Chapter 261: Prosperity 261 Previous Chapter Contents Next Chapter  Nineteen seventy-seven, February 5th in the Gregorian calendar, the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month.

Tomorrow is New Year's Eve. Gu Qingqing is packing her things today, preparing to return to Datunzi Village in Yancheng to celebrate the New Year.

"This dress is what Tuantuan and Nian Nian wore when they were little." Gu Qinglie held his little nephew in his arms and watched his sister take out some doll clothes from the closet.

"Right," Gu Qingqing looked carefully, "some were given by the sisters-in-law on the island, and some were given by the sisters-in-law in the military dependents' quarters."

"There are quite a lot. You can't even fit them all in." Gu Qinglie put Xiao Xingxing on the bed and let him crawl by himself.

The little guy is almost one year old. The nickname given to him by Nian Nian is "Xingxing", because his brother's name contains the character "Xing" (star), so he is called "Xingxing".

Tuantuan also gave his sister a nickname, Jiaojiao.

It means scorching sun.

"I'm going to keep all the clothes that Xiao Xingxing and Jiaojiao can't wear anymore, and they will be used by your and Big Brother's children in the future."

"I don't know when that will be." Gu Qinglie was wearing long-sleeved home clothes. There was a charcoal stove in the room, so it wasn't cold. He was cold-resistant and could run around in thin clothes.

"But my brother may get there earlier than me." He chuckled.

It's the end of the year and there's nothing to do. Xiao Xiao has been running here often following Gu Canyang recently. Knowing that they were going back to Yancheng, she wanted to go with them to play, but was stopped by Aunt Xiao.

The other party hasn't given in yet, and this is not a good thing to do without any status.

Girls should be more reserved.

Gu Qingqing looked back at the man sitting beside the bed, "What about you?"

"I" Gu Qinglie scratched his head "Maybe I need to ask the organization for help to solve it."

Gu Qingqing was speechless.

"A company commander has many people helping to introduce you to someone else. You've become a deputy regiment commander, why are you still like this?" She was a little dissatisfied. "Stop hanging out with Zhao all the time. You two both say you want to find a wife, but you're not willing to put in the effort. You're so gentle and lovely. It's good enough that a girl likes you two."

In fact, with their conditions, there are a lot of people willing to introduce them. Some sisters-in-law in the military family compound even asked her for information about this matter. When she asked Gu Qinglie if he wanted to meet him, well, he didn't care at all.

However, Gu Jianguo and Gu Weidong are already dating. One was introduced by the sister-in-law of the military family compound, and the other was introduced by the quartermaster of their cafeteria.

Gu Qingqing felt that good things were about to happen, and they would go back together this year, but the two girls also had to spend the New Year at home and could not join them.

Gu Jianguo and his friends also wanted to ask their elders what they should prepare when visiting the girl's parents, and then have the two families meet to finalize the matter.

"My godfather told me some time ago that he might go to the capital soon. I can go there to see if there are any suitable girls." Gu Qinglie pulled down his nephew's trouser legs to prevent him from catching a cold.

The toy in the little guy's hand is a Luban lock. He doesn't want the duck and only likes this kind of wooden strips, which he tore into pieces.

"Hmm," Gu Qingqing paused while folding clothes, "A Sui will go to the capital to study in high school with his godfather after the Chinese New Year, and we will go with him."

沈绥年前读完初二，要升高中了。

Gu Qingqing was actually a little worried about letting him and his godfather go first.

"It may be a little later." Gu Qinglie sat sideways and leaned against the head of the bed. "Godfather said he will make arrangements over there and wait for us."

"Oh." Gu Qingqing took out the clothes that the two little ones were going to wear, and stuffed the rest back in. She also brought a lot of diapers. "I hope to get some definite news soon. Asui has never left us alone."

"He will be sixteen after the Chinese New Year. He is taller than you now. Just relax and don't keep him around all the time. Boys need to be tempered." Gu Qinglie rubbed his nose. "Don't always treat him as a child."

“I know.”

The brother and sister were talking upstairs, Tuantuan and Niannian were playing alone downstairs, and Xiaoxu went to drive the car, saying that they would wait for them at the gate of the military family compound.

Chu Yuan and Old Qin packed their clothes, and Qin Zhou took a few books, so there was nothing else to take.

"You haven't been to Datunzi Village yet. If you go there, you will definitely not want to leave." Chu Yuan said calmly while holding an enamel cup and crossing his legs.

Qin Zhou seemed to see the former leader of the soldiers again. He smiled but said nothing.

Half an hour later, Chu Dai came back after completing the vehicle registration and picked up the little girl sitting on the floor. "Where's my mother?"

"It's upstairs."

"Don't sit on the ground. It's cold. If you catch a cold, you'll get scolded. Don't blame me for not reminding you then."

"I know, Daddy." The little guy climbed onto the sofa obediently and smiled sweetly.

The man nodded and greeted the two elders, then strode upstairs.

Gu Qingqing had almost finished packing the clothes, and asked Goudan, "Have you finished picking up your clothes?"

"Big brother and Lao Chu brought them, so I'll wear them. If it doesn't work, there are still so many brothers at home."

Gu Qingqing was just about to say that you might not be able to fit into your elder brother and Chu Dai's clothes, but your cousin Gu Xiong is of similar build to him, also tall and strong, so she didn't say anything.

Gu Qinglie is a lazy person and doesn't want to carry anything wherever he goes.

"Are you ready?" The man stood at the door, looked at his watch, and asked them with a smile.

"Okay, okay, you carry the things down." Gu Qingqing sorted out two large bags, and then said to Gu Qinglie, "Goudan, hold the baby."

"Okay."

The family closed the gate and walked out in a mighty procession.

When he met an acquaintance, Chu Yuan greeted him warmly, "Old Chu, my wife has gone back to her parents' home again. I have to spend the New Year alone again."

"Lao Xiao, didn't your daughter say she wanted to go back with us?"

Xiao Hui turned around and walked into the yard.

They had a good relationship in private, so Chu Yuan didn't care much about it.

"Be restrained." Qin Zhou reminded him.

Chu Yuan put his hands behind his back and walked forward slowly.

There were so many people that they needed two cars. Xiao Xu drove over, but did not go back with them.

Chu Yuan gave him leave and allowed him to go home to visit his family.

Chu Dai drove one car, Gu Canyang drove another, Gu Qingqing took Tuantuan and Nian Nian in the car driven by her eldest brother, and Sanzai and his sister followed his grandfather in his father's car.

"Uncle, are we going back to grandma's house?" Xiao Niannian sat on Gu Qinglie's lap and leaned on the car window to look out.

"Yes, do you miss your grandparents?" Gu Qinglie hooked his fingers around the longevity lock on his neck and shook it slowly, making a jingling sound.

"Yes." His big eyes were clear and he looked at his uncle seriously.

Gu Qingqing, who was sitting in the front, exposed him without hesitation, "How old were you when you last went to your grandmother's house? How old were you then? You could remember things at that time?" They didn't go back for the New Year last year.

Tuantuan just turned three years old, and I haven’t been back for almost two years.

The little guy hid in his uncle's arms and laughed embarrassedly.

