Chapter 233
In the blink of an eye, New Year's Eve arrived. Since Nan's Father and Nan's Mother both refused to come to Xiangyang Village for the holidays, Nan Sheng decided they would return to her family's home for a reunion lunch, then head to her in-laws' house for the New Year's Eve dinner.
As the family of four rode their bicycles toward Wangshan Village, the two children giggled endlessly, feeling that the New Year had never been this much fun before. However, halfway through the ride, Nan Sheng ran out of steam and had to stop to catch her breath.
Sizhe hopped off the back of Lin Han's bicycle. "Mom, let Dad take my sister. I'll pedal and carry you!"
Lin Han shot his wife a look, silently asking: Are you going to let our son take you, or should I?
Nan Sheng decisively chose Sizhe. "Thank you, my big boy."
Siqi couldn't care less about who was taking whom. She wriggled her way up onto the back seat of her dad's bike, keeping her eyes glued to her mother's side, curious to see if her brother could actually manage to ride the bicycle.
As it turned out, her brother was quite capable. He pedaled with Nan Sheng on the back without much effort, only starting to feel tired as they neared Wangshan Village. Still, he pushed through and made it all the way to his grandmother's house.
Nan Sheng hadn't told her family they were coming over for lunch. Zhong Yanyan had originally planned to just have hot pot for noon and hadn't prepared any other dishes. So, when she saw her daughter's family arrive, she was utterly astonished. Why were they traveling around on New Year's Eve?
"Dear, Mingli, hurry out here! The kids are here!"
Nan Jingyu's immediate reaction was that his daughter was being nonsensical. How could they just run around on such an important holiday? Mingli, on the other hand, flashed a wide, toothy grin. Who wouldn't want to be surrounded by a bustling, lively atmosphere on such a significant day?
Zhong Yanyan ushered the family of four into the house before she began her lecture. Nan Sheng just smiled cheerfully as she took the scolding, leaving her parents completely helpless against her. In the end, they could only direct their exasperation at Lin Han. "She was being ridiculous and you didn't even try to stop her. You are both adults now."
Lin Han rubbed his nose, thinking to himself that rules were rigid, but people were flexible. Besides, he actually quite enjoyed spending the New Year with his father-in-law's family, so why would he stop her?
Mingli playfully pinched Siqi's soft, chubby little cheeks. When he noticed Sizhe red-faced and panting, he found it rather amusing. "Are you flushed from the cold or just exhausted? Why is your face so red?"
Sizhe proudly puffed out his chest. "Uncle, I was the one who pedaled Mom all the way here today. Pretty impressive, huh?"
"Oh wow, my eldest nephew is amazing! You get a big chicken drumstick as a reward today!"
While Sizhe was beaming with joy, Nan Sheng received a smack on the arm from her mother. Zhong Yanyan scolded her for being immature; what kind of mother bullied her own child into doing all the hard work?
Since their family had come over, having hot pot for lunch was no longer an option. Zhong's Mother brought out the ingredients meant for the lavish New Year's Eve dinner, deciding to push the hot pot back to their midnight meal instead.
"Mom, you don't need to cook so many dishes. Save half of them for tonight."
"Mind your own business. I'll cook whatever I want. We're having a dumpling hot pot tonight!"
Nan Sheng was thoroughly amused by Zhong Yanyan. A dumpling hot pot? Her mother was surprisingly trendy.
By noon, the crackling sound of firecrackers echoed from every household. The Nan family, however, remained quiet, ending up eating their lunch over an hour later than usual.
When it was finally time to set off the firecrackers, the two children eagerly followed them outside. Zhong Yanyan told her son to light them a bit further away so they wouldn't scare Qiqi.
When it was time to eat, Grandpa Nan finally agreed to join them at the table. He said that his health was failing, and he didn't know how many days he had left, so he wanted to share a proper reunion meal with his eldest son's family.
As for his youngest son, he no longer bothered to think about him. Could an old man really look after his children for a lifetime?
Nan Jingyu hated hearing his father talk like that. Once the elderly believed their time was up, they would age incredibly fast. Every time the old man brought it up, Nan Jingyu would chide him a little, and Grandpa Nan would just chuckle and promise not to say it again.
In truth, the old man was quite a neat eater. It was just that sometimes his nose would inexplicably run, and he would have to wipe it with a cloth. Fearing that the younger generation would find him repulsive, he usually refused to eat at the same table as them.
