252 Reunions
When Li Zhaoxing, Luo Gang, and the other two arrived at Li Wei's house, the young couple were reading upstairs. Aunt Gao opened the door for them, and when she saw the four of them, she hurriedly made arrangements to go upstairs to find them, but Li Zhaoxing stopped her.
The children were sleeping, but the little girl wasn't asleep. She was being held by the nanny and playing with toys in the living room. She was wearing a pink doll dress, and her delicate little face was very cute.
This little girl was the smallest when she was born. She was probably sandwiched between her brothers while she was in her mother's womb, so they couldn't even detect her on ultrasound or color Doppler scans.
Actually, this kind of thing is not uncommon. Many times, when people look for a girl or a boy, the baby turns out to be a completely different child.
Little Luo Shan was a clever girl who managed to evade the doctor's search.
The nanny, Sister Zhang, was playing with the baby, while Sister Wei was taking care of the sleeping Luo Yiluoer and tidying up the nursery. Li Wei was quite strict about the cleanliness of the room, so they would often tidy it up or do a thorough cleaning every other day, keeping the room spotless.
Luo Gang and his wife went straight to the nursery and drooled over their two grandsons, while Cheng Min took the little girl and kissed her endlessly.
Li Zhaoxing glanced at each child before quietly going upstairs.
Upstairs is a large open-plan study. At the corner of the stairs, there is a large pot of lush green bamboo, a small sofa, and a small coffee table in the middle, which is obviously for receiving guests.
A glass wall, partially blocked by a partition, houses various small fish and is covered with white pebbles and colorful aquatic plants. The entire living room is surrounded by rosewood bookshelves, with a few spider plants or asparagus ferns cascading down from between them, adding a touch of solemnity to the atmosphere.
In the middle of the room was a large table of the same color, where Li Wei and Da Luo were each at one end, reading and studying.
Neither of them noticed anyone coming in. Li Zhaoxing didn't disturb them either. He stood at the top of the stairs, surveying his surroundings.
Just then, Li Wei was a little thirsty. Without looking up, she ordered her husband, "Honey, I'm thirsty. Refill my teacup with some water."
The man stood up to get the thermos. Just then, he saw his father-in-law standing there scrutinizing them. He panicked for a moment, then hurriedly called out, "Dad..." and beckoned to Li Wei. He then went over to greet his father-in-law.
Li Wei was also surprised. She quickly closed her book and went to fetch tea and water, asking, "Dad, what brings you here? Where's Mom?"
Li Zhaoxing was in a good mood. He had thought that the two children, now free from their parents' control, would be running wild and doing whatever they pleased.
The last few times we visited, the children were at school. When they came back, nothing seemed amiss. They were usually powerless to intervene. The son and Aunt Gao were all on the same side as the young couple, so we couldn't get any information out of them.
Li Zhaoxing and his wife always felt a little uneasy, worried that their child's life would just be like this, lacking ambition and only knowing how to stay home and enjoy their comfortable life, since they had a good financial foundation anyway. Even adults are very prone to becoming complacent and lacking drive.
Today's unexpected visit, seeing this situation, was not unusual for someone on holiday to relax and have fun. However, seeing Li Wei and Da Luo reading and studying, Li Zhaoxing was very happy, and the worry he had been carrying for more than half a year was finally put to rest.
The atmosphere became quite harmonious. Da Luo chatted with Li Zhaoxing, while Li Wei went downstairs to entertain her mother and Da Luo's parents. It seemed they would be having lunch together, and Aunt Gao would have to prepare something. They had just bought some vegetables and groceries yesterday, so they didn't need to go out to buy groceries.
For a moment, everyone was busy with their own things. Li Wei and Sister Zhang helped Aunt Gao cook, while the postpartum nanny, Sister Wei, accompanied the three of them to look after the babies. One was crying, another was fussing, one wanted to eat, another needed to pee—the four of them were swamped with the babies. Everyone was in high spirits. Upstairs, Da Luo and his father-in-law were also having a good chat, and the house suddenly became lively.
After lunch, the six adults from the large family went upstairs to the small living room to chat.
Uncle Luo and his wife had nothing to say; they were eager for Da Luo and Li Wei to take the child back home for the New Year. Everything was prepared at home, and they even hired two more nannies to help look after the child, so the young couple wouldn't have to worry about anything, lest they be unhappy at home and never want to go back again.
The key lies with Li Zhaoxing and his wife, or rather, Cheng Min.