Gu Qingqing felt helpless.

Gu Jianguo, Gu Weidong and Gu Qinglie were sitting in the back. Tuantuan fell asleep in Gu Jianguo's arms. Xiao Niannian was making a lot of noise and crawling all over his uncles.

We arrived in Yancheng at around 2:00 p.m.

Chu Dai stopped and waited for them in front.

沈绥还是有些晕车，下车蹲在路边透气。

"Have a drink of water." The man handed him a military green kettle.

“嗯。”沈绥接过水壶，慢慢喝了两口，稍微缓解了些。

Chu Yuan, who was sitting in the car, saw him like this through the car window and asked Qin Lao beside him, "This child is a little weak."

Qin Zhou nodded. "It's definitely not comparable to someone like you who is used to riding a horse."

Chu Yuan glanced at him and said, "I didn't say anything else. Why are you so protective of your students?"

Qin Zhou held the little butt of the third child in his arms with his palm, "When it comes to protecting one's shortcomings, who can compare to you?"

Not long after, Gu Canyang and his group's car arrived, and Chu Dai leaned against the car door waiting for them to stop.

Gu Qingqing got out of the car and asked him "Why don't you leave?"

"Are you hungry?" The man took out a candy from his pocket, peeled it and stuffed it into her mouth. "Do you want to go to the restaurant and eat before going back?"

It was already past two o'clock, and the Gu family had passed lunch time. Moreover, they did not send a telegram in advance when they came back this time.

Gu Qingqing put the tip of her tongue against the candy and swirl it around in her mouth. It tasted sweet.

"No, there's food in the car. Let's go back first. It won't be long."

Just let your family prepare the meal when you get home.

She really couldn't wait to see her grandma and the others.

"Okay," the man chuckled, "I'll listen to you."

It was almost three o'clock when they arrived at the entrance of Datunzi Village.

Someone saw the license plate from Nanyang and recognized them. They ran towards the Gu family yard, shouting, "Captain, your son-in-law is back. Old Gu, come out and pick up your daughter."

His loud voice alarmed half of the village, and soon everyone in the Gu family gathered around. After seeing the car at the entrance of the village, they hurried to pick up the things and carry the person.

"Our Dabao and Xiaobao are already this big." Sun Shufen held the hands of her two great-grandchildren, her eyes warmed, "My dear nephews, you haven't had lunch yet, let's go home and eat."

"Yes, yes, yes, go home quickly, it's cold outside." Gu Tiezhu turned his head and shouted, "Old Third, go back and cook. Don't we have some meat prepared for the New Year at home? Cook it all?"

Gu Jin and Shi Rushuang surrounded their two youngest nephews, hugged them and kissed them non-stop, calling them "good darlings, my sweethearts."

Gu Qingqing was ignored.

Gu Jianguo and Gu Weidong are back. Han Lianxin and Zhang Yuqing are very happy. It took two years for these two guys to come back. "I don't know if they often write letters home or send telegrams. Are the two girls Qingqing mentioned last time real?"

"Yes, yes, yes." Gu Jianguo sighed, "Can you let me go home and drink some water first? I'll tell you later."

"Okay, let's go back."

The whole family carried their things and took their babies back to the Gu family yard. The cousins from the Gu family, Gu Tiechui and Gu Tieshi, also followed them back.

They haven't met their two little nephews, Xinglan and Shuyue.

The Gu family's yard was particularly lively, with constant laughter and chattering. Afraid that the children would be hungry, Gu Cai first steamed some minced meat and egg custard for them.

It just so happened that the team went to the pond to clean and divide the fish yesterday, and we were able to make some fish paste to make fish balls. I heard that Tuantuan Niannian loves to eat them.

Gu Qingqing sat in the living room, warming herself by the fire and watching TV, chatting with Qin Li and Sun Yuanyuan about recent developments.

The men were already drinking, having just warmed up the wine on the stove. I don't know what they were talking about so happily.

Chapter 262: Prosperity 262 Previous Chapter Contents Next Chapter  Gu Qingqing was a little worried that her godfather might not be used to it since it was his first time here, but when she saw him holding a wine glass and talking to Gu Tiezhu beside him with a smile on his face, she silently withdrew her gaze.

"Qingqing, eat some dried sweet potatoes." Qin Li pushed the enamel plate in front of her. "Why didn't you send a telegram before you came back this time? We could have cooked in advance and waited at home. You see, you can only go hungry now."

"Goudan said he wanted to give you a surprise, so we brought a lot of pastries to fill our stomachs on the road, so you won't be hungry."

"Where are Xiaoping and Xiaoan?" she asked.

Gu Ping and Gu An are the children of his uncle Gu Bao and his eldest cousin Gu Xiong. They are both over one year old and their birth date is approaching, but Gu Qingqing has never seen them.

"They're taking a nap. These two troublemakers only quiet down at noon." Sun Yuanyuan sat next to her and used tongs to pick up a sweet potato and roast it next to the charcoal stove. "Why do Tuan Tuan and Nian Nian look so similar, but Xiao Xing Xing and Jiao Jiao don't look alike at all?"

"I don't know either." Gu Qingqing held a cup of hot tea in her left hand and chewed a piece of dried sweet potato in her right hand. "They say that Xiao Xingxing looks like my eldest brother, Tuan Tuan Niannian looks like Chu Dai, and Jiaojiao looks like me and my second brother."

"Yes, Jiaojiao looks more like you." Qin Li also went over to take a look at the fourth-generation girl of the Gu family. Her willow-shaped eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes are exactly like Qingqing. Moreover, she grins when she sees people, with curved eyebrows and eyes. She is so adorable.

Now elders like Zhang Cuifen and Han Lianxin are all vying to hold her in their arms, calling her their darling.

Little Xingxing fell asleep in her uncle's arms. Gu Canyang held her in his arms because he was afraid that she would roll off the bed or catch a cold if no one was watching her in the room.

There was a charcoal stove next to his legs, so he wasn't cold.

"Take this and cover the little star." Shi Rushang found the quilt that Tuan Tuan and Nian Nian used when they were little from the closet in Gu Qingqing's room, shook it open and handed it to Gu Qinglie.

Gu Canyang sat in the innermost part. The group of men in the house surrounded her and she couldn't get in.

Gu Qinglie was dancing and talking about watching gorillas in Nanyang Park when his mother slapped him on the back of his head and said, "I told you to cover your nephew with the blanket. Are you deaf?"

"Hey hey" Gu Qinglie shrank his head and looked back, meeting his mother's angry face. He quickly took the blanket and said flatteringly, "I was wrong, mother."

Shi Rushuang glared at him unhappily.

Both the brother and sister are the same. When you are about to lose your temper, they will always admit their mistakes quickly, leaving you speechless.

"It's time to eat. Someone come and serve the dishes. Abao, go to the kitchen and get the bowls and chopsticks." There were quite a lot of people returning from Nanyang this time, more than a dozen.

The house immediately became lively. The Gu family had many male members to begin with, and now the atmosphere was even more lively with everyone chattering.

"Here I am, brother." Gu Bao rubbed his hands and stood up. "Qingqingbao, stop chewing the dried sweet potatoes, or you won't be able to eat again."

