Chronicle of the 70s-Chapter 332 - 320: Coming Back (Second Update, Will Revise Later)_2

Qin Xi originally planned to order a pig from a local farmer, but Xu Wu had already taken care of it early on, advising that it was only necessary to buy some vegetables and fruits, and everything else would be arranged.

As a result, fifteen days before Chinese New Year, an entire pig, already slaughtered and cleaned, along with two lambs and twenty kilograms of beef shank were delivered. Sea fish were packed in burlap sacks, including various frozen seafood items. Li Xianglu was thrilled to bits; on the day of delivery, she fried a huge plate of garlic-flavored belt fish for everyone.

Both Qin Xi and the old man were not fond of fish, but they did eat quite a bit of belt fish since it only had a small bit of bones in the middle.

There were also some small cuttlefish, which Li Xianglu cleaned and stored in the Storage Ring, planning to make a spicy hot pot with large prawns and cuttlefish after the sixth day of the new year when things settled down.

Qin Shouren and his wife arrived in the capital at six in the morning, and they had called the Siheyuan as soon as they got to Shanghai, so Sister Xing had cleared out and heated up the room Qin Zhen had been sleeping in.

The three of them practically fell asleep right after eating noodles upon arrival, not waking up until twelve noon.

By then, Xiong Youxin with her bird’s nest hairdo, had dragged a stool and sat not far from the twins, watching them with wide, round eyes.

The twins were now one year and one month old and could already walk steadily with the support of a bed frame. Usually, if Li Xianglu placed both on the round couch, they would stand up and walk by holding onto the sides. But today, they quietly sat there, and the three children stared at each other in silence for a good while.

Li Xianglu was in the kitchen helping to make dumplings, but when she came out and saw the three of them like this, she burst into laughter.

She walked over to Xiong Youxin and touched her disheveled hair, assessing her. The girl was now one meter fifty-six, a decent height for her twelve-year-old age. Her temper hadn’t changed much after a year in Germany, but her features had softened and were less angular and awkward than before. When the three relatives arrived earlier, Li Xianglu had observed Xiong Youxin approaching Qin Shouren to chat, the two of them seeming quite close. It seemed that the warmth of a family could change a lot in a person.

Li Xianglu pulled Ba’er, who was sitting nearby, to stand next to Ba Yi, and then pointed to the baby in the blue floral bib and said, "This is Ba Yi, your eldest nephew," then pointing to the one in the red bib, "And this is your second nephew; they are already one year and two months old."

Xiong Youxin’s eyes widened with curiosity as she poked at Ba’er’s chubby cheeks, then exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, so soft!"

Just as Li Xianglu was momentarily stunned, Ba’er suddenly burst into tears, pointing his little finger at Xiong Youxin and whimpering, "Mom, hit, hit."

Li Xianglu quickly patted Ba’er and pointed at Xiong Youxin, "Aunt, she’s playing with you, not hitting you."

The two children were very intelligent and could understand simple words, especially the word "play," which they associated with going to the park or for a stroll outside. That’s why Ba’er’s tears stopped almost as instantly as they had started, like turning off a faucet, and then, with a tear-stained face, he curiously looked at Xiong Youxin.

Li Xianglu sighed, took the small handkerchief pinned to her bib, and wiped his tears.

Xiong Youxin was utterly astonished. She had never seen such small children; they were just too fun.

During lunch, Xiong Youxin was so distracted by watching the two little ones that she hardly ate her meal, while the twins, now with voracious appetites, could eat five meat dumplings even though they were just over a year old. Aunt Ma said that children have delicate stomachs and shouldn’t eat too much red meat, otherwise, the twins would probably have had two more.

In the morning, Qin Shouren had been grumbling about how terrible the food was abroad while having noodles, but now at lunch, eating dumplings, he just kept quiet and wolfed down fifty large ones before stopping. Yang Huan had no choice but to make him some strong tea to help digest.

After lunch, the twins had gotten to know their new aunt Xiong Youxin, and so the three children played together. Yang Huan brought over a large box from the backyard, and it was time to distribute gifts.

Qin Shouren and Yang Huan did not have much allowance, but living abroad had its perks; at least there were no restrictions on buying food. Money was still tight, but fortunately, the ten gold bars Qin Xi gave before leaving came in handy.

They gave the old man a flask made of fine iron in the European style, which he really liked.

Su Yan received a cape made of cashmere, with a red and blue chequered pattern, a typical European design, which she draped over herself to show everyone on the spot.

Ba Yi, who had been happily playing, held up his rattle excitedly and smiled at Su Yan, prompting laughter from everyone. Li Xianglu said with a smile, "Grandma, Ba Yi thinks you look beautiful."

Su Yan, who adored the two children, happily hugged Ba Yi in her arms.

For Qin Xi, they gave a fountain pen, not really knowing what their eldest son lacked because the couple often shopped at the Overseas Chinese Store and purchased many imported goods which they said were for their collection. However, Yang Huan said it was the thought that counts, and now that their son was entering politics, they gave him a pen as a good omen.

For Li Xianglu, the daughter-in-law, they gave something much more valuable, acknowledging that she had much to manage with her younger brother-in-law’s wedding, taking care of her own children, acting as a parent, and contributing to Xiong Youxin’s change, which Yang Huan certainly noticed.

Qin Shouren and Yang Huan gave her a platinum necklace, a very famous brand, with a heart-shaped pendant in the middle inlaid with a blue gemstone, quite precious.

Li Xianglu was somewhat embarrassed, feeling it was too extravagant, but Qin Xi smiled and said, "Then, thank you, Dad, and Aunt Yang." The meaning was for Li Xianglu not to be shy.

Qin Zhen and his wife’s gifts were not brought out, and the three little ones’ gifts were shipped, which Yang Huan did not hide. They were three small bicycles, usable from the ages of two or three up until five or six.