yournovel Chapter 383 can be considered quite promising.
Chapter 383 can be considered quite promising.
Chapter 383 can be considered quite promising.
"Honey, what are you carrying in your hand?"
As soon as Yu Huan stepped into the house, he heard his wife's slightly curious voice, clear and melodious like a silver bell.
He looked up at the sound and saw Lin Yourong, dressed in a pink cotton nightgown, lounging lazily on the sofa.
She held her phone in one hand, her bright eyes looking at him with curiosity.
A gentle smile appeared on Yu Huan's lips as she explained, "This is a Spring Festival bonus from my workplace."
At that moment, he heard the faint buzzing of the range hood. He gently closed the door behind him and glanced toward the open kitchen.
The mother-in-law's back was busy at the stove, clearly in charge of cooking.
A delicate fragrance filled the air, wafting into Yu Huan's nose and whetting her appetite.
Without hesitation, he realized that his mother-in-law was making stir-fried beef with yellow peppers. The aroma, with its slight spiciness from the chili peppers, stimulated his taste buds and made his mouth water.
Upon hearing Yu Huan's words, Lin Yourong casually put her phone aside and gracefully approached him.
She lowered her head curiously: "Let me see what they sent."
Yu Huan smiled and handed her the rather heavy gift bag. Then, he walked to the shoe cabinet, bent down to change his shoes, and said:
"What else could it be? Your family used to have tons of gift boxes during holidays, there's no need to be so surprised, is there?"
"This is different~" Lin Yourong said as she opened the gift bag, curiously peeking inside, and then exclaimed, "Oh, a box of Hsu Fu Chi?"
"That's not all!"
Yu Huan casually pulled a long, rectangular gift box from his pocket, bent down, handed it to her, and chuckled, saying:
"There was also a Hero brand fountain pen, and they even gave me a big red envelope. Everyone else in the new media department got 600 yuan, but I got 1,800 yuan!"
Lin Yourong casually took the pen, and upon hearing the last part, her delicate eyebrows immediately rose slightly.
She said with some surprise, "Honey, your Spring Festival bonus is quite generous. My dad used to only give out ordinary New Year's gift boxes, never such a big red envelope!"
“Really? My situation is special. My company gave me this bonus as a reward, even though it was a bit of a hassle. As for Dad, his company will definitely deposit the holiday bonus directly into his salary account.” Yu Huan paused, then slowly changed into her slippers and continued, “Besides, now that Dad is the editor-in-chief, his holiday benefits will definitely be even higher.”
He keenly heard the sound of the range hood, which had now stopped.
As I straightened up, I immediately saw my mother-in-law, wearing an apron, standing not far away.
The mother-in-law chimed in with a smile, "Xiao Yu, it seems you've done quite well at work; they've even given you a cash bonus."
"Mom, I was just doing my job." Yu Huan raised her hand and affectionately put it on Lin Yourong's shoulder, leading her to the sofa. "Mom, you've worked hard too. You came to cook for us after get off work. I could smell the aroma as soon as I walked in!"
Upon hearing this, the mother-in-law looked at the young couple sitting side by side on the sofa and said with a smile, "You Rong has also been busy all day. You work so hard, if I have time, I will definitely help you out in any way I can."
Lin Yourong pulled the bright red metal gift box out of the bag.
As she looked at the round gift box, she said, "I have an appointment with someone today to go to the recording studio to record a song."
The mother-in-law nodded, then jokingly continued, "Yourong said she wanted me and her dad to come over for dinner, but then she suddenly called me at four o'clock and asked me to go to the market to buy groceries—"
"Oh, Mom, you've worked so hard! I've been so busy!" Lin Yourong exclaimed, feigning annoyance. "I've been so busy lately, I'm completely overwhelmed."
Yu Huan slumped back on the sofa, looking lazy and content.
"Mom has really worked hard," he said with a smile, gently stroking the back of his wife's fluffy pajamas. "But Rongrong has also been very busy lately. She's about to participate in 'I Am a Singer,' and she also has to record a new album."
Hearing these words that made amends for her, Lin Yourong couldn't help but smile.
She glanced at the wall clock, then suddenly asked, "It's already past 5:50. Mom has already prepared the food. Honey, where's Dad? Have you told him to come over for dinner?"
