Chapter 54, Second Update

"Yaoyao, what you said really worked! My husband is in the kitchen making egg cake for me right now." The eldest sister-in-law gently shook Qin Yao's shoulders, excited like a kid in a candy store.

Qin Yao smiled faintly, increasingly seeing the eldest sister-in-law as similar to Chen Baozhen. Except that elder brother Gu Xing was quiet and restrained, unlike Gao Jianguo, who actively and attentively doted on his wife.

In the end, elder brother still loved his wife.

He An jumped around excitedly for a while before taking Qin Yao's hand, restraining herself from asking about Qin Yao's marriage. Instead, she said with a smile, "The men in the Gu family are pretty good."

Qin Yao chuckled, "I agree."

As soon as she finished speaking, a voice came from the doorway, "I agree."

The two sisters-in-law looked towards the door and saw Mother-in-law Liu Shuqin standing there.

He An: "..."

Qin Yao: "..."

Mother-in-law must have been a former reconnaissance soldier.

*

On New Year's Eve, the Gu household was lively and bustling. This year, except for the second sister of the Gu family being absent, the youngest son, Gu Cheng, had returned home with his wife to celebrate the New Year, making the house even more lively.

Qin Yao and the eldest sister-in-law were rolling out dough and wrapping dumplings together.

Gu Miaomiao had bragged to her grandfather outside for a while before running in to watch her mother and auntie wrap dumplings. She shouted, "I want to wrap some too! I really want to wrap some!"

After wrapping a few dumplings in strange shapes and chatting with Qin Yao for a bit, she ran off again, nearly slipping and falling as she went out. She held her bottom as she walked away.

With a smile on her lips, He An asked softly, thinking about how her daughter relaxed when talking to Qin Yao, "Yaoyao, how do you get along with children?"

"Miaomiao talks to you differently from how she talks to me. She’s not as close to me as a mother."

Qin Yao replied, "Sister-in-law, it's not that she’s not close to you. You need to change the way you interact with her. Don’t treat her as just your child; treat her as a friend, an equal."

"Aren't they the same thing?"

Qin Yao said, "Don’t think that just because you’re her mother, you can control her life and make her live the way you want. Even though she’s your child, she has her own life and her own preferences."

Qin Yao smiled, realizing she had never been a mother herself but was now giving advice on parenting. This thought crossed her mind.

Her father would find any opportunity to lecture her, no matter what she was doing. He nagged about not wasting food at meals, conserving water while washing dishes, and the importance of physical exercise when he saw children playing on the monkey bars.

Later, she had a younger brother. Once he arrived, her father focused all his attention on him. Of course, this was not necessarily a good thing. Her brother also faced constant criticism and lectures from their parents, regardless of his performance.

While her father might have been a 'great' educator, he certainly lacked warmth and affection as a father.

Free from the family’s suffocating lectures and nagging, it felt like a breath of fresh air.

"Friends can play and enjoy themselves together."

He An nodded. "I’ll give it a try."

"In the past, I always aimed to be the best mother in terms of education, so I constantly looked for her mistakes. I was always pointing out faults. No wonder my child didn’t like it."

Old Master Gu was hanging Spring Festival couplets with his great-granddaughter. Inside the house, the TV was on, broadcasting New Year’s greetings, and bowls of dumplings were being cooked and served.

Everyone gathered around a large table to eat. Young Gu Miaomiao darted around, lively as a little monkey.

"Oh, this little monkey."

"Grandma, I can’t reach the dish over there!"

"Hey, I’m the youngest here!"

She looked sideways at Qin Yao and pleaded, "Auntie, when are you going to give me a little brother or sister? Then I won’t be the youngest anymore."

Without changing her expression, Qin Yao dipped her dumpling in sauce and said, "Ask your uncle, Gu Cheng."

Gu Cheng also calmly dipped his dumpling in sauce and said, "Ask your mom to give you a brother or sister."

She turned to her own mother, but He An didn’t even look up and said, "Ask your dad."

Gu Xing casually said, "Ask your grandma."

Liu Shuqin said, "Ask me? Ask me what good will it do? Ask your great-grandfather."

After the lively reunion banquet, it was once again a night for just the two of them. On the second day of the Lunar New Year, Gu Cheng accompanied Qin Yao to her parents' home. At home, only Shen Guixiang and her husband were present; the eldest and second brothers were accompanying their wives to their respective parental homes.

The eldest brother's house was ready, and they moved in before the New Year. Even though it wasn’t a new house, having people stay there during the New Year was still preferable. As the old saying goes, an empty house during the New Year can attract lonely spirits.

With the eldest brother's family moved out, the house now felt much more spacious and cozy, and was beautifully decorated.

