Bai Jiu checked the time. Seeing that Deng Meina hadn’t arrived yet, she worried she might have missed the note Lan Jing left for her.
She walked up to Lan Jing. "Lan Jing, how about you go home and check if your mom is back?" It was almost six o’clock, and with Deng Meina still absent, Bai Jiu couldn’t help but feel a little anxious. If the men came back soon, they wouldn’t be able to hold off dinner just for her.
Though Lan Jing was captivated by the delicious food, the mention of his mother made him reluctantly lift his bottom off the seat.
"Okay, I’ll go back and check," he agreed, preparing to run outside without a second thought.
"Slow down! Don’t trip," Bai Jiu called out worriedly, watching him rush off.
But just as Lan Jing reached the front gate, he ran straight into Deng Meina, his mother, who was approaching with several items in hand.
"Mom, why are you so slow?" Lan Jing grumbled, a bit displeased.
Seeing her son, Deng Meina smiled warmly. "You little brat. Do you think everyone is as thick-skinned as you, just running over to someone else’s house empty-handed? As your mother, I had to go buy some gifts before visiting." This brat of hers was truly a headache.
Everyone saw Deng Meina arrive, and Bai Jiu heard her words loud and clear. She immediately went out to welcome her.
"Why did you buy something? You already brought gifts yesterday," Bai Jiu said, holding a lot of affection for Deng Meina.
"Yesterday doesn’t count. That was for this little brat to apologize to Zhengyang." Deng Meina didn’t leave her son a shred of dignity.
Fortunately, Lan Jing didn’t mind. Now that his mother was here, he went back to wait by the food. Even if he couldn’t eat it yet, just smelling it was satisfying enough.
Watching her son run off, Deng Meina rolled her eyes so hard they almost reached the sky. "Brats really aren’t as thoughtful as daughters." Hmph. If it weren’t for her own shortcomings, she would have long since given birth to a sweet and affectionate girl. She had to admit, she truly envied Bai Jiu for having both a son and a daughter.
"Then just have another one," Bai Jiu joked. Since Deng Meina had already brought the gifts, she didn’t press the matter further.
Their voices weren’t quiet, and Aunt Xu, who was busy in the kitchen, overheard their conversation. She had come in such a hurry that she completely forgot about bringing a gift. Fortunately, her house wasn’t far, so she could just go back and fetch something. Aunt Xu stepped out to greet everyone, then headed home. A short while later, she returned, having changed her clothes and carrying some gifts.
Not long after Aunt Xu returned, the sound of men talking drifted in from outside. It seemed they had all come together.
"You’re back!" Seeing Gao Zhijun walking at the front, Bai Jiu immediately stepped forward to greet him.
Besides Gao Zhijun’s teacher, she recognized everyone walking behind him. Since he was the only elder present, it was easy for her to guess his identity.
Gao Zhijun moved faster than Bai Jiu. Seeing her approach, he stepped forward and took her hand.
"Jiu’er, this is my teacher," Gao Zhijun introduced, holding her hand as if presenting a precious treasure.
Professor Mu was a shrewd man. With his sharp eyes, he had seen all kinds of people, and at first glance, he could tell that Bai Jiu was no ordinary young woman. Of course, he also knew about her background, so he felt a sense of things being exactly as expected.
"Teacher, this is my wife, Bai Jiu." Gao Zhijun stared at his teacher, looking as if he was hoping for his approval.
"Hello, Professor," Bai Jiu greeted obediently.
"Good, good, very good." Professor Mu pulled a red envelope from his chest pocket. It looked quite thick. "Good girl. You’ve worked hard these past few years." Professor Mu beamed as he handed over the envelope.
Bai Jiu didn’t take it immediately, instead looking at Gao Zhijun.
"Take it. My teacher isn’t an outsider," he said. He had long considered his teacher as his only real family.
"Thank you, Professor." She wasn’t one to be overly modest. Since he put it that way, she naturally wouldn’t be overly polite with one of their own.
"Let’s go inside first. Don’t just stand out here," she said, quickly inviting everyone in after accepting the red envelope.
It wasn’t that she had done it deliberately, but everyone else had their hands full. Even Lan Qinghai was carrying something. Of course, being men, they had all brought alcohol—Chi included.
Aunt Xu’s husband was perhaps the last to walk in. When he arrived, everyone except Professor Mu stood up to welcome him. He was worthy of such respect.
Aunt Xu’s husband worked in the materials department and had contributed immensely to the country in his youth. Even the primary materials currently used by the nation were partly due to his efforts.
There were many people in Blue Country like him. They all dedicated themselves to the nation, rarely caring about personal gains or losses. When they could no longer produce better results for the country, they would choose to retreat behind the scenes, leaving more opportunities for the younger generation to contribute. It had to be said that the people of this era were incredibly honest and sincere.
"Mr. Xu," everyone greeted as they stood up.
Uncle Xu was a very amiable man. He always had a smile for everyone and seemed very approachable. Of course, that was only on the surface. Within his professional field, he was famously known as the stern King Yan.
"Sit down, everyone, sit down. Gao, I’m imposing on your family today," Uncle Xu said, handing his gifts to Gao Zhijun.
When he was at home, he frequently heard his wife mention the family next door. After looking into it and learning that Gao Zhijun was Old Mu’s prized pupil, he felt reassured letting his wife associate with them. Although they were upright people, they still worried about opportunists trying to get close to them for a shortcut. It was better to be safe than sorry.
"Thank you, Mr. Xu." Gao Zhijun didn’t decline. One could not refuse a gift from an elder.
"Please have a seat. We saved a set of bowls and chopsticks for you." They had originally planned to wait for Mr. Xu, but at Aunt Xu and Professor Mu’s insistence, they had already started eating. Fortunately, they had only been at it for the time it took to finish one glass of wine.
Mr. Xu’s seat was to the left of Mr. Mu. To the right sat Lan Qinghai. Though there weren’t too many strict formalities, as the host, Gao Zhijun naturally couldn’t sit in the seat of honor.
Seeing her husband arrive, Aunt Xu finally relaxed the tension in her heart. She had been worried that her stubborn old man wouldn’t show up. She had left a note for him at home since Bai Jiu had invited them so late, making a note the only option. If he hadn’t come, what if Bai Jiu’s family had taken offense? Thankfully, he had made it.
The men soon opened up and began to enjoy themselves. Bai Jiu and the other women, along with the children, also enjoyed a delightful meal.
At the dinner table, the men discussed their work, their daily lives, and most of all, their plans for the future. At this moment, Geng Rong and Hong Wei felt a bit awkward; they could only listen, keep them company, and drink.
"Gao is quite impressive. Old Mu, you truly have a good eye." Mr. Xu wasn’t without his own pupils, but he still felt a bit disappointed that none of his own sons had followed in his footsteps.
Hearing his student being praised, Mr. Mu’s smile grew even more radiant.
"He works hard and strives for success on his own." As he replied, Mr. Mu raised his glass in a toast toward Mr. Xu. "If he didn’t strive for it, my help would be useless. However, his foundation is still a bit lacking. He can’t compare to your pupils and sons." Others might not know, but he was well aware of Old Xu’s background. Setting his students aside, his own sons were extremely accomplished; it was just that they had chosen different paths than their father.
"You stubborn old man, why do you sound so sour? With you mentoring him, could he possibly turn out any worse than them?" He knew very well that Gao Zhijun had completed his last mission independently. That single major achievement alone could rival several of his own students combined.
"Of course not." He could criticize Gao Zhijun himself, but he wouldn’t tolerate anyone else doubting him.
Old men were always fiercely protective of their own.