Chapter 71
The Zhou family’s dinner table is very lively.
Aunt Zhou is the talkative type, while Uncle Zhou listens carefully and gives positive feedback.
His younger brother Zhou Baize is like his uncle Zhou, with a gentle and considerate personality. He will take care of Li Dongqiang, who is younger than him. If Li Dongqiang points to a dish he wants to eat, he will give it to him.
Only Zhou Du looks like no one else.
The Alaskan captain beside the dining table was chewing a beef bone meticulously.
Shi Shuyi talked incessantly to Li Yang about Zhou Du.
"He never wanted to cry since he was little. He was very serious and even more of an old cadre than his father. I still remember when he was born, he made no sound. The nurse was so scared that she pinched him hard, and he stretched his little body and cried out."
"After I was discharged from the hospital, I went home and lived in the family quarters. All the aunties and grandmothers in the quarters praised him for being worry-free and easy to take care of. He never cried or made a fuss, and could fall asleep on his own without being held or coaxed. He was really adorable at that time."
"When he grew up, he was reluctant to talk and had no interest in things outside. He liked to be alone... and be in a daze? I was very worried. Some experienced people asked us to take him to check if he had autism."
"Fortunately, this bastard cooperated during the examination and responded to everything. The doctor said that the problem was not serious, he was just not interested in children's toys. For example, he didn't like watching cartoons, but he couldn't take his eyes off the news broadcast."
Uncle Zhou laughed: "But you think this is not okay, forcing him to watch cartoons."
Shi Shuyi: "What else? What kind of child is this? He's like an adult possessed. Xiao Li, you see, your Aunt Zhou used to be a gentle lady from a noble family, but because this bastard didn't like to talk when he was a child, I had to talk more. Now he's like this. I guess he still thinks I'm a childish mother."
Li Yang nodded, "It's not easy for you."
Zhou Ze picked up a large piece of braised pork and gave it to his mother, "Mom, eat it."
"You will shut me up for your brother." Shi Shuyi continued to say to Li Yang: "Anyway, we don't have to worry about this bastard. Later, when he was sixteen, we went to Changqing Mountain for a trip and visited a Taoist temple. You have no idea how interesting it was. He had a great conversation with an old Taoist priest. The Taoist priest almost wanted to keep him in the temple. We refused on the grounds that he still had to take the college entrance examination, but this bastard applied for the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at H University in the college entrance examination, and even went to Changqing Mountain to become a Taoist apprentice."
Uncle Zhou explained to Li Yang on behalf of his wife: "He always has strong ideas and we can't control him. Xiao Li, eat more." Uncle Zhou put a few pieces of food into Li Yang's bowl.
As a couple for many years, Shi Shuyi tacitly understood her husband's signal: you talk a lot, but he just listens and doesn't eat much.
So he ended the conversation with the last line: "Fortunately, Xiaoze is not like this bastard. Xiaoze cried as soon as he was born. He is so well-behaved."
Youngest son Zhou Baize: ...
When the New Year's Eve dinner was almost over, Shi Shuyi looked at Zhou Du and said, "When are you going back to Changqing Mountain to see your master? He asked your junior brother to send us some local specialties yesterday. We also bought some New Year gifts. Remember to bring them back when you go back to the mountain."
Zhou Du already had a plan, "I'll go back on the fifth day of the New Year."
After leaving the dinner table, Uncle Zhou went back to his room. When he came out, he was holding five red envelopes in his hand. He gave one to Li Yang and one to Li Dongqiang first.
Li Yang politely declined: "Thank you, uncle, but auntie has already given it..."
Uncle Zhou stuffed it back and said, “Red envelopes are for Chinese New Year. Keep them. Look, your Aunt Zhou has one too.” The middle-aged man gave the remaining three to his two sons and his wife.
Shi Shuyi accepted it generously.
Li Yang had no choice but to accept it.
At 8:30 in the evening, a family and an Alaskan dog watched the Spring Festival Gala in front of the TV.
It was at this time that the uninvited guest arrived.
"Happy New Year, brother and sister-in-law!" Zhou's second aunt, third uncle, and fourth aunt all came to Zhou Du's house with their families to wish him a happy new year.
There were so many people that Alaska was aroused and started shouting loudly.
Shi Shuyi accepted the New Year greetings from her husband's younger brothers and sisters, and they said auspicious words to each other.
The adults began to give red envelopes to each other's children.
Seeing Li Yang and Li Dongqiang, everyone was puzzled: "What is this...?"
"We are the children from Adu Kindergarten."
The second aunt of the Zhou family had met Li Yang before. She was deeply impressed by Li Yang because of Chen Xiaobao's experience.
"This kid has a good relationship with Xiaodu." She said, and then stuffed a red envelope to Li Yang and Li Dongqiang, "Happy New Year, grow up quickly."
Li Yang didn't want to refute someone else's happy moment, so he said, "Thank you."
Other adults also gave red envelopes to Li Yang and Li Dongqiang.
So it was the first time that Li Yang received so many red envelopes.
The children of the second aunt, third uncle and fourth aunt thanked their elders and sat in the living room to play with Li Dongqiang, Zhou Baize and Alaska.
The adults returned to the dining table.
Zhou Du's second uncle solemnly brought a bottle of wine to the table, "If you are a man, taste it carefully. I received this wine with great difficulty."
The men's eyes lit up, but because their wives were around, they could only pretend to be provoked and said, "Who is not a man? I will drink with you!"
