The lackey, however, was startled, but unlike ordinary dogs, it didn't bark and hide with its tail between its legs. Instead, it let out a low growl and made an aggressive gesture.
Seeing this, Xu Ningyan quickly went over, patted the dog's leg twice, and led it into the yard before calming it down.
Jiang Zhixing was initially quite worried about the lackeys, but the children surrounded him and cheered for him to release another one.
The child had a sweet tongue, and to coax him into setting off firecrackers, they flattered him relentlessly. Jiang Zhixing was so flattered that he kept setting off firecrackers one after another.
The only sound throughout the alley was a series of crackling sounds.
Hearing the commotion, many adults couldn't sit still and ran to the door to see what was going on.
After Jiang Yuan and Jiang Zhiyuan finished cleaning up the kitchen, they heard the commotion outside and understood what was going on.
Jiang Yuan shook her head. At her age, she no longer liked joining in such lively activities and went back inside to warm herself by the fire.
Jiang Zhiyuan came out, comforted Xu Ningyan and the lackey for a bit, then stood in the yard watching the firecrackers being set off outside.
After setting off the firecrackers for a while, Jiang Zhixing handed the remaining firecrackers to a few older children and told them to set them off.
He clapped his hands, rubbed his ears, turned around and walked into the yard, revealing a mouthful of white teeth: "It's been years since I've felt this good!"
After saying that, she pounced on him and ruffled the henchman's hair: "Hey henchman, aren't you usually fearless? What's wrong, are you scared of firecrackers now?"
The lackey rolled his eyes dismissively and slapped Jiang Zhixing's leg with his tail, making a loud slapping sound.
Jiang Zhixing was so angry from being thrown that he couldn't help but say, "It would be great if there were fireworks. Setting off firecrackers isn't very exciting."
Jiang Zhiyuan said irritably, "You should be grateful! You're lucky to even have a firecracker!"
Although I say that, I'm actually still heartbroken.
Jiang Zhixing was a playful and mischievous person by nature. However, when he was born into the Gu family, he was of a higher generation, and all the good food and fun things had to be given to Gu Dajun and Gu Da Kui's children first, which made him suffer a lot of grievances.
Seeing him so happy now makes me happy too, as his older brother.
Thinking about all of this, it was all thanks to Xu Ningyan. If she hadn't reminded them, they, mother and son, would have thought they were doing it for each other's good, enduring it for each other's sake, suffering a great loss themselves, and letting the Gu family benefit.
With a wife like this now, what more could a husband ask for?
The way he looked at Xu Ningyan was so affectionate and tender that it seemed like his eyes could stretch into silk.
Xu Ningyan pinched Jiang Zhiyuan's waist uncomfortably, telling him to tone it down.
Jiang Zhixing was suddenly forced to eat a mouthful of dog food, and felt so full that he picked up his lackey and said, "Leggy, let's not get in the way here, let's go out and play for a while!"
Then they heard Jiang Zhixing go out the door, call out, and the children next door followed him, laughing and joking, to go ice skating at the small pond at the end of the alley.
The small pond at the end of the alley was shallow and had long been covered with a thick layer of ice. Usually, the children would go there to play on the ice when they had nothing to do. Now, with someone leading the way, the group was even more impressive, with almost all the children in the alley following along.
When Jiang Zhixing returned in the afternoon, Jiang Zhiyuan and the others had already boiled hot water, and everyone had taken a shower and changed their clothes.
Xu Ningyan had already prepared the dough and filling, Jiang Zhiyuan rolled out the wrappers, and Jiang Yuan and Xu Ningyan were making dumplings.
These dumplings are not only for dinner, but also to be taken to their workplaces so they can cook them up and have a snack if they get hungry.
Since all three of them had to work shifts, they ate a simple dinner. They also cooked a big pot of dumplings, scooped them out, and put them in three lunchboxes for them to take with them. If they got hungry in the evening, they could just heat them up and eat them.
Jiang Yuan felt extremely guilty. This was Xu Ningyan's first Spring Festival at their home, and not a single person was there to accompany her. Everyone had to go to work, and Xu Ningyan had to prepare food for them. This made her feel very bad.
As soon as she came out, she started scolding Jiang Zhiyuan: "Your brother and I had no choice, but as her fiancé, this is Xiaoyan's first time spending Chinese New Year at our house, and you didn't even ask for leave? Why did you have to be on duty on New Year's Eve? There are so many people in your unit, couldn't you find someone to switch shifts with? You're so stubborn. Don't you think about how sad it is for her to be all alone in this empty courtyard with none of us around?"
"How could I have given birth to such a blockhead like you? Or do you think you'll stop appreciating Xiaoyan now that she's come to the capital?"
The more he talked, the more likely it seemed, and he suddenly became furious, punching Jiang Zhiyuan several times: "Let me tell you! If you dare to even think about such a thing, I'll break your legs! You believe me? Why don't you learn from the good things, instead you learn from that bastard Gu Yong—"
Mentioning Gu Yong made him even angrier, and he kicked Jiang Zhiyuan again.
Jiang Zhixing, instead of stopping him, rolled up his sleeves and said, "Brother, you don't really think that way, do you? If you do, don't blame me for turning against you! From now on, my sister-in-law, Mom, and I are one family, and you'll be kicked out of the house—"
Jiang Zhiyuan rubbed his forehead and smiled wryly: "Mom, I'm your own son, how could you not know me? I'm on duty because I was just promoted this year, and I'm the youngest on New Year's Eve. I'm not even married yet, so if I'm not on duty, who will?"
"Secondly, after the eighth day of the lunar new year, Yan Yan will turn eighteen, and I can get our marriage certificate! It will also be easier to take time off then, right? How come I'm seen as a heartless man in your eyes?"
Jiang Yuan then withdrew her fist: "Why didn't you say so earlier? Did you explain it to Xiaoyan?"
Jiang Zhiyuan breathed a sigh of relief: "Of course it's all clear! Mom, don't worry about it. If you really want to worry, Yan Yan and I are planning to have a wedding after we got our marriage certificate. Can't you worry about that?"
Jiang Yuan immediately put aside her earlier unpleasantness and began to plan for the wedding.
She didn't even ask the two brothers to take her to the hospital; she just got on a bus and headed straight there.
Once I got to the duty room, I picked up a pen and paper and started writing and drawing.
Xu Ningyan knew that the three of them would not be back until the next morning after they left.
The courtyard gate was locked from the outside, leaving only her and her lackey in the house to keep watch over the New Year.
At this time of year, with no TV or internet, the house is too quiet, so I simply turned on the radio, and it immediately became lively.
The stove was filled with coal briquettes, and the room was very warm.
Xu Ningyan sat on the stove with a pot of fruit and flower tea, and set out several plates of melon seeds, peanuts and candies to begin her New Year's Eve vigil.
Even during the Chinese New Year, I can't concentrate on my textbooks and don't want to do practice problems.
I rummaged through my room and found two novels. Reading them while snacking on sunflower seeds to stay up late on New Year's Eve was quite a unique experience.
Having gotten used to going to bed early and waking up early, Xu Ningyan was finding it hard to keep up with the New Year's Eve vigil until midnight.
I got up and walked around several times during the session, and even dozed off twice, but I finally made it to 12 o'clock.
Just after midnight, the sound of firecrackers began to ring out sporadically outside.
Xu Ningyan put away the novel, cleaned up the sunflower seed shells and other debris on the floor, added coal to the stove, boiled a kettle of water, brushed her teeth and washed her face, then climbed into bed and drifted off to sleep amidst the occasional sound of firecrackers.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