“I told him that Dad is now the editor-in-chief, and with the year-end approaching, he must have a lot of work to do at the office. Since he didn’t send a message or call us to eat first, he’ll arrange his work and come over in a little while.” Yu Huan yawned contentedly, feeling completely relaxed.
Standing beside the coffee table, the mother-in-law smiled and said, "Xiao Yu, you know your father-in-law quite well."
"Having been in contact with my father-in-law for so long, I must know a little about his style of doing things," Yu Huan said with a bright smile, sitting up slightly and taking the Hsu Fu Chi gift box from Lin Yourong.
Made of tinplate, the metal feels slightly cold to the touch.
The entire item is coated in bright red paint, and it is clearly marked with the contents of 'crispy candy, assorted candy, sachima', etc., with a total weight of '2KG'.
Yu Huan reached out to try to open the gift box, only to find that it was tightly closed.
He gradually applied force until the veins on his hands bulged slightly, and then he heard a "clang" as he pried open the lid.
Yu Huan glanced at the package briefly, then without thinking, took out a packet of shortbread candies, opened it, and poured the contents onto the coffee table.
He bent down and threw the packaging bag into the trash can not far from his feet, grabbed a few candies, and stood up to offer them to his mother-in-law first: "Mom, have some candy."
“Okay.” The mother-in-law stepped forward and took it, saying with a smile, “When You Rong was little, she loved eating Hsu Fu Chi’s crispy candies the most, especially the coconut flavor.”
"Really?" Yu Huan raised her eyebrows slightly.
After he sat down, he hurriedly picked through a small pile of candies, separating out the coconut-flavored ones.
Lin Yourong was opening the fountain pen gift box when she saw it. A gentle smile appeared on her lips, and she said with her eyes crinkling, "Because it really is delicious. The outer layer is very crispy, the inside is very crunchy, and it's also chewy and soft at the end. It's not too sweet, and the texture is very good."
She tilted her head slightly, a few strands of hair falling naturally beside her cheeks, her eyes revealing a longing for the past: "When I was little, I looked forward to eating Hsu Fu Chi's crispy candy during the New Year. My least favorite flavor was almond, which I thought tasted weird."
With a candy in her mouth and one cheek slightly puffed out, the mother-in-law smiled and nodded, saying, "Indeed, You Rong was quite clever when she was little. She always picked out the almond-flavored shortbread, giving the ones she didn't like to the guests." Yu Huan was tearing open a coconut-flavored shortbread when she heard this and couldn't help but burst out laughing.
After pausing for a moment, he said half-jokingly, "When I was a kid, Hsu Fu Chi was a high-end brand. We could only get a few pieces from the snack box to eat when we visited wealthy families with our parents during the Lunar New Year."
As soon as he finished speaking, he handed the coconut-flavored shortbread to Lin Yourong's lips.
"You can have it anytime you want." After saying that, Lin Yourong lowered her chin slightly, parted her lips, and put it in her mouth.
“That’s right.” Yu Huan nodded.
Lin Yourong examined the pen in her palm, then said, "This pen looks to be of pretty good quality."
The mother-in-law bent down and examined the words on the packaging box, saying, "Hero brand fountain pens are indeed of good quality. Your father had one back then, and he treasured it so much that he used it for many years. But when you were playing house, he broke the nib."
Upon hearing this, Lin Yourong, who was chewing loudly, sighed helplessly.
She said with a hint of reproach, "Mom, stop bringing up my shortcomings in front of Yu Huan. That was so long ago! Besides, who wasn't naughty when they were little?"
The mother-in-law smiled and said, "How is this called exposing someone's shortcomings? You were so funny when you were little, so clever and mischievous. Back then, when you broke your dad's pen, you knew to tell me where it was before hiding and only daring to come out after your dad calmed down."
Yu Huan casually peeled a peanut-flavored shortbread and put it in her mouth, savoring the sweetness on her tongue. Upon hearing this, she couldn't help but chuckle.
He didn't join his mother-in-law in making things difficult for Lin Yourong. Instead, he smiled and said, "Mom, you can have this pen. Rongrong and I don't need it."
The mother-in-law beamed and quickly waved her hand, saying, "I don't usually write much, so I don't need such a nice fountain pen. You can keep it. If you don't need it either, Xiao Yu, you can give it to your parents. They are both teachers, so they will definitely need it."
