Reborn in 1979: I Raised a Fortune with Four Daughters

Chapter 362 Welcome Dinner

Everyone started chatting and laughing again.

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, although Sister Wu repeatedly emphasized that she did not need Zhao Zhaodi's help to clean up the dishes, the sensible Zhao Zhaodi insisted on lending a hand and helped everyone wash and arrange the tableware before turning around and going back to her room to prepare for her afternoon nap.

In the afternoon, sunlight streamed into the room through the gaps in the curtains, gently caressing Zhao Zhaodi's face.

She slowly woke up, stretched lazily, then leaned back on the bed and picked up a book from beside her pillow to start reading.

The stories in the book are wonderful and captivating, and before she knew it, Zhao Zhaodi was completely immersed in them.

However, as she looked around, she suddenly remembered that Sister Wu had told her that morning that she would be hosting a welcome dinner for her that evening.

Thinking of this, Zhao Zhaodi quickly closed the book, gently placed it on the bedside table, then got up, got out of bed, and slowly walked out of the room in her slippers.

As soon as she stepped outside, Zhao Zhaodi saw Sister Wu squatting by the well in the yard, carefully washing a pile of fresh vegetables.

"Sister Wu, let me help you!"

As Zhao Zhaodi spoke, she quickened her pace and walked towards Sister Wu.

Upon hearing the voice, Sister Wu looked up, a friendly smile spreading across her face, and waved her hands repeatedly, saying:

"No need, no need. You're the star of the day, how can I let you do the work? Go back to your room and read a book, get some rest, otherwise when Battalion Commander Chen comes back later, he'll be worried about you!"

Zhao Zhaodi smiled upon hearing this, but instead of turning away as Sister Wu had instructed, she resolutely said:

"Sister Wu, please don't be so polite. Now that I'm here, I'm part of this big family, so it's only right that I help out."

Besides, many hands make light work. The sooner we finish washing these vegetables, the sooner we can start cooking.

After saying that, she squatted down without saying another word, took some vegetables that hadn't been washed yet from Sister Wu's hands, and started washing them in a very professional manner.

Seeing this, Sister Wu shook her head helplessly, but she was very moved and happy.

So the two chatted happily while quickly washing various vegetables, meats, fruits and other ingredients.

As time passed, the sun gradually slanted westward, and a magnificent sunset appeared on the horizon.

At this moment, the entire courtyard was filled with the enticing aroma of food.

The children who had just returned from school smelled the aroma and gathered around like greedy cats, their eyes fixed on the kitchen and their mouths constantly making swallowing noises.

Before long, the military wives arrived in the courtyard one after another. After exchanging greetings, they quickly got to work.

Some helped set up tables, chairs, bowls, and chopsticks, while others were busy setting up the venue, and still others were playing with the adorable children. For a time, the courtyard was filled with laughter and joy, and it was quite lively.

As dusk approached, the men were about to go home, as was their usual routine.

Sure enough, not long after, a series of noisy footsteps could be heard approaching from afar.

It turned out that Commander Kong and Battalion Commander Chen, along with a group of officers, had finished a busy day and were walking back to the courtyard chatting and laughing.

When everyone entered the courtyard, they were astonished!

Three large round tables were laden with a sumptuous array of delicious dishes, including braised pork ribs, braised prawns, and steamed fish. Each dish looked and smelled wonderful, making one's mouth water.

At a small table nearby sat a group of chattering children, wolfing down their food in a way that was absolutely adorable.

Upon seeing this, Wu Caiyun quickly stood up and invited the men to sit down.

Once everyone was seated, a warm and joyful welcome dinner officially began...

The women sat at one table and the men at another. After a day's work, today was a dinner to welcome Zhao Zhaodi, so the men would still have a little wine, but because they were in the military, they could only drink a little.

Chen Runping pulled Zhao Zhaodi to sit down next to him.

“I’ll sit at the table with my sisters-in-law; it’s not appropriate for me to sit here.”

Zhao Zhaodi said.

"It's alright, sister-in-law. If Xiao Chen wants you to sit here, then sit here. It's no trouble. We're all family. You two are the main characters today."

Commander Kong said with a smile.

Once the food and drinks were served, everyone started chatting and drinking.

"Come on, let's welcome our younger brother and sister-in-law to our big family."

Commander Kong stood up and began to offer toasts to express his welcome.

"Thank you, Commander Kong, thank you everyone! We should be the ones toasting you all."

Chen Runping raised his glass, took Zhao Zhaodi's hand, and stood up to respond to the toast. Zhao Zhaodi, in lieu of wine, also joined in the toasting.

After everyone toasted, they all sat down.

"Sister-in-law, I heard from Battalion Commander Chen that you graduated from Peking University and are currently studying in the United States."

After Commander Kong sat down, they began to chat.

"Yes."

Zhao Zhaodi answered.

"Your sister-in-law is such a top student, and so beautiful. No wonder Battalion Commander Chen cherishes you so much. He's so proud of his wife whenever he talks about her."

Commander Kong said with a smile.

Zhao Zhaodi smiled shyly and said:

"Commander Kong, you flatter me. Thank you all for taking care of Runping."

"Your sister-in-law is not only beautiful and intelligent, but she also cares so much about Chen Runping. It's really a blessing for Chen Runping. Don't worry, Battalion Commander Chen is doing very well here and has a bright future."

Commander Kong said.

At this moment, another officer chimed in:

"Sister-in-law, you studied in the US, you must have seen a lot of new and interesting things. Could you tell us about them?"

After thinking for a moment, Zhao Zhaodi began to recount some interesting academic research and novel lifestyles abroad.

Everyone listened with great interest.

During the event, Chen Runping and Zhao Zhaodi toasted the sisters-in-law to thank them for their care of Zhao Zhaodi.

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,

The women started clearing the dishes, while the men continued smoking and chatting.

Zhao Zhaodi felt somewhat tired; she was not very good at this kind of social interaction.

Chen Runping noticed this and asked softly:

"Are you tired? Why don't you go back and rest?"

Zhao Zhaodi nodded.

Chen Runping apologized to everyone and helped Zhao Zhaodi walk towards their residence.

The moonlight shone on them, and Zhao Zhaodi leaned against Chen Runping, feeling completely at ease.

In Beijing, as the school's final exams ended, Zhao Laidi and her sisters finally welcomed their long-awaited summer vacation.

For Zhao Laidi, this summer vacation has a special plan - she plans to accompany her father Zhaoyuan to visit their family companies across the country to gain a deeper understanding of the operation of their family business.

At the beginning of summer vacation, Zhao Yuan couldn't wait to take Zhao Lai Di on a trip to inspect his family's businesses.

Their first stop was the bustling city of Shanghai.

In recent years, Shanghai's development has been rapid and ever-changing.