"I know." Gu Qingqing finished her last bite and wanted to go to the kitchen to help, but Sun Yuanyuan stopped her and said, "Just let them do their work. There are so many laborers at home, you don't need to move."

After marrying into the Gu family, she really lived a comfortable life. Usually, the heavy physical work in the fields was done by men, and they only had to do some light work, and the family did not lack these work points.

Her mother-in-law treated her very well. She didn't secretly put pressure on her, nor did she secretly save meat and eggs for her sons for fear that they would eat them. She finally understood why the Gu family could raise a girl like Qingqing.

Gu Qingqing didn't think much about it and sat down again. "Sister Yuanyuan, are Brother Mengnan and the others still in the village?" She didn't know any of this.

Normally, letters from home would not mention these things. They would just talk about trivial matters at home and remind her to take good care of the children, pay more attention to her health, and ask her brothers for help if there were any problems, instead of carrying them all alone.

"Yes, yes, many aunts want to introduce them to potential partners, especially Aunt Guihua, who is so active in her thinking." Sun Yuanyuan couldn't help laughing. "She has found out who has girls of the right age in our production team and the Red Flag and Red Star production team next door."

"Does Brother Meng Nan have a girlfriend?" Gu Qingqing's curiosity was piqued again. Meng Nan, Zhang Qing, and Yu Chengfeng, the three educated youth, came to the countryside with Sun Yuanyuan. They won the recognition of the villagers because they helped the production team plant medicinal herbs and fruit trees to improve the collective economy.

Now the villagers of Datunzi Village and Dagouzi Village treat them as their own people.

"Not yet," Sun Yuanyuan thought that this was her home, so she didn't lower her voice. "They will be transferred to the county's agricultural science institute in a while, so they may not date here anymore."

They had all received the quota to return to the city before, but because the medicinal herbs were still being planted and they were needed to take care of the deworming of economic crops such as ramie, their hearts were tied to this place, so they did not go back.

The production team reported their contributions to the commune, which in turn reported to the higher levels, and finally the province praised them highly. Newspapers also used them as an example, calling on the majority of educated young people to learn from their spirit of hard work and taking root in the countryside.

Gu Qingqing thought about it for a moment and understood that Brother Meng Nan and the others were all capable, and the county also hoped that they could make more contributions and produce more model advanced teams like the Invincible Production Team.

After dinner, Gu Qingqing took her youngest son from her eldest brother, and Chu Dai took her daughter from her mother-in-law, and the couple went upstairs together.

Tuan Tuan and Nian Nian had a lot of fun. Gu Ping and Gu An woke up and wanted to take them to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy firecrackers.

Gu Qingqing did not stop them. There was nothing to worry about in Datunzi Village. She gave them some money and asked the two brothers to keep an eye on the children and keep them safe.

Shen Sui had gone upstairs to sleep a long time ago. The two elders and Gu Tiezhu were chatting very happily. Chu Yuan was also very familiar with this place and insisted on taking Old Qin out for a walk.

Old Qin was also surprised to see that every household here had a two-story building. He also wanted to know more about this invincible production team that he had seen in the newspaper.

Anyway, they don't need Gu Qingqing to worry about them.

When she went upstairs, she told Chu Dai about Meng Nan and the others, "With the abilities of Brother Meng Nan and the others, their future is definitely bright."

The man nodded and said, "They still have a long way to go in the future. I am also quite surprised that people of their age can settle down in the countryside for so long and even give up the opportunity to return to the city." Chu Dai was deeply impressed by Meng Nan and his friends.

Those educated youth were about the same age as him, only two or three years older at most. When he first arrived in Datunzi Village and saw them, he thought they were from the same village at first glance, but their temperament was slightly different from that of the others.

Once you go to the Agricultural Science Institute, as long as you concentrate on research, you will definitely move up in the future. Youth and strength are their assets.

As they were talking, they arrived outside the bedroom door. The man raised his leg and pushed it open with his knee. Gu Qingqing went in first, holding the child.

Rushuang had already laid out the sheets and bedding. The quilt was more than two meters long, and twelve kilograms of cotton was used when it was made.

She lifted the quilt and put her youngest son on the bed first. She bent down to unwrap the quilt and took off his sweater and jacket.

Chu Dai stood by the bed holding his daughter, watching her delicate and gentle movements, with a smile unconsciously in his eyes.

When I first met her, I really couldn't imagine that she would have such a gentle side. I always felt that her personality was more similar to Goudan.

Carefree, casual and innocent.

"What are you looking at?" Gu Qingqing glanced at him sideways, "Let Jiaojiao go."

The brother and sister slept side by side, and Chu Dai tucked in the corners of the quilt.

Gu Qingqing stared at the brother and sister's faces for a long time, and suddenly said, "I find that they really don't look alike at all."

Chu Dai couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. "Sanzai looks like the eldest brother, Jiaojiao looks like you and Goudan, they don't look alike at all, so why are you and Goudan related to Gousheng?"

Gu Qingqing said seriously, "Because Xiao Xingxing and Jiaojiao have your Chu family's genes, which neutralizes the fact that Goudan and I are like big brothers."

"Okay, you're right." The man didn't argue with her. He took off the watch on his hand and put it on the bedside table next to him. He took out pajamas from his luggage bag, unbuttoned his coat and put them on.

"Get some sleep. My uncle said we can have dinner later in the evening, so there's no need to get up in a hurry." They didn't finish their meal until around four o'clock, so the Gu family moved the dinner time to around seven o'clock.

During this period, Gu Cai happened to go out to purchase some ingredients for the New Year.

There was enough fish and meat, and everyone in the team got some. Gu Xiong couldn't sit still, so he took his younger brothers to the mountain behind the educated youth site to dig bamboo shoots. There were many winter bamboo shoots in the bamboo forest.

It is especially fragrant when used to stir-fry bacon.

Gu Yuanchao knew that his sister loved to eat river shrimps, so he and Gu Bao went to the river with a cage. They should have a good harvest tomorrow morning.

Chu Dai originally wanted to go and take a look, but he was indeed a little tired, so he decided to go tomorrow.

Gu Qingqing was embarrassed to change clothes in front of him, so she went to the bathroom next door. She came back five minutes later, closed the door, and climbed into bed.

I don’t know why, but men’s bodies are always hot. In just a few minutes, the quilt was warmed up by him.

The two children slept against the wall, Gu Qingqing slept in the middle, and the man slept outside.

She subconsciously moved closer to the heat source and nestled in the man's arms.

Chu Dai lay on his side, with his right hand behind his head and his left hand around her waist. "Go to sleep, wife." His voice was low and deep, with a hint of coaxing her to sleep.

Gu Qingqing's eyelids were twitching and she rubbed her head against the man's neck. He patted the woman's back from time to time, and soon she could hear steady breathing.

He bent down and kissed the tip of the little woman's nose, and then he slowly closed his eyes.

"Squeak" the door was gently pushed open a crack, two little heads lay on the door frame, looked out for a while, and then walked quietly to the bed.

"Brother" Niannian was about to speak, but Tuantuan covered his mouth and said, "Don't wake up your younger brothers and sisters. Jiaojiao cries the easiest." It was very annoying.