Cheng Min pondered for a moment before speaking, "Seeing you two like this, your father and I are relieved. You're both doing well in your lives and studies, and you've already made plans for your future. Now that you're married, we can't keep holding on to you. As for the past, I've come to terms with it lately. Your happiness is more important than anything else. Being stubborn and suffering for the sake of saving face is pointless. Life is for you to live; others will only add to your happiness, but how many will truly help you in times of need? We don't need to care about those snide remarks behind our backs anymore. Let's just do what we need to do, and making sure we live our lives well is more important than anything else..."
After Cheng Min's heartfelt words, Li Wei and Da Luo's concerns were completely dispelled. With Li Zhaoxing's affirmation, Li Wei and Da Luo officially gained their parents' approval, albeit informally.
Both families were busy with business, especially with the end of the year approaching. They still needed to take care of various matters and relationships. Since their parents had come to formally summon them, Li Wei and Da Luo secretly discussed it and decided to give their parents face and go back home for the New Year. Anyway, they could go back and forth between the two places without getting tired of each other.
Immediately, Aunt Gao led the two postpartum nannies to pack the baby's things. After asking around, she learned that Sister Wei was divorced and the child lived with her ex-husband, so she could go back with Li Wei. With her there, Li Wei felt more at ease, since she was quite familiar with the child's situation.
Li Wei was planning to give Aunt Gao a few days off during the Spring Festival, but she didn't have anyone familiar with the children around, so she was really unsure of herself.
As for the house, Aunt Gao would arrange for a part-time housekeeper to come and take care of it from time to time. After all, after the New Year, the whole family would be hungry and cold, and with children around, it wouldn't be the right situation.
While Sister Zhang was helping to tidy up, Sister Wei went home to get some changes of clothes and personal belongings.
They quickly packed everything up. The children's belongings alone filled three large bags, one for each child, arranged by color. As for Li Wei and Da Luo, they had everything they needed at home, especially Li Wei, who had all her old clothes and belongings. She hadn't taken any with her when she left; they were all at home.
Besides, my aunt had called several times and prepared a lot of new clothes for the sisters, just waiting for them to come back and see them.
The three children were all wrapped up in small cotton pads, wearing little hats, and then covered with animal-shaped bags. They were all bundled up so tightly that only their round faces and bright eyes were showing. They probably sensed that they were going out to play, because none of them cried or fussed. They were very well-behaved.
Cheng Min and her third aunt each held one of the children. Looking at them, they were both beaming with joy. Since the little girl was lighter than her two older brothers, Li Wei held her by herself.
Cheng Min and her third aunt have both become grandmothers, one on the maternal side and the other on the paternal side. Cheng Min, in particular, has let go of her worries and feels much more relaxed. Looking at the children, she couldn't stop smiling. The two women, each carrying a child, got into Luo's third uncle's car, with Aunt Gao following in the car, ready to lend a hand if they got tired.
Li Wei and Wei Jie, who returned quickly, sat in the back seat of Da Luo's car, while her father, Li Zhaoxing, sat in the passenger seat next to Da Luo. They had driven one car there, thinking that it would be convenient to have two cars on the way back, so that when Li Wei and the others returned, they could drive the car back – a two-car setup would be cheaper.
This was Li Zhaoxing's opinion, as he always wanted to plan things out. After all, given Luo Sanjiu's extravagant and ostentatious nature, he practically wanted to bring two limousines to pick up his grandson, which couldn't express his excitement and pride.
After enrolling in university, this person obtained a driver's license through the school's driving course. After years of driving without a license, he is now a licensed driver.
According to Da Luo's promise, he will also get Li Wei a license next spring, but she still needs to practice her driving skills first, at least she needs to learn how to reverse.
The journey wasn't very long. The highway was alright, but the side roads had a lot of snow. It was quite slippery because of the compacted snow from passing vehicles, so everyone was very cautious. We drove quite slowly, and it was already getting dark when we got home.
Upon entering the Luo and Li family compound, a disagreement arose. The maternal and paternal grandmothers disagreed on whose house the young couple should go to first, and whose house the child should stay at that night.
Cheng Min and Zhao Chunyan were originally at odds with each other, but in recent years, because they had been in frequent contact and the main conflict wasn't between them, they hadn't shown it too obviously. Now, because of the child, they've finally come out on top.
Cheng Min held her second grandson tightly, refusing to let go: "Although the child's surname is Luo, these days men and women are equal. Daughters also have the right to support their parents and inherit their estate. It's only right and proper for him to come back to my home..." Third Aunt Zhao Chunyan also hugged Da Shunzi Luo Yi tightly: "In my family, we have the eldest son and grandson. I'll live with my eldest son in the future, and he'll have priority in inheriting the estate. Naturally, he'll come back to my home first..."
