Zhang Shouyi sat to the side with a smile, watching the four of them, but you can't stop them from looking at you.
Gu Chuanming chuckled to himself, not participating.
The eight men, young and old, were interacting in the living room, unaware that Zhang Hongmei was on the phone with Liu Jingze.
"Jingze, are you still not coming back this year?"
"No, I know my family will be fine with you around. My mom might even get angry if she sees me."
Zhang Hongmei knew she couldn't persuade Liu Jingze, so the two started talking about work. The machinery over there had been installed and could officially begin production after the Lantern Festival.
"Brother Jingze, the project over there is finished, shouldn't you be heading back to the capital?"
"Not yet. I won't be able to go back until the end of this year at the earliest. Mr. McCann's four steel mills have partnerships with the local government, so I received orders from above to continue following up. However, Song Zigan can go back now; their work at the Finance Bureau has nothing to do with this place."
"Okay, if Mi can't come back for the baby's first birthday, then we'll talk about it later."
"My vacation is scheduled for late August to late September, and I will definitely go back."
"Okay, where are you having dinner on Chinese New Year's Day?"
"Song Zigan and I will make dumplings ourselves."
"Alright, happy new year to you two!"
After hanging up the phone, Zhang Hongmei sighed. The old lady and Hu Aifen really missed Liu Jingze; otherwise, she wouldn't have said anything.
They will use the child's first birthday to remind Liu Jingze to come back.
Before 10 o'clock, Zhou Shixiong arrived, followed by two guards carrying a lot of things.
"Uncle, we have everything at home, why are you bringing these?"
"It's useless to keep it at home, you can keep it and give it away."
"I've already prepared the New Year's gifts."
In the end, he accepted them. These were all perks from Zhou Shixiong; he ate two meals here every day and really didn't need them.
The men sat chatting in the living room. Zhang Hongmei checked the menu again and then went to the study. She wasn't interested in their conversation, and the four children didn't need her help, so she might as well use the time to read.
Wang Ying and Zeng Zhongkang were both disheartened when they saw the dark, unappetizing braised pork. The two kitchen novices decided that they would just have rice and stir-fried vegetables. If they wanted meat, they would go to Hongmei's place tomorrow.
Cai Peilin and Lu Yue weren't much better off, but they both knew their limitations and knew they couldn't cook anything better than rice and cabbage soup. They decided to take the meat to Hongmei.
The one who was most well off was Cheng Guangxu, because everyone in his family was a skilled cook, so lunch was especially lavish.
His serving Er Ya her meal was so funny that everyone at the table found it hilarious, as if a servant were serving the Empress Dowager. It was incredibly attentive.
Zhu Zi came over yesterday, but he didn't stay here; instead, he ate all his meals here.
"Aunt, Han Mei and I take the train on the morning of the fifth day of the Lunar New Year."
"Okay, you two be careful on the road. Take good care of Han Mei. Also, I can't go back. Tell your grandma."
"Okay, I understand."
"Zhu Zi, how's your work?" Liu Maocai was a little worried about his honest nephew.
"It's fine. Unless there are special circumstances, I'll stay at the Ministry of Agriculture. Actually, my job is quite easy."
"Just relax. Be careful, there are all kinds of people out there," Liu Aimin advised him.
"I know that office politics are just as cutthroat, but maybe it's because I have a higher degree, or maybe the bosses are taking care of me, or maybe they see me as a newcomer who is honest. Nobody has made things difficult for me."
After lunch, they sat for a while. Cheng Guangxu helped Er Ya stroll around the yard. The two whispered to each other, and everyone in the house felt quite gratified.
"Zhu Zi, we're going to Hong Mei's place on the second day of the Lunar New Year. Which day are you going?"
"I'll go with you tomorrow too."
"Have you packed everything for your trip back?" Li Cuihua asked again, still concerned.
"Everything is ready. I checked it several times."
"Okay, I'll make you some pancakes. It's better to have pancakes on the train."
The next day was the second day of the lunar new year. They called each other and arranged to go together.
Cheng Guangxu called Zhang Hongmei yesterday. He was at home with Er Ya, and the five of them fit in one car.
When Wang Ying saw the four younger children, she put everything else aside and focused on playing with them.
The four of them weren't shy at all. If someone teased them, they would laugh happily; if no one paid attention to them, they would play by themselves.
Seeing how much Wang Ying loved children, Zeng Zhongkang felt he had to work hard for the next six months.
Knowing that Cai Peilin and his three companions hadn't eaten meat yesterday, Aunt Li brought them some, added ten pounds of spare ribs from her own kitchen, and stewed a whole pot of braised pork. She then put the pork into bowls for the two families to eat slowly.
Gu Chuanming glared at Wang Ying. "You've been married for over a year, and you still haven't learned to cook? Is this how you act as a wife?"
"Commander, I really tried my best to learn, but the stew just doesn't turn out right, and I don't know what to do."
Zeng Zhongkang quickly defended his wife, saying, "Commander, I have the opportunity to learn."
Bad Gu Chuanming stopped talking. He had originally criticized Wang Ying for Zeng Zhongkang's sake, mainly because Wang Ying was really outrageous. This woman couldn't do anything right.
Lu Yue sat to one side like a quail. She didn't know anything, so she just stayed put to avoid getting scolded later.
“Even if you two don’t know how to be good wives, you should at least learn. If your husbands can’t even get a hot meal when they come home, you two are such failures.”
"Yes, we will definitely learn it."
"Since you two have the time, completing ten games in six months shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Cai Peilin and Zeng Zhongkang both nodded.
Zhang Hongmei then let them leave.
On the third day of the Lunar New Year, a large number of people came to pay their respects, one after another, until only Kong Mingde and his two companions stayed for dinner.
I looked at the quadruplets with curiosity, and I didn't see them being shy or scared.
"My daughter is amazing, she can give birth to four in one pregnancy," Zhao Changlong laughed heartily.
The other two were more reserved than him and did not say anything rude, but they conveyed the same message: Zhang Shouyi was lucky to marry Zhang Hongmei.
Gu Chuanming was laughing on the side.
"Old man, this young fourth one is going to be both roguish and cunning, he's a good prospect."
Zhang Hongmei stood to the side, utterly exasperated. "So roguish and arrogant, and yet he's a promising talent? Is he being groomed into a devil?"
Gu Chuanming glanced at Zhang Hongmei, then glared at Zhao Changlong, "You talk too much. Our little fourth son is going to university and become a refined and cultured man. Don't talk nonsense."
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