My Taoist nun girlfriend is from the Republic of China era, 1942.

Chapter 150 People feel refreshed during happy events
Since her daughter became pregnant, Chen Xiaomiao's relentless drive to study has completely vanished.

The teachers Lu Yuan hired for her were also very pragmatic. They cut the class time by a third and changed the content from exam preparation to interest-based learning, just in case this precious pregnant woman got tired.

With careful nurturing, Chen Xiaomiao's days swayed into the new year.

Snow fell again in Wuhan, and the festive atmosphere of the Lunar New Year grew stronger.

Compared to last year, this year's New Year seems to be no different except that it's a bit warmer.

On New Year's Eve, we still had a reunion dinner at my grandparents' house.

Chen Xiaomiao's belly became the focus of the whole family. Grandma Sun Yumei and Qi Lili surrounded her, giving her advice and reminding her to avoid certain foods.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the usual routine of visiting relatives and exchanging New Year's greetings continues.

Chen Xiaomiao thought that the scene of receiving so many red envelopes last year would probably not happen again this year.

After all, our relatives already showed their appreciation last year, so there's no reason to spend so much every year.

But she ultimately underestimated the weight of the baby in her belly.

"Little Miao, this is for you, and for the baby in your belly, take it!"

"Sister-in-law, Happy New Year! This is for my little nephew!"

……

After going around once, Chen Xiaomiao looked at the pile of red envelopes of varying thicknesses in her arms, her mind a little dazed.

When I got back to my room that night and closed the door, I counted the money. Although it wasn't as much as the more than 20,000 last year, it was still more than 10,000.

She spread the red bills one by one on the bed, beaming with joy, humming an off-key Henan opera tune, feeling smug inside.

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, Lu Yuan stopped trying to travel to the neighboring Hunan province.

The two sisters, Sun Yao and Sun Yu, along with their uncle Sun Kaiwang's family and several distant relatives, a large group of more than a dozen people, went directly to Jiangcheng to pay New Year's greetings to Sun Yumei.

Accompanying them was a man in his late twenties.

The man's name was Zhou Yi. He was wearing a well-tailored dark overcoat and looked much more energetic than the others in his group.

He is Sun Yu's boyfriend and owns several chain convenience stores in Furong City. He is a small to medium-sized business owner.

Lu Yuan had booked rooms and private rooms at the hotel well in advance, specifically to entertain relatives from his grandmother's family.

The huge round table was packed with people, and dishes were being served in a continuous stream.

The sisters Sun Yao and Sun Yu stood on either side of Chen Xiaomiao.

Sun Yao, still as lively as ever, leaned close to Chen Xiaomiao's stomach, listened intently, and then made a serious announcement.

"I hear a boy!"

Sun Yu laughed and patted her head: "You have such sharp ears, even the ultrasound couldn't tell, but you could hear it."

"Of course! My nephew and I are on the same wavelength!"

Sun Yao proudly raised her chin, then turned to wink at Chen Xiaomiao.

Chen Xiaomiao was amused and giggled. Her bulging belly rose and fell slightly with her laughter, and unconsciously, she exuded a gentle maternal glow.

At the other end of the table, Lu Yuan and his grandfather were drinking and chatting with Sun Kaiwang's relatives.

After three rounds of wine, five flavors of food.

Sun Kaiwang's already dark face was shiny and ruddy from drinking.

He held his wine glass and swayed as he walked up to Sun Yumei, his voice loud and clear, tinged with the excitement of being drunk.

"Aunt! I must toast you with this glass!" His eyes reddened, and his voice choked with emotion. "All these years, if it weren't for you... our Sun family wouldn't be where we are today! I... on behalf of my father, my brother, and the entire Sun family, thank you!"

As he spoke, he tilted his head back and downed a glass of baijiu, choking and coughing.

Sun Yumei looked at her nephew with a mixture of heartache and helplessness, and quickly got up to pat his back to help him catch his breath.

"Drink slower. You're a grown man, yet you act like a little kid."

"Auntie, I'm so happy... I'm so happy!"

Sun Kaiwang held onto Sun Yumei's hand tightly, repeating the same few words of gratitude over and over, marveling that the Sun family's ancestral graves must have been blessed to produce such an accomplished aunt as her.

Seeing this, Lu Yuan stepped forward to support Sun Kaiwang's arm and tried to smooth things over with a smile: "Uncle, that's enough. You're happy, but look, Grandma is almost crying because of you."

He poured Sun Kaiwang another cup of tea and casually said, "I think Furong City is developing quite well. Uncle, if you feel it's not interesting to stay in the county, you might as well move there next year."

Now that Xiaoyu and Xiaoyao are both in Furong City, their families can look after each other.

Sun Kaiwang paused, holding his teacup, and stared blankly at Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan patted his shoulder: "I'll have someone keep an eye out for you later. Whether it's finding a job or starting your own small business, it's better than staying in your hometown county."

Sun Kaiwang opened his mouth, unable to speak for a long time, and finally just nodded heavily.

The meal didn't end until 9 p.m.

Before leaving, the whole family took a lively family photo in front of the restaurant.

As the crowd dispersed, Sun Yumei called Lu Yuan aside.

The old man looked at his increasingly composed and upright grandson, his heart filled with a thousand words, but he didn't know where to begin.

