Chapter 1482: The First Month of the Lunar Year
By the tenth day of the first lunar month, Li Yungui’s family was hosting guests, and Tao Yanzhen met Lv Jingchu and Lv Guodong.
Seeing Lv Guodong with a face full of smiles, she still felt a dull ache in her heart, but when she felt the two children she was holding, she smiled with relief.
Lv Jingchu, whom her husband liked, was also radiating happiness. Anyone could see that she was living a pampered, happy life.
Jing Chu also quite liked this pair of twins. With Tao Yanzhen’s consent, she held both children for a moment.
"The little girl is really beautiful."
"Hehe, the children you have in the future will be even more beautiful."
Jing Chu smiled; who could really say? But what good does being too beautiful bring? Like herself, she had grown accustomed to staying at home and not going out.
Today, Yang Yujie was having dinner at the Wei Family’s house. Now at the age of fifteen, she was tall and beautiful, and many young people in the village were fond of her.
"Feifei, how come you’re almost catching up to my height? It’s really discouraging."
Jiang Feifei, also an eleven-year-old girl, was already over 1.5 meters tall.
"Sister, you’re taller than me."
"But I’m older than you. When you reach my age, you’ll definitely be taller than me. It’s really discouraging."
Jiang Feifei didn’t have many good female playmates, but Yang Yujie certainly counted as one. Watching her antics felt quite amusing.
"Feifei, how about we go take some photos? My mom says she misses us and wants us to send some photos back. Since Sister Jing Chu is going back, it’s safer for her to take the photos with her."
"Sure, let’s ride our bikes and have some fun." Feifei felt a bit bored too. Going out for a spin sounded nice.
"Alright, let’s go tomorrow then. Do Jianbin and your brother have time?"
Yang Yujie knew that they all worked at the distillery, including her brother, but he only worked in the workshop, knowing it was their secret recipe, so he didn’t partake at all.
"Just ask them when they get back. If it’s just the two of us going out, I bet Dad won’t agree at all."
"Why not ask Aunt Wei, Aunt Yang, and Tingting to join us?"
"Then Brother Zhenyu won’t be able to take photos, and Dad would be even less likely to agree."
"That’s true. Let’s ask Uncle Wei about it later. Maybe he can take us, then he won’t worry as much."
Jiang Feifei laughed; Yang Yujie was the only one among these kids who could wheedle Dad into any situation.
At lunchtime, Yang Yujie mentioned to Wei Kaiyun about wanting to go to the county town to take photos with Feifei.
"Just the two of you? No way."
Sending out two pretty little girls alone, how could Wei Kaiyun possibly agree?
"Dad, I also want to go with the sisters." Jiang Tingting quietly said. She had been quiet since she was little and rarely voiced her own thoughts.
"I’ll take you all tomorrow."
Yang Yujie smiled; she knew it would turn out this way.
"Zhenyu. You need to come with us tomorrow too. Mom says she wants to see our photos."
"Tomorrow? No way, you go take them yourself. Tomorrow, I have to learn how to filter the wine with my master; there’s no time to go out. I’ll just write a letter to Mom instead."
"No, you have to come."
Zhenyu helplessly looked at his sister, "Uncle Wei, how about we go take photos this afternoon? I really have to learn the filtering tomorrow."
"If we go today, the three of us won’t have time to play." Yang Yujie objected.
"What? What do you all want to play? Once we’re done with the photos, can’t you just go to the supply and marketing cooperative?"
In Zhenyu’s mind, going to the county town meant going to the supply and marketing cooperative.
"How can that be? We want to stroll around too."
"What’s there to stroll? The houses aren’t better than ours in the village, nor are the people prettier than ours. What do you want to see?"
Jiang Feifei laughed at Yang Zhenyu’s straightforward reaction.
"Sister, let’s go this afternoon, and in a few days, we’ll go play in the city."
"Where’s the time for that?"
"There is, Dad, you’ll have to take us to the city once."
Wei Kaiyun nodded. Let the kids sort it out; he had no objections to any plans they made.
"Yang Zhenyu, you win."
"Xinyu, are you going?"
Jiang Xinyu shook her head with a smile. "I’m not going. Just take them. You can talk it out with the photographer, see if he can come to our village once. If he does, he’d be busy with photos all day."
"Okay, I’ll ask."
"Uncle Wei, offer some pork as a lure. Not just the photographer, even the leaders would be swayed to come."
Wei Kaiyun looked at the girl speechlessly; she really dared to say anything.
Since plans were made, after lunch, Yang Yujie rushed back to change clothes. Jiang Xinyu also had her two daughters change into new clothes, which Han Xiangjun had bought for them.
"Mom, it’s not necessary." Feifei was reluctant.
"For photos, you must wear pretty clothes." Jiang Xinyu was helpless; her daughter really didn’t like flashy things, especially not dressing herself up fancily.
In the end, unable to defy her mom, Feifei switched to a new set of clothes, but not the ones Han Xiangjun gave her, rather the ones made at home.
Jiang Xinyu, seeing Feifei like this, didn’t say anything else.
Wei Kaiyun drove, taking the four children on their way.
"Shi Xian, why aren’t you going with them?" Jiang Xinyu was curious. Her youngest son was usually very lively, loving crowds, so why wasn’t he going this time?
"Mom, what’s so great about taking photos? Besides, with Dad around, what can I do? Never mind that, I’m off to skate. Those guys want to beat me? Dream on. I’ll show them what I’m capable of."
Jiang Xinyu watched her son run off, with a few smaller kids trailing behind, feeling quite helpless. But he’s been relatively obedient the past couple of years, especially excelling in skills, drawing even Wu Hong’s strict praise for Shi Xian.
At the photo studio, Yang Yujie pulled Feifei to take several photos together.
"Sister, I don’t like taking photos; it’s Aunt who wants your pictures."
"It’s okay, it’s not often we take photos together."
Zhenyu stood off to the side, bored, "Uncle Wei, when will they be done?"
"Just be patient."
Yang Zhenyu sighed, feeling half his day had been spent in vain.
After more than an hour, Yang Yujie finally agreed to stop, leaving Feifei mentally exhausted—such was the fatigue of the mind.
Wei Kaiyun approached the photographer, but the photographer refused.
"Do you all still want to visit the supply and marketing cooperative?"
Everyone shook their heads; there was nothing they needed, with everything already prepared at home.
And so the days passed, until the twentieth day of the first lunar month, when the truck entered the distillery and Jing Chu’s belongings were packed and ready.
"Sister Jing Chu, here are our photos. Just give them to Uncle Han to pass to my brother when you get back."
"No problem at all. I’ll definitely bring them with me." Jing Chu smiled and took the envelope, tucking it into her backpack.