Chapter 64 (Three-in-One)
As Yan Ruyi walked along the base of the wall, she called out "Mimi" all the while.
Song Yiping also heard the cat's meow; the sound was faint and weak, so the cat must not be very big.
He went along with them.
There was a clump of weeds at the base of a wall not far away. Yan Ruyi squatted down, parted the weeds, and took out a kitten from inside.
The kitten was no more than a month old, and its fur was multicolored, as if it had grown every color on its body.
It was probably hungry, and it wasn't afraid of people at all. It nuzzled its little head against Yan Ruyi's arm, looking for food.
When they got married, Yan Ruyi wanted to ask Yan Minghe for Xiaohua, hoping to abduct her. Yan Minghe refused, and she almost stole Xiaohua herself.
Later, fearing that Yan Minghe would cry again if he couldn't find Xiaohua, he had no choice but to give up.
As soon as she got back today, she found a cat. Yan Ruyi hugged the kitten in her arms and said happily, "If I found it, it's mine now."
Song Yiping opened the courtyard gate, and Yan Ruyi put the kitten on the ground.
Sister Hua took good care of the vegetables in her yard, and they all grew beautifully.
The stove at home had long since gone out. Yan Ruyi opened her bag, took out a bag of salt and pepper crisps, and used fire tongs to grab a raw coal briquette before heading to Sister Hua's house next door.
As we approached Sister Hua's house, she was just coming out.
Sister-in-law Hua, “I heard some noise coming from your house, and I was just about to go over to see if it was you who came back.”
Yan Ruyi handed the salt and pepper crisp to Sister Hua, saying, "This is a specialty of Yangcheng. It's for Qiangqiang."
Sister Hua scolded playfully, "You're still thinking about him from so far away."
Seeing Yan Ruyi holding a raw coal briquette, she said, "You want to start a fire, right? Just grab it directly. Why bother bringing another coal briquette?"
They invited Yan Ruyi into their home. Yan Ruyi put down the coal briquettes, took a lit one from Sister Hua's coal stove, and went home to light the stove.
After lighting the stove, I first boiled an egg for the kitten, broke the yolk into pieces, and fed it to the kitten.
The kitten, seemingly starving, wolfed down its food.
Yan Ruyi rested her chin on her hand, pondering what name to give the kitten.
Actually, it would be more appropriate to call this kitten Little Flower, because its fur is too mixed colors.
However, the name "Little Flower" was already taken. Yan Ruyi pondered for a long time, then reached out and poked it, "How about you call yourself Big Flower?"
After the freshly baked Da Hua had eaten its fill, Yan Ruyi found it a shoebox and put an old piece of clothing inside.
Big Flower crawled into the shoebox and went to sleep comfortably.
During her trip to Yangcheng, Yan Ruyi bought a lot of gifts. While Yan Ruyi was playing with the cat, Song Yiping took out all the gifts.
The beast-devouring creature that Song Yiping bought in Gangcheng last time was placed in the bookcase by Yan Ruyi. Song Yiping took out the one he bought in Yangcheng this time and put the two together.
It really is a set.
Two ancient artifacts from the Tang Dynasty lay quietly in the bookcase, and Song Yiping seemed to hear the sounds of clashing swords and thundering war drums.
Spending a lot of time with people who study cultural relics will definitely have an influence on you.
For a moment, he even felt like an ancient general with his sword drawn.
When Sister Hua arrived, Yan Ruyi was picking cucumbers and green beans in the vegetable patch.
This is the season when green beans grow most vigorously. If you don't pick them for a few days, the vines will be full of them, one crop after another, and you can't even eat them all in time.
Yan Ruyi said, "Sister Hua, these green beans will get too old if we don't eat them soon. You can take these I picked later."
“I have quite a few at home too. I’ll teach you a method: first blanch them, then dry them in the sun, and then put them in a cool place. They will keep until winter without spoiling. They will taste great when used to make steamed buns or stew meat.”
"Then I'll give it a try."
"I came here to tell you something. I forgot to tell you when you went over earlier. Yesterday, someone came looking for you and Commander Song. I told him that you two had gone on a trip and hadn't come back yet. He left a message saying that you should call him when you got back. He said his name was Chen Feiyong and that Commander Song had his phone number."
Upon hearing this, Song Yiping came out of the house.
