Li Zhenhua remained silent for a while before speaking.
"Besides Li Huai, who else lives there?"
"That courtyard used to be inhabited by an old man, but in the last few days several adults and children have moved in. We don't know exactly who they are."
There were adults and children; it seems his grandson has also returned.
After a moment of slight excitement, Li Zhenhua sighed.
His wife and son were both so wary of him.
If he hadn't sent someone to investigate this time, we might never have known about the existence of this courtyard.
"Go and rest," Li Zhenhua waved his hand.
Outside, Yu Huimin quickly moved aside.
Only after the guard left did Yu Huimin emerge from the restroom next to the corridor.
Has Li Huai returned to the capital?
There's even a house? That bitch Liu Rumei actually left a house for Li Huai?
The thought of this made her incredibly jealous.
Why should Liu Rumei be able to have so easily what she worked so hard to obtain?
But right now, what she fears more is her husband's attitude.
What does it mean that her husband kept Li Huai's return a secret from her?
If her husband is wary of her, what if he secretly meets with Li Huai and does something? Wouldn't she be completely unaware of it?
No, she can't be left in such a passive position.
Zhang Yu stayed at Li Huai's house until dark before returning home.
Knowing that her son had gone to see Li Huai, Zhang's mother didn't nag. However, Zhang Qing kept pestering her brother, saying that he must bring her along next time he went to see Li Huai.
She didn't mean to do anything bad; she just knew Li Huai had remarried and was very curious about what his wife looked like.
Sun and Wei Hong knew each other, and Da Wa and the others also remembered Wei Hong. Wei Hong seemed quite comfortable at Zhao Qinglan's house.
On the morning of the 31st, Sun got up to knead dough, and Zhao Qinglan and Wei Hong also went into the kitchen to help.
When they started making dumplings, Li Huai was playing chess with Grandpa Dou.
Upon learning that his son and grandson were both in Beijing and that he knew their addresses, Li Zhenhua couldn't sleep well all night.
As soon as he got up in the morning, he walked around the house for a while and then said he was going out.
"Old Li, today is the 30th. Didn't you say you weren't on duty today?" Yu Huimin asked nervously.
“I’m going to the office again to take care of some things. I’ll definitely be back before dinner tonight. But what about Li Wei? He didn’t even come home yesterday. It’s the Lunar New Year, where has he been gallivanting off to? You should find our son first.”
Yu Huimin gets short of breath whenever her son is mentioned.
She was worried about her husband's attitude and her son, and didn't sleep well all night.
Watching her husband leave, knowing he might be lying to her, she couldn't confront him or stop him, and in anger, she threw the things she was holding on the ground.
Sure enough, Li Zhenhua wasn't heading to the office; instead, he parked his car at the entrance of the alleyway leading to Li Huai's courtyard.
Li Zhenhua told his guards to wait in the car, and then got out and walked to the gate of the compound.
The older and younger children were playing in the yard, and Li Zhenhua could hear their laughter even through the door and the yard wall.
His expression immediately softened.
However, once he stood outside the courtyard gate, he never dared to place his hand on it.
He had at least met the eldest and second children once each, but he had never seen the third child since he was born.
He had three grandsons, but none of them were by his side, and the sorrow in his heart was indescribable.
I put my hand on it, then put it down, repeating this countless times.
In the end, he took it back.
Forget it, let's just let it go today. My son's attitude has always been bad, and they'll probably argue again if they meet. Today is Lunar New Year's Eve, so let's just let everyone enjoy the New Year together first.
Once the dumplings were almost finished, Zhao Qinglan told her mother and the others to start cooking them while she hurried out to make a phone call.
When she came out, she saw the jeep drive away from the alley entrance, and she was still a little confused.
Without thinking too much about it, I went to find a phone booth.
In the family compound, Zhao Qingju had already returned from the city.
This year, since her mother and eldest sister's family were not home, she naturally spent the New Year at her second sister Zhao Qingzhu's house.
However, Zhao Qingzhu had the key to Zhao Qinglan's house and didn't forget to borrow it for her older sister to put up Spring Festival couplets and clean.
Knowing that no one was home, Zhao Qinglan called Wu Mei's house.
After exchanging New Year's greetings with Wu Mei, I asked her to call her sister over.
Zhao Qingzhu left her daughter behind for her husband to watch over, and then she and her younger sister Qingju ran over.
The sisters had a long talk before hanging up the phone.
When Zhao Qinglan returned home, the dumplings were already cooked and served.
The family enjoyed a lively meal of dumplings together.
Li Zhenhua arrived home around mealtime, catching Yu Huimin somewhat off guard.
But she quickly put on a smile and got to cooking.
The couple had just started eating when Li Wei returned looking dejected.
"So you finally decided to come back?" Li Zhenhua slammed his chopsticks on the table.
Li Wei was still upset about being scammed, and as soon as he entered the house, he was scolded by his father, which made him feel wronged.
"This is my home, why can't I go back?"
"Xiao Wei," Yu Huimin called out quickly.
Li Wei reluctantly shut up.
"Alright, Lao Li, hurry up and eat. Xiao Wei, go wash up and change your clothes, then come out and eat."
The father and son continued eating, while the son simply left, seemingly disliking each other.
Seeing this, Yu Huimin became extremely anxious and cleanly followed her son into the house.
"Mom, I'm changing my clothes. What are you doing in here?"
Yu Huimin reached out and patted her son on the back. "Are you stupid? How dare you talk to your father like that?"
"Who told him to always yell at me?" Li Wei said indignantly.
"Alright, I don't care what you're thinking these next few days, you have to behave well at home, especially in front of your dad." The thought of Li Huairen also being in Beijing made her feel increasingly threatened.
Why?
Helpless, Yu Huimin could only say, "Li Huai is back. If you don't behave well, do you want him to come back to this house and take all of your father's things away again?"
Sure enough, Li Wei perked up as soon as Li Huai was mentioned.
"He's back? Why did he come back? Where is he now?"
"Alright, stop asking. All you need to know is that he's back. Oh, and you still have to pretend you don't know anything in front of your dad."
"Understood." Li Wei immediately cooperated at the mention of Li Huai.
Seeing that her son had taken her words to heart, Yu Huimin finally breathed a sigh of relief.
If the son does his best to keep the husband occupied, he probably won't go looking for that guy Li Huai for a while.
Because of this in mind, Yu Huimin, who always told her husband to take care of himself and drink less alcohol, brought out two bottles of good wine after her son came out.
"It's the 30th today, let's have a few drinks as a family to celebrate."
Li Wei, who was not very bright, understood his mother's intention this time, and the two of them started to urge Li Zhenhua to drink.
Although Li Zhenhua felt that his wife and son were a bit strange, he also liked the harmony and celebration at home. So, in his excitement, he started drinking cup after cup, completely unaware that the mother and son had impure intentions.
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