Back To The 80s-Chapter 319 - 329: Visitor_1

Just like that, it was already the 23rd of the lunar December again. Because they were having a lot of people over for the New Year this year, Wen Xiuqing told Aunt Li to start preparing the food for the New Year. Steamed buns, mantou, and making bean paste. They made a whole pot of bean paste alone.

Gu Xiaobei was sitting on the sofa with Mo Wang, watching Wen Xiuqing, who was getting better day by day, busily bustling about. He turned to Fang Jing sitting next to him and asked, "Do you guys get time off for the New Year?"

Fang Jing nodded and said, "Yeah, we get half a month off. Our factory isn’t doing well anyway, we have a pile of stuff in the warehouse that won’t sell. If we take a break, at least we can minimize the wear and tear on the machinery."

Gu Xiaobei tutted in surprise. This state-owned factory would likely undergo reform within a few years.

Looking at Lu Zhanguo, who was holding Xiaopang by the dining table, Fang Jing asked, "Second Brother, do you know what Aiguo has been up to these past few days? He’s busier than the central leaders, I barely see him around these days."

Lu Zhanguo shook his head. Gu Xiaobei pondered for a while and then said, "The New Year is coming soon, business is definitely going to be good. Lots of households have been saving up all year, and this is the time to spend the money, isn’t it?"

Fang Jing rolled her eyes, "Who knows how much money he’s earned, he won’t even tell me."

While a few of them were chatting in the living room, Shi Xiuying led a young man inside.

"Everyone’s already home. We were just thinking of coming over to pay you a visit before the New Year, so that we don’t have to come over during the holiday itself." Shi Xiuying smiled and put down a basket of eggs she was carrying on her arm. She pulled the young man beside her, "Linzi, come here, greet everyone. This is your Second Uncle, this is your Second Aunt, and that over there is your Third Aunt." She introduced Linzi to everyone one by one.

Gu Xiaobei thought the young man looked familiar. Squinting his eyes and looking closely, wasn’t this the young man he had met on the train?

After the introductions, Shi Xiuying continued, "This is Zhang Lin, your eldest brother’s son."

Following a reluctant greeting, Zhang Lin was clearly startled when he saw Gu Xiaobei holding a child. He froze for a moment then quickly turned his face away.

Lu Zhanguo was sitting by the dining table, silently observing Zhang Lin. Though the heavy snow had only allowed him a brief glimpse, he still remembered his distinguishing features clearly. Now that he was looking at his face in detail and linking it with the nimble movements on the train, he suddenly understood why he had lost Zhang Lin after only a short delay that day; this youngster had some sort of training.

After Shi Xiuying finished her introductions, she led Zhang Lin to sit down on the sofa and looked around before asking, "Where’s your mom?"

Fang Jing politely answered, "She’s in the kitchen. Aunt, you came really early this year."

Shi Xiuying didn’t mind Fang Jing’s indirect comment and got up to say, "Then I’ll go to the kitchen to check. Zhang Lin is also a young person, you guys chat together."

Zhang Lin sat there, his eyes fixed on the ground without making a sound. He felt as if Lu Zhanguo, sitting behind him, was staring at him, his gaze felt like it could penetrate into the depths of his soul, scaring him into keeping still. He had long heard of how powerful Lu Zhanguo was.

Lu Zhanguo looked at Zhang Lin sitting there rigidly and dropped his eyelids. It was clear that Zhang Lin had not recognized that it was him who was chasing them that day. And now that he was thinking about it, he suspected that the incident that day was not just a common brawl.

Wen Xiuqing was in the kitchen making buns with Aunt Li. When she saw Shi Xiuying her tone was cold as she said, "You sure know your way around here. No doubt even the guards at the gate now recognize you."

Shi Xiuying didn’t care, she poked her head and looked at the filling in the bowl, "You’re making cabbage and vermicelli buns, the amount of pork you’re using is really generous. You must be planning to eat at least 20 pounds of meat for the New Year."

Wen Xiuqing ignored her and just focused on making the buns. Shi Xiuying, feeling snubbed, straightforwardly said, "I brought Dalinzi over. When will Songyuan be back? Can he try to arrange to send him to the army? This kid isn’t listening to anybody at home these days. We thought, maybe if he goes to the army, he’ll straighten up."

Wen Xiuqing’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, she said in a somewhat dissatisfied tone, "What time do you think it is? The new recruits in March have already joined their units. There’s no such thing as joining the army at this time."

"We know, but last time we came here, we couldn’t find this child when we went back. These few days, he finally came back home, so I hurriedly brought him here. This child never comes home these days, we’re afraid he’ll get involved with the wrong crowd and become worse." Shi Xiuying said with a touch of sadness.

This was her oldest grandchild. As the saying goes, you love your oldest son the most, and your oldest grandchild. The youngest child in the family and the first grandchild are always the most cherished. Now, seeing Zhang Lin loafing about every day, everyone in the family is worried. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Wen Xiuqing remained silent, carefully placing the completed buns into the steaming baskets, ready to steam them over a pot.

In the living room, Zhang Lin was on pins and needles. He didn’t know whether it was his own guilt or whether Lu Zhanguo had seen through him. When Lu Zhanguo sat across from him in the single sofa, holding Xiaopang, he didn’t even know where to put his hands and feet.

Seeing Zhang Lin’s fidgety appearance, Lu Zhanguo satisfactorily opened up and asked, "How old are you?"

Zhang Lin quickly replied, "Nineteen. I’ll be twenty after the New Year."

"Have we met on a train before?" Lu Zhanguo asked knowingly.

Zhang Lin spoke nervously, "Second Uncle, Second Aunt, I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was you guys."

Lu Zhanguo seemed interested as he asked, "Do you want to join the army?"

Zhang Lin was taken aback. Why was he suddenly asking this? He honestly shook his head, "Second Uncle, I don’t want to. It’s my grandma and the others who forced me to come here. I don’t want to go at all."

Lu Zhanguo nodded, not saying anything. Instead, he played with the little chubby in his arms. Contrasting the stern expression with the delicate, soft and fair little chubby, it didn’t seem abrupt at all. Instead, it appeared extremely harmonious.

For lunch, they had buns and millet porridge. Shi Xiuying kept urging Zhang Lin, "Linzi, have another one. Your Aunt makes delicious buns. Eat up quickly, Linzi. Dip the bun in this garlic sauce; it’s really tasty."

Soon after, Shi Xiuying started again, "Linzi, these buns are not hot, eat these first. Have a drink of water; you don’t like millet porridge, do you? Drink some water; it’s not hot."

Zhang Lin seemed to be enjoying the attention as Shi Xiuying passed him buns and water.

Gu Xiaobei watched and thought that Zhang Lin must be like a little emperor at home, with everything ready as soon as he opens his mouth or stretches out his hand.

Wen Xiuqing made some pumpkin steamed buns for Mo Wang and Xiaopang. The sweet taste of the pumpkin was in the soft, fragrant buns. Each time they took a bite and fed the two children, Xiaopang and Mo Wang ate very contentedly. Xiaopang wished he could take it and gnaw on it himself. He held onto the hand Lu Zhanguo was using to hold the bun and forcefully directed it towards his own mouth.

Watching them, Shi Xiuying said, "You’re eating meat buns and feeding them yellow buns. How mean! They’re big enough already, you should chew the bun and feed it to the kids."

Hearing the idea of chewing the buns to feed the kids, Gu Xiaobei felt nauseous and didn’t respond. He just continued to feed the little Mo Wang.

Shi Xiuyang pouted and said, "When Dalinzi was five months old, we fed him braised pork for the New Year. Nothing happened. You can’t pamper the children too much."