Chen Feiyong knew that the two of them had gone to Yangcheng for a trip, and unless it was something important, he probably wouldn't come over.
Yan Ruyi was a little worried, "Is something wrong with my second brother?"
Song Yiping said, "I'll go give him a call."
Song Yiping went to a phone booth to call Chen Feiyong, and Chen Feiyong answered. "When did you guys get back?"
"As soon as I entered the house, Sister Hua said you were looking for me and Ruyi."
Chen Feiyong: "There's something I need to do. There's a cabinet in my old house. Your brother-in-law said it might be made of rosewood. I originally wanted him to dismantle the cabinet and redesign it, but he's suspicious of it being an old piece and hasn't dared to touch it. I know nothing about this stuff, so I thought I'd ask my sister-in-law to take a look."
"We just got back, and Ruyi is too tired. Let's do it tomorrow."
“Okay, I’ll drive over to pick up my sister-in-law and me tomorrow.”
"No need to pick us up. We need to go back to the machine tool family compound first tomorrow. We'll go there ourselves this afternoon."
"Okay, I'll wait for you at the old house at 2 pm."
Song Yiping hung up the phone and told Yan Ruyi about it when he got home.
Yan Ruyi breathed a sigh of relief, relieved that nothing had happened to her second brother.
Yan Ruyi bought gifts for both families, and the next day she went to the machine tool factory's residential compound first.
There was no one in the yard except for two diaper ropes hanging there, fluttering in the wind.
Ye Hongzhen was cooking for Li Yan in the kitchen when she heard the noise and came out.
"I figured you two should be back by now."
"I came back yesterday afternoon."
Yan Ruyi took out the gifts she had bought one by one: dried jujubes, specialty pastries, persimmon cakes...
Ye Hongzhen said with heartache, "You've come all this way and brought so much stuff back. Just enjoy yourselves."
"They're all fine to keep, they won't spoil, you can eat them slowly."
Seeing that Yan Mingtao's door was closed, he asked Ye Hongzhen, "Is my second sister-in-law asleep?"
"Perhaps she's asleep."
Yan Ruyi was talking to her mother outside, and there was no sound from Li Yan's room, so Yan Ruyi didn't go in.
"Is Congcong not causing any trouble?"
When Ye Hongzhen mentioned her granddaughter, she beamed. "She's not fussy at all, even better behaved than Miaomiao was when she was little. She eats and sleeps well, and her little face is already puffed up like an inflatable balloon even though she's not even a month old."
Li Yan just didn't really like it.
She had always thought she would have a son, but she gave birth to a daughter instead. The disappointment was too great, and she didn't talk as much as before.
She didn't say anything, but Li Yan herself started to complain.
Ye Hongzhen pulled Yan Ruyi into the kitchen and whispered, "Your second brother no longer works at the furniture factory, did you know that?"
"My second brother told me about it, Mom. How did you know?"
"I heard it from your Aunt Li, who also heard it from her brother-in-law, who also works at a furniture factory."
Ye Hongzhen couldn't understand, "Why would someone give up a perfectly good job to become a self-employed individual?"
“You can make a lot of money by running your own business now, Mom. Just wait, my second brother will earn you a fortune of ten thousand yuan someday.”
Ye Hongzhen has always believed that children and grandchildren have their own blessings.
She was just asking and didn't want to interfere further.
"Okay, I'll wait for your second brother to earn me ten thousand yuan."
Chen Feiyong's ancestral home is a bit far from the machine tool factory's residential compound. Yan Mingtao doesn't come back for lunch; he usually finds a small restaurant nearby, grabs a quick bite, and then continues working in the afternoon.
Song Yiping was concerned about the work at the regimental headquarters, so he dropped Yan Ruyi off at Chen Feiyong's old house and then returned to the headquarters.
Chen Feiyong assured him repeatedly, "Once your wife is settled, I'll drive her to your doorstep."
Yan Ruyi was currently getting information from her second brother.
Yan Mingtao led her to see the rosewood cabinet.
It is a set of top cabinets, consisting of a top cabinet and a bottom cabinet.
This type of modular storage furniture was most popular during the Qing Dynasty, and wealthy families mostly used huanghuali and zitan wood to make it.
The cabinet in front of you dates back to the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty.
Her second brother said the cabinet was made of rosewood.
Although rosewood is not as good as huanghuali, it is still unaffordable for ordinary people.
