WRS – Chapter 93 Grand Finale

A couple of days later, Fang Min returned from Zhu Zhengwei’s hometown. Zhu Ying had come along with Ji An. This year, they planned to celebrate the New Year in the capital since things were still a bit inconvenient in the countryside.

Fang Min had gone back partly because Zhu Ying wasn’t feeling well and had been hospitalized—she wanted to check on her.

When she returned, she brought back many local specialties from her hometown, as well as some homemade soybean paste and pickles Zhu Ying usually made. She gave several jars to Jin Xiuzhu.

After two consecutive days on the road, Fang Min was exhausted. She rubbed her legs while saying to Jin Xiuzhu, “I’m getting old… I really can’t take it like I used to. I feel like all my bones are falling apart.”

Jin Xiuzhu made her a cup of herbal tea. “Drink some hot tea first to warm your stomach.”

Fang Min took the tea and sipped. “On the way back, Qiu told me that Huahua has been coughing badly these past two days and even asked for your recipe to make soup.”

Huahua was Fang Min’s youngest daughter; her formal name was Zhu Hua, but everyone called her Huahua.

Jin Xiuzhu nodded. “It’s mostly the pressure from studying. Plus, the sudden drop in temperature recently—she didn’t keep herself warm enough.”

Fang Min frowned. “This child is so competitive. All the kids around her are doing well, and she’s worried she’ll embarrass herself if she falls behind. Honestly, both Zhengwei and I think it doesn’t matter; her happiness is what counts.”

Jin Xiuzhu comforted her, “It’s the same everywhere. My Lili is like that too—she studies late every time she comes back. Fanfan and Chaoying skipped grades, and her sister got into the capital’s university. She’s got a bit of rivalry in her heart.”

Fang Min shook her head helplessly. “When her aunt came back to see her, she felt so sorry for her, always saying she’d gotten thinner. She’s at home now, preparing dinner. I came to tell you so you can come over tonight for dinner.”

“Sure.”

“By the way, when will Jingzhi be back?”

“A few more days. Her vacation starts later. The other day, she called to tell me that Ji Liang and Ji Mei are always fighting at home once vacation starts. She’s so annoyed.”

Fang Min laughed. “Those two kids are really lively.”

Jin Xiuzhu shook her head. “It’s partly my fault. I sent them two handmade clothes. The patterns and colors were different, and the siblings argued endlessly—they both wanted the green one. In the end, Jingzhi got so frustrated she didn’t give either to them and gave them to her colleagues’ children instead.”

Jin Xiuzhu knew those two loved to fight and argue, but she thought it would be fine if the clothes were the same except for the color of the embroidery—it also made it easy to tell them apart. She hadn’t expected even that to cause trouble.

Her colleagues, however, were thrilled to suddenly receive two new outfits.

Fang Min laughed heartily. “Those kids are just too funny.”

That evening, Jin Xiuzhu and Jiang Mingchuan took the two children to Fang Min’s house for dinner.

The house Fang Min lived in was the small villa left by her grandparents. It was a bit smaller than Jin Xiuzhu’s, but plenty enough for living.

Zhu Zhengwei had also returned and was busy in the living room, moving tables and chairs. The women were all in the kitchen cooking.

When Jin Xiuzhu entered, Fang Min was placing dishes on the table. Seeing her, she quickly greeted, “Come in, come in. It’s cold outside, isn’t it?”

The two children followed, calling out happily, “Auntie Fang—”

Fang Min sighed and then called her youngest daughter upstairs, “Huahua, come down! Yanyan and Lili are here.”

Soon, there were the sounds of quick little footsteps as Huahua ran downstairs.

Jiang Mingchuan went to help Zhu Zhengwei, while Jin Xiuzhu headed to the kitchen. There, Zhang Qiulai was cooking, Ji An was using another stove, and Zhu Ying and Fang Min were helping. Jin Xiuzhu greeted them as she passed.

Zhu Ying immediately put down the garlic she was holding and came over smiling. “You don’t know what you’re eating, but you’re getting younger by the day.”

Jin Xiuzhu laughed. “What else would I eat? Just pickles and buns every day. Ever since He Yan left, I’ve been too lazy to cook.”

Zhu Ying, annoyed, asked, “Where’s Captain Jiang?”

Even though Jiang Mingchuan had been promoted, she still habitually called him “Captain Jiang,” just like Fang Min still called her husband “Zhengwei.”

Jin Xiuzhu replied, “He’s not much better. If he gets up twice a week, that’s great. The kids aren’t home, so he just slaps something together.”

