Chapter 317 - 315: New Year’s Visit

Chapter 317: Chapter 315: New Year’s Visit

The Zhang family had called ahead before their visit. The Shao family clearly considered their arrival a significant event, so today, the entire Shao family had deliberately stayed home. They even warmly invited the Zhang family to stay for lunch.

It wasn’t lunchtime yet, and the people talking in the living room had split into three groups.

One group, naturally, was led by Mr. Shao, with Shao Qingfeng and Shao Qingyang accompanying him. They sat with Zhang Dazhuang, Zhang Wei Qiang, Song Yong, and the other men, discussing matters of state and family. The atmosphere was a bit serious and formal.

Another group consisted of Shao Zhiheng chatting with Zhang Su and Zhang Kai. Although Shao Zhiheng was a few years younger than Zhang Su and Zhang Kai, it was clear that his extraordinary family background and upbringing had given him a breadth of perspective and knowledge far beyond that of his peers. So this year, he seemed to have shed his childishness, appearing mature and steady like his father. The three of them not only got along well as they chatted, but they also found they had quite a bit in common, and their conversation was lively and enthusiastic.

The last group consisted of Gu Nuan Nuan, Zhang Minzhen, Lin Qin, and Wen Xiu, who were being entertained by Mu Xin. She was the sole hostess of the Shao family, the beloved wife of Shao Qingfeng, and the future First Lady of the Alliance.

Mu Xin herself came from an extraordinary family. The education she received from a young age made her particularly eloquent and adept at handling social situations. She was grateful to the Zhang family from the bottom of her heart, as they had saved her son and father-in-law. This feeling intensified when she learned that Zhang Wei Qiang was not only their family’s great benefactor but had also saved her own father’s life. This made her feel especially emotional and added an extra layer of warmth to her interactions with the Zhang family.

At that moment, she glanced at Gu Nuan Nuan, who was sitting quietly with her eyes lowered, looking exceptionally well-behaved and serene. She then turned to the other women with a smile tinged with envy and a hint of regret, sighing, "A well-behaved child like Nuannuan—it’s impossible not to adore her. Compared to boys, I really do think girls are more lovable. For years, I’ve wanted to have a daughter, but sadly, I haven’t been able to conceive since having Zhiheng."

"How could that be? Have you seen a doctor?" Wen Xiu asked with concern.

"It’s a long story." Mu Xin shook her head with a wry smile, clearly unwilling to elaborate. She continued, "Sometimes I seriously consider just going to an orphanage and adopting a girl. But after thinking it over, I always decide against it. The responsibility of raising a child is just too great. I still lose my patience with Zhiheng from time to time. With your own child, you can scold them or give them a little smack, and it’s forgotten afterward. But with an adopted child, I’d have reservations. I’d worry that if she ever found out about her origins, she’d overthink things, remembering the times I might have disciplined her. Plus, I’m so busy with work now, I’m afraid my enthusiasm for a young child might only last a few minutes. Wouldn’t that be even more irresponsible to the child?"

"You’re right. Raising children, especially little ones, is no easy task." Seeing that Mu Xin didn’t want to elaborate, Wen Xiu naturally didn’t press the topic.

"Exactly. I’ve always felt that girls are more thoughtful, but if I had to deal with such a small child again, I think it would be a real struggle for me too."

Lin Qin nodded with a laugh. "Unless a child is as sensible as our Nuannuan, to the point where it makes your heart ache for them, they can really test your patience sometimes. A few smacks and a good scolding are unavoidable. Take me, for example—I have a pretty good temper, right? But my two little rascals still got their fair share of spankings when they were young."

"Oh, honestly, you should be a little more modest," Zhang Minzhen couldn’t help but facepalm as she listened to Lin Qin. "You shouldn’t praise Nuannuan like that in front of everyone. It’s like you’re blowing your own horn. It’s fine here with Sister Xin, but if other people heard you, wouldn’t they secretly laugh at us?"

"I already said it’s perfectly fine with me. Besides, what’s wrong with praising a good child?" Mu Xin chimed in with a laugh.

The subject of the praise, Gu Nuan Nuan, offered everyone a faint, timely smile and continued to sit quietly, pretending to listen to their conversation without saying a word. The others paid her no mind, and after a few laughs, they moved on to other topics.

In reality, Gu Nuan Nuan’s mind was wandering.

The Lunar New Year didn’t bring her any particular joy. In fact, she would have preferred to skip the lively holiday altogether. Back in Zhang Family Village, after paying New Year’s respects to the few clan elders who required a personal visit and making a trip to the Gu Family to see her grandfather, she spent nearly all her time cooped up alone in her room. She turned down most invitations from other children her age. The Zhang family had long since grown accustomed to this.

At first, when they saw Gu Nuan Nuan act this way during the New Year, they had tried to correct her behavior. ’What child doesn’t love the excitement of the New Year?’ they thought, and went to great lengths to get her to come out and join the festivities. However, they discovered that while Gu Nuan Nuan would obediently come out and play along, and even had a smile on her face, it was obvious she wasn’t genuinely happy. It felt more like she was just humoring them. So, even though they still didn’t understand why Gu Nuan Nuan became like this every New Year, no one had the heart to force her anymore.

This was why the Zhang family paid no mind to Gu Nuan Nuan’s unusually withdrawn behavior at the Shao residence. Mu Xin, on the other hand, hadn’t seen what Gu Nuan Nuan was normally like. She simply assumed this was the girl’s natural disposition, thinking, ’It’s normal for a girl of about ten to be this quiet.’ Therefore, she didn’t sense anything was amiss.

In truth, Gu Nuan Nuan’s dislike for the New Year wasn’t because she had experienced too many of them and grown numb.

To be honest, the New Year celebrations of this era still had a much stronger festive atmosphere compared to later generations. This was especially true in Zhang Family Village. As soon as the holiday arrived, the village would be decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, and the sound of firecrackers was nearly constant. Because of the presence of people like Gu Nuan Nuan, Zhang Wei Qiang, and Zhang Dazhuang, their prosperity was the first to benefit the local community. They didn’t just hand out money to the clan; they provided benefits like educational support, road construction, and other aid designed to help people become self-sufficient. As a result, almost every household in Zhang Family Village now had a decent income, a stark contrast to a few years ago. The better-off families who worked with the Zhang family earned enough in a year to make city dwellers envious.

With rare leisure time and money in their pockets, everyone in Zhang Family Village, young and old, was full of holiday cheer. They wore new clothes, and their pockets were invariably stuffed with snacks like peanuts, sunflower seeds, candies, and dried longans. Some played cards, while others went visiting or gathered in groups to chat.

Even the children were more lively than usual. With contented smiles on their faces, they clutched their New Year’s money—a few dimes here and there—and raced each other to the village supply and marketing co-op. During this time, adults were at their most indulgent and generally wouldn’t scold the children for being mischievous. Unless they caused some major trouble, the adults, enjoying their rare break, would smile and treat them with the greatest patience and tolerance of the year.

But Gu Nuan Nuan was afraid of this lively atmosphere. Especially when she saw those carefree children, her heart would inevitably clench with a pain so sharp it felt like she couldn’t breathe.

Fortunately, because they had to go to Beijing for New Year’s visits, the Zhang family wouldn’t be staying in Zhang Family Village for long. This was a true relief to her.

When it was time for the meal, the Zhang family had lunch at the Shao residence. After they finished their tea and continued chatting for a while, they were just about to get up and take their leave when the Shao family’s telephone began to ring frantically. Shao Qingfeng, who was closest to the phone, answered it casually. The smile on his face suddenly froze. "Alright. We’ll be right there."