Chapter 1296 - 1168: Before the New Year 2

Chapter 1296: Chapter 1168: Before the New Year 2

At the same time, Huang Cuilan had already started walking toward the kitchen. As soon as she moved, Zhang Meili and her sister also pointed Zhou Jiao in that direction.

Zhou Jiao swept a smiling glance over the nieces-in-law present, then supporting her mother‑in‑law, followed right behind.

In the kitchen, Lin Juhua and her younger daughter Mai Qing were busy spinning in circles, one tending the fire, one stir‑frying dishes, steam billowing from the steamer on the stove.

As soon as Huang Cuilan came in she grabbed her, casually took the spoon from her hand, "You go rest a bit, I’ll do it."

Seeing this, Lin Juhua didn’t refuse. When it came down to it, this was her courtyard, and it was more fitting that she, the hostess, handled the arrangements. She herself was only temporarily filling in.

"Mom, should we start eating first?" Lin Juhua pointed at the hot dishes stacked on the table. "Once Eldest Sister‑in‑law finishes over there, everything will be ready."

Mother Zhang turned her head to glance behind her. With so many people they really couldn’t all squeeze into the kitchen. She nodded happily and took the opportunity to pull Zhou Jiao along.

This blatant favoritism made Zhou Jiao a little embarrassed; she quickly called the two nuns to come along as well. Originally she’d wanted to bring the nieces‑in‑law too.

After all, nieces‑in‑law weren’t the same as nieces‑in‑law from the paternal side; they were honored guests. Unfortunately there was no one free at the moment to introduce her, and she couldn’t very well call all the younger generation away and leave just the two sisters‑in‑law.

"Grandma, I’m back!"

With a shout, another couple came in through the courtyard gate, each holding a child by the hand.

Zhou Jiao looked closely and saw it was the eldest branch’s Mai Miao.

"Little Auntie, you finally came back." Mai Miao shook off her son’s hand and ran happily over to her. "I actually wanted to come last night, but I just couldn’t get away."

"Careful, don’t fall." Zhou Jiao took her hand and looked at the niece’s husband behind her. "This is your husband? Nice young man, looks sharp."

Dong Zhichao didn’t dare follow his wife in calling her Little Auntie. Grabbing the other son who was about to run off, he looked at her with a smile and said, "Hello, Little Aunt. We actually wanted to come last night, but I had to work overtime at the last minute and didn’t dare let Mai Miao go out alone."

With those words, Zhou Jiao’s impression of him improved even more. A man who cherishes his wife is a good man. She immediately smiled and said, "We’re all family, no need to be so formal."

"Okay." Dong Zhichao lowered his head and said to his sons, "Xiao Yi, Little Wei, call Third Grandma."

"Do you have candy?"

The child’s question made everyone present burst out laughing.

Zhang Guoqing was just leading his older brother and brother‑in‑law through the gate. Hearing this, he laughed and said, "You little rascal, hurry up and call. However much candy you want, Third Grandma has it."

"Little Uncle."

Zhang Guoqing nodded to Dong Zhichao, then scooped up the questioning Little Wei in one arm and tapped his little mouth. "Want candied haw berries? Call her and you’ll get some."

Five‑year‑old little boys are the funniest when they’re still a bit clueless. His little head kept swiveling around, his eyes searching for candied haw, "Not here, not here."

Zhang Guoqing chuckled and bounced the child up and down. "This kid’s smart, the type who doesn’t suffer losses. In a bit it won’t just be you, everyone will get some."

Mother Zhang was so amused she kept laughing, giving him a light smack. "If you make him cry you’ll have to coax him. Get inside, there’s candy in the house."

"Mom, there really is." Zhang Guoqing handed the child back to Dong Zhichao. "Old Fifth, run home once and tell your brothers to speed up."

May 1st nodded and turned to leave.

Mother Zhang immediately called out, "Eat first, then talk about it."

