By the time we arrived at Sanyuan, it was already past four in the afternoon.
Chen Jixing was in a hurry to go back for the New Year's Eve dinner. After dropping off his sister, he turned the car around and went back.
Chen Xingling pushed open the door and entered the house, seeing his son playing in the garden and Ying yelling in the kitchen, apparently scolding Zhao Xiaoxing.
When little tiger saw his mother, he ran over excitedly.
"Mom! You're back!"
Chen Xingling hugged his son and asked, "When will grandma come? Where's your dad?"
Little Tiger replied: "Dad is in the kitchen. Mom, something bad happened... Uncle and aunt came earlier, and for some reason, aunt's eyes turned red. Then, grandma scolded aunt, and aunt ran away crying. Uncle chased her out, but grandma was still scolding aunt."
Chen Xingling secretly felt that something was wrong and pushed his son.
"You go on and play. Mommy will go in and take a look first."
Little Tiger was very well-behaved and ran away with the little windmill in his hand.
Chen Xingling remembered her mother-in-law's "instructions" yesterday, and quickly hid in the study, quietly taking out a large bundle of beef jerky from the supermarket space.
Then she walked towards the kitchen, twisting the beef jerky.
All I could hear was Ying cursing, not a single nice word coming out of her mouth.
"…She can't do anything right! She can even put such important things in the wrong place! She is just stupid, otherwise she wouldn't do such a thing! It's so unlucky for Ayi to marry a jinx like her! It's unfortunate for the family! To marry such a coward!"
"She has a bad family background and no education! She's ugly, dark and strong - even an orangutan isn't as ugly as her! She's so timid and has no courage! I just scolded her a few times, but she still dared to cry! Was I wrong to scold her? She shouldn't have scolded me? It's so infuriating!"
Chen Xingling walked into the kitchen and found Ying picking vegetables and cursing, while Gu Qi was cutting braised meat.
Gu Qi didn't look back, and said calmly: "Mom, Xiao Xing didn't do it on purpose, what's the point of scolding her? They earned that money themselves, she feels more distressed than you do."
"She feels sorry for him?!" Ying gritted her teeth, "What's the point of feeling sorry for him? It's useless! She can't even collect a little money! Ayi worked so hard to earn money, but she ruined it all! Isn't this a burden to Ayi?! She's simply a jinx!"
"What's wrong?" Chen Xingling asked.
Her sudden words startled the mother and son in the kitchen, and they turned around at the same time.
Ying glanced at Chen Xingling and said unhappily, "New Year's Eve is almost over, and you're just coming back now!"
Chen Xingling threw the beef jerky in his hand to her.
Ying hugged him instinctively, then her eyes widened in surprise, and she caressed him happily.
"This thing tastes better the more I chew it... Not bad... Really not bad!"
Gu Qi smiled and asked, "Why did you come back? I seemed to hear the sound of a motorcycle just now."
"Fourth brother sent me back." Chen Xingling washed his hands and replied, "He was in a hurry to go back to eat the New Year's Eve dinner, so he didn't come in. What happened to Xiaoxing and the others?"
Gu Qi frowned slightly and explained in a low voice: "Xiao Xing is the one who keeps Ayi and Xiao Xing's wages. There are mice in the rental house from time to time, but they didn't care at first. Last night, Xiao Xing found that their savings were all eaten by mice, and several big unity bills were missing a large piece."
"No way?" Chen Xingling asked, "Where is it? Let me see."
Gu Qi shook his head: "It was taken away by Ayi. Xiao Xing blamed herself and was very sad. The couple probably had a quarrel. Xiao Xing came over with red eyes. My mother came at that time, and Ayi told her about it. Xiao Xing ran out crying, and I asked Ayi to chase her back quickly."
"It's not Xiao Xing's fault--" Chen Xingling said.
"You can't blame her!" Ying screamed angrily, "Who else should I blame if not her? Blame the rat? She asked her to keep the money, but she took it all away! She can turn someone with money into a poor one! How useless! She doesn't even think about how hard it is for Ayi to make money!"
Chen Xingling said calmly: "It's not easy for anyone to make money. Xiao Xing also makes money, and she knows that it's not easy to make money. The money lost is A Yi's money, and it's also hers. She is the one who feels the most guilty and sad, she is sadder than you. Please stop talking nonsense."
Ying pulled out a piece of beef jerky and started chewing it impatiently.
"Dozens of dollars are gone just like that! Gone!"
