Sister Mei hesitated for a moment, but was immediately forced to sit down.
Looking around, she saw Jiang Yuan, Jiang Zhixing, and even Jiang Zhiyuan, the head of the family whom she respected the most, all looking at her with gentle expressions, and only then did she feel relieved.
It's rare that none of the family members are on duty today, so we can have a reunion dinner.
Jiang Zhixing found a bottle of rice wine and put it on the stove to heat it up.
Although he wanted some baijiu (Chinese liquor), he considered that both of them worked in positions where they had to be available at any time if needed at work, and it wouldn't be good if they drank too much and messed things up.
Jiang Yuan is a doctor and doesn't drink alcohol.
Xu Ningyan is still breastfeeding and therefore cannot drink alcohol.
Only the two brothers poured themselves a glass.
After downing a glass of wine, and with the room warm, Jiang Zhixing felt a bit tipsy. Holding his glass, he looked around the room, his eyes slightly red.
Surrounded by his mother, elder brother, sister-in-law, and two nephews, he wished for a harmonious and lively New Year with his family, a wish that had been forming in his mind ever since Gu Dajun and his group arrived in Beijing.
But it only came to fruition today.
He poured himself another glass, raised it to Xu Ningyan, and said, "Thank you, sister-in-law! Without you, our family wouldn't be where it is today!"
Then I gulped it down in one go, all the unspoken words were contained in that one glass of wine.
Everyone present, including Sister Mei, understood the meaning behind Jiang Zhixing's words.
Jiang Yuan looked at Jiang Zhixing with heartache. She realized that she, as a mother, had been too weak and had failed to protect the two brothers, causing them to suffer.
If it weren't for Xu Ningyan's words that woke her up and made her see through the Gu family and Gu Yong, she might still be struggling to make ends meet in the Gu family with her two children.
Thinking of this, Jiang Yuan looked at Jiang Zhixing with guilt: "It's Mom's fault, it's Mom—"
Jiang Zhixing waved his hand, interrupting Jiang Yuan: "Mom, it's New Year's Day today, let's not talk about those unhappy things! It's all in the past! From now on, our family can be just like today, happy and lively, that's better than anything else!"
Jiang Yuan nodded with tears in her eyes.
The atmosphere suddenly became a bit heavy. Just then, the two little brothers, Jiang Chen and Jiang Zhan, woke up in the cradle next to them, waving their little fists and making noises, which immediately attracted everyone's attention.
The two little brothers didn't cry when they woke up. They had just been fed before going to sleep, so they didn't fuss about wanting milk. They looked around with their big, bright eyes, enjoying the delicious smell in the room.
Jiang Yuan was no longer feeling the distress she had just experienced; she had completely forgotten about her youngest son.
Mei and I each picked up one of them and sat down at the table to play with them.
The little guy is wearing a New Year's outfit designed by Xu Ningyan and made by Sister Mei today.
The fabric was found by Xu Ningyan in her spatial storage; it was red corduroy, which she used to make two sets of bright red cotton-padded jackets and trousers for the two boys.
They look just like two small red envelopes.
Very festive.
The two little boys are already over 100 days old. They are so plump and round, with chubby cheeks, fair skin, and clean clothes. They could easily be the kind of babies who would do a baby formula commercial.
Grandma Wang next door had taken care of her own grandson and seen many other people's children, and she couldn't help but sigh that these two brothers were the most handsome and lovable children she had ever seen.
She even joked that it was only because of the cold weather that she hadn't taken her two children out much.
When spring arrives and the weather warms up, taking the two children out will likely make Cat Alley quite lively.
Not only did Jiang Yuan's heart melt when she saw her two grandsons, but even the two grown men, Jiang Zhixing and Jiang Zhiyuan, couldn't help but smile as they looked at the two children.
After the New Year's Eve dinner, everyone stays up all night.
The two children couldn't stay awake any longer and fell asleep after playing for a while. Naturally, Sister Mei took them back to the west wing to sleep.
Xu Ningyan brought out all the New Year's goods she had prepared beforehand, including various melon seeds, peanuts, and candies, and placed them on the table.
We boiled water and brewed a pot of tea, and everyone sat around the stove chatting and staying up to welcome the New Year.
At this moment, only family members were in the room. Jiang Zhiyuan frowned as he watched Jiang Zhixing, a grown man, casually eating sunflower seeds and gossiping with Xu Ningyan. He couldn't bear to watch.
He dropped a bombshell: "There's a rumor going around that they'll be discussing whether to reinstate the college entrance exam after the New Year. I reckon it'll most likely be reinstated. Yan Yan and Zhi Xing, you two should start preparing after the New Year."
Xu Ningyan knew this, and she even knew when the college entrance examination would be reinstated, so she remained relatively calm.
Jiang Zhixing and Jiang Yuan were taken aback. "Really?"
Jiang Yuan couldn't help but stand up: "If the college entrance examination were to be reinstated, that would be wonderful!"
Jiang Zhixing silently took a step back; he didn't think it was a good idea.
Jiang Zhiyuan stared intently at him: "I'm not worried about your sister-in-law. She's been studying on her own all the time and has never stopped! But you, I'm afraid you've forgotten all your high school knowledge over the years. Although you picked up some things with your sister-in-law the other day, it's far from enough!"
"Don't go running around during the New Year. As long as you're not working, stay home and study! Your sister-in-law has all the materials. Just ask her if you need anything! I'll check your progress every week. If I find out you haven't been studying properly, you won't want to know the consequences!"
Jiang Zhixing was almost in tears. Couldn't there be some good news during the Lunar New Year?
We're all a loving family, why be so cruel?
“Brother! Dear brother! I think I’m fine as I am now, I don’t necessarily have to go to university—” he tried his best to defend himself.
"I don't care what you think, I only care what I think! I think you're not doing well right now, but you absolutely must get into this university! If you don't pass, I'll break your legs!" Jiang Zhiyuan said decisively, showing no mercy whatsoever.
Jiang Zhixing immediately wilted.
Suddenly I realized that this year's New Year wasn't as wonderful as I had imagined.
Jiang Yuan chimed in support, "Your brother is right! Before, the college entrance exam was canceled, but your brother was lucky enough to get into university before it was canceled. You had no choice but to go to high school! Now that the college entrance exam is finally being reinstated, this opportunity is right in your hands. If you dare to turn it down, I'll beat you up, even if your brother doesn't hit you, you believe me?"
"The country will need a lot of talent in the future. This batch of college graduates will be highly sought-after by all organizations! I remember your childhood dream was to become a diplomat! If you get into university, you might actually become a diplomat. Are you sure you want to give that up?"
Jiang Zhixing's face showed hesitation and struggle.
After a long pause, he finally made up his mind and revealed a rare serious expression: "I understand!"
Although Jiang Zhixing usually appears somewhat carefree, everyone knows that he is a man of his word; once he says something and promises something, he will do it.
Therefore, everyone stopped urging him to stop.
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