Gu Lanyan packed their clothes: a cotton-padded coat for the grandfather and grandson, a set of pajamas for each of them, and two extra pairs of pants, some insoles, and two goose-feather mattresses for Ye Yifan.
Hua Wanjiang took out the New Year's goods that Xiwu wanted to bring back for Ye Yifan: a bag of mushrooms, a bag of roasted hazelnuts, peanuts and melon seeds, a bag of dried sweet potatoes, a bag of dried pears and dried crabapples, and a basket of frozen pears.
Looking at this pile of things, Ye Yifan smiled and said, "You said Grandpa brought you a lot of things, but you have quite a lot here too."
Hua Wanjiang said, "I didn't spend much money on this; it's all from my family. You brought this, but it was all bought with money. Isn't that a waste?"
Ye Yifan said, "Giving it to the person you're giving it to isn't a waste. Besides, our family has enough to eat and use, so it's not just for decoration, right?"
Hua Wanjiang smiled at Ye Yifan: "You're such a sensible and eloquent child."
Hua Kai said, "Mom and Dad, we have to leave soon. We just got back to the city and there's a lot to do. I'll be back the day after tomorrow, and then everything will be fine. The shop and factory are closed for the holidays, so I can stay home and go back on the fifth or sixth day of the new year."
Hua Wanjiang said, "Well, we should at least have lunch at home, right?"
Hua Kai said, "We need to go back and check on the shops and factory first. Ye Yifan has to go back to his unit in the afternoon, so we won't have lunch. Also, I have to go to Feng Gu's house. Li Jing asked me to bring her year-end bonus back to Feng Gu. She can only come back on the day before the Lunar New Year. The two shops in the provincial capital can't do without her."
Gu Lanyan listened to Hua Kai say, "Li Jing is so capable. Your Aunt Feng was worried about her before. I'm also a little unsure after what your Aunt Feng said."
Hua Kai smiled and said, "Mom, actually many young people have potential, but they haven't gone out and tried. Look at me, my brother, and Li Jing, we went out and we're all doing better and better. As long as you have the right intentions, there's nothing to worry about."
Hua Wanjiang agreed with his daughter's statement: "Kaikai is right. This person must be of good character. There's no doubt about it." After saying that, he looked at the clock and said to Huakai, "If you're busy, go back to the city early, finish your business, and come back early to prepare for the New Year. Your brother isn't home, and I'm not comfortable with you going back to that rented house by yourself. Let Qingyang stay with you for a couple of days, and you can come back together."
Hua Kai remembered that she had promised to go to Zhang Miao's house, and the Lunar New Year was just around the corner, so she said to Hua Wanjiang, "Dad, Qingyang and I will go back first. My brother will be back this afternoon. Please ask him to go to the city as well. I need his help with a lot of things."
Hua Wanjiang said, "If there's a lot of work, can I go?"
Hua Kai said, "My brother is familiar with the factory and the store, so it will be easy for him to get started. It's almost the Lunar New Year, so Dad, you and Mom can stay home and prepare for the New Year."
Hua Wanjiang said, "That's fine, then let your brother go tomorrow morning?"
Hua Kai nodded: "Okay, then I'll have my brother take the early bus tomorrow morning."
After discussing it, Hua Kai asked Hua Qingyang to make some preparations, and then she and Ye Yifan would go to Jiang Lanfeng's house to help Li Jing deliver the money. After returning, she would also have to visit Hua Zhongzhi, needless to say, since the old man was ill and Hua Kai had to go see him when she got back.
As Hua Kai and Ye Yifan talked, they arrived at Jiang Lanfeng's house. Jiang Lanfeng and her husband were both home, along with their eldest and second sons. Now that Jiang Lanfeng was able to earn money and Li Jing had gone out to work, her sons knew that their parents were wealthy, so they came back more often.
When Jiang Lanfeng saw Hua Kai and Ye Yifan arrive, she came out to greet them: "Kai Kai is back, and Captain Ye is here too. Come in and sit down."
Hua Kai and Ye Yifan greeted Jiang Lanfeng and walked into the house together.
Jiang Lanfeng, holding Hua Kai's hand, said, "Li Jing must have caused you a lot of trouble, right?"
Hua Kai quickly said, "Aunt Feng, Li Jing has helped us so much these past few days. You underestimate Li Jing's abilities. She's not only smart, but also eager to learn and ambitious. She can learn anything I tell her after just one listen. Now, both stores in the provincial capital can't do without her. She won't be back until the day before the Lunar New Year. I asked her to come back so you wouldn't worry and to bring her year-end bonus back so you can buy New Year's goods and such."
Jiang Lanfeng was still very proud when she heard Hua Kai praising her daughter: "That's because you and Captain Ye trust her and are willing to train her. Otherwise, she would just be a village girl."
Hua Kai said, "She has to be someone who can be trained. If she's not capable of doing anything, how could I dare to entrust her with such an important task? The current Li Jing is not the same as before. Feng Gu, when Li Jing comes back in a few days, you won't even recognize her."
After entering the house, he greeted Li Jing's father and two brothers and sat down.
Li Jing's father is a rather quiet person; he doesn't talk much, but he's always smiling.
Li Jing's older brothers are both simple-minded and treat her well, but they both listen to their wives.
This wasn't inherently a bad thing, but Li Jing and her two sisters-in-law were both troublemakers, so after they each started their own families, the household became increasingly chaotic.
It's almost Chinese New Year, and both of my older brothers are being pressured by their wives to come and see if Li Jing is back. Did she bring any New Year's gifts? Make sure she doesn't forget her own family's share.
Unexpectedly, Li Jing didn't come back, but the flowers bloomed, so the two of them couldn't leave anymore and had to wait and see when Li Jing would return.
Hua Kai didn't intend to give the money to Jiang Lanfeng behind Li Jing's brother's back. It's not a bad thing to let them know that Li Jing is capable. Anyway, Li Jing has kept what she should keep. In the future, when Li Jing earns more money, she can save it to buy a house. She will give her brothers what she should give, but she can't give them what she shouldn't. Today, she's just speaking up for Li Jing.
She took out the red envelope and handed it to Jiang Lanfeng, saying, "Aunt Feng, this is Li Jing's year-end bonus. Please keep it."
Jiang Lanfeng touched it and was a little stunned by how thick it was: "So much?"
Hua Kai said, "Yes, Li Jing is capable and earns a lot, but she wants to stay in the city in the future, so she will have to buy a house there. She will bring her year-end bonus home for the New Year, and she will have to save up her salary to buy a house in the future, since her job requires it."
Jiang Lanfeng looked at Hua Kai in surprise: "Let Li Jing buy a house in the city by herself? Is that really possible?"
Hua Kai said, "Of course it's fine. Li Jing is a successful career woman, so she'll definitely stay in the city. She's an adult now and can take control of her own life. It's good for a woman to buy a house before marriage. Putting aside everything else, if there are any unpleasant things after marriage, it might not be convenient for her to go back to her parents' home with her brother and sister-in-law. Besides, her parents' home isn't in the city, so she can't go back overnight. If she has her own house, it's a safe haven, right? And since her job is in the city, she needs a place to stay."
Jiang Lanfeng sighed: "That's true. We may not be capable, but we can't let our child's development be delayed."
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