Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Full Text
Qingmei returned to the house and walked back and forth holding Gu Zhaozhao. She could see the little face wrinkled.
Grandma took Gu Zhaozhao and patted his butt, then looked at Qingmei's expression and took the child aside.
Zhao Wuhe, who knew more than Qingmei, consoled her by saying, "Nothing is more reassuring than seeing the three of them working together."
Qingmei retorted, "Then how could you have been harmed by someone in the past? You know how miserable it was."
Zhao Wuhe naturally knew that she had already told Gu Qingzhou everything about her past life after her rebirth. Later, Gu Qingzhou continued to investigate, and with the precautions in advance, the mastermind behind the scenes could not wait to make great efforts to frame the Gu family.
Zhao Wuhe took Qingmei's hand, nodded to Fan Shuling, and took Qingmei into the bedroom to talk. Fan Shuling knew very little about this matter and quietly went to find her grandmother.
"It's all because of greed." Zhao Wuhe sighed. Now that the matter had come to this, there was no need to hide it. Telling it would save Qingmei from worrying about Gu Qingzhou.
"They joined the army together at the age of sixteen. They served in the recruit company and the motor vehicle squad together, and later became military representatives." When Zhao Wuhe first heard that Deng was the mastermind behind the incident, he almost vomited blood.
Qingmei said, "Then their relationship is even better than that of brothers, right?"
"When the second child was born, your father wasn't around. They ran around feeding and changing diapers, and even gave gifts and red envelopes to the doctors and nurses. We lived across the street from them, and the second child was practically raised by them."
Zhao Wuhe said, "We are kindhearted and sentimental. For all those years, your father treated him like a brother, but he wasn't. Perhaps he wasn't one of us from the beginning. It's hard to tell what's true and what's false. Now, your father is about to take an important position in the central government, and he wants to replace your father and have his son replace the eldest and second sons in the military region..."
Qingmei's brow furrowed as she listened. Zhao Wuhe reached out and poked her forehead, feeling he'd gone too far. After giving Qingmei a rough understanding, he said, "Foreign forces have been entrenched for over twenty years. Don't worry, we weren't prepared to face an enemy from behind before, but things are different now."
Qingmei exhaled, feeling a tightness in her chest. Her heartbeat quickened with nervousness. If Zhao Wuhe hadn't tried so hard to comfort her, Qingmei wouldn't have known what to do.
She hadn't felt powerless for a long time, and could only pray in her heart that the Gu family would be able to safely get through this long-lasting turmoil.
When they came out into the living room, Zhao Wuhe winked at Xiaoyan.
Xiaoyan put down the rag and came over to Qingmei, saying, "Your mom said there are a lot of vendors on the street behind the courtyard. There weren't any of them before. I heard they can buy and sell freely without tickets. Should we go over and take a look?"
Qingmei knew that they wanted her to go out and relax, but she was not in the mood.
Grandma coaxed Gu Zhaozhao to sleep, then came over and said to Qingmei, "I'm hungry, girl, buy some snacks for grandma."
Zhao Xiaoxing came over, holding her lipstick in her hand, and said, "Come on, go on. I want to buy some gadgets to play with. It's boring just listening to the radio at home. Let's buy some more firecrackers to drive away the evil spirits this year."
"Okay then." Qingmei walked outside the yard and saw Awei and his former comrades standing together. They must have been arranged by Gu Qingzhou for protection.
She was worried about getting into trouble, so she specifically asked Awei, "Is it okay to just take a stroll down Zayuan Street?"
Ah Wei smiled and said, "We've checked the area within a ten-mile radius. I'm very familiar with it, don't worry. We have guards protecting us in secret, so there won't be any problems."
Qingmei felt relieved now. After thinking about it, she asked her mother, Gu Zhaozhao and Zhao Wuhe to stay at home, and she and the sisters would go together.
Qingmei was petite and afraid of the cold, so she was dressed warmly. She had a large red scarf wrapped around her neck three times, burying her delicate chin and revealing the slightly red tip of her nose.
Winter has arrived and the trees are covered with silver frost.
Qingmei and they supported each other and walked through the iron gate and took a shortcut to Zayuan Street.
Xiaoyan rubbed her hands and said to Qingmei, "I heard some foreign speculators want to buy our land. They say they want to develop it and build factories and houses."
