Meng Tao sent several large packages to relatives and friends in other provinces, and the New Year was approaching.

Starting from the 20th day of the twelfth lunar month, relatives and friends who were working, on business trips, or studying outside returned to Beijing one after another. The strong-willed Xu Aoxue was the first to return, accompanied by Su Xiangyang. Grandpa Xu had ordered her to return, but she herself did not want to go back. She had also planned to give birth to a child there so that she could go back to work directly after the birth without having to observe the confinement period.

A typical workaholic, superwoman.

Of course, Grandma Xu and her aunt would not agree to let Xu Aoxue not observe confinement after giving birth, so they insisted on bringing her back to the capital to give birth. This would allow her to have a relaxing New Year and avoid worrying the whole family, because Xu Aoxue's due date was during the New Year holidays.

Xu Hengze called home and said that his research work was at a critical juncture and he could not go home for the New Year.

Liu Jianxin from Pingjiang City returned to Beijing with Meng Zhehan and brought a lot of local specialties, which were given by relatives in Linshui Village to Meng Tao and relatives and friends in Beijing.

On New Year's Eve, Liu Jianye and Xu Yulin also rushed back home to have a reunion dinner with their family.

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, the Xu family hosted a New Year banquet and invited relatives and friends to gather together to wish each other well and spend the holiday together.

Next came the Meng, Dou, Fang and Yan mansions, etc., who lined up to host banquets from the third to the tenth day of the first lunar month, all in the hope of making the New Year lively and festive.

The Yan family took the opportunity of the New Year's banquet to announce the marriage between the Yan and Xu families, and Yan Xinhua and Xu Liwen were officially engaged. It was a new joy in the new year, and the guests all sent their blessings.

Shen Yu and Meng Tao followed the adults in visiting new year's greetings, and also found time to attend cocktail parties and dances organized by their young friends, but they basically just showed up to have a drink, say hello, and then left. Shen Yu's leisure time was limited, so the couple took the opportunity to enjoy their own world, traveling everywhere and even going to other provinces... They had an exciting and wonderful New Year holiday.

Little Yunhai followed his grandparents and great-grandfather and great-grandmother to visit relatives and friends. Although he was small, he knew how to stretch out his chubby little hands to receive red envelopes, and he enjoyed receiving them every day.

Ever since he stopped drinking breast milk, Xiao Yunhai has been monopolized by his grandparents. If Meng Tao doesn't go to look for her son, he will be with his grandparents almost all day long.

Shen Heping and Xu Zhen also wanted to take their baby grandson to sleep at night, but little Yunhai was still young after all. It didn't matter what happened during the day, but at night, when facing the darkness, he would miss his parents and still needed to smell his mother's scent to sleep peacefully.

On February 12, the Lantern Festival, Xu Aoxue gave birth to a boy. Uncle Xu and Aunt Xu became grandparents and were extremely happy. Grandpa Xu happily named the baby Su Yuanqing.

Su Xiangyang's parents also rushed over from Nanjing on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year. They were so excited and happy to see their grandson being born that they gave the baby a nickname, Tangyuan, which is a delicacy of the Lantern Festival in the south. It is soft, sticky and sweet.

When Meng Tao gave birth to little Yunhai, the Xu family hired a confinement nanny. Now that Su Yuanqing and Tangyuan are born and little Yunhai is about to turn one year old, Aunt Xu discussed with Xu Zhen and Meng Tao and wanted to ask Aunt Gan to go back to take care of Xu Aoxue and her son.

Meng Tao nodded in agreement, and Xu Zhen had no objection. She certainly hoped that her eldest niece and the baby would be well taken care of. She could take care of her grandson herself. Old Shen would take over after work, and Aunt Lin and Aunt Gao would also help.

Meng Tao comforted her: We are all family, no matter whether we are in the Xu Mansion or the Shen Residence, we can see each other every few days. Now go and take care of little Tangyuan. Maybe when I give birth to a second child next year, I will have to call her back.