"Hmm" Nian Nian nodded his little head, signaling his brother to let go, he understood.

The two little guys took off their coats by themselves, put on their underwear, and climbed straight onto the bed without taking off their socks.

Seeing that their father and mother could no longer sleep on their side, they crawled to the other side and used their coats as pillows. The brothers had short legs to begin with, so they could sleep along the gap.

Chu Dai noticed something was pushing at the quilt. Just as he opened his eyes, a pair of small feet placed on his legs and then kicked him hard.

The man paused for a while, looking at the little woman sleeping in his arms, patiently suppressing his anger, "Chu Lieying, if you move again, you will sleep with your second uncle tonight."

Chapter 263: Prosperity 263 Previous Chapter Contents Next Chapter  The little guy tensed up and didn't dare to move.

After a while, he tentatively moved his numb feet and gently pushed the half-asleep Tuan Tuan next to him, "Brother."

Tuantuan opened his eyes and looked at him in confusion.

"My feet are cold." His voice was soft and a little aggrieved.

There was no charcoal stove in the room, and he hadn't moved at all, so his feet were cold and numb.

"My feet are cold too. Go to sleep nicely, and you won't be cold anymore." Tuantuan imitated A'niang and patted his back. "Niannian, be good." He yawned as he spoke. He was really very sleepy.

"Okay." Xiao Niannian pouted, closed his eyes and fell asleep next to his brother's little head.

While half asleep, he felt a warm hand pick up his feet and they soon became warm.

Gu Qingqing woke up and turned her head to ask the man next to her, "Aren't these two little guys by the heater? Why are their feet so cold?" She put her hands on her eldest son's feet, holding his little feet and placing them on her legs to warm them.

Tuan Tuan slept more comfortably every year, with no intention of waking up. Her fair little face turned slightly red because of being suffocated by the quilt.

"You must be cold playing outside." The man said lazily, "Your socks are too thin. It's much colder here than in Nanyang. Dad said it might snow in two days."

There are mountains everywhere here. It is especially cold at night and in the early morning. The water in the fields will freeze. Looking out, the mountains in the distance are covered in white frost.

Gu Qingqing nestled in the man's arms, covering her son's feet with her hands, and said softly, "Then you have to get another quilt from the closet tonight."

"Well, I'll listen to you."

Xiao Xingxing and Jiaojiao are very sleepy and haven't woken up yet. The brother and sister are still young and don't turn over much.

Tuan Tuan was very noisy when he fell asleep every year, and he would kick the quilt. He would often feel cold in the middle of the night and the quilt would fall to the ground.

They rarely sleep with their dad and mom now. They are three years old and can sleep by themselves.

In Nanyang, I slept in the room next to my room on the second floor, and sometimes I went to the third floor to visit my two uncles.

Occasionally I would climb onto my parents’ bed in the middle of the night and squeeze in between them.

Gu Qingqing had caught a cold several times because of them, and the two brothers were scolded by Chu Dai for a long time. Now they cover themselves with a separate quilt when they sleep with them.

Fortunately, the bed at home was big enough. Xiao Xingxing and Jiaojiao slept against the wall, and the two brothers slept at the other end, with their feet just stretched out on the side of their younger siblings. Gu Qingqing nestled in the man's arms.

Chu Dai turned his head to see that it was not too late outside, "I'll take a nap." He hadn't slept yet. The little guy's feet were restless, and there was his wife next to him, nudging him in his arms.

"Go to sleep." Gu Qingqing covered her eldest son's little feet with her left hand and patted his back with her right hand. "Be good."

The man laughed a little, "Tuantuan just coaxed Nian Nian in the same way."

"Oh" Gu Qingqing just woke up and didn't know what happened before.

She thought for a moment and said, "Brother, be good and go to sleep." She patted his waist from time to time.

The man snorted and laughed, "Got it, sister."

Gu Qingqing rested her head on the crook of his neck, laughing and trembling.

Chu Dai was really sleepy. He leaned over to grab his watch from the bedside table and saw that it was only five forty-three.

There are still more than two hours until dinner.

With his legs clamped around his son's feet, he turned over and hugged the woman tightly in his arms, holding her waist with his hands and resting his chin on her hair. "Sleep a little longer, sister."

"Okay, brother." Gu Qingqing yawned. She felt a little sleepy again after hearing what he said. It was good to sleep in winter.

Gu Jin chatted with his in-laws for a while, then went to the brigade headquarters with his hands in his pockets to look at the account book for the distribution of fish and meat, and took the opportunity to take them for a stroll in the village.

"The team settled the work points two days ago and distributed the food per person. Yesterday, we cleaned the pond and slaughtered the pigs and distributed the fish and meat. We can have another good New Year this year." He smiled naively and looked like an honest man.

Qin Zhou was a little curious, "My dear, how is the food distributed among the food-deficient households?"

Chu Yuan couldn't help laughing when he heard this. It was a rare opportunity for him to tease his old friend. "Look at the two-story red brick buildings everywhere. Are there any households lacking food?"

There were two types of households that were short of food in the Wudi Production Team. One was people like Zhang Bufan who were extremely lazy. They refused to work for the team because they thought it was too tiring and they could not earn any work points. They had to rely on their mother and brothers for support and wait for the team to settle their accounts for food.

Every year the team would set aside a portion of grain to help those in food shortage.

The second situation is that there is no labor force at home, and the elderly, widowed, women, girls and children cannot earn work points by working, and therefore cannot exchange them for food to fill their stomachs.

Before Gu Jin took over, there were many households with food shortages in the Wudi Production Team. Some children had lost both their parents and separated from their families early on, living alone and usually relying on the rations given by their neighbors to survive.

We are not rich, and with so many mouths to feed at home, it is good enough to be able to give a little. We also can't bear to see the children suffer.

At that time, grain production was also low. If there was a drought or flood, the amount of grain that could be harvested would be pitifully small, and people still had to pay the public grain tax.

Everyone is busy taking care of themselves, let alone others.

A few years ago, Gu Jin was elected as the team leader without knowing why. He led the young and old men of the Gu family to cut stones, build river embankments and reservoirs, and worked with the Red Flag and Red Star Production Team to build a hydroelectric power station.

Drought and flood problems were solved, and grain production was increased through deep plowing and composting. With the help of the educated youth, the production team planted economic crops such as ramie, cotton, and traditional Chinese medicine.

All the vacant land in Datunzi Village and Dagouzi Village has been developed to plant medicinal herbs and rapeseed.

When the team had a little money, they bought a rice mill and set up an oil press. If the land was too barren, they dug a fish pond.

There are no households in the team that are short of food now.

After paying the public grain tax and distributing the food, the brigade would habitually reserve some food every year in case of emergency.

The rest will be used to support some surrounding counties and cities. Some places are so barren that the mountains are bare and even wild vegetables cannot be found.

After listening to Gu Jin's explanation, Old Qin also suddenly realized.

The words came to his lips, but he swallowed them back.

He also understood that the situation in the Wudi Production Team was only accidental. The villagers and educated youth in the team were united, and the team leader and the party branch secretary dared to think and act.

