Chapter 161: Meeting Uncle Again
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“Brother Chao, wake up,” Jiang Li crouched by Zhou Chao’s ear and whispered softly.
“Mmm… What time is it?” Zhou Chao looked at Jiang Li, who was so close, and gently pecked her cheek.
“It’s almost 6 o’clock.”
“All, what about Third Aunt and the others? Haven’t they come back?” Zhou Chao glanced around and only saw Jiang Li alone.
“They went to visit relatives! We’ll cook dinner for ourselves!”
“Alright, what would you like for dinner?” Zhou Chao sat up from the sofa, and the blanket that had covered him slipped down.
“Just something simple.”
“Okay!” Zhou Chao got up and headed to the kitchen, busy with preparations. Outside, the lights of many homes were shining brightly.
“Two dishes and a soup! Ready to eat, All Li!” Zhou Chao came out carrying bowls of food.
“I had a heavy lunch, so let’s eat light for dinner.” Jiang Li gestured with her fingers, indicating a portion about 2 centimeters wide.
“Sure, just a little bit then. After dinner, we’ll take a stroll along the Binjiang Road and then head back home.” Zhou Chao suppressed a smile and handed the bowl to Jiang Li.
“Dinner’s served!” Despite saying she’d eat lightly, Jiang Li couldn’t resist the temptation of delicious food. Both of them dug into their meal.
“I shouldn’t allow you to cook anymore. Whenever you do, 1 overindulge!” Jiang Li playfully patted her rounded belly, acknowledging her difficulty in resisting such tasty meals.
“It’s alright to indulge a bit in delicious food! We can always make up for it with more exercise later,” Zhou Chao responded after finishing his kitchen duties and joining Jiang Li.
“Let’s go for a walk and digest our meal!” Zhou Chao picked up his keys and held Jiang Li’s hand as they left Third Aunt’s house.
“Are you feeling cold?” The evening breeze brushed against Zhou Chao’s face, and he felt a slight chill.
“Not at all. This evening breeze feels refreshingly nice.”
The climate in Fog City was unpredictable and characterized by two main seasons: summer and winter. At the moment, the temperature was approximately 10 degrees Celsius, which was neither overly cold nor excessively hot, but just perfect.
The two walked along Binjiang Road until they reached Liangjiang Square. On one side was the Yangtze River, and on the other side was the Wu River. The square was named after the convergence of these two rivers, creating a unique scenery, although it couldn’t be seen clearly at night.
“It’s getting late; let’s head back!” Zhou Chao checked the time, and it was already past 9 o’clock. By the time they returned, it would be around 10.
“Let’s go!” Jiang Li was feeling weary as well, especially because Liangjiang Square was bustling with people, even though it was late into the night.
The two returned to the Golden Coast. Zhou Chao drove back to his own home. Jiang Li, like a curious child, explored every nook and cranny as soon as she entered.
“Feel free to explore, but there’s just one bedroom for sleeping. Go take a shower quickly” Zhou Chao handed her some clean toiletries.
“Hmph!” Jiang Li gave him a playful eye-roll and went into the bathroom with her toiletries.
They quickly finished getting ready for bed and lay down. The initial shyness had faded, but Jiang Li was still in her pajamas. Zhou Chao used his right hand to hold her, and they fell asleep together.
“Sneezed!” Zhou Chao, who was in the middle of a dream, felt an itchy nose and sneezed. He opened his eyes to find Jiang Li using her hair to tickle his nostrils.
Zhou Chao rolled over and pressed Jiang Li beneath him, burying his head in her hair. Jiang Li embraced his neck, responding passionately.
“Hey, that’s enough. Aren’t you going to your uncle’s house?” Sensing Zhou Chao’s hand gradually moving beneath her clothing, Jiang Li spoke to halt his actions.
Zhou Chao picked up his phone from the side and realized it was already past 9 o’clock. He looked at Jiang Li with a hint of helplessness.
“I’ll spare you this time, but be ready for payback next time! Let’s see if you dare to playfully tease your husband!” Hearing Zhou Chao talk about consequences, Jiang Li immediately felt a tingling sensation in her hands and feet.
“Who said I’d marry you?” Jiang Li laughed like a sly fox, clearly plotting something.
“Are you going just like that? You won’t give red envelopes to the kids when you see them?” Jiang Li, observing Zhou Chao’s empty hands, asked curiously.
“Who told you that? 1 bought them ahead of time. I just hope 1 got enough!” Saying this, he took out a large bag from the closet. Jiang Li received it curiously and opened it to find a collection of gold jewelry.
“You’re being too extravagant! Why don’t you give me one?” Jiang Li put her hands on her hips, looking at Zhou Chao with a hint of jealousy.
Zhou Chao softly tapped Jiang Li’s small, button-like nose and remarked, “Even if I were to forget gifts for the others, I will never forget yours! You’ll find out as soon as we return to Modu!”
“Hmph, if I’m not satisfied, you won’t be sleeping in the same bed!”
“I’m sure you’ll be satisfied! Hahaha, let’s go; it’s getting late.” Zhou Chao picked up the bags, and Jiang Li followed him out the door.
In Zhou Chao’s memory, all of his uncles lived close by, so there was no need for them to travel around.
Because Zhou Chao’s grandfather had two brothers, there were about a dozen uncles in total. When they used to celebrate the New Year, they would visit each uncle’s house in rotation, and it would take several days to finish all the feasting.
“It’s been years since I’ve been here; 1 wonder if anything has changed! Is that hundred-year-old lychee tree still alive?” Listening to Zhou Chao’s sentiments, Jiang Li silently held his hand. Fortunately, he was an experienced driver and could steer with one hand.
After driving for about half an hour, Zhou Chao turned onto a side road. Most of his uncles lived in the village, not in the town.
In the past, they used to walk, and if it rained, the path would become muddy. Now, it was all paved with concrete, but his parents wouldn’t be able to see it.
“We’re almost there!” Zhou Chao parked the car at a bend in the road, just before reaching his uncles’ houses.
“Brother Chao~heyyy!” Seeing Jiang Li’s playful antics, Zhou Chao couldn’t help but laugh and dispel the inner confusion.
“Let’s go!” Zhou Chao revved the engine, and they turned the corner, greeted by the sight of his uncles’ houses with wide-open gates, seemingly welcoming his arrival.
Zhou Chao parked the car by the side of the road, opened the door, and stepped out. Inside the kitchen, where everyone was busy, they noticed a car stopping at the entrance, and a middle-aged man came out.
It was only when Zhou Chao got out of the car that he remembered he hadn’t bought any gifts; he had arrived empty-handed. Just as he started feeling a bit embarrassed, Jiang Li pulled out several boxes from the trunk.
“When did you go shopping?”
“Hehe, I got them while shopping with Auntie yesterday, just in case you forgot!” Seeing Jiang Li’s look of anticipation as if she had foreseen it all, Zhou Chao hugged her tightly.
“All right, all right! Someone’s coming out!” Jiang Li saw someone approaching and quickly told Zhou Chao.
Zhou Chao turned to see the person, a smile spreading across his face. He then took the gifts that Jiang Li had bought and walked over.
“Second Uncle, it’s been a long time!” The middle-aged man was momentarily stunned upon hearing Zhou Chao’s voice. He scrutinized Zhou Chao for a while.
Pointing his trembling finger at Zhou Chao, he said, “You’re Chao Er! Why haven’t you called for so many years? We couldn’t reach your old phone number. Do you know how heartbroken your aunt was?”
Zhou Chao approached and embraced his second uncle.. “Uncle, I’m back now!”