In 1992, a small village owner became the richest man in the village by owning a car.

Chapter 20 A Rare Family Reunion Dinner
The women were making steamed buns with bean paste, while Yu Laonian took out the Tieguanyin tea that his second son had brought back, pinched a little out of the tin box, and put it into the cup in several portions.

Yu Dawei glanced at the second brother's fake tea, and amidst everyone's astonished gazes, he turned and ran to the kang (a heated brick bed) to make bean buns with the women.

“Goodness, not only has my sister-in-law changed, but my brother has changed too.” Yu Dasheng whispered to the old man while holding his teacup, “If my brother had been this diligent at my aunt’s house back then, I wouldn’t have had such a hard time later on.”

"To have a heart to change is the greatest virtue." Old Yu held the iron vat with both hands, blew on the floating tea leaves, and took a sip of the hot tea.

"Brother, why are you taking over the work that women do?" Xiao Fang asked, puzzled, as she lay on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) eating fruit candy.

“That’s right, there aren’t many noodles left, and you still have to take up a hand.” Zhang Yunqin rolled her eyes at her eldest son, but she was secretly overjoyed, unable to suppress the smile on her face.

"Hehe, my wife is pregnant and works slowly, so I'll make up for her share."

"Alright then, the rest is up to you, big brother." Yu Yan waved her hand with a grin, a mischievous smile on her face.

Yu Feng was also happy to watch the excitement, and withdrew her hand to step back.

Only Zhang Yunqin, the mother, truly cared for her eldest son. She immediately launched into a tirade against the girls: "You little brats, your eldest brother has been working outside for months, and he won't even let you rest when he gets back! Come on over here and finish this."

The three girls looked at each other, all realizing that their mother was showing favoritism.

Normally, the fair-minded old man would definitely speak up to stop them, but today, Yu Laonian was unusually quiet, leaning against the kang (a heated brick bed) and just smiling as he watched the whole family.

"Oh, eldest sister, youngest sister, the three of us are truly neglected by our parents and unloved by our mothers. It's a miserable situation!"

"Yes, yes, yes. Before Second Brother came back, he talked about Second Brother every day. Now that Second Brother is back, he's started talking about Eldest Brother every day."

"You two brats, you stay home all day, why should I nag you!" Zhang Yunqin glared at Er Yan and Xiao Fang. "Hurry up and wrap it for me!"

The second daughter instinctively shrank back and sheepishly went to the kang (heated brick bed) to make bean buns.

"Xiao Fan, take a rest if you're tired." Zhang Yunqin had a faint smile on her face. She had been watching her daughter-in-law's behavior over this period of time. Although she was still not very talkative, her words were no longer so hurtful, and she could see things clearly again.

She's finally no longer that clueless girl who just walked in the door.

"It's okay, Mom, I'm not tired." Han Jingfan smiled serenely, and for a moment, everyone in the room, regardless of gender, glanced at her more.

To be honest, my sister-in-law is really beautiful.

Leaning against the kang (a heated brick bed), Yu Dasheng felt envious, wondering if he would ever be able to marry such a beautiful girl.

"Mom, you're being unfair again!" Xiaofang said angrily.

"Go get your steamed buns."

The whole family watched with delight as the little girl puffed out her cheeks while making steamed buns.

After the steamed buns were ready, Zhang Yunqin stir-fried a plate of peanuts, a pot of sauerkraut stewed with blood sausage, a pot of chicken stewed with mushrooms, a plate of sliced ​​meat cooked in sauerkraut, a large pot of cold dish made with shredded cabbage and dried tofu, and a plate of scrambled eggs with scallions.

Xiao Fang squatted by the stove, watching her mother cook the last dish, adding corn cobs while wiping her drool.

It's been a long time since we've had such a sumptuous meal at home.

They didn't eat until after 7 p.m. Good food is worth the wait, and the whole family enjoyed their meal together. The women chatted about everyday things, while the three of them—Yu Laonian, Yu Dawei, and Yu Dasheng—clinked glasses and drank, quickly downing two ounces of baijiu (a type of Chinese liquor). Yu Dawei wasn't a good drinker; after one glass, his whole body and face turned red, his head felt dizzy, and he felt extremely sleepy.

The second brother wasn't much better, but after drinking, he became a chatterbox. He grabbed Yu Dawei's hand and started talking about how difficult it was for him to live at his aunt's house, and then gave Yu Feng, who was about to go to his aunt's house, a lecture, and his longing and expectations for a better life after all the hardships.

Unlike his two sons, Yu Laonian's face grew paler with each sip of baijiu. He didn't interrupt Yu Dasheng's conversation and complaints, partly because he hoped Dafeng would understand what kind of situation she would face after he left, and partly because he hoped his second son could be himself in front of the family and stop pretending.

The fire in the stove was heating the water in the kettle, producing a "whooshing" sound of steam. As the atmosphere grew more lively, the women couldn't sit still any longer. Zhang Yunqin was the first to act, snatching the loose liquor next to Yu Lao Nian and pouring herself a glass.

Then Er Yan and Da Feng joined in, and then somehow, the men and women started drinking contests.

In the end, Zhang Yunqin emerged victorious, taking on all three opponents single-handedly.

The next morning, Yu Dawei, carrying New Year's goods, took Da Bai and his wife back to their dilapidated little house.

Surprisingly, among the family members, it was my mother who was the first to stand up and oppose Yu Dawei and his wife going back to live there.

But Yu Lao Nian felt that it was better to separate, because one day the children would grow up and leave the family.

In his view, society will inevitably develop in this way in the future, and the days when the elderly and their children's whole family live under the same roof will probably be over.

This can be considered a general trend in the world.

Before leaving, Yu Dawei secretly took his mother to the back of the house and took out 1,500 yuan from his pocket and gave it to her.

During this period, I worked part-time repairing excavator owners' vehicles. After deducting miscellaneous expenses and buying New Year's goods, I still had more than three thousand yuan left.

After the old man arrived, he did a lot of work, including giving the old man eight hundred yuan, which Yu Dawei had agreed upon with his father when he returned.

The rest, apart from what my mom gave me before, is all considered interest.

Regardless of what his mother said, Yu Dawei resolutely refused to take the money back, and then left with his wife.

When I got home, the house was freezing cold. The walls were covered in frost, and the plastic sheeting covering the windows was now frozen solid.

Afraid that his wife would get cold, Yu Dawei hurriedly opened the stove lid, put in a lot of corn kernels and corn leaves, added a few pieces of wood, lit it, and then brought back a bundle of corn stalks from outside to heat the kang (a heated brick bed).

After a busy hour or so, the small room was finally warm.

"I'm sorry, I should have done these chores." Han Jingfan leaned against the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), looking down at her increasingly large belly with some disappointment.

“What are you saying? I’m the one who should apologize.” Yu Dawei slowly stuffed a bundle of firewood into the stove pit under the kang (a heated brick bed). “Actually, it was my insistence that I didn’t spend the New Year at my mother’s house.”

“I understand. You’re probably just worried I won’t be used to it, right?” Han Jingfan looked at her husband’s profile with some embarrassment. “I’m sorry, the book says my personality is called aloof, and I think that’s pretty accurate.”

"You've done so well already. One day, you'll definitely be able to get out of the shadows and embrace the world again." Yu Dawei turned around, revealing his classic goofy smile.

At that moment, the woman suddenly felt that her husband was so warm, warmer than a red-hot stove or a heated kang bed combined!

(End of this chapter)