It seems that Chen Feiyong's ancestors were once wealthy.
When Chen Feiyong heard Yan Ruyi say that the cabinet was from the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, he was surprised and said, "It really is an old item. I thought it was too bulky and I wanted your second brother to dismantle it and make a new one. Luckily, your second brother stopped me."
This cabinet is old and poorly preserved. It looks worn and is too bulky, no wonder Chen Feiyong dislikes it.
Chen Feiyong then brought out a small square box from the house. "Sister-in-law, take a look at this."
The box looks a bit old, with patterns carved on it, but due to its age, the patterns have worn away and are almost invisible.
"It's also from the Qianlong era, but judging from the wood grain, it doesn't seem to be made of the same material as this set of top cabinets."
Yan Mingtao wasn't too sure either, "It looks like sandalwood."
To verify this, he opened the box.
The box was empty. Yan Mingtao tapped the lid to listen to the sound.
He had never seen sandalwood before, but he had heard that it made a clear, resonant sound when struck, similar to the sound of tapping porcelain.
He tapped it a few times, and the sound was indeed crisp and melodious, leading him to conclude that the box must have been made of sandalwood.
The furniture he initially disliked turned out to be genuine antiques.
Chen Feiyong was very happy. "Thank you, sister-in-law. Sister-in-law, does your auction house auction furniture?"
"You want to auction this wardrobe set?"
"It's too bulky and takes up too much space. I personally don't like it much either. It's an old item, and it's a pity to dismantle it. It's better to put it up for auction so that it can be put to good use."
“We would certainly welcome you. Please think it over carefully. If you have decided, give me a call tomorrow and I will have the appraiser come over. We can discuss the specifics when you meet.”
"No need to think about it anymore, I've already made up my mind. Sister-in-law, just have the appraiser come tomorrow, I'll wait for him here."
"Okay, I'll give him your phone number when I get to work tomorrow, and he can contact you directly. Is everything else alright?"
"It's alright, it's alright, sister-in-law, I'll drive you home."
"No need to see me off, I'll take the bus."
Chen Feiyong disagreed no matter what. "Sister-in-law, I made a promise to Lao Song that I would take you to your doorstep. If I don't keep my word, Lao Song will beat me up next time he sees me. I can't beat him."
Yan Ruyi knew he was joking.
Of all his comrades, Song Yiping was the one he had the best relationship with.
The main reason is that Chen Feiyong's father and Song Chengren were comrades-in-arms, and their families used to be neighbors. They grew up together, so their relationship was naturally better than that of ordinary people.
Yan Ruyi couldn't persuade him otherwise, so she had no choice but to agree.
Before leaving, she pulled Yan Mingtao aside and said, "Second brother, Mom already knows about your solo business."
Yan Mingtao: "I know, my mom asked me, and I told her."
"This matter has already reached Mom's ears, and your second sister-in-law will find out sooner or later. You should tell her as soon as possible."
If it were her, she would be angry too if Song Yiping kept such a big thing from her.
Yan Mingtao: "Okay, I'll give her a heads-up when I get the chance."
After all, it's a matter between the two of them, so even if she's their own sister, it's not appropriate for her to interfere too much.
Yan Ruyi stopped there and said to Yan Mingtao, "Then I'm leaving."
Chen Feiyong escorted Yan Ruyi to her doorstep and watched her enter the house before leaving.
With nothing else to do, Yan Ruyi, under the guidance of Sister Hua, blanched the green beans she had picked the day before in water and then hung them on a rope to dry.
After finishing all that, Song Yiping returned.
Even though we were on vacation for a few days, that thing never stopped.
However, staying in a guesthouse is not the same as being at home. There are always ears on the other side of the wall, so no matter how passionate you are, you don't dare to let your guard down completely.
It's different at home; you can do whatever you want without worrying about being heard.
That night, the two of them let loose. Yan Ruyi was so kissed that she could hardly breathe, and her whole body was burning hot. Only then did Song Yiping start to move around with her.
The sturdy bed shook violently for over an hour before finally stopping.
This marked a perfect end to their honeymoon.
The next day, Yan Ruyi went to work looking radiant.
Zheng Fengxia has arrived.
The young girl is very diligent; she arrives half an hour early every day to tidy up the reception hall.
