tkworld Chapter 127 New Year's Eve Dinner
Chapter 127 New Year's Eve Dinner
As evening fell, the sounds of fireworks and firecrackers echoed from house to house and across the fields at the foot of the mountain.
As you pass through the village along the asphalt road, you can hear the laughter of adults and the playful shouts of children from one end of the village to the other.
Before the New Year's Eve dinner, Lu Ran, who should have been a great help to the family, could only stand aside and watch his parents busy.
If I try to lend a hand, I get scolded by my parents.
"Mom, I only hurt my right hand, my left hand is fine, what's there to be afraid of lifting a table!"
Wen Youli gently patted her son's hand away.
"Go away, go sit properly on the sofa, and don't make things worse for us."
"Okay." Lu Ran shrugged and had no choice but to sit down and wait for dinner to be served.
After the food was laid out, incense was burned in the ancestral hall, and Lu Changshu lit fireworks and firecrackers, the Lu family's New Year's Eve reunion dinner officially began.
Lu Changshu turned on the TV and watched the Spring Festival Gala.
A bright smile graced his face.
"Your grandparents passed away early, and all my brothers and sisters have their own families."
"The old folks have passed away. They probably won't come to our house again in their lifetime, and we won't be able to see the days when we celebrate the New Year together with two tables of food."
"But it doesn't matter. As long as you two are here, our family will always be happy and joyful."
Because of his right hand injury, Lu Ran could only use his left hand to pick up food. Unfortunately, he was not used to using his left hand, so he ate very clumsily.
"Dad, aren't my second uncle and third aunt coming to pay respects to Grandpa and Grandma this year?"
Lu Changshu sighed and shook his head.
"Your second uncle works in another city and has settled there. Your third aunt is married far away, and I don't know when she'll be able to come back."
"Forget it, let's not talk about this during the New Year. Let's eat."
"Come, son, Youli, let me toast you."
Wen Youli picked up her drink and clinked it against her husband's: "You're the only one drinking at home, isn't that a bit lacking?"
Lu Changshu took a sip of the wine, a look of discomfort on his face.
Lu Ran was very puzzled.
"Dad, every time I see you drink, it's like you're drinking poison. If it tastes so awful, why do you all like it so much?"
"Hehe, you young people of your generation naturally wouldn't understand."
"Well, you can think of it as a habit."
Lu Ran couldn't understand it, and he certainly couldn't drink it.
With the Spring Festival Gala playing in the background, Lu Ran's family enjoyed their meal very much.
After dinner, Lu Ran picked up his phone and sent Cheng Ning a Happy New Year emoji and an 88 yuan red envelope.
As the music of "Fireworks Fade Easily" played from the television, Lu Ran looked out the window at the scene of fireworks filling the sky and wondered what Cheng Ning was doing at that moment!
Have you finished eating? Did you set off fireworks with the village children?
Did you have a happy time spending the New Year with your aunt and grandfather?
···
At this time, at Cheng Ning's maternal grandfather's house.
"Sister Ning, come on, let's have a Coke together."
Wu Qiang and his sister Wu Meimei have always had a good relationship, but their unreasonable wife has been causing trouble, making it rare for the two siblings to have the opportunity to sit down and have a proper meal together like they did today.
Wu Qiang's eldest son is practically invisible; he rarely comes home after starting university, and after graduation, he only returns once every year or even two years.
Therefore, he had no interaction or conflict with Wu Meimei and Cheng Ning.
Now, sitting together for New Year's Eve dinner, only Zheng Shurong seemed a little awkward; everyone else was fine.
But with Wu Xiaomeng, this lively character, the awkward atmosphere could be ignored.
Cheng Ning picked up her glass and clinked it against Wu Xiaomeng's.
This atmosphere was something she had never experienced before.
So she was especially happy today.
After finishing her cola, Cheng Ning noticed her phone ringing. She picked it up, glanced at it, and smiled even more broadly.
I sent Lu Ran a Happy New Year message.
Next, she prepared to send a red envelope as a return gift. When entering the amount, Cheng Ning inexplicably typed 520 and then immediately deleted it. She still couldn't be so straightforward.
After thinking for a moment, Cheng Ning sent a date number.
This was the day she moved to her new home last year, and also the day she met Lu Ran.
Cheng Ning remembers it very clearly.
Lu Ran: Why does your red envelope have both odd and even amounts?
Cheng Ning pursed her lips.
Cheng Ning: It's nothing, I just posted it casually.
"Xiao Ning, when are you and Xiao Lu getting married?"
Upon hearing her grandfather's question, Cheng Ning put away her phone, her face flushed with embarrassment, and said, "Grandpa, we... we haven't..."
Wu Xiaomeng then chimed in.
"Grandpa, it's coming soon. Sister Ning and her husband will get married next year."
Wu Xuhe nodded with satisfaction: "Great, getting married is good. Getting married at 20 is just right. Let's try to have a child next year."
"Grandpa, Sister Ning is 25, the same age as her husband."
"You're 25? You'd better hurry up and try to have a baby next year."
Wu Xiaomeng patted her cousin's shoulder: "Don't worry, Ning said she promises to bring Grandpa a great-grandson next year."
Cheng Ning blushed and pinched her cousin's waist: "Xiao Meng."
Wu Xiaomeng laughed and said, "Sister Ning, this is what Grandpa said. You must bring your brother-in-law and your children to visit Grandpa next year."
Wu Xuhe nodded: "Xiao Meng is right."
"Hehe, see? Grandpa agrees."
Zheng Shurong then interjected with a smile, "Xiao Ning, you should actually listen to your grandfather."
"Someone as outstanding as Xiao Lu will definitely have many people eyeing him. You need to make your move sooner rather than later. It's not just about getting married, but having children is the most important thing. Only after having children will a man truly be your man. Even if someone tries to take him away, they'll have to ask you if you agree first."
Wu Qiang said irritably, "Alright, this is a young person's business, why are you all meddling in it?"
"I'm just worried about Xiao Ning. When you men have money, you're surrounded by a bunch of young girls. Not to mention, Xiao Lu is quite handsome. If Xiao Ning doesn't hurry up, what if someone else snatches her away?"
"How can you talk like that? Xiao Lu isn't that kind of person."
"I didn't say he was, and I believe you aren't, but if young, pretty girls were all around you, can you guarantee you could remain unmoved?"
Although Zheng Shurong doesn't argue with her husband much anymore, they still occasionally have disagreements on some things, like right now.
Wu Qiang was speechless: "Why are you bringing me up again?"
Wu Xiaomeng tapped on the table.
"Dad, Mom, that's enough. You're always the ones who spoil the New Year. Now shut your mouths right now and eat your food properly."
What is meant by "reversing the Heavenly Gang"? Wu Xiaomeng's example is called "reversing the Heavenly Gang".
But ironically, as soon as she said that, Wu Qiang and Zheng Shurong actually stopped arguing.
Wu Xiaomeng's brother, Wu Yu, was dumbfounded. He never expected that his sister's status would not only not decline as she grew up, but would actually rise higher and higher. He, the eldest son, was practically a fake.
"Xiaomeng, you can't talk to your mom and dad like that."
Wu Xuhe looked at Wu Xiaomeng with affection, his eyes filled with admiration and love, not blame.
Wu Xiaomeng put her hands on her hips and said, "Grandpa, if I don't say this, they will definitely keep arguing. I don't want you, Aunt and Sister Ning to have an unhappy New Year. After all, this is a New Year's Eve that we rarely get together."