When I went home for Chinese New Year, I spent a million times more money on my foreign wife.

When the private plane landed at the Harbin private airport, a convoy from Kaoshantun was already waiting on the tarmac.

Lei Zi himself drove the lead car, followed by three bulletproof commercial vehicles and a medical support vehicle.

Chen Yue was constantly on the way back from Beijing, making one phone call after another to finalize the configuration of the pregnancy support team.

The convoy entered the gates of the Snow Palace territory. Katyusha leaned back in the back seat with her eyes closed, her hand resting on her lower abdomen. Chen Yang covered her with a blanket without saying a word.

Upon reaching the main road of Kaoshantun, the car did not turn towards Chen's old courtyard, but instead drove directly up the slope behind the mountain.

Chen Yue turned around from the passenger seat: "Brother, I had the housekeeping team prepare the villa in the back mountain in advance."

"Which building?" Katyusha opened her eyes.

"There is a 1000-square-meter detached villa on the back mountain of the Snow Palace supporting area. It was built together with the park when it was built. It has three floors, a yard, and the decoration is all done," Chen Yue said. "I originally planned to let my parents live there, but they thought it was too big and they didn't like to use maids, so it has been empty."

Chen Yang chimed in, "Now that you're taking care of your pregnancy, the nutritionist, nanny, and security guards all need to move in. The old courtyard isn't big enough. This house on the back hill is just right."

Katyusha lifted the carriage curtain and glanced outside.

At the end of the slope, a three-story gray-white building is lit up, with its courtyard wall made of whole granite blocks and ginkgo trees on both sides of the main gate covered with golden leaves.

The autumn wind blew, and fallen leaves covered the ground.

The car was parked at the entrance, and Lei Zi opened the car door.

Chen Yang got out of the car first, then turned around and helped Katyusha down.

The gate was open, and the housekeeping team was already lined up in the porch.

The leader was a woman in her early forties, dressed in a neat dark uniform with the Snow Palace emblem pinned to her chest.

"Mr. Chen, Madam, this is Su Ning, the head of the housekeeping team. The villa has been thoroughly disinfected and the air quality has been tested. All the furniture and supplies specifically for pregnant women have also been provided."

Chen Yang nodded and led Katyusha inside.

The first floor houses the living room and dining room, with a six-meter-high ceiling and floor-to-ceiling windows facing the birch forest behind the house. All the furniture has been replaced with rounded corner designs, the floor is covered with non-slip solid wood flooring, and the corners of the coffee table and cabinets are padded.

The master bedroom on the second floor has a separate sunroom with a view of the Snow Palace's crystal dome. The room next door has been converted into a nursery, with the walls painted a light yellow and an imported crib placed in the center, the bedding neatly folded.

Katyusha stood at the door of the nursery for a long time, then reached out and touched the wind chimes hanging on the crib railing.

Chen Yue followed from behind: "Sister-in-law, these will have to do for now. We'll rearrange them once we know the gender."

"That's good." Katyusha flicked the wind chime, and the metal pieces clinked together, making a soft, tinkling sound.

The third floor was divided into a work area and a security monitoring room. Lei Zi and his team had already completed the debugging of the entire security system, with thirty-six cameras covering all blind spots inside and outside the villa, and the basement connected to the Snow Palace main control center by fiber optic cable.

After walking around and returning to the first floor, Katyusha sat on the sofa drinking hot milk, while Chen Yue sat next to her with a notebook, going over the schedule for the coming week with her.

A familiar voice came from the courtyard.

Chen's mother pushed open the courtyard gate and rushed inside, followed by Chen's father, who was carrying a thermos.

"Daughter-in-law!" As soon as Chen Ma entered the living room, she went straight to the sofa, squatted down, grabbed Katyusha's hand, and looked her up and down. "Have you lost weight? Are you getting used to the food in Beijing?"

"Mom, I'm fine."

"Speak less and rest more." Aunt Chen turned and glared at Chen Yang. "How have you been taking care of him? He's gotten so thin!"

