Chapter 124: New Arrivals

Seeing how sensible and sweet his girl was, Yan Rushan curled his lips slightly and reached out to ruffle her hair.

"It doesn't matter; it won't hurt them to wait a while." His voice was low and resonant, carrying an unintentional note of indulgence that made one drift into it involuntarily.

Zhong Yuxiu’s earlobes twitched, feeling a little warm, and a tingling sensation spread through her body. "Let's not. It's not good to keep people waiting for so long."

Yan Rushan chuckled, leaned toward her, and asked in a low voice, "Really no nap? If you get sleepy this afternoon, there won't be a place to sleep."

"I'm not working and I'm not studying, so it doesn't matter if I'm a bit tired." She glanced at him and continued, "When studying, one must be fully focused."

One needs to be in good spirits to study with one's whole heart.

Yan Rushan nodded in appreciative understanding. "That’s right. Let’s go, then. Today I’ll introduce you to my brothers."

"Alright." Her bright eyes narrowed, and a smile spread to the corners of her eyes.

Just as the two rose to leave, Hao Nan poked his head out from the kitchen. "Comrade Zhong, are you going out?"

"Yes, I’m going out to have some fun with Comrade Yan. You all should take a break today; no need to follow me. When I get back, we can discuss giving you some time off. It’s almost the New Year, after all; if you need to go home for the holidays, you should." Zhong Yuxiu took Yan Rushan’s hand and headed out.

Hao Nan panicked and hurriedly followed. Tian Shangguo didn't even bother finishing up in the kitchen, and both of them chased after Zhong Yuxiu.

"Comrade Zhong, we don't mind you going out for fun, but we must follow you."

Zhong Yuxiu stopped, feeling helpless. "You following me just makes me a bigger target. I’m just going out for fun—who doesn’t celebrate the New Year? If you have any objections, I’ll call Comrade Xi Nian and have him talk to your superiors to get you two weeks of leave."

That way, they wouldn’t be considered derelict in their duties.

"That won’t do. Our duty is to protect you," Hao Nan and Tian Shangguo replied, shaking their heads.

"I’m only going out today, and I won't be heading out much for the next few days. You’ve already prepared the New Year goods for me, and for food and drink, there’s Gou Dan..."

No matter what she said, Hao Nan and Tian Shangguo refused to budge. Was going home for the holidays really that good? While family reunions were nice, their jobs meant they rarely saw their families throughout the year. At first, when they joined the army, they were homesick, but over time, that feeling had faded.

"Fine, it’s settled then." She stopped asking for their opinions and made the final call. "Don't you need to bring back the things you bought? Can you rest easy if you mail them back?"

The malted milk and fabric were one thing, but in this day and age, who would casually hand over the "three big items" to someone else?

"I’m leaving now. You two go back; if there’s nothing else, go pack your things. When I return, I’ll call Comrade Xi Nian to let him know." Giving them time off wasn't a big deal; she could make that decision.

The two arrived outside the Yan residence and saw five men, each with a different demeanor—some handsome, some rascally, some devil-may-care—all around Yan Rushan’s age.

"Big Brother Dashan is here."

As soon as one spoke, they all walked over. "Boss, this must be our sister-in-law, right? Hello, sister-in-law."

"Hello, sister-in-law."

"Hello, sister-in-law."

The five greeted her one after another, their gazes like searchlights, scanning Zhong Yuxiu. At the same time, seeing Yan Rushan holding her hand, they were quite surprised, yet it also felt expected. Putting it all together, they concluded that Yan Rushan valued this future sister-in-law even more than they had imagined.

"Hello everyone, I’m Zhong Yuxiu, Yan Rushan’s partner."

Her straightforward and graceful attitude won them over, and combined with her clear, limpid eyes, they knew someone with such a gaze couldn't be a bad person.

"Sister-in-law, we’ve finally met you. Big Brother Dashan kept you hidden away so well. We told him to bring you over for us to meet ages ago. It would’ve been embarrassing if we ran into you outside and didn't even recognize you." The speaker was the shortest among them, with a round face, clear features, and a cheerful, talkative nature.

Luo Lijun pushed him aside and laughed, "Don't count me in. I’ve met sister-in-law before. Long time no see!"

"It has been a long time. I still have to thank you for your help in the first half of the year." Without the steel he had procured, her domestic robots would have been delayed indefinitely.

"It was my duty. If you need more steel, just let me know. You can have as much as you want."

Zhong Yuxiu curled her lips and looked at the man beside her with a smile. Yan Rushan squeezed her hand. "If Yuxiu needs steel, can't I get it for her? Why would she need to ask you?"

"Burning bridges, are we?" Luo Lijun teased.

Some of the others burst into laughter, some chuckled, and others shook their heads with a grin.

"Why are we all out here catching a cold?"

Luo Lijun rubbed his nose in embarrassment. "The door is locked."

Yan Rushan: "..." Of course it was locked if no one was inside.

"No need to go in; let’s head straight to the black market," Yan Rushan said calmly. "How many cars did you borrow?"

"Two," Luo Lijun said, holding up two fingers.

The others crowded around. "Sister-in-law, I’m the second son of the Wu family, Wu Chao. You can call me Wu Er Chaozi if you like."

"Sister-in-law, I’m from the Lin family, Lin Kai, the fifth."

"Hello, sister-in-law. I’m Cao Zheng of the Cao family, the sixth. The one next to me is Cheng Minglang; he’s the fourth."

Wu Chao was the shortest, with a round face, looking chubby and very cheerful; Lin Kai was tall and thin, with a somewhat pale complexion, a mix of scholarly refinement and a hint of a rogue's air—a contradictory temperament; Cao Zheng had a square face, appearing honest but with shrewd, gleaming eyes; Cheng Minglang was similar in build to Lin Kai, wearing glasses and a stern expression, looking quite like an elite in his Zhongshan suit.

"I’ve got it," Zhong Yuxiu said, looking at each of them. "You are Cheng Minglang, you are Lin Kai, you are Wu Chao, and you are Cao Zheng. I’ll recognize you all next time I see you."

The group felt a warmth in their hearts, and their favor for her grew. A woman who was poised, graceful, and knew how to carry herself always made a good impression.

"Sister-in-law has a great memory," Wu Chao said, giving a thumbs-up in sincere praise. "Sister-in-law, I heard from Luo San that you’re a researcher. That little electric scooter you invented—my family bought one, and it’s truly great. When I’m out running errands, it’s so smooth to drive."

No more struggling to pedal a bicycle, and no need to borrow a public bus; one little scooter solved all his problems.

"By the way, the boss also said you invented a range hood. I wonder when we might have the chance to see it in person?"

Zhong Yuxiu chuckled. "You all know where I live, right?"

"We do, we do," Cao Zheng nodded quickly, and the other three followed suit.

"You are all Rushan’s brothers, so you’re welcome to come visit whenever you have time. Of course, it’s best if you bring Rushan along; when he gets busy, I don’t see him for days." Her tone was relaxed and pleasant, her words hitting just the right note, making everyone feel comfortable and happy.

With their hearts at ease, they were naturally more accommodating. Not to mention, Zhong Yuxiu was already outstanding, and Cao Zheng and the others’ opinion of her rose higher and higher.

"Alright, that’s what you said, sister-in-law. We’ll be visiting often. We’re a rowdy bunch, so I hope you won't mind the noise when we do," Wu Chao said, beaming, already planning when to come over.