Qingmei puffed at the steam, squinting her eyes as she gazed at the bustling Zayuan Street a hundred meters away. She whispered, "Real estate development will be a gold mine in the future. Whoever secures a good spot first will be sitting pretty and becoming a nouveau riche."
Xiaoyan blinked at the words. She wanted to be a businessman in the future. The country would definitely have preferential policies for private entrepreneurs in the future. If foreigners could engage in real estate, why couldn't we do it ourselves?
She hadn't been so ambitious at first. It wasn't until she returned this time and was stunned by the sight of Qingmei Port. The passengers coming and going, the cargo ships waiting to unload, it was an eye-opener for her. Learning that Qingmei had only spent five figures to acquire the port company, she felt even more strongly that it was better to strike it rich early, and with speed and determination.
After she started school, she heard a lot of rumors about the family backgrounds of businessmen's children. She knew that to become rich, one must first seize the opportunities of the times. As long as business activities were legal and legitimate, the government would allow and support them.
"Oh, there are firecrackers!" Zhao Xiaoxing exclaimed and pulled Qingmei and the others to the temporary market on Zayuan Street.
The streets and police turned a blind eye to the spontaneous trade of ordinary people. As long as they didn't fight or cause trouble, it was not easy to earn some money to make a living before the end of the year.
Zhao Xiaoxing had made a small fortune during her school years. With a wave of her hand, she said to Qingmei and Xiaoyan, "I'll settle the bill today. You can have anything you want."
Xiaoyan muttered quietly, "You can't be a financial officer in the future if you keep doing this. And you have to stay away from the finance department."
Zhao Xiaoxing sighed and said, "I'm a future great designer."
Qingmei smiled and said, "Okay, okay, great designer, let's buy some firecrackers and some window decorations."
In the past, they had to cut their own paper-cuts because they didn’t have money, but now they could enjoy it. The three sisters squatted in front of the stall, picking out the paper-cuts they liked, and bought more than ten in a row, which made the girl selling paper-cuts very excited.
"There's a painted sugar figure over there." Zhao Xiaoxing ran over and said, "I'll go make Zhao Zhao a big dragon!"
Qingmei ate the Bobo cake in small bites and said without looking up, "I'll go buy some sesame pancakes."
Xiaoyan hadn't eaten anything fishy for a long time since she went to Beihe City, so she ordered a whole bowl of oysters, clams and spicy snails.
She and Qingmei sat on a small stool, picking plump oysters face to face and eating them. Delicious large yellow clams were roasting on a small stove next to the table. The sweet steam wafted around her nose, which really aroused Qingmei's appetite.
The market on Zayuan Street was crowded with people, and the sounds of hawkers were heard one after another.
The two of them waited until Zhao Xiaoxing came back holding a huge sugar dragon, and then worked together to finish the small seafood.
"When you go back, get some dried yellow croaker and dried pike." Qingmei had sent golden hooks and large prawns to Xiaoyan several times, but she didn't expect that she also liked eating fish.
"I don't appreciate them when I'm at home, but when I'm far away, I miss the taste of oysters." Zhao Xiaoxing fiddled with the oysters as big as her palm. If her stomach was full, she would definitely buy another basin.
Even so, she asked the owner if he could open the stall tomorrow. Unfortunately, it was New Year's Eve, and everyone was celebrating, so no one wanted to go out and do small business. If she wanted to eat again, she would have to wait until after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
On the way back, Qingmei bought a lot of snacks, including a few bags of dried scallops and clams, which are pure wild good things and taste delicious when used to make soup.
"Free trade is still the best after all." Qingmei returned home and was about to take a rest on the sofa after cleaning up when she saw Zhao Xiaoxing take out a small roast chicken from her bag, tear off a chicken leg and run over to give it to her.
"Eat it! It's still hot."
Qingmei took it weakly, took a bite, handed it to Zhao Xiaoxing and said, "It's delicious, but I really can't eat any more."
Zhao Xiaoxing took the chicken leg and took a big bite herself. "Look at you! You can't find this kind of smoked roast chicken out there. You'll understand when you go on a long trip."
Seeing her like this, Qingmei said with a smile, "How could Shanghai still be short of a bite of you?"
Zhao Xiaoxing curled her lips and said, "This is the first time in my life that I've counted dumplings, dim sum, and grapes... Do you know why?"
Qingmei said, "How about dividing it by head count?"