Qin Wu withstood the pressure from the commune, slammed the table and glared at his superiors, but Gu Jin covered it up. Gu Jin then played the good cop and tried every means to persuade the superiors to speak well of Qin Wu.

Because they have the support of the Gu family behind them, as long as Gu Jin says a word, the Gu family will take the lead in doing it. When the villagers were not optimistic about building the river embankment and reservoir, it was the Gu family who took the lead in doing it.

Chu Yuan knew what his old friend was thinking and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't bother yourself. You and I both know that it's easy for brothers in ordinary families to have conflicts. This model can only work here."

The most incredible thing is that the educated youth regarded this place as their home. Villagers and educated youth from other places sometimes disliked each other. The villagers thought that the educated youth were lazy, ignorant, and unindustrious, and were only here to share their food rations.

Most of the educated youth also looked down on them.

Not to mention the hard work of helping the production team to grow crops and develop the economy.

Old Qin was very insightful. He didn't need to say much. I understood it after just a moment's thought. I nodded and said nothing more.

"Captain, this is your relative. Where are they going?" Someone was standing at the door chatting casually.

"Yes, my relative. Let's go to the brigade headquarters and see what are you doing standing outside the door in such a cold weather?" Gu Jin slowed down his pace and asked with a smile on his face.

"The girl is coming back with her husband to celebrate the New Year, so she is waiting for him here," the villagers said, teasing him, "Aren't you also thinking about Qingqing and the others coming back day and night?"

Gu Jin rubbed his hands and chuckled twice, nodded, and walked forward while talking to his in-laws.

"Our rapeseed oil is still at the oil mill. I'll take you there later. It's a good time to pick up the oil so we can make New Year's goods tomorrow."

Fried fish, fried meat, and fried pancakes are something we do every year.

"good."

It was almost seven o'clock when Gu Qingqing woke up. There was no light outside. She blinked and pushed the man next to her, "Brother."

"Yeah." Chu Dai tilted his head. "What's wrong?"

"Go turn on the light. You can't see."

Chu Dai raised his foot and kicked his son. "Wake up, Chu Jinghong, Chu Liuying, don't sleep any more, it's time to eat."

"Oh, I see." Niannian woke up rubbing his eyes, jumped out of bed, touched the coat he used as a pillow and started to put it on.

"Turn on the light." The man reminded him.

The little guy went along the bed to put on his shoes, then slowly groped along the wall. When he touched the door frame, he stood on tiptoe to find the switch.

Gu Qingqing was a little speechless, and pinched the man's soft flesh, "You're so lazy."

"Alright, alright." Chu Dai lowered his head and kissed her forehead. "Get up."

The family of six arrived downstairs at ten past seven. The main room was very lively with many people coming to visit.

When Qian Guihua saw her, she shouted loudly, "Hey, our Qingqing, how long have you not been back? Do you recognize your aunt?"

Gu Qingqing handed her daughter to her second brother, "A Sui, go get the milk powder from your bag and make two bottles."

"Okay." Shen Sui responded and left.

Then, she walked over to sit next to Qian Guihua, took her arm and said coquettishly, "Aunt, you are slandering me. Everyone knows that you have treated me very well since I was a child. I also miss you in my heart."

"You are still so sweet, kid." Qian Guihua was dizzy from her shaking. "Xiaoyu will be back home on the second day of the Chinese New Year. You two sisters can meet each other then."

Thinking of something, she asked again, "On which day did you go to your grandmother's house to pay New Year's greetings?"

Gu Qingqing subconsciously looked at Shi Rushuang and said, "Mother, when are you going?"

Qian Guihua laughed when she heard this, and said to Shi Rushuang, who was hugging Tuantuan and letting him warm himself by the fire, "Look at her. She's already a mother, but she still looks like a child."

"That's right." Shi Rushuang said helplessly, "She was spoiled by her family. Before she got married, her grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins spoiled her. After she got married, her husband gave in to her in everything. Her father-in-law indulged her, and her brothers were also around. Isn't it true that she will never grow up?" Although she said that, her eyes were full of smiles.

Everyone in Datunzi Village and Dagouzi Village knew this precious daughter of the Gu family. She had been naughty and got into troubles since she was young, but she was sweet-mouthed and knew how to act like a spoiled child. The Gu family had fought many battles for her.

Qian Guihua could also see that although Shi Rushuang said that the child would not grow up, she was very happy in her heart, thinking that her daughter had married well and would be blessed from childhood to adulthood.

"That's not the case. As elders, we always think that our children never grow up, but in fact, they are very useful."

Chapter 264: Prosperity 264 Previous Chapter Contents Next Chapter  "That's the truth." Shi Rushuang took a piece of softened sweet potato from the charcoal stove, brushed off the ash on it, and gave it to her eldest grandson in her arms.

Tuantuan said in a baby voice, "Thank you, grandma"

Shi Rushuang smiled and rubbed his hair.

She talked to Qian Guihua about their children, Gu Qingqing interjected from time to time, and Zhang Yuqing also pulled a stool and sat next to them to warm themselves by the fire.

Chu Dai let Gousheng hold his youngest son and went to the kitchen to help.

When you open the kitchen door, you are greeted by warm air and various aromas.

Gu Cai cooks very quickly. He uses three large pots at the same time, one for stewing soup, one for steaming vegetables, and another for stir-frying twice-cooked pork.

"Uncle San, what's steaming in the pot that smells so good?" The man sniffed.

"It's pork with preserved vegetables, steamed until soft and tender, without much chili, you two should like it." Gu Cai smiled and lifted the lid of the pot to let him take a look.

Chu Dai really stood in front of the stove and bent over to take a look. "I'm sorry to bother you."

"Hey, we are all family, why worry about it?" Gu Cai covered the pot again and served the twice-cooked pork. "How long can you stay at home this time?"

"I'll go back after the Lantern Festival. I didn't come back during the Chinese New Year last year, so I specially asked for a long vacation and stayed longer." Chu Dai looked around. There was almost no place to sit in front of the wood stove. There were many men in the Gu family. Some who went to the mountain to dig bamboo shoots had not returned until dark. The rest of them were either chatting in the main room or staying in front of the stove to warm themselves by the fire.

"It would be great if they could stay for half a month." Gu Cai was a little surprised.

"Yes, I can eat more meals cooked by you." The man said with a smile.

Every New Year, fire-making is a sought-after job. Before, because Chu Dai was the new son-in-law, the Gu family gave in to him. But now, when he looked into the pile of firewood, he saw a row of grinning white teeth.

He was not shy and casually grabbed a bench from the side. He said very casually, "Brothers, move in."

Gu Yuanchao sat down, and the rest of the people squeezed in automatically. Chu Dai finally reached the stove and warmed his hand. He asked, "What are you going to do tomorrow?"

Gu Cai started to cook the boiled fish fillets. "Grind beans, fry tofu, fry fish, fry meat, fry meatballs. How do you usually eat salted fish? You brought back so much. I'll see how to cook it and try the Nanyang method."

"Nanyang adds some soy sauce and steams it. You can do whatever you want. After all, you are a state-owned chef and it will taste good no matter how you cook it." Chu Dai flattered Gu Cai and made him very happy. However, he did not lie, his cooking was indeed delicious.

