Chapter 466 A Family Trip

The clothes for their family of four, as well as some of their more luxurious items, were all sent from Kyoto.

Besides picking up clothes that Pei Yiyang and Pei Yuanfan had discarded and taking them back for their sons, Yang Ma and Wu Ma also collected things that Xiang Dongyan had discarded. These were all good things that poor families couldn't afford to buy.

After packing up the rest of the luggage, Yang's mother looked at the small red leather bag she had placed on the bed, seemingly lost in thought, a hint of struggle on her face.

"Hey, Xiao Yang, you're back?" Aunt Wu pushed open the door and saw Yang's mother standing in front of the cabinet in a daze. She asked after a moment of surprise.

Wu Ma was seven or eight years older than Yang Ma. Except for the children who called Yang Ma, Xiang Dongyan and Pei Anting always called her Sister Yang.

Yang Ma was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't even hear Wu Ma open the door.

He was startled when he suddenly saw Wu Ma walking towards him.

His expression changed.

Instinctively, she bent down to pick up the small leather bag from the bed and quickly stuffed it into the still-open closet.

The movement was so forceful that it shook down a stack of neatly folded clothes from the top shelf of the closet.

She bent down and hurriedly tidied up.

Aunt Wu found her behavior a bit strange, so she asked with concern, "What's wrong? Did something happen at home?"

Yang's mother shook her head violently and quickly stuffed the clothes back into the closet.

"No, how could that be? Everything's fine at home," Yang's mother hurriedly replied.

After stuffing the clothes and bag into the closet, she turned around with feigned confusion, looked at Wu Ma's coat which was half off, and changed the subject: "Are you going to change your clothes?"

"Yes, I helped kill chickens this morning and got some blood on my sleeves. Now that the food is almost ready, I was thinking of changing into some clean clothes."

Aunt Wu glanced at the messy cabinet she had stuffed in. Although she was still puzzled, she didn't ask any more questions and changed the subject.

Wu Ma quickly changed her clothes.

Before leaving, she said to Yang Ma, "You should also hurry up and get ready to help. Comrade Xiang is very concerned about this banquet and has specially invited two chefs from Chunlai Restaurant to cook. We just need to help out."

"Okay, I'll be right there." Yang Ma replied from behind, watching Wu Ma walk away.

Once Wu Ma's figure disappeared from the room, Yang Ma glanced at the cabinet door, which was already closed.

She thought for a moment, then went to the drawer of the bedside table, took out a lock that hadn't been used in a long time, locked the cabinet, and finally breathed a sigh of relief before following Wu Ma to the kitchen to help.

This little incident naturally did not escape the notice of Qiao Qiao, who had awakened her divine sense.

She also made Xiaoyuan climb into the cabinet and rummage through the purse that Yang Ma valued highly, but there was nothing special inside except for some money.

However, Qiao Qiao still told Qiao Changdong and Shen Qingyan about what had just happened.

Pei Anting had to go to work today, and he and Meng Zhengcheng didn't get back until it was time for dinner.

Several colleagues who were not required to be on duty also returned with them.

Several men sat at one table, women and children at another, and the chef, Aunt Wu, and Aunt Yang also sat down to eat.

After finishing the meal.

The Qiao family boys and Fu Yu were invited by the birthday celebrant, who had received a lot of red envelopes that day, to play at the only arcade in town.

Of course, they also invited Qiao Qiao.

However, Qiao Qiao had no interest in the kind of game machine that involved steering with two steering wheels and pressing several buttons until her palms were red, so she didn't go along.

Pei Yiyang is a germaphobe and can't stand the kind of game consoles that everyone touches, so he didn't go with them.

The two chefs we hired left shortly after finishing their meal, leaving Wu Ma and Yang Ma to clean up the kitchen separately.

Shen Qingyan, Qiao Changdong, Meng Zhengcheng, and Pei Anting went into the study to talk.

Qiao Qiao, unusually, didn't cling to her two fathers. Instead, she nestled in the arms of her favorite older brother, opening her little mouth to eat the banana he fed her.

Yan Lidi sat opposite Xiang Dongyan, holding a small fruit knife in her hand, peeling an apple while occasionally glancing at Yang Ma, who was busy in the kitchen and dining room.

Xiang Dongyan noticed that her gaze lingered on Yang Ma for a long time, so she got up and sat down next to her, lowering her voice to ask, "Aunt Yan, why are you staring at Yang Ma? Is something the matter?"

Yan Liti came over today with the intention of talking to her about Yang Ma and Yang Juan.

Now that Xiang Dongyan had brought it up herself, she lowered her voice and whispered in Xiang Dongyan's ear about Yang Juan's true purpose in wanting to work as a nanny in the Qiao family.

"Really?" Xiang Dongyan's face was very pale.

Yan Liti nodded.

Xiang Dongyan got up in anger and was about to go find Yang Ma when Yan Lidi pulled her back.

"Let's wait and see. They went to the study. Let's wait until they've discussed it before deciding what to do next."

On the sixth day of the busy farming season, the Qiao family and Yan Liti decided to take the whole family to Baoyi City to celebrate Qiao Qiao's birthday.

Yan Liti wanted to throw a big party for Qiao Qiao's birthday, but this "big party" didn't refer to how many people she invited; rather, she wanted to put on a fireworks show for Qiao Qiao.

But even after buying all the fireworks from every shop in Hongfeng Town, she still felt it wasn't enough, so she thought she might as well just go to a hotel in Baoyi City to hold the event.

There is a county-level city near Baoyi City that specializes in fireworks manufacturing.

That city has a particularly wide variety of fireworks.

With such a grand fireworks display, there will definitely be many reporters present.

This is a perfect opportunity to give Qiao Changdong's hotel, as well as the Qiaobao Amusement Park behind the hotel which is still under development, free advertising.

Yan Liti is a decisive person; she does what she says she will do.

On May 5th, apart from Meng Zhengcheng and Qiao Xiaoyun who had to go to work, and Pei Anting, everyone else in the Qiao family went to Baoyi City.

There were just too many people.

Qiao Changdong also rented a bus.

A group of people, about twenty, just like going on a group trip.

Even Fang Zhengnan and Qiao Changhong, a couple who rarely go out and usually stay at home, temporarily entrusted their chickens, ducks, and pigs to a familiar aunt in the village, planning to go out for a walk and see the world.

Fang Zhengnan is alright; she even went to Hongfeng Town once when Qiao Qiao had her accident last time.

The farthest place Qiao Changhong had ever been was the city center.

"It's a rare opportunity, so you can take a trip to Nan Zong Mountain. There's a very efficacious temple at the top of Nan Zong Mountain; you can go and pray there," Qiao Xiaoyun suggested before the group set off.

She actually wanted to go, but she had already taken a lot of leave from her colleagues when she accompanied Grandma Qiao to Kyoto for medical treatment, and she really didn't have any extra vacation time now.