Chapter 306: 306

306 "Happy New Year, Peace and Health to the Whole Family."

The car stalled, and Tushan Jiu and Xie Shiyu got out of the car.

Xu Airu and Xie Wenmo, holding the two little ones, reached out their hands to Tushan Jiu, wanting to hug them.

Tushan Jiu could clearly sense the two little ones' inner unease, and quickly took one in each arm.

Tushan Xi pressed his head against Tushan Jiu's shoulder, "Ma~ma~"

Tushan Bai's little hand stroked Tushan Jiu's head, as if praising and comforting her at the same time.

Tushan Jiu's heart melted completely; left and right, she fiercely kissed their cheeks and said softly, "Happy New Year, my darlings—Mom kept her promise and came back to spend the New Year with you."

Xie Shiyu walked over, took the second child, Tushan Xi, from her hands, then took Tushan Jiu's now‑free hand and said, "Grandfather, Mother and Father, Jingzhou, Jingting—we're back."

Grandfather Xie chuckled muttering, "Just coming back is good, just coming back is good. Let's go, let's go inside and talk—it's cold out here."

Xie Wenmo wiped Xu Airu's tears, saying, "Don't cry, wife—it's the New Year, be happy!"

Xu Airu burst into a smile through tears, nodded, and said, "Mm, happy. Let's hurry inside—no one should stay out here."

The group walked toward the house.

Xie Shiyu and Tushan Jiu walked past Xie Jingzhou and Xie Jingting, who stood to the side smiling.

Xie Jingting went to Tushan Jiu's side, gave a thumbs‑up, and said, "Sister‑in‑law, you're simply amazing—from now on you're the greatest hero in my heart, bar none!"

Tushan Jiu turned to him, looked serious, and asked, "Oh? Then what about the time I saved you from the red‑clad female ghost—didn't you consider me a hero then?"

Xie Jingting choked, hurriedly explaining, "No, I didn't mean that—I mean this time you're an even greater hero..."

Seeing him flustered, Tushan Jiu couldn't help laughing.

Xie Shiyu and Xie Jingzhou also laughed out loud.

Realizing Tushan Jiu was teasing him, Xie Jingting was speechless: "Sister‑in‑law, you've changed—you actually learned to tease people!"

Tushan Jiu laughed, switched to holding Tushan Bai with one hand, flipped the hand wearing the bracelet, and two lollipops appeared in her palm. "All right, Happy New Year, sister‑in‑law—I'll treat you to candy, eighty years' worth, well‑aged!"

Xie Jingting took it without hesitation: "Thank you, sister‑in‑law!"

He tore open one, popped it into his mouth, then went over and gave one to Xie Jingzhou.

"Thank you, sister‑in‑law, Happy New Year!" Xie Jingzhou said, smiling as he held the lollipop.

Xu Airu, walking ahead, saw them moving slowly and urged, "Hurry up a couple of steps—Dad's gone to boil dumplings. Xiao Jiu and Shiyu, go wash up quickly, then come down for the New Year's feast."

Xie Jingting hooked his arm around Xie Jingzhou's shoulder, saying, "Come on, come on!"

Tushan Jiu and Xie Shiyu exchanged a smile, took each other's hand, carried the children, and went inside.

Inside the house, Tushan Jiu handed the children to Xie Shiyu to take them and wash up; she had been so overcome with emotion earlier that she'd hugged the kids without bathing, and she was covered in dirt.

Fortunately, the two little ones weren't sensitive to such things.

The two of them went off to wash up separately.

Tushan Jiu came down first, because Xie Shiyu was busy washing the two little ones, so he was a bit slower.

After Xie Shiyu brought them out, the two of them carried the children downstairs together.

Downstairs, the dumplings were already cooked, just waiting for them.

A big table of dishes, and Xie Jingting went to the cellar to fetch several bottles of red and white wine.

Seeing them come down, Xie Jingting waved: "Come on, come on—I've guessed which dumpling has the coin in it, sister‑in‑law, come eat the first bite!"

"Really? I'm coming!" Tushan Jiu eagerly stepped forward.

Grandfather Xie and the others were already seated, waiting for Tushan Jiu and her party to put the children in the high chairs, then gave each of them a mini ghost‑power dumpling, which is easy to digest.

The two brothers were low‑maintenance—they just grabbed the mini dumplings and ate them, needing no attention.

Tushan Jiu sat down, looked at the dumplings in her bowl, and laughed, "Third brother, you're not cheating, are you? Are you sure these aren't wontons?"

Xie Jingting showed no concern, raised his chin, and said, "I made them, so I named them dumplings."

Everyone at the table: "......"

"What's wrong with that?" Xie Jingting asked.

Everyone replied in unison, "No problem."

Grandfather Xie lifted his cup, and everyone fell silent, waiting for him to speak.

The older Grandfather Xie grew, the more sentimental he became; he said, "I want to toast the first cup to Xiao Jiu!"

Tushan Jiu quickly stood up and said, "Grandfather, that's absolutely out of the question!"

It's not proper for elders to toast juniors.

Grandfather Xie's attitude was firm; he even stood up holding his cup and said solemnly, "Xiao Jiu, this toast has nothing to do with seniority—I, as a Chinese, raise it to our hero!"

"Today is a special day, the day of family reunion, when every household is filled with laughter and joy. Perhaps they don't know you, or the hard work and desperate sacrifices you've made, but we do."

"So, with this cup, I speak on behalf of the countless people of China to toast you, and also to toast all the nameless heroes who gave their lives to stand before us, keeping alive those myriad bright lights."

Grandfather Xie's words echoed in the dining hall, resounding loudly.

Xie Wenmo promptly raised his cup and stood, saying, "Xiao Jiu, you've worked hard."

Xu Airu also stood, saying, "Xiao Jiu, thank you."

Xie Jingzhou and Xie Jingting also rose, saying in unison, "Sister‑in‑law, we also toast you."

Tushan Jiu felt moved, picked up her own cup, and said, "All right, then I'll also speak on behalf of everyone fighting on the front lines and in the rear today."

As her words fell, everyone clinked cups and drained their drinks.

Coincidentally, at that moment Tushan Xi was still holding his mini dumpling, and with unclear pronunciation he blurted out a "gan"—making everyone laugh.

Setting down her cup, Tushan Jiu, under Xie Jingting's expectant gaze, picked up the "dumpling" with her chopsticks and took a bite.

"Sister‑in‑law, sister‑in‑law, did you get the coin?"

Tushan Jiu shook her head, chewed slowly, and said, "No."

Xie Jingting: "???"

Impossible—I just made one and put it in myself. How could it be missing? Dad, did you poke a hole when boiling the dumplings and the coin fall out? No way, I have to go look in the pot; this New Year's luck must go to my sister-in-law today.

He said that and got up to go to the kitchen.

Tushan Jiu suddenly laughed, "All right, I'm not teasing you anymore—here, take the red envelope!"

She flipped her hand and placed the coin on the table.

Xie Jingting: "......"

Tushan Jiu had only been joking, but she hadn't expected everyone to have already prepared the red envelopes.

Each family member held a thick red envelope, and they all thrust them forward toward her in unison, saying in unison:

"Happy New Year, wife/Xiao Jiu/sister-in-law!"

Tushan Jiu froze.

She looked at everyone, the corners of her mouth slowly rising.

"Happy New Year, peace and health for the whole family."