Chapter 1746: Boasting

When they returned, the house suddenly became much livelier; they had barely sat down when everyone started shouting—adults yelling, children yelling too.

The old lady bustled in and out, happily preparing food for them; before their bowls were even finished, she was already ladling more in with her big spoon.

"Eat more, eat until you're full—you'll need the strength."

"We don't work the fields."

"Eating full gives you strength to argue."

"Hahaha…"

Ye Chenghe returned from somewhere, rode up on Ye Yaodong's motorcycle, and rushed inside the moment he reached the gate to greet everyone.

"You're all back?"

Ye Ye Xiaoxi shouted, "Yes! We came for the feast and red envelopes!"

The twins echoed like parrots, "Yes! Red envelopes!"

"Of course! Everyone gets one—everyone will get theirs!"

After smiling and saying this, Ye Chenghe slapped Ye Ye Chengjiang on the shoulder. "You're a real friend—even said you wouldn't come, and yet you showed up."

"I'm here for the red envelope too!"

"Get lost—you're older than me, still want a red envelope?"

"My mom says as long as you're not married, you're still a kid, so I'll sit with them at the table!"

"Dream on!"

"When's your brother coming back?"

"My brother's busy—he won't come back until the day before the full-moon celebration."

"So busy he's busier than Uncle Three? Uncle Three and Auntie Three came back with us!"

"That's different—my eldest brother's just starting his business, he has to do everything himself, so of course he's busy. Uncle Three already succeeded, he's stable now, his work's all handled by others, so you've got free time."

"I'll call him later and nag him to come back!"

"Go ahead, if you want to call, call."

Pei Yu chimed in, "Cousin, when will your little nephew wake up?"

"I don't know—he spends his whole day eating and sleeping. Now he's awake a bit longer, but before, he just slept all day."

"Then I'm not waiting for my little nephew—I'm going out to play." Ye Ye Xiaoxi put down her chopsticks and ran off first.

The others followed one by one, then went out to call their friends; the house emptied out by half.

They came back shouting about their little nephew, but now it seems it was just lip service—they've already forgotten him; what they truly miss are their old buddies.

The old lady smiled as she cleared their empty bowls and chopsticks, then told Ye Ye Chengjiang, "Once you're done eating, go call your parents over. I boiled a big pot—tell them to stop packing for now and come eat first."

"I'm not going—if I go, they'll scold me again. Let Chenghe go—he's the one here for his son's full-moon feast, he's the one who should go."

"Your parents want you to learn from me! Find someone soon, so you can give them a grandchild early. You have no idea how adorable my son is—tiny, soft, all bundled up, waving his hands when he cries…"

Ye Ye Chengjiang quickly covered his ears.

"What are you doing?"

"I don't want to hear it! No matter how adorable he is, I won't marry or have kids—I'm still a kid myself!"

"I'll bring my son out for you to see…"

"Didn't you say he's sleeping? If you dare carry him out, your mom will beat you to death. I'm going for a walk—you stay inside and be a good dad."

Ye Ye Chengjiang hurried off immediately, or he'd be stuck listening to Ye Chenghe talk about his son again.

Unfair!

What's so great about having a son!!

When I get married, I'll have three, five kids—I'll outdo them all!

"Uncle Three, want to come see my son? He looks just like me…"

"No thanks? If he looks like you, every part of him looks like you—that'd be a disaster."

Ye Chenghe raised his voice, "What's that supposed to mean? Who are you looking down on?!"

Ye Yaodong scanned him from head to toe, then chuckled twice, stood up, and walked over to stop beside him.

"I'm done eating. I'm going to bathe and sleep."

"…."

Damn it!

Being tall is so impressive, huh? What's wrong with being short?

I'll get married first!

I'll have the first son!

Ye Yaodong stretched, picked up his luggage, and headed to his room. He'd eaten his fill, now he needed to wash up and crawl back into bed for a proper rest.

Lin Lin Xiuqing smiled and exchanged a few pleasantries with Ye Chenghe, asked about the baby, then waited until she'd helped the old lady clear the dishes before going over to take a look.

The mother was in confinement, so men couldn't go near—but women could manage.

Still, she didn't enter the confinement room; the mother was still inside, and no one usually went in—there were beliefs about the room being unclean during confinement.

At most, one stood at the doorway, offered greetings, and had the baby brought out for relatives to see.