When one person attains the Tao, the chicken and the dog ascend to heaven.

Sun Yumei knew perfectly well that the reason her family members were sitting so comfortably today, being chauffeured around in luxury hotels, was because her grandson had pulled strings and had his subordinates arrange everything.

This also gives those relatives an opportunity, a way to pass on the message.

A nephew like Sun Kaiwang, who cries a lot, will naturally get milk. "Xiao Yuan..."

Sun Yumei reached out and carefully straightened Lu Yuan's coat collar, her movements slow and gentle.

"Grandma, please don't be so polite with me."

Lu Yuan saw through his grandmother's thoughts and cut her off before she could speak: "This is what I should do. If you really want to be polite, go and complain to my dad later."

"It's all thanks to his good judgment in finding you a good wife; I'm just benefiting from it."

Sun Yumei was both amused and exasperated by Lu Yuan's absurd reasoning, and gently patted his arm.

"You have no manners. You're about to become a father, and you still can't speak properly."

"understood."

Lu Yuan smiled and nodded, then helped his grandmother into his car.

After seeing his grandparents off, Lu Yuan was about to turn around when Zhou Yi seized the opportunity to approach him.

"Mr. Lu... Mr. Lu."

He offered a cigarette with both hands, his posture very humble, his face displaying just the right amount of respect and warmth: "Want one?"

At the dinner table, he tried several times to strike up a conversation with Lu Yuan, but Lu Yuan was always surrounded by people, making it impossible for him to get a word in edgewise.

Lu Yuan gestured that he didn't smoke, a meaningful smile playing on his lips: "Boss Zhou, you're eight years older than me. If I were to call you 'brother-in-law,' wouldn't that be taking advantage of you?"

Zhou Yi was taken aback for a moment, then realized what he meant and immediately put on a smile, waving his hands repeatedly: "Oh, Mr. Lu, you're joking!"

Call me whatever you want! From now on, we're all family, no need to be so formal!

Last year after the Spring Festival, Lu Yuan's subordinate named Li Li approached Sun Kaiwang to discuss renting a shop to open a convenience store.

The quick-witted Zhou Yi, as the contractor, subtly inquired about the relationship between the Sun sisters and "Boss Lu" in Jiangcheng.

He acted decisively and began to pursue Sun Yu relentlessly.

At first, Sun Yu ignored him, after all, her past experiences made her distrust men.

But Zhou Yi, with his persistent and shameless persistence, showered her with concern and was always there when she called, and managed to melt this iceberg.

The fact that Zhou Yi can stand here today and talk to Lu Yuan proves that his initial judgment and investment were completely correct.

He didn't dare mention anything else, but tentatively asked, "Mr. Lu, if it's convenient... could we add each other on WeChat? That way, I can report to you promptly if Xiaoyu needs anything in the future."

Lu Yuan took out his phone and opened the QR code.

After adding each other as friends, Lu Yuan didn't end the conversation there. Instead, he took the initiative to ask, "I heard from Xiao Yu that your shops in Furong City are doing quite well?"

Zhou Yi was flattered and surprised that he would care about this. He quickly replied, "It's alright, it's alright. I can definitely make a living."

"I heard that you've got Sun Yu managing the supermarket's accounts for you?" Lu Yuan asked again.

"Yes, we've both discussed it and are planning to get our marriage certificate and hold our wedding banquet this spring."

Zhou Yi smiled happily, his eyes sincere: "She'll be the boss's wife in the future, so she needs to learn how to run the household beforehand and get familiar with it."

"That's great." Lu Yuan nodded, a look of approval on his face: "When the date is set, remember to let me know, I'll definitely come to the wedding."

"sure!"

Zhou Yi's voice trembled with excitement.

Lu Yuan's words carried a lot of weight; they were tantamount to indirectly acknowledging his status as "brother-in-law."

Almost no one around him, including his own parents, understood him.

Why would a well-off small business owner like him insist on marrying Sun Yu, a woman with no parents, low education, and an unclear past?

Only Zhou Yi himself knew that he had climbed onto a branch he never dared to dream of.

……

After seeing off the last group of relatives, Lu Yuan and Chen Xiaomiao returned to their own home.

As soon as she entered the door, Chen Xiaomiao kicked off her shoes, threw herself onto the sofa in the living room, and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Eating out to socialize is exhausting, more tiring than getting into a fight with someone."

Lu Yuan chuckled and shook his head, then walked over and sat down next to her, putting his arm around her shoulder.

The idiot ran out of its den, circling around the two men's feet with its tail twitching excitedly.

Chen Xiaomiao turned her head to the side, rested her head on Lu Yuan's lap, and looked up at him, her clear black and white eyes sparkling under the light.

"Lu Yuan, you look very happy today."

"is it?"

Lu Yuan lowered his head, his fingers gently tracing her noticeably protruding belly, feeling its unique warmth and vitality.

"With the Lunar New Year approaching and another baby arriving in the family, it's double the joy! How could we not be happy?"

He was so easy to talk to today because he was happy.

Even though he knew in his heart that Sun Kaiwang's tears were mixed with calculation, and Zhou Yi's attentiveness hid ambition.

But so what?

Money can't buy it, I'm happy with it.

I'm going to be a dad! I'm so happy!

(End of this chapter)