May 1st slowed his pace and waved to her. "Grandma, it’s just a few steps. I’ll be back soon."

As soon as he stepped out of the old courtyard, he saw in the near distance Xi Zi and Zhang Ziwen carrying enamel basins steaming with heat, buckets of water dangling from their hands, heading right toward him.

He glanced past them in the direction of his own courtyard and raised an eyebrow.

—They really did bring the whole pot over!

"May 1st, Ping’an and the others will be here soon. You must be starving, huh?"

"No." May 1st smiled at Xi Zi and the others, reaching out his hand. "Let me carry those."

"No need! You guys already handled the earlier steps; the rest is our job. How come you didn’t stay a bit in the provincial city this time? We were planning to come back together with you."

At that, May 1st immediately pulled his hand back, smiling without committing himself either way. "My dad was anxious to see Grandpa and Grandma. You go ahead, I’m going home to grab something."

Zhang Ziwen hurriedly asked, "Grab what? Is it liquor? Don’t bother, we already brought several bottles, enough for everyone to drink tonight."

"No, just getting some snacks for the kids."

Back home, May 1st didn’t rush to the old courtyard right away. When he reached the back, he saw his two older brothers and Xiao Zhu and Xiao Liu still tossing meat into the pot.

"How come you’re back?"

"Sigh... Gotta bring some stuff over." May 1st stretched his neck to peek into the pot. "Dad said we should hurry over. What are you doing, worried there isn’t enough?"

"We don’t get to eat any ourselves?"

Hearing Liu Yi say that, May 1st blinked. His little brother’s resentment seemed pretty strong. He jabbed Ping’an with his elbow: Who ticked off the kid just now?

Ping’an gave a slight shake of his head. Who’d dare offend the three of them? It’s just that sometimes the tone those few use when they talk is inexplicably unpleasant to hear.

For example, when Zhang Ziwu found out the three brothers were distributing the game to people in the village today, he came out with, "You guys must be bored out of your minds. Wouldn’t it be better to treat us instead?"

And then there’s Zhang Mingyuan, who really thinks he’s the eldest, bossing this person and that person around, and before leaving he even tossed out, "Hurry up and finish packing, then get over there."

The two of them had grown up to this point—you couldn’t say they walked sideways in Beijing, but honestly no one had ever dared use that tone to mock them, to order them around.

What grated was exactly that.

If it had been someone else, he’d have slapped them long ago. But because of this flimsy blood tie, they still had to keep up the appearance of harmony.

And this sort of small matter isn’t something you can put into words. If they really made an issue of it, the three brothers would look petty. The truth is they’re just not the same kind of people; better to spend less time mixed together.

Even though Ping’an hadn’t spoken, the flash of anger in his eyes wasn’t something May 1st could misread. He narrowed his own eyes at once, more or less figuring out whose mouth stank again.

Looks like it would be best to keep a distance from these people.

May 1st let out a sarcastic laugh, thinking to himself that he’d clearly been wrong last summer when they came back and then helped them make money. Getting greedy, huh?

No wonder that whenever he said Grandpa wanted the three of them to look after their cousins a bit, or that Second Uncle was really good to the three of them, his mom would always give him a meaningful little smile.

—Wasn’t that just laughing at how naive he was!

May 1st turned around in frustration to look toward the old courtyard.

With outsiders around now, he couldn’t exactly start interrogating people. Hopefully those guys hadn’t gone too far, or else even if he couldn’t blow up at them now, hitting them with something on their way out would still be no problem.

"What was Mom doing when you came over?"

As soon as May 1st heard Liu Yi ask that, worthy of being a twin, he answered right away, "Chatting with everyone, saying they were about to eat. Second Aunt and the others are busy in the kitchen."

At that, Liu Yi stopped what he was doing, clapped his hands clean, and was the first to leave the backyard. If he went late, who knew if his mom might get bullied?

If you ask him, none of those people are any good!