"..." Zhou Du was making tea. Hearing this, he said helplessly, "Dad, drink less."
It would have been fine if he hadn't said anything. As soon as he spoke, his second uncle came over to pull him, and also pulled Li Yang who was beside him to the table.
"Xiao Du, you are a man now, you have to drink. If your dad drinks less, you have to drink more!"
"Yes, yes, yes!" echoed the other elders.
So Zhou Du and Li Yang were forced to sit down.
Zhou Du: "I have to go back to the kindergarten at night, so he won't drink anymore and will drive."
The second uncle glanced at Li Yang and said, "Okay, he is still a child, so go back to the living room and play with him."
Li Yang sat back down, but he couldn't play with those real kids, so he sat in the corner, listening to the kids playing and laughing, the adults talking, and playing with his cell phone.
At around 11pm, the dinner was over and the children in the living room wanted to go home.
So the wife supported her husband who was unable to stand and planned to go home.
Aunt Zhou prepared return gifts for each family and asked them to take them back.
After a while, the Zhou family became quiet.
Li Yang stood up and looked at Zhou Du.
Zhou Du lowered his neck, the light from the ceiling lamp cast around him, and his face was dark like a deep shadow.
Uncle Zhou made him a cup of honey water. After he drank it, Uncle Zhou helped his eldest son to hand him over to Li Yang.
"Xiao Li, please take care of him. Or, can you stay at home tonight?"
Before Li Yang could speak, Zhou Du said, "I'm fine. I can go back."
His facial expression remained unchanged, and his words were not unclear.
Although he was supported by Li Yang, he did not stagger, and did not seem to be drunk at all.
At least Li Yang didn't see that he looked drunk.
"Okay then." Uncle Zhou nodded.
Shi Shuyi took out ten bags of gifts from the small room.
She raised the three bags in her right hand, and then the seven bags in her left hand. "These are the New Year gifts for your master. These are food and drinks. Your aunt asked someone to buy them for you. Let the children in your garden have a taste."
Zhou Du took them all and said, "Then let's go back first."
Shi Shuyi waved his hand.
Li Dongqiang said goodbye to Zhou Baize: "Uncle Xiaoze, see you next time!"
Zhou Baize stuffed a handful of chocolate into it and said like a little adult: "See you next time, dong dong qiang."
Li Yang helped Zhou Du out of the house. Alaska seemed to know that they were leaving, and it darted around under Li Yang and Zhou Du's legs.
Finally, in front of the car, Zhou Du put the things into the trunk.
Alaska rubbed against Li Yang's knees and whimpered softly.
Li Yang looked at its small eyes.
Alaska opened its mouth and cried softly: "Woo..."
After pressing the button, the trunk slowly closed. Zhou Du leaned against the car body and acted as an interpreter: "You haven't touched it yet. It wants you to touch it."
Li Yang reached out his hand tentatively.
Alaska jumped up and rubbed his palm with his head.
Fluffy and feels great.
Li Yang lowered his hands, bent his knees, and began to rub the dog's head.
Alaska roared and kicked its limbs slightly, imitating the lion dance.
Zhou Du held Li Dongqiang and sat on the back seat. Li Yang had also had enough of touching and stood up.
Alaska wanted to get in the car and go with him, but his little master grabbed his collar.
Alaska can only dig in place.
Zhou Bai Ze looked serious, but he was really confused: "The captain likes you very much, why?"
Li Yang: "Because it's a dog? I mean, dogs tend to like people."
Zhou Baize shook his head. "Although my brother gave me the captain, he only likes my brother. I can only be ranked second... Starting today, I should be ranked third."
Li Yang didn't say anything. Zhou Du stepped forward and rubbed his brother's head. "Go back and listen to your parents."
Zhou Baize nodded, watched his brother and Li Yang get in the car, and left home.
*
After getting off the highway and returning to the suburbs, I heard the sound of firecrackers one after another.
There are many villages and towns in the suburbs, and the management is not that strict. When Li Yang drove past the villages, there were still many children playing with fairy wands and rockets and other toys.
Li Dongqiang covered his ears and looked at the beautiful fairy wand through the car window with envy.
When they passed a grocery store, Zhou Du said, "Stop for a moment."
Li Yang stopped the car. The man unbuckled his seat belt, got out, bought long firecrackers, several barrels of fireworks, and a box of fairy wands, and put them in the trunk.
"Xiao Zhou! I love you so much!" Li Dongqiang confessed as soon as Zhou Du returned to the car.
When they got back to the kindergarten, before the three of them got out of the car, the host on the in-car radio was already counting down: "Ten, nine, eight... three, two, one! Happy New Year!"
And in the night sky, clusters of fireworks bloomed in four or five places with a whoosh - bang.
Li Dongqiang couldn't wait any longer and directed Zhou Du to take the fireworks out of the trunk and place them in front of the kindergarten gate.
Zhou Du lit a stick of incense for it.
Li Dongqiang held incense and lit the fuse of the long firecrackers, then ran to light the fireworks, and then ran to the two adults, lit two fairy wands, and ran around waving them.
With crackling sounds, the fireworks are as bright as day.
Li Yang was annoyed by the noise and covered his ears, but one of his hands was taken away.
A red envelope was stuffed into his hand, and in his uncovered right ear, amid the sound of firecrackers, Zhou Du said, "May we be happy every year, and may we be successful every year. Happy New Year, Liyang."
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