Zhao Xiaoxing rolled her eyes and said, "To put it nicely, they live a refined life. To put it bluntly, they're extremely stingy. They'll glare at you if you take one more bite. They'll even stew the bones for a few more meals. That's what respectable people do."
Qingmei raised her eyebrows and asked unexpectedly, "Are you in love?"
Zhao Xiaoxing said angrily, "Don't spit blood at me. I wouldn't talk to a man even if I were talking to an old friend."
Qingmei leaned back on the sofa and said, "Old friend, you have a very broad vision."
Zhao Xiaoxing was furious and pounced on Qingmei to tickle her.
Xiaoyan corresponded frequently with Zhao Xiaoxing and had a rough idea: "Someone is pursuing her. He looks down on her because she's from out of town and thinks everyone he sees is a country bumpkin. He thinks it's shameful to fall in love with a country bumpkin and actually blames Zhao Xiaoxing."
Qingmei was about to laugh until tears came out, but she stood up bravely and said, "People like this are narrow-minded and have no tolerance. We are not the same kind of people!"
Zhao Xiaoxing clapped her hands and said, "That's right! His family, with four generations living under one roof, lives in a tiny, one-bedroom alley. It's not even as spacious as the large courtyards on Zayuan Street. You can practically reach into their house through the windows next door. Across from the stove, behind a curtain, there's a urine bucket. A family of twelve eats, drinks, defecates, and urinates in a house less than 20 square meters, and yet they look down on us who come from big, blue-brick, tiled houses."
Zhao Xiaoxing grew increasingly angry as she spoke. She tossed her wavy hair and pursed her bright red lips, "I went to his house and bought a case of apples. Guess what? He cut one apple in half, kept the other half, cut it into small pieces, and shared them on small plates. If you ate more than two pieces, he'd say you couldn't eat more. I wouldn't have gone if he hadn't tricked me into eating northern dumplings, but he only gave me three cabbage dumplings for dinner. Who are you looking down on?"
"They've never seen our apple tree before. Xiaogang is climbing up the tree and picking apples." Xiaoyan said with her, sharing the same hatred: "People from Shanghai are superior to others."
Qingmei sensed Zhao Xiaoxing's resentment and laughed, "Don't mention being unhappy. You've become so beautiful, and there will be people chasing you in the future."
Zhao Xiaoxing blushed and said, "I will never fall in love again, and I will never get married again. I am so disappointed."
Xiaoyan touched her hair and said enviously, "It must have cost a lot of money, right?"
Zhao Xiaoxing perked up at the mention of this, sitting up straight and saying, "It's free. I asked a master to teach me how to roll it with tongs. Do you want to try it?"
Seeing Zhao Xiaoxing's enthusiastic look, Xiaoyan came and took the blame: "If my sister gets burned, I'll get burned too."
Qingmei lost her voice and said, "What are you talking about? I'm not hot."
Zhao Xiaoxing had already stood up, and she and Xiaoyan were carrying her to the kitchen. Passing by the baby's room, Qingmei yelled, "Mom! Help me!"
Fan Shuling ran out and said, "That's good. Young people can look very fashionable with a perm." She looked down on the old-fashioned look of people wearing clothes in China.
Zhao Wuhe came out and felt that it was normal to love beauty, so she lent a hand and helped to go to the kitchen.
Qingmei looked depressed and thought the two mothers were too generous!
Zhao Xiaoxing said quickly, "Auntie, we need a perm. Can we give you one too?"
Zhao Wuhe pressed Qingmei's shoulders and asked her to sit down, saying, "You guys can make a fuss on your own, just don't wake my grandson up."
Qingmei was helpless, so she squatted in the kitchen, watching Zhao Xiaoxing furiously burning the fire tongs. The red-hot tongs were steaming white, and when they were placed in the water, they made a crackling sound, bubbling up the enamel basin.
Qingmei closed her eyes and felt the tongs curling up the hair around her ears. A few seconds later, Zhao Xiaoxing deftly pushed her hair behind her ears to make it easier to style.
After a few times, Qingmei heard Xiaoyan say in surprise: "Oh my god, it really curled up!"
Zhao Xiaoxing smiled proudly. She was too embarrassed to say that this was a skill she had learned. At school, she could earn five yuan for perming a hair.
You won’t know until you travel far away that there are so many ways to make money!
After three people worked hard for a long time, Qingmei's wooly curls were bouncy and milky. Xiaoyan couldn't help but say, "My sister looks like a foreign child, with beautiful eyes. If she wears a beautiful dress, she will be a porcelain doll."