Just as Chen Yang was about to speak, his father placed the thermos on the coffee table and lifted the lid: "Your mother simmered chicken soup for three hours. Have a bowl first."

Katyusha picked up the bowl, took a sip, and nodded: "Delicious."

Chen Ma's face crinkled into a wide smile as she slapped her thigh and stood up: "Old man, this house is big and spacious, great! We have to throw a feast!"

Mr. Chen was taken aback: "A banquet?"

"Firstly, it's a housewarming party, we've moved to a new house. Secondly—" Aunt Chen lowered her voice, then couldn't help but raise it again, "I have to tell everyone that our family is getting a new member!"

Chen Yue closed her notebook: "Mom, what do you want to do?"

"Invite all the old neighbors from the village, set up twenty tables, no, thirty tables!" Chen Ma counted on her fingers, "Tie Niu's house, the village secretary's house, and your dad's old buddies—"

"Okay," Chen Yang said, "but don't make Mom cook by herself."

"If I don't cook, who will?"

"The Snow Palace has five professional chefs, all from major hotels, let them handle it."

Chen's mother was unhappy: "No matter how good the food prepared by outside chefs is, it can't compare to the warmth and hospitality of home-cooked meals."

Chen Yue chimed in, "Mom, the chef team is coming to work. You'll be the head coordinator. You decide the menu, and they'll cook according to it. If you feel any dish isn't up to par, have them redo it anytime."

These words struck a nerve with Chen Ma. She thought for a moment, then raised her chin: "Alright. I decide the menu."

"It's up to you," Chen Yang nodded.

Chen Yue immediately sent a message to the housekeeper, Su Ning, instructing the Snow Palace kitchen team to arrive early the next morning and to prepare the ingredient list tonight.

Mrs. Chen was already sitting at the table, listing the dishes and pulling Mr. Chen along as they went. Mr. Chen could nod as fast as she could talk.

After finishing her chicken soup, Katyusha placed the empty bowl on the coffee table and watched her mother-in-law and father-in-law busy at work.

Chen Yue sat down next to her, her voice low: "Sister-in-law, you don't need to worry about the banquet the day after tomorrow. Leave it all to me. You just need to show up and get some blessings."

"I'm not that delicate."

"I know you're not delicate, but the one in your belly is precious." Chen Yue opened her phone's notes app. "By the way, Old Master Sun will be arriving in Harbin the day after tomorrow at noon. He promised to come once a week to check on your pulse. Also, the obstetrics and gynecology expert team arranged from Beijing will be arriving next week."

Katyusha nodded, leaned back into the sofa, and placed her hand on her lower abdomen.

Outside the window, the birch forest on the hill behind was bathed in a golden-red glow from the setting sun. The autumn wind, carrying fallen leaves, rustled against the glass.

Chen Yang walked to the window and made a phone call.

"Lei Zi, you're in charge of security for the banquet. It's for thirty tables. Set up a tent in the front yard of the villa, and patrol the perimeter as usual."

"clear."

After hanging up the phone, Chen Ma's voice drifted over from the dining table—

"Old man, do you think it's okay to have the cook make that matsutake mushroom soup? I'm worried he's not good at it and will ruin such a good dish."

"Aren't you the commander-in-chief? If it doesn't work, have him redo it."

"Yes! I am the commander-in-chief!"

Chen Yang put his phone back in his pocket and glanced back at Katyusha on the sofa.

She had already closed her eyes, and the warmth of the chicken soup still lingered on her lips.

Chen Yue took a thin blanket and covered her legs, then got up and walked to Chen Yang's side, lowering her voice: "Brother, Lei Zi will give me the preliminary plan for the wedding of the century tomorrow. Should we combine the Snow Palace opening and the wedding?"

"Let's separate. Open the business first, then have the wedding. We'll talk about it once she's more stable."

Chen Yue nodded and turned to arrange the menu coordination for tomorrow.

In the living room, Chen's mother was still arguing with Chen's father about how many fish to cook.