Chapter 334: A Joyful Family Gathering

In the afternoon, the Lin family buzzed with excitement as Lin Ying Jun and Lin Xiao Li worked in the kitchen to prepare a feast for their future daughters-in-law.

The three younger ones plus Lin Zheng Ran all pitched in to help in the kitchen.

Jiang Jingshi and Heqing, who knew their way around cooking, handled the meal preparation, while Han Wenwen and Lily, less experienced, took care of washing veggies and prepping ingredients.

During this, Heqing noticed Jiang Jingshi’s skilled cooking and was genuinely surprised.

“Jiang Jie, you’re amazing at this too? It looks like you cook all the time!”

Jiang Jingshi, spatula in hand, smiled and said, “Yeah, don’t let my appearance fool you—I’m quite good at it. You’ll get to taste my cooking soon.”

Lin Xiao Li, inhaling the aromas, was amazed. “Someone like Jiang Jingshi, a big boss, probably has chefs on call. How do you find time to cook?”

“Auntie, it’s just a personal hobby of mine. Sometimes I get the urge and head to my private kitchen for a bit. Or whenever Zheng Ran comes by, I make something special just for him—he really enjoys it.”

Heqing thought to herself that Jiang Jie must often cook for Lin Zheng Ran, something she had never heard before.

Lin Xiao Li said, “I see, that’s quite an unusual hobby.”

As they chatted, Lily and Han Wenwen kept working on the other side, the former glancing at the empty trash bin and teasing, “Han Wenwen, why didn’t you snap off the celery roots?”

Little Fox looked puzzled. “Why snap them off? They’re edible, even if not the best part.”

“Are celery roots even edible? At my house, we always toss them—they’re full of dirt.”

Little Fox watched as Lily snapped off the roots. “What a waste! Just wash off the dirt. I’m not great at cooking, but when I do it on a whim, I keep them—they’re pricey anyway.”

Lily shook her head in disbelief. “You’re that thrifty? Yet I see you buying all sorts of random stuff.”

Han Wenwen laughed. “Save where you can, spend where it matters.”

The women in the kitchen chatted and laughed with ease.

With no room left, Lin Zheng Ran and his dad sat just outside, washing carrots and other veggies.

Lin Ying Jun listened to the lively kitchen and shook his head. “Zheng Ran, I never imagined our family would be this lively one day—with four daughters-in-law.”

Lin Zheng Ran, rinsing radishes, said honestly, “Honestly, I didn’t either. At first, I thought I might never find someone I liked and just stay single. But then, I met so many.”

Early on, Lin Zheng Ran hadn’t even considered feelings for Heqing—it grew over time into a desire to look after her for life.

Lin Ying Jun paused, then whispered,

“Let me tell you, Zheng Ran, I’m not kidding—having a lot of women around isn’t always great. Keeping them happy can be a real challenge. Even with just your mom, I sometimes struggle for ages.”

“Husband!” Lin Xiao Li’s voice cut in from the kitchen, her intuition flaring even though she hadn’t caught the words. She shot a disdainful look. “What are you whispering to Zheng Ran about?”

Lin Ying Jun chuckled nervously. “Nothing at all, just some father-son chit-chat.”

He glanced at his son. “Your mom can be pretty intimidating sometimes, huh?”

Lin Zheng Ran smiled, thinking his sweet, naive mom was adorable.

That evening, the family enjoyed a warm dinner, just as Lin Xiao Li had hoped. Normally, girls in this situation might clash like rivals.

But perhaps because they’d known each other so long and shared many meals here,

they all got along like it was just another family gathering.

And they kept piling food onto Lin Zheng Ran’s plate.

After dinner, with the small town’s mall still open, Lin Xiao Li linked arms with the four girls and headed out for shopping and chit-chat to build their bond.

This time, Lin Zheng Ran and Lin Ying Jun stayed home to watch TV.

They discussed the sleeping arrangements for the night.

Lin Ying Jun said, “Zheng Ran, even though they’re all your girlfriends… you get what I mean. Tonight, I’ll bunk with you, and let the girls share a room.”

Lin Zheng Ran didn’t object—his parents allowing four relationships was already pretty progressive.

Pushing it further tonight might just rattle their nerves.

So that night, Lin Zheng Ran shared a room with his dad.

The girls and Lin Xiao Li, back from shopping, crammed into Lin Zheng Ran’s bedroom.

Lin Zheng Ran lay in bed, quiet and comfortable, sleeping soundly.

But he could guess that with those four and his mom together, they’d chat straight through to the early hours.

And that’s exactly what happened.

Lin Xiao Li spent the night sharing stories of Lin Zheng Ran’s childhood and baby days with the four, keeping them hooked until who knows when—one Little Fox even got so excited she thought about recording it.

On Sunday morning, the house was alive with everyone getting ready.

Over breakfast, Lin Zheng Ran remembered how Han Wenwen had wanted to explore all the fun spots in the city back in high school.

But that day, she’d gotten sick, so they only made it to one amusement park.

The idea had just sat there since.

So he suggested, “Mom, Dad, Heqing, Han Wenwen, Lily, Jiang Jingshi—since it’s Sunday and we’re free, let’s all head to the city for some fun. My treat.”

“The city?” His dad asked, puzzled.

Lin Zheng Ran nodded. “It’s not far from our small town, but we haven’t really had a chance to enjoy it properly. Let’s go today—I’ll cover everything.” He glanced at Little Fox.

Hearing Brother Zheng Ran’s words and meeting his eyes, Little Fox instantly recalled his high school promise to show her around the city.

She hadn’t expected him to remember, and her cheeks flushed red.

She felt deeply touched.

Everyone agreed with Lin Zheng Ran’s idea—it made sense, and none of them had explored the city much.

So the family piled into the car for a day trip to the city.

During the outing, Lin Zheng Ran and Lin Ying Jun trailed behind while the women led, pointing at everything with pure delight.

The day flew by in a blur.

In the afternoon, they rested on seats in a mall.

Lin Xiao Li said, “What a fun day! You girls are heading back to school tonight, right? No need to drop us off—we’ll catch a ride home, and you can drive straight there.”

Lin Zheng Ran replied, “It won’t take much time to drop you off.”

Lin Xiao Li blushed slightly and waved it off. “It’s not about time—it’s the hassle. Plus, your dad and I want to check out a few more spots. No rush to get back.”

Lin Zheng Ran caught on—his mom had bought a bunch of new clothes and odds and ends, and his dad was all dressed up.

Clearly, his parents were planning a romantic evening, so he didn’t push it.

He laughed and said, “Alright then. Mom and Dad, grab a cab back whenever. We’ll head to school from here.”

The four girls didn’t quite get why they weren’t seeing the aunt and uncle home, but since Lin Zheng Ran said so, they kept quiet.

Lin Xiao Li smiled at her daughters-in-law.

“Before we part, though, let me say this—as your uncle and I support you all, I know there’s a big hurdle ahead if you want to make this work. We wish you the best.”

The four nodded, understanding perfectly, their eyes full of determination.