"Let's not talk about these things anymore. Your mother and I are taking the children to buy roast duck."
"You and Xue'er can rest at home. Later tonight, our family will have a good reunion dinner. Tomorrow, we'll prepare properly, and when your sister and brother-in-law return, our family will celebrate it like New Year."
Chen Liming was incredibly excited. During the New Year, everyone else was bringing their grandchildren to pay respects, and the two of them felt so stifled.
Now that their precious grandchildren were finally home, they naturally had to take them out for a good show.
"Alright, I'll tidy up the room."
Chen Yang opened his own room and found that his original 1.2-meter bed had been replaced with a much larger one that could clearly sleep a family of four.
Thinking about the last time he was home, Chen Yang exchanged a glance with Shen Xue for no reason.
That night, the rocking chair swayed, truly memorable.
"Old Zhao, going out?"
"My Yangzi brought two children home. You ask about my daughter-in-law? My daughter-in-law is also here, and she's pregnant again. How can we two old folks manage? Juanzi is also pregnant, and we still have these two little ones to take care of."
Chen Yang heard his mother talking to their neighbor, Aunt Zhao, from inside the room. Her proud tone was such that she didn't fear making others envious.
Indeed, Aunt Zhao, carrying a small cloth bag, was on her way to buy some groceries. She was expecting visitors tomorrow, and the snacks like peanuts and melon seeds she had prepared earlier were all gone.
Seeing the proud expressions on Chen Liming and his wife's faces, she lost her appetite for buying groceries.
"Qin Zhenming, get out here, you bum! Staying home all day and doing nothing productive. Tomorrow, bring the girl Old Zhang introduced to you home for dinner."
"I want to host a feast."
Aunt Zhao's loud voice could be heard by Chen Yang even from inside his room.
"Later, tomorrow, I'll have to avoid Zhenming. Last time, Aunt Zhao was so envious, she'll probably be pushing him to get married and have kids soon."
What else could the grandparents enjoy besides showing off their grandchildren?
Chen Yang and Qin Zhenming had grown up together, and Qin Zhenming was older. Aunt Zhao was naturally anxious.
Chen Yu was doing homework in her room. Chen Yang unpacked his luggage, put his clothes in the closet, and drew some hot water for Shen Xue to wash her face and soak her feet, letting her rest on the bed for a while.
She had woken up early in the morning to catch the bus and was exhausted.
Her body wasn't like it used to be, and she tired more easily now.
Her parents had already prepared the bedding and probably aired it out on a sunny day. There wasn't a hint of mustiness, and it was very warm. His room had also been cleaned thoroughly. Shen Xue fell asleep not long after lying down.
Seeing her asleep, Chen Yang went to the kitchen to process the ingredients he could see.
His mother's cooking, he suspected, could only be appreciated by his father and that girl Chen Yu. Chen Yang felt it would be more reliable to do it himself.
By the time Chen Yang had most of the ingredients processed, the elderly couple returned, happily carrying the two little ones.
The two little ones bounced and hopped all the way, full of energy, showing no signs of having traveled all day.
"Grandpa, Grandpa, can we eat the roast duck now?"
Chen Hao, looking at the brown paper wrapping the roast duck on the table, excitedly rubbed his hands.
The little girl also swallowed hard, having been craving it all the way.
"Haha, we're home. Call your daddy, mommy, and auntie. We can eat now."
The elderly couple couldn't be bothered about whether Chen Yang had prepared dinner. Their two precious grandchildren had been craving it all the way, and if they hadn't had three others waiting at home, they would have opened it up and fed their grandchildren on the way.
"Daddy, Mommy, let's eat roast duck."
"Auntie, Auntie, come eat roast duck quickly."
Upon hearing this, the little girl immediately took her short legs and went to knock on the door.
She couldn't wait any longer.
"You guys eat first, I'll cook."
"Go see if your mother is awake. If not, wake her up. It's almost time for dinner, and Daddy will be done cooking soon."
Chen Yang had already prepared the ingredients and was just waiting to stir-fry them.
By the time Chen Yang brought out six dishes and one soup, the two little ones were already smeared with oil from eating. Shen Xue also had oil on her hands.
"Daddy, I saved you some delicious roast duck meat."
"Come eat the meat, it's so good."
Seeing Chen Yang bring out the dishes, the little girl immediately held up her small bowl, which contained half a bowl of roast duck.
Holding the bowl, the little girl couldn't help but swallow as she looked at the roast duck in it, but she still offered it to her daddy.
"Mwah!"
"You truly are Daddy's thoughtful little cotton-padded jacket."
Chen Yang cupped his daughter's chubby little face and gave her a big kiss.
His daughter had even saved him delicious food, so he was naturally happy.
Chen Yang ate a piece and fed a piece to his daughter. He had eaten roast duck from Jinling many times since he was young, but he had never enjoyed it as much as today.
Chen Yang brought the dishes to the table, and the family continued to eat. The roast duck wasn't much, and with so many people in the family, it was just an appetizer. It was time for dinner.
"Yangyang, we're happy today. Let's have a drink, you and I."
His father, looking at the whole family, especially the two little ones burying their heads in their food, felt immense joy. He directly brought out a jar of wine given to him by his in-laws.
"Okay, Dad. We usually don't drink much. Let's have a good drink today. When my brother-in-law gets back tomorrow, the three of us will drink together."
Chen Yang and Chen Liming had a typical Chinese father-son relationship. They didn't talk much and rarely had heart-to-heart conversations.
Chen Liming always did things silently and spoke little.
Just like last time when Chen Yang was injured and hospitalized, he stayed up all night. He was over fifty years old, yet he refused to squeeze onto the hospital bed to sleep with him.
Chen Yang woke up in the middle of the night to find his father sleeping on his side by his hospital bed. He heard him mumbling sleepily.
"Whoever dares to touch my son, I'll fight them with my life."
Hearing these words, Chen Yang felt as if his heart had been punched.
He looked at his aging father, whose temples were already half-white, lying beside him. Logically, it should be him supporting the family and showing filial piety to his parents, but his father was still thinking of protecting him with his life.
Father's love is like a mountain.
It's just that they are not good at expressing it.
That night, Chen Yang got quite drunk.
Although his parents had specially prepared a big bed this time, he really didn't dare. When drunk, he was afraid of being clumsy. If he accidentally touched Shen Xue, he would have nowhere to find an antidote for regret.
There was no sofa at home, so Chen Yang had to drag his father's rocking chair in and make do for the night.
However, when he woke up in the morning, he was aching all over.
Early the next morning, Chen Yang bought some things and prepared to go to the hospital to visit Zhang Weiyang's father. He didn't bring Shen Xue and the two little ones, as it was inappropriate to visit a patient in the hospital with the whole family.
From his father, Chen Yang had already gotten Zhang Weiyang's ward number. Carrying a bag of pastries to the hospital, he happened to run into Lei Baoguo's girlfriend, Li Jing.
"Comrade Li Jing, we finally meet."
"How are you and Baoguo? This boy hasn't written to me since he returned. I see that after he came back, his heart was entirely focused on you."
Chen Yang teased. Li Jing's face instantly turned red upon hearing this.