Chapter 83

Tong Huaiyu fell silent; Jian Qiu asked, “When are you leaving?”

Tong Huaiyu let out a bitter laugh: “Are you really that eager for me to go?”

Jian Qiu shook her head slightly: “You came back this time to invest in China?”

Tong Huaiyu said, “Yes, I made some money overseas and wanted to come back and invest—no false talk about building the motherland, just looking for bigger opportunities.”

Jian Qiu asked, “Have you thought about what to do?”

Tong Huaiyu said, “Minerals. China has the world’s largest rare earth reserves, while overseas rare earths are scarce—exporting them would definitely be profitable.”

Jian Qiu asked again, “Are you not leaving anymore?”

“I’ll leave—overseas business is most important—but I need to finish handling some matters here first, since getting permits for rare earth mining and export is complicated.”

Speaking of this, Tong Huaiyu gave a self-deprecating smile: “I originally planned to take you with me, but it seems I overestimated things.”

Jian Qiu seemed not to have heard Tong Huaiyu’s last words; she stood up and said, “I should head back—it’s New Year’s Eve, you should go home early too.”

Tong Huaiyu also stood up: “I’ll see you off.”

Jian Qiu wanted to refuse, but after thinking it over, she agreed.

They left the restaurant and got into a Tiger Head Benz parked at the door; “Head to Compound Six?”

Jian Qiu nodded: “Yes!”

Compound Six, separated from the Forbidden City by only one wall, had fully armed guards standing at its gate.

The Tiger Head Benz stopped at the gate of Compound Six; Jian Qiu got out: “Drive slowly!”

“Alright!” Tong Huaiyu waved with a smile; “Go inside quickly—it’s cold.”

Watching Jian Qiu enter, Tong Huaiyu’s smiling face instantly darkened; he took out a cigarette from the glove compartment, lit it, then slumped back against the seat, staring blankly at the ceiling.

“Tap-tap-tap…”

After who knew how long, someone knocked on the car window; he looked up—it was a guard.

Tong Huaiyu rolled down the window: “What is it?”

The guard saluted: “Hello, comrade, parking here for long is not allowed—please move your vehicle.”

Anger flashed in Tong Huaiyu’s eyes, but he held it back: “Alright, I’ll drive off right away.”

Zhou Anbin was scolded back by the old man, then exaggerated the story to Zhao Guifen, who clenched her teeth in fury—had it not been for her daughter-in-law being present, she would have immediately gone to confront Zhou Andong.

“Let’s keep this on record—we’ll settle accounts with Zhou Andong after your daughter-in-law leaves.”

“Exactly!” Zhou Anlei gnawed on a frozen pear, “Zhou Andong is the worst—he gave all the meat to Grandma, so it’s Grandma’s, why should he block it?”

At that moment, a thin, dark-skinned girl came out of the room carrying a basin of peeled potatoes: “Auntie, what are you talking about?”

Zhao Guifen’s face instantly filled with tender affection: “Just chatting, Juanzi—you don’t need to do this, go sit on the kang and watch TV.”

Zhou Anbin eagerly took the potato basin: “Go rest inside, I’ll handle this—you don’t need to work.”

Zhou Anbin pushed Juanzi into the room, then quickly pecked her cheek and ran out.

Juanzi froze for a moment, then her face flushed bright red; she no longer dared to come out, sitting quietly on the kang watching TV.

While this family enjoyed warmth and harmony, Zhou Andong’s household was stripped of all New Year atmosphere.

Yuan Liying wore a grim expression, saying nothing; Zhou Xiao wanted to speak, but with his wife and mother both present, he didn’t know how to begin. Zhou Anbei hadn’t retrieved the meat, but stood on the floor, refusing to climb back onto the kang.

Zhou Anqin tended to the youngest brother’s meal, yet it was clear she was also angry.

“Oh come on!” Zhou Andong laughed, “Are we not celebrating the New Year just because of Zhou Anbin? Come on, Xiao Bei, get on the kang and pour Grandpa some wine.”

“Exactly!” Zhou Anqin smiled too: “Come on, raise your glasses—first, to Grandpa and Grandma’s good health in the new year; second, to Dad’s swift recovery and Mom becoming even more beautiful.”

The old lady sighed; she was probably still thinking of her eldest grandson, Zhou Anbin.

The old man glared at her, then burst into laughter: “My eldest granddaughter knows how to speak!”

Zhou Xiaoxin smiled too: “Liying, I remember when we got married, you often had a drink with me—but ever since Xiao Dong came along, you stopped. Today’s New Year, have a sip.”

“No drink!” Yuan Liying’s expression remained sour—she was still upset with her mother-in-law.

Zhou Anqin grinned, holding up the Maotai: “Mom, this is from your eldest daughter-in-law’s filial gift—really won’t you drink?”

Yuan Liying’s expression finally softened: “If Jian Qiu were really my daughter-in-law, that would be perfect.” She shot Zhou Andong a furious glare.

Zhou Andong looked utterly confused—I didn’t provoke you, why glare at me? Then he glared fiercely at Zhou Anqin—he was now certain that it was this girl who had encouraged the youngest to call Jian Qiu “sister-in-law.”

The old man’s eyes lit up: “Dongzi got a girlfriend again?”

Yuan Liying opened her mouth to speak, but Zhou Anqin hurriedly said: “Yes, my sister-in-law is gorgeous—this wine, drinks, even the meat—all came from her!”

The old man laughed heartily: “My eldest grandson is truly capable—one leaves, another arrives—just like me in my day!”

The old lady glared: “What kind of ‘capability’?”

“Uh!” The old man had gotten too excited and blurted out something he shouldn’t have; he chuckled awkwardly and raised his cup: “Forget the unhappy things—let’s drink again!”

Zhou Andong wanted to explain, but seeing how happy the old man was, he stayed silent: “Cheers!”

“Cheers!” The little girl raised her drink—this was already her second can.

Although Zhou Anbin had disrupted the reunion dinner, the atmosphere afterward was still decent.

Not long after eating, Gao Zhen and several close friends arrived; they played until early New Year’s Day, and Zhou Andong won over a hundred yuan.

“Come on, happy New Year!” Zhou Andong waved his cash: “Ningning, hurry up and wish me a happy New Year—you’ll get a red envelope.”

The little girl’s eyes lit up: “Big brother, happy New Year!”

“Good!” Zhou Andong pulled out twenty yuan: “Here’s yours.”

“You’re really giving money?” Zhou Anbei grinned: “Big brother, happy New Year!”

Zhou Andong pulled out thirty more: “Here’s yours.”

“Big brother!” Zhou Anqin grinned: “Happy New Year!”

Zhou Andong gave her the remaining sixty or seventy yuan: “Here, take it all.”

Zhou Anbei complained: “Big brother, why does Big Sister get more than me?”

Zhou Andong said: “Because she’s older—your money’s more than the youngest’s too, isn’t it? Look, how content the youngest is.”

The little girl stared at the money in her hand, grinning foolishly with pure joy. Zhou Anbei glanced at the youngest and muttered: “She can’t even count—she’s happy just because she got money.”