When Yan Ruyi arrived, she was reading a book. Hearing the noise, she looked up and saw Yan Ruyi. She stood up and said, "Manager Yan, you're here today."
"Yes, my vacation is over."
She placed three bags of Qiongguo candy and several packets of Yangcheng specialty pastries on the service counter, saying, "These are Yangcheng specialties. You can take them to the tea room later. Let the people who want them take them themselves."
"Okay, I'll take it now."
Yan Ruyi noticed a book next to her and casually asked, "What are you reading?"
Zheng Fengxia picked up the book and showed it to Yan Ruyi. It turned out to be a book called "Auction Master", and it was even in traditional Chinese characters.
Yan Ruyi thought she was reading a romance novel.
After all, a girl this age would love reading romance novels the most.
Zheng Fengxia said apologetically, "Mr. Feng lent it to me."
Mr. Feng's real name is Feng Jiacheng. He is an auctioneer at Carrefour. He was hired by Yang Siyuan from Hong Kong. He is very talkative and speaks Mandarin better than Yang Siyuan.
Yan Ruyi had seen this book at Feng Jiacheng's place. She had flipped through a few pages; it was about the knowledge and skills required of auctioneers.
She never expected that Zheng Fengxia would actually read this book.
This book is entirely in traditional Chinese characters, which may be tiring for people who are used to simplified Chinese characters.
"Fengxia, are you interested in becoming an auctioneer?"
"I found Mr. Feng's explanation quite interesting, so he lent me the book. I don't know if I was interested or not, but I just thought it was quite interesting to read."
Interest is the best teacher. If you can endure such dry content, it means you are genuinely interested.
Currently, Karl Li & Fung only has one auctioneer, Fung Ka-shing, who was hired from Hong Kong.
Yan Ruyi had been thinking about training a local auctioneer.
If Zheng Fengxia is truly interested in this line of work, then we could guide her towards that direction.
Yan Ruyi went upstairs while pondering the matter.
I went upstairs directly to Xia Pengfei's office.
Xia Pengfei keeps a potted asparagus fern in his office, which he says was a gift from his girlfriend and he cherishes very much.
When Yan Ruyi arrived, he was watering the asparagus fern. Upon seeing Yan Ruyi, he teased, "Manager Yan, getting married really makes a difference; you look radiant."
"Then you should get married soon too."
"I'm saving up money; I'll get married once I've saved enough."
Xia Pengfei is from a rural area and has many brothers. His family can't help him with anything, whether it's work or marriage, so he has to rely entirely on himself.
However, he is optimistic and works very hard.
When Jialide was just starting out, he volunteered to come. The two of them had worked together and trusted each other a lot.
After exchanging a few jokes, Yan Ruyi got down to business. "Yiping has a friend who has a set of wardrobe cabinets that he wants to auction at Jialide. I've already seen it; it's from the Qianlong era and should be made of rosewood. His name is Chen Feiyong. Here's his phone number. Why don't you send someone to contact him?"
As soon as the Jiali Building was completed, it placed an advertisement in the newspaper to solicit antiques. It received a lot of antiques, mostly porcelain and calligraphy and paintings.
Antique furniture is rare, especially large pieces like top-cabinet cabinets.
Xia Pengfei was quite pleased. "Okay, I'll have Xiao Cui contact him in a bit."
After giving her instructions, Yan Ruyi returned to her office.
She took a 10-day vacation and had a huge backlog of work. It took her all morning to finish dealing with it.
In the afternoon, a meeting was held with all departments to understand her work progress during her leave and to discuss the following work arrangements.
Jialide has scheduled its first auction for the 15th of this month, and advertisements have been placed in city-level and provincial-level media.
The provincial media had placed an advertisement in the provincial daily newspaper. Before Yan Ruyi took her vacation, the publicity department was in contact with the provincial radio and television station, hoping to do some publicity on the provincial television station.
Li Yuming is in charge of the publicity department of Jialide.
He used to work in the cultural relics bureau in administration, but after being transferred to Jialide, he was put in charge of publicity work.
Li Yuming: "The progress at the provincial radio and television station isn't going very smoothly. I contacted Chen Xiangrong, the head of the business department, and treated him to two meals. He verbally agreed, but we haven't signed an advertising contract yet. When I call him, he's vague. Manager Yan, do you think we should offer him something?"