Tuantuan always ate the bowl of meat and egg custard in the afternoon and told his third grandfather that he wanted to eat it again in the evening.

So, when Gu Cai was steaming the braised pork, he also steamed six small bowls of egg custard. There were many children in the family, so it was very lively.

Gu Xiong and his friends returned from the educated youth point at the end of the village at 7:30, carrying a bamboo basket of winter bamboo shoots, which they dropped heavily on the ground with a clang.

"Wow, so many!" Gu Cai stretched his neck to take a look. "Peel two quickly. I'm waiting for your stir-fried bamboo shoots with bacon."

"Okay." Gu Xiong picked two and took them out, but then felt that they were too small and not enough to eat, so he touched two more.

The rest was put into the utility room by Gu Heping.

It is said that Gu Ping and Gu Heping from Gu Bao's family have the same name. These cousins look somewhat similar, both taking after Gu Tiezhu.

Chu Dai also helped to peel the winter bamboo shoots. When he finished peeling them, he was a little speechless. "They look quite big, but they are almost gone after I peel them."

"Winter bamboo shoots are like this, with more shells, but they taste better than spring bamboo shoots." Gu Xiong called out, "Heping, bring a few more bamboo shoots."

"How many, brother?"

"Just take a few." Gu Xiong said casually.

Zhang Cuifen saw that there had been no movement in the kitchen for a long time, so she pushed the door open and said, "Old Third, you've been cooking for half a year, why haven't you finished yet? The children are all hungry."

"It's almost done. All that's left is to stir-fry the bamboo shoots with bacon." Gu Cai quickly said, "It's your eldest grandson who is so procrastinating that he only came back now after digging bamboo shoots."

Gu Xiong was a straightforward person, and when he heard his uncle's words he just smiled foolishly and didn't think much about it.

Zhang Cuifen didn't buy his trick. "We don't have any other dishes at home. Why do we have to wait for this winter bamboo shoots fried with bacon today? There are two pieces of bacon at home. You can make as much as you want. Why don't you think of saving it for the New Year? You really can't keep overnight food."

Gu Cai endured the scolding obediently, and when the old lady calmed down, he spoke up, "Don't worry, there are still several pieces of bacon, which will definitely be enough for the next few days."

Zhang Cuifen snorted and turned to the storage room. "Hurry up and prepare the dishes. Adults can't stand children getting hungry easily. I'll soak some beans. Xiongwa, you brothers, grind the beans tomorrow morning. We're going to make tofu at home."

She untied the cloth strips wrapped around the burlap bag and scooped the soybeans into the bucket with a notched bowl. She had to soak the beans tonight.

"Okay, grandma." Gu Xiong responded.

The beans this year are good, there are no bad ones, so there is no need to pick them.

With the presence of Meng Nan and other educated youth, the agricultural crop yields of the Wudi Production Team increased significantly and there were no more insect pests.

"Okay, serve it right away." Although he said that, Gu Cai was still cutting bamboo shoots.

There is a piece of black bacon being blanched in the pot.

Seeing his unhurried manner, Chu Dai turned to Gu Xiong beside him and said, "It is said that Third Uncle is a great chef. He is so calm. It is amazing."

Gu Xiong chuckled and exposed his uncle's shortcomings without hesitation, "He's used to being scolded by grandma at home these days, and he doesn't care anymore."

Chu Dai shook his head and laughed.

"Adai, I have some sweet potatoes stewed in the stove. They're right on the edge. You can poke them and see if they're burnt." Gu Cai took the time to talk to him.

"Okay." The man took the black iron tongs with his slender fingers and made a half circle along the edge of the stove. When he encountered resistance, he pushed away the ash and sure enough, there was a round sweet potato.

"Give it to me, give it to me." Gu Yuanchao, who was hiding in the innermost part, couldn't wait to say, "I'm starving."

Chu Dai picked up a sweet potato and placed it at his feet, without even looking up. "Uncle San, how many did you stew?"

"Four or five, five or six, six or seven." Gu Cai cut some more dried chilies and smashed some garlic, then said embarrassedly, "I forgot."

"Okay, I'll look for it again." Chu Dai searched for a long time but couldn't find the second one. Gu Yuanchao broke off half of the sweet potato and gave it to him. "Don't dig it up. It must have been turned over by someone."

Chu Dai put down the tongs and took the sweet potato. It was slightly burnt yellow and smelled especially fragrant. He took a bite and asked, "Brother, you were sitting here for so long and didn't notice that someone had taken it away?"

Gu Yuanchao said vaguely, "I just came a little earlier than you."

After soaking the beans, Zhang Cuifen took a bamboo cover to cover the bucket. Seeing Chu Dai eating sweet potatoes, she said to her son in dissatisfaction, "Look at how hungry our son-in-law is. You've been out of the pot for another half a year."

Gu Cai didn't dare to argue with her. His father, Gu Tiezhu, had to be timid in front of his mother, so it wouldn't be shameful for him to follow in his father's footsteps.

It was already past eight o'clock when the food was served. Qian Guihua came over after dinner. Seeing that her family had not eaten yet, she muttered a few words about why it was so late. She did not want to disturb the whole family anymore, so she said hello and went back.

The door to the main room was closed, blocking out the wind.

The TV was humming, and the whole family was sitting around an enlarged wooden table. The dishes were placed on a wooden turntable. It was nice to have a carpenter at home.

You don't have to worry about Tuantuan and Niannian. He sits on a small stool and eats the egg custard by himself. Xiao Xingxing and Jiaojiao are held by Shi Rushuang and Han Lianxin and fed with egg custard. Xiao Xingxing is very quiet. He will eat if you feed him, and will not make a fuss if you don't feed him.

Jiaojiao is a girl who will smile from ear to ear when you feed her, but will pout as if she is about to cry if you don’t.

Han Lianxin found it interesting, "Our Jiaojiao is really delicate."

Gu Qingqing glanced at it and ate her meal in peace.

She picked up a piece of braised pork, subconsciously poked the fat apart with her chopsticks, and handed it to the man's bowl.

Chu Dai also handed over the bowl naturally, and turned his head to talk to Gu Qinglie.

There weren't many dishes in the evening, but they were all staple foods, and we also had cuttlefish and pork ribs soup.

Gu Qingqing drank two bowls of food. Tuantuan and Niannian loved to eat dried cuttlefish, so Chu Dai picked out all the cuttlefish shreds in the bowl and gave them to them.

After finishing the meal, the man put down his bowl, put his arm on the back of the chair behind the woman, and answered the questions of his elders with a smile.

Chu Yuan was already very familiar with the Gu family, and he felt very comfortable calling them in-laws, without feeling the slightest bit of discomfort.

Qin Zhou has a strong ability to adapt, and the Gu family also likes this elegant relative. In the end, he also gave a few suggestions: "Studying is a good thing. If you have the conditions, you can continue to study."

The situation is not as tense now, and the treatment of intellectuals is not as harsh as before. Smart people have already guessed that something big might happen.

Some brave ones are thinking about making preparations early.