Zhao Chunyan: "Let's go back to my house first..."
Uncle Luo the Third —
In the end, Li Zhaoxing arbitrated the parking. Let's go stay at the Luo family's place first. Anyway, they spent a lot of money to set up a children's room there, so let's not waste it. As for dinner... let's all come and eat at Old Li's house together, so it'll be lively.
Although Cheng Min was dissatisfied, she followed the majority rule. Besides, according to tradition, it was more reasonable to go back to her grandmother's house first. Moreover, deep down, she knew that she was not as tolerant of the children as Luo Gang and his wife, and it was unrealistic to say that she didn't care at all.
Let's take Li Zhaoxing and his wife home first, and then we'll come over for dinner in a little while.
When Li Wei and Da Luo returned to the Luo family home, a large group of people were already there to give them a grand welcome.
Besides Luo Er, Luo San, Grandma Luo, and the aunts, there are also Luo Gang's two half-sisters and their families. In the past two years, they have had more business dealings with Luo Gang and have also had more contact with the old lady. Since the two of them don't have any other relatives, they have gradually come to regard the old lady as a real elder.
And Cousin Zhong was also on the list.
As soon as they returned, everyone rushed over. The two boys, being bolder, were relatively calm, just curiously looking around. The little girl, being more timid, immediately cried out. Li Wei quickly comforted her while taking off the thick cotton cover from her clothes.
The room was quite warm, and the children were more likely to get too hot. Aunt Gao and Sister Wei were also taking care of the two older children.
Seeing the mess, Grandma Luo cheerfully told her son and daughter-in-law to hurry up and take the child to the room so he wouldn't get cold here.
The nursery that Uncle Luo set up was on the first floor. It was much larger than the room in Li Wei's house. It was completely renovated, and everything from the furniture to the crib and other daily necessities was luxurious. The floor was also covered with a brand-new, thick wool carpet.
Aunt Gao and Sister Wei are both experienced and organized. They quickly changed the clothes and diapers for the three children, prepared the formula, and arranged everything according to their different needs. They also quickly categorized and placed the necessary items in easily accessible places. Their swift actions showed that they were well-trained, which made Luo Gang's two older sisters secretly amazed.
Knowing that his eldest nephew was difficult to manage, he had been thinking of finding a girl who got pregnant and gave birth before graduating from high school. Even if her family had some money, she wouldn't be any better. He was also somewhat hoping to see her make a fool of herself.
But looking at their demeanor now, their command is calm and orderly; their words and actions are like those of someone from a wealthy family in the past—busy but not chaotic, speaking appropriately, and being very polite. These families all have children, and more than one, most of whom are older than Li Wei and Da Luo, but they are either working or in high school. They must have so much to worry about on a daily basis; let alone taking care of children, they can't even take care of or manage themselves properly.
You don't know until you compare, and once you do, the difference becomes apparent, and it's not just a small difference. Both of them felt a bit uneasy.
With a brother and sister-in-law who are such uncultured and uncivilized people, yet their children, wives, and even grandchildren are all so outstanding, it's truly... there's nowhere to reason with them.
In fact, Li Wei also noticed the two women who, according to Grandma Luo, were Aunt Luo's eldest sister. They were both well-dressed and elegant, and quite good-looking. They were shrewd and quick-witted, and spoke with a special kind of elder's warmth. They were clearly the kind of shrewd people who had been around in society.
There were also a few young men and women, who were said to be their children. Li Wei didn't remember them because the children were making a fuss. As for Da Luo's two uncles, they were said to be coming tomorrow, as one was busy with work and the other was on a business trip today.
When the great-aunt met her grand-nephew for the first time, they both expressed their good wishes. This was handled by the third aunt, so Li Wei didn't need to worry about it.
A group of people made a ruckus around the three children for a long time before finally dispersing. That evening, because there were guests at their place, Luo Gang and his wife did not go to the Li family's house. Only Da Luo, Li Wei, Aunt Gao, and Sister Wei took the children back to the Li family's house, and naturally, there was another ruckus. However, since they were all family members, Li Wei felt much more comfortable than at the Luo family's house. She didn't have to take care of the children and couldn't lift a finger to help them. She was surrounded and amused by her mother, grandmother, aunt, and Li Lin.
Dingding was borrowed by her grandmother to play, so she didn't come along.
The dinner was very lively. After being away from home for half a year, Li Wei finally felt at home again and felt at ease. A lot had happened in the past six months, and it felt like a lifetime had passed.
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