CHAPTER 1393: CHAPTER 1393 DISAPPOINTMENT, CHANCE ENCOUNTER

The Qi Family now walked among the villagers with a sense of pride and accomplishment, their faces adorned with simple, proud smiles.

Luo Qiao and her husband didn’t keep a record of wedding gifts; instead, they directly handed Qi Ling a large red envelope. They didn’t accept a separate table arrangement either, choosing instead to dine with the villagers at the shared banquet.

Qi Ling brought over his wife from his second marriage to toast the guests. The young woman was quite delicate-looking. According to Qi Ling, she had delayed getting married because her parents were in poor health. Last year, both of them passed away in succession, so she spent a year observing mourning. Only this year did she start looking for a match.

Qi Ling introduced her, saying, "Brother, Sister-in-law, this is my wife, Mi Feng."

Then he turned to his wife and said, "Mi Feng, this is who I told you about—the brother and sister-in-law from the city."

After exchanging pleasantries, Luo Qiao and her husband gave their blessings, and Qi Ling and his wife began going around the tables to toast the guests.

As they prepared to leave the banquet, Luo Qiao smiled and said, "We’ll head out first, then."

Qi Ling scratched his head, slightly embarrassed, and said, "Sister-in-law, could I trouble you to take Mi Feng along when I come over later? I heard from Sister-in-law Hu the other day that the restaurant was short on staff, so I went ahead and arranged for Mi Feng to help out in the kitchen there."

Luo Qiao smiled and replied, "Of course, that works perfectly. This way, you two won’t have to be apart right after your wedding."

Qi Ling thanked her repeatedly, "Thank you, Sister-in-law."

Lu Yichen returned to the city, dropped Luo Qiao home, and drove straight to his workplace.

Once home, Luo Qiao took a quick shower, planning to bring the three little ones to check out the Astronomy Club in the afternoon when it wouldn’t be as hot. She wondered if they accepted children this young.

She heard noise in the courtyard and quickly got up to tidy herself.

When she opened the door, she saw the three kids playing soccer. "Xiao Rui, get your brothers cleaned up. Mom’s taking you all to the Astronomy Club to see if they’ll accept you."

The kids were overjoyed when they realized their mom was serious and immediately ran off to wash up and change clothes.

When the mother and children arrived, they learned that the summer class was already full, and only kids five years old and above were accepted.

No amount of persuasion worked; the response was firm that they could only apply once they reached the required age.

The children were somewhat disappointed, trailing behind Luo Qiao listlessly. Luo Qiao consoled them, saying, "We can first buy some material and study it at home. Dad and Mom will help you learn the basics. Our family can form a little Astronomy Club together, how about that?"

The kids brightened up at Luo Qiao’s words, and Xiao Ye looked up and said, "Mom, you’re the best!"

Seeing their smiles return, Luo Qiao was about to leave when someone called out to her. Turning around, she saw a group of people approaching, among them a familiar face—Zhou Zhongyuan.

Walking alongside him was the person who had earlier refused their application.

Zhou Zhongyuan greeted her with a smile, "Luo Qiao, long time no see. Are these your children?"

Luo Qiao smiled slightly in return, "Long time no see."

She then bent down and said to her sons, "Greet Uncle Zhou."

The three children chorused politely, "Hello, Uncle Zhou."

Zhou Zhongyuan was delighted, reaching out to pat their heads. "Hello there! What are your names?"

Xiao Ye spoke up quickly, "Uncle Zhou, I’m Huang Hongye. This is my elder brother Gu Hongrui, and my younger brother Lu Hongyu."

Hearing this, the people nearby couldn’t help but laugh.

One person blurted out without thinking, "Are you really brothers? How come the three of you have three different surnames?"

After speaking, they realized the question might be inappropriate and awkwardly added, "I didn’t mean anything by it, just curious. Sorry about that."

Xiao Ye gave the speaker a sidelong glance, "We’re triplets, didn’t you notice?"

Luo Qiao responded calmly, "Curiosity is understandable. One child’s surname follows my husband’s, while the other two take the surnames of my husband’s maternal grandfather and grandmother. There’s really nothing to hide."

The person awkwardly laughed again, saying, "Lucky you had three at once—any fewer wouldn’t be enough to go around. And I must say, all three of them are quite handsome."

Zhou Zhongyuan turned to Luo Qiao and asked, "Were you here to enroll the kids in a class?"

Luo Qiao nodded, "The little ones are interested in astronomy, so we came to sign up for a class. Unfortunately, it’s already full, and they only accept children aged five or older. My kids are five in nominal age, but they’ll have to wait until next year to apply."

She then returned the question, "What brings you here today?"

Zhou Zhongyuan glanced at the person accompanying him and said, "Just some business to take care of."

He squatted down to talk to the kids, "Why do you want to join an Astronomy Club?"

Xiao Rui looked up and replied, "I’m curious. I want to see the stars beyond Earth. I’ve looked at some picture books before, and I think the universe is beautiful and mysterious."

Zhou Zhongyuan stood back up and addressed Luo Qiao, "You’re supporting them, aren’t you?"

Luo Qiao nodded, "Absolutely. If it’s something they truly enjoy, both their father and I will support them. If they can stick to it, they’ll learn a great deal and develop a broader perspective on the world and the universe. It can inspire their curiosity and desire to explore, which will only benefit their growth."

Zhou Zhongyuan smiled warmly, "No wonder you and your husband are such outstanding individuals. Your mindset is far ahead of most parents."