After staying at Uncle Zhou's house for a while, Zhou Ziwen left with his family until it was almost time.
When leaving Uncle Zhou's house, the sky was gradually getting dark.
Snowflakes still fall gently, adding a layer of quiet beauty to the night world.
Zhou Ziwen was walking home with his family. Little Yueyue was sleeping soundly in Chen Qiaoyi's arms, with a faint smile hanging on her lips, as if she was having a sweet dream.
Zhou Ziwen and Zhou Chaoyang walked side by side, chatting as they walked, and the topic expanded from the breeding industry to the overall planning of the village.
Zhou Ziwen mentioned that he has recently considered introducing some modern agricultural technologies, such as greenhouse cultivation and automated irrigation systems, to increase crop yield and quality.
"This not only reduces labor input, but also ensures stable growth of crops even in bad weather." Zhou Ziwen explained.
Zhou Chaoyang nodded repeatedly after hearing this: "This is a good idea, especially in dry seasons or extreme weather, these technologies can play a big role."
The two continued to discuss future plans and before they knew it, they were back home.
The room was as warm as spring, and Zhou's mother had already prepared a sumptuous dinner.
Back home, the warmth inside is in stark contrast to the cold outside.
Seeing Zhou Ziwen returning with his family and Zhou Chaoyang, Zhou's mother quickly greeted everyone into the house with a kind smile on her face.
"Come in, it's cold outside, don't let the child catch a cold."
As she spoke, she took little Yueyue from Chen Qiaoyi's hand and gently placed her on the kang.
Father Zhou also walked out of the back room. When he saw Zhou Chaoyang, he patted him on the shoulder enthusiastically: "Chaoyang, you came just in time. We just stewed a pot of good soup today. Let's all try it."
Zhou Chaoyang responded with a smile: "Uncle, you are too polite. I bother you to prepare so many delicious food every time I come here."
"What does one family say when it comes to two families?" Zhou's father said with a smile, "We are all named Zhou, and we were one family five hundred years ago!"
At home, Zhou Ziwen found that brother-in-law Zheng Ming and prospective brother-in-law Li Qiang were also there.
Speaking of which, this was the first time that Li Qiang came to visit in such a formal way.
Zhou Ziwen felt warm in his heart when he saw Zheng Ming and Li Qiang also at home.
Zheng Ming is the husband of the eldest sister Zhou Xiulan, and Li Qiang is the soon-to-be-married partner of the second sister Zhou Xiumei. This is his first official visit as a prospective brother-in-law to pay New Year's greetings.
Zhou Ziwen stepped forward to shake hands with the two and expressed his welcome to them.
I don't know why, but Li Qiang always has a feeling of fear towards Zhou Ziwen.
Seeing Zhou Ziwen, he felt like seeing a tiger. His words became stammered and his eyes dodged unconsciously.
Of course Zhou Ziwen had expected this.
The main reason why Li Qiang was so scared when he saw him was because of his aura.
With his many full-level boxing skills, ordinary people would not be afraid when they see him!
As for why others didn't react in this way, of course it was because he had restrained his aura.
His momentum was only directed at Li Qiang.
He felt that Li Qiang, the quasi-brother-in-law, was a bit too out of the ordinary.
The purpose of suppressing him with force was to let him know the pros and cons.
Zhou Ziwen smiled and said to Li Qiang: "Brother Qiang, don't be nervous. Today is the Chinese New Year. We are all family members, so there is no need to be so restrained."
After Li Qiang heard Zhou Ziwen's words, he tried to calm down his emotions and try to relax. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down.
"Ziwen, I... I am indeed a little nervous. After all, this is the first time I have officially come to visit for New Year greetings." Li Qiang smiled awkwardly, trying to hide his uneasiness.
Zhou Ziwen nodded and expressed understanding: "It's okay. It will be fine if we get familiar with each other later. By the way, Brother Qiang, how is your work lately?"
When Li Qiang heard Zhou Ziwen mentioning work, he relaxed a little and started talking about his work situation: "It's not bad, but there are a lot of projects recently, so I'm a bit busy."
Zhou Ziwen responded with a smile: "It's good to be busy, it means that your career is on the rise. Brother Qiang, you have to work hard, my second sister will have to rely on you to take care of me in the future."
Li Qiang patted his chest and promised: "That's natural. I will definitely treat Xiumei well and never let her suffer any injustice."
"That's good." Zhou Ziwen nodded.
If Li Qiang treats his second sister a lot, he has plenty of ways to deal with him.
While talking, the food was almost ready.
Dad Zhou said hello, "Everyone, come and eat quickly, the food is getting cold."
Zhou's mother also said: "Yes, come quickly. Today's dish is specially prepared for you. You must try it."
Zhou Ziwen and Zhou Chaoyang smiled at each other, and each took their families to sit around the dining table. Little Yueyue was still sleeping in Chen Qiaoyi's arms. Mother Zhou gently put her on the small bed aside and covered her with a small quilt to ensure that she would not catch cold.
The table is filled with a variety of dishes, including braised pork, steamed fish, stewed chicken soup, and various cold and hot dishes, all colorful and fragrant. Zhou’s mother’s craftsmanship is as good as ever, and every dish is cooked to perfection.
"Come on, everyone use your chopsticks." Dad Zhou raised his chopsticks and motioned for everyone to start eating.
Zhou Ziwen picked up a piece of braised pork and put it into his mouth. The meat was tender, juicy and had a mellow taste. He couldn't help but admire: "Mom, this braised pork is so delicious!"
Zhou Ma responded with a smile: "You can eat it as long as you like, I stewed some more specially for you."
Zhou Chaoyang also picked up a piece of fish, took a bite, and was full of praise: "This steamed fish is also a masterpiece, the fish is fresh and tender, and the seasoning is just right."
Everyone was chatting while tasting the delicious food, and the atmosphere was warm and pleasant.
Zheng Ming and Li Qiang also joined the conversation. They talked about their work and life, and shared each other's joys, sorrows and joys.
Dad Zhou picked up the wine glass and suggested: "Come, let's drink to today's reunion and to the future of our family."
Everyone raised their glasses, the glasses clinked and made a crisp sound, and everyone had a happy smile on their face.
After the meal, Zhou's mother cleared the table, while Zhou's father continued chatting with everyone.
Zhou Ziwen sat aside, looking at the smiling faces of his family, and his heart was filled with warmth and satisfaction.
It wasn't until it was too late outside that everyone went home.
"Ziwen, when are you going to go back to the countryside?" When asking this, Dad Zhou was still a little reluctant.
His youngest son has never suffered hardship since he was a child.
But in the past few years since I went to the countryside, although I have become better and better, I must have suffered a lot.
Zhou Ziwen looked at his father and replied: "Dad, I plan to go back after the Lantern Festival. There are still many things in the village that I need to deal with, and I also promised the villagers that I will go back to celebrate the New Year."
Father Zhou nodded. Although he was reluctant to give up, he still supported his son's decision: "Well, you should also pay attention to your health when you go back. Don't be too tired."
"I will, dad." Zhou Ziwen responded with a smile, feeling warm at his father's concern in his heart. (End of chapter)