Chapter 295 List
When Gu Xiao returned home, Nan Zhiyi was sitting at her desk in the bedroom checking a list, while Xiaoman was fast asleep in her crib.
"You're back? There's soup in the kitchen, it might still be warm, would you like some?"
Gu Xiao shook his head, his gaze falling on the list: "What are you busy with?"
"I was just about to discuss with you the gifts I should bring back to Jian'an."
Nan Zhiyi shifted the list closer to him. "How many days of vacation do we have this year? When are we leaving for Jian'an? We didn't go back last year, so we need to prepare proper gifts this year. We also need to prepare suitable gifts for Dad, and for my eldest brother, second brother, and fourth brother's families..."
"The ministry just arranged the leave, and we can have five days off this year. With the travel time to and from the office, we can stay in Jian'an for a full four days."
Gu Xiao reached out and pressed down on the list, his palm covering the back of her hand. "You can decide these things. I trust my wife."
Nan Zhiyi turned her head to look at him.
“I’ve been calculating the days. Yueyue just left today, so I’ll pack for two days and we can leave the day after tomorrow. Xiaoman’s salute is really good; Dad will definitely be happy to see it.”
"Of course," Gu Xiao replied. "You can decide on the gift yourself. It doesn't need to be extravagant; just something that suits your taste. Do you need me to go with you to pick one out?"
"No need, you go ahead with your work." Nan Zhiyi put away the list. "I know what I'm doing. I'll go to the department store later and buy some new stationery for my nephews and nieces."
Gu Xiao leaned over and placed a light kiss on her forehead: "Thank you for your hard work, my wife."
Over the next two days, Nam Ji-yi took some time to visit the department store and Friendship Store, carefully selecting gifts.
Speaking of the Gu family, all of them are quite well-off, so buying the gift was just a token of their affection.
Specialty snacks, tea, and clothing from Beijing were prepared for Commander Gu and his brothers and sisters-in-law.
Since her nephews and nieces had all grown up, Nan Zhiyi bought them a few reasonably priced fountain pens and the like.
Everything was carefully packaged.
The family of three had breakfast the night before they set off.
Sister Zhang helped carry the packed luggage downstairs and load it into the back seat of the Jeep.
Nan Zhiyi did a final check of the gifts she was going to take back, making sure nothing was forgotten.
Xiaoman was excitedly pacing around her luggage as she prepared to go on a long trip today, stuffing her favorite toy car into her little backpack.
Once outside the city, Nan Zhiyi pulled Xiaoman, who was wrapped in a small blanket and whose rosy little face was only showing, closer to her to make sure he was sitting comfortably.
Gu Xiao glanced at the rearview mirror. "Aren't you cold?"
Nan Zhiyi met his gaze in the mirror, smiled and shook her head, "I'm not cold. This blanket is thick, and Xiaoman is snuggling up to me like a little stove."
She turned to look at her son, only to find that the little guy was wrapped up too tightly and was squirming unhappily, with beads of sweat on his nose.
"Mom, it's hot..." Xiaoman muttered aggrievedly.
Nan Zhiyi quickly loosened the blanket a bit, and Xiaoman became happy. She climbed to the window on all fours, pressed her little face against the cold car window, and curiously looked out at the withered forest and snow-covered fields rushing by.
"Hold on tight," Gu Xiao instructed from the front seat.
Hearing her father speak, Xiaoman became even more interested. She grabbed the back of the seat and tried to lean forward, her little head constantly nudging the driver's seat: "Daddy, I want to drive too!"
Gu Xiao glanced at his son in the rearview mirror and saw him eager to try. "You'll have to wait until you're older and can reach the steering wheel."
Nan Zhiyi took out some snacks from her cloth bag: "Come on, Xiaoman, have some snacks so Dad can concentrate on driving."
She gently coaxed her son back to the back seat.
