At the same time, Song Guomin brought his two children to Heping Lane.
Before the group of one adult and two children had even reached the alley, they saw a car parked at the entrance of Heping Lane.
Two familiar figures emerged from the car.
It's Song Yingying and Qin Zheng.
Song Guomin was stunned. Then he thought of how the two of them were still studying abroad, and how the younger ones looked so glamorous. He, the eldest brother, was so out of place. Even though he was wearing newly bought clothes and leather shoes, he felt ashamed of himself.
The glass window next to him reflected his and his children's figures.
Song Guomin's reflection was gray and gloomy. Was there still any light in his life?
Yan Yan looked up and asked, "Dad, aren't we leaving?"
The two people in front didn't seem to notice Song Guomin and his companion.
Song Guomin stood frozen in place, never having felt so unable to move an inch. He said dryly, "Go."
What Song Guomin meant by "going" was simply leaving his belongings at the Song family's doorstep.
After Song Yingying and Qin Zheng went inside, Song Guomin carefully put away the New Year's goods, as if afraid of disturbing someone, and then quickly went back to hold the two children's hands.
"Let's go back home for the New Year."
Yan Yan pouted. "Am I still not going to see my grandparents this year?"
Suddenly, a voice came from behind.
"Hello."
Song Jianmin went out to buy soy sauce and witnessed Song Guomin's suspicious behavior.
Yan Yan recognized him as her fifth uncle and called out to him softly.
Lele had long forgotten who this was.
Song Jianmin stepped forward and stared at Song Guomin, asking, "You didn't knock?"
Song Guomin pursed his lips and looked at the fifth brother, "What?"
Song Jianmin crossed his arms and scoffed, "Song Guomin, this isn't like you."
Song Guomin didn't bother to say anything more to him and just took the two kids and left.
Song Jianmin happened to be going out to buy soy sauce, so they went along.
How's your recovery going?
Song Guomin felt conflicted, but he kept a straight face and said, "It's alright, barely passable."
Song Jianmin raised an eyebrow and exclaimed, "Oh, that's not like you."
Song Guomin didn't want to argue with him; nothing the fifth brother said was pleasing to the ear.
Song Jianmin looked after the two children.
Yan Yan called him just now, but Lele acted like he was mute.
Song Jianmin rubbed his little nephew's head and asked, "Have you forgotten who I am?"
Yan Yan whispered, "Call him Fifth Uncle."
Lele grinned and called him Fifth Uncle.
Song Jianmin smiled. He didn't have any red envelopes on him, just a few coins, and he slipped two yuan to each person.
"Fifth Uncle doesn't have much money, please don't look down on him."
For the past three years, the two children have not received any red envelopes from anyone other than Song Guomin during the Lunar New Year.
Yan Yan glanced at Song Guomin, whose face remained expressionless. Yan Yan then said, "Thank you, Fifth Uncle. May you prosper, Fifth Uncle!"
Lele clutched the money in her hand and looked up at Song Jianmin.
Song Guomin's nose tingled slightly, but he kept a straight face. "We appreciate the sentiment, we're leaving now."
Song Guomin led the two children away, and Song Jianmin went into the convenience store. He took the soy sauce and went to Chen Zhou's house.
"Come on, let's eat."
Chen Zhou called to him from inside, "Come in and get the dumplings!"
The uncle went home for the New Year, so the Xu family only kept the third and fifth sons. Chen Zhou was invited over for dinner by Song Jianmin.
Chen Zhou cooked three plates of dumplings. Two large plates contained dumplings for Song Jianmin and Song Anmin, while Chen Zhou took a small plate.
"Let's go."
Chen Zhou held the plate in one hand and used the other hand to brace against the door and lock it.
Did you bring your keys?
"I brought it, I brought it." After saying that, Chen Zhou took the soy sauce from under Song Jianmin's arm.
The alley was covered in snow, but thankfully it wasn't snowing. Song Jianmin told Chen Zhou to be careful and not to slip. The two chatted and laughed as they arrived at the Xu family's door.
Three dishes were already laid out in the main room: spicy chicken feet, braised beef, and braised chicken feet brought back from the shop last night. In the kitchen, Song Anmin was cooking fish, and a sauerkraut and pig's trotter soup was simmering on the stove next to him.
Wow, what a feast!
Chen Zhou wanted to go into the kitchen to help, but Song Jianmin put his arm around her shoulder and said, "You just pour us the drinks, I'll go to the kitchen."
Chen Zhou said "Oh," and then, "Okay."
In the kitchen, Song Anmin heard the two making noises, "Fifth brother, hurry up, soy sauce!"
Song Jianmin muttered as he went in, "Third Brother, who cooks fish with soy sauce? You're the only one who's going to be different, aren't you?"
Song Anmin raised his foot and kicked him in the butt.
"You can't expect anything good to come out of a dog's mouth, so shut up."
Song Jianmin dodged to the side, "Third Brother, I have something to tell you."
Song Anmin, holding the spatula, glanced at him sideways and said, "Put it down."
"I just saw Song Guomin, and Yan Yan and Lele too!"
The third child paused slightly. "Really? Where are Mom and Dad?"
Song Jianmin curled his lip. "Song Guomin didn't even knock on the door. He just left the New Year's goods and left. You find that strange too, right? Has Song Guomin changed his ways?"
Song Anmin pursed his lips. "How should I know? Hurry up and pour me some soy sauce!"
"Besides, Yan Yan and Lele have grown so much; I almost didn't recognize Lele. Hey, Third Brother, do you think Mom and Dad will really stop letting Song Guomin and the others go back in the future?"
Song Jianmin himself knew that he and his third brother were only able to hang around in front of their parents every now and then because they lived in their uncle's house. If they hadn't lived in Heping Lane, they would probably be in a similar situation to Song Guomin.
Song Anmin curled his lips: "Does it matter to him whether he goes back or not?"
Song Jianmin: "What do you mean?"
"Anyway, let me tell you, the only one in the family who wasn't separated is the second brother. Don't look down on the eldest brother just because he's miserable. Are we any different? Don't think nonsense. At least you can still see your parents."
Song Anmin also wanted to go home, but his resolve was not as strong as before.
He pondered for a long time before he understood, especially after raising Guoguo and acting as a fake father for a while. He could understand his parents' disappointment at his child's lack of progress. He wasn't a fake man; he had to admit his mistakes. Anyway, he had already bought a house in Heping Lane, so he wasn't worried about not seeing his parents.
Song Jianmin blinked and whispered, "Third brother, didn't you used to be reluctant to part with Mom and Dad's money?"
Song Anmin kicked Lao Wu in the butt again.
"Shut up!"
He couldn't bear to part with it before, and he still can't bear to part with it now.
There's nothing we can do about it; the family has already split up. Anyway, it's what the second brother deserves. Song Anmin grew increasingly angry, glaring at Song Jianmin with a spatula in his hand.
"Fifth Brother! Are you stirring up trouble? What did Song Guomin just say to you? You little brat, if you're up to no good, I'll have your uncle kick you out!"
Song Jianmin scoffed, "Third Brother, I was just asking you. I'm also reluctant to part with the money. Mom and Dad still have a house. Forget it, whether I'm willing or not is just talk. I didn't intend to do anything. I was just asking you so you wouldn't have any other ideas."
The two brothers then exchanged insults again.
Anyway, the third brother sighed, "Fifth brother, you used to be a real jerk, and I was a jerk too. Let's not laugh at each other for being no better. It's good enough that we can still see our parents."
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