CHAPTER 861: CHAPTER 580: NEW YEAR’S GREETINGS

Thinking back to when I was young, I could stay up three days and nights without a problem. Now, well, never mind, let bygones be bygones. You two should go home and eat, don’t keep the whole family waiting."

"Uncle, are you really okay?" Lin Baohe felt guilty at this moment. How could he have forgotten about Old Master Ye’s age while chatting away happily?

"I’m fine, I’m fine." Old Master Ye waved his hand with a smile, "Chatting with you is so delightful, there’s no way there’s anything wrong—feeling a bit dizzy after crouching for so long is normal.

But Baohe, you’re really in great shape; you stood up after crouching for such a long time without any issues at all. Even my son, who was in the army, can’t compare to you."

Lin Baohe scratched his head in embarrassment, "Uncle, my legs aren’t that good. It’s uncomfortable to crouch, so I was sitting on a big broom just now."

"Really?" Old Master Ye shook his head with amusement, "See how engrossed our conversation was? You were sitting, and I didn’t even notice the whole time, haha..."

Lin Baohe didn’t know what to say, so he just touched his head and laughed sheepishly.

...

Old Master Zhou learned that Lin Baohe and Old Master Ye chatted for most of the morning and asked in surprise, "Baohe, what were you two talking about?"

"Just discussing the kids." Lin Baohe replied honestly.

"That Old Ye, when we’re together, for every ten sentences I say, he might respond with one..." Old Master Zhou laughed as he spoke, "It seems like he really likes you, Baohe. Since you’re living here anyway, I’ll tell him to come find you for a chat whenever he’s free. Old Ye has had a difficult life, and it’s rare for him to click with someone. You’d be doing me a favor by giving him some company."

Lin Baohe replied earnestly, "Uncle, let him come often. I really enjoy chatting with Uncle Ye; he’s a good person and speaks sincerely. I truly like talking to him."

Feeling mischievous, Old Master Zhou joked, "So you don’t like talking to me?"

"No, no..." Lin Baohe hastily waved his hands, "Uncle Zhou, it’s not the same thing. We are family by marriage, we are family, but with Uncle Ye... it’s different..."

"Look how anxious you’ve gotten..."

Old Madam Zhou interrupted Old Master Zhou with disapproval, "It’s the New Year, and you’re bullying Baohe, such an honest person. Shame on you, go, go, don’t sit next to me, stay away."

"Look at this old lady, disdaining me now?" Old Master Zhou smiled cheerfully at his wife, "Are you upset because I don’t praise you? Fine, I’ll speak honestly to you—I’m luckier than Old Ye to have married such a wise wife like you."

Old Madam Zhou, feeling bashful, glanced at everyone, "Look at this old man, he’s so happy during New Year he’s talking nonsense."

"Grandma, Grandpa is telling the truth..." Mei Xiaofeng earnestly stared at Old Madam Zhou, "I knew you and Grandma Ye before. Honestly, when we first met, I had a good impression of her; she seemed kind. But after getting along a few times, I realized you genuinely care about people. With her, the more you know, the less you like; she’s truly unpleasant."

"I agree with Xiaofeng." Lin Yanqiu chimed in, "When I first married in, I had the same feeling. But after a while, I understood that Mother-in-law is better."

"I agree with my sister-in-law and Xiaofeng." At this point, Liang Xiaohong found everything Mei Xiaofeng did wonderful, but she couldn’t directly praise her daughter-in-law, so she put Lin Yanqiu first.

"You all just want to make me happy." Old Madam Zhou smiled and shook her head, "If outsiders heard, they’d surely think, look at this big family, how they’re trying to coax an old fool."

"Grandma, that’s not true..." Chuxia looked at her earnestly, "There’s a clear difference between sincere praise and fake flattery. You manage to have the whole family devoted to you; that shows your incredible charisma. Think about it, outsiders would be insanely jealous hearing this, wouldn’t they?"

"This child, talking about devotion..." Old Madam Zhou laughed so hard she had tears, "With my old figure, putting on a skirt would scare a whole bunch of people. Those who didn’t know might think an old witch had come."

The whole family chatted and laughed, and as it approached 9 o’clock, they went their separate ways to pay New Year visits.

Yu Tao and Mei Xiaofeng were both pregnant, and according to custom, they didn’t need to go. Among the new brides, only Chuxia was left. So, Zhou Mikang, Zhou Xikang, Zhou Zhongkang, and Zhou Huakang, along with Chuxia, embarked on their grand New Year’s visit journey.

In most households, they just wished a happy new year, exchanged a few polite words, and then left. Only in homes of particularly close friends would they sit down for tea and chat for a while.