Upon arriving at the old house, Yu Wen, holding her child, greeted them at the doorway. Three tables were set with bowls and chopsticks—one on the kang and two on the floor. The Lin family had prepared extra dishes, fearing their in-laws might also visit today.
Having received a generous gift from Nan Sheng after giving birth, Yu Wen had been deeply grateful. Seeing them enter, her attitude was exceptionally warm.
"Second Uncle, Second Aunt, come in quickly and warm up! Da Wa, Qiqi, have you missed your sister-in-law?"
The children weren't interested in much else; they just wanted to see what their little niece looked like. "We have, sister-in-law! Can we see Zhuzhu?"
That's right, this was the name of Lin Sizhong and Wang Yuting's daughter. Her formal name was Lin Zhuzhu, given by Fan Shuting, meaning the precious jewel of her parents.
When Nan Sheng found out, she had laughed, saying the name sounded like "little piggy" and was rather cute.
"Of course you can! Zhuzhu eats and sleeps well, she's so much fun!"
Yuting adored her daughter. The child hadn't given her much trouble during pregnancy, and the birth had been remarkably smooth. In her eyes, the baby was perfect in every way.
Although Yuting didn't mind, Nan Sheng couldn't let the children fuss over the baby recklessly. She held one child in each hand, preventing them from getting too close to Zhuzhu. A baby's immune system is weak, and it would be terrible if she caught a chill and developed a fever.
"Sit still, both of you. Wait until you're warmed up before playing with your little niece. And no loud noises, don't scare the child."
Yuting quickly chimed in that the baby had a strong constitution and wasn't afraid of noise. She was eager for Second Uncle's family to like her daughter. Her mother-in-law was already urging her to have a second child, so it was a relief that others showed no dislike towards the baby, easing her mind somewhat.
After everyone had warmed up on the kang for a while, hot dishes were served. Lin Guozheng ushered everyone to their seats.
Nan Sheng, too lazy to move, said she'd eat on the kang. Mingli, Luo Tong, and Xiao Yi joined her. Lin Han was shooed by her to a floor table to sit with Father Lin, Mother Lin, the Village Chief, and others. The children had their own separate table.
Each table was lively with the buzz of a meal, an atmosphere unique to village gatherings. The tables were laden not only with chicken and fish but also with traditional "kill-the-pig feast" dishes, including spine bones, pork belly, and homemade blood sausage. A bite of the stewed, tenderly soft pickled cabbage was simply intoxicatingly delicious.
By now, the children were eating with their heads down, completely focused.
Just as everyone raised their glasses, there was movement at the door again. It was Sun Qian bringing Siyu over. She settled the child next to Sicheng and then squeezed in beside Lin Jianshe. "I'm late, everyone please continue eating!"
Nan Sheng clearly sensed that Third Brother Lin's mood was off; his attitude towards his wife was quite cold. It was Zhou Wei who got up to fetch Sun Qian a bowl and chopsticks, easing the tension.
The Lin family was exceptionally happy today. No matter how high Lin Han's military rank rose, it felt somewhat distant to them. But Nan Sheng was different—she was a government official.
Before, she had relied on her own temper to avoid being controlled by her in-laws. Now, if anyone tried... Lin Guozheng and his wife practically wanted to enshrine her!
They had killed two chickens today, and the best meat was served on Nan Sheng's kang table. A large chicken leg even sat atop her rice bowl—a blatant show of favoritism. Everyone pretended not to notice, only Mingli couldn't help giving his sister an amused look.
After three rounds of drinks, the food was mostly finished, and everyone was chatting.
This year's harvest in Xiangyang Village was decent. The villagers had emerged from the shadow of the drought, and every household could look forward to a good New Year.
The Village Chief, his face red and neck thick from drink, thumped Lin Han's shoulder heartily, praising, "You lad are really capable! If I had a son as good as you, I'd wake up laughing from dreams."
Lin Guozheng pursed his lips, smiling happily. Eldest Brother Lin and Third Brother Lin also wore expressions of shared pride. It was a good thing for a brother to have prospects; they wouldn't feel unhappy about it.
Lin Han was straightforward. He simply said, "I'm away from home most of the year. I can't compare to eldest brother and sister-in-law, who can usually be filial to our parents at home."
Eldest Brother Lin and his wife beamed at the praise, but Third Brother Lin looked somewhat awkward. "Second Brother, I've come to understand things now too. I know to be filial to our parents. If you don't believe me, just ask!"
This wasn't false. Nowadays, he and his wife managed their money separately. Sometimes when they argued fiercely, he would take his daughter to the old house to eat.
Don't misunderstand—he didn't come for free meals. He usually brought grain, and he would buy meat during festivals.
As for Sun Qian, he wanted to make the marriage work, but every time they reconciled, as soon as his wife thought of her mother, she would become frantic. They had grown accustomed to their fights.
Lin Han shot his younger brother an exasperated look. "Isn't that what you should be doing? Do you expect me to praise you for it?"
"Of course not!" Third Brother Lin replied swiftly, taking an awkward sip of wine. He feared nothing in heaven or earth except his second brother and sister-in-law—that couple really knew how to lay into someone.
He had some pride now; it was better to avoid a beating if possible.
By now, Zhuzhu had woken up. Yuting took her to another room to nurse and change her diaper. After cleaning her up, she brought the baby back to the kang, letting Sizhe and his siblings play with their niece.
The little girl's face was round and tender. Siqi couldn't stop touching it, practically wanting to put the baby's tiny hands and feet in her own mouth.
Since Lin Han had finally returned home, he naturally wanted to have a good chat with his parents and brothers. Nan Sheng took Xiao Yi and the others back to their own home first, as many things couldn't be discussed openly at the old house.
Back at their own home, Nan Sheng peeked into each room and said, "The house has been tidied up quite nicely. Very clean."
Mingli didn't dare take credit. "Before I went to the county town, I gave the key to Auntie Lin. They probably came early this morning to clean up again and even heated the kang."
Nan Sheng invited everyone to sit on the kang. Xiao Yi and Shitou made themselves at home. Luo Tong, feeling shy about taking off her shoes, sat leaning against the wall. Mingli went to wash cups and make tea for everyone.
"Brother Yi, Shitou, how's business been lately?"
Xiao Yi: "Not too good. The government is cracking down too strictly now. My brothers and I are working on edge, not earning as much as before."
Xiao Yi said there was no longer a "black market street" in Huaishan Town, just individual operators working separately, afraid of being rounded up by the authorities in one sweep.
Shitou added, "We're used to this line of work. It's not realistic to just stop and farm the land. Besides, all the brothers under us need to eat."
He and Xiao Yi had saved up a fair amount of money, but the men under them hadn't. Their savings might last a year or two at most; they couldn't just sit idle and exhaust them.
Xiao Yi didn't want Nan Sheng to worry about them. "Let's not talk about those troublesome matters. Sister Nan, we're genuinely happy for you from the bottom of our hearts for rising to your current position. It's just that you're so far away now; meeting up is really difficult!"
Everyone in the room, except for Luo Tong, fondly remembered the days when Nan Sheng was a section officer in town. Those were truly days of being carried to success, full of surprises every day!
