Chapter 523: All-House Gathering
At noon, Yan Jiekuang went to the west wing. Liangzi and Fangfang were a little shy because they didn't know those people well and there were so many people, so they took Xiaojin to the back garden of the west wing to play.

He Yuzhu notified the restaurant at No. 95 Courtyard to deliver lunch. At noon, everyone drank white wine, but no one drank too much. Some people had not arrived yet, so everyone was waiting to drink at the dinner party in the evening. Yan Jiekuang ordered noodles from the west wing, which were shredded pork noodles, and two side dishes. Yan Bugui and his wife had not returned, so Yan Jiekuang ate with the children.

After dinner, the two children started talking and asked why so many people came to the yard next door.

Yan Jiekuang patiently explained to them that those people were his neighbors. As he was talking, Yan Jiekuang told them about his childhood experiences. They listened with fascination and were very interested in their father's childhood.

At this time, the brothers were sitting together drinking wine and chatting. Liu Haizhong suddenly said, "Uncle, do you think we should hold a meeting of the whole hospital tonight?"

Xu Wude curled his lips and said, "Old Liu, you are acting like an official again. What era is this? You are still holding a general meeting of the whole institute. What is the purpose of the meeting? What is the topic? Besides, most of them don't live here anymore."

Liu Haizhong defended himself, "No, I just want everyone to relive the old days and find the feeling back then."

He Daqing said, "Stop it, you're still looking for the feeling, I think you just want to feel like the second uncle."

Yi Zhonghai was still immersed in his own thoughts. Yan Bugui noticed his abnormality and said with a glass of wine in his hand, "Uncle, hey, uncle, what are you thinking about? Come and have a drink. You are in a daze."

Yi Zhonghai picked up the wine glass, drank a sip with Yan Bugui, then put down the glass and said, "Old Yan, I have a request, do you agree?"

Yan Bugui was stunned and asked, "Just tell me what you want. It's not a request. We have been friends for many years. I forgot the days when we were in Fangshan. We rode horses in the morning, fished at noon, and drank at night. Those were really leisurely times."

Xu Wood was stunned and asked, "When did this happen? Why didn't you take me with you?"

Liu Haizhong finally found a chance to get back at his old self. He laughed and said, "You were busy helping your son escape at that time."

Everyone laughed. Yi Zhonghai just smiled slightly and said, "Old Yan, I want to move back. I'm getting old recently and I always think about my working days. Although I have many problems, those years are still worth reminiscing about. What do you think?"

Yan Bugui smiled and said, "Okay, you can move back if you want. I'll live in the front yard too, so it's nice for us to have a companion. Besides, although the furnishings and furniture here are all original, the house has been renovated. It has water supply, drainage, electricity, telephone, and everything else. Didn't you see that every household has a heating system and gas? These are all renovated and much better than where you live now."

When He Daqing heard this, he shouted to a table not far away where people were drinking, "Zhu Zi, Zhu Zi, come here."

He Yuzhu ran over and asked, "What's wrong? Did you fight with Uncle Xu again?"

He Daqing said, "What nonsense are you talking about? After dinner today, go home and pack your luggage for me. I'm moving here and you won't have to worry about me when I move back."

While He Yuzhu was stunned, Xu Wude also said, "Then I will move back too. How about you, Old Liu? Do you want to keep me company in the backyard?"

Liu Haizhong smiled and said, "See, you're a step late again. I've already moved my things back. I won't leave tonight, haha."

Yan Bugui explained: "Old Liu came to the tavern to drink a few days ago and knew about this. He insisted on moving back."

Chang Cun thought for a while and said, "That's good. We old brothers can still play together when we have nothing to do. We can go fishing, play chess, drink tea, etc. Not bad, not bad. I will move back too. I'll tell my wife when I get back." He Yuzhu realized that the old brothers planned to get together again and retire in this yard. He Yuzhu patted his chest and said, "Okay, you are all my elders. I will come over every now and then to cook for you. It's a good opportunity to drink some wine to relieve boredom."

