Chapter 376 Praise
After comforting her twin daughters, Gu Min watched as they squeezed into the small group in front of the TV before turning and walking towards the dining room.
She saw Nan Zhiyi bending down to pick up a smaller dumpling wrapper and couldn't help but laugh, "Zhiyi, did you prepare this especially for Xiaoman again?"
Nan Zhiyi looked up, her hands still busy, and replied, "He can eat adult food with us now. I was thinking that your Zhao Heng is only one year old, so I'll cook a few small dumplings for him later. They'll be easy for him to eat and digest."
Gu Min's eyes flickered slightly. She hadn't expected Nan Zhiyi to be so thoughtful, even considering the issue of her youngest son's meals.
She said softly, "Zhiyi... thank you, you've really gone to a lot of trouble."
“There’s no need to thank me,” Nan Zhiyi smiled nonchalantly. “It was just something I did on the spur of the moment.”
Wang Juan, the fourth sister-in-law standing nearby, was deftly pinching together small dumpling wrappers. Upon hearing this, she held up a small, exquisite ingot-shaped dumpling she had just finished wrapping and waved it at Gu Min as if to show off, "Third sister, you should thank me! Look, I'm the one who did the hard work! Zhiyi just shook the rolling pin, but I really wrapped them one by one!"
Gu Min was amused by her, but she really turned to Wang Juan to thank her: "Yes, yes, thank you to our fourth sister-in-law as well, you are so skillful."
Wang Juan quickly waved her hand, "Oh dear, you mustn't! Third Sister, your serious tone is giving me goosebumps! We sisters don't need to say such polite things!" As she spoke, she exaggeratedly rubbed her arms.
The women around the table burst out laughing, and even Wu Ma, who was busy in the kitchen, peeked out with a smile on her face.
Taking advantage of this break, Nan Zhiyi carefully examined Gu Min.
Compared to when we met two years ago, my third sister looked much older, with deep wrinkles around her eyes, a sallow complexion, and she even looked almost the same age as my older sister-in-law.
This is clearly due to the hard work of giving birth and taking care of three children.
Nan Zhiyi sighed inwardly. Like many women, her third sister struggled between the idea that "more children bring more blessings" and the hardships of reality, burning herself out for her family and children, and consuming her youth and health in childbirth and raising them.
Gu Min noticed Nan Zhiyi's gaze. She smiled, raised her hand to gather her slightly loose hair, walked to the sink, carefully washed her hands, and returned.
"I can't just sit around and eat without lifting a finger. Come on, is there anything I can help with? It'll be faster if we work together."
Nan Zhiyi handed the rolling pin to Gu Min and stood up. "That's perfect. Third Sister, you roll the dough, and I'll go make some dumplings for my husband."
As soon as she said this, Li Xiuqin and Wang Juan exchanged glances and smiled mischievously.
Li Xiuqin joked, "Look, Zhiyi has to make a bag for Lao Wu by hand every year!"
Wang Juan chimed in, "That's right, your husband always gets special treatment every year!"
If this had happened when they were newly married, Nan Zhiyi would have blushed deeply if teased like this.
But now, she is a seasoned and mature woman. Faced with her sisters-in-law's teasing, she is not ashamed at all. Instead, she readily admits it, saying frankly, "Yes, my husband only eats the dumplings I make. Is that not acceptable?"
Her self-righteous little face only made Li Xiuqin and Wang Juan laugh even harder.
Gu Min took the rolling pin and started working, shaking her head with a smile: "Sure, why not! We're happy to see you two have such a good relationship."
Nan Zhiyi sat down comfortably to the side, picked out some beef filling that Gu Xiao preferred, and carefully wrapped dumplings, pinching each one with extra care.
This year, the Gu family had a large number of people, so they ended up making three whole bamboo trays of dumplings. They were plump, white, and crowded together, which looked very festive.
It was already completely dark.
Outside the window, Gu Yan had already led Gu Yong, Gu Meng, the twins, Nannan, and Xiaoman out into the yard. The children's shouts, the crackling of firecrackers, and the shrill whistling of sky rockets could be heard from time to time, mixed with the music coming from the television in the living room, making the atmosphere of New Year's Eve exceptionally lively.
The New Year's Eve dinner was finally served, and we were still seated at two separate tables.
Nan Zhiyi was worried, so she went to the table where the children were, bent down and whispered to Xiaoman, "Xiaoman, eat your food properly and don't be picky, okay?"
Xiaoman watched eagerly as her older siblings discussed what fireworks they would set off later, and obediently nodded, "Okay!"
Sitting next to him, Nannan acted like a little adult, taking Xiaoman's hand and promising Nan Zhiyi, "Fifth Aunt, I will take good care of Xiaoman and make sure he eats well."
Nan Zhiyi patted Nannan's head: "Thank you, Nannan, you're so good."
Gu Min, who was taking care of Zhao Heng, also sat at the table with the children. She said to Nan Zhiyi, "Fifth sister-in-law, I'll keep an eye on her for you, don't worry."
"Okay, thank you, Third Sister."
At this moment, Gu Xiao walked over, gently put his arm around Nan Zhiyi's shoulder, and led her away from the table where the child was. "Alright, he's old enough to eat by himself. Come on, let's sit down too."
Nan Zhiyi followed him back to the main table and sat down.
The long table was laden with cups and plates, a feast of delicious food, and an aroma that filled the air.
Due to Commander Gu's health condition, no wine was served on the table; only tea and various fruit juices were prepared.
After everyone had taken their seats, the living room quieted down, and all eyes turned to Commander Gu, who was seated at the head of the table.
Commander Gu cleared his throat and slowly swept his gaze over each of his children, daughters-in-law, sons-in-law, and grandchildren present. Under the lamplight, the wrinkles on his face seemed to have smoothed out, revealing a sense of peace and contentment that came after weathering many storms.
"Overall, this year has been good and positive for our family."
"Old Wu is in the army, working steadily and diligently, with heavier responsibilities. This is due to the organization's trust in him, as well as his own hard work."
His gaze lingered on Gu Xiao for a moment, filled with obvious pride, before turning to Gu Yan.
"Sixth brother, you've been making your way in the world, and your company is doing very well. I heard you've even created some jobs in the area. Hmm... You've taken the right path and managed to carve out your own niche. That's not bad."
These words surprised everyone at the table, even Gu Yan himself raised an eyebrow.
It should be noted that Commander Gu had always been critical of Gu Yan's decision to go into business, and this was the first time he had openly praised him in front of the whole family.
He then looked at Gu Weimin: "Old Fourth, your position has been adjusted in the General Logistics Department, and your responsibilities are also greater. You must guard against arrogance and impetuosity."
Gu Weimin nodded quickly.
When his gaze fell on Gu Min's family, his kind smile deepened: "The addition of a new member to Xiao Min's family is a joyous occasion. Seeing that you are all safe and sound puts my mind at ease."
Finally, he looked around and said solemnly, "Our Gu family has come this far not because of anything else, but because we have been true to our country and our conscience, and because we have a reputation for being honest and upright! From now on, no matter what position you hold or what profession you are in, you must remember to cherish the Gu family's reputation! You must never do anything that would bring shame to the Gu family or disgrace to our ancestors! You must unite, support each other, and keep this family together!"
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