Li Yuming practically made it clear that Chen Xiangrong wasn't just looking for a meal; he probably had other ideas.
The demand for television advertising is currently booming, with countless businesses lining up to appear on TV. However, television stations offer limited advertising slots, creating a situation where there are far more advertisers than available slots. Consequently, the status of the business departments at television stations has risen, and their appetites have naturally increased.
Jialide has not yet officially opened for business, and its funds are already tight. Unless absolutely necessary, Yan Ruyi does not want to spend money on unnecessary things.
Yan Ruyi then said to Li Yuming, "Let me think of another way."
After the meeting, she found Chen Yu's phone number.
Chen Yu works at the municipal radio and television station; it's unknown whether she knows anyone at the provincial radio and television station.
And we don't even know if Chen Yu has returned.
Yan Ruyi dialed Chen Yu's number.
The call was answered quickly by a man. "Hello, who is this?"
"I'm looking for Chen Yu. Is she at work?"
"I'm looking for Chen Yu, but she's at work. Wait a moment, I'll ask her to answer the phone."
Yan Ruyi heard him call out on the other end, "Sister Chen, it's your phone."
Chen Yu arrived quickly. "I'm Chen Yu. May I ask who you are?"
"Sister Chen, I am Yan Ruyi. Do you remember me?"
Chen Yu chuckled. "Look at what you're saying. How could I not remember? You're already at work!"
"I just started work today, so I don't know if you're at work yet. I'm just calling to try."
"I just started work today. I was supposed to take a month off, but after only two days, my husband went to participate in flood relief efforts and I don't know when he will be back, so I came back to work."
Yan Ruyi asked in surprise, "Where is it flooded?"
"Both Nan and Guangdong provinces have experienced floods, and the affected area is particularly large this time. There have also been landslides in Guangdong province... Ruyi, you called me, is something wrong?"
"There's something I'd like to ask Sister Chen for a favor."
Chen Yu readily agreed, "Tell me, and I'll definitely help if I can."
Yan Ruyi then told Chen Yu about the provincial television station incident.
"Sister Chen, do you know anyone at the provincial TV station? Could you help us make a connection?"
"My uncle works at the provincial radio and television station. You wait, I'll call him now. Give me your phone number, and I'll call you back in a bit."
Judging from her tone, Yan Ruyi knew that her uncle must hold a high position at the provincial radio and television station.
Ideally, he should be able to crush Chen Xiangrong!
Yan Ruyi gave Chen Yu her office phone number.
Before long, Chen Yu called back, "Ruyi, my uncle has already spoken to Section Chief Chen of the business department. At the latest, Section Chief Chen will arrange your advertisement."
Yan Ruyi didn't expect it to happen so quickly. It seems that Chen Yu's uncle's position is indeed far superior to Chen Xiangrong's.
She said happily, "Thank you, Sister Chen. I'll treat you to dinner after work."
Chen Yu smiled and said, "You two just got married, so I won't keep you from enjoying your time together. We can have dinner together another time when we have the chance."
After hanging up Chen Yu's call, Yan Ruyi went to the publicity department.
"Director Li, the matter of placing advertisements on the provincial radio and television station has been resolved. Please call Section Chief Chen and confirm with him again."
Li Yuming immediately called Section Chief Chen. Chen Xiangrong on the other end of the phone was very polite and said that he had already made arrangements, but had not yet had time to tell Li Yuming.
Li Yuming said, "Thank you so much, Section Chief Chen. When can I go over and sign the contract? Today is fine, right? Okay, okay, I'll go over now... Let's talk when we meet."
Li Yuming put down the phone and said happily, "It's done. It's true that having connections in the court makes it easier to get an official position."
He had tried treating them to two meals but couldn't get it done, but they got it done with just a few words.
Yan Ruyi said, "I met Sister Chen by chance. It just so happens that her uncle works at the provincial radio and television station. I can only say that Jialide is lucky."
On the train, she simply helped Chen Yu up and made a friend.
Then this friend did her a big favor.
It seems we should do more good deeds.
Having resolved a major issue, Yan Ruyi was in a good mood all day.
When they leave work, they hum a little tune.
She lives nearby, so she usually gets home first.
After she got home, she picked and washed the vegetables she was going to cook that day, and then waited for Song Yiping to come home so she could cook.
If Song Yiping doesn't work overtime, he usually gets home by 6 o'clock.
