Jiang Si was touched, but also somewhat surprised, "When did you learn to bake cakes?"
I've never heard her mention it.
"yesterday."
Seeing Jiang Si staring at her with wide eyes, Chris quickly offered an explanation.
"What I mean is, I only really succeeded yesterday. Before that, either the cake batter was chocolate-colored or the cream wouldn't whip up."
"Oh, by the way, I also baked some cookies, come and take a look."
Jiang Si glanced at it and immediately gave a thumbs up, "It's really well roasted."
“Of course, I spent ages picking this out.” Chris blurted out the truth. “I baked several trays before I finally picked out this little bit.”
ah?
Jiang Si asked in confusion, "What about the remaining cookies?"
"Chi Heng took it and disposed of it."
Chris lowered her voice, "He said that food cannot be wasted in China, and if someone finds out, they will be called to the police station for questioning."
"Is it that serious?" she asked.
Seeing that Chi Heng looked a little uncomfortable, Jiang Si saw through it but didn't say anything, and said with a smile, "Yes, he's right."
As they spoke, the group arrived at the old house.
At this moment, Mother Huo had already placed the items needed for the baby's first birthday celebration on the red carpet on the living room floor.
The purpose of the first birthday celebration is to bring good luck, so it usually involves displaying items such as calligraphy brushes, abacuses, seals, ruyi scepters, coins, and books.
These were all prepared by Jiang Si herself, and there weren't many, only ten items in total.
But now, at a glance, there are clearly more than ten more items.
It was only after asking that they learned that Huo Tingzhou had added a model airplane he had made himself to the room early that morning.
Later, Grandpa and Grandma Huo came and added another longevity lock inside.
Then my aunt added a harmonica, and my uncle added a key.
And so, you added one item and I added one item, and now there are dozens of items on the blanket!
Just then, the old man, who had been silent all along, placed his military medals on it.
Not just one, but a whole box!
Fearing that his great-grandchildren wouldn't see it, the old man specially opened the box and placed it in a spot where the two children could see it at a glance and reach out to touch it.
That's why they say old ginger is spicier.
After reading it, Uncle San slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Oh dear, if I had known, I would have put it on later!"
The two little ones were still a bit confused, wondering why the adults put everything on the ground and what would happen if they stepped on it.
So he grabbed his little basket, which he usually used to put his toys in, and said to Jiang Si, "Mommy, put it in~"
Ah, this...
Wouldn't that be too greedy?
Jiang Si was both amused and exasperated.
However, with so many things to choose from, not only were the two little ones overwhelmed, but she herself didn't know which one to pick.
However, before she could speak, the crowd started jeering, with some telling them to grab the "Big Unity" (a symbol of unity in Chinese culture) and others telling them to grab the "Jade Ruyi" (a symbol of good fortune).
No matter what they said, the two little ones sat there obediently, waiting for their mother to give them instructions.
They would only take whichever one their mother told them to like.
Without any hesitation, Sui Sui headed straight for the box of military medals in front of her.
Jiang Si was not surprised by this; children at this stage are simply powerless against the gold and red color scheme of military medals.
Unexpectedly, after receiving her military medals, Sui Sui immediately chose a first-class merit medal.
She raised her little hand high, determined to give it to her father.
Everyone was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.
Goodness, this is the first time I've ever seen someone pick something during a baby's first birthday celebration and then immediately start "whipping" their own father.
Huo Tingzhou then squatted down, solemnly accepting the military medal his son handed him, and responded earnestly.
"Okay, Dad will try his best!"
Sui Sui was unaware that because of his unintentional act of sharing, Huo Tingzhou would go all out in the days that followed, making everyone's scalp tingle.
Compared to Sui Sui's decisiveness, Zhao Zhao was somewhat conflicted.
After blinking her big eyes for a while, she finally chose the abacus from among all the items.
“Your daughter is just like you.” As everyone was saying auspicious words, Huo Tingzhou turned his head and looked over, his eyes gentle, and said, “When you were first born, you picked up this too.”
If he hadn't mentioned it, Jiang Si would have almost forgotten.
It turns out that Huo Tingzhou was also present when I was born.
What was originally a warm and loving memory turned sour when Jiang Si joked, "Who knows, maybe your future son-in-law will be just like you, witnessing his wife and daughter's first birthday ceremony."
Huo Tingzhou's mood instantly soured.
He wasn't the only one whose mood soured; just as everyone was chatting and laughing, preparing to head to the auditorium, the security guard at the gate came looking for them—
Today, the Huo family is holding their first birthday banquet, and there are many people coming and going early in the morning.
But no matter who comes, they must first register at the gate, and then a member of the Huo family must come to confirm their identity before the guards will let them through.
It's a bit of a hassle, but with so many old men living in the compound, safety is the top priority.
If you can just register casually and get in, no one can bear the responsibility if something goes wrong.
The Huo family could understand this.
I had already informed the gatekeeper in advance, and everything was done according to the rules.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Huo and the old man had already gone to the auditorium to arrange their seats.
Seeing that the other person looked hurried, Jiang Si quickly asked a question.
"Guard Li, what happened?"
Guard Li said, "A few people have come outside. They say they are your relatives. Why don't you send someone over to check on them?"
"Relatives?" Jiang Si frowned.
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