"Oh dear, why have hot pot instead of New Year's Eve dinner? Xiao Chu is the same, letting the kids run wild."
The gazebo in the backyard was now surrounded by thick quilts and curtains. The original stone table and benches in the gazebo had been moved out and replaced with two tables specifically for eating hot pot.
Because they were having Sichuan hot pot today, the smell was so strong that if they ate in the living room, the smell might not dissipate for days. So Li Chu moved the meal to the gazebo in the back garden.
Once the fire is lit, it's not cold at all when you're eating inside.
Ding's parents, Li Qin, and Wang Ziwen were already seated inside, while Jia Dong and the others kept bringing dishes from the kitchen.
Ding's mother sat there somewhat dissatisfied. She believed that on New Year's Eve, a large table of dishes should be prepared, both hot and cold, to create a festive atmosphere.
"Alright, that's enough," said Ding's father, who was sitting next to him. "New year, new beginnings. Hot pot is a good choice. It tastes good, and you can eat a little bit of everything. Making a whole table of dishes is too much trouble for the person making it, and we can't even finish it all."
Ever since Ding's mother insisted on moving out, Ding's father has been finding fault with his wife in every way.
Having lived here for so many years, he has long been accustomed to everything here, and he gets along well with his neighbors. Whether it's playing chess or cards, he can easily gather people together.
Now things are really messed up. Moving there means starting all over again, and we don't know anyone at all.
Thankfully, his son-in-law secretly bought him another room so he could live separately from his son and daughter-in-law. Otherwise, living under the same roof would have been unbearable for him in the summer.
Because of his dissatisfaction with his wife, Ding's father never told Ding's mother about the house Li Chu bought for him, so as to avoid her nagging.
Mr. Ding didn't think there was anything wrong with living with his son-in-law. They were all family, and it was lively since everyone lived close by.
We can help each other out if anything happens.
Fearing that the two of them would be unhappy again over this small matter, Li Qin quickly pulled Ding's mother aside to chat about other things.
Seeing this, Wang Ziwen moved closer to Ding's father and asked in a low voice, "Uncle Ding, is the house over there all cleaned up?"
"There's not much to pack. Xiao Chu has already moved in all the new furniture that he had made. We'll just take our bedding over after the New Year."
"We haven't told Aunt Ding about that house yet."
"I didn't tell her. I'll tell her on moving day, so she won't nag me endlessly."
Wang Ziwen also felt that Ding Ma's reaction was a bit strange. Although the house belonged to her son-in-law, it was a gift to them as a sign of filial piety. Moreover, when the property certificate was being processed, it was said that it would be registered under their names, but she insisted on not doing so.
His brother-in-law truly treated his father-in-law and mother-in-law like his own parents, but his mother-in-law seemed a bit...
"It's alright, Uncle Ding. After we move there, I'll get you a monthly bus pass. You can take the bus whenever you want to play chess or cards. It'll be convenient, and we'll have places to eat here too."
"Ziwen, what you said is also a solution." Ding's father nodded upon hearing this. Taking the bus is indeed quite convenient now, and the gloomy look on his face lessened considerably.
"Sigh~ I'm getting old and I have to move again. Just thinking about it makes me feel uneasy. By the way, why isn't Old Wang coming over this year?"
"Oh, Uncle Wang and the others are having a tea party tonight. All their old comrades are gathered together."
"Why aren't Yueyue's parents coming over?"
“Wang Jun is on duty tonight. It’s an old tradition in the army that officers stand guard for the soldiers on New Year’s Eve. Qiaoyun is on the Spring Festival Gala, isn’t she? I heard it’s going to be a live broadcast this year.”
"Hey, this family of theirs, they can't even get together for the Lunar New Year."
"What can we do? We have no choice but to do it."
"Why doesn't Xiao Chu have to work shifts?"
“Uncle Ding, your son-in-law isn’t exempt from duty; in fact, he’s on duty every day. You see him at home, but no matter where he goes, he has to report to the duty room first, so that in case of any emergency, the people on duty can find him at any time.”
"Oh, I see. I thought he was fine as long as he was at home."
“It’s the same wherever he is. As soon as the phone rings, he has to leave. Many times he’s asleep in the middle of the night.”
"Sigh, nothing is easy."
"That's right. You see your son-in-law has a car and a chauffeur, but he has no freedom at all. He enjoys some rights, but he has to give up some things."
"I heard that Wenxuan will take over Xiaochu's job in the future. Will he end up like this?"
"That's not necessarily true. Their succession isn't like in a factory. If Wenxuan's medical skills don't meet their requirements, it doesn't matter who his father is."
"Ziwen, I see that nowadays people are carrying that thing called what..." Suddenly, even Ding's father forgot what it was called and could only gesture with his hands.
It took Wang Ziwen a while to realize what he was talking about.
"Uncle Ding, you mean the pager, right?"
"Yes, yes, it's a pager. Old Chen's son in the alley behind bought one, and he wears it on his belt every day, and he even lifts up his clothes as if he's afraid no one will notice. He doesn't even feel cold in the dead of winter."
Wang Ziwen was amused by it.
"That thing costs five or six thousand yuan each, and there seems to be a usage fee of several hundred yuan every year. We have to show it off to everyone."
"Such a small thing costs five or six thousand?" Ding's father's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Grandpa, five or six thousand is just a number. If it's a Chinese character display, it'll cost over ten thousand." Just then, Wang Yueyue walked in carrying two plates of meat and added after hearing what they were saying.
"Stepping on Stars"
"What? Such a small box costs tens of thousands of yuan?"
What's so expensive?
Li Qin and the others were also drawn to this.
"Aunt, it's that pager."
"Oh, you mean that thing? It's so expensive, how many people can afford it?"
“People who want to buy it will definitely buy it if they find it convenient. When Xu Yang and Xiao Qin came to see the child the other day, they said that his dad had ordered one.”
"Tsk tsk, Xu Damao has really made a lot of money these past few years," Li Qin said with a shake of her head.
"Looking around, it seems that doing business is still the most profitable thing," Ding's mother remarked.
"What, Aunt Ding, do you want Jianguo to go into business too?"
“I don’t think that way.” Ding’s mother quickly shook her head: “Who knows when the policy will change? It’s more stable for him to work like this, and we don’t have to worry about it.”
"What are you worrying about, Mom?" Ding Qiunan walked in carrying a tray with several bowls of condiments on it.
"We're here talking about making money in business."
"Qiu Nan's mother, please sit down and rest. I'll go get the dishes."
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