The strong atmosphere of the Spring Festival faded a little. On the morning of the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, the Qi family and Grandpa set off for Haicheng. When saying goodbye, Xu Mengyao deliberately approached Grandpa Qi.
He whispered, "Be more cautious."
Although the words were light, they contained her concern.
After seeing off the Qi family, Grandma Huang prepared to return to the mine. While packing her things, she said to Father Huang:
"Second brother, since we started visiting your second uncle's family last year, we should continue to do so every year. Wenbin has also been discharged from the army this year, so why don't you and your family represent our branch and go to the capital."
Huang's father nodded in agreement. "Okay, I'll apply for annual leave from work right away, and ask Wenbin to see if he can switch routes with a colleague so he can stay in Beijing for two more days."
After listening to Huang Nai's arrangements, Xu Mengyao called Huang Shao:
"Fourth Uncle, my eldest brother has returned from the army. In a couple of days we will go to the capital to pay New Year's greetings to Second Grandma. Can you help me find someone to clean the house in Sanyanjing? We'll be staying there this time."
Huang Shao's cheerful voice came from the other end of the phone:
"Okay, I'm still on a business trip in South Island. I'll help you find someone when I get back tomorrow. I locked the key to your house in the car, so no one else can get in."
After arriving in the capital, the Huang family arrived at Xu Mengyao's courtyard. Wenxia, also a first-time visitor, looked around excitedly, while Huang's father and mother were filled with joy, constantly admiring the layout and exquisite decoration of the house.
Huang Wenbin's eyes were fixed on a white Cadillac parked in the yard. He said excitedly:
"Hey, there's a car, how cool."
Xu Mengyao smiled and asked, "Brother, can you drive?"
Huang Wenbin raised his eyebrows and answered confidently:
"Take out the 'ma'. Don't you know your eldest brother drives a tank? This little car is nothing. We in the army all drive big trucks when we go out."
"That's great. We can drive when we go out next time." Xu Mengyao said with a smile.
Huang Wenbin patted the car door and said with a smug smile:
"No problem, I'll drive wherever you point me. It's guaranteed to be steady."
The whole family went to the second grandfather's house to pay New Year's greetings. As soon as they entered the door, the third aunt greeted Wenxia happily:
"Come here, little hero. Auntie San bought you a lot of clothes. Take a look and see if you like them."
Wenxia ran over and started choosing with a smile on his face.
The second grandfather looked at Huang Wenbin with satisfaction:
"You look like a guy from the army. Are you working now? Do you want to go back to the army?"
Huang Wenbin quickly waved his hand: "No, no, I'm not going back. I work on the railway now, so it's convenient for me to see my family. My grandma is old, and I want to spend more time with her."
Second Grandma interjected, "What a filial child! Don't listen to your Second Grandfather. He's so eager to hand all our children over to the state that I barely get to see them. Come visit us in the capital when you're free."
Second Grandma's words made everyone present laugh, even the usually serious Second Grandpa showed a helpless smile.
Over the next two days, led by Huang Wenrong and Xu Mengyao, the family began their tour of Beijing. They visited Tiananmen Square to witness the solemn flag-raising ceremony, strolled through the Forbidden City, and marveled at the grandeur of the imperial palace. They also visited the Temple of Heaven, where ancient emperors offered sacrifices and prayers.
When I walked to Wangfujing Street, I saw huge Valentine's Day posters.
Huang Wenbin asked in confusion, "What is Valentine's Day on February 14th? I've never heard of it."
Wenxia immediately jumped up and yelled, "I know, I know, it's in Hong Kong TV dramas where you give girls roses on Valentine's Day. Big brother, you're so old-fashioned, huh?"
Xu Mengyao covered her mouth with a smile and explained, "Valentine's Day is a Western holiday, a day when couples and young lovers exchange gifts to express their love. Roses, chocolates, anything is fine, even greeting cards are fine, the key is the thought. Big brother, you should learn this too, it will definitely come in handy when we find a sister-in-law for us in the future."
The family laughed and walked along the street, their eyes drawn to the crowd queuing in front of them.
"Hey, this thing looks so ugly." Huang Wenbin said, pointing at McDonald's huge clown doll.
"It smells so good, second sister, what delicious food is this?" Wenxia sniffed and asked curiously.
"It's Western fast food. Let's go and try it. It's not available anywhere else right now." Xu Mengyao suggested.
Entering the store, there were huge Valentine's Day posters everywhere. Huang's father and mother were dumbfounded by the high prices. Xu Mengyao took the lead in ordering the food. Wenxia chewed the chicken leg with relish, but when she drank the Coke, she frowned and wanted to vomit.
Muttering: "Second sister, this doesn't taste good, it tastes like Chinese medicine."
Xu Mengyao took the Coke from her hand with a smile and comforted her:
"If it doesn't taste good, then don't drink it. It's not a good thing anyway."
Huang's mother kept looking around and said enviously: "The things here are so expensive, and there are so many people queuing up. They are really making money!"
In the evening, my family looked at the scenic spots on the map. They still had one last place left to visit: the Great Wall.
Xu Mengyao immediately said, "You guys go, I won't go. The car is full."
"No, second sister, our teacher said that if you haven't been to the Great Wall, you are not a true man. Why don't you come with us?" Wenxia said
"I'm not a hero to begin with. I won't go. I advise you to wear the shoes you feel most comfortable in tomorrow and make sure you persevere to the end and be a hero."
The next morning, Huang Wenbin drove the rest of the family to the Great Wall. Xu Mengyao slept peacefully until dawn; her feet were sore from all the walking around in the past few days.
She waited until her stomach rumbled before she lazily got up and went out to look for food. She found a noodle shop in a nearby alley, filled her stomach, and was about to return when she saw Huang Shao's car passing by.
"Fourth Uncle, are you here to see my dad?" Xu Mengyao shouted.
Huang Shao heard the voice, stopped the car immediately, rolled down the window and responded:
"Hey, I saw your door was locked and was about to go back. Where did you come from?"
"I had a bowl of noodles up front. My dad and the others went to climb the Great Wall. You wait here." Xu Mengyao walked to the car window and said.
Huang Shao nodded and continued, "I came to see your sister. Zhang Chengli is filming a movie in the south. He said there's a third female role that would suit her well, and he wanted to know if she'd like to go."
After thinking about it, Xu Mengyao shook her head and said, "I probably won't go. We're busy preparing for the exam. You don't know how hard my eldest sister works. She's been keeping a close eye on me. Besides, there's not much time left in these few months. Once she gets into the Film Academy in Beijing, there will definitely be plenty of opportunities in the future."
"Okay, then I'll leave first. I have to fly to South Island in the afternoon." Huang Shao started the car and prepared to leave.
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