Qian Duoduo had already heard Qian Xiang and Jiang Wude's reports and understood why her sister-in-law had been so busy lately. It was nearly nine o'clock on New Year's Eve when Ling Yun finally rushed over to have New Year's Eve dinner with her family.
As soon as Ling Yun stepped into the house, she spotted Qian Duoduo. She paused for a moment, then burst into laughter. Before Qian Duoduo could react, she rushed forward and gave her a big, enthusiastic hug. This sudden action startled Qian Duoduo, who quickly said, "Sister-in-law, please look carefully! I'm your sister-in-law, not your brother!"
Just then, Qian Feng, who had just come out of the kitchen wearing an apron, heard Qian Duoduo's words and couldn't help but laugh out loud. He walked over to Ling Yun, gently patted her shoulder, and teased, "Wife, why are you so happy today?"
Ling Yun released his grip, his face still beaming with excitement, and explained to Qian Feng, "That's because of Zhongguancun! You wouldn't believe it, we shocked everyone when we went to Zhongguancun that day! Hahaha, and let me tell you, that shopping mall too, it left them speechless. This morning, Secretary Jiang even held a special meeting for us regarding the construction of Zhongguancun, explaining all the advantages that would benefit Pengcheng's development! Secretary Jiang said that your proposal about the school will be discussed at the first executive meeting after the New Year!"
Upon hearing this news, Qian Duoduo couldn't help but beam with joy, saying happily, "Sister-in-law, today is the New Year! This is truly the best New Year's gift!"
Upon hearing this, Ling Yun laughed heartily and replied, "Of course! Not only do you think this New Year's gift is great, but I'm also extremely happy! Each of these achievements is a testament to my accomplishments!" After saying this, the family sat around the dining table and happily enjoyed this joyful and warm New Year's Eve dinner.
As the New Year approached, all the members of the Jin and Qian families residing in Shenzhen gathered at Qian Duoduo's luxurious and spacious villa to celebrate the New Year together. As night deepened, the elderly relatives gradually returned to their rooms to rest. Qian Duoduo, being pregnant, naturally wouldn't stay up all night with the others. Seeing this, Lu Yuan gently said to her, "Let me keep you company. That way, if you need any help, you can always find me." He then helped Qian Duoduo towards the bedroom.
Meanwhile, those remaining in the living room found their own ways to pass the time. Qian Xiang and Qian Gui, along with Jin Shen and Jin Zun, sat together playing cards, their laughter echoing through the room; the women chatted idly. Fu Ning glanced at the people sitting on the sofa. She saw Guo Ni and Ling Yun, dressed casually in loungewear, enthusiastically discussing various work-related matters. Fu Ning knew that with her current knowledge and abilities, it would be difficult to join their conversation, and forcing a comment might only lead to awkwardness. So, she decisively pulled Yang Zi aside and moved to sit with Wu Qiaoling and Wen Yugui.
When Fu Ning and Yang Zi sat down, they overheard Wu Qiaoling and Wen Yugui enthusiastically discussing the prosperity of Shenzhen and how Bei'an Village was worlds apart from Shenzhen. Fu Ning and Yang Zi immediately joined the conversation, their words revealing a deep longing for Shenzhen, as if they both hoped to stay and live there for a long time.
Fu Ning said happily, "Pengcheng is such a great place! Compared to it, our hometown, Beian Village, seems so backward." Then, the four of them started a more detailed discussion about Pengcheng, from its skyscrapers and bright lights to Beian Village's simple houses and muddy roads.
Time slips away unnoticed...
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, before nine o'clock, Qian Duoduo was woken up by a series of phone calls. It turned out to be a call from Qian Mao, who was far away in Haishi. Hearing the familiar and warm voices of her relatives on the other end of the line, Qian Duoduo was overjoyed! When she learned that her third brother's family was celebrating the New Year in Haishi, she immediately asked her third brother to convey her New Year's greetings to her third sister-in-law's parents.
Qian Duoduo naturally became concerned about her third brother's two children. You see, taking children on a long trip is not an easy thing, let alone having two babies in her third brother's family. Not only was the journey tiring, but they also had to deal with various unexpected situations. Fortunately, the trip went smoothly, and everyone was safe and healthy. This finally put Qian Duoduo's mind at ease, and a bright smile appeared on her face.
Seeing Zhang Muyao blinking her big eyes, seemingly eager to continue the call, Qian Mao immediately handed her the phone. Zhang Muyao promptly took Qian Mao's place, pushing him aside. Hearing Zhang Muyao's voice, Qian Duoduo was naturally delighted and enthusiastically chatted with her about her interesting experiences and feelings during her pregnancy. The two laughed and reminisced, and before they knew it, time had passed. Fortunately, neither of them was short of money; otherwise, they wouldn't have dared to make such a phone call. Finally, under Lu Yuan's watchful gaze, the pleasant chat ended.
Lu Yuan sighed and said, "Get up and eat. Mother has been waiting downstairs for a while."
When Qian Duoduo came downstairs, the living room was bustling with activity! Qian Xiang was excitedly recounting the tense and exciting scene of his previous reception of provincial leaders to everyone on TV, which was broadcasting news about Secretary Jiang Bohan's inspection of Zhongguancun. His vivid description made everyone laugh heartily. Fu Ning and Yang Zi listened with envy, their eyes shining with longing and anticipation.
Around noon, a steady stream of guests came to wish Qian Duoduo and his family a Happy New Year.
Fu Ning and Yang Zi stood in a secluded corner, watching the endless stream of guests. Only then did they truly realize that Qian Duoduo seemed to be a very important figure in Pengcheng. Look at all the people who came to pay their respects for the New Year—there were people from the Public Security Bureau, government agencies, businessmen, and even foreigners with blond hair and blue eyes who were able to chat happily with Qian Duoduo!
The two of them were communicating in a foreign language that was incomprehensible and consisted of gibberish, one sentence after another, going on and on. Standing to the side, Fu Ning felt like an outsider, completely unable to understand the information being conveyed by this gibberish. At this moment, she deeply realized the importance of learning and knowledge, and the enormous gap between Jin Shen, a high school student, and Qian Duoduo, a doctoral student, seemed insurmountable.
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