Chapter 661: What Is This Woman Up To?
Chapter 661: What Is This Woman Up To?
Tian Caifua looked at Jiang Xia’s slim waist: "How did you lose weight after giving birth? Do you have any secrets?"
Jiang Xia replied, "Breastfeeding is exhausting, and I didn’t sleep well at night, so I naturally lost weight."
Tian Caifua: "…Is it really that easy?"
She couldn’t possibly have another baby just to breastfeed and lose weight, could she?
Jiang Xia, chopping garlic, said, "Big Sister, do you want to lose weight?"
"Yes, I’m afraid I’ll get too fat, and your brother will start to dislike me."
"Your brother isn’t like that. Don’t worry. But being too fat isn’t good for your health, so it’s better to lose some weight."
Tian Caifua was getting fatter these days.
Tian Caifua glanced at Zhou Chengxin, who was opening conch shells, and whispered, "You don’t know! Your brother is getting richer, and he hasn’t changed in appearance. He’s still so handsome. When he walks through the production team, there are shameless widows who deliberately flirt with him and try to seduce him. Even some old spinsters are showing off in front of him."
"Your brother isn’t like that. He’s a good man. When others ask him to help carry things, he’ll foolishly help them all the way home and get caught up with various excuses, staying for hours before he can leave. I’m not afraid of him being that kind of person; I’m afraid he’ll fall for those vixens!"
Jiang Xia was curious, "How do you know?"
"Others told me! If I saw it, I’d scratch the face of that shameless woman!"
"Don’t worry, your brother knows his limits."
"How can I not worry? Your brother isn’t like Lei, who’s blind and doesn’t look at other women. Fourth Brother only has eyes for you, so no matter who tries to seduce him, it’s all in vain! I’m not as young and beautiful as you. Sigh, back in the day, I was the prettiest girl in the production team! I was capable, hardworking, and beautiful!"
Jiang Xia smiled inwardly.
Tian Caifua wanted to say more, but Zhou Fu walked over: "Xia, your elder brother is asleep. Can you take him to bed?"
"Sure." Jiang Xia washed her hands, dried them, and carried him upstairs to his room.
The younger brother and little sister were already asleep.
Soon, all the ingredients were prepared, and Jiang Xia went downstairs to start the barbecue.
Zhou Zhou and Zhou Ying kept their promise and personally grilled the king scallop and two scallops for Jiang Xia and Ruan Tang to eat.
With so many people, the food was plentiful. In addition to what they had gathered from the sea, Zhou Mu killed a chicken, and Zhou Fu bought a sheep from Wen Fu and personally grilled the whole lamb.
Then there were the shrimp, fish, and oysters and mussels that Zhou Chengxin and Tian Caifua had brought back from their fishing trip.
Zhao Cheng Lei cut the tenderest meat from the roasted lamb with a small knife and placed it on a plate in front of Jiang Xia and Zhou Zhou.
He then sat down next to Jiang Xia and grilled a few whelks for her to eat.
Zhou Chengsen sat down next to his daughter and placed the plate of roasted lamb in front of Ruan Tang, inviting the three of them to eat.
Ruan Tang and the others were sitting on the other side of Zhou Ying and thanked him.
Ruan Tang placed a few of the oysters, scallops, and shrimp she had grilled into a bowl and handed it to Zhou Chengsen: "They’re ready; try them."
Zhou Ying said, "Dad, the scallops and whelks that Ruan Sister grilled are delicious. You should try them."
Zhou Chengsen reached out, carefully avoiding her fingertips, and took the bowl. "Thank you."
He put some in his daughter’s bowl: "Eat quickly, and then go to bed. If you don’t, you won’t be able to get up in the morning, and I won’t wake you."
After Zhou Ying finished eating, he sent her and Zhou Zhou to brush their teeth and wash their faces before going to bed.
In the past, the two children didn't brush their teeth at night. It was Jiang Xia who made them start the habit of brushing their teeth before bed.
Tian Caifua also sent the brothers back home to sleep.
Zhou Wenguang was already in junior high school, so he could take the younger brothers home.
At this moment, Tian Caifua deeply regretted not building a house here years ago because of the proximity to the sea and the heavy moisture. "Sigh, you all built your houses here, and now I want to build one too."
Now, only her house wasn't as well-arranged or as comfortable. She really wanted to build a new one here.
"You can't build one now; there's no land left", Zhou Mu said as she collected the bowls used by the children.
Back then, each brother was given a plot of homestead land.
Tian Caifua thought of Zhou Zhou.
There were still three plots of homestead land left, which meant Zhou Zhou still had one.
Zhou Zhou was just a girl, and she would eventually marry and leave. Why would she need to build a house here?
What would she use it for?
Tian Caifua said, "Mom, why don't I build a house on the third brother's plot? It's just sitting there empty."
Zhou Chengxin was taken aback and blurted out, "You must be drunk, talking nonsense."
What was this woman up to now?
"I just thought it would be more convenient for all of us to live together, and it would be more fun."
Moreover, she felt the feng shui of the old homestead was better!
Look at how Zhou Chengsen lived at Jiang Xia's place. The boat he worked on earned more money every day than their family's boat.
Zhou Mu paused.
Zhou Fu laughed and said, "It's not impossible. You can build a house here, and you can give your current house to Zhou Zhou. Then you can build a new one here!"
Tian Caifua: "..."
Zhou Chengxin nodded. "That works. If you want to build, you can give our current house to Zhou Zhou as her dowry."
Tian Caifua laughed and said, "...I was just joking. I just added two more floors to our house; I don't have the money to build another one!"
"I'll go check if the kids are back home!" Tian Caifua quickly ran off.
After all, she was afraid of gaining weight and didn't dare to eat too much.
Zhou Fu didn't say anything more.
Helping each son get married, build a house, and raise grandchildren was what Zhou Fu felt was his responsibility as a father.
Parents plan for their children's long-term future, but this was all he could do.
From the oldest to the youngest, he had done his best, even if there were some shortcomings.
The third son was gone, but he had raised Zhou Zhou and built a house for her, ensuring she would always have a place to return to, no matter what happened. This was the last goal of Zhou Fu's life.
He thought he had a few more years left, so he wasn't in a rush to build. He would wait until Zhou Zhou was older and closer to marriage age, so the house would be newer.
Jiang Xia changed the topic, and the atmosphere quickly became lively again.
The adults continued to finish grilling the food. They hadn't eaten much earlier because they had been taking care of the children.
After the children left, there was no one between Zhou Chengsen and Ruan Tang.
Sometimes Zhou Chengsen would reach over for seasoning, and sometimes Ruan Tang would ask him for it.
Unconsciously, their interactions increased.
Everyone chatted about various topics, enjoyed the barbecue, and drank beer.
Zhou Fu talked about his younger days, and Zhou Mu mentioned how much they had suffered together.
Jiang Xia talked about her school life, and Ruan Tang and the others shared funny stories from their time at the military medical university and the hospital.
Everyone laughed and listened.
The men didn't talk much, but they were all listening, occasionally chiming in.
It was a very ordinary night, with no moon and no stars, but Ruan Tang felt very relaxed and warm.
She hadn't felt this relaxed in many years.
(End of Chapter)
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