As soon as Gu Hanting entered, he saw these people, while Gu Zhengkai and the others were chatting even more enthusiastically.
"Oh, Old Gu is here. Come on, sit on the kang. How is it? You've reunited with your granddaughter. Doesn't it feel good?"
Gu Hanting nodded with a smile, "That's right, it feels great. If I had known the girl was our child, I wouldn't have wasted so much time. But thankfully, we didn't miss her. She's our Gu family's child, so we definitely won't lose her."
Not long after Gu Hanting returned, those people got up to say goodbye. They could chat happily with Qiao Jie and the others, but with Gu Hanting, they always felt that they couldn't connect.
In fact, Gu Hanting himself knew this, and not only him, but also Gu Zhengkai and Ma Liu knew it.
"Sigh, they weren't on the same level before, and now that they're suddenly together, it's no wonder they're not having an easy time. But you can't blame anyone else, all sorts of differences have piled up together, so if you're uncomfortable, they probably aren't either."
Gu Hanting is very open-minded. "I don't care. Whether it's a landlord or a peasant, I'm used to it now. It's all about working. I'm quite enjoying my current life. I only worry about the amount of money I earn. Now, we have food and drink. Everyone is the same, rich or poor. It's pretty good."
Gu Zhihong moved closer to the old man and asked, "Grandpa, don't you really miss your old life?"
Gu Hanting hugged his grandson and said, "The past is the past, and the present is the present. People have to look forward to make progress. If you keep reminiscing about the past, it just means that your grandpa is really old."
Jiang Qiao saw her uncle seeing the guests off and then standing at the kitchen door, calling out, "Grandpas, aren't you eating at our house?"
The old men waved their hands, saying, "No, no, you should have a proper family reunion. After all, you are the child your grandfather and his family have been searching for for many years. Just for that reason, you should treat your grandfather well in the future."
Although they didn't have much to talk about with Gu Hanting, they had all heard about how he went out to look for his granddaughter every year back then. Sigh, this girl is back, and she even took the initiative to come to our door. Where else can you find such a good thing?
Heaven has opened its eyes! The Gu family has no mistress, but with this girl around, at least the men won't have to worry about food and clothing anymore; someone will take care of them.
Jiang Qiao had no time to care what these people were thinking. She was busy. She put a lot of effort into the lunch on the first day of the Lunar New Year. She made one of everything she could find, with many varieties but not many portions.
Unlike other families who cook one meal and provide for three, which is just making do, she didn't want to make do or eat one meal a day. Life is short, why make things difficult for your own appetite? Why skimp on this? Besides, she didn't have much to do except think about food and read books.
"Big brother, it's ready, we can eat now, everyone come and help."
The old men were somewhat dazzled by the freshly prepared meal that Jiang Qiao had prepared.
"so much?"
Jiang Qiao smiled and said, "Grandpa, you have to look at the plates. These are all small plates, so the portions aren't large, but there are plenty of them. Eat as much as you want, and don't leave any. We'll make something new for next meal."
As soon as everyone picked up their chopsticks, they all realized how delicious it tasted. "How come I can't make it taste like this even though it's all the same stuff?"
This is what puzzled Ma Liu. Qiao Jie didn't say a word and just kept eating.
"Hehe, Grandpa Liu, you don't know this, do you? The same ingredients, but different people cooking, will naturally taste different. Yours is delicious too."
Ma Liu shook his head. "Not to mention the dishes, just the rice alone, I can't make it taste like this. It's like the aroma of rice is even stronger. Just looking at it makes my mouth water. Wow, your skill is amazing, girl, you've really mastered it."
Jiang Qiao smiled, gesturing for Ma Liu to eat quickly. The others didn't have time to speak; their words spoke volumes.
However, they had only eaten half of the meal when Jiang Weihan arrived, saying that his child had diarrhea.
Qiao Jie sighed, "Well, we ate too much rich food during the New Year, and the child's stomach can't handle it. Girl, let's go."
Jiang Qiao waved her hand and said, "Grandpa Qiao, you don't need to go. I'll go by myself. You can eat slowly."
"Grandpa Jiang, why don't you stay here and have something to eat? I'll go check on things."
The old man didn't stand on ceremony. "Alright, then you can go ahead—"
Ma Liu sighed at this moment, "I've realized that being a doctor has its advantages and disadvantages."
Jiang Weihan smiled and said, "Overall, there are many benefits. It's great for a young girl to learn this."
While they were eating, someone outside called again, for the same reason. Gu Zhihong and his brother had already finished eating. The younger brother took some people to find Jiang Qiao, while the other stayed behind to pour wine for the old men.
"Oh dear, this year has been really tough. We've all managed to get through it. I hope we'll have a good harvest next year. I've been farming every year, but I've never seen anything like this before."
Gu Hanting smiled, raised his glass and clinked it with Jiang Weihan's. "Things don't happen more than three times. Things should get better. If everyone works hard this year, we'll definitely be able to make a living."
Jiang Qiao was busy from noon on the first day of the Lunar New Year, visiting several homes. When she returned, Wang Datou and Yu Deshui had just left. The two had come to wish her a Happy New Year after having eaten, and Yu Deshui had even brought red eggs for Jiang Qiao and the others.
Jiang Qiao peeled an egg and ate it with the prepared formula. "How's his wife? Is the baby alright?"
"They said it was very good, and they came over to express their gratitude. Sigh, it's not easy, twins, a boy and a girl. Two children are not easy to raise, the adults have to take good care of them. Girl, I left some food for you in the pot, go and eat some?"
Jiang Qiao waved her hand, "No need, I've almost finished eating. I'll save it for the afternoon, and my brother can pick at it if he gets hungry. Tonight we'll have porridge with pickled vegetables. We can't have oil every meal, it's too greasy."
Qiao Jie said, "Sure, make some flatbread. Your grandpa Liu needs to eat more whole grains. Liu, hurry up and drink that herbal tea over there."
Ma Liu knows perfectly well what illness he's had before, and he's afraid of getting it again. He's quick to do whatever Jiang Qiao and Qiao Jie ask him to do.
Gu Hanting was packing his things in the house with his grandson. His eldest son had already told him to take his grandson out to see his little grandson. He planned to leave after the New Year.
Qiao Jie was talking to Ma Liu on the kang (a heated brick bed) about his plans: "Let's go with Lao Gu back to the city to collect the grain and bring it back. We'll also find out where to buy piglets so we can raise one ourselves. Next year, we can slaughter the pig ourselves and save ourselves the trouble of buying them from all over the place."
"Brother, wouldn't it be better to just buy one? It's too much trouble to raise them yourself."
Qiao Jie smiled and said, "It feels different to slaughter a pig yourself. Anyway, we don't have any missions, so we'll keep it for our own consumption. Otherwise, it would be a waste to throw away the dishwater."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com