He Yuzhu went back to his table after he finished speaking. He told everyone present about this matter. Everyone thought that this had become a nursing home. Xu Damao asked Yan Jiekuang, "Old Third, I remember this yard was yours. Are you willing to give it up?"

"I'm willing to give it up. It's just sitting there anyway and it still has some popularity. The house is not going away. When one day no one wants to live here anymore, I will turn this yard into a museum to commemorate the history of the 1950s and 1960s," said Yan Jiekuang.

Yi Jun hesitated for a long time before saying, "Third brother, I also want to move back. I am still renting that house now, and it is not convenient for doing business. You see, Nanluoguxiang has become a commercial street. Why don't I do something here instead of going so far to beg for food?"

Yan Jiekuang smiled and said, "Okay, then come back. What's the big deal? Whoever wants to come back can come back and choose the house by themselves."

As soon as she finished speaking, Widow Wang and Jia Zhang came in from the front yard. Widow Wang said directly, "My room cannot be moved. I want to come back too."

Jia Zhang looked at Widow Wang and said, "What are you talking to these little brats about? This is my house. Who dares to touch it? It's my house."

When everyone heard that the tough Jia Zhang was back again, they looked at each other and burst into laughter.

Yan Jiekuang knew that Yan Bugui was afraid of loneliness. There was no one to talk to except in the tavern. His mother was the same. She didn't seem to have any demands. It was obvious that when she saw the old sisters, she was very excited when chatting. It was obvious that she was in a very happy mood. The old people are old, and how many years can they be so happy? But they are kind enough to show their appreciation.

Jia Dongxu, who is of He Yuzhu's generation, is a little restless. He is alone in that family and no one cares about him as everyone is busy with their own business.

The other one is Xu Damao. He lost everything this time and is now penniless again. He was moved by Yi Jun's words and thought about doing something to make a comeback. His family is all in the catering business, but he is not good at it. This side is more about business.

In the afternoon, everyone went back home to rest. Those who didn't bring bedding had no choice but to lean on chairs or recliners to rest. Of course, there were also people like He Yuzhu who spread a cool mat on the bed and lay down directly.

At around three o'clock in the evening, Yan Jiekuang, He Yuzhu, Chang Li and Chang Chuang started to get busy. There were quite a lot of people today, so they had to cook more. Yan Jiekuang and He Yuzhu agreed to cook six dishes each. He Yuzhu mainly cooked Sichuan cuisine and Yan Jiekuang mainly cooked court cuisine. This banquet was different from the previous ones. Tableware, plating and carvings were all available, and every dish was pleasing to the eye.

When the neighbors looked at these dishes, they knew that He Yuzhu and his apprentices Chang Li, Chang Chuang, and Yan Jiekuang had never stopped improving their cooking skills over the years. Now He Yuzhu and Yan Jiekuang have reached a level that is unattainable for others.

As night fell, the courtyard was bustling with people and brightly lit. There were three tables in the middle courtyard and two tables in the front yard, because not only the neighbors' families had come, but also their children. Children younger than Xiaohai ate in the front yard. There were two tables of children. The adults were worried about the children, but Xixi and Xiaohai said they would take care of them, so the adults went to the middle courtyard to eat. However, a few young wives still looked into the front yard from time to time.

There was a big table in the center of the central courtyard, filled with old people. Yi Zhonghai sat in the main seat. Jia Zhang originally wanted to fight for it, but when she saw He Daqing sitting next to her, she instantly lost interest and sat with Yang Ruiping and Widow Wang.

Yi Zhonghai was a little excited. He already had a head full of white hair. He picked up the wine glass, stood up, and said, "Okay, okay!"

He first greeted her and then continued, "Today, thanks to Uncle Three, Mr. Yan, we old neighbors are gathered together again. I would like to say a few words. I wish all the old neighbors happiness and good health. We have decided to gather once every November. Of course, if you have something to do, you can go and do it, but we will always be here waiting for you to come and drink together. May our neighborly love be there forever. Cheers!"

Everyone was very polite and raised their glasses, shouting "Cheers" together. Then the children in the front yard also followed suit, but the voices were one after another, which made the adults in the middle yard laugh.

(End of this chapter)