Chapter 204: Chapter 204: Lantern Festival

"Can."

An Ning replied with a single word.

That one word, "can," was a testament to the powerful confidence she had in her abilities.

Director Hu, who was sitting opposite her, believed her without a shred of doubt.

Well, he didn’t believe her completely, but he couldn’t let it show.

"That’s wonderful. I wonder when you’ll have time to visit our automobile factory, An Ning."

An Ning thought for a moment, then said, "I can go after the Lantern Festival. You can leave your phone number and address."

"Good, good, good."

With a quick "Good, good, good," Director Hu pulled out a piece of paper he had prepared earlier. On it were several phone numbers, an address, and even a simple map and a letter of certification.

An Ning took it and put it away. For a moment, it was quiet.

Director Hu was an old hand. He slapped his forehead and said, "Look at my memory! I came to pay a New Year’s visit today."

"Wang, bring the New Year’s gifts down."

The other man who had gotten out of the car quickly opened the trunk. Several gift boxes were lifted out and placed on the ground.

Director Hu and Director Jin both went to help carry the items.

Seeing this, An Ning had no choice but to invite everyone inside.

An Sancheng was already waiting in the courtyard. He invited the men inside, exchanging pleasantries.

The two factory directors were smooth talkers, but also low-key and down-to-earth. They had no airs about them at all and got along wonderfully with An Sancheng.

Just as An Sancheng was calling for Lin Cuihua to start preparing a meal, the three men stood up together, ready to leave.

"That won’t do! You came all this way, you can’t leave without eating."

"There’s really no need to trouble yourselves. We have to get back while it’s still light out, otherwise the roads will be difficult."

Both sides had their reasons—one insisting they stay, the other politely refusing and trying to leave.

They went from haggling inside to haggling outside. The sudden WAILS of Hei Dan’er made both parties freeze for a second.

Director Hu and Director Jin exchanged a swift glance.

Director Jin spoke up, "Did you have a new addition to the family?"

"Yes, yes, my eldest son’s wife just gave birth a couple of days ago."

An Sancheng was about to insist they stay again, but Director Hu reacted quickly. "You must let us know about the one-month celebration. We’ll definitely come then."

"We won’t stay today. We really do have things to take care of back home."

After saying this, Director Hu gave Director Jin a subtle nudge.

Director Jin pulled a few banknotes out of his pocket. "This is for the child. You can’t refuse."

At this, the polite struggle between the two sides grew even more intense.

An Ning was already getting used to this scene.

She had witnessed it many times over the New Year holiday.

In the end, the two directors’ money was tossed out of the car window, the driver floored the gas, and the car sped off into the distance.

An Sancheng helplessly picked up the money from the ground and handed it to An Guoqing, who was behind him. "Here, take it. This is a favor for your little sister."

"Huh?"

An Guoqing took the money, looked left and right, and saw that everyone else had gone. He followed them inside.

For the next few days, the An family home was a lively place.

Director Li from the city’s textile factory also came to pay a New Year’s visit. He did the same thing: didn’t stay for a meal, dropped off a New Year’s gift, tossed some money for the baby, and ran.

Factory Director Zhang from the provincial capital didn’t come in person, but his gift was delivered.

On the tenth day of the first lunar month, Director Li from the city’s machinery factory returned with Li Chengze.

When Li Chengze arrived at the An’s house, he first greeted An Ning before turning to go to Jiangxia’s house, where he was staying.

After greeting An Ning, Director Li also followed Li Chengze to Jiangxia’s house to pay a New Year’s visit to Grandpa Jiang Xia.

Mr. Jiang Sr. had been quite famous in his younger days.

At noon, the two families gathered together with Director Li and had a meal.

After the meal, An Guoming drove Director Li back to the provincial capital himself.

He also took the opportunity to end his New Year holiday, taking the seven people An Ning had trained and heading south with them.

An Guoming left, and Li Chengze was back.

Although the first month of the lunar year wasn’t over, everyone’s daily routines had returned to normal.

Waking up early, running, classes.

Classes, explaining problems, free time.

After five days of this simple, regular life, the fifteenth of the first lunar month arrived.

Lin Cuihua made some sweet dumplings herself and sent a portion over to Jiangxia’s house.

That evening, An Ning held a lantern made from a canning jar and joined a group of village children for a lantern stroll through the village.

Halfway through, she happened to see Jiang Xia walking toward her.

She glanced down at Jiang Xia’s lantern and praised, "Your lantern is very pretty."

Jiang Xia was holding a little rabbit lantern woven from bamboo. The red candlelight inside flickered, casting shifting shadows.

"You think so? I think yours is better. This one isn’t very suitable for a boy."

Jiang Xia said it with great disdain, even asking in a bargaining tone, "How about we trade?"

"Really? It seems like you’d be getting the short end of the stick."

An Ning held up the canning jar in her hand. "Mine has zero technical skill involved."

"It’s fine. I like this rough, wild style. This one is too girly."

With a look of disdain, Jiang Xia swapped his little rabbit lantern with An Ning’s, under the envious gazes of all the children.

Now holding the rabbit lantern, An Ning raised it high and swayed it from side to side. It was truly beautiful.

When she got a closer look, An Ning discovered there was more to the lantern than met the eye.

Inside were red silk threads, layered one by one. No wonder the light glowed so red.

Holding the rabbit lantern, An Ning became the object of everyone’s envy.

She walked at the head of the group, followed by a crowd of children holding simple lanterns, circling the village again and again.

After an unknown number of laps, An Ning urged and supervised the children as they returned home one by one.

In the end, only An Ning, An Guoping, and Jiang Xia were left, walking together toward the foot of the mountain.

"Hey, hey! Da Huang, why are you chasing me?"

Da Huang had darted out from somewhere and was chasing after An Guoping.

An Guoping ran, hollering and clutching his lantern, with Da Huang trotting unhurriedly behind him.

"Why is Da Huang chasing my brother?"

"He probably smells delicious."

Jiang Xia was just talking nonsense, but An Ning said with conviction, "That’s possible. He gnawed on several big bones tonight."

Jiang Xia was amused by An Ning’s serious explanation and felt an urge to laugh.

Before long, the two of them arrived at her doorstep.

An Ning gave a casual wave.

"Goodbye. Happy Lantern Festival."

"Happy Lantern Festival."

Jiang Xia, holding the glass jar lantern, waited until he heard the sound of An Ning closing her main gate before turning to go back to his house.

Grandpa Jiang Xia, who had stayed up, was standing in the kitchen, watching Jiang Xia come in from outside.

"Well, look at this magic trick. What happened to the lantern someone spent over ten days making?"

Jiang Xia put down the canning jar. "I finished it, then realized I didn’t really like it, so I traded for another one."

"Ohhh—so you spent all those days making it only to realize you don’t like it."

Jiang Xia looked at his grandfather, whose eyes were twinkling with amusement, and asked, "Why do I get the feeling there’s a hidden meaning in your words, Grandpa?"

Grandpa Jiang Xia immediately put on an innocent face and shrugged. "How could that be? Do we, a grandfather and his grandson, need to speak in riddles?"

"You’re overthinking things, kid."