Gu Xiao then focused on driving. Even with good road conditions, it would take until dusk to reach Jian'an from the capital. Moreover, the snow on some shady sections of the road had not yet melted, making the road surface slippery. He needed to be extra careful, as any accident could delay the journey.
At first, Xiaoman was very excited, pointing out the window and asking all sorts of questions. But as the journey progressed, the discomfort of being cooped up in the car for so long gradually crept in, and he began to groan in pain.
For the rest of the journey, he nestled in his mother's arms, sleeping soundly with a rosy complexion.
Nan Zhiyi was also getting drowsy from the monotonous swaying of the car, her head resting against the window frame, sometimes asleep and sometimes awake.
After an unknown amount of time, the car paused slightly, and Nan Zhiyi slowly opened her eyes. The scenery outside the window had changed from an indistinct wilderness to the familiar low-rise buildings and streets characteristic of Jian'an.
As dusk settled, scattered lights illuminated the deepening blue-gray sky.
She gently shook her son, "Xiaoman, wake up, son... we're almost at Grandpa's house."
Xiaoman opened her eyes groggily, her eyelashes fluttering, and her little face still bearing traces of sleep.
Gu Xiao parked the car outside the Gu family's small building.
Upon hearing the noise, the courtyard gate immediately opened from the inside, and Commander Gu's familiar figure appeared at the door, dressed in a casual dark Zhongshan suit, his back straight, exuding an air of authority without anger.
Behind him followed the Gu family members: his second brother Gu Jianjun, his fourth brother Gu Weimin, his fourth sister-in-law Wang Juan, and the grown-up children.
The two older brothers, along with Gu Gang and Gu Qiang, stepped forward to help carry the luggage.
Commander Gu's gaze bypassed everyone and landed directly on Xiaoman, who had just been led off the car by Nan Zhiyi.
Nan Zhiyi squatted down and patted her son's head. "Xiaoman, call him Grandpa? You've spoken to Grandpa on the phone so many times..."
She also found it amazing that Commander Gu had installed a telephone at home so he could call his grandson.
Xiaoman was very obliging; she looked up and called out loudly, "Grandpa! Grandpa!"
Commander Gu's wrinkles smoothed out, and he responded repeatedly, "Yes! Yes! Grandpa's good grandson!"
He strode forward and picked Xiaoman up in his arms, saying, "It's cold outside, I can't let my precious little one get cold."
With that, he picked up Xiaoman and turned to walk into the house.
Nan Zhiyi smiled as she watched the grandfather and grandson walk away, then turned around to help them with their luggage.
Fourth Sister-in-law Wang Juan had already deftly picked up two light packages. "Zhiyi, you must be exhausted from the journey. Come inside and rest. Let the men take care of these."
Nan Zhiyi smiled and said, "It's alright, Fourth Sister-in-law, I'll take two too."
Gu Xiao and his brothers exchanged brief greetings and then worked together to unload all the luggage from the car.
The group chatted and laughed as they entered the house in a lively atmosphere.
The luggage was carried in one by one, and everyone exchanged pleasantries before walking to the sofa. Gu Xiao then sat down with his brothers to drink tea and chat.
Fourth Sister-in-law Wang Juan leaned close to Nan Zhiyi and said affectionately, "Zhiyi, both eldest brother and third sister said they won't be coming back this year."
She leaned closer and whispered, "My eldest brother has a long journey and it's not easy for him to take time off. As for my third sister, she's pregnant again, and her body is heavy, so it's inconvenient for her to travel back and forth."
Upon hearing this, Nan Zhiyi mentally calculated her third sister's age and couldn't help but click her tongue in amazement, thinking that getting pregnant at this age must be incredibly difficult.
However, she doesn't really have much contact with her older brothers, sisters-in-law, and cousins on ordinary days. They all seem to tacitly maintain this superficially harmonious family relationship, which only comes together during festivals.
She truly didn't know that her third sister was pregnant.
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