The meal was a lavish feast. Zhong Yanyan had cooked a pot of fragrant, soft, and glutinous white rice. She even made a point to place the tender, easy-to-chew dishes right in front of her father-in-law. By the end of the meal, Grandpa Nan's eyes had grown red with emotion.
Looking at Sizhe and Siqi, he murmured, "Mingli will be getting married soon, and my eldest boy is going to become a grandfather too."
He had been through so much in his life, having survived wars and devastating famines. He had been poor his entire life, but thankfully, his final years spent in his eldest son's home were peaceful and comfortable. No one here treated him like a burden.
Mingli deliberately played the clown to cheer his grandfather up. "If my dad becomes a grandfather, then that makes you a great-grandfather! Just you wait to hold your great-grandson in your arms!"
Zhong Yanyan shot a glance at the two kids and scolded her son for his nonsense, though in reality, the little ones didn't understand what they were talking about anyway.
Still, she eagerly looked forward to that day herself, feeling that having a new baby in the family gave them all something to hope for. She really wanted to help her daughter babysit, but alas, her son-in-law just wasn't stepping up to the plate.
After lunch, Mingli and the two children helped clear the table, while Grandpa Nan retired to the west room for his afternoon nap.
As soon as Zhong Yanyan closed the door to the room, Nan Sheng sensed that something was wrong. She tried to bluff her way out. "Mom, it's New Year's Eve today. We need to head back early to help wrap dumplings, so we won't stay much longer."
"Sit down and stay put. Your mother has something to ask you two."
Nan Sheng cast a pleading look at Nan Jingyu, hoping her dear father would speak up for her. Unfortunately, her hopes were dashed; Nan Jingyu was just as eager to know what was going on.
"Tell me, you two. It's been years. Why don't you have a child yet? Is it that you don't want to have one, or is it that you can't?"
She had even sent her son-in-law some medicinal wine for vitality, yet there were still no results. Could the problem actually lie with her daughter?
If worst came to worst, the couple needed to go see a doctor together. After taking a few doses of medicine, they would surely be holding a plump baby by next year!
Lin Han opened his mouth, prepared to take the blame upon himself, but Nan Sheng quickly stopped him, terrified that her parents might actually beat him to death.
"Dad, Mom, there's absolutely nothing wrong with our health. I'm the one who doesn't want to have a baby. You know how busy I am with work; I simply don't have the time to look after a child."
"What do you mean you don't have time? If you feel too overwhelmed, your dad and I can move in with you to help raise the baby!"
Nan Sheng was left speechless.
Oh, for heaven's sake! She knew this excuse wouldn't work on her parents, and clearly, her dad had no objections to that plan either.
Nan Sheng sneaked a covert glance at Lin Han, who just looked bewildered. A second later, he heard his wife shamelessly declare, "I'm not having one! I won't! I absolutely refuse to have a baby!!!"
With that, she bolted out the door, leaving Lin Han trembling alone in the room. Unable to catch her runaway daughter, Zhong Yanyan had no choice but to interrogate her son-in-law. "Why on earth doesn't she want to have a baby?"
"She's afraid of the pain," Lin Han answered honestly.
Zhong Yanyan sighed, "Afraid of the pain... Well, giving birth is indeed quite painful..."
If she hadn't been afraid that her husband would be mocked for not having a son, she never would have gone through with a second pregnancy herself. But right now, her headache was only getting worse. She pointed an accusing finger at Lin Han.
"Can't you try to talk some sense into her? If you don't have kids now, you won't be able to have them later when you're older, even if you want to!"
Lin Han looked so honest and helpless that even Nan Jingyu couldn't help but step in to defend his son-in-law. "Why are you blaming him? Can't you see who wears the pants in their house?"
Zhong Yanyan let out a heavy sigh. Of course she knew! That wretched girl had darted out of the courtyard in a flash. Was she supposed to chase her down the street and drag her back, making a complete laughingstock of themselves in front of the neighbors?
"Hurry up and go find her. It's New Year's Eve—don't let her catch a cold out there in the freezing weather."
Shortly after Nan Sheng crept back into the house, Zhong Yanyan shooed her away, claiming she was too annoyed to even look at her. And so, the family of four who had arrived so joyfully ended up being kicked out, slinking back home with their tails tucked between their legs...