Chapter 4

The smell of gunpowder in the kitchen was getting stronger, and even the people in the living room were being affected.

Xin Jianjun wanted to step in and break up the fight, but Xin Guoping quickly stopped him. As the eldest son, he’d definitely take his wife’s side, which would be walking straight into Li Huilan’s line of fire—only adding fuel to the fire.

Xin Guoping signaled to his daughter Xin Qi, hoping she’d go mediate. Xin Qi pretended not to see; she had no intention of getting herself scolded.

Usually, Xin Guoping held himself above household squabbles like this and had no patience for trivial matters. Besides, as the father-in-law, it wasn’t really his place to get involved in disputes involving his daughter-in-law’s family.

But now, neither his son nor daughter was stepping up, and the arguing between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in the kitchen was only getting louder.

Today was New Year’s Eve—if the neighbors overheard, it’d be a big joke.

Just then, Xin Liyie returned home.

As soon as he walked in the door, he joked with a grin, “Whoa, I could hear Mom’s voice from outside.”

“What’s going on, our family’s in-law battle doesn’t even take a break for the New Year? Talk about dedication.”

Among the five Xin siblings, the eldest, Xin Jianjun, was honest and quiet. After graduating from high school, he took over Li Huilan’s job at the printing factory.

The second child, Xin Lin, was hot-tempered and impulsive. She didn’t get a formal job placement after marriage and now worked as a temp at a textile mill.

The third, Xin Shan, was sweet-talking and charming. Originally, she was the one supposed to be sent down to the countryside, but she didn’t want to suffer.

Back then, Xin Shan was young and pretty, and soon found a well-off husband. After giving birth to a son, she stayed home as a housewife.

The original Xin Qi was dark-skinned and skinny as a child, neglected by the family, quiet by nature, never fighting for anything. As a result, she was the one who went to the countryside in Xin Shan’s place.

The youngest, Xin Liyie, was the least like the rest of the Xin family. Spoiled rotten by Li Huilan since childhood, he was fearless, rebellious, and always looking for trouble.

It was only with Xin Liyie’s joking and banter that the New Year’s Eve dinner finally managed to start smoothly.

It was Xin Qi’s first New Year back home in years, so naturally the dinner conversation revolved around her.

Xin Qi took the opportunity to say she didn’t want to go back to Harbin and was planning to stay in Beijing.

Xin Guoping’s hand, holding a wine glass, paused for a moment. He glanced at Li Huilan, whose face remained expressionless.

Xin Liyie said carelessly, “Stay if you want, Sis. You shouldn’t have had to go to the countryside in the first place—you should’ve come back a long time ago.”

Li Huilan scolded him, “Stop talking nonsense. Worry about yourself. You’re going to start at the factory after the New Year. Get a haircut before then and look decent—you’d better work hard.”

She had spent a thousand yuan to buy him a job placement at a machinery factory as a transport driver.

Then she turned to Xin Qi and said, “If you’re capable enough to stay, then stay. But don’t expect any help from us.”

Xin Qi wasn’t upset. She simply replied, “Then can you help me check on the local household registration policy? I’ll handle the rest.”

Li Huilan looked at Xin Qi strangely. The fourth daughter hadn’t grown up with them, and while she had become more poised, she still wasn’t close to the family.

Suddenly, her sister-in-law Zhang Lan chimed in, “Why not just find a husband for Qi, someone with a stable job? Then she can stay in Beijing.”

“And besides, the house is small. It’s not suitable for her to keep sleeping in the living room long-term.”

Zhang Lan clearly didn’t want Xin Qi staying in the house indefinitely. Jobs were hard to find, and if she stayed too long, she’d become a financial burden—food, clothing, living, everything cost money.

Seeing that Li Huilan looked slightly tempted, Xin Qi quickly objected.

“I’m still young; it’s too early to talk about marriage. I want to focus on finding a job first. Once I can support myself, I can even help out the family.”

Xin Guoping took a sip of wine, smiling approvingly. “Good, good—only with harmony in the family and everyone pulling in the same direction can we live well.”

“Qi, you should definitely look for a job. If it really doesn’t work out, marrying early isn’t a bad option either—your sister-in-law has a point.”

Little Haohao, curious about his grandpa’s drinking, snuck a sip of wine. It immediately burned his throat and he spat it out.

Xin Jianjun hurriedly took the wine cup from Haohao’s hands. Li Huilan glared at Zhang Lan for not watching the child and told her to give him some chicken soup instead. Xin Guoping laughed heartily, and Xin Liyie jokingly encouraged Haohao to drink more. The atmosphere around the Xin family table slowly began to warm up.

Meanwhile, in the northern military compound, the Ling family was also having their reunion dinner.

The Lings were a big family. Old Master Ling was a veteran revolutionary and now retired, enjoying the perks of a deputy division-level retirement.

He had three sons and two daughters. Only the eldest, Ling Hongming, followed in his footsteps and joined the military, now holding the rank of Commander.

Fortunately, the next generation had Ling Liehuang—he enlisted at sixteen, endured a decade on the frontlines, and had now risen to prominence.

According to family tradition, everyone had to return to the old man’s house for New Year’s dinner to make their presence felt.

Among the grandchildren, Ling Liehuang was the most accomplished and the one most favored by the old master. His status even surpassed that of his uncles and aunts.

At the dinner table, Old Master Ling seated Ling Liehuang on his right, with Ling Hongming on his left.

He was in high spirits seeing his grandson again. “How long are you staying this time?”

Maintaining a soldier’s upright posture, Ling Liehuang replied, “I’ve been granted a one-month leave. After that, I’ll be stationed in Beijing for six months to work on a military-industrial project.”

The old man nodded with satisfaction. To be involved in a top-secret military project at such a young age—Ling Liehuang was even more capable than he had expected.

Ling Hongming, seeing his son for the first time in a while, relaxed his usually stern demeanor slightly, though his tone was still strict. “Now that you’re back, spend more time with your mother. Stay out of trouble, and keep your distance from those spoiled brats around the compound.”

Li Wenjun, his mother, was thrilled that her son would be staying in Beijing. He’d achieved a lot over the years, but had also gotten hurt many times. She had constantly worried about him. Now that he’d be staying close, that brought her more comfort than any medal.

The other members of the Ling family looked on with envy. They all knew Ling Liehuang was the rising star of the family. Jealous as they were, they knew they might have to rely on him someday.

One by one, they praised him to the skies in front of the old man—some of their compliments were so exaggerated they were borderline ridiculous.

Ling Liehuang was long used to such flattery. Though he disliked it inwardly, he responded politely and appropriately.

Second Aunt Chen Qianru, prompted by someone else, suddenly said at the right moment, “Sister-in-law, since Liehuang will be in Beijing for a while, why not use this chance to find him a wife? Who knows—by next New Year, you might be a grandma!”

This struck right at the heart of Li Wenjun. Her son was already 26 and long overdue for marriage. But with him always away, she hadn’t been able to pin him down. Whenever she brought up the topic, he would just brush it off.

But now that he was finally here, she was eager to bring it up again, especially after her daughter Ling Yaxin got married and moved abroad last year, leaving the house quiet and lonely.

Normally, Ling Liehuang showed no interest in marriage talk. Plenty of girls liked him, but he never felt anything in return—his focus was entirely on his career.

Yet this time, upon hearing talk of marriage, a smiling face flashed in his mind—the one smiling at Zhang Tianlei. When she looked at him, her supposed “savior,” she had been cold and indifferent, even mistaking him for someone else.

His expression darkened. Li Wenjun said something to him, but he didn’t catch it and just responded with a distracted “mm.”