86. New Year's Eve
Chen Yunsheng did what he said and found a reason to go back to the old house the next day.
In the study, after listening to his grandson's request, Mr. Chen was silent for a long time.
"Yunsheng," the old man said slowly, "you know the rules of our family. On New Year's Eve, the whole family must be neat and tidy."
"Grandpa, I understand," Chen Yunsheng said humbly, "but Nannan is an only child. She's lived in that family for over 20 years. If she suddenly can't go home now, she's definitely not going to be able to adapt. Her parents... it's not appropriate for them to just be together during the Spring Festival."
"Besides," Chen Yunsheng was silent for a few seconds, "you know, her parents don't know that we are married."
"Didn't you mention it when you went back last time?" Mr. Chen picked up the teacup and took a sip.
He shook his head: "Uncle and aunt thought we were just in love."
Chen Yunsheng paused for a moment, then continued, "My idea is, could we have a reunion dinner with you and your parents at the old house at noon on New Year's Eve? I'll fly with her to Jichuan in the afternoon and have the New Year's Eve dinner there. We'll be back early on the second day of the New Year."
The old man stroked his teacup and looked up at his grandson. He could tell that his grandson was truly trying to fight for the girl. Over the past few months, he had watched the young couple get along and could sense the subtle changes between them.
Thinking of this, he stared at his grandson for a long time, and suddenly asked: "Is this Nan Nan's idea, or yours?"
"That's what I meant," Chen Yunsheng answered simply, "She's sensible and doesn't want to cause you any trouble, but I want to make her happy."
The old man's eyes moved slightly, and then he adjusted his posture and sat in a more relaxed position. His tone was normal, but there was a hint of probing in his voice: "Yunsheng, tell me, are you serious about Nannan?"
Chen Yunsheng met the old man's gaze. He remembered Jiang Nan's sparkling eyes, the stomach medicine and snacks she had stuffed into her luggage, the kiss under the first snow, and her anxious and expectant look at home.
"Yes," he replied, "I'm serious."
The old man was silent for a moment, and his serious expression gradually melted away, finally turning into a sigh and relief.
"You," he shook his head, then nodded, "fine. It's fine for young people to have their own ideas. But you must be there on New Year's Eve morning for the ancestor worship. You must also be there on the first night of the New Year for the family dinner. You can arrange the time in between."
This was already a huge concession. The ancestral worship on New Year's Eve was the Chen family's most important ceremony, and the family dinner on the first night of the new year was a symbol of family reunion. The old man was willing to release Jiang Nan because of Chen Yunsheng's resolute attitude and his genuine love for him.
"Thank you, Grandpa." Chen Yunsheng thanked him sincerely.
"Go ahead," the old man waved his hand, picked up a newspaper beside him, and returned to his usual calm tone. "Be nice to the girl. Now that you've made up your mind, don't let her down."
Chen Yunsheng stood up: "I know."
"Thank you." Chen Yunsheng bowed slightly and felt relieved.
After getting the old man's approval, the rest of the arrangements went much more smoothly. Chen Yunsheng asked Wei Yan to book the plane ticket and car, and also prepared the corresponding New Year gifts.
After everything was settled, Chen Yunsheng told Jiang Nan the final itinerary.
In fact, Jiang Nan had been struggling with whether to ask for the past few days, but she saw that Chen Yunsheng was too busy, so she suppressed her curiosity. Now, when she suddenly heard the long-awaited news, she could hardly hold her ears.
"Is it really okay? Grandpa and the others... have no objection?" She grabbed Chen Yunsheng's arm, looking surprised and incredulous.
"Well, Grandpa agreed," Chen Yunsheng rubbed her hair. "We'll have dinner and worship our ancestors at the old house on the morning of New Year's Eve, and then take the flight back to Jichuan in the afternoon. We'll come back on the afternoon of New Year's Day."
"That's great!" Jiang Nan was so excited that she rushed over and hugged him.
She threw herself into his arms, wrapped her arms around his waist, and buried her face in his chest. Her voice sounded muffled, but full of joy and happiness: "Hehe, that's great!"
She was so excited that Chen Yunsheng couldn't catch her for a moment, so his body fell back slightly, but he immediately relaxed and stood still. Then, he gently hugged her back, his palms falling on her thin back, feeling her gentleness and excitement.
"That's great. I really do. Thank you. Hehe. Thank you." Jiang Nan rubbed against his arms, almost incoherent.
Her movements made her hair prick his chin like fluffy grass, but he didn't find it annoying; he even enjoyed her intimacy. Then he tightened his arms and held her tighter in his arms: "As you should."