The Gu family was stunned for a moment. All their children had graduated from high school. The Gu family had no shortage of labor at the time, and they didn't want their children to be uneducated like their grandparents, so they let all their children finish high school.

If you continue reading

Gu Bao had an active mind, and he thought, "My dear relative, what do you mean?" He had probably guessed something, but still wanted to hear confirmation.

Old Qin smiled and nodded, "Not far off."

The Gu family members were silent for a long time. Gu Tiezhu was the first to speak up, "Until this matter is clarified, keep it to yourself."

Their brother-in-law and four boys are all in the military region, and Gu Jin is the team leader of the production team, not to mention the in-laws. If the news leaks out, it will definitely bring a lot of trouble.

"I understand, Dad." The four brothers said in unison, and the younger generations also nodded.

Qin Zhou now understood why Chu Yuan said that the Gu family was honest and not stupid.

They are kind people and think very actively.

It is no coincidence that we were able to raise children like Gu Canyang and Gu Qinglie.

This meal allowed Qin Zhou to have a deeper understanding of the Gu family. He even felt that he and the Gu family were standing in the same direction without realizing it.

He was somewhat surprised at the Gu family's ability to integrate.

Chu Yuan drank one glass of wine after another, with a sly look in his eyes, and asked his old brother, "Don't drink anymore?"

"Drink," Qin Lao came back to his senses and poured himself a glass of wine with a smile, "I'll drink with you tonight."

They had Gu Tiezhu to accompany them in drinking, so there was no need for Gu Jin and the others. The four brothers just did what they were supposed to do, and Gu Yin went to the tool room to fiddle with his file.

Want to carve some small toys for my nephews and grandnieces.

Gu Cai sat in front of the stove with a pen and paper in his hand, writing tomorrow's menu.

Gu Qingqing leaned over to take a look and read out "braised eggplant, crispy fish fillet, steamed pork with pork belly, meatball soup"

She smiled and said, "Uncle San, your handwriting is a bit sloppy."

Gu Cai scratched his head embarrassedly. “I haven’t read much, but I think it’s better than your handwriting when you were a child.”

Gu Qingqing immediately ignored him, while Gu Bao was laughing so hard that he was bent over.

Da Mi has grown up. It wags its tail and runs around under the table looking for bones to eat. Tuan Tuan and Niannian squat beside the table, looking at it curiously and tentatively reaches out to touch its soft fur.

Seeing that Da Mi did not resist and even rubbed its big furry head against their legs, the two little guys laughed even more happily.

Chu Dai pulled a chair and sat down next to his father-in-law, and asked with a smile, "Father, wasn't there news that you were going to be transferred to the commune? Why haven't you been transferred in the past two years?"

Logically speaking, this matter should have been decided long ago, and Secretary Zhou must have given notice before going to the central government.

"Son," Gu Jin said with a smile, "Dad doesn't have any big ambitions in this life. It's good enough for him to stay in Datunzi Village and take care of the family."

Chapter 265: Prosperity 265 Previous Chapter Contents Next Chapter  "Your father didn't want to be the team leader for a long time, but the villagers kept refusing to give in, and they couldn't find a suitable successor. The commune was supposed to decide, but they always wanted to transfer him up." Gu Cai poked his cheek with the end of a pencil to tickle his itch. "He thought he'd better stay at home and be the team leader."

After hearing what his third brother said, Gu Jinhan smiled and said, "The main reason is that I don't have the ability. I asked Qin Mengzi if he wanted to go to the commune, but he was too lazy to go."

Both of them felt that they had worked very hard to be the team leader and party secretary in the Wudi Production Team.

They won't be able to do anything practical in the commune, so why bother taking up positions?

After cleaning the table, Gu Bao blew a breath and rubbed his hands, then walked over to them and sat down to warm himself by the fire. "Brother, you and my father are old partners, but neither of you is ambitious."

Chu Dai touched his nose and said nothing.

Gu Jin glanced at him and said, "It's okay if you don't say anything."

He and Qin Wu get along very well in work, but they are still enemies in private. This older brother makes Qin Wu a generation younger than him, and Qin Mengzi is so proud of himself.

I almost trembled when I walked in front of him.

Speak of the devil, the door of the main room was pushed open with a creaky sound.

It was very cold outside, and the cold wind came in through the crack in the door. Gu Bao cursed, "Whose tail was caught and the door was not closed."

He turned his head to face Qin Wu's square face, and quickly swallowed his words back, and greeted him with a smile as if nothing had happened, "Dad, you're here."

Chu Dai wanted to laugh but didn't dare to. Gu Qinglie came over and patted him on the shoulder, "Sit closer."

The two brothers sat next to each other. Gu Qinglie saw his uncle making tea and bringing peanuts to roast by the stove. He said to Chu Dai, "Did you see that? Learn from him."

Chu Dai humbly accepted the advice and said, "I understand, brother."

Gu Qinglie was so disgusted that he frowned and looked at him for a long time. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, "Please, don't shout next time."

"Okay, brother." The man smiled.

Gu Qinglie punched him on the shoulder and said unhappily, "Be normal, don't get sick."

“I know.” Before he could finish the rest of the sentence, Gu Qinglie glanced at him.

Chu Dai added slowly, "Dog Egg."

Qin Wu was looking for Gu Jin to explain the matter of planting medicinal herbs next year. "The Red Star Production Team and the Red Flag Production Team both want to join in. The three production teams want to build a medicinal herb base together. I want to ask your opinion on this matter first. If you think it's okay, we can go to the commune to report it."

Gu Jin thought for a moment and said, "Building a medicinal material base is a big project. Spring planting is coming soon, and we need people to work in the fields. Our production team has a large population, so we don't need people. But there is something I need to inform you of."

"You say." Qin Wu held the teacup handed to him by his son-in-law with both hands and drank it slowly.

"The educated youth are going to be transferred to the county agricultural science institute. You know there are many things to pay attention to when growing medicinal herbs. Not many people have learned their skills in recent years. I'm afraid this base will be a waste of money."

The Red Flag Production Team and the Red Star Production Team were so concerned because the cultivation of Chinese herbal medicines brought a lot of income to the Wudi Production Team and was also the main source of their collective economy.

Who doesn't want to live a good life?

Gu Bao squeezed in between them and sat down. "Brother, Dad, I can do it. I have learned a lot from Zhang Qing in the past few years."

Zhang Qing's ancestors were people who dealt with medicinal herbs, and he did not fall behind in this line of work.

Gu Bao learned some things about fruit tree planting, crop pest control and medicinal herb planting from them. He has a quick mind and can put his knowledge into practice, and he has almost mastered it.

Gu Jin looked at his carefree appearance and said to Qin Wu, "Why not just forget it?"

Qin Wu also nodded seriously, "Then I will go and explain it to them tomorrow."

"No, Brother and Dad." Gu Bao was so anxious that he scratched his head and cheeks. "I can do it. Just trust me this time."

Gu Jin and Qin Wu looked at each other, with smiles in their eyes.

Chu Dai listened for a while before being called by Gu Qingqing to wash up. "You have to get up early tomorrow. The brothers said they are waiting for you to chop wood."