"Hurry up and sit down. I'll perm yours while my hands are feeling good today." Zhao Xiaoxing held Xiaoyan down with one hand, and Qingmei took the opportunity to run out and admire herself in the mirror.
You know what? Zhao Xiaoxing's craftsmanship is truly remarkable. It seems she's not only skilled at sewing, but also at other things.
Qingmei waited at the door until Xiaoyan finished perming her hair. She immediately noticed that Xiaoyan had become much more elegant. She was wearing a crisp cadre uniform and had curly hair, looking like a female cadre from the Republic of China era.
"Help me curl my bangs again." Qingmei came over this time and lowered her head to let Zhao Xiaoxing do it.
Zhao Xiaoxing permed her chin-length beard into two large curls, highlighting her delicate face. Her technique was natural and fluent, and her eyes were filled with concentration.
After finishing with them, Zhao Xiaoxing curled her own bangs.
The elders were overjoyed to see the three little curly-haired girls. Gu Zhaozhao woke up and suddenly couldn't recognize his mother. He couldn't even distinguish their facial features; they all looked identical. He'd ask Qingmei's mother to hold him, then Xing'er's mother, then Xiaoyan's mother.
The next day, Ruan Siqiao came over sickly and saw the three of them wearing fashionable wool curls at first sight.
"You really are interested in this." Ruan Siqiao's throat was inflamed, and she felt as if a knife was cutting her throat as she spoke.
Qingmei slept with Gu Qingzhou's shirt in her arms last night. She wasn't as heartless as she acted. She just liked teasing her sister-in-law, so she deliberately said in a soft voice, "I don't think there will be any problems. I trust my husband. I eat well and sleep well, which is what makes him feel at ease when he's out there doing things."
Ruan Siqiao felt she was trying to deceive him, so he stuffed the gift into Qingmei's arms and asked, "Where's Zhaozhao?"
She doesn't have a good relationship with Qingmei, but she particularly likes Gu Zhaozhao.
She only hoped to spend more time with Gu Zhaozhao so she could give birth to a big, fat boy soon. She and Gu Zhongshan had been married for years without being able to have children, which was a real pity. She had secretly taken many medications, but none of them worked. Later, Gu Zhongshan was seriously injured and hospitalized, further delaying their plans to have a child.
Zhao Wuhe popped her head out of the kitchen and said, "Don't touch him. He just fell asleep. Come over and chop the dumpling stuffing."
Without waiting for Ruan Siqiao to come over, Qingmei ran over first and said affectionately, "Mom, what should I do?"
Zhao Wuhe said, "My dear daughter, have some of the dried persimmons on the table. I bought some over at the compound this morning. They're so sweet."
Ruan Siqiao said sourly, "Why isn't there one for me?"
Zhao Wuhe said, "You come here at this hour and expect to eat something ready-made? People have been busy helping out all morning, and you just get back to work. All you do all day is slack off."
Ruan Siqiao heard that Qingmei had been working in the morning, so he leisurely went over to chop dumplings.
In fact, Qingmei, who had just woken up, was busy combing her messy curly hair and had no time to help.
Zhao Wuhe and Zhao Xiaoxing did it in the morning, she really didn't do much.
I'll make a few more meat dumplings for my sister-in-law later.
Qingmei stuck out her tongue, tried to make amends in her heart, and went to the baby's room to find her biological mother and grandmother with a persimmon cake in her mouth.
At noon, Zhao Xiaoxing set off firecrackers outside the yard.
Xiaoyan finished pasting the last window paper-cut and ran into the living room, covering her ears.
Qingmei and I finished wrapping the dumplings together. After steaming them, we carried the dumpling bowl to the dining table. Looking at the exploding red paper pieces blooming like petals, a smile finally appeared on our faces.
Grandma was sitting on the sofa, waving them over.
After giving out red envelopes to everyone, he looked at Zhao Wuhe and Fan Shuling with a smile and said, "It's your turn to show off."
Zhao Wuhe dug into her pockets and took out a thick red envelope, giving it to Qingmei. "Happy New Year! My children, I'm so grateful to have you by my side. Our future will surely be a hundred times, a thousand times more prosperous than before!"
Qingmei sweetly wished Zhao Wuhe a happy new year: "Happy New Year, Mom! I wish you good health, a strong spirit, and eternal happiness!"
