Chapter 731 - 703: New Environment

Tuantuan was in the cradle beside them, babbling and starting to "resist," which made the whole family burst into laughter.

"Come on, Tuantuan, let Auntie hold you." The little guy was quite heavy, being well-fed by Saozi.

Just as Lin Wan picked up the child, Little Star disagreed, opening her arms and wanting to be held, "Mom hasn’t held Star for so long."

"Alright, alright, Mommy will hold you. How about Mommy holding both of you?"

"Okay"

Saozi went to the restroom and came back to see both kids on Xiao Wan’s lap. She quickly took Tuantuan down and asked, "Star, did you show your mom the award you got during the break?"

Little Star opened her mouth wide and jumped off Lin Wan’s lap, running upstairs.

Lin Wan couldn’t help but sigh that her daughter had grown up and become more independent.

"Xiao Wan, you must be tired from driving. Why don’t you go upstairs and rest for a while? In the evening, I’ll bring back some food from the restaurant, so you don’t have to prepare anything," Liang Hongmei said as she started dressing to go out.

Lin Wan looked at her watch; it was just past three o’clock. "Mom, are you going to the store?"

"Yes, there’s a dish missing at the store. I need to check out the market. We need to replenish quickly these days."

"I also want to take a look." The store had opened, and she hadn’t been to see it yet.

"You stay at home with your Saozi, and tomorrow let Xiao Yi take you," Liang Hongmei said as she walked out the door.

Lin Wan was surprised, not knowing Han Yi would return tomorrow. When she came, Han Yi had called her, saying he’d be on duty this year.

"Ai Yi is coming back tomorrow?" With Mom gone, Lin Wan could only ask her Saozi.

"What tomorrow? He came back early this morning, waiting for you at home. Who knew Gao Ran would take him away just after lunch," Saozi said and then realized Lin Wan probably didn’t know. She paused and added, "You probably don’t know, but Gao Ran and Wang Leqin got divorced."

"Huh? When did that happen?"

"They just got divorced a few days ago. Wang Leqin came over to our house just the other day."

"What did she come for?"

"Looking for you, asking if you’d returned. I guess she wanted to share her troubles with you," Mu Qing said with a chuckle, covering her mouth.

"Share her troubles with me? We’re not that familiar," Lin Wan frowned slightly.

"That’s what you think. But Wang Leqin doesn’t see it that way. Her social skills in the compound aren’t great. Last time she came over, you were so warmhearted discussing clothes with her. In her eyes, you’re her close friend now, someone she can confide in."

"..." Saozi’s words left Lin Wan speechless. Indeed, some truths about instant connections she had never really experienced.

To be honest, Wang Leqin isn’t as aloof as people in the compound say. She might just be a bit unsocial. She does her own thing, has her own ideas and personality, and doesn’t care about others’ opinions.

If Wang Leqin wants to be friends, Lin Wan would gladly accept. Truth be told, besides family, she didn’t have her own circle of friends here.

Little Star came with her award for Lin Wan to see, and Lin Wan showered her with compliments. She then took her and Saozi upstairs to try on new clothes.

Although winters here are cold, the coldest it gets is only minus five or six degrees, much better than S City. Mom had set up a big stove downstairs and one upstairs. There wasn’t one in the bedroom, fearing gas might affect the kids.

Comparatively, the room wasn’t as warm as the living room.

Lin Wan was making a small down jacket for the child, a long one that wasn’t cold to wear outside. At home, she prepared soft, cotton jackets for easy movement and warmth.

Lin Wan only made a few sets of these clothes, and each child at Shi Lan, Su Ling, and Yin Peibai’s homes got one set each.

These aren’t available in the market, but they looked good on the kids, making Lin Wan contemplate releasing some kids’ clothing next year.

Generally speaking, children’s clothes are children’s clothes, women’s clothes are women’s clothes, and men’s clothes are men’s clothes. It’s best not to mix them; otherwise, none will be done professionally.

"Xiao Wan, Mom’s idea is for me to open a guesthouse next year. The few floors above our house have been vacant and untouched." Although Mu Qing had a few girlfriends, she preferred to hear Lin Wan’s opinion.

