Xie Changning had just finished her al and was about to take her parents on a tour of the factory when she overheard people gossiping about her and her parents.
Xie Changning was speechless. ’It’s just like the old saying,’ she thought.
’Give soone a twig, and they’ll attach a leaf bigger than a squash!’
It had only been a tentative idea, but one little trip outside and the rumor had twisted into her being so horrible, unfilial daughter forcing her ninety-year-old father back to work after retirent!
’Are they nuts!’
However, after learning about this, Xie Changning didn’t bother to correct them. After all, her father was indeed going to be rehired.
It was just that her father’s age wasn’t quite so exaggerated.
He was only seventy-five, the perfect age to take on the world!
Xie Hengsheng and Ms. Sheng Yongi heard the rumors as well. Having seen it all before, they were unfazed. They simply exchanged a look and broke into silent smiles.
Ms. Sheng Yongi even teased Xie Hengsheng.
"You really are robbing the cradle. At ninety years old, you actually managed to marry soone as young as , a re seventy-three-year-old lady. You should count your lucky stars."
"Yes, yes, you’re right."
The two of them were in very good spirits.
Xie Changning could only grumble inwardly.
After a tour of the factory and a look at the basic facilities, the two elders followed Xie Changning outside.
Teacher Qin, who had been with them, also said it was ti to go and took their leave.
Before they left, Xie Changning said to Teacher Qin, "Teacher, we’re having a family reunion dinner tonight. You and Jiaojiao should co too."
"We shouldn’t, we’re both quite busy..."
"You’re my teacher, which makes you family here. You have to co."
After inviting Teacher Qin, Xie Changning also called her junior apprentice.
Sheng Jiaojiao didn’t refuse this ti. She had missed the last invitation from Xie Changning because of an experint, so she felt she couldn’t say no again.
Back at ho, Xie Hengsheng couldn’t help but sigh with feeling as he looked around the warm, lively house.
"It really is better with more people around." The house felt so much more alive and vibrant!
Ms. Sheng Yongi nodded in agreent.
Xie Changning opened the door for them and let them in.
As soon as the door opened, Xie Changning’s parents saw the Han’s parents in the living room cooing over the children, along with Aunt Wang and Aunt Zhao, who were preparing noodles.
Seeing Xie Changning return with two unfamiliar elders, the four people in the room instantly fell silent.
The only ones who weren’t quiet were the two babies, who were currently squabbling.
"Mom, Dad," Xie Changning said, gesturing to the Hans. "Let introduce you. These are my parents-in-law, Yue Yihan’s biological parents." She then turned to her in-laws. "Mr. Han, Mrs. Han, these are my biological parents."
The mont he heard they were Xie Changning’s biological parents, Mr. Han shot to his feet.
"Welco, welco!" he exclaid with a broad smile, walking up to Xie Hengsheng and shaking his hand, looking overjoyed.
Finally eting his son’s in-laws was a truly happy occasion!
Xie Changning then introduced Aunt Wang and Aunt Zhao.
Ms. Sheng Yongi entered the house and sat down next to Mrs. Han. "It’s a pleasure to et you."
The two won also held hands and began to chat.
Mrs. Han held Ms. Sheng Yongi’s hand, and noticing the faint calluses and mottled scars, she couldn’t help but say with emotion, "The country is so fortunate to have people like you. You’ve truly worked hard!"
They had heard before that Xie Changning’s biological parents were brilliant scientists.
The two of them conducted experints in a secret location.
Now that they were back, nothing could be better.
"WAAAH—!" Just as the two mothers were about to say more, a sharp, babyish cry rang out.
The two mothers then turned their heads toward the noisy baby.
They saw Zhenbao baring her teeth at her little brother.
She was trying to scare him.
The other one, however, was just ekly taking the scolding. Seeing his sister was angry, he even held out the toy in his hand, offering it back to her.
He was the very picture of a well-behaved little brother.
Seeing this, Ms. Sheng Yongi couldn’t help but chuckle. "Looks like he’s been beaten into submission."
"Isn’t that the truth? His sister never used to fight with him, but he kept pestering her, and so he got a beating..." Mrs. Han chid in, sharing amusing stories about the two babies with Ms. Sheng Yongi.
The family sat at ho, chatting away in a lively atmosphere.
anwhile, Xie Changning wheeled her bicycle out the door. "Aunt Wang, Aunt Zhao, we’re having a big dinner tonight. I’m going out to buy so more groceries. I’ll have to trouble you both this evening."
"It’s no trouble, no trouble at all! What’s so hard about this?"
The two aunts didn’t find cooking a large al to be hard work at all. Xie Changning had given them a raise in the last six months and even bought them new clothes for holidays.
The benefits were great, too. They didn’t feel it was hard work at all; in fact, they rather enjoyed it.
Back when they were living with their in-laws, life was much harder, and they didn’t earn a single penny.
After Xie Changning left with her bicycle, Aunt Wang and Aunt Zhao began prepping the ingredients. With so many people coming in the afternoon, the two of them needed an early start.
Ms. Sheng Yongi watched their swift and efficient work, feeling a little envious.
"How wonderful. I don’t know the first thing about work in the kitchen."
"Oh, please, when would you ever have ti for things like this?" Mrs. Han said.
-
Xie Changning bought so at, a chicken, and a fish—enough for eight dishes in total—and then headed ho.
When she got ho, she heard the elders talking about making pickled cabbage.
Last winter, Xie Changning had eaten dumplings with pickled cabbage and sizzling pork fat and had loved them. So, she pushed the door open and went inside. "I think we should buy a few hundred pounds of napa cabbage to pickle this year."
She loved it!
The others nodded along. "We think that’s a good idea."
And so, the matter of pickling cabbage was decided while they were cooking.
That evening, Sheng Jiaojiao arrived with Teacher Qin.
As soon as they entered, Teacher Qin introduced Sheng Jiaojiao. "These two are my revered teachers. You should call them... Grandmaster?"
Hearing Teacher Qin’s words, Xie Hengsheng and Ms. Sheng Yongi were montarily stunned.
They really never expected that they would one day be called "Grandmaster."
"Teacher, there’s no need to be so formal. Jiaojiao can just call them Professor Xie and Professor Sheng, sa as everyone else. You’re my teacher too, so the generational titles are getting all mixed up... so let’s not worry about all that."
Sheng Jiaojiao nodded in agreent.
She felt her senior was right.
Xie Hengsheng and Ms. Sheng Yongi didn’t care about the titles either, and they both nodded in agreent.
"My dear, we know you respect your teachers, and we appreciate the sentint. But there’s no need to be so formal and place such strict demands on your own student," Ms. Sheng Yongi said, persuading Teacher Qin.
Only then did Teacher Qin relent.
After they relented, the house instantly beca even more lively with the addition of two more people.
Everyone at the dinner table had a wonderful ti. The only slight imperfection was the absence of Yue Yihan and Xie Changyi. Still, they felt that there would be plenty of ti and more opportunities in the future for an even fuller reunion.
As for the Han siblings, they were completely forgotten by Han’s parents.
They had no desire to even think about those unlucky wretches.
"I heard from Yihan that Han Jiu has a vacation in a few days. Mr. Han, Mrs. Han, would you like to go back to Chuncheng for a couple of days? I can have a driver take you there."
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