She picked and washed the vegetables, and then played with Da Hua for a while.
It was completely dark when Yan Ruyi checked her watch. It was already 6:30, and Song Yiping still hadn't returned.
Yan Ruyi was worried and wanted to call Song Yiping.
Just as I reached the door, I heard a car. I went out and saw the car parked at the door. Song Yiping got out of the car.
Yan Ruyi: "Why are you back so late today?"
Song Yiping said seriously, "There has been a flood disaster in the southern province. Our regiment has been sent to fight the flood and provide disaster relief. We are leaving tonight. I came back to let you know and will return to the regimental headquarters immediately."
"I heard from Sister Chen that her husband also went to help with flood relief."
"The affected area is very large. Landslides have also occurred in the southern province, and many people are trapped in the villages and cannot get out. They urgently need rescue."
Although Yan Ruyi had never experienced a landslide, she knew what it meant.
She didn't want Song Yiping to go.
But she also knew that this was a soldier's duty, and as a military family member, the only thing she could do was cooperate with him and obey orders.
She didn't say a word and followed behind Song Yiping, going wherever he went.
After packing his luggage, Song Yiping turned around and hugged her as if he had eyes in the back of his head, saying gently, "I will be careful. Be a good girl and wait for me to come back at home."
After saying that, he leaned down and whispered something in Yan Ruyi's ear. Yan Ruyi's face turned red instantly, all her sorrow vanished, and she punched him in the chest, saying, "You rascal."
Song Yiping took her small hand, lowered his head and kissed it, "If you're scared living alone, go back to your mother's for a few days, take good care of yourself, I'll be back soon."
He gently rubbed her breast with his large hand, then kissed her. "I'm leaving."
Yan Ruyi saw him to the door, and Song Yiping got into his car, waved to her, and drove away.
Big Flower ran over and circled around Yan Ruyi's legs, meowing for food.
Yan Ruyi picked it up and said, "Hua, your dad is gone, and now we're having trouble even eating."
She couldn't cook, but seeing that there were still eggs at home, she boiled two eggs, one for herself and one for Da Hua, and then found some other food to eat, which was her dinner.
This was the first time Song Yiping had not spent the night at home since marrying Song Yiping.
She was the only one sleeping on the large bed.
I'm not scared, but it feels strangely quiet and I'm not used to it.
She was used to sleeping alone, and before getting married she was worried that she wouldn't be used to sleeping in the same bed with Song Yiping.
But after only a few days, she found it hard to sleep alone anymore.
Moreover, living alone, I'm always overthinking things.
She immediately decided to go back to her parents' home for a few days.
The next day after get off work, she went back to the machine tool factory's residential compound.
I took the big flower with me too.
Ye Hongzhen was cooking in the kitchen when she heard the noise and came out of the kitchen.
"Yiping went on a business trip. I'm coming back to stay for a few days."
"Okay, your room is still there, stay as long as you want... and why are you carrying a cat?"
"I found it. It was too small and couldn't find food on its own, so I brought it along with me. Where's Xiaohua?"
"I don't know where he went, but he'll be back around mealtime."
Yan Ruyi put Da Hua down, and Da Hua, unafraid of strangers, ran around getting to know its surroundings.
When Li Yan came out of her room, Yan Ruyi was startled. "Second sister-in-law, how long has it been since you washed your hair? It's all tangled."
Li Yan scratched her hair. "It's been almost a month, and it's so itchy. They won't let me wash my hair either."
Ye Hongzhen chimed in from the kitchen, "She's in her postpartum period, so she can't wash even if she's itchy. She can wash after her postpartum period is over."
Yan Ruyi didn't understand these things either. She just felt that if she didn't shower or wash her hair for a month, she definitely couldn't stand it.
Having a baby is really troublesome.
Her room door was closed but unlocked. She pushed the door open and went in. Apart from some of her own things being missing, everything else was exactly the same as before she got married.
She took her clothes out and hung them in the closet.
Li Yan leaned against the door frame. "Ruyi, can I talk to you about something?"
Yan Ruyi: "You want to change rooms, right?"
Li Yan originally wanted to occupy both rooms because she had too much stuff at home.
However, even a fool would know that Yan Mingtao and Ye Hongzhen would not agree, so they settled for second best and wanted to switch rooms with Yan Ruyi.