Zhu Ying sighed, “You two, huh…”

Jin Xiuzhu asked Ji An, “Where are the two kids? I don’t see them.”

“They’re busy this year. They can’t come home for the New Year.”

Jin Xiuzhu nodded. Ji An’s children had both joined the army, so it was normal they couldn’t come. She reassured him, “We can send them some food later.”

“We already do, every month.”

More dishes were finished. Fang Min quickly carried a plate out, Jin Xiuzhu made way, then went to the sink to help wash vegetables.

That evening, they made ten dishes in total, symbolizing perfection. A large table of people ate and chatted together, making for a lively atmosphere.

They started dinner at 6:30 and didn’t finish until 8:30.

On the way home, Jin Xiuzhu was a little tipsy. Jiang Mingchuan supported her out the door. After a few steps, when he couldn’t see anyone around, he crouched down and carried her on his back.

The two children watched. Lili winked at her sister.

Fu Yanyan smiled and reminded Jiang Mingchuan, “Dad, be careful. It’s slippery outside.”

He grunted in acknowledgment. “You guys go ahead.”

Yanyan understood he was embarrassed and walked ahead with her sister.

Jin Xiuzhu rested on Jiang Mingchuan’s back, feeling it a bit but not fully conscious. She pinched his ear and mumbled, “It’s so lively today… if only Xiao Yan were home too.”

“He’ll be back on the 25th.”

“How do you know?”

“He called me.”

“Then why didn’t he tell me?”

“There’s no phone at home.”

“Hmph, that’s not okay either.”

“I’ll give him a spanking later.”

“Not too hard. Just a light one.”

Listening to their parents talking, Lili couldn’t help whispering to her sister, “When I grow up, I want to find a husband like Dad.”

Yanyan ruffled her head teasingly, “You’re thinking about marriage at this age?”

Lili reached up and touched her head too. “You talk! Fourth brother will definitely come home again.”

When Fu Yanyan heard this, she reached out as if to slap her.

Fourth Brother was the youngest grandson of the Zhang family, a year older than Fu Yanyan. He was now serving in a southern unit. When they were children, Old Master Zhang had jokingly suggested arranging a child marriage between the two, but after Old Master Zhang passed away, no one in the Zhang family ever mentioned it again. Jin Xiuzhu also wouldn’t bring it up on her own.

However, as they grew older, Zhang Mingjun kept coming to their house. At first, Fu Yanyan didn’t understand why, but later she figured it out. Still, she didn’t feel anything and privately refused him.

Liuliu was quick and ran off.

On the 25th, He Yan returned home, accompanied by the Yang brothers, Yingxiong and Chaoying. Over the past few years, the Yang brothers had come to their house for the New Year, so Jin Xiuzhu had specially prepared a room for them.

The brothers were very thoughtful, bringing plenty of gifts—both wine and nutritional supplements, including bird’s nest. No one knew how much they had spent.

Jin Xiuzhu also brought out clothes and shoes she had made for them to try on.

The brothers were thrilled, immediately trying them on. Jin Xiuzhu had made a black cotton jacket for Yang Yingxiong, with a stand-up collar, black mink trim, and cuffs embroidered with swastika-patterned designs in red thread. It was both stylish and warm. Yang Yingxiong straightened up as soon as he wore it. Yang Chaoying’s jacket was silver-gray, with white mink at the collar and cuffs, a livelier style, cloud patterns on the sleeves, and a little calf motif on the pocket.

Yang Chaoying loved it, feeling every inch of the jacket before pointing helplessly at the calf and saying, “Auntie, this is too childish.”

Jin Xiuzhu lightly smacked him on the arm. “What’s childish about it? Doesn’t it look good?”

Then she had him try the shoes.

Yang Chaoying slipped on the cloth shoes Jin Xiuzhu made. They were a bit tight at first, but he still said, “Perfect fit.”

“That’s fine then.”

The brothers only tried them on, then carefully took them off and folded them, unwilling to wear them immediately.

He Yan had already put on Jiang Mingchuan’s old military coat and went to help in the kitchen, loudly asking what everyone wanted to eat.

Liuliu didn’t hold back. “I want sweet-and-sour ribs.”

Yanyan followed, “Green pepper shredded pork.”

“Braised pork.”

“Shredded potatoes.”

“Garlic shrimp.”

…One after another.

He Yan in the kitchen grumbled, “You all really don’t hold back.”

Liuliu laughed happily, then dragged Yang Chaoying to Fang Min’s house to play with Fanfan. The three kids had grown up together like siblings, and Liuliu knew that Fanfan was seeing someone, so she definitely wanted to tease him about it.