The hug lasted a long time, until Jiang Nan calmed down a little, and then she realized what she had done. She blushed and retreated from his embrace a little embarrassedly: "Well... I'm so happy."
"I can see that." Chen Yunsheng said with a smile.
Jiang Nan smiled innocently, pretended nothing had happened, and turned around to find some water to drink.
The following days became very light and leisurely because of the anticipation.
Jiang Nan began to prepare New Year gifts for her parents with great interest, and also discussed New Year's makeup with Wenwen.
In addition, she also carefully selected gifts for the elders of the Chen family, including Chen Minghui and Li Li.
This was her first year spent in the Chen family as the granddaughter-in-law, and this was after she had fought for her own rights.
In other words, Chen Minghui and Li Li would most likely take advantage of the situation, so she could only use more sensible and pleasing behavior to mitigate the possible provocations they might make.
Because of these things, Jiang Nan felt happy but also a little stressed. Fortunately, with Chen Yunsheng, she could feel a little relieved.
——
On New Year's Eve, Chen Yunsheng and Jiang Nan appeared at the old house on time.
The house was decorated with lights and colors, giving it a more festive feel than usual, but the rigid sense of order still persisted. However, due to the anticipation for the afternoon, Chen Yunsheng and Jiang Nan didn't find it difficult. Instead, they chatted enthusiastically until the ancestral worship ceremony began, at which point they fell silent.
The ancestral worship ceremony took place in the ancestral hall, a solemn and elaborate affair. Jiang Nan followed Chen Yunsheng, kneeling and bowing according to his instructions. At that moment, she could feel the gazes from all sides: concern, curiosity, and scrutiny, especially from her second uncle Chen Minghui and her second aunt Li Li, who showed a mixture of consideration and suspicion.
However, they did not attack directly.
After the ancestor worship is over, it is time for a family dinner.
Old Master Chen sat in the main seat, Chen Mingyuan and Su Wanrong sat on one side, Chen Yunsheng and Jiang Nan sat on the other side, and Chen Minghui and Li Li sat to the left and right of Su Wanrong and Chen Mingyuan.
The old man was in a good mood. He asked about the recent situation of Chen Yunsheng's company and chatted with Jiang Nan in a friendly manner about the customs of Jichuan.
Su Wanrong remained elegant and taciturn, but occasionally she would pick up some food for Jiang Nan. Chen Mingyuan also chatted with Chen Yunsheng about the economic situation.
Jiang Nan didn't find the atmosphere particularly cozy, but at least it maintained a sense of peace. However, even this insincere peace stung Chen Minghui and Li Li's eyes.
Seeing she couldn't get a word in, Li Li's expression grew increasingly gloomy. After a moment, she suddenly smiled and poured a bowl of soup for Jiang Nan, then casually said, "Nannan, you're so lucky! Yunsheng had to go to your parents' house with you, but he had to persuade the old man for a long time. Newlyweds are just different."
These words sounded like envy, but in fact they pointed out that Chen Yunsheng made an exception for Jiang Nan, with the intention of sowing discord.
Jiang Nan took the soup bowl and smiled politely, "Second Aunt, you're joking. Yunsheng is considerate. He thinks my parents only have me as their daughter, and they won't be used to it if I'm not with them. Grandpa, on the other hand, feels sorry for us younger generations."
Upon hearing this, Mr. Chen glanced at Li Li indifferently and said nothing.
Chen Minghui chuckled twice and tried to smooth things over, "Yes, Dad has always been open-minded. Harmony and harmony are the most important thing for a family." Then he changed the subject, "Yunsheng, I heard you went to Europe before the New Year? Did the project negotiations go well?"
Chen Yunsheng put down his chopsticks, wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin, and said calmly: "It's okay, the preliminary intention has been reached, and the specific details will be promoted after the new year."
"Oh? What kind of cooperation is it? Maybe my second uncle can help." Chen Minghui asked enthusiastically.
"The introduction of some technologies in the new energy field is still in the early evaluation stage, so you don't have to worry about it, uncle." Chen Yunsheng was very careful.
Li Li interjected, "Yunsheng is really becoming more and more capable now. His business has even expanded overseas. Unlike us, we have always been small-scale." She sighed, hinting, "But, if you ask me, staying at home is also good. A family should have many people so that they can help each other. Yunsheng, you and Nannan should hurry up. The old man is still waiting to have a great-grandchild."
As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere at the table almost froze for a few seconds.