Lin Lin Xiuqing did the same—stood at the door, offered a few words of greeting, handed over a red envelope, held the baby briefly, praised him a few times, then returned.

The mother was still in confinement, so visitors shouldn't stay too long.

Ye's father had been smiling at the doorway the whole time, and when the baby was brought out, he reached over and held him too.

She returned to the room to find Ye Yaodong had finished bathing and was already lying down.

"You saw the baby?"

"Yes, held him—he had big round eyes looking everywhere. Haven't held such a tiny baby in a long time—he's quite adorable."

"Now that you've seen it, rest a bit—you've been on the boat for so long, you must be tired."

"Why don't you ask if the baby looks like someone?"

"Who else could she look like? Daughters resemble their fathers, sons resemble their mothers—definitely not like Chenghe."

Lin Lin Xiuqing laughed heartily. "That's right—she looks more like Xiuni. My parents always said she looked like Chenghe, and Big Brother and Big Sister kept praising her: 'This part looks like Chenghe, that part looks like Chenghe,' over and over."

Ye Yaodong also laughed. "Of course you think your own child looks like you—Chenghe kept saying the baby looked just like him too."

"The first child of the next generation is naturally cherished—you naturally think they look like family."

"Wash up and go to sleep."

Lin Lin Xiuqing nodded, gathering her clothes to wash, adding, "They all come back and vanish immediately—where do they get so much energy? They don't even feel tired, still running around outside."

"Don't worry about them—it's good they're not sleeping now; they'll sleep earlier tonight."

"You go ahead and sleep—I'll take a bath too."

The whole house, inside and out, had been tidied in advance—even their bed had been made by Mother before they returned, so they could lie down the moment they got home.

Ye Yaodong could still smell the sun-dried scent; holding it felt comfortable.

The bedding from the boat reeked of fish and mildew—no matter how clean you washed it, if it stayed on the boat for more than a day, it turned foul again—but there was no choice; you had to make do.

They arrived home today, the eighteenth of the lunar month; the full-moon banquet is still four days away on the twenty-second, but the invitations have already been sent out.

These past two days, relatives have been coming early to deliver red envelopes; neighbors come and go nonstop, someone always there.

Mostly, they don't leave right away after giving the red envelope—they chat a bit, idle around, compliment the baby, and since Mother and Big Sister are both talkative, our family has been the hottest topic in the village these past two years.

Before the last visitor even leaves, the next one arrives—or they come together—and neighbors chime in too; the house is beyond lively.

The children in the house run wild and make noise everywhere—only during school hours do they have no playmates and must amuse themselves alone.

Whenever this happens, they remember their little nephew and rush over to Ye Chenghe's house, chattering, demanding to see the baby.

"Little nephew is so tiny—his hands are so small…"

"Brother Brother Ahai, are you going to have a little nephew too? Is Big Sister's belly really big now?"

"At New Year, Sister's belly was just a little bit big!"

"Then it must be huge now!"

"Brother Brother Ahai and Brother Chenghe both have children now—when will Brother Ajiang have a child?"

"My brother doesn't even have a wife—how could he have a child?"

"When will Brother Ajiang find a wife?"

"Even you kids are pressuring him to marry—Ajiang would run away if he heard," Ye Chenghe teased. "I only saw him the first day; for the past two days, I haven't seen a shadow of him—where the hell did he disappear to? Hiding in some corner?"

"My brother comes home every night reeking of smoke, sleeps all day—Mother's scolded him to death."

"I heard—Auntie Er's been yelling at the door since morning."

Ye Ye Chengyang said, "I know where he went—last night his friends came to get him; I heard them say they went ice skating last night!"

Ye Ye Xiuxiu's eyes widened. "I want to go too! My brother didn't even tell me—he's so unfair, sneaking off by himself and not taking us!"

"He stayed out till midnight—you're a girl, you can't go—it's too chaotic."

"I'm already an adult…"

"Still can't go."

She grabbed Ye Ye Chengyang's ear. "You're much younger than me—now you're telling me what to do? You won't let me go?"

"I'm younger, but I'm a boy—you girls aren't allowed. Inside, it's all men with bad intentions."

Ye Ye Tingting giggled. "I'll tell my brother you called him a dog man!"

Ye Ye Chengyang stood firm. "That's true—he's no good. He plays till midnight before he dares come home—he must've been holding girls' hands skating all night!"

"No wonder he doesn't want a partner or to get married—he's switching partners every day!" Ye Chenghe grumbled, envious.