Lin Yourong swallowed the chewed candy, turned to the side, gently patted Yu Huan's shoulder, and said, "Isn't your dad a Chinese teacher? He must write a lot."
Yu Huan nodded slightly without hesitation and said, "Indeed, my dad usually uses a fountain pen more often when grading homework and writing lesson plans."
No sooner had the words been spoken than a knocking sound echoed through the living room.
Everyone's eyes turned to the doorway, and the mother-in-law immediately stepped forward to open it.
Lin Yourong smiled at Yu Huan and said, "As soon as I heard the two light and two heavy knocks, I knew it must be Dad. Come on, let's go get the dishes and rice."
Yu Huan glanced at the wall clock; the hour and minute hands were just past six, a typical mealtime.
He sipped a sweet, crumbly candy and replied, "Okay."
The young couple stood up and walked towards the kitchen, one in front of the other.
The mother-in-law pushed open the door, her gaze lingering for a moment on the familiar figure in the stairwell before she stepped aside to make way.
With a gentle smile, she said, "Xiao Yu's department received their Spring Festival gifts today, but yours hasn't been distributed yet?"
"Of course, we should give the newspaper's biggest contributors first! We can wait a little longer. Young people like Xiao Yu are energetic and have made a lot of contributions to the newspaper. It's only right to reward them first." Old Lin said humorously, stepping into the house, closing the door behind him, and walking quickly to the shoe cabinet.
As he bent down to change his shoes, he glanced at the young couple serving food in the kitchen, a smile playing on his lips, and continued, "Looks like the food is all prepared, they're just waiting for me!"
The mother-in-law smiled and said, "That's right, we've been waiting for you. We'll have steamed prawns tonight, go wash your hands quickly."
"Hmm." Old Lin nodded.
He changed into cotton slippers, went straight to the bathroom, and carefully washed his hands with Yu Huan's soap in the running water.
After washing my hands, I slowly moved to the living and dining room and saw that the three of them were already sitting around the dining table.
Old Lin quickly quickened his pace and sat down in the empty seat next to his mother-in-law.
He glanced briefly at the bowls and plates on the table and said to his mother-in-law without thinking, "Oh, you're cooking today."
My mother-in-law was peeling shrimp when she said, half-jokingly, "Your daughter is so busy these days, she doesn't even have time to buy groceries. If I don't cook, who will?"
Old Lin picked up his chopsticks, laughed heartily, and said, "Our daughter has really made something of herself. You've worked hard. This whole table of food looks delicious."
Upon hearing this, Lin Yourong frowned slightly. Was her father mocking her again?
She quickly said, "Dad, what do you mean by saying I've made something of myself? Something doesn't quite feel right when you say that."
Seeing his daughter's impatient expression, Old Lin smiled and said, "Yourong, don't misunderstand, I'm praising you! I really didn't expect you to make a name for yourself in the entertainment industry. Now, everyone in the country knows you—"
Suddenly, the mother-in-law put the peeled shrimp into Lao Lin's bowl and interrupted him with a feigned scolding: "Your daughter is successful, that's all. You have to drop the 'successful' part. You're usually so eloquent outside, but why can't you praise your daughter?"
Lin Yourong, munching on broccoli, softened her expression upon hearing these words and looked up, saying, "Dad, I'm a little taken aback by your sudden praise."
"Whoa!"
Old Lin, with shrimp in his mouth, simply waved his hand with a slight sigh.
Lin Yourong then picked up a piece of stir-fried beef with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth. While chewing it carefully, she praised, "Mom, your cooking is delicious!"
Upon hearing this, the mother-in-law smiled and said, "You've been busy lately, but you must take care of yourself and not overwork yourself."
"I know." Lin Yourong nodded slightly.
At this moment, Yu Huan, who was engrossed in eating, looked up, swallowed the food in his mouth, and asked his mother-in-law diagonally opposite him, "Mom, did you make plans to play cards with Wang Han tomorrow?"
"Hmm," the mother-in-law nodded gently, taking a bite of rice, "tomorrow afternoon."
Old Lin seemed to have considered this beforehand, and without hesitation, he said to Yu Huan, "Little Yu, you are the one we don't need to worry about in terms of interpersonal relationships. You and You Rong can have lunch at our place tomorrow at noon, and then take your mother to play cards. When you do, you should talk to Wang Han about the program. Don't rush to leave after dropping her off."
(End of this chapter)