After that, he took the red envelope from Fan Shuling, felt the weight on it, and said with a smile like a little money-grubber: "Happy New Year, Mom. We will celebrate every New Year together from now on. I wish you good health and longevity, and we will be together forever."
Fan Shuling smiled and said, "Okay, let's celebrate every New Year together from now on."
Zhao Xiaoxing and Xiaoyan also received three big red envelopes each, and they threw out auspicious words without asking for money.
Gu Zhaozhao was still babbling on the carpet, and everyone gave him red envelopes and gifts.
Xiaoyan gave me a Hetian jade seal with "Gu Dazhao" on it. It must have taken a lot of effort to find the jade, which was warm, white, and without a trace of impurities.
Zhao Xiaoxing gave her a pure gold safety lock. The front side had the words "Fu" and "Xi" written on it, and the back side had a little monkey holding a bamboo. "People say this means happiness and joy will continue to rise."
Without the men drinking, they ate quickly. Afterward, Qingmei dozed off while holding Gu Zhaozhao, while Zhao Xiaoxing and Xiaoyan cleaned up in the kitchen.
Fan Shuling was talking to Zhao Wuhe. When she saw the dark bags under her eyes, she knew that although everyone didn't say it, they were actually thinking about Beijing.
There were no guests on the first, second and third days of the Lunar New Year.
Starting from the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, there is an endless stream of people coming to pay New Year's greetings.
Representatives from the district government came to express their condolences to the families of meritorious servicemen, representatives from the army came to express their condolences to the wives of soldiers, there were ordinary people who had been rescued, Gu Qingzhou’s comrades-in-arms, employees of Qingmei Port, many friends and classmates, and even Qingmei’s “fans” who came specially to visit their idol.
It was lively all the way until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
The port is closed to navigation from the first to the fourteenth day of the Lunar New Year.
On the fifteenth day, accompanied by the sound of a ship whistle, the first passenger ship slowly left the port in the early morning.
Qingmei woke up from her sleep, with a wrinkled shirt beneath her curled up body.
The Lantern Festival is a day for family reunions, but she was the only one who couldn't sleep. The daytime was busy and the house was lively, but at night it was easy to have wild thoughts.
After finally making it to dawn, she heard some noise outside. She slowly got up and went out in her slippers, and happened to run into Zhao Wuhe sitting on the sofa.
Next to Zhao Wuhe was Fan Shuling, who was holding Zhao Wuhe's hand, probably to comfort her.
Seeing Qingmei coming out, Zhao Wuhe wiped the tears from her eyes and sighed, "You said I was still confused. In fact, your father was cold to me all these years because he wanted to protect me. I thought we were just a couple in name only. He always cared about me, but I didn't care about him."
Qingmei walked over and realized she wasn't the only one with these wild thoughts; everyone was just pretending. She sat down on Zhao Wuhe's other side and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? It's not like we'll never see each other again. When we do, talk to my dad about it. I'm sure he won't blame you."
Fan Shuling said, "It's not a question of whether he blames her or not, it's that she blames herself. I think if they had been thinking about each other, life would have been much harder..."
Qingmei also thought it was best not to know. Look, Zhao Wuhe knows now, and she's so worried she can't even sleep. Three or five days is fine, half a month is fine, but if it goes on for years, emotional illness will develop and it will be difficult to deal with.
Maybe he had the opportunity to spread the news, but he didn't say it for a long time. He knew Zhao Wuhe's personality and would rather develop into a couple of enemies for her consideration.
Zhao Wuhe understood everything in her heart, but she just couldn't get rid of her emotions for a while.
It has been half a month and there has been no news from there. She is worried.
"What kind of person is my dad?"
Zhao Wuhe wiped her eyes with a handkerchief, took a deep breath to calm herself, and said, "He has a bad temper and is stubborn. He's always sullen, and he's big, so he often scares the new recruits. But he's actually very thoughtful and considerate. I know he loves the people and the country the most."
Qingmei suspected so, otherwise she wouldn't have given birth to two excellent sons. It seemed that their temperaments also took after their father, as did their height and physique.
Qingmei gradually formed an image of a tall, burly and imposing boss in her mind, and the more she thought about it, the more it seemed like him.
She chatted with Zhao Wuhe for a while, and Ruan Siqiao, who was sleeping in the same room with Xiaoyan, also got up.
Zhao Wuhe didn't want to say too much to Ruan Siqiao. He was a big mouth. He could let the boss and his wife explain it slowly.
