A Welcome Gift
After seeing her cousin Li Bai's two Duplex Apartments, his cousin Zhang Rong wasn't nearly as surprised or bewildered when she had abalone, sea cucumber, and giant lobster for dinner.
"Xiao Bai, when are your mom and dad coming? And is your grandfather coming too?"
As they ate, Grandpa Li De asked about the other family members who were planning to come to Huxi City for the New Year.
Five years earlier, Li Bai's maternal grandmother had passed away from an illness, leaving his grandfather alone. He had since moved to Qiongya Province to enjoy his retirement.
Li Bai's father had organized this New Year's gathering, and Li De didn't know if his in-law had ultimately agreed to attend.
"My dad won't get here until New Year's Eve. Mom's coming tomorrow morning. Grandpa doesn't plan to come—he has a whole bunch of relatives keeping him company, so it's livelier there than it is here."
The old man's county in the northwest didn't have many people, but it had an awful lot of trouble. Even after being cleaned up several times, unruly troublemakers still kept popping up to cause problems. In a word, the locals were tough; as the saying went, "Poor mountains and bad rivers breed unruly folk."
In previous years, Lord Bureau Chief had to personally take charge over the Spring Festival, ready to deal with anyone who refused to behave. This year, though, Hui Ma County had introduced some new Black Technology, with excellent results. Director Li could finally take time off to celebrate the New Year, though even so, he wouldn't be free to leave until quite late.
By comparison, his mom, who was in Japan, had it much easier. The diplomatic staff responsible for maintaining international stability had relatively flexible schedules. There were