"I never said that—it wasn't me!"

Ye Ye Xiuxiu: "That's exactly what you meant!"

"No, I only said he holds girls' hands skating every day—I didn't say he dates them every day."

"Then it's worse—he's holding girls' hands every day but they're not even his partners! He's a real dog man! A pervert! No wonder he says his friends aren't good either—my brother's no good either—he's a pervert!"

Ye Chenghe nodded vigorously in agreement. "That's right—your brother's no good at all!"

Ye Ye Xiuxiu kept tugging Ye Ye Chengyang's ear. "How do you know so much? Have you been to the ice rink too?"

"When I was in the Magic Capital, I went with classmates on weekends—the music was louder than thunder, men kept holding girls' hands skating, and they'd keep falling into each other's arms, shamelessly clinging!"

"You're just a kid—you went there?"

"I'm thirteen already, and I went with classmates—we played together."

Ye Ye Chengyang finally slapped her hand away, freeing his ear, and scrambled three steps back.

Then he sidled up to Ye Chenghe, flattery in his voice. "Brother, when are you going ice skating? Call me—I'm good too! We've been skating on the playground since we were kids!"

"When I'm in the mood."

Ye Ye Chengjiang walked over slowly, looking exhausted, eyes drowsy—clearly just woken up and still half-asleep.

"You've been yelling all day—what are you yelling about?"

"You look like a thief who just came home from a night out—if I hadn't seen you the first day, I'd think you never came back."

"What thief? I just stayed out late with friends."

"You look like a flower-snatching thief."

"Don't talk nonsense."

"Didn't you hold some girl's hand, teach another girl how to skate, wrap your arms around a girl's waist as you glided—or let a girl wrap her arms around yours?" Ye Chenghe said with a sour tone.

"Cough—those girls are still young, don't talk nonsense."

Ye Ye Xiaoxi shouted, "We're all grown up—we know everything! You switch partners every day, that's why you don't want to marry!"

"Bullshit, I'm a man of pure morals—just went out to hang out with friends. After tomorrow's full-moon banquet, I'll stay two more days at most, then leave. If I don't take this chance to catch up with my friends while I'm back, when will I ever get the chance?"

Ye Chenghe rolled his eyes. "Now I finally get why you never find a partner or get married—you're a scumbag!"

"Pfft, you be the good man, the good husband, the good father—no need to envy me. I've got no partner, no wife, so I can do whatever I want~" Ye Ye Chengjiang said with great pride.

Nowadays, social attitudes are becoming increasingly open; unlike a few years ago, when dating without marriage was considered immoral, now love is encouraged as a free choice—young people can date whoever they like.

"Who envies you? I've got a wife and kids—do you? I've got a lovely son—do you? By the time my son can run errands for soy sauce, you'll still be a bachelor!"

"So what? I'm single, and I'm proud of it!"

"Dare you say that to your mother!"

"My mother's right here—same thing!"

Ye Ye Ersao suddenly appeared at the door, hands on her hips. "You good-for-nothing brat, are you trying to kill me? You're proud of being single?"

"Mom, don't worry—when I get married, I'll give you so many grandsons you won't be able to handle them all, your mouth will be smiling so wide it'll twist sideways."

Ye Chenghe sneered. "Keep dreaming!"

"I'm just letting you two go ahead—get married first, have kids first. I'll catch up and overtake you eventually."

He turned to Ye Ye Ersao. "My son's tall, handsome, refined, rich, and hardworking—how could you possibly worry I won't find a wife? It's just a matter of time—only depends on whether I want to!"

"I just haven't met the right one yet. When I do find someone with good conditions, who can bear children, you'll be bragging about her nonstop."

"Don't worry—I'll make sure you get two kids in three years, three in five! I'll outpace Brother Brother Ahai and Chenghe combined!"

Ye Ye Ersao's expression softened under his flattery. "Keep dreaming! You don't even have a shadow of a partner, yet you're talking so big now."

"No one now doesn't mean no one later."

Ye Chenghe mocked him. "First find a partner, then talk. Just watch me get two kids in three years, three in five!"

"If my eldest and second uncles each have three kids, Brother Brother Ahai, wouldn't you need seven just to catch up?" Ye Ye Jingjing asked curiously.

Ye Ye Chengjiang was just blowing smoke—he hadn't thought it through.

"Adults are talking—children shouldn't interrupt."