The next afternoon, after resting on the road for a night, the Li family arrived at the top floor of Jingyuan Company in the capital.
Xuanxuan, with her big eyes, had been watching the world outside as she woke up along the way. Upon arriving in a new environment, she hid in her great-grandmother's embrace, looking around.
Li Mu held her great-granddaughter tightly, patting and coaxing her, saying this was also home.
One seven-seater car was filled with people, and one pickup truck was loaded with local specialties. After moving the specialties into the suite that had been turned into a storeroom, they got busy preparing dinner.
Han Lushi was supposed to have a vacation after completing a mission. He only started his leave after investigating his father-in-law's affairs with Li Weihao. During this time, he had been accompanying Li Weili in the capital.
This "accompanying" naturally included accompanying her to work. After work, the couple returned to the top floor. Li Weili said as she walked, "We can just make some noodles to eat. Today is too... Hmm? Why is the door open?"
Han Lushi quickly pulled Li Weili behind him. His stern expression immediately turned into a smile when he heard the voices from the living room:
"Grandma and Mom are here."
"Really?" Li Weili walked out from behind Han Lushi and grabbed his hand, running forward. "Quick, our daughter must be here too."
The living room was filled with family members, making Li Weili cover her mouth excitedly, worried that a scream might startle the child looking at her in her grandmother's arms.
Li Mu lifted Xuanxuan in her arms. "Xuanxuan, Mommy is off work. Do you still recognize Mommy?"
Li Weili walked to her grandmother's side and extended her hand to her daughter.
Little Xuanxuan stared at her mother with wide eyes for a long time before raising her small hand.
Li Weili immediately hugged her daughter tightly, planting countless kisses on her face and head. She missed her daughter so much that if she hadn't filled her time with work, she would have been unable to resist returning to Kuxian. "Grandma, since you're here, stay for a longer period with Xuanxuan."
Li Mu nodded. "That's the plan. The house hasn't been peaceful lately."
Li Weili looked up. "What happened?"
"It's nothing else..." Li Mu glanced at Lushi and turned her originally exaggerated tone into a casual one. "Your father became the county magistrate. Too many people are coming and going, and Xuanxuan doesn't sleep well."
"Lushi should be returning to his unit soon, right? It's a good time for me and Xuanxuan to stay with you for a while."
Li Weili smiled. "My father is the county magistrate right at our doorstep. There will be no shortage of people trying to curry favor. You and Xuanxuan can stay, and then go home for the New Year."
"What about us?" Li Min spoke up. "We've also been terribly affected by your father. I'm even afraid to speak."
Li Weili's smile deepened. "Then everyone stays."
"Heh heh," Li Min chuckled. "Your father alone at home might just get so angry he throws up."
Li Weili looked at her mother. "Is Dad unhappy about being the county magistrate?"
"One is in officialdom, and one's hands are tied," Tian Jing said indifferently. "He only has a few more years until retirement. Let him make a fuss for a while longer."
"Dinner's ready, dinner's ready!" Ouyang Meihua came out from the kitchen with dishes.
Li Mu took Xuanxuan from her granddaughter's hands. "Go wash up and eat with Lushi."
After three months, Li Weili was eating home-cooked meals made by her family again. There was only one word to describe it—sweet.
Han Lushi ate quickly. After washing his hands and face in the bathroom, he picked up their daughter who was playing alone on the sofa.
The expression on his face was so soft it could drip water. "Xuanxuan, call Dada."
Everyone at the dinner table held back their laughter.
Li Weili looked at the father and daughter in the living room. "Lushi ge, babies usually start talking around ten months old."
Han Lushi didn't mind. "I'll be returning to my unit in a few days. I'll teach her more while I'm here. She'll remember Dada."
Li Weili smiled and nodded. "When she can talk, I'll teach her to call you Dada."
Han Lushi sat back at the dining table with his daughter. "Grandma, can you and Xuanxuan stay here until the New Year?"
Li Mu looked at her two daughters-in-law.
Ouyang Meihua nodded. "If there's nothing going on at home, it's good for Mother to stay with Xuanxuan."
Tian Jing also nodded. "Mother, stay. Let Xuanxuan spend more time with her mother."
