Jing Shao is infertile, but his nanny is pregnant with his child.

The next day, the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, was the Little New Year in the north. Just as dawn was breaking, Lu Yan heard the sound of firecrackers in the distance and covered her head with a quilt.

Firecrackers are not allowed in the compound, and Lu Yaguang was extremely envious in the yard.

Zhou Yanchen got up early to wash Lu Yan's clothes. Lu Yaguang grabbed Zhou Yanchen's arm and said, "Handsome uncle, let's go find Qin Feng to play this afternoon."

Zhou Yanchen saw through his little scheme. "Trying to set off a firecracker?"

Lu Yaguang nodded. "Handsome uncle, please take me there."

My uncle is injured and can't drive. He needs to lie down for a while each day to recover quickly.

Therefore, he couldn't trouble his uncle.

Zhou Yanchen: "We'll talk about it this afternoon."

When Lu Yan got up, she noticed that her change of clothes was missing. She knew that her son had secretly taken them and asked Zhou Yanchen to wash them for her.

To avoid embarrassment, she deliberately lay down for a while longer, and it wasn't until more than half an hour later that she got dressed and went out.

Sure enough, her clothes were washed and hung up to dry.

Jin Aiyun didn't ask her who washed the clothes, probably because she already knew.

At noon, the whole family sat together to eat dumplings, and Jin Aiyun even asked Zhou Nuannuan to go out and buy some soda.

This was the first time Jin Aiyun and the others had ever eaten cilantro dumplings.

I took one bite and instantly fell in love with it.

"It's delicious, much better than the cabbage and scallion kind."

The strong flavor of cilantro masked much of the meat's gamey smell.

Halfway through the meal, the phone in the study rang. Jin Aiyun quickly stood up. "It must be your eldest and second eldest brothers calling. I'll answer it. You guys eat."

Jin Aiyun didn't return until about ten minutes after answering the phone. When she came back, she was all smiles. "Your eldest brother said he's coming home for the New Year this year!"

Upon hearing this, the Zhou family members at the dinner table beamed with joy.

Zhou Nuannuan: "I thought my older brother wouldn't be coming back this year."

My second brother lives in northern Beijing and will definitely come back for the Spring Festival. It's just a matter of how long he'll be home. Moreover, according to reliable sources, my second brother will be promoted soon and will return to northern Beijing. I'll be able to see him every day after that.

The eldest brother only gets half a month of vacation a year. When the third brother was injured, he came back for a few days. They thought he wouldn't be able to come back for the Chinese New Year.

"Your older brother said that a new political commissar was just promoted in the army this year. New broom sweeps clean, so it's good to let him take charge of the army's affairs and give him a chance to make a good impression. Your older brother and his family are coming back to spend the New Year together, and the higher-ups have approved his application to visit his family."

Although Zhou Jianguo still had a serious face, he couldn't hide the joy in his eyes.

Zhou Yanxing: "Our family is finally reunited this year."

"By the way, Mom, when did my older brother say he's coming back? He'll stay home for a few days so I can buy my nephews and nieces some delicious food and fun toys."

Conditions in Hainan are tough, and the two children have suffered a lot. When they come back, he will treat them to some good food.

Jin Aiyun: "I arrived home on the evening of the 29th of the twelfth lunar month and was able to stay at home for five days."

The holiday is seven days long, but the round trip takes two days.

Five days may be a bit short, but it was a rare and joyous occasion for them.

As for when their second brother will come back, they don't care; they just know he will.

After the meal, Lu Yaguang stared longingly at Zhou Yanchen.

Lu Yan didn't understand what they were trying to do. "What's wrong?"

Zhou Yanchen: "He wants to go find Qin Feng to play."

Lu Yan smiled; she had thought something serious was going on. "Mom will take you."

She can't work with her hands yet, and she has nothing to do at home.

Lu Yaguang tugged at Zhou Yanchen's arm, "Handsome Uncle, come along too."

Uncle Shuai is amazing! He can shoot marbles incredibly far and accurately. Even Qin Feng is envious of him.

Lu Yan looked at Zhou Yanchen and said, "Mr. Zhou, if you're taking a lunch break, I can take him there."

Zhou Yanchen: "Let's go, together."

Since Lu Yan couldn't drive, the three of them had to walk.

This was the first time Lu Yan had learned how the two of them had gotten there last time.

On flat ground, Zhou Yanchen pushed the cart himself, while Lu Yaguang helped from behind on slightly steeper steps. The two worked together quite well.

Halfway there, Lu Yan came up behind Zhou Yanchen and pushed him.

Zhou Yanchen glanced back and said, "Don't move your hands, I'll do it myself."

Lu Yan held out her hand. "Look, it'll be ready soon."

Her healing ability is very strong. Yesterday it was just a thin scab, but today it has thickened. It will probably fall off in another two days.

Zhou Yanchen was somewhat amazed by her healing speed. "Then don't exert yourself too much. If the scab cracks and heals again, it will take time."

"It won't split open. It wasn't seriously injured to begin with," Lu Yan said. "You can't keep pushing your arm like this. Rest for a while, and I'll push it for ten minutes before you try again."

Zhou Yanchen doesn't usually go out much, and when he does, someone pushes him from behind, so he doesn't use his arms much. If he suddenly exerts force, he can easily strain his muscles.

This time they arrived at Qin Feng's house ten minutes earlier than last time.

As soon as the two children met, they grabbed the cannon and ran away.

Qin Changjiang shouted from behind, "Be careful when you set off the fireworks!"

Qin Feng said as he ran, "Okay!"

The two children went out to play, while the adults sat in the yard chatting.

Grandma Qin glanced at Lu Yan, thought for a moment, and said, "Yan Yan, look how well the two children are playing together. Why don't you bring Ya Guang to my house for the New Year?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yan knew that her husband and he must know that she had fallen out with her family.

"Grandma Qin, no need, I need to take Ya Guang back."

Qin Changjiang and his wife assumed she was taking the child back to her parents' home, so they didn't say anything more.

Around 5 PM, the three of them went home.

Three days later, the scabs on Lu Yan's hands fell off. She was going back the day after tomorrow morning. This morning, Lu Yan brought over the drawing paper and brushes she had bought earlier.

Knowing that she was going to paint New Year pictures, Zhou Yanxing and Zhou Nuannuan both came over.

Zhou Yanchen began to make his request, "Sister Yan, I want a male 'Fuwa' doll holding a gold ingot."

Lu Yan nodded, "Okay, Nuannuan, what kind do you want?"

"Sister Yanyan, I want a cute little girl holding a koi fish."

Lu Yan: "No problem."

Lu Yan spread out the drawing paper, picked up her paintbrush, and began to draw.

Zhou Yanchen arrived at this moment, followed by Lu Yaguang, who was always tagging along.

Seeing Lu Yan drawing, Lu Yaguang quickly held up the airplane in his hand, "Mom, I'll hold the airplane in a bit, can you draw one for me?"

Every year, Lu Yan would draw a portrait of Lu Yaguang to record his growth.

Lu Yanteng reached out and pinched his chubby cheek. "Okay, once I finish painting the New Year picture, I'll paint one for you."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yanchen and the others looked at Lu Yan.

Zhou Yanxing: "Sister Yan, you can draw portraits too?"

After asking the question, I realized I had asked a stupid one. The lucky dolls in the New Year pictures are people too.

Lu Yan nodded, "I can draw. If there's time, I'll draw one for each of you. If not, I can come over after the New Year and draw one for each of you, and I'll also draw a family portrait for you."

The thought of Lu Yan going back the day after tomorrow morning made them all feel uneasy.