"A guesthouse?" Lin Wan looked at Tuantuan beside her and said, "Are you really leaving the army, Saozi?"

"Yes, I’ve gone through the transition, and the paperwork is done. I’ve thought about it; I’m really not cut out for the military lifestyle. It just causes trouble for the unit. It’s better to come back and do something else. Mom, being insightful, was worried I’d get too tired taking care of the kids alone. So after this year, she’s planning to hire a nanny to help take care of the children, allowing me and your brother to discuss getting a hotel business license at the Industrial and Commercial Bureau."

"Parents have a good idea, but the key is whether Saozi likes this kind of work. If not, she can completely look for something else to do. Everyone in our family has their own thing; Saozi being at home alone can indeed be boring, and taking care of a child alone is tiring; hiring a nanny is a good idea."

"Of course I like it. Your brother didn’t tell you. Back in school, I sold my uncle’s bicycle by myself. I like to do things on my own."

"That’s great, Saozi. Opening a hotel is a trend now. Last time Ai Yi and I went to Shanghai, they had many private hotels. The first advantage of private hotels is cleanliness, second is good service, and third is complete facilities and comfort. If we had to choose accommodation, we’d definitely prefer something clean and comfortable."

"That’s true. Your brother spoke to me about it before, but I’m just concerned the child is too young. I can’t bear it."

"Tuantuan will be seven or eight months next year, ready for some solid food. I’ll get some good milk powder by then. Opening a hotel, we can hire two people for cleaning and one for the front desk, so Saozi doesn’t have to be there all the time." Actually, Mom wanted Saozi to manage the hotel so she wouldn’t feel left out.

After all, everyone in the family has their own job now!

Mu Qing nodded, agreeing that Lin Wan made sense.

"Alright, I’ll discuss it with your brother when he returns, and after the New Year, we’ll start." Mu Qing was eager to venture out and do something. "Xiao Wan, what do you think a good name would be?"

"...Hmm... Yingpin Hotel, how about that?"

"That’s nice."

The sisters-in-law originally were trying clothes on the kids but ended up brainstorming names for the hotel.

Han Yi returned before they even finished.

Having not seen Han Yi for a few months, he had lost weight but seemed more spirited. It seemed like the training at the unit was quite intense.

"What did Gao Ran want with you?"

"Their marriage ended, and Gao was frustrated and needed someone to vent to. That’s all there was to it."

"Oh, what was the reason?"

"Looks like his wife wanted to study abroad, and he disagreed. So that’s why."

"...Oh." Studying abroad was certainly a good thing, but with long separation, one spouse might not be willing.

Lin Wan asked casually a few more questions before letting the matter drop. In the evening, Mom returned early with a table full of food. It was rare for the family to be together, and having hotpot was nice.

"Last year, we all went back to the hometown. This year, we can finally spend the New Year with your grandparents. But after the New Year, your mom and I plan to take a trip to the Capital City to visit some old friends. The rest of you can go wherever you want while we’re away," Lin Guozhi shared this year’s plans with the family at the dinner table.

"Dad, Mom, how long do you plan to stay when you go to the Capital City?" Lin Wan asked.

"Round trip, it’ll take about seven or eight days." The old man’s idea was to meet Lin Family members. Dad had an older brother who passed away early, and he had a cousin brother and a cousin in the Capital City. They are far away and don’t usually connect, but this time, they would meet these relatives.

"Oh, great. I prepared some gifts for my godfather and godmother and was just worried about how to mail them. You can take them when you go," she said.

"Alright."

When Mom and Dad left, Lin Wan planned to go with Han Yi to the unit to check out their new home, leaving just her brother and Saozi at home.

At night, Little Star lay on the bed, clinging to Lin Wan, afraid she’d leave, not even allowing Han Yi to touch Lin Wan.

This left Han Yi sighing in frustration nearby, secretly thinking kids growing up isn’t all good. It ended up with them waiting until Little Star fell asleep before they could snuggle up "Since the market is still open these days, let’s check out sofa beds at the furniture market tomorrow," Han Yi said.

"Yes, okay. I haven’t visited our new home yet."