Qingmei saw Zhao Wuhe yawning and coaxed her to take a nap.
"When you wake up, there will be ready-made Yuanxiao for you to eat." Qingmei pushed Zhao Wuhe into the house as if coaxing a child: "Do you want peanut, sesame, or five-nut variety?"
Zhao Wuhe sighed and said, "Let's make black sesame. Your dad likes it."
Qingmei paused and whispered, "He likes it too."
This naturally refers to Gu Qingzhou.
Zhao Wuhe didn't want to sleep anymore, so she patted Qingmei's shoulder and said, "Let's go and wrap it together."
Fan Shuling couldn't help but shake her head when she saw this. These two mothers really shared the same suffering.
When Zhao Xiaoxing and Xiaoyan woke up, the Yuanxiao were being fished out of the pot.
Qingmei held a bowl in one hand and quickly placed it on the table: "Come and eat Yuanxiao!"
Zhao Xiaoxing asked in surprise, "Why are we eating Yuanxiao so early in the morning?"
Qingmei said, "Just eat, don't talk nonsense."
When Qingmei returned to the kitchen, Xiaoyan whispered, "You're silly! You're looking forward to being reunited soon."
Xiaoyan shrank her neck and said, "I also hope that their family can be reunited soon."
Not to mention the adults, even Gu Zhaozhao was infected by the subtle emotions and didn't drink milk as vigorously.
Qingmei put the bowl away, and seeing that everyone had come and sat down, she also sat down with a spoon.
Ruan Siqiao sighed quietly, "Why didn't you call me? Why didn't you even call to let me know you were safe? It's already the Lantern Festival."
Qingmei held the bowl and turned the Yuanxiao with a spoon, but it was like chewing wax.
Zhao Xiaoxing and Xiaoyan didn't dare to speak, for fear of hurting them, and ate the Yuanxiao obediently.
Grandma said softly, "Good is rewarded, evil is punished, and God sees it all. This is just a hurdle, and everything will be fine once we get over it. These three of them are no simple people, they will definitely be able to get through it."
"That's right, Auntie." Zhao Wuhe said softly, "Even if we can't eat Yuanxiao together this time, I believe we can eat Yuanxiao together next time..."
"The old lady couldn't even bear to give me a bowl of Yuanxiao?"
An old and powerful voice appeared in the yard. Gu Qianjun was supported by his two sons on the left and right, and spoke with full energy.
The bowl Zhao Wuhe was holding slammed down on the table. Qingmei rushed over like a cannonball and crashed into Gu Qingzhou's arms.
She sniffed the dusty smell on Gu Qingzhou's body, looked up at his chin covered with stubble, and said with a sob, "Why didn't you even call?"
Gu Qingzhou patted her head and said, "We were questioned separately."
Amidst the clashing forces, they underwent rigorous investigations to overthrow the decades-old enemy spies. The three of them, father and son, were separated, and even then, they were unable to communicate with their families.
Qingmei felt a strong arm falling on her waist, and she said distressedly, "Thank you for your hard work."
After saying that, she secretly looked at the silver-haired old man beside her.
Contrary to her imagination, years of surveillance and frame-up, exhausting maneuvers, had left Gu Qianjun emaciated and his hair gray. But he stood straight, and beneath his bare military coat lay a staunch soldier's spirit.
Gu Qianjun was in his early sixties, his eyes full of conviction and strength. He waited until his daughter-in-law had finished "blaming" him before deliberately slowing down his voice and saying, "You found my secret letter?"
"...Hello, Dad." Qingmei nodded and said, "I discovered it by accident."
Gu Qianjun laughed and said, "Good boy, whether he is careful or not, I will give you a big red envelope later."
Qingmei also smiled with her eyes curved.
Ruan Siqiao, who was standing next to him, secretly held Gu Zhongshan's hand and said tearfully, "I thought you would never come back."
Gu Chongshan glanced at Gu Qianjun and said with a mixture of laughter and tears: "Don't say unlucky words, come in quickly, I'm starving. Dad insisted on coming back on the 15th just to eat Yuanxiao."
Qingmei quickly stepped aside and watched Gu Qianjun walk towards Zhao Wuhe slowly but with great determination without anyone's support.
He had never seen Fan Shuling, but he recognized her as Qingmei's mother with his sharp eyes. He said in a clear voice, "Hello, in-laws. I'm sorry to have worried you."
