The New Year's Eve dinner was prepared by Zhao Qinglan together with Ji Rou and Yu Xiang.
Ji Rou's cooking skills are average, so she can only help out. Yu Xiang, on the other hand, can be a part-time cook and has even made some of her signature dishes.
There were eleven people in total, including adults and children, filling a large table.
Yi Ningxiang had previously spent the New Year with the Zhou family, where there were even more people, but she felt it wasn't as comfortable and lively as this place.
Little Jin'er finally met her little brother Xingxing, and she was overjoyed.
She rarely saw children younger than herself, especially her own younger brother, and wished she could stay by his side all the time.
Children generally like other children, and Xingxing also really likes Jin'er, the older sister.
The two fathers, Zhou Yunting and Da Wa, also shared a lot of experiences about raising children.
Erwa listened from the side, feeling that he still had a long way to go.
Last year he had mentioned his plans with Yu Xiang, and now that another year has passed, Erwa and Yu Xiang are planning to put their wedding on the agenda.
Yu Xiang and Erwa had been dating for several years, but they had never gotten married. Even though many people living around had seen Erwa, as time went on, there were still a lot of gossips.
The prevailing opinion is that Yu Xiang was deceived, and that the other party was not seriously discussing marriage with her.
Yu Xiang tried to explain at first, but seeing that people only believed her guesses, she became too lazy to waste her breath.
Just as one knows best whether water is hot or cold when drinking it, why should others have to understand her life?
After the New Year's Eve dinner was served, they raised their glasses together to celebrate the arrival of the New Year.
Little Jin'er held up her little cup full of drinks in a very serious manner, while Xingxing sat in the baby chair specially made for him, grinning without teeth.
Although Sanwa is abroad and hasn't returned, he still remembered to call back from overseas to wish me a Happy New Year.
Hearing the cheerful laughter from home and talking to his family members in turn, Sanwa felt a warmth in his heart.
Knowing that today is the Chinese New Year, the mentor also told Sanwa to go home early to celebrate the New Year.
The bodyguards at home, who are skilled cooks, also prepared a lot of delicious dishes. Even though we were abroad, the fact that we were sitting together for New Year's Eve dinner made it feel like the New Year.
It wasn't that no one invited Sanwa to spend New Year's Eve with them; even though Sanwa was engrossed in his studies, some of his fellow countrymen would still reach out to him.
After all, someone like Sanwa, who can get into Princeton, is a huge source of pride for the Chinese community.
He had only been there a short time when the surrounding international student community knew him.
It's clear that talented people are popular wherever they go.
It's not just because the third brother himself is very strong.
His family background is not exactly a secret among international students.
When Lan Xin's affair caused a huge uproar, even though Zhao Qinglan was unwilling, her children were exposed to the public by those with ulterior motives.
Now that Sanwa is studying abroad, he lives in a detached house, has bodyguards, and is chauffeured around. People have already recognized him and figured out who he is.
I am outstanding and come from a good family. From any perspective, it is not a bad thing to be on good terms with Sanwa.
However, Sanwa was too lazy to socialize and always made excuses about being busy, so he did not participate in the group activities organized by his fellow villagers.
If you ask around, you'll find out that Sanwa spends all his time studying except when he gets home, so it's not exactly a lie.
Everyone could only admire his diligence and had no complaints.
As Zhao Qinglan's family grew year by year, the houses in Guangzhou became increasingly cramped. Fortunately, there was a house she had prepared not far from the military compound, which provided Yi Ningxiang with a place to rest.
The eldest son, along with his wife and children, squeezed into his own house. The second son also lived in his original room, while Yu Xiang moved into the third son's room.
Originally, Xiaoduo could have lived in her cramped room with her child and Zhou Yunting.
However, since Yi Ningxiang was also present this time, Zhao Qinglan felt that she couldn't treat her in-laws lightly, so she simply let her daughter's family move into the house she had bought outside.
I only go there to sleep at night; the rest of the time I'm here having fun, so it doesn't bother me.
Their family was bustling with activity. The only one who didn't come back was their third child, who was studying at a good university abroad and had a bright future. Everyone in the residential area envied them.
Previously, some people were always trying to get their hands on Sanwa's marriage, but now that he's not in the country, even if they had the intention, they have no opportunity to do so.
The second day of the Lunar New Year is traditionally a day for parents to visit their children's parents' home. However, Zhao Qinglan lives too far from her mother, and her daughter came back directly for the New Year, so it was best for the whole family to have a lively celebration together.
Not content with the festivities at home, the family also took their entire household to join the crowds on the street.
Yi Ningxiang didn't feel anything special when she spent the Spring Festival at the Zhou family's house last year, but this time when she went out with them, she finally felt the festive atmosphere.
Come to think of it, she hadn't felt this way in many years.
Little Star is so young, we're worried he'll get cold, so we've dressed him in lots of layers. He looks like a round, chubby ball, and he's so happy.
The group stayed lively until the fifth day of the Lunar New Year. After the eldest child's family and the second child, Yu Xiang, left one after the other, Zhao Qinglan took her daughter's family and her in-laws back to the provincial capital.
Over the years, unless there was something important, she would return to the provincial capital after the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, not only to visit her mother and grandfather, but also to meet and get together with acquaintances.
Her return has drawn attention from many provincial leaders who want to meet with her, given Lan Xin's growing influence.
Zhao Qinglan could refuse some invitations, but not others, and she attended several dinner parties with her assistant.
Fortunately, her status is quite high now, so no one dares to give her a hard time, and there are very few people who try to persuade her to drink. Overall, the atmosphere at the dinner was quite pleasant.
Among them were those who sought Zhao Qinglan's help, such as attracting investment or taking over a struggling company.
Zhao Qinglan is a businessperson; if there's still a chance to help someone, she'll consider intervening. But if someone is truly beyond help, there's nothing she can do.
Even so, she received a lot of gratitude.
Lanxin is no longer just a restaurant; it now has a growing number of businesses under its umbrella.
Fortunately, thanks to previous opportunities, recruitment at Lanxin became much easier, which prevented a shortage of manpower during its rapid expansion.
Knowing that Zhao Qinglan rarely comes back for the Chinese New Year, some of Lanxin's long-time employees spontaneously bought things and delivered them to her door.
Lanxin's benefits have always been excellent, and now they are even more comprehensive.
In addition to employee dormitories and welfare housing, there are also company canteens, group-owned nurseries, kindergartens and primary schools, and other infrastructure.
Because of Lanxin, countless hardworking employees have seen their families prosper, and they are genuinely grateful to their boss, Zhao Qinglan.
Zhao Qinglan naturally couldn't meet with every veteran employee, but she accepted all their tokens of appreciation as long as they weren't too valuable, and had her assistant write them down for future reference.
As for whether I can afford to eat, use, and play, I have plenty of relatives and friends, so we can all help share the burden.
Yi Ningxiang also experienced the enthusiasm of Lanxin's employees and was deeply moved.
Because of some past experiences, she had mixed feelings about the Chinese people. It was only after traveling around with Zhao Qinglan and the others to experience the local customs and culture that her heart warmed up a lot.
Zhao Qinglan noticed some of the changes in her in-law, Yi Ningxiang, and was delighted.
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