Chapter 885

The fourth day of the first lunar month, February 19th.

After lunch, Li Luo's second aunt, Li Xuefeng, prepared to return to the city with Li Xuemei to open their mahjong parlor for business.

She would also stop by Zhao Shuhan's house in the evening to have dinner with his parents and discuss plans for their wedding in the second half of the year.

Li Luo's eldest aunt, Li Xuexian, would return with her husband Chen Hailin to Chenjiacun to visit relatives; she wouldn't be back for two days.

Li Dao and Chen Yongqi had left two days earlier; Li Guoru had wanted to stay longer, but he was now elderly and had felt unwell these past few days, so he needed to go to the hospital.

Thus, after lunch, he also took his leave.

Grandpa and Grandma watched their children depart one by one, feeling a deep reluctance, yet their moods were still relatively good, since the entire Li Guohong family was still together.

Their grandson Li Luo had brought back three lovely, well-behaved girls, and even their families had come to the countryside to celebrate the New Year together.

The atmosphere remained lively and bustling.

Although Li Xuefeng and Li Xuemei were usually busy with work and returned infrequently,

Li Luo's eldest aunt, Li Xuexian, had always lived in the countryside to care for the elderly couple.

Chen Hailin worked as a chef in the countryside, leading a small team that traveled wherever banquets were needed, earning hard-earned money.

In his spare time, he stayed by the elders' side with Li Xuexian.

Among the children, Li Guoru—the eldest and most successful, with the wealthiest household—had long shouldered the daily expenses and medical costs for Li Luo's grandparents.

Now that the Li Guohong family had also become prosperous, Li Guohong had privately discussed with Li Guoru and taken on part of the grandparents' expenses.

The main costs were for routine health checkups and medical visits; the elderly's daily living expenses were actually minimal.

As for Li Xuefeng and Li Xuemei, their jobs were hard to come by, and their wages barely covered their own and their daughters' needs, so no one in the family blamed them.

As long as they returned home each New Year to reunite with the family, it was considered fulfilling their filial duty.

But if the elderly fell ill and required hospitalization or daily care, it was usually Li Xuefeng and Li Xuemei who rushed back to attend to them.

In short, the five children of the grandparents had always contributed according to their abilities—some gave their time, others their strength—and the entire family remained deeply united.

When Lin Xiuhong fell seriously ill in his previous life, Li Luo and Li Guohong relied on family support to sustain her hospital expenses and surgery costs.

So in this life, seeing how his aunts' lives had improved, Li Luo felt deeply comforted.

Especially regarding the mahjong parlor in Jincheng Community—when Lin Xiuhong first proposed setting it up, she had consulted Li Luo's opinion, and he had wholeheartedly agreed, even specifically suggesting she invite his two aunts to join.

But before leaving, his youngest aunt, Li Xuemei, had pulled Lin Xiuhong aside to talk; Lin Xiuhong nodded repeatedly. Noticing this, Li Luo asked curiously after she returned: "What did you talk about with your little aunt?"

"Oh, nothing much, just about the mahjong parlor," Lin Xiuhong waved her hand. "We originally closed at 2 a. m. because we thought they needed rest, and staying up late wasn't good for their health."

"But Xuemei said several customers had complained that not having all-night rooms wasn't satisfying enough."

"So she thought, since the small room behind the front desk was already used by them for playing mahjong anyway,"

"She asked if we could put a bed there and offer all-night service."

"If we did, she wouldn't need to rent an apartment outside—she could just live at the parlor full-time."

"I figured her current rented room was shared with others, so living at the parlor would be more spacious, with its own bathroom, so I agreed."

Lin Xiuhong explained at length, finally making the situation clear.

Li Luo nodded after hearing this, then said: "Aren't we still renovating the house at Sky Ridge Elegant Residence? It should be done in about two months."

"Once the formaldehyde clears out, you and Dad can move in next half-year—we'll all live in the same community. That way, Dad's commute to the hot pot restaurant will be shorter, and it'll be easier for you to play mahjong with Aunt Cui."

"Then the Jincheng Community apartment will be empty—just let your two aunts move in."

"It's better to have family live there than rent it to strangers."

Lin Xiuhong thought this made sense and smiled as she nodded: "True. I'll tell them when we get back."

"But LuLu is getting married this year—if they have a child later, Xuefeng will probably have to move with them to help care for it."

"Xuemei is free, so letting her live in our house means someone will be there to look after it."

"I just wonder when JiaJia will find someone."

As she spoke, Lin Xiuhong's topic began to drift.

Li Luo immediately cut her off, urging her to go play mahjong, then called Ying Chanxi to join them.

Sitting beside them watching the mahjong game, Li Luo snacked on sunflower seeds while Xu Youyu, sitting nearby and also munching seeds, asked him: "Aren't you releasing your new book soon?"

"Yeah," Li Luo spat the husks precisely into the trash bin beside him and nodded. "Tomorrow night at 9:30, I'll upload three chapters—about ten thousand words total."

"Are you even human?" Xu Youyu stared, speechless. "Who starts a novel with ten thousand words?"

"Just on the first day," Li Luo said. "After that, I'll stick to four or five thousand words daily to meet recommendation slots."

As they played mahjong and chatted, the joyful afternoon passed quickly.

But Li Luo's mood grew increasingly somber—he seemed lost in thought, silent even during dinner.

Ying Chanxi noticed his odd behavior immediately; that night, she skipped mahjong with Lin Xiuhong and others, asked her father to cover her shift, then pulled Li Luo up to the third-floor bedroom.

"Are you troubled about something?"

"Huh?" Li Luo paused, thinking Ying Chanxi had brought him up for intimacy, like Zhu Sheng or Xu Youyu might.

But he hadn't expected her to notice his unease.

"Is it that obvious?" Li Luo touched his face, puzzled. "How did you know?"

"You barely spoke at dinner—you usually initiate conversations," Ying Chanxi whispered, leaning into his arms. "So something's wrong? Are you nervous about launching your new book? But it doesn't feel like that."

"It's nothing," Li Luo patted her back, pulling her close, smiling softly. "I'll tell you tonight, when we're in bed—with Xu Youyu and Zhu Sheng there too."

Hearing this, Ying Chanxi seemed to sense something. She lifted her head in his arms, meeting his gaze.

Then she stopped asking, nodding gently—as if realizing something, her heart began pounding rapidly.

…

Ten o'clock at night.

Tonight, Ying Chanxi was supposed to sleep on the floor mat.

But this time, the floor mat had been super-widened—enough to fit all four of them.

Ying Chanxi lay obediently in Li Luo's arms, with Xu Youyu and Yan Zhusheng on either side.

Li Luo shared many heartfelt words with them; the girls listened quietly, occasionally adding a few remarks.

She did not know when she had fallen asleep, but when she awoke again, it was the morning of the fifth day of the New Year.