The baby-faced Ah Jiu perked up upon hearing this and said with a giggly laugh, "Yeah, yeah! I want in too! I bet the lady has lots of cool sports cars under her command; I want to join!"
"You and your obsession with sports cars, knock it off! This is serious business; stop muddling it up!" Ah Wu, who had led the robbery yesterday, slapped Ah Jiu on the forehead and said with a simple and honest voice, "I’m in! I sensed the lady had an imposing aura from yesterday! From now on, she and General Gu are my idols!"
For a time, the hall was abuzz with chatter as a group of boys clamored to join the cause.
Ah Yi looked at his eleven younger brothers with emotion, his voice choked with emotion, "Have you really decided? This path is dangerous; are you truly sure?"
The eleven boys smiled faintly and said loudly to Ah Yi, "Yes! ’For achievements at the top, countless bones lay below!’ For our brothers! For the lady!"
"Good! Tomorrow, we’ll tell the lady that we’re joining!"
An Yiqing had no idea about everything that was happening in the orphanage. By now, she and Gu Yelin had returned to the An Family Villa.
"Niuniu and Xiao Gu are back?! Quick, wash your hands and get ready for dinner!" Kong Shi, with her eagle eyes, immediately saw An Yiqing and Gu Yelin entering the house and cheerfully said.
An Yiqing obediently nodded and pulled Gu Yelin towards the washroom.
Today was the first New Year’s Day after the family reunion, and dinner at the An family was incredibly lavish. There were delicacies from land and sea, and Old Lady An and Aunt Li pulled out all the stops to prepare a table full of dishes that were a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate. Just the smell alone was enough to tantalize the taste buds.
"Niuniu, Xiao Gu! Come on, sit next to Grandpa!" Old Master An specially cleared two spots beside him and pulled An Yiqing over.
The girl obediently nodded and sat down beside Old Master An with Gu Yelin.
Everyone took their seats, creating a warm atmosphere around the dining table.
An Yiqing raised her glass with a curved smile and said in a sweet, cheerful voice, "Grandpa, Grandma. Dad, Mom. Big Brother, Second Brother. Thank you for never giving up on searching for me all these years. Niuniu is back and will never leave again. You don’t need to worry anymore, the An family has me. From now on, Niuniu will hold up a piece of sky for you all!"
Her words moved every member of the An family to the brink of tears. Even An Zhihang, whose eye condition was just cured by An Yiqing, couldn’t help but touch the tears at the corner of his eyes.
Ye Chenghong looked at his disciple’s family with satisfaction and cheerfully said, "Good, good! Brother An, no more crying! It’s New Year’s, we need to be happy! Your granddaughter is back, and from now on, you’ll be blessed!"
Old Master An, with tearful eyes, laughed heartily and nodded with a sigh, "Yes, we’re blessed from now on! They say a daughter is like a little cotton-padded jacket, and it’s so true. Look at my granddaughter, and then look at those two stinky boys, none are as good as Niuniu! This is the happiest year the old man has had, not only is my granddaughter back, but she also brought back a grandson-in-law! Hahaha!"
Old Master An joked, and everyone laughed out loud.
An Yiqing’s face turned red, and she protested coyly, "Grandpa!"
"Oh! My granddaughter is getting shy!"
Laughter and joyful chatter filled the An family’s dining table, creating a scene of harmonious delight.
After New Year’s Day, there was just over a month until the New Year. During this time, it was the busiest period for households everywhere.
Especially for the An family, they were particularly busy.
Because the banquet to celebrate the return of the Daughter of the An Family was about to begin!
Old Master An had always said that they would hold the banquet after Ye Chenghong had returned to Xuandu City. Now that Ye Chenghong was back and New Year’s Day was over, the young and old of the An family began to get to work on the specifics of the banquet.