Han Lushi smiled. "Perhaps I can get leave when Xuanxuan learns to speak."
...
With her family here, Li Weili was energized and ready to go to work.
Han Lushi was torn between accompanying his wife to work or staying home to accompany their daughter.
Li Weili pulled him out the door. "Accompany me during the day, and us at night."
Last night, little Xuanxuan had slept in her parents' room. Now, sitting in her great-grandmother's embrace, she saw her parents leave and pouted, about to cry. Han Lushi immediately surrendered. "Lili, you go down first. I'll coax our daughter to sleep before coming down."
In her father's arms, little Xuanxuan looked at her mother with teary eyes.
Li Weili couldn't give in. With a stern heart, she walked out the door.
Little Xuanxuan's tears fell. Han Lushi quickly coaxed and patted his daughter.
Outside the door, Li Weili took a deep breath. The heart of a strong woman was resolute and unaffected by 'external factors'.
...
The next day was Saturday. Tian Jing decided to go shopping for formal wear with the family.
Li Mu declined. "I'll wear last year's. Old people's clothes are timeless."
Li Weili just wanted to rest. She didn't lack formal wear.
Han Lushi also didn't go. He even made a rare joke. "I'll stay home and accompany the three beautiful ladies of our family."
Tian Jing took the four adults and two children directly to the formal wear shop they had visited before.
The formal wear shop was very busy, especially in the early summer season. With the summer clothes on display, the shop was filled with customers coming and going.
The shop manager, seeing Tian Jing and her group, was slightly taken aback before recognizing Tian Jing. She apologized to the customer in front of her, called another sales assistant to help, and then personally went to attend to Tian Jing's group.
The customer, abandoned by the shop manager, glared at Tian Jing's group. Then, her eyes narrowed, and she lowered her head, preparing to find an opportunity to leave.
As the shop manager approached, Tian Jing's gaze naturally swept towards her, and she also saw the person behind the manager.
She smiled slightly and said, "Madam Gao."
Liu Ailing's body stiffened. She didn't want to be recognized, especially not by Tian Jing. She continued to lower her head, pretending Tian Jing wasn't addressing her.
Tian Jing walked over to Liu Ailing. "Madam Gao, what a coincidence?"
Liu Ailing stared at the cloth shoes in her line of sight, gritted her teeth, took a deep breath, and then looked up. "Captain Tian."
Tian Jing observed this woman who looked much older than a year ago. It seemed that after the Gao family fell from grace, even if this woman's husband's position hadn't changed, life hadn't been easy: "Have you gone to see your second sister-in-law?"
Liu Ailing's eyes widened abruptly. "You? My second sister-in-law is in prison because of you?"
"Stupid!"
Tian Jing shook her head in disappointment and walked away. This Liu Ailing's intelligence had never changed.
"You explain it to me clearly," Liu Ailing blocked Tian Jing.
Tian Jing glared. "Madam Gao, I'll give you a piece of advice. No matter what Lou Caiyun has told you, you'd best not believe any of it, or you'll regret it."
With that, Tian Jing avoided Liu Ailing and joined the Li family to look at clothes.
Liu Ailing shivered. Tian Jing's gaze just now was even sharper than her father-in-law's.
...
After the three women and two children selected their clothes, they went to the men's clothing store to pick out clothes for Li Liguo and Chen Suozhu.
Seeing the customers in the men's clothing store, Tian Jing felt she should have checked the almanac before leaving home that day.
Not only did she run into Liu Ailing and her son, but she also saw Lou Caiyun's two daughters-in-law.
The two stout sisters' figures were no longer as plump as before. The two men beside the sisters were talking with Liu Ailing and her son.
Gao Mingxiu heard his mother mention meeting Tian Jing at the formal wear shop, and he became somewhat distracted. He wondered if Lili was with Tian Jing. She probably wasn't, right? Lili was now the general manager of Jingyuan Company and must be very busy.
But what if? What if Lili came out shopping with her mother? Should he go out and perhaps have a chance encounter?
His wandering gaze fell on Tian Jing at the entrance of the store. He greeted her with surprise. "Captain Tian."