Ever since Congcong was born, the house has been filled with more and more things: diapers, formula, Congcong's little clothes...
The bed and table are now piled with things, and even the stool is covered with Congcong's diapers.
The room she and Yan Mingtao were sharing was already small, and now there was barely any room to put their feet down.
Li Yan said, "Look, your second brother and I are living in a room that's getting a bit cramped. How about we switch places? Your second brother and I will move to your room, and you can move your things to our old room. Don't worry, I'll make sure it's spotless, and your second brother can even paint the walls. All your things will be moved there exactly as they were."
Fearing that Yan Ruyi would complain to Ye Hongzhen, she quickly added, "If you don't agree, then forget it, just pretend I didn't say anything."
Yan Ruyi has taken most of her belongings to the new house. She only comes to stay for a few days occasionally, so she doesn't really need such a big room.
Moreover, her second brother and sister-in-law did indeed live in very cramped conditions.
Actually, even if Li Yan didn't say it, she also wanted to switch with them.
Yan Ruyi said, "Okay, I'll pack my things. You can move in whenever Second Brother has time."
Li Yan was surprised that Yan Ruyi agreed so readily and said happily, "Thank you, Ruyi. But when your second brother comes back, you should still tell him, so he doesn't think I forced you to change rooms."
Judging from Li Yan's tone, Yan Ruyi probably didn't know that her second brother had taken a leave of absence without pay.
Li Yan is currently in her postpartum period and rarely goes out, so she doesn't hear what's going on outside.
Once she's out of confinement and can go out, this matter will probably be impossible to keep secret.
However, this is her second brother's business, and how to resolve it is also her second brother's business.
She had just finished packing her things when she heard Ye Hongzhen talking to someone in the yard. Looking through the window, she saw it was Shen Qiaoxiu.
Ye Hongzhen said disdainfully, "What are you doing here?"
Shen Qiaoxiu said, "I've come to ask you where Ruyi lives. I want to ask her something."
Yan Ruyi came out of the house. "What is it?"
Shen Qiaoxiu looked around but didn't see Song Yiping. She asked in surprise, "Ruyi, why did you come back alone?"
Ye Hongzhen rolled her eyes. "She's married, not sold. So why can't she come back?"
Shen Qiaoxiu said, "She just got married and came back all by herself. I don't find it strange, so I just asked."
"What do you want to ask her about?"
"I just wanted to ask Ruyi if her grandmother's incense burner had been given to her."
Ye Hongzhen asked, puzzled, "What incense burner?"
Shen Qiaoxiu said, “You forgot? Mom has an incense burner. She used to take it out to burn incense for the ancestors during festivals. But I haven’t seen her take it out in the last few years. I heard it’s an old thing. I was afraid that she was getting old and confused and someone would trick her into taking it. I kept asking her, but she wouldn’t say where she put it. She only told me today that she gave it to Ruyi. So I came over to ask if she really gave it to Ruyi.”
He then said to Yan Ruyi, "Ruyi, did your grandmother really give you the incense burner? If it's really with you, I'll be relieved. As long as it wasn't tricked away by outsiders, that's all that matters."
Ye Hongzhen remembered that the old lady used to have an incense burner, but it disappeared later.
She thought it was just an ordinary incense burner, and that it was gone without a second thought.
Shen Qiaoxiu actually said it was an old thing.
The old lady also said she gave it to her daughter?
Yan Ruyi didn't believe that her grandmother would tell Shen Qiaoxiu that the incense burner had already been given to her.
If it were true, Shen Qiaoxiu wouldn't have said such a thing.
She must have asked Yan Ruyi for an incense burner as soon as she entered the room.
Shen Qiaoxiu was deliberately bluffing her.
"Grandma didn't give me the incense burner, did she remember wrong?"
Shen Qiaoxiu said, "Your grandmother clearly told you to give it to you. I'm not asking you for it. I just want to know if it's with you."
“It’s not with me. Otherwise, let’s go to my grandma’s and ask her in person if she gave me the incense burner.”
Shen Qiaoxiu was originally deceiving Yan Ruyi, and seeing that Yan Ruyi would not admit it no matter what, she had no choice.
"If it's not here, then forget it. And don't bother asking your grandma. She's old; she might have misremembered."
Ye Hongzhen said, "Did the old lady say that, or are you just guessing? No, I'm going to ask the old lady tomorrow. I have to find out the truth."
