Lin Dashan smiled and aimed his phone at the inside of the RV. He patted Zhang Fuyong and his wife on the shoulder. "My in-laws have come to celebrate the New Year with us, too!"

Through the phone, Lin Daan greeted Zhang Fuyong. "Hello, there! You're out shopping, I see!"

"After we're done shopping, let's all play cards together!"

Zhang Fuyong nodded in response. "Sure."

Zhang Yuxi's phone was also ringing non-stop. Tang Xiufen and Han Wen sent New Year's blessings. The other teachers from her office, as well as students she had taught, also sent a flurry of messages, most of them clearly copy-pasted holiday greetings.

An Lan then started a video call. As soon as it connected, a big smiling face appeared on the screen. "Yu Xi, Happy New Year!"

Zhang Yuxi smiled and said, "You too, Happy New Year!"

An Lan seemed a little down that she couldn't spend the New Year with her best friend. Behind her, her parents stood smiling and greeting Zhang Yuxi as well.

"Happy New Year, Yu Xi!" An Lan's mother had sharp eyes. Noticing the people around Zhang Yuxi were wearing somewhat familiar clothes, she asked, "Yu Xi, who's that with you?"

Zhao Lizhen could no longer hide and leaned into view, laughing. "Hahaha! How did you spot me? I didn't even make a sound!"

An Lan's mother was shocked. "How are you with Yu Xi?"

Zhao Lizhen covered her mouth and snickered. "It was a last-minute decision to come over! What about you? How are things?"

At the mention of this, a strange expression came over An Lan's mother's face. She glanced around before whispering, "Well, it's the New Year, and An Lan was too busy to get away, so we thought we'd come over to help out and celebrate with her. But business at the store has been just too good these past few days! I came to help at four o'clock this morning, and I still haven't had a single sip of water."

"And my husband… at home, he's incredibly lazy, but here at the store, he works harder than anyone. Sigh, what can I do? I just have to bite the bullet and get on with it."

Hearing her best friend's complaints, Zhao Lizhen couldn't help but laugh.

An Lan's mother, however, was in no mood to laugh. She waved her hand dismissively. "Enough about me. I need to go sweep the floor."

After ending the video call, Zhao Lizhen couldn't contain herself and started giggling. Her best friend had been pampered her whole life. After marrying An Lan's father, she was someone who had never had to lift a finger. Yet now, for her daughter's sake, she was actually sweeping floors.

As Lin Feng drove, he asked Zhang Yuxi to call Yu Zheng and see what his plans were for the first day of the New Year. Yu Zheng had just finished eating and was already planning to head over and join everyone for a stroll. After all, what was the point of celebrating the New Year if not for the lively atmosphere?

This time, the Lin family didn't go to the city center, heading instead to a newly built, large ecological park.

Lin Dashan said, "Construction on this park started six or seven years ago, and it's only just been completed."

Lin Feng's RV led the way, with Yu Zheng's car following behind. After searching for a long time, they finally found a place to park. The lot was filled with cars.

Zhang Fuyong gestured with his chin. "See that black car over there? It's worth over three million."

Although Lin Feng owned several cars himself, he wasn't particularly knowledgeable about them. The car Zhang Fuyong indicated looked very understated among the others.

"There are quite a few nice cars here!" Zhang Fuyong added.

Lin Dashan responded, "Society has advanced. There are a lot of wealthy people who prefer to keep a low profile these days."

Among the parked vehicles were cars belonging to Lin Daan, Lin Rui, and the others. Just then, a call came from Lin Dahu. His voice was so loud it could be heard clearly even across the spacious parking lot.

"Where are you all, dilly-dallying? We've been waiting for you for half an hour! Hurry up, we're right here by the statue at the entrance!"

Lin Dashan laughed. "We'll be right there!"

When they reached the main entrance, they saw Lin Daan's and Lin Dahu's entire families, though Lin Xiaolan and Feng Yong were nowhere to be seen. Among the crowd, only Lin Rui and Du Yan were meeting Zhang Yuxi's parents for the first time.

From a distance, Zhao Lizhen's elegant and graceful demeanor stood out. As a dance teacher, she exuded an air of nobility that set her apart from Zhou Cuilan, with an effortless beauty revealed in every gesture. Beside her, Zhang Fuyong was also impressive in appearance, still dashing and charming in his middle age. The aura of confidence he projected wasn't something an ordinary businessman could possess.

They approached, laughing and talking.

Lin Dahu chuckled. "We've been waiting for ages! At long last, you're finally here."

Lin Dashan clicked his tongue. "Tsk, tsk. Did you wait long? It took us forever to find a parking spot."

Zhang Fuyong went over to shake hands with Lin Daan. "How have you been?"

Lin Daan smiled. "Same old, same old."

Zhang Fuyong then shook hands and greeted Lin Dahu, while Zhao Lizhen greeted the second and third aunts. The third aunt complimented Zhao Lizhen on her beautiful outfit, while the second aunt was much more direct.

"I haven't seen you in months, and you're still so beautiful. You take such good care of yourself," she said. "Unlike me, I don't even bother to get dressed up."

Only Second Aunt would put herself down just to flatter someone else.

Lin Dahu introduced his son to Zhang Fuyong. "This is my son, Lin Rui. He's a truck driving instructor. And this is my daughter-in-law, Du Yan."

Zhang Fuyong greeted Lin Rui cheerfully. "Hello, hello!"

Everyone began to stroll through the park together, laughing and chatting. As they walked, the men formed one group and the women another. The two mothers, Zhao Lizhen and Zhou Cuilan, pushed the babies in their strollers, while Lin Jie shouldered a bag of daily necessities.

Zhang Yuxi and Lin Feng gradually fell to the back. Amused by the way Zhang Yuxi was straining her ears for gossip, Lin Feng asked, "What did you hear?"

Zhang Yuxi leaned in and whispered, "Second Aunt is complaining to Mom about Sister Xiaolan asking for money."

A moment later, she leaned in again and whispered, "And I heard that Wang Lu is expecting another son!"

Lin Feng replied nonchalantly, "Third Aunt and Uncle must be disappointed then. They've always wanted a daughter."

The ecological park was beautifully maintained, and for the New Year, it was decked out with festive lanterns and colorful decorations everywhere. The men walking ahead had already planned the rest of the day: they would all have lunch together, after which the men would play cards, the women would go shopping, and the younger crowd was free to go off and have their own fun.

Lin Jiajun came over to ask, "What are your plans?"

Yu Zheng shrugged. "I'm easy either way."

Lin Feng asked Zhang Yuxi, "Honey, what do you want to do?"

Without a moment's hesitation, Zhang Yuxi replied, "I'll go shopping with our moms."

Overhearing this, Zhao Lizhen said, "You don't need to stay with us. You young people should go and do your own thing."

Zhou Cuilan chimed in, "Yes, go have fun on your own this afternoon. We'll meet up with you again in the evening. The babies will be fine for a few hours."

Lin Feng had brought along thermoses filled with the babies' food. The bag Lin Jie was carrying also contained a large can of formula. There was no way the babies would go hungry.

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