"The eldest brother’s house isn’t far. Usually, after we eat together here, they ride back home in the evening..." Shen Guixiang said with a smile, not minding that her eldest son had moved out and was living separately. She still didn't mind him coming back for meals.

Cooking separately would incur additional costs for fuel and stoves. Even though the family wasn’t short of money, Shen Guixiang preferred to help her eldest son save money for the future.

"Thanks to you, your father’s reputation has grown even more," Shen Guixiang added.

In the past, Qin Chuanrong worked as a chef in a factory. No matter how skilled he was, his reputation was limited to the factory leaders and guests. However, on the day of Qin Yao’s wedding, many people learned of Qin Chuanrong’s culinary talents, and since then, many have sought his services for banquets and feasts.

"Who would have thought we'd have such good days ahead?" Qin Yao said.

With future economic reforms, given her father Qin Chuanrong’s and her elder brother’s culinary skills, they could open a restaurant and not worry about making a profit.

After the New Year, Gu Cheng had only a few days of vacation left. They would need a few days to travel back, so before leaving, Qin Yao and her husband decided to visit some nearby places. They planned to go to the zoo, where their fourth brother worked. The family of the eldest brother, Gu Xing, also said they would go.

So, the two couples and one child went to the zoo together.

They arrived early, and as Gu Cheng got out of the car, he could hear various animal sounds from within the zoo. In front of him were four pillars and three gates, and he could hear the howls of apes and tigers. Unable to resist, Gu Cheng said, "We’re going to the zoo to see your fourth brother, who works here."

Gu Miaomiao poked her head out, "Aren't we here to see the animals?"

Qin Yao got out of the car and kicked Gu Cheng's shin lightly. The zoo had a wide view, and she took a deep breath.

The eldest brother and his wife walked ahead with their daughter. Gu Miaomiao was curious about everything. This wasn’t her first visit to the zoo, but it was the first time her parents had taken her.

"Mom, I want to see the monkeys!" Gu Miaomiao tugged at He An's hand.

He An smiled and took her daughter to see the monkeys. The two stood outside the monkey enclosure, their faces pressed together as they affectionately counted the monkeys. "Mom, that monkey is so cute. It's also staying close to its mom."

Then, she rubbed her own face and snuggled closer to her mother.

He An smiled faintly. "Hmm."

She pinched her own cheeks, mimicking a monkey.

Recently, she found a way to connect with her daughter by treating herself like a friend of the same age. As they spent more time together in this way, their mother-daughter relationship grew much closer, and Miaomiao became more affectionate towards her.

Gu Xing stood behind them, snapping photos with his camera.

Qin Yao and Gu Cheng went to find their fourth brother. Gu Cheng, thinking of Gu Xing's family of three, felt a twinge of envy. Walking side by side with Qin Yao, he whispered, "When will you give birth to a little tigress for me?"

Finding a partner and getting married—his wishes for the Year of the Rat and the Year of the Ox had come true. Now, all that was left was having a little tigress.

Qin Yao glared at him. "You're dreaming."

What if it’s a little tiger cub? Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey (spitting sounds). Who wanted to have a tigress or tiger cub with him?

Qin Yao gently touched her own belly. Despite their frequent intimate nights, they had taken precautions. Gu Cheng didn't want his wife to get pregnant right after marriage.

They would let things take their natural course after returning to the island.

Whether they have a little tigress or not is up to fate.

Qin Yao and Gu Cheng reached the red panda enclosure but didn’t see their fourth brother. After asking around, they finally found Qin Xueguan, whose eyes were bloodshot. "Circle is gone; I can't find her anywhere," he said, his voice hoarse.

His eyes turned even redder as he spoke. One of the red pandas he cared for had vanished the previous afternoon, and despite searching all night, he hadn't found it. Qin Xueguan hoped that Circle had run away, rather than being eaten by the predatory birds at the zoo.

This was the first time Qin Xueguan had been this devastated.

After spending time as a zookeeper, he had developed a deep bond with these little creatures. In a human society full of uncertainties, the animal world was refreshingly simple and pure.

Feeding them every day and watching them eat happily had a healing effect on Qin Xueguan's soul.

Connecting with animals was quick. Animals didn't hide their feelings. They remembered the people who fed and cleaned them, becoming attached. Their eyes would light up with joy when they saw him.

Although this zookeeper job was more exhausting than his previous work in the neighborhood committee, Qin Xueguan enjoyed it immensely, wishing he could spend all his time with the animals, even eating and sleeping alongside them. He started each workday with great energy.

After a joyous New Year, an unexpected incident had occurred.

Circle was missing, and he was searching more diligently than anyone else. He hadn't slept the previous night, calling out Circle's name even in the middle of the night.

Qin Yao said, "Brother, we'll help you look some more."