Han Dong said, "In any case, just be careful. Song Tao isn’t someone who just wants a fling. He’d want even more."
Sun Chan nodded, "Yeah, that’s what I told the staff too."
"Come on, let’s go eat."
"No, I should get going."
"Missing Gu Junming already?"
Sun Chan blushed, "He’s returning this afternoon. I promised to make hot pot."
"That’s easy; we’ll buy the ingredients, and I’ll crash your place for a meal."
Sun Chan laughed, "Great! But hot pot is more lively with more people! Why not invite Sister Guihua too? Let’s have Tian Jian and his wife from upstairs join us as well."
"Sure, I agree. Anyway, nothing much happens here during the New Year. Buy more meat, and shrimp balls too. I’ve been craving them lately." Han Dong enjoyed mingling with people, especially those who were useful.
Earlier, Sun Chan had mentioned that Tian Jian’s cousin was the son of a city leader. Making that connection could be beneficial for him. The two of them went to the market and bought a truckload of ingredients, then took a detour to find Guihua.
Guihua was delighted to hear about the invitation to dinner. She chatted and laughed with Han Dong, loaded a box of frozen shrimp onto his car, and headed to the compound.
As they reached the compound, they saw Tian Jian and his wife ahead, him carrying a bag of rice and her carrying a bag of eggs.
The couple had just returned, and these were gifts from their hometown.
Sun Chan said, "No way, Zheng Lijuan is pregnant; she shouldn’t be overworked."
But Han Dong was already burdened with too many hot pot ingredients, unable to help out.
Guihua quickly snatched the eggs from Zheng Lijuan’s hands. Zheng Lijuan was startled.
Guihua laughed heartily, "Did you think I was a robber? Don’t worry, even when I’m broke, I won’t steal eggs. They’re not worth much anyway. What if the guards here shoot me, wouldn’t it be a loss?"
Everyone burst into laughter, and Zheng Lijuan immediately smiled when she saw Sun Chan, "You’re back?"
"I returned yesterday. Sister Guihua is helping you; you’re pregnant, after all."
"Thank you!" The couple thanked her together.
"No need to be formal," Guihua said with a smile, "Walk carefully. I’m here to protect you."
Though they’d just met, Guihua, being the person she was, managed to break the ice even better than Han Dong.
They agreed to have the hot pot at Sun Chan’s place.
Tian Jian said, "My cousin loves hot pot the most, should we call him?"
Han Dong was more than eager and quickly agreed. Before long, Liu Enming also arrived.
He wasn’t having a great year, constantly nagged by his parents to get married. He’d been on four blind dates already. As soon as he heard of the invitation, he quickly came over.
Just then, Yang Dongfeng and his wife returned. They had stayed overnight here, planning to buy some things for their daughter before heading back. Who knew they’d return to find the house buzzing in preparation for a hot pot meal.
Gu Junming hurriedly invited them to stay, and they couldn’t leave. The dining table at home wasn’t big enough, so they combined two tables. Zheng Lijuan brought several chairs from their place.
Sun Chan and a few others were pregnant and couldn’t drink, but the men at the table could, so they brought out a few hidden bottles of liquor from Gu Junming. Tian Jian also went out to buy a case of beer from the canteen’s shop.
Just as Zhuang Lin was buying instant noodles at the shop, she overheard about the hot pot gathering and salivated. But without an invitation, she couldn’t just tag along and could only watch them go.
Sun Chan warmly invited everyone to eat, and inadvertently the topic shifted to Yang Yun.
Han Dong raised an eyebrow, "Oh, so she’s back? Is this her grand return home?"
Others might not know, but Guihua was well aware of what Han Dong had done, giving him a look.
Yang Dongfeng sighed, "I really didn’t expect things to turn out this way. I’m truly ashamed. What will happen in the future, I don’t know. She should fend for herself and not affect others."
"I think it’ll be hard," Han Dong said, "She’s not your average trouble."
Yang Dongfeng and his wife were embarrassed, so Guihua quickly switched the subject, "Given the pregnant wives here, we need to take good care of them."
"Indeed," everyone agreed, breaking into smiles.
The women discussed how to care for themselves during pregnancy.
Gu Junming and Tian Jian discussed unrelated matters, while Han Dong started mingling with Liu Enming. He had a knack for speaking in a way that didn’t come across as sycophantic, so Liu Enming wasn’t put off by him.
The meal stretched into the afternoon, and it was almost dark when everyone finally said their goodbyes.
Yang Dongfeng and his wife also headed back, worried that staying too long might not allow their daughter enough rest.
Before leaving, they reminded their daughter repeatedly, and Sun Chan smiled, "Don’t worry, I’ll be fine."
Before leaving, Liu Enming asked Sun Chan, "Have you done your holiday homework?"
Sun Chan was caught off guard and widened her eyes, "There’s homework?"
"Sigh, I knew you’d forget," he chuckled, "Everyone needs to design an advertisement poster, don’t forget to do it. And there’s an essay on the history of fabric development in the 20th century."
Sun Chan had completely forgotten, and now, scrambling, she expressed her thanks.
"Don’t mention it, there’s still time for the homework. I’m off."
Han Dong, Guihua, and Liu Enming left together in his car. Han Dong decided to develop a good relationship with Liu Enming. He had brains and seemed to be a good person.
Liu Enming also had a favorable impression of Han Dong. Coming from an esteemed family, he was sensible and tasteful, different from those merchants reeking of money, and was happy to make friends.
Once everyone left, Sun Chan quickly turned to her books. Gu Junming said, "No need to stress, there’s still more than half a month before school starts."
"Got it, I was just pondering. Pregnancy really makes you forgetful. I can’t remember a thing, just food."
Gu Junming chuckled, "Alright, just knowing how to eat is a good thing. Let me tidy up, you just focus on reading."
On Zhuang Lin’s side, at home, she mentioned to her husband, "Sun Chan is so wealthy, there must be plenty of good food. Why not crash for a meal? I could take the kid, saying we’re just visiting, and they wouldn’t feel right kicking us out."
Her husband frowned, "They’re spending time with family and friends, and we’re not that familiar with them. How could we just join in? Are you really missing out on a meal? I’m not going."
"We’ll just eat, it’s no trouble for them, and it seems quite lively with many people. If there’s someone with connections, it might give you a boost."
"Don’t embarrass us! Just cook properly."
Zhuang Lin gritted her teeth, "You make so little money every month, and look at them, every meal is chicken, duck, and fish. What do we get? During the New Year, your stingy mom only gave the kid a few bucks. That’s just shameful!"