CHAPTER 792: CHAPTER 789: EVERYONE RETURNS TO THEIR OWN FAMILIES

"I’m back."

On the 29th of the last lunar month, Taozi wobbly returned home.

"Oh, finally decided to come back? Didn’t Xiao Shen come back with you?"

Taozi’s mother, Qi Huilan, glanced behind her, somewhat disappointed not to see anyone else.

"Mom, what are you thinking? He has to go back home for New Year too," Taozi said.

"Then why did you come back?" Qi Huilan asked, slightly displeased.

Just then, Jiang Hongtu, who was in the study, came out upon hearing the voices.

"Of course, I came back to celebrate the New Year. What else would I do?" Taozi replied, feeling displeased too. It wasn’t like this in previous years.

"I mean, why didn’t you spend the New Year at Xiao Shen’s house and meet his parents?" Qi Huilan suggested.

"Alright, alright, don’t be so desperate. It makes it seem like no one wants our Taozi," Jiang Hongtu chimed in.

Taozi was the apple of his eye, and even now, he was siding with his daughter.

"I went there last time; I met his parents and Grandma," Taozi said.

"Oh? Such a big deal, why didn’t you tell us?" Qi Huilan exclaimed, annoyed.

"It was a sudden visit, so I didn’t tell you," Taozi explained.

Qi Huilan quickly pulled her to sit down, asking in detail about her visit to Shen Siyuan’s home: if they were well off, if Taozi’s parents liked her, and so on.

Jiang Hongtu sat beside them, looking serious, "No exaggerating, no embellishments, just tell us honestly what happened."

"Are you interrogating a criminal?"

Taozi muttered but still recounted everything truthfully.

The couple sighed in relief after hearing the story.

However, Qi Huilan’s next question made Taozi a bit anxious.

"Did Xiao Shen’s parents say when our families could meet?"

"Uh..."

Shen Siyuan’s parents were busy preparing for their son’s upcoming wedding and hadn’t thought of anything else.

Seeing Taozi silent, Jiang Hongtu frowned.

"What do his parents think? Are you just supposed to keep dating like this?"

"Of course not. I didn’t ask about it, so I’m not sure. But Siyuan will come to our house to celebrate New Year on the second day of the year. You can ask him then," Taozi quickly replied.

The couple breathed a sigh of relief at her words.

Qi Huilan took the initiative to explain, "You’ve only been dating for less than a year. Normally, talking about marriage this early might be too soon, but you’re not that young anymore, almost thirty, and someone like Xiao Shen is a good catch. You should hurry up and make it official."

"Exactly," Jiang Hongtu agreed.

"But since Xiao Shen will come to our house on the second day of New Year, it shows he values Taozi and is sincere, not just fooling around."

"Dad, your words are harsh."

"I’m only speaking the truth. Many young people nowadays only focus on relationships and not marriage, with no desire to take responsibility," Jiang Hongtu remarked.

Clearly, Jiang Hongtu disapproved of the current attitudes of some young people.

"Today is the twenty-ninth. Should I prepare more dishes?" Qi Huilan suggested.

"No need, Siyuan said not to make special preparations, just do it like we normally do for New Year," Taozi quickly said.

"He even reminded you of that? He’s quite considerate. Tell us more about him..."

In fact, since Taozi and Shen Siyuan returned last time, Taozi hadn’t come back frequently, so the couple was very curious about Shen Siyuan.

Because of the mystery, they were naturally full of curiosity.

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Meanwhile, Shen Siyuan, who had already returned home, was facing similar questions from Huang Huijuan.

"You came back alone? Out of the two, you didn’t bring one home for New Year?"

"Who do you think I should have brought back?"

"Ruan Ruan must have a lot of wedding details to discuss with her parents. You could have brought Taozi back."

"It’s New Year, people want to be with their own parents. Plus, our parents haven’t met or settled things yet. It wouldn’t be right for Taozi to spend New Year here."

"I didn’t expect you young folks to be so traditional," Huang Huijuan said, indifferent.

"If you had a daughter who didn’t come home for New Year and went to a friend’s place instead, would you be okay with that?"

"Of course not," Huang Huijuan replied, clearly double-standard.

Shen Siyuan ignored her and changed the topic, "Where’s Dad?"

"He’s at the chicken farm. Everyone’s off for New Year, but the chickens don’t take a break and need care."

The helpers at the chicken farm went home for New Year, so Shen Jianjun was busier.

Although they shipped out some chickens before New Year, they bought a new batch of chicks.

"I’ll go to Grandma’s now," Shen Siyuan said as he put his things down.

"Are you really that reluctant to stay with me? You just got home and you’re leaving again?" Huang Huijuan complained.

"What do you want me to do at home? I’m going to pick up Grandma to celebrate New Year together. Is her room ready?"

"Her room’s always ready. Your dad cleaned it before New Year."

Although Grandma didn’t live with her son and daughter-in-law, they still spent New Year together every year.

"Alright, I’m off then."

Seeing Shen Siyuan really heading out, she quickly called him back.

Then she took out a bag and handed it to Shen Siyuan, "Take these and hang them up for Grandma."

Opening it, he saw couplets, window decorations, and various lucky charms.

The two women might bicker when they meet, picking on each other, but they secretly cared for one another.

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"Oh... Oh..."

Tang Tang, with her hands on her hips, paced the balcony, clearly unhappy.

Everyone was out today, even Dou Dou hadn’t come over, leaving only her and her mom at home, making the place feel particularly empty, which Tang Tang found quite unsettling.

Mao Sanmei, busy in the kitchen, was rather pleased, occasionally glancing at her daughter. It was their first New Year together, so she’d prepared a lavish New Year’s Eve dinner and a big red envelope for her daughter.

Seeing her daughter upset, she wiped her hands and retrieved a gift box from the kitchen, handing it to her.

"Oh?"

Tang Tang tilted her head, surprised, but gratefully accepted.

"Wow~"

She eagerly opened the box and took out a small crab.

The crab raised its claws adorably and amusingly.

Mao Sanmei helped her flip the switch, and the crab started scuttling sideways, singing as it moved, cleverly dodging tables and walls thanks to an automatic sensor in its claws.

It moved so swiftly that Tang Tang couldn’t catch it.

She was no longer bored, her delighted giggles echoing throughout the room.