Zhao Qinglan once harbored deep hatred for her family.
But later, she brought her mother and sister out, and she changed the lives of the mother and her daughters, giving them a life completely different from their previous life.
She then realized that it was wrong to simply blame others and complain about fate. Some of the tragedies in her previous life actually stemmed from her own weakness and lack of resistance.
After Zhao Laoda realized his mistake, her hatred for him disappeared.
She simply couldn't bring herself to forgive and forget and be filial to her ex-husband.
If nothing had happened to Zhao, she could treat him as a complete stranger.
But after learning from Sui Wenjing that the other party was in a miserable situation due to injury, she couldn't just ignore it.
She secretly sent the money; two hundred yuan wasn't a lot, but it wasn't a small amount either. She considered it as repayment for Zhao Laoda's kindness in raising her.
After she did this, she didn't tell her mother or sister, but only talked to her husband about it when she lay down at night.
Perhaps it was because neither of their families were harmonious, and they felt a sense of shared misfortune in this regard.
"Qinglan, just tell me. Don't keep everything bottled up inside, or you'll get sick."
Her husband's teasing made Zhao Qinglan's slight sadness disappear.
It was another festive and lively New Year. On New Year's Eve, Li Huai had to work during the day, while Zhao Qinglan stayed home with the children, making dumplings.
Sun stayed in the capital for another two months before returning home, and spent the New Year at her daughter Qingzhu's house again.
The two families hadn't been able to spend Chinese New Year together before, but they've gotten used to it this year, since they'll be able to see each other again in a couple of days anyway.
Li Huai's absence didn't affect Zhao Qinglan's speed in making dumplings, mainly because her children were becoming increasingly helpful.
The TV at home was always on. Although the Spring Festival Gala hadn't started yet, there were still TV dramas to watch.
The addition of the television made the room much livelier.
After the dumplings were cooked and eaten, the family sat down together, cracking sunflower seeds and watching TV.
Li Huai returned just before the New Year's Eve dinner.
The military also has a New Year's Eve dinner, where leaders eat with officers and soldiers in the mess hall.
Li Huai casually touched his chopsticks and then left.
As soon as he entered the door, a wave of heat hit him in the face.
"Mom, Dad's home," Xiaoduo called out to the kitchen.
Li Huai brushed the snowflakes off his clothes, took off his military overcoat and hat, and hung them behind the door.
Zhao Qinglan brought over a steaming clay pot, placed it on the table, and announced that dinner was served.
Their New Year's Eve dinner was as lavish as ever. Li Huai poured some hot water into a basin, washed his hands, and then sat down.
"It's raining so hard outside, I didn't even notice," Zhao Qinglan remarked.
“Indeed, there’s already a layer on the ground,” Li Huai added.
They had just started eating when the Spring Festival Gala began, and everyone's attention was immediately drawn to the television.
Enjoying a hot meal together while watching the Spring Festival Gala is both festive and heartwarming.
After watching the Spring Festival Gala, Li Huai took his son to the yard to set off fireworks.
But just like many other families, they only set off firecrackers and fireworks at this time.
After the fireworks ended, the children had a snowball fight in the yard.
Sanwa originally didn't want to join the battle, but his second brother was such a jerk, constantly hitting him. Sanwa couldn't stand it anymore and quickly joined the fight.
Zhao Qinglan and her husband were watching from the steps with great amusement when a snowball was thrown at them.
Even Li Huai was caught off guard and was hit squarely.
They had originally intended to watch the fun, but in the end they also joined in the playful fighting with the children.
Li Huai, his wife, and their daughter Xiao Duo formed one team, while the three brothers, Da Wa, formed another. The two sides were engaged in a lively battle.
The port city in the distance.
Wang Dazhi never expected that when he asked his son to pick up his parents, his son would end up picking up his nephew and niece as well.
Although he wasn't very happy, since they were already there, it wouldn't be good to send them away.
When he had his New Year's Eve dinner, he was pleased to see that his home was more lively than it had been in many years.
However, this did not last long.
The family started arguing again just because someone was watching TV.
His parents and nephews want to watch the Spring Festival Gala in mainland China, while his son wants to watch the programs from Hong Kong.
Finally, after a lot of arguing, he got angry and overturned the table.
The New Year's Eve dinner, which everyone had finally managed to gather together for, ended in discord.
Wang Dazhi felt that he was going against everything in the past, and because of this, he began to hold a grudge against Zhao Qinglan again.
...
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Zhao Qinglan's family did have guests visiting to offer their New Year's greetings this year.
After their marriage, Sun Wen and Zhang Wenjing lived in the provincial capital.
When the Lunar New Year arrived, Wu Mei decided to spend the holiday in the provincial capital and then return to the family quarters in the region in a few days.
Before the Lunar New Year, she heard her husband mention that he would probably need to get another surgery after the holiday. She felt that marrying Zhang Wenjing as a daughter-in-law had brought good fortune to the family.
Sun Shengli had been in the position of regimental commander for quite a long time, but he couldn't be promoted because of a series of incidents that happened in the regiment.
He thought he would remain in the position of regimental commander until he retired, but unexpectedly, after giving up hope, they talked to him again.
Sun Shengli and Wu Mei led their family to Zhao Qinglan's place.
After that, Qin Zhaocai brought his children over to pay New Year's greetings.
That's why Zhao Qinglan and her family didn't live in the family quarters; otherwise, they would have been inundated with New Year's greetings.
Qin Zhaocai took his leave after sitting for a while, but Wu Mei's family was forced by Zhao Qinglan to stay for dinner.
Sun Shengli and Li Huai hadn't seen each other for a long time, so they inevitably had to have a drink.
Wu Mei then chatted with Zhao Qinglan about the children.
Their sons, Sun Wu and Sun Jiajia, will graduate from university in just a few months after the New Year.
Sun Jiajia's daughter is doing well; she'll definitely stay in the provincial capital as a teacher. But her son, Sun Wu, is studying at a military university, and it's unclear where he'll go after graduation.
Zhao Qinglan is alright; her children don't need to worry about such things for the time being.
My eldest child has gone to high school in the provincial capital. Everything has gone smoothly since he enrolled. He has consistently ranked among the top students in his grade in midterm and final exams, which is quite impressive.
This year, the only thing that worries her a little is her daughter, Xiaoduo. After the eldest child finished the high school entrance exam, it was Xiaoduo's turn. The three of them are all taking the exam one grade after another, just one grade apart.
Fortunately, Xiaoduo has always been well-behaved and maintained excellent grades, so she just pays more attention to her child's nutrition.
When it comes to their children, both mothers have endless things to say.
When a few children get together, it becomes lively.
Sun Wu gave each of the two boys a small model, including a small tank and a small military truck, which the boys absolutely loved.
Sun Wen had just gotten married, and he and his wife were already snuggling together watching their younger siblings play.
After admiring the model, the older kids started playing cards.
Everyone in the house, adults and children alike, was busy with their own things, which is probably a true reflection of visiting relatives and friends during the Spring Festival.
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