Chapter 449 Eldest Brother
As they entered the bustling department store, Sister Zhang and Meng Qingshan each held a child's hand and walked ahead.
Nan Zhiyi called out to her son's retreating figure, "Gu Zhao, don't run around. Stay with Aunt Zhang."
Sister Zhang turned around and replied, "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him. If he really goes astray, we'll find a place to wait for you."
Nan Zhiyi compromised: "Okay, if it really gets crowded, buy Xiaoman some food and toys, and wait for us under the clock at the main entrance."
Gu Zhao became even more excited upon hearing this, and grabbed Sister Zhang's hand, rushing forward: "Aunt Zhang, come on, let's go to the toy counter!"
She didn't forget to call out to Lele and Meng Qingshan, "Uncle Meng, Lele, I'll use my allowance to buy Lele a toy! My mom has been shopping for a long time, let's go find her after we buy it."
Meng Qingshan laughed loudly, gently pressing his large hand on Gu Zhao's shoulder: "You little rascal, you're young, but you have a lot of ideas."
Gu Zhao had already pulled Lele up with one hand and Zhang Jie with the other, then turned back to nod to Nan Zhiyi: "Mom, take your time shopping, I'll come find you later! You're in the fabric and health supplement section, right? I know the way!"
Nan Zhiyi smiled helplessly and waved her hand.
Meng Qingshan caught up with the children and turned back to say, "Sister-in-law, Anping, I'll watch them. You go ahead and buy what you need. If you have too much stuff, you can borrow a trolley from the service desk on the first floor. You only need to pay a 50-cent deposit."
"Okay, sure."
Nan Zhiyi watched her son's excited back and smiled helplessly.
Zhou Anping gently touched her arm: "Xiaoman's personality is just like Gu Yan's when he was a child."
"Yeah, sometimes they really do look a bit like that..."
The crowd quickly engulfed the children.
Zhou Anping linked arms with Nan Zhiyi and walked towards the fabric section, saying, "If only Lele were half as lively as Xiaoman..."
"It's just a difference in personality..."
The two chatted as they moved with the flow of people to various counters.
The queue in front of the popular counter was long and winding, with everyone's eyes fixed on the shelves.
Nan Zhiyi and Zhou Anping squeezed into the queue, their foreheads beaded with sweat. The building was heated, and the heat from the crowd made their wool coats unbearable.
Meng Qingshan pushed two empty carts and squeezed over: "How did you two ladies fare? The children are eating red bean porridge at the dessert shop on the second floor. Sister Zhang, please keep an eye on them."
Nan Zhiyi put the heavy net bag into the cart: "Thank you, Qingshan."
Meng Qingshan: "Hey, there's no need to thank me!"
He helped Zhou Anping put his things into another cart. "Comrade Anping, are you trying to empty the entire department store? Our car trunk doesn't have that much room."
Zhou Anping nudged him with her elbow: "Go away, we women are shopping, you stay over there."
By the time we finally managed to buy everything, it was already past 1 p.m.
Zhou Anping leaned against the counter, catching her breath: "...Meng Qingshan has to treat us to lunch." She glanced at Nan Zhiyi's face and said, "You can't refuse..."
Nan Zhiyi smiled and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear: "It's a free lunch, why not take it?"
"That's how it should be!" Zhou Anping's eyes lit up, feeling that the last bit of distance between them had finally disappeared.
After the group met on the first floor, Meng Qingshan and Sister Zhang loaded the large and small bags into the car.
The back seat of the jeep was packed full.
"Let's go eat at Emei Restaurant?" Meng Qingshan started the car. "Their Kung Pao Chicken is really authentic."
The children in the back seat cheered together, "Yay!"
Gu Zhao whispered something in Lele's ear, and the two children giggled, their earlier awkwardness completely gone.
Zhou Anping held Nan Zhiyi's hand: "When we get back to Jian'an, shall we take the children to climb Wolf Mountain? Just like when they were little."
Nan Zhiyi squeezed her hand back, her palm warm: "Okay."
The snow fell heavier and heavier, turning the streets and alleys into a pure white expanse.
After lunch, it was already late afternoon.
Meng Qingshan specially drove the car to the Gu family's courtyard first and helped unload the things from the car.
Zhou Anping held the sleeping Lele in his arms and sat in the car without getting out. He said softly, "Zhiyi, bring Lele to play with Xiaoman again in a couple of days."
Nan Zhiyi: "Okay, I'll come anytime."
Meng Qingshan returned to the driver's seat, leaned out of the window, and waved: "Sister-in-law, see you later!"
The jeep turned around and drove away, kicking up some remaining snow.
Back at the Meng family's general's mansion, Zhou Anping settled his son and daughter in, then went straight to his study to make a long-distance call.
The dial tone came through the receiver, and she twirled the telephone cord with her fingers.
I spent so much time shopping at the department store today, buying gifts for Meng's relatives and Jian'an's relatives, but I'm stuck on Gu Yan's congratulatory gift.
Back when my brother and I got married, Gu Yan gave generous gifts. Now that it's Gu Yan's turn to get married, giving money is too tacky, and giving gifts doesn't seem appropriate, as we don't know what he might need.
After ringing the radio seven or eight times, Zhou Zhengping's deep voice finally came through: "Hello?"
“Brother,” Zhou Anping lowered his voice unconsciously, “it’s me. Today, Zhiyi and I went to the department store to buy New Year’s goods. We were thinking about the wedding gift for Gu Yan… He doesn’t lack anything, so I really don’t know what to give him.”
She paused, then continued, "If you have any suitable ones on your end..."
Zhou Zhengping was silent for a few seconds before speaking: "Okay, I'll remember. I'll prepare before returning to Jian'an."
Zhou Anping breathed a sigh of relief: "Thank you, brother."
Silence fell again on the other end of the phone, broken only by a faint crackling sound of electricity.
Zhou Anping's fingers tightened slightly as he held the receiver. In recent years, his brother had become increasingly taciturn... and rarely spoke a complete sentence to his family.
Last year during the Spring Festival, when his family was reunited, he sat in the corner all night smoking, his profile behind the smoke as cold and hard as a stone sculpture.
My father had told me quietly that my brother was doing very well in the south, but he was getting colder and colder, and he only called home a handful of times.
"Brother..." she tried to say something, "You should drink less alcohol, and even if you're busy with business, you still need to eat on time. You can't earn all the money in the world..."
"Hmm," Zhou Zhengping responded, followed by another long silence.
Just when Zhou Anping thought he had hung up, he heard a very low voice from the other end: "See you at the New Year."
The receiver was busy.
Zhou Anping slowly put down the phone, recalling that many years ago, his brother was not like this.
Back then, he would ride his bicycle with her and Zhiyi flying through the streets, and when she fell, he would laugh at her while reaching out to help her up.
The older brother would sing loudly with Gu Yan, and would steal their father's good wine to share with the brothers...
But... ever since he left for the south, the Zhou Zhengping who used to laugh and joke has been swallowed up by something, leaving only a silent shell.
Everyone seemed to be moving forward, except for her brother, who was still trapped in that inescapable winter.
Zhou Anping sighed silently; some things are in the past and that's it.
Just like the inexplicable estrangement between her and Nan Zhiyi, being able to stroll hand in hand again is the best possible outcome.
Meng Qingshan walked into the study and asked, "Did the call go through?"
Zhou Anping gazed at the deepening twilight outside the window and said softly, "Yes. My brother said he'll prepare."
"That's good, brother knows what he's doing."
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