Chapter 1129: Liberation

Du Zhenhua let out a sigh, and everyone present felt a twinge of regret.

Old Mrs. Du hurriedly pinched his waist and whispered, "You really know how to stir up trouble—hurry up and get the kids inside, it's time to eat!"

Du Zhenhua sighed, "Haiqing is all grown up now—she sees things more clearly than we do. I'm speaking from the heart; there's no need to be so sensitive."

Du Haiqing nodded seriously, "Mom, I'm truly not upset or hurt this time, so you don't need to be so worried."

Old Mrs. Du looked astonished: "Haiqing, Shoudao kept this from you for so many years—you're not angry at all?"

Du Haiqing replied earnestly, "Not angry—I actually feel liberated."

Du Zhenhua laughed, "Good! Feeling liberated is wonderful! Speaking honestly, all these years I've thought you weren't happy. Now that you've moved on, I'm genuinely glad for you."

Du Haiqing nodded seriously with a faint smile, "Thanks, Dad!"

Du Zhenhua chuckled and waved, "Come on, come on—let's have hot pot! Haifeng, you and your brothers join me for a couple drinks later!"

As the eldest son of the Du family, Du Haifeng nodded without hesitation: "Sure thing, Dad! Tonight the three of us brothers will keep you company with a few drinks!"

Du Haiping, Du Haiqing's sister, chimed in with a smile, "Dad, do we have any red wine left? The three of us sisters will join you for a drink too!"

Oldest son Du Haimé laughed, "That's wonderful, Dad—I'll join you with Big Sis and Second Sis for a drink!"

Du Zhenhua instantly beamed, laughing heartily, "Great! Since you three sisters didn't come home for New Year's Eve, let's treat today like the holiday!"

Du Haimé quickly said, "Dad, we wanted to come keep you company during New Year's, but you wouldn't let us..."

Du Zhenhua said seriously, "You've married into the Shen family—you're their daughter-in-law, so you should spend New Year's with your in-laws. Your two sisters are the same—it's the rule. Your three brothers are here keeping me and your mother company for New Year's; if you three sisters came too, people would say I, Old Du, don't know how to behave, only thinking of my own family."

Du Haimé replied, "Got it, Dad—I've already told Shen Silong we'll come back next New Year's Eve to keep you company."

Du Zhenhua laughed, "We'll see then—depends on what Young Shen says. If he's unwilling, don't push it."

Afterward, the Du family's three sons and three daughters escorted the elderly couple leisurely to the restaurant.

At that moment, the family chef had already placed a fine bronze pot on the table, with charcoal flames glowing red and blue in the center, a clear broth simmering around it, and the table already filled with freshly sliced lamb of all kinds.

Old Beijingers are very particular about lamb—they generally don't eat machine-sliced lamb rolls from hot pot restaurants, preferring purely fresh, hand-cut lamb.

Hand-cut lamb has many specifics—different cuts have various names, such as upper brain meat, tenderloin, large three-prong, small three-prong, and cucumber strips.

Different meats also have different cutting styles, varying in size and thickness, with many ways to describe them.

The Du family rarely shows off wealth or lives extravagantly, but they are all extremely particular—yet their particularity isn't about appearances or price, but flavor and essence.

Take eating, for example—the Du family's standards are strict, each one more discerning than the last.

That fried dough pancake shop in the alley—we've eaten there for ten years without getting tired, but if we switch to one with slightly worse skill, even barely noticeable, we find it hard to swallow.

Old Master Du has had no bad habits his whole life except loving to smoke.

Especially fond of a certain cigarette produced by a tobacco factory in southern Yunnan.

After the old master smoked for twenty years, the tobacco factory improved its craftsmanship and production line, upgraded the formula, and replaced the cigarette paper and filter material.

Everyone thought the improved version was more refined and higher-end than before, with hardly any difference in taste—but the old master just felt the flavor was off and couldn't get used to it no matter what.

Later, because of this, he even fell ill.

When the old master's former subordinates heard he was hospitalized due to illness, they rushed to visit him specially.

Asked about the cause, they learned he'd actually developed a heart condition from twenty years of smoking altering his taste—so they simply made a phone call, had that tobacco factory reopen the old production line already dismantled and ready for scrapping, and produce the original cigarettes just for him—only then was his heart condition considered cured.

Still, the old master felt guilty about using his influence, so he specifically had his second son in business, Du Haiyang, go to the tobacco factory to verify all the costs of reopening the line, then paid everything himself out of pocket—only then did he feel justified accepting this privilege.

Actually, the Du family's children have all inherited the old master's particularity.

The more particular one is, the more refined their life becomes.

That's why the whole family not only has high education and strong abilities, but also upholds the traditional Chinese virtue of gentleness, goodness, respect, frugality, and yielding.

At this moment, the Du family sat around the table, eating hot pot and drinking fine wine, eight people chatting lively and cheerfully, all appearing in good spirits.

Originally, everyone worried Du Haiqing's mood would be low.

But unexpectedly, Du Haiqing's entire state was extremely relaxed and at ease.

Since everyone is close to her and can tell this ease isn't an act, they all let out a full sigh of relief.

The elderly couple's mood was especially good—over the years, their six children have successively married and settled down, each doing very well, even flawlessly so—but they've always worried about Du Haiqing.

This is mainly because they've always known Du Haiqing loved Ye Changying deeply for years with no result; after Ye Changying's big wedding, she decided to marry Shoudao, which was truly just an impulsive act of spite.

The night before Du Haiqing's wedding, she clung to the old lady and cried all night, with her sister Du Haiping and younger sister Du Haimé by her side, each also heartbroken.

At that time, the three women, out of concern for her, urged her to call off the wedding, but she flatly refused.

After so many years of marriage, although Shoudao dotes on Du Haiqing, only her family can tell she's actually never been truly happy.

Especially after Ye Changying's unexpected death, she became even more silent and withdrawn, occasionally eating vegetarian and chanting Buddha, becoming a lay practitioner cultivating at home.

But now, everyone can see Du Haiqing is truly liberated.

Old Master Du Zhenhua, recalling that Du Haiqing was going to Jin Ling, asked, "Haiqing, how long do you plan to stay in Jin Ling this time?"

Du Haiqing thought for a moment and said, "Dad, I don't know exactly how long I'll stay—I'll just see how it goes."

Du Zhenhua asked again, "Who's going with you?"

Du Haiqing said, "Zhifei and Zhiyu are coming with me."

Du Zhenhua nodded: "The old residence in Jin Ling has always been well maintained, and you haven't been there in many years—you can stay there comfortably for a while. If your mother and I have nothing going on, we'll go to Jin Ling in a couple days to stay a few days too—Beijing winters are too dry, and your mother has long said she wants to spend a few days in Jiangnan."