Jiang Nan was stunned for a moment before she reacted. Then she lowered her head and sipped the soup, pretending to be shy.
Chen Yunsheng's expression remained unchanged. He reached under the table and gently shook Jiang Nan's hand. Then he looked up at Li Li and said calmly, "Second Aunt is thoughtful. As for the child, let nature take its course. Nan Nan and I are still young, there's no need to rush."
Su Wanrong spoke at the right time: "The children have their own plans. As elders, we just need to support them." After that, she picked up a piece of food for Li Li with chopsticks and said, "Try this, it's a new dish that the kitchen has developed."
The topic was lightly passed over.
The reunion dinner ended in this seemingly harmonious, yet deeply conflicted atmosphere. After dinner, the family moved to the living room for tea. Old Master Chen felt a little tired, so he leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes to rest.
After sitting quietly for about ten minutes, Chen Minghui suddenly came close to Chen Yunsheng and said in a low voice, "Yunsheng, Second Uncle wants to talk to you about something."
As he spoke, he glanced in the direction of the side hall.
Hearing his words, Chen Yunsheng tilted his head and glanced at Jiang Nan. Jiang Nan understood and nodded slightly, telling him that he was fine.
Chen Yunsheng felt relieved, and then he and Chen Minghui left one after another.
Jiang Nan looked at their backs for a while, then picked up the teacup and sat quietly next to Su Wanrong.
Su Wanrong sipped her tea leisurely, and suddenly whispered to Jiang Nan, "Don't take their words too seriously."
Jiang Nan was stunned for a moment.
Su Wanrong's gaze fell on the window, and her tone was flat: "This family may look simple and bright, but in fact, things are very complicated. Yunsheng has had a hard time, so you should be more considerate of him."
This was the first time Su Wanrong had spoken such heartfelt words to her. Jiang Nan's heart moved slightly, and she nodded: "Auntie, I understand."
Afterwards, Su Wanrong said nothing more, but continued to drink her tea quietly. At most, she would interrupt or change the subject when Li Li said something unpleasant.
——
In the side hall on the other side.
Chen Minghui smiled and handed Chen Yunsheng a cigar, but Chen Yunsheng waved his hand to refuse.
"Yunsheng, we're uncle and nephew, so let's be frank," Chen Minghui lit his cigar and took a puff. "The Liang family has been making some small moves lately... are you aware of that?"
Chen Yunsheng looked indifferent: "What does Second Uncle mean?"
"What else could it mean?" Chen Minghui lowered his voice. "Liang Yue is a naive girl and has caused you trouble. I've already told her. However, her aunt... after all, she's been with me for so many years and has two children... some things, if blown out of proportion, will not look good on anyone."
Chen Yunsheng raised his eyebrows slightly.
Today, seeing that Second Aunt Li Li still wanted to cause trouble for him and Jiang Nan, he thought Chen Minghui had found another excuse to get away with it. But now, it seems that he feels that the matter is almost certain, and he doesn't care about Li Li anymore.
He even used the matter of Liang Yan and the two illegitimate children to implicitly threaten Chen Yunsheng, asking him not to push the Liang family, or Chen Minghui, too hard.
Chen Yunsheng said calmly, "Second Uncle, you're worrying too much. I have no interest in the Liang family. As long as they behave themselves, that's all that matters. As for the child you mentioned," he paused, his tone tinged with sarcasm, "Since they are the blood of the Chen family, they will naturally have what they deserve. But don't even dream of having what you shouldn't have."
Chen Minghui's expression changed several times before he finally managed a smile: "Of course, of course. As a family, harmony is the most important thing."
Chen Yunsheng didn't say anything else, got up and left the side hall.
When he returned to the living room, Jiang Nan was chatting with Old Man Chen. He didn't know what he said, but it made the old man laugh. Even Su Wanrong and Chen Mingyuan smiled faintly. Chen Yunsheng looked at this scene, and his heart, which had been filled with gloom, gradually warmed up.
Then he walked over and sat next to Jiang Nan naturally.
Jiang Nan looked up at him, asking with his eyes if everything was going well.
Chen Yunsheng smiled, reached out and took her hand, then gave it a gentle squeeze. Jiang Nan understood and stopped asking questions, continuing to chat and laugh with the elders.
The morning of New Year's Eve was spent in this complicated mood.
In the afternoon, Chen Yunsheng took Jiang Nan out of the old house and rushed to the airport.
As they set off, Su Wanrong watched the car getting smaller and smaller without saying a word, until she could no longer see it, then she turned around and went back to the hall.
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