"First day of the lunar month, there are people outside, right?"
"Woof"
"Is it Li Chu?"
"Woof"
The dog's bark, though not loud, sounded like heavenly music to Ding Qiunan's ears.
She quickly put on her cotton-padded jacket and trousers, not forgetting to grab the things under her pillow, then slipped on her cotton slippers and ran out, almost tripping over herself.
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Even though she was certain that the man outside was her own, she still wanted to be on the safe side.
At the beginning of the month, a group of idle people got into a fight while ice skating at Shichahai, and the police were dispatched and arrested a number of people.
Because of this, Uncle Wang and his group, who had planned to go to the teahouse to listen to storytelling in the past few days, had their plans canceled by the bureau.
So it's always best to be careful no matter what you do.
Opening the living room door, Ding Qiunan suppressed her excitement and tiptoed towards the front yard so as not to wake anyone else.
Several dogs that had initially wanted to rush forward obediently followed behind their female owner when they saw her appearance.
"Who's outside?" Ding Qiunan asked in a low voice as she approached the gate.
"Qiu Nan, it's me, I'm back."
Hearing the familiar voice outside, she carefully unlatched the door and opened it.
"You're back." Her trembling voice revealed just how excited she was.
"I'm back, I'm back for the New Year."
"Go back inside first, and be careful where you step."
On the way to the backyard, she held her man's hand tightly, as if afraid that if she let go, he would disappear again.
As soon as she entered the living room and closed the door, she threw herself into the arms of the man she had been longing for day and night, hugging him tightly as if she wanted to meld herself into him.
"I miss you!"
"Me too!"
"I thought you wouldn't be coming back before the New Year."
"We almost didn't make it back. It was supposed to end a week ago, but then it snowed heavily for ten days straight, and the planes couldn't take off. This morning, it finally stopped, and this afternoon, as soon as the airport cleared the runway, we rushed off. Luckily, we left a little early. We had just taken off when the heavy snow started again."
Ding Qiunan buried her head in her husband's neck, listening quietly to him speak, the familiar scent intoxicating her.
"Okay, honey, come down, let me take a shower first."
"Okay, I'll get you some clean clothes."
...
In the bedroom, on the bed
Lying next to her husband, Ding Qiunan started snoring in less than a minute.
Gently stroking his wife's hair, Li Chu felt incredibly peaceful.
The next morning, when he stepped out of his room, Wenxuan, who was exercising in the yard, was dumbfounded.
"Dad? When did you get back?"
"It was already past midnight last night."
"I didn't hear a thing!"
"Hehe, I was careful when I came in, just in case I woke everyone up."
His voice outside was heard by the little rascal who was already awake and playing in bed.
"Grandpa, hug me! Grandpa, hug me!"
This shout woke Wang Yueyue up. She quickly dressed him and carried him out.
"Dad Chu, you're finally back! Your little grandson almost drove us crazy. He was making a scene every day, and we didn't even dare to mention you."
"Haha, little rascal, you miss your grandpa, don't you?"
"Yes! Mua!"
"Mmm, my little rascal is so good!"
"Okay, Dad, you hold me, I'll go inside and take a nap."
"Go ahead, go ahead!"
"Go, go," Little Stinky Treasure waved to his mother, just like his grandfather.
"Wenxuan, come and catch this, I'm putting the bun in..."
Li Qin was holding a comb in her hand when she came through the small door and saw her younger brother standing there holding a child. She was suddenly stunned.
"Sister, I'm back."
"My goodness, I thought I was seeing things! When did you get back?"
"It was already past midnight yesterday."
"Great! I'm back for the New Year! That's wonderful!" Perhaps it's because she's getting older and her emotions are more intense, but Li Qin's eyes welled up with tears as she spoke.
Li Chu smiled and walked over to put his arm around his sister's shoulder: "Sis, I'm back now."
"I'm happy!"
"I know."
"Oh, right," Li Qin pointed to the steamer basket that Wenxuan had taken, "these are freshly steamed meat buns. Call them all up and eat them while they're hot. If they're cooled down and then reheated, they won't taste the same."
"Okay, Auntie, I'll go get him right away."
"Alright, you guys eat first, I'm going back to eat too, I'll come over later." Li Qin patted her younger brother's arm twice, then touched the little rascal's smooth face, and walked home with a smile.
My younger brother is back, so we can have a good New Year. Otherwise, it always feels like the family is missing a pillar of support.
Wenxuan put the steamed buns in front of the radiator in the living room, first woke up his mother, then went to the front yard to wake up his father-in-law, mother-in-law, and cousin, and finally his wife. She was busy serving him quite a bit.
Wang Jun, who was helping his wife out of the covered walkway in the front yard, was also startled.
"You sneak back so quietly, when did you get back?"
"It was past midnight yesterday."
"How come I had no idea?"
"Tch, you sleep so soundly you wouldn't even know if someone carried you away and sold you."
"You're really a dog who can't say anything nice."
As breakfast began to be eaten here, the boys in the alley also got up, and the sound of firecrackers outside gradually increased.
Hearing the commotion outside, Chou Bao couldn't sit still any longer and kept running towards the door.
I don't know if it's because he's a boy, but this little guy isn't afraid of the sound of firecrackers at all. He just wants to go closer to them, like a fussy mother. Wherever there are firecrackers, he wants to go there.
He had barely whimpered a couple of times when his mother picked him up and immediately subdued him. He obediently sat on her lap, ate a freshly steamed egg custard, and drank a bowl of prepared formula before being allowed to leave.
However, his father carried him out.
After Li Chu finished eating, he checked Li Qiaoyun's body and everything was normal. She was just waiting to give birth, and the delivery time wouldn't be more than half a month away.
"Junzi, have you applied for leave yet?"
"It's all settled. I submitted the leave slip yesterday. I'll stay by your side no matter what."
Wang Yueyue was born on the 15th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. They had to be on duty and couldn't come back at all.
This has become a lifelong pain in Wang Jun's heart for the past twenty years.
So he took leave in advance this time, determined to stay by his wife's side.
Li Qiaoyun held Wang Jun's hand under the table. She knew that her husband had felt guilty towards her for this matter over the years, but she really didn't blame him. There was nothing anyone could do about the situation at the time.
"Junzi, Qiaoyun, I still recommend a C-section. You two should consider it. Director Liu's skills are beyond question."
This matter had been discussed before, but neither of them could make up their minds.
People in this era rarely choose cesarean section; they believe it's only for difficult births.
And the thought of getting a cut on your body is terrifying.
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