At nine that night, after seeing off the last table of lingering customers, the farmhouse courtyard finally settled into the peace it deserved after a full day of bustle.
Liu Shuqin and Chen Guofu were so exhausted they could barely straighten their backs. Chen Qianqian was clutching her hungry stomach, her pretty face practically crumpling with misery.
At the staff table in the backyard, a belated birthday dinner finally began.
There were none of the lavish, showstopping delicacies served out front, only a few simple home-cooked dishes. Yet beneath the dim yellow light, they exuded a rich, unmistakable warmth of home.
Six people.
Chen Guofu, Liu Shuqin, Chen Qianqian, Zhang Ruoxi, Chen Lin, and Li Xiaoyue sat snugly around the table.
"Happy birthday, Auntie! May you grow younger every year!" Chen Lin raised his glass first, beaming.
"Happy birthday, Mom!" Chen Qianqian followed immediately, her voice bright and clear.
"Happy birthday, Aunt Shuqin." Li Xiaoyue smiled gently, her eyes soft.
"Happy birthday, Auntie," Zhang Ruoxi said quietly. In this family atmosphere, she seemed a little reserved and envious.
Chen Guofu raised a brimming glass of liquor and looked at the woman who had spent half her life by his side. Never good with words, he had a thousand things to say, but they all came down to one sentence.
"Thank you for everything."
Liu Shuqin's eyes instantly grew hot with tears, but her face blossomed into a smile. She raised her glass and drained it.
"Good, good! You're all wonderful!"
After dinner, Chen Qianqian brought a beautifully packaged cake out of the kitchen as though unveiling a treasure.
"Ta-da! Mom, look!"
Surprised and delighted, Liu Shuqin clasped her hands and closed her eyes, making a heartfelt wish amid everyone's off-key birthday song. Then she blew out all the candles in