RYEY -Chapter 293 A Different New Year (Part 2)

Then they began to pay respects to the ancestors of the Li family. Li Huan felt a little embarrassed looking at Cheng Liguo—they had forgotten to honor the ancestors of the Cheng family.

Cheng Liguo waved his hand dismissively. “Pay respects? Pfft. I left home with nothing back then. I’ve cut ties with the old Cheng family. There are no ancestors to honor.”

When Cheng Qiao was a child, she had heard her parents talk about the Cheng family, but she had only listened without taking it to heart. Now, hearing Cheng Liguo bring up old matters, she sensed something was off.

But there were too many things for Cheng Qiao to handle, and time was short, so she prioritized the important matters first.

Grandma, holding Xuhui, stood in the courtyard. With just two candles, three sticks of incense, and some food and drink, she used Cheng Qiao’s place to pay distant respects to the Chen family ancestors and to offer a memorial to her own son.

Xuhui knelt down and bowed three times to the empty space. Earlier in the main hall, he had also bowed to the Li family ancestors. He wondered if bowing to two sets of ancestors in one night would make them angry.

Hearing her grandson’s question, Grandma paused for a moment, then quickly knelt as well. She murmured to the rising incense smoke, explaining the whole story clearly.

Even if the ancestors were to blame, it would be she, the old lady, who bore it. At that time, Xuhui was still young and followed her guidance. If the Chen ancestors dared to blame him, she would have Xuhui change his surname to Li.

At first, Cheng Qiao and Li Huan didn’t pay attention to what Grandma was saying. Later, perhaps because she became emotional, her voice grew louder and louder, leaving the couple both amused and exasperated.

They joined in, bowing three times to the incense—a sign of respect for the Chen family. After all, Chen Dapao was a true martyr, and that alone was reason enough to pay tribute.

Late at night, Mother Li and Grandma, satisfied, returned to Ye Jun’s courtyard. With this major task completed, the coming year would go smoothly, bringing happiness and health.

The night passed quietly. Early the next morning, the Ye family courtyard welcomed its first wave of visitors: Zhao Hui, with his wife and children.

Cheng Qiao happily grabbed Zhao Hui’s hand, calling him “Uncle.” Cheng Liguo also showed a look of closeness in his eyes when seeing Zhao Hui. This younger brother-in-law had always cared for them, even when Zhao Min had been disowned by the Zhao family.

“Liguo, you came to Beijing for the New Year too?”

“Yes. Cheng Qiao got into Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. I couldn’t rest easy, so I came to see her.”

“That’s great. Qijun also got into Beijing University. Both sisters did well.”

Cheng Qiao glanced at Zhao Qiming, puzzled as to why this cousin hadn’t gone to university. Qin Yue, standing beside him, sighed:

“Cheng Qiao, your eldest cousin intends to settle in the Northwest, have a huge family there, and carry on his lineage for generations.”

Cheng Qiao looked at her aunt, whose faintly upturned smile carried biting sarcasm, unsure how to respond. Zhao Qifan, however, laughed heartily:

“Cheng Qiao, brother, congratulates you on entering the school you love. Likewise, please congratulate me, your little brother, on having many children, contributing my small part to the Northwest.”

“And your wife?”

“Well… my wife is busy, so…”

Cheng Qiao understood. Zhao Qiming had fallen for a local girl in the Northwest, married her, and had children. To ensure his wife and children’s peace of mind, he had even given up a great opportunity for the college entrance exam.

But this clearly struck a nerve with Qin Yue. This aunt was good in many ways, but had one fatal flaw: she cared deeply about appearances.

Now that her pride had been trampled by Zhao Qiming, she was unwilling and resentful. But as children cannot always obey their parents, she had to vent her anger entirely on her eldest daughter-in-law, leaving the latter afraid to show her face.

“Come inside quickly; it’s cold outside.”

Cheng Liguo smoothed things over, inviting everyone indoors. Seeing Ye Jun, Qin Yue tried hard to control her anger, forcing a smile to greet him.

Ye Jun gave a faint smile. He knew these Beijing families too well. Every time their internal conflicts flared, he was thankful he hadn’t married into one of them.

“Zhao Hui, did you get your house back?”

The Zhao family had once been prominent. Their courtyard in Beijing combined four traditional houses with three sections, covering six thousand square meters. But it was all gone.

“No. They gave me a two-bedroom apartment and restored my job.”

Ye Jun nodded. With Zhao Chen dead, the Zhao family was no longer worth much. Restoring his job and giving him a house was already good enough. But what about Zhao Kun?

“And your uncle Zhao Kun?”

“He’s still alive, but in poor health. Guoliang and his wife returned to teach at the university, living in the dorms assigned by the school. Guodong and Guojian… let’s not talk about them. Let’s just enjoy the New Year this year.”

Ye Jun understood. Zhao family’s second son’s three children must have fallen out over inheritance and resource allocation. As for the people involved… well, it was obvious.

The topic shifted, and they discussed Cheng Qiao’s difficulties—managing four children while attending school, unsure how to handle the situation.

“I have a daycare at my hospital. Leave the twins with me.”

Ye Jun had already checked. The hospital had an internal daycare accepting children under three, of staff members only. Parents only had to pay for meals each month.

Little Cheng Li was already six, just entering first grade. The school was right next to the hospital, making it easy for Ye Jun to handle both school commutes and lunch.

But little Li Ming was more troublesome. He was over four and could only attend kindergarten, which was quite far from them. Ye Jun couldn’t really help.

Li Huan shrugged. “If he’s out of reach, we’ll take him back. There’s a kindergarten in Chuncheng. Let him attend for two years, then transfer to Beijing for elementary school. That works too.”

Little Li Ming burst into tears. Unlike his diligent older brother Xuhui, obedient Cheng Li, smart and clever Ye Jing, or affectionate Xiaonuan, he felt unnecessary in the family. Only his mother and grandmother treated him kindly; his father had never liked him. Now, even schooling had to be separated. Why was his life so hard?

“No need. I’ll manage, taking him in the morning and picking him up in the evening. There’s a bike anyway.”

Cheng Qiao quickly held Little Li Ming. Even at just over four, he seemed to overthink compared to other kids. Yet she knew she hadn’t treated him unfairly.

“No, I won’t let you exhaust yourself. This boy has been mischievous since he was little; you can’t handle him alone.”

Li Huan pulled Little Li Ming closer, staring fiercely at him. His glare wiped away the tears. Cheng Qiao wanted to protest but was stopped by Cheng Liguo.

“You two can have disagreements, but never argue in front of the child. That kind of education is harmful.”

The couple fell silent and went to the kitchen to serve food. Tonight was New Year’s Eve—not a time for quarrels. But the mood was already strained. Little Li Ming kept a sullen face, buried in his bad emotions.