Looking at the little woman smiling secretly with the corners of her mouth raised, he felt helpless and said, "Isn't this the job of the eldest brother?" He was referring to Gu Xiong.

Gu is the most diligent person in the family. He never has time to sit idle. After work, he goes to the mountains to chop firewood. He can carry more than ten shoulder poles a year. Fortunately, his father is a carpenter.

I cut a lot of bamboo shoulder poles for him and put them in the utility room.

"It's yours when you come back." Gu Qingqing pulled his arm and said, "I won't tease you anymore. Go wash up quickly. It will take at least ten o'clock to finish washing the children. You really need to get up early tomorrow. There are things to do."

There are many things to do on New Year's Eve, including sweeping the house, pasting couplets, and frying new year's goods. Gu Xiong and his friends all have work to do, and they have to grind beans early in the morning.

The man stood up with her strength, put his arm around her shoulders and walked towards the kitchen. "Okay, brush your teeth and wash your face, together."

There were still many people gathered by the fire in the kitchen. Gu Qingqing took a dry towel and gave it to the man. The water in the basin was very hot. Chu Dai soaked the towel in it, and his fair hands turned red.

After wringing it dry, he handed it back to her.

Shi Rushuang and her family were holding their children and chatting about family matters. After the Chinese New Year, they would go around visiting relatives and were discussing what to bring when visiting them.

Qin Li and Sun Yuanyuan were washing dishes, chatting to each other from time to time.

Under the dim orange light, Gu Qingqing looked up and told the man about how Tuantuan chased after Da Mi every year, and laughed at him, "I thought you weren't afraid of dogs anymore. When you were eating today, Da Mi rubbed against your legs and you became stiff all over."

Seeing the bright smile in her eyes, the man raised his eyebrows, leaned over and whispered in her ear, "When you get close to me, I will too"

Gu Qingqing's face flushed and she pushed him, "Hurry up and wash your face!"

The man looked at her red neck and chuckled.

It's really not funny.

After staying in Datunzi Village for half a month and celebrating the Lantern Festival, they returned to Nanyang.

After a day's rest, Gu Qingqing collected Shen Sui's luggage on the third floor. "I heard that the capital is very dry. I put some facial oil in your side pocket. Remember to take it out and wipe it often."

Xiao Xingxing and Jiaojiao crawled on their uncle's bed. There was a charcoal stove in the room, so it was very warm. They only wore their underwear and one-piece woolen jackets.

Very flexible in movements.

Shen Sui, who was sorting out his books and notes, looked at the man who was lazily leaning on the chair next to him for help and opened his mouth silently.

"Brother-in-law, save me."

The man shrugged and gave him a helpless look. "Even your rough second brother has been covered with various facial oils by her to make him look whiter. You can't escape."

Gu Qingqing felt that the reason why Gu Qinglie couldn’t find a wife was because his face and hands were cracked like the land that had been dry for several years.

She bought a lot of clam oil at the supply and marketing cooperative a few years ago. Every day, she would wait at the bathroom door to rub it on him after he washed his face. Gu Qinglie even wanted to apply for a dormitory and move out.

He's a grown man, why is he wiping this thing?

But now I'm used to it and I don't feel anything. After applying the oil, the cold wind blowing on my face doesn't hurt so much anymore.

This thing works pretty well.

"Okay." Shen Sui sighed secretly and packed the books neatly into the carton.

Gu Qingqing folded his clothes and found a needle and thread when she saw some holes, and sat by the bed to mend them. "I heard that the capital is very cold in winter, so I brought you two coats. The sizes are specially made a little bigger, so you can wear two more clothes inside. If you feel uncomfortable, remember to tell your godfather and go to the hospital to get some medicine."

Shen Sui listened and nodded silently.

"Don't panic if we're not with you. Study hard and wait for us there," she said. "If you need anything, write to your family or send a telegram."

A telephone had been installed at home a long time ago, which made it convenient for the headquarters to contact Chu Yuan. It was usually for official business, and Gu Qingqing rarely used it.

At this point, she asked again, "Do you have enough money? I'll give you some national food coupons later."

Shen Sui's eyes were soft and gentle. "Sister, I eat in the cafeteria with the teacher and use his allowance."

"Oh, okay." Gu Qingqing was stunned for a moment, then she remembered that her godfather had an orderly who would go with him, so even if they didn't eat in the cafeteria, they wouldn't starve.

Only then did I feel relieved.

After a while, he asked Shen Sui if he had prepared everything here and brought everything there.

Shen Sui knew that he was reluctant to leave him, and felt sad, so he responded to all of them one by one.

After lunch, Gu Qingqing and Chu Dai sent Old Qin and Shen Sui to the train station. Chu Yuan was originally going to arrange for someone to drive them to the capital, and considering Old Qin's level, it would not be too much.

However, because the journey was too long and the drive was too bumpy, Chu Yuan was afraid that his old bones could not bear it, so he had to buy train tickets for them.

The couple held their children in their arms, Tuantuan and Niannian, one in grandpa's arms, and the other holding onto her uncle's clothes and refusing to let go.

"Godfather, you must take good care of yourself when you get there, eat and take medicine on time, and don't read too late. It's tiring and can hurt your eyes." Gu Qingqing said to the end, and her reluctance to leave became stronger and stronger.

"Good boy, godfather has remembered everything. Asui and I will clean up the house in the capital and wait for you to come over." Old Qin comforted in a gentle voice.

Gu Qingqing nodded randomly, then turned around and faced away from them, afraid that their tears would be seen.

Shen Sui also felt bad. His greatest warmth came from his elder sister and brother-in-law. From the age of twelve to now, when he was sixteen, he had never left their side for a moment.

"Sister," his voice was a little hoarse.

Jiaojiao in Gu Qingqing's arms saw A Niang crying, stretched out his tender little white hands to wipe her tears clumsily, and then also cried with a "wow".

Tuan Tuan and Niannian could hold it together before, but now they can't bear it anymore. One of them lay on grandpa's shoulder and cried, while the other hugged Shen Sui's legs and cried.

Shen Sui bent down, picked up Nian Nian, and kissed him on the forehead, "Good boy, don't cry." The corners of his eyes were red.

Niannian bit her lip and said aggrievedly, "Don't cry, Niannian." Not long after, she sobbed again. She cried even harder, "But I don't want my uncle to leave."

The little Xingxing in Chu Dai's arms didn't know what was going on, but when she heard her brother's words, she started crying.

He can't speak yet, but he can basically understand what adults say.

The man felt bad too, so he patted his back and said softly, "We will go to find your uncle and grandfather soon, don't cry, dear."

Old Qin also comforted Tuantuan in his arms, promising to buy him a lot of toys and put them in the room reserved for him. He also said that he would put a snack cabinet in his bedroom, which calmed the little guy down.

The train slowly moved away. Tuantuan and Niannian ran after the train for a distance. Shen Sui waved to them from the window. Seeing the two little short legs crying and running after the train, he felt reluctant and wanted to turn his head away, but he was reluctant to do so.

I want to see them a little longer.

The black cloth bag on his knees contained family photos and daily life photos taken in recent years. He now only hoped that his sister and brother-in-law would come to the capital as soon as possible.