Chen Xingling thought for a moment and said, "Maybe not. Wait until Ayi comes back and see how badly the money has been damaged. If there is only two-thirds left, we can go to the bank to exchange it."
"No." Gu Qi whispered, "Most of them are only small pieces left. Some of the big ones are missing more than half, more than one-third."
Chen Xingling suggested: "After the New Year, take it to the bank and try it out to see if it works."
Then she started helping to prepare the New Year’s Eve dinner.
Ying took out the fermented dough, quickly cut it into small pieces and rolled it into thin slices, then started making leek dumplings.
After Gu Qi finished cutting the braised meat, he took out the grouper that his father-in-law had given him yesterday, cleaned it carefully, and put it on a large plate.
Chen Xingling put shredded ginger and chili pepper into the fish belly and outside, drizzled a little hot oil on it, and put it in the steamer to steam. Then he took out some glutinous rice cakes and put them in another steamer.
At this moment, the sound of a door opening was heard from outside.
Chen Xingling poked his head out to look and found that it was Gu Xuan who came, not Gu Yi and his wife.
She thought about it and couldn't help but said, "Aqi, go and take a look and help persuade them."
Gu Qi understood what was going on, washed his hands, walked out of the kitchen, took out his bicycle and hurried out.
"Dad! I want to go too!" Little Tiger chased after him.
Gu Qi lifted the little guy onto the horizontal bar in front, pushed with his long legs, and the bicycle started off smoothly.
Chen Xingling helped her mother-in-law make dumplings.
Gu Xuan greeted him in a low voice, sat down and helped.
Ying's face was still very sullen, and she snorted: "She did something wrong, and she still needs her uncle to persuade her! Is she going to rebel?"
Chen Xingling glanced at her mother-in-law coldly, successfully making her shut up.
The three of them were making dumplings in silence.
I thought Gu Qi and his wife would be back soon, but more than half an hour passed, the sky began to darken, and there was still no sign of them.
Chen Xingling was secretly a little worried.
There were sounds of firecrackers coming from outside, and although it was lively, my home was deserted.
Ying was dozing off on the kitchen stove, with soft snoring sounds coming from time to time.
Gu Xuan came out and asked calmly, "Sister-in-law, what happened?"
Chen Xingling sighed and told her the whole story.
Gu Xuan's expression was paralyzed and his face sank slightly: "Second sister-in-law didn't do it on purpose, don't blame her."
"But your mother doesn't think so!" Chen Xingling smiled bitterly.
At this time, Gu Qi and Xiao Huzi came back.
"There's no one in the rental house. The landlord said they haven't returned. I searched everywhere nearby, but couldn't find them anywhere."
Chen Xingling frowned, looking at the sky which was getting darker.
"Isn't it too late for Ayi to chase after him? Are you sure he can catch Xiaoxing?"
Gu Qi nodded: "It will only take a few words to catch up."
"That's good." Chen Xingling said, "Let's eat something first and wait and see later."
It should have been a joyful reunion dinner, but everyone felt very nervous during the meal and their appetites were much worse - except for Ying.
After eating his fill, Ying stood up and stretched.
"Ah Xuan, are you full? Let's go! Let's go back!"
Gu Xuan shook his head: "I want to stay and wait for my second brother and his wife."
Ying glanced at her daughter and said unhappily, "When they are hungry, they will come back to eat. They have their own little nest to cook, they won't starve to death!"
Gu Xuan ignored her.
Ying took out a small red envelope from her pocket and stuffed it into the little tiger's pocket: "Grandson, may you become rich and powerful! Grow up quickly!"
"Thank you, grandma." Little Tiger took it swiftly and said with a crisp smile, "Grandma, may you be healthy and live a long life."
Ying exclaimed “Ouch!” twice and finally smiled.
"My eldest grandson is so obedient! I am happy just hearing these words!"
She turned her head and urged her daughter to go back with her.
Gu Xuan shook his head.
Ying was a little impatient, so she turned around, took out a flashlight and went back first.
Chen Xingling and Gu Qi cleaned up the kitchen, told Gu Xuan and Xiao Huzi to stay at home, and then they rode their bicycles out to look for it.
Unexpectedly, just after they went out for a while, Gu Yi and Zhao Xiaoxing came back.
Seeing that they were all fine, Gu Xuan pointed to the kitchen and said, "Brother and sister-in-law came to look for you. They said the food is warm in the steamer and asked you to come back and eat it."
The two were already starving, so they nodded and went to the kitchen.
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