CHAPTER 501: CHAPTER 370 NEW YEAR’S ARRANGEMENTS_2

Don’t rush to leave these days, wait for my call, and by no means return to Celestial Sea City on your own.

If you dare sneak back to Celestial Sea City alone, I won’t talk to you anymore!"

Li Jing looked at Shi Yang with this "threatening" look and found it amusing. He couldn’t help but gently rub her head, saying:

"Don’t worry, even if I really have to leave, I will let you know in advance."

Shi Yang’s head was rubbed by Li Jing, and she instinctively furrowed her brows, but strangely, she didn’t avoid it this time.

If Xiaohan and Zhang Yao were still here and saw Shi Yang not only not angry but also letting Li Jing rub her head, they would definitely be shocked.

In the past, if any other man even slightly touched Shi Yang, she would get upset, let alone allow such an intimate gesture like head rubbing.

However, Shi Yang herself didn’t notice this subtle change, she just nodded and said:

"Alright, be careful on your way home, I’ll head off now."

With that, she turned around and quickly got into the car.

Li Jing stood still, watching the car move further away until it disappeared from sight.

Then, he raised his hand to hail another car back to the hotel.

On the way, he couldn’t help but think of Shi Yang’s innocent face where all her thoughts were written, and the corner of his mouth unconsciously raised, his impression of Shi Yang shifted slightly.

...

In the following days, Li Jing spent his time in Yashi enjoying the sights, relaxing, and fully immersing in the local culture.

As the New Year approached, Li Jing started planning to bring his parents from their hometown to enjoy a warm New Year in Hai Province.

However, when Li Jing called his parents, they declined the offer.

They felt that although the climate in Hai Province was pleasant, celebrating the New Year at home had a better feel.

In their hometown, they knew many people; family and friends were around, and visiting relatives during the New Year was lively and festive.

For Li Jing, his parents felt that he was already providing great support by working hard, so it didn’t matter whether he came home for the New Year.

Besides, the old couple spent most of their lives in their hometown and didn’t have the same strong interest in traveling as the younger generation.

To them, living a stable and peaceful life was the greatest happiness, and they were already very content with it.

Originally, Li Jing thought that if his parents were unwilling to come to Hai Province, he would head back home to spend the New Year with them.

But remembering the system task, which clearly stated it must be completed within a month, or the second stage rewards would be canceled.

The potential loss from missing out on the second stage rewards was hard to calculate.

After much deliberation, Li Jing decided not to go back home this time.

Yet, to ensure his parents had an affluent and joyful New Year, he promptly transferred 500,000 yuan to them.

He also opened WeChat and sent his parents several thousand yuan as pocket money.

In fact, given Li Jing’s financial strength, he could easily give more money.

But he knew that his parents had traditional views, and suddenly having too much money might pose risks, especially worrying about fraud.

Plus, his parents were frugal all their lives, and any extra money would most likely be saved.

So he figured this way, there’s a substantial amount of money for emergencies, along with some pocket change for them to comfortably spend in daily life.

Even after doing all this, Li Jing wasn’t at ease, worried that in his absence, the couple wouldn’t buy new clothes for the New Year, so he pondered and then called Zhou Li specifically.

Previously, Zhou Li had informed Li Jing that she had taken her annual leave in advance and returned early to her hometown from Celestial Sea City.

Since the case they handled together in Celestial Sea City, their relationship had grown considerably.

As soon as the call connected, hearing Zhou Li’s gentle voice, Li Jing relaxed a little.

They eagerly talked about current events, sharing their situations with each other.

Then, Li Jing made his request, hoping Zhou Li could help keep his parents company.

Without hesitation, Zhou Li agreed immediately.

Zhou Li, though reserved and a bit shy, was serious and dependable in her work, which was why her superiors highly appreciated her.

With Zhou Li’s consent, Li Jing felt relieved.

He specifically transferred 100,000 yuan to Zhou Li, sincerely saying, "Zhou Li, use this money to buy my parents some new clothes for the New Year, and get some New Year goods.

The rest, buy yourself something nice, consider it my New Year gift to you."

On hearing this, Zhou Li hurriedly declined, firmly stating she wouldn’t keep the 100,000 for herself.

Moreover, she even offered to help out at Li Jing’s house.

However, Li Jing had already made arrangements, having already hired a housekeeper to ease the household burdens on his parents, allowing them a comfortable life.

Initially, Li Jing’s parents opposed hiring a housekeeper, considering it a sheer waste of money.

Li Jing repeated his persuasive arguments, eventually convincing his parents to agree.

The housekeeper they hired is a mute neighbor from their village, honest and sincere.

She had gone out for work early on but faced considerable discrimination due to her disability.

Li Jing’s parents pitied her and wanted to help.

Having known each other since childhood, they trusted her completely.

This not only relieved his parents’ life pressure but also allowed them to help an old friend, making it a win-win situation.

In the following days, neither Sophie nor Shi Yang reached out to Li Jing proactively, and Huang Qin was especially busy, only occasionally sending messages of greetings but having no time to visit.

Li Jing continued to enjoy his journey alone in Sanya.

Li Jing was never fond of those tight, rushed "special forces-style" tours; he preferred leisurely soaking in every scene and culture.

For him, this leisurely solo travel was relaxed and free.

However, having already spent over half the month in Hai City, and with the task deadline drawing nearer, Li Jing began worrying about completing the task.

Fortunately, with affairs at home being taken care of, he didn’t need to worry anymore.

Since asking Zhou Li for help with his parents, she sent him photos every day.

There were warm images with Li Jing’s parents and instances of her handling various tasks to assure Li Jing of being at peace.

Besides sending daily photos, Zhou Li meticulously detailed the tasks done for Li Jing’s parents and how the money was spent.

Her seriousness was as though she were reporting work, concise and meticulous.

Looking at these messages, Li Jing couldn’t help but think that if he were Zhou Li’s boss, he would probably appreciate her as well.

"Don’t worry, just enjoy your vacation there, relax and unwind.

You worked so hard in Celestial Sea City before, take this chance to rest well."

On the call, Zhou Li’s voice was exceptionally clear and affectionate as she said,

"Auntie recently learned square dancing and joins her group of friends every day.

With her straightforward personality, she’s become the leader of the square dance.

The speaker was bought with the money you gave, and now dozens of ladies in the community revolve around her."

Listening to Zhou Li’s description, Li Jing couldn’t help but picture his mother in his mind.

In his memory, his mother was always a strong and capable woman, and now, even at her age, her personality hadn’t changed a bit, having become the "queen" of square dance.

This gave Li Jing peace of mind and a bit of comfort.

He then asked, "And my dad?"

Zhou Li replied with a smile, "Your uncle is doing well too. Recently, he’s found a new hobby—fishing.

He goes fishing at local parks and riversides from time to time with your uncle and former colleagues.

Earlier, he was reluctant to buy a fishing rod, so I purchased a nice set with your money.

Now he’s quite happy, often driving the car you bought last year out fishing, meeting lots of new friends."

Listening to Zhou Li’s response, Li Jing was completely at ease, no longer worrying about his parents.