Zhang Shouyi had been waiting for Zhang Hongmei's letter, and Gu Chuanming hadn't rested either; the two chatted over tea. No one else was around; everyone had been sent to rest. The two even brought out the media player, watching Zhang Hongmei on the screen, feeling as if she were right beside them.
"They're here," Zhang Shouyi said, taking out a recorder. He heard Zhang Hongmei's cheerful voice, filled with auspicious New Year's greetings.
"Hongmei, are you doing well there? We've been waiting for news from you. Shouyi doesn't even have to go to work on the first day of the Lunar New Year this year."
"I know you might be back late, but it's alright, it's only a year. Grandpa's health is fine now." Zhang Shouyi let Gu Chuanming speak first.
Before Zhang Shouyi could put the recorder into the ring, he poured out two more glasses of water. This wasn't the undiluted solution, but diluted; Zhang Hongmei was worried that too much would be bad, so she made two glasses from one glass of water.
Zhang Shouyi handed Gu Chuanming a glass, then downed his own in one gulp. He then took the recording pen from Gu Chuanming's hand.
"Wife, I miss you so much. I'm afraid I won't be able to bear it and I'll come to find you."
Gu Chuanming scorned Zhang Shouyi, that good-for-nothing. But deep down, he was also very happy. He just wanted things to continue this way with his granddaughter.
After Zhang Shouyi finished speaking, he put the ring inside. Zhang Hongmei, on the other end, felt a warm glow in her heart upon hearing their conversation.
"Grandpa, I'm doing well here. Everyone celebrated the New Year together today and took a lot of photos. I'll hand them to you when they're developed."
Also, I've made a lot of money; our family can finally build a small house. I can't go back now, but I'll definitely send someone over to take some pictures of me. And I'll tell them that my old house can't be moved. We can just rebuild it next door, and they can look at the design.”
After Zhang Hongmei finished speaking, she handed it over. She kept the peeled peanuts Zhang Shouyi had given her inside the ring, eating them while waiting for their news.
The three chatted for an hour before ending. Zhang Hongmei wasn't sleepy at all; she was just excited. She left the space, read a book outside for a while, and then turned off the lights to go to sleep.
Meanwhile, Zhang Shouyi and Gu Chuanming were taking a bath. This puzzled everyone in the family, but no one dared to ask.
"Grandpa, I think I should find an opportunity to go to the United States. I need to bring Hongmei and the other three back in advance."
"No, please don't. Just wait patiently. I know you're anxious, but don't even think about it until Hongmei is eighteen."
Zhang Shouyi fell silent. Yes, his wife's age was a factor.
Gu Chuanming was secretly laughing his head off, but he didn't show it on his face. "You think you're so impatient? Just you wait!"
But then I thought about it, and realized I was in a bit of a rush too. That old guy surnamed Sun had taken my pulse and said I could live another twenty years without any problem, so a few more years wouldn't make a difference. I'm still better off than this kid.
"Old Gu, the US is withdrawing its troops, and my dad should be able to come back soon."
"It's time to bring him back. He's already this old, and his health isn't good."
“Hongmei has treated my dad, he’s fine. I just won’t leave him out alone.”
"It's alright, I have more experience than you, nothing will happen."
"The fact that the three of us have Hongmei is a blessing from heaven. People say that I, Gu Chuanming, will definitely have no descendants in the future because I have too much blood on my hands. But look, that's not true at all. I can still have descendants of the Gu family. In fact, I'll live longer than them. I want to see whether I, Gu Chuanming, will be happier in my later years, or whether those who have descendants will be happier. They're all putting on an act in front of me."
Zhang Shouyi was helpless. That's just how old people are. But it's good this way; having him around really brings him a lot of convenience, saving him a lot of trouble.
"Grandpa, shall we go visit Zhou Shixiong?"
"Now?"
"Yes, you'll feel better after you go, really, let's go!"
The two of them tacitly agreed that they were there to see the spectacle.
Chengzi looked at the old leader with his straight back and thought he was seeing things. He rubbed his eyes, but they were still the same. How could he have looked so young in such a short time?
This is something I can only think about in my heart. No one knows the leader as well as I do, so I can notice even the slightest change in him. But this is something I really can't say out loud.
Xiao Li, who was driving, knew that Zhang Shouyi's car and driver didn't need to be checked when entering the compound, and nobody wanted to cause trouble during the Spring Festival.
Zhou Shixiong is much better now, but he's still in a bad mood, and his hair is now completely white.
Zhang Shouyi and his three companions entered and heard the commotion. They knew it must be Zhou Yuanqing. However, Zhou Jianwei was also there, sitting on the sofa watching TV. He glanced at them as they entered but didn't even get up to greet them, which was extremely rude.
"Old Gu, you look even younger!" Zhou Shixiong was genuinely surprised. He hadn't seen the old man for two months; how had he changed so much? Thinking about himself, the difference was enormous. They were the same age, only Zhou was a little over two months older, but the difference was still too great.
"Hehe, I'm in a good mood, so everything tastes delicious. Of course, that's how it is. You should stop worrying about it!"
"You make it sound so easy. You've already arranged for the future, and you've even found the heir to the Gu family. But what about me?" Zhou Shixiong said with a hint of sadness.
Gu Chuanming didn't know what to say. The two had once been comrades-in-arms, sharing life and death experiences. Seeing his old friend like this now, he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable.
"That girl Hongmei doesn't believe a word of it, does she?"
"That's right, just like a bird released into the wild, it might not even know the way home," Gu Chuanming complained.
Zhang Shouyi sat to one side, smiling gently, thinking to himself that the play was about to begin, and how could he let Zhou Yuanqing be so happy?
Upon hearing Zhang Hongmei's name, Zhou Jianwei stood up and sat down. "Sir, can't Zhang Hongmei write back?"
Zhang Shouyi shook his head with a smile, "I haven't received a letter from her yet."
"Didn't those foreigners send any over?"
Zhang Shouyi shook his head again. "M country is so big, and besides, they're just students. How could they know businessmen?" Zhang Shouyi thought to himself, "Who do you think you are? You think you can even think about my wife? It seems the lesson from last time didn't teach him a lesson!"
While the four were chatting, Zhou Yuanqing ran out naked, stood in the middle of the living room, and laughed loudly, speaking in a way that was incomprehensible.
Zhou Shixiong clutched his chest in anger. Zhang Shouyi quickly grabbed some medicine from the table and put a few pills in his mouth. Only after watching Zhou Shixiong gradually calm down did he sit down.
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