"She said it herself. Why are you asking her? She might have forgotten what she said today. Oh, I have to hurry back and cook. You guys are busy, I'm leaving."
After saying that, he hurriedly left.
Li Yan: "Grandma still has those old things? I've never heard Grandma mention them. Mom, have you ever seen them?"
"Never seen it before."
"Ruyi, did you get the milk?"
Ye Hongzhen said irritably, "Didn't Ruyi say she didn't give it to her? Why are you still asking?"
Li Yan pursed her lips and went back inside.
Ye Hongzhen went back to the kitchen to cook, and Yan Ruyi followed her.
She felt she should tell her mother.
"Mom, my grandma gave me that incense burner. She said it was part of my dowry."
But I don't think my grandma would tell my aunt; she was just bluffing me.
Ye Hongzhen always knew that the old lady favored her daughter.
I never expected that I would give all my old things to my daughter.
She and her daughter shared the same opinion: "Your grandma isn't senile yet. She wouldn't tell your aunt about something like this. Your aunt is just trying to trick you. Since it was given to you by your grandma, you should keep it. Your grandma dotes on you, so you should be filial to her in the future."
The five fingers aren't all the same length, so it's fine if the old lady has a particular preference.
Who can blame her? She's a beautiful and charming young lady, and everyone loves her.
He then added to his daughter, "Just keep this to yourself. Don't tell anyone else, not even your dad."
She was afraid that Yan Guoqiang might get drunk one day and show off again.
Yan Guoqiang's favorite thing to do is to show off his daughter, especially when he's drunk, he'll praise her endlessly.
His coworkers, who didn't have daughters, were incredibly envious.
If he finds out, and one day he accidentally blurts it out, things will get really serious.
"I know, I didn't tell anyone else, I just wanted to let you know."
After dinner, Yan Guoqiang turned on the television.
Recently, Comrade Yan's political awareness has awakened, and he watches the news broadcast every day without fail.
Yan Minghe was doing his homework in the room when he heard the TV on, so he secretly slipped out of the room.
Ye Hongzhen urged him to do his homework, saying, "You're still so young, why are you watching the news? Go do your homework now."
Yan Minghe: "I've finished my homework."
Ye Hongzhen said in surprise, "What's wrong with you lately? You don't need to be reminded to do your homework anymore, you finish it very early."
Yan Ruyi said, "Yiping told him that he could only join the army after he passed the junior high school entrance exam. Once he joined the army, he would teach him how to shoot. Sihe is going to be a sharpshooter in the future, so he has to study hard."
Yan Minghe said proudly, "In the last exam, I moved up 10 places. Teacher Feng even praised me, saying that if I move up another 20 places, I can get into junior high school."
Ye Hongzhen said, "Then you should study hard, so you don't embarrass your brother-in-law later."
...
As we were talking, the evening news broadcast began.
Yan Ruyi watched TV while playing with Da Hua and Xiao Hua.
The big flower and the small flower did not repel each other, and quickly became good friends.
Especially Xiao Hua, who is very responsible as an older brother. No matter how much Da Hua teases it, it never gets angry with Da Hua.
The two cats teamed up to fight Yan Ruyi.
The evening news program on CCTV initially broadcasts the activities of top leaders, followed by reports on major domestic news.
"Due to the recent heavy rainfall, many areas in the southern province have suffered severe flooding, with public facilities severely damaged. Landslides have occurred in parts of Yongxu. Multiple departments have activated emergency response plans, and rescue and relief work is proceeding in an orderly manner. After the disaster, Military Regions A and B quickly dispatched rescue forces to the disaster area to participate in the rescue and relief mission..."
Song Yiping went to the southern province for disaster relief.
When Yan Ruyi heard the news broadcast, her ears perked up and her eyes were glued to the television screen.
Heavy rain was still falling in the disaster-stricken areas. Some of the rescue and relief workers were wearing raincoats, while others weren't. They were busy in the torrential rain, resettling disaster victims and evacuating trapped people...
Yan Minghe suddenly jumped up, pointed at the TV and shouted, "That's my brother-in-law!"
Yan Ruyi also saw it. There was a reporter conducting an interview on TV. Song Yiping appeared in the background, wading through waist-deep water, and walked past the person being interviewed. She didn't know if he slipped or tripped over something, but he fell down.
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