Yang Chaoying loved joining in. The two of them laughed and joked as they left, not far from home before the sounds of two children squealing while having a snowball fight reached them.

Yang Yingxiong shouted helplessly, “Watch out for your little sister!”

Yang Chaoying protested, “She ambushed me first!”

Yang Yingxiong rubbed his forehead.

Yanyan reassured him, “Don’t mind them—they’re only three years old. Their minds aren’t fully developed yet.”

She meant it sincerely. In the future, even kindergarten kids would know about love, but Liuliu only dated to learn from others—one a representative for English, the other for physics. Neither knew of the other’s existence. She was flirtatious, yes, but only superficially, with zero romantic brain; her focus was purely on her studies.

As for Yang Chaoying, he was just a chatterbox. Now obsessed with martial arts novels, he fantasized about becoming a hero daily. Reading wasn’t enough; he had to write his own messy stories and send them to her.

That evening, the whole family had a warm dinner together.

The next day, everyone except Jiang Mingchuan went out to buy New Year goods. They didn’t go to the department store; fewer people shopped there nowadays, preferring the markets.

The market used to be a black market, but after it was legalized, more and more vendors set up stalls, especially during the New Year, selling everything, including goods from the south and Hong Kong, clothing and food alike.

Jin Xiuzhu walked ahead, asking prices for what they needed and handing the purchased items to the kids. He Yan, like when he was little, tugged at Jin Xiuzhu’s clothes whenever he wanted something.

Annoyed at his interference, Jin Xiuzhu took out five yuan and told him to buy it himself.

He Yan hooked his arm around Yang Yingxiong’s shoulder, bought several candied hawthorn sticks, and they each got one.

With this workforce, all the New Year shopping was done in one day. They carried home large and small packages. Passing by Fang Min’s house, Zhu Ying saw them and exclaimed, suggesting the kids come over tomorrow to help, as they also needed to buy New Year goods.

He Yan grinned, “Sure, but they need wages.”

“How much?”

“Not much—a candied hawthorn stick.”

“That’s plenty.”

“Of course, Auntie’s the best.”

“Hahaha!”

The day before New Year’s Eve, Bai Jingzhi returned with her two children, carrying huge packages.

Many were items issued by her workplace; she simply picked out the good ones to bring back.

The twins immediately looked for their older siblings to play with. All the kids loved teasing the little ones, especially Liuliu, who deliberately said, “Hey, why does sister have flowers on her head and brother doesn’t?”

Yang Chaoying joined in teasing: “But brother’s clothes look nicer!”

Pandemonium ensued. The siblings started fighting, and loud, heart-wrenching crying followed.

Bai Jingzhi, who had been cheerfully talking to Jin Xiuzhu about taking leave, immediately said, “I’ll go hide at my mother-in-law’s place for a while; I’ll be back soon.” And she ran out.

Jin Xiuzhu hadn’t even reacted before she was gone.

The little ones then came to Jin Xiuzhu looking for their mother. Not finding her, they demanded Auntie to judge the dispute.

Jin Xiuzhu was frustrated, waving a feather duster at Liuliu and Yang Chaoying.

The two tried to run, but the older kids blocked them.

The whole household was in chaos.

On New Year’s Eve night, the two families sat together for the reunion dinner.

The kids moved tables and chairs from Zhu Zhengwei’s house, setting up two large tables—one for the adults, one for the children.

The adults ate and drank, while the kids imitated them.

He Yan’s tolerance for alcohol was low; after a few cups, he was a bit drunk and even performed some martial arts.

Yang Chaoying, ever mischievous, egged his elder brother to compete, making Yang Yingxiong furious, but the others cheered him on. Finally, Yang Yingxiong had no choice but to step up, only to be knocked down by He Yan in fewer than three moves.

He Yan, cocky, beckoned to Jiang Mingchuan, “Dad, come on over!”

Everyone cheered again.

Jiang Mingchuan smiled.

As expected, He Yan lay on the ground for a long time, unable to get up.

That night, around midnight, Yang Chaoying was having a sweet dream when his elder brother suddenly kicked him off the bed.

He Yan: Dad, I was wrong.

Jiang Mingchuan: Son, you’re still a bit green.

Jin Xiuzhu: Hubby, so handsome.

Fu Yanyan: Serves you right.

Liuliu: So lively.

Yang Yingxiong: I’ll remember this grudge.

Yang Chaoying: I was just practicing chivalry—why did I suddenly fall off a cliff?