A delicate and gentle educated youth came to the village, and the aloof and cold soldier king droppe

The current Su Niannian radiates maternal glow.

She was too thin before, but now that she's pregnant, she looks plump and healthy, but not overly bloated.

"Old man Lu didn't even give you a break! The girl is about to give birth." Old Master Bai said, sitting to the side, peeling walnuts for Su Niannian.

"Grandpa!" Su Niannian called out.

Su Niannian also knew that Gu Nan was currently very busy with many things every day, and it was already good enough that he could stay in Beijing without going far away.

Su Niannian is very content.

Su Niannian really wanted Gu Nan to see her baby born.

"It's not like you can just take a vacation whenever you want. I'm only getting one because I wasn't sent out on a dangerous mission!"

As soon as Chief Lu arrived at the door, he heard Old Master Bai making fun of him.

He's already done his best to keep Gu Nan in the military in Beijing!

Otherwise, someone as capable as Gu Nan would definitely be placed in a more useful position.

For some missions, Gu Nan was the first choice, and the fact that I didn't send Gu Nan almost caused delays.

After Chief Lu came in, he glared at Old Master Bai, who was sitting to the side peeling walnuts.

"So what? Should I thank you?" Old Master Bai didn't like Chief Lu's attitude.

"Absolutely!" said Chief Lu, taking a few walnuts that Old Master Bai had painstakingly peeled.

Old Master Bai made a move to snatch it, but Chief Lu was quick-witted and stuffed it directly into his mouth.

He looked at his old friend with a smug expression.

Old Master Bai pointed his finger at Chief Lu.

"At his age, he has no integrity whatsoever, it's really..."

As Old Master Bai was speaking, Chief Lu immediately responded.

"I love how helpless you are with me!" she said, laughing twice before sitting down to the side.

Su Niannian and Gu Nan exchanged a glance, indicating that they really couldn't do anything about these two old people.

However, at this age, it's a good thing to have such friends around.

This kind of brotherhood is something many people would rather die for.

"There are a lot of people today, so let's split into two tables in the main room and eat together!" Mother Gu said as she entered the room.

“Okay!” Su Niannian sat on the bed and replied with a smile.

Mother Gu went out to prepare dinner.

Now, there are two pregnant women in the Gu family. The eldest sister-in-law, Zhao Tian, ​​is also three months pregnant, so Gu's mother doesn't ask her to help make dumplings, steam sticky rice cakes, or cook.

Zhou Qishan was conscripted again; it was because he had worked as a cook in a restaurant before.

Not only Zhou Qishan, Tian Guangzhi, Guo Futian, Gao Wentao, and Jiang Fangyuan, but even the driver Xiao Yang, none of them escaped.

Some were chopping meat, while others were kneading dough.

They were all working enthusiastically to help prepare the dishes.

Once inside the main house where Gu's parents were, the food was already on the table when Gu Ningning came over to call for people again.

The courtyard originally had three rooms with ordinary beds, but we thought it would be cold in winter.

To make it easier to keep warm, Gu Nan asked someone to help build earthen kang beds in all three rooms, the kind of heated kang beds found in Northeast China.

There are already families in Beijing that have heated kang beds, so it doesn't seem particularly special.

At this moment, a low table was placed on the kang (a heated brick bed) in the main room, and the table that was originally in the yard was placed on the ground.

If you squeeze in a little, you can actually fit someone in.

Everyone went inside and found a seat.

On the table were braised pork belly with sauerkraut and pork bones, two kinds of dumplings, sticky rice cakes with red bean and white sugar filling, and some stir-fried vegetables, green beans with pork belly, garlic sprouts with cured pork, cucumber and eggs, etc.

Two large tables were truly overflowing with food.

Mother Gu brought in another bowl of dumplings. "There are many people today, so I've prepared a lot of food. Everyone, eat as much as you like!"

With a smile, Gu's mother said that the group passed the dumplings to the heated brick bed and put them there, waiting to finish the dumplings on the table before eating the ones in the bowl.

Because Zhao Tian was pregnant, Gu's mother treated Zhao Tian and Su Niannian equally well, not letting Zhao Tian do any work at all.

Zhao Tian felt like she was having so much free time.

"Mom, aren't you done yet? Come up and eat!" Su Niannian said quickly when she saw that Gu's mother was still busy on the ground.

He then patted an empty spot on the heated kang (a traditional Chinese bed-stove).

"I'm not too busy. There's still a pot of sticky rice cakes left. I'll come over and eat as soon as they're ready," said Gu's mother with a smile.

"Come, my dear in-law, sit down and eat. We'll have Xiao Zhou go later," Chief Lu said.

"Why do you keep calling them in-laws? They're my in-laws." Old Master Bai glared at Chief Lu again.

"Isn't it all the same? It's the New Year, don't keep nagging me." Chief Lu said, picking up a piece of cured meat with his chopsticks and putting it into Old Master Bai's bowl.

"It's alright, it's alright, call us whatever you want! We're all family!" Mother Gu said with a smile.

Zhou Qishan said that he would go to the kitchen to prepare it in a moment, and that it would be quick, so that Gu's mother could eat first.

“Yes, you’ve been busy all day too. Zhou Qishan and I will go in a bit,” Tian Guangzhi said.

Seeing this, Gu's mother couldn't refuse any longer, so she agreed and got onto the kang (heated brick bed).

Over there, Mr. Gu held a glass of baijiu in his hand, his eyes filled with relief.

These days are wonderful! Even better than before!

"Mom, the dumplings are so delicious! They're full of meat!" Gu Ningning said with a satisfied look after eating a dumpling.

Although it is now 1977, the overall situation is still the same as last year.

In remote rural areas, some people still won't make it through the winter.

Many people still died of starvation or freezing.

Being able to gather together with so many people and enjoy such delicious food is truly a very, very happy thing.

Let's raise our glasses and celebrate the Little New Year!

"I have to say, these dumplings are really well made," Jiang Fangyuan praised.

After so much time, Jiang Fangyuan has completely emerged from that state of confusion and aimless waiting for death.

This is the Jiang Fangyuan that Grandpa Bai once met.

Confident, optimistic, and hopeful for the future!

Su Niannian must have seen Jiang Fangyuan's changes more directly.

If Jiang Fangyuan were still in that filthy little room, a drafty place, he probably wouldn't survive this winter.

But now, she sits here confidently and cheerfully, enjoying delicious food with everyone.

His face beamed with a happy smile.

"The steamed buns are almost ready," Mrs. Gu reminded her.

Zhou Qishan and Tian Guangzhi went to the kitchen to pick up the sticky rice cakes.

"Aren't you going to put on some clothes?" Gu Zhendong reminded him.

Then Gu Zhendong put on a coat and went to change the two of them back.

Seeing this, Gu Nan also got up and followed.

Gu Nan and Gu Zhendong immediately called Tian Guangzhi and Zhou Qishan back.

The two of them went to the kitchen.

Because of the cold weather, the kitchen was filled with steaming rice, dumplings, and steamed buns, so there was a lot of steam.