When Mrs. Gan heard that Xiao Yunhai would have a younger brother or sister next year, she was very happy and happily packed her bags and went to Xu's house.

On the 18th day of the first lunar month, the Shen residence held a banquet, one purpose was to entertain cousin Xu's parents-in-law, the second was to encourage the people who would start working after the New Year, and the third was to see off Liu Jianxin, Sun Hong and Meng Zhehan who would return to Pingjiang City tomorrow.

Xu Yulin and Liu Jianye had already returned to their units on the third day of the Lunar New Year.

There were six tables filled with elders and young friends from various families. There were four children, and together with Xiao Yunhai, the five little ones had a lot of fun playing in the specially decorated children's room.

Meng Tao carefully prepared the menu. The chef from the Xu residence, Aunt Gao, and Sister Lin worked together. Han Shufang and Wang Cuixi were also unable to sit still and helped. There were hundreds of dishes, and all the ingredients came from the space. The wine was the Lao Baigan bought from the Hongsong Town Winery this time. It was blessed by the space. Meng Tao had never tasted it, but only smelled the mellow aroma of the wine in the air. Seeing the men drinking it happily and praising it, she knew it was right. It would be better if it was stored for a little longer.

The female guests don't drink white wine, not because they can't drink it, but because some people can't drink it. My cousin's wife Gu Yingying, Lu Jin's wife, Zhong Cheng's wife, and Su Meiling are all pregnant women. Fu Yuting is not willing to wean her son yet, so she can't drink any alcohol. Meng Tao prepared fresh fruit juice drinks for them.

Several cousins ​​from the Xu family and girls including Dou Nannan, Yan Baozhi, Xia Moli, Han Dongdong were not satisfied with fruit juice drinks and clamored for wine. Meng Tao moved out several boxes of Western Region wine, which had been stored in the space for more than half a year. As soon as the bottle caps were opened, the fragrance overflowed and was refreshing. Grandma Xu and Grandma Dou at the table could not resist the temptation and wanted to taste this charming wine.

Even the men, upon smelling the strange aroma of the sweet wine, came running over and took away a box. The girls found that their favorite wine had suddenly become much less, and they immediately felt a sense of crisis. Meng Tao smiled and said not to worry, since they were going to treat everyone, there would definitely be enough wine prepared.

Seven people came to the Meng Mansion today, including Old Man Meng, Meng Shaokang and his wife, Meng Zhehan, and Meng Shaoting's family of three.

Meng Shaoting is the youngest son of Grandpa Meng and the third uncle of Meng Zhehan. He works at the seaside base all year round and has not returned to Beijing for many years due to work. The first time Meng Tao saw him was when Han Chaoyang got married. Meng Shaoting looked at Meng Tao with excitement, his eyes red, and gave her a box of deep-sea pearls. Meng Tao followed Meng Zhehan and called him the third uncle.

Since Meng Shaoting will also be leaving Beijing in two days, we came here to have dinner together today.

Meng Shaoting is a tall and strong man, wearing a snow-white uniform, with heroic features. His son Meng Zheyan is eighteen years old and is almost as tall as him. The father and son look quite like Grandpa Meng and Meng Shaokang and his son. The genes of the old Meng family are clearly recognizable.

Although Meng Zheyan looks like a grown-up, he likes to play with little kids. He brought a warship model that was almost one meter long and gave it to Xiao Yunhai as a New Year's gift. After eating and not drinking, he would stay in the children's room and play with Xiao Yunhai and a few other little ones.

Halfway through the banquet, Meng Tao stood up and went to the kitchen to take a look. When she came out, she was stopped by Meng Shaoting's wife Liang Jing. Liang Jing pulled Meng Tao to a secluded corner of the room and said with a smile: "Taotao, there is something I have been wanting to discuss with you, but I have no chance. My aunt will leave the day after tomorrow. Can we find a time to talk?"

Meng Tao looked speechlessly at the hand that was tightly grasping her, the joints were so tense that they turned white. Was it because they were afraid that she would run away? What was the important matter? (End of this chapter)