The next day.

Zhou Cuilan had to make breakfast and clean the house. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She ran to the bedroom and woke Lin Dashan up.

"Get out of bed! What are you sleeping for?" she snapped. "As if you were the one who looked after the grandkids all night."

Lin Dashan turned over. "What is it? Let me sleep a little longer…"

Zhou Cuilan threw back the covers. "Get up and clean the house! You have to go to the airport to pick up our in-laws at noon!"

Hearing the word "in-laws," Lin Dashan was instantly wide awake.

"What was that?"

"Pick up the in-laws? They're coming?"

Zhou Cuilan nodded. "Yeah, our son invited them. We have space at home anyway, and it's more festive with more people for the New Year."

Lin Dashan scratched his head. "Alright, I'm getting up."

"Then hurry. After we finish breakfast, you're helping me give the house a proper cleaning!"

Lin Dashan roused himself and got straight out of bed.

After breakfast, the couple chatted as they cleaned.

Lin Jie pattered down the stairs.

While he was eating, Zhou Cuilan discussed swapping rooms with him. Lin Jie said it was no problem at all and that he was happy to sleep in the study.

After they finished cleaning the house, Lin Dashan took a shower and left to pick up the in-laws.

Lin Feng returned from buying groceries, went to the kitchen, and started preparing lunch. Zhou Cuilan offered to help.

"Mom, it's fine," he said. "Just entertain our guests when they arrive."

Lin Jie came over. "Bro, need me to peel garlic? How much?"

Lin Feng glanced at Lin Jie. After half a year apart, he felt his younger brother had suddenly grown up a lot.

"Peel a whole bunch."

As Lin Jie helped, he asked, "Bro, where did you learn to cook like this?"

"I used to be a delivery driver. I just picked it up from watching others."

"Awesome! I heard delivery guys are full of hidden talents. Is that true?"

"That's just an internet rumor. The people I met were just ordinary folks trying to make a living."

The two brothers chatted in the kitchen.

After a moment of silence, Lin Jie asked, "Bro, can I borrow some money?"

"How much?"

"Five… five thousand."

"Sure."

Lin Feng's easy agreement surprised Lin Jie. "Bro, aren't you going to ask what it's for?"

"You're an adult now. I trust you have your reasons for whatever you're doing."

His brother was already a senior in high school. Although he cared, he couldn't be too overbearing, as it could easily cause unnecessary resentment.

Lin Jie smiled. "I'm taking some classmates to an amusement park. My treat."

Lin Feng nodded. "Making friends is a good thing, but make sure they're true friends."

"I get it, bro."

Soon, the roar of an engine sounded from outside.

Lin Dashan walked toward the villa, dragging suitcases, with Zhao Lizhen and Zhang Fuyong in tow. Mr. and Mrs. Zhang looked at the tranquil surroundings and loved it.

Zhao Lizhen smiled. "I hope we're not disturbing you."

"Yes, this was a bit sudden. We didn't even give you a heads-up," Zhang Fuyong added.

Lin Dashan put on a deliberately stern face. "Hey, how could you be? We were hoping you'd come celebrate the New Year with us. It makes things much livelier."

Seeing that Lin Dashan was being sincere, the couple finally relaxed.

As soon as they stepped inside, Lin Dashan called out, "We're back!"

"Here are slippers for you. They're all new, never been worn."

Zhang Fuyong and Zhao Lizhen changed their shoes just as Zhang Yuxi came pattering over.

"Mom, Dad, you're here!" Zhang Yuxi ran over with the babies and hugged Zhao Lizhen tightly, her eyes reddening slightly.

The festive season always makes one miss family the most. Feeling the holiday atmosphere, Zhang Yuxi's longing for her parents grew even stronger.

Zhang Fuyong looked at his daughter and felt that his love for her hadn't been in vain. She had even thought to call and invite them because she missed them.

"In-laws, your room is on the second floor. Let me show you the way."

The room, which had clearly been prepared with great care, completely satisfied the couple.

After settling in, they came downstairs to find that lunch was ready. Lin Dashan was pouring medicinal wine, Zhou Cuilan was setting out the dishes, and Lin Feng was busy in the kitchen. Zhang Yuxi and Lin Jie were feeding the babies their baby food.

Zhang Fuyong sat down. "Brother, your youngest son is quite handsome!"

"His name is Lin Jie, but you can just call him Little Jie," Lin Dashan said proudly. "The kid's in his senior year now. He does well in his studies, and he's obedient. He's never given us any trouble."

"Come, in-law, this is a medicinal wine I've been infusing for five years. Here, have a taste." Lin Dashan handed a cup to Zhang Fuyong, giving him a look that only men would understand.

Zhang Fuyong took a sip and smacked his lips. "That's potent!"

Zhao Lizhen sat down beside him. "You must be Little Jie. You're very handsome!"

All the praise about his good looks made Little Jie rather embarrassed.