Fan Shuling also said politely: "Commander Gu, I'm glad you can all come back. The family is reunited."
The corners of Zhao Wuhe's lips drooped, and she looked like she was about to cry. She couldn't describe the feeling in her heart.
Gu Qianjun patted her shoulder and said calmly, "Come in and have the reunion dinner." Then he greeted the grandmother who was holding Gu Zhaozhao next to him and said, "Happy New Year, old lady. Please don't blame me for being late."
Grandma smiled lovingly and said, "I'm glad you're back. Come into the house."
"Okay." Gu Qianjun's eyes swept over Gu Zhaozhao, he reached out and tapped his eldest grandson's face, then walked into the house and sat down in a good mood.
Zhao Wuhe returned to the kitchen and brought him a bowl of Yuanxiao: "You like the ones with black sesame filling."
There was a deep vertical scar between Gu Qianjun's eyebrows, the result of years of wear and tear. He whispered, "When we were young, you said you loved black sesame seeds."
Zhao Wuhe was stunned when he heard this.
Gu Qianjun said cheerfully, "I was afraid of being embarrassed, so I always said I loved to eat. Now it really has become that I love to eat."
Zhao Wuhe dug up the past from the depths of her memory and was speechless. After a while, she said, "I saw you were reluctant to eat the black sesame seeds at my mother's house, leaving them all for me. You only wolfed them down when I had some left. I told you that I loved them and hoped I'd buy some more so you could have some too."
Gu Qianjun swallowed the familiar black sesame rice dumpling, and an indescribable warmth in his heart warmed his limbs. The hardships of these years are in the past, and one cannot live in the past.
He looked at the table full of young and old. The wind outside the window was freezing cold, but it couldn't compare to the warmth of the home fire.
Behind the thick dark clouds, the warm winter sun squeezed out, and the passenger ship on the sea surface broke through the ice.
The little sparrow on the windowsill was pecking at icicles and found some crushed corn kernels in a small porcelain plate in the corner.
It slurped up its surprise meal and looked through the window at the happy family in the house.
The old lady in the middle has experienced many vicissitudes of life and is quietly listening to the younger generations talking about thousands of words.
Commander Gu, who was full of aura, spoke energetically about his past with Zhao Wuhe, striving to clear the truth about the fact that Zhao Wuhe passed the crime on to the children.
Zhao Wuhe was so angry that she would occasionally argue with him. Sometimes she would ask the children to judge, but her beloved children would all play it safe, letting the adults fight among themselves while she would just laugh heartlessly on the sidelines.
Zhao Xiaoxing listened to their conversation with her face in her hands, imagining how glorious it would be to become the boss of a clothing company, owning a nationally renowned brand—Sisters Bags and Apparel Group.
Meanwhile, Xiaoyan, the future CEO Xiao, was shaking her soda cup as she pondered whether her real estate business could secure a commercial loan, leveraging it to secure her first round of funding and seize the opportunities presented by the times...
Ruan Siqiao was so surprised that she burped continuously and ran to the bathroom to vomit. Gu Zhongshan went over to support her, looked at his rosy-cheeked wife, and whispered to her if her period had come lately. After waiting for the answer he wanted, he, even though he was a reserved person, hugged Ruan Siqiao and kissed her on the forehead.
Fan Shuling, feeling such a family-like warmth, decided to discuss the benefits of a long-term on-campus teaching position with Guo Laolu (pfft, Dean Guo) before the start of the next semester. Even if the Soviet Union invited her back, she would not go.
Qingmei listened to Zhao Wuhe and Gu Qianjun talking. The two of them were over a hundred years old together, and their argument was quite interesting.
As she was listening, she felt Gu Qingzhou's large hand reaching out. She placed her small hand on it, and the two of them secretly intertwined their fingers under the table, playfully scratching each other's palms, separating them slightly before coming together again, tightly together.
In the distance, firecrackers for the fifteenth day of the first lunar month exploded, startling a sparrow eating corn kernels outside the window and flying away.
A hundred meters away, Zayuan Street was busy decorating its streets for the Lantern Festival, planning its Lantern Festival. Children, mouths bulging from New Year's feasts, were running around in a frenzy.
After dinner, the people sitting around on the sofa seemed to have ended their stories, but a better life had just begun.
Time flies and years pass by.
The sky changes, but it cannot withstand the thousands of lights, only one belongs to you and me.
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