Zhao Lizhen added, "Tuan Tuan is picky with people. The fact that he likes you shows you're an easy person to get along with."

Lin Jie was even more embarrassed. Since the baby had just finished eating, he used it as an excuse to hurry off to the kitchen.

Zhang Yuxi laughed. "Mom, he's shy."

Zhao Lizhen put on an innocent look. "What did I say? I didn't say a thing."

After feeding the last spoonful, Zhang Yuxi went to get some water to wash the babies' little faces. By the time everyone was seated at the table, the babies' tiny hands and faces were clean. They set the babies down in the living room play area. Lin Jie voluntarily took on the task of watching them.

Zhou Cuilan smiled. "I wanted to cook, but both of my sons said my food isn't good."

Lin Dashan called her out. "Your cooking really isn't that good. We could eat a single dish of yours for days."

Zhou Cuilan shot him a glare. "Drink your wine. This is a women's conversation; you have no business chiming in."

Lin Dashan shrugged, indicating he wasn't going to argue with her.

This wasn't their first meeting. Everyone was familiar with one another, so the atmosphere at the dinner table was harmonious.

Zhao Lizhen said, "For the New Year, we originally planned to go to Sanya or travel abroad for a few days. But going on a trip just doesn't feel like celebrating the New Year! When Yu Xi called us, we came without a moment's hesitation. We do feel a bit bad about disturbing you all."

Zhou Cuilan immediately put on a stern face, feigning annoyance. "What are you saying? We're all family. From now on, we'll celebrate every New Year together!"

Lin Dashan nodded in agreement. "That's right, together!"

Zhang Fuyong thought this was a great idea. "How about coming to our place for the New Year next year? I'll be the host."

Zhao Lizhen smiled. "That sounds wonderful! It's a deal."

Lin Feng placed some food on Zhang Yuxi's plate.

Seeing her parents by her side and having both families together for the New Year was a true reunion in every sense of the word.

I'm so happy!

After lunch, everyone sat in the living room and chatted.

…

In the afternoon, the whole family sprang into action. Zhang Yuxi and Zhou Cuilan pasted paper-cuts on the windows while Lin Dashan and Lin Jie put up couplets and hung lanterns by the door.

Later, Zhou Cuilan brought out a bag of decorations. Inside were several strings of red chili peppers, symbolizing a prosperous new year. There were also colorful lights, decorative knots, and so on.

"Take these things and arrange them however you think looks best," she said. "I'll go set up the flowers we bought today."

Everyone could feel Zhou Cuilan's anticipation and joy for this New Year.

Lin Feng handed Tuan Tuan to Zhang Yuxi. "I'll hang them."

After a busy afternoon, the villa finally had a festive New Year's atmosphere.

"This year is a particularly meaningful one for our family," Zhou Cuilan remarked from the sofa. "Our son got married and became a father, I became a grandmother, and we moved into a new house. All of it, one thing after another, feels like a dream."

Lin Dashan wrapped an arm around her. "Our lives will only get better and better."

Staying up on New Year's Eve!

In the past, it was always something children looked forward to, but over time, the festive spirit had begun to fade.

Zhao Lizhen beckoned Lin Jie over and pressed two red envelopes into his hand. "Good boy, these are from your uncle and me. We wish you success in your studies! Think of it as a welcome gift. Take it."

Lin Jie was tempted, but he was too embarrassed to accept. "Auntie, I can't. I'm already a senior in high school!"

Zhao Lizhen laughed. "So what? As long as you haven't started your own family, you're still a child."

Zhang Yuxi encouraged him to take them. She then took out the red envelopes she had prepared. "Here, these are from your brother and me."

Lin Jie glanced at Zhou Cuilan.

"Just accept your uncle and aunt's kind gesture," she said, before also pulling out two red envelopes. "And these are from your dad and me."

Lin Jie felt like the luckiest person in the world.

He said shyly, "Thank you, Uncle and Auntie. Thank you, Mom. Thank you, Dad. Thank you, Bro and Sister-in-law."

None of the red envelopes were thin.

On the pretext of using the bathroom, Lin Jie snuck back to his room to count his haul. He hadn't received red envelopes from anyone outside his immediate family since starting high school. Back in middle school, his third uncle and aunt would give him a hundred or two hundred yuan as a token gesture. His parents would occasionally give him five hundred or a thousand. The most he had ever received was the year he ranked in the top twenty of his grade, when he got a two-thousand-yuan red envelope.

When he opened the envelopes, he didn't even need to count the bills; they were already bundled up. Zhao Lizhen and her husband gave a total of 40,000, and Lin Feng and his wife gave a total of 60,000. His own parents each gave 5,000, for a total of 10,000.

Suddenly finding himself with an extra 110,000 yuan, Lin Jie was stunned.

He quickly snapped a photo and posted it on his Moments.

Caption: "Got my red envelopes for the year. Feeling blessed and bewildered!"

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