Chapter 1391: New Year 2

So that he wouldn't be able to find "East," "West," or "South" at all.

Thus, everyone tacitly began piling food into his bowl, all things he loved to eat, until it was heaped high to a point.

"Thank you, Big Brother."

"Thank you, Second Brother."

"Thank you, Sange."

"Thank you, Dad."

"Wishing my brothers success in the imperial examinations and fame across the four seas, wishing Dad wealth that pours in daily and prosperity every day..."

This guy's mouth seemed to be smeared with honey, specifically picking out things that sounded pleasant to say.

Every word could touch a person's heart, and since it was New Year's Eve, even though the whole family knew this guy never used his brain or sincerity when complimenting people, they were still very happy.

The dining table became lively, and the reunion dinner was eaten in a harmonious and joyful atmosphere.

After the meal, they made dumplings; this task was originally meant to be completed by the family members themselves.

But Zichen and Litian refused to let go of any opportunity to study, and Shi Youxuan didn't call for them either.

With two brothers not needing to participate, there were even fewer people to make dumplings.

But this year there was Yueyue, so the liveliness was not diminished; she didn't help, but instead caused trouble.

Zihan placed his chubby younger sister on the cutting board, and the little girl started to have a blast!

She spun in place, covered in flour, looking like a "little snowman."

"Hold!"

The "snowman" stretched out her chubby little arms and said to her dad with a smile.

Sheng Hanyu's sternness could only be seen by his sons; he had always been gentle and pleasant toward his daughters, both with the older one, Shi Ran, and the younger one, Sheng Yue.

He took his daughter into his arms but scolded his son: "Why did you put her on the cutting board? It's so cold on the board, how unreliable."

Then, the "reliable" dad carried Yueyue back to the room to change her clothes, leaving the unreliable son to make dumplings.

Shi Youxuan also scolded her son: "Look, there were already few people working, and now there's one less."

Fang Jie and Zhang Ma also came to help, and the dumplings were finished very quickly.

It was dark.

Zihan began to rub his hands in excitement, and even the usually steady Zirui was a bit expectant, looking forward to the time for setting off fireworks.

Every New Year, the Sheng Family would buy plenty of fireworks to set off, and the time for setting off fireworks was also when the children were most excited.

The Sheng Family had many boys, and in previous years they mostly bought "Earth Reds," "Double-Bangers," and "Flash Thunders"—things that made noise.

But this year—they didn't buy any!

They only bought good-looking ones that didn't make noise, pure fireworks, and even hand-held sparklers.

After Zihan discovered this, he deflated and put them down, muttering with dissatisfaction: "These things should just be left for Yueyue; save them for her to set off when she grows up."

That's what he said, but in the end, they were all set off anyway.

No need to ask to know that Mother bought these noiseless ones because she was afraid of affecting the two brothers' studies.

This year, it wasn't just the Sheng Family that was desolate.

Jian Yixin's home was even more desolate.

In previous years, the whole family would go to her parents' house for the New Year, along with her younger brother's family, full of liveliness and laughter.

But this year was different; her mother had passed away suddenly, and her father had a whirlwind marriage. Although she accepted the fact, she was unwilling to interact with her stepmother.

Thus, for the New Year, she only sent New Year's gifts, and the family of three spent it at home.

She sat in the Study with a black-and-white photo of her mother placed in front of her; she had been sitting there for several hours, just sitting like that, doing nothing.

Her son Moli was in a state similar to that of the Sheng Family's Zichen and Litian.

Except for eating and sleeping, he wished to use all his time for studying, so naturally, he didn't notice that his mother was still grieving over the passing of her mother.

In the entire house, the only one busy was Sheng Zerong.

With his mother-in-law having passed away, although they couldn't put up spring couplets, other necessary rituals could not be skipped.

At the very least, the New Year's Eve dinner had to be decent.

Seven dishes and eight bowls, chicken, duck, fish, and meat all had to be prepared completely.

Just for that table of food, Sheng Zerong had been busy all morning.

But when it came time to eat, no one took more than a few bites.

Then came making dumplings; the dumplings for three people didn't take much, but from kneading the dough, washing vegetables, mixing the filling... to rolling the wrappers and wrapping the dumplings, not a single step could be skipped.

These tasks were still done by Sheng Zerong alone; at such times, he also missed the days when his mother-in-law was alive.

Before the dumplings were finished, it was dark.

Like the spring couplets, the fireworks were stopped this year; on New Year's Eve, Sheng Zerong's home was the same as usual, and the family of three went to rest when the time came.

Even more desolate than their home was Jian Xiansheng's home.

It wasn't noticeable in daily life, but during the New Year, the desolation was exceptionally obvious!

In previous years, the house was always lively, with sons, daughters, grandsons, and granddaughters all present, the whole family complete.

But this year, with his wife having passed away, everything was different.

Although he had remarried, the original family could no longer return to the way it was.

Jian Xiansheng sat on the sofa in the living room watching the gala.

Wu Ying was busy non-stop in the large house; she was very diligent, and since arriving at this home, she had kept the house clean and tidy and taken good care of Jian Xiansheng.

But although the two were husband and wife in name, their relationship felt more like that between an employer and an employee.

Wu Ying took care of Jian Xiansheng's daily life, letting the room have a sense of "human warmth."

Jian Xiansheng provided the mother and children with a place to stay, food, drink, and daily expenses, and he also gave her five thousand yuan in pocket money every month.

The "dead weight" brought by Wu Ying hid in the room and would not come out.

Generally, whenever Jian Xiansheng was present, he tried his best not to appear!

Jian Xiansheng knew but did not care; if he wouldn't come out, then he wouldn't come out. It had only been a short time, and the child needed time to adapt.

After all, his mother was so young, and marrying an "old geezer" like him—it was normal for a child not to understand.

When he grew up and saw the hardships of life, perhaps he would understand.

The festive atmosphere of the New Year was even fainter in Jian Xiansheng's home; no one even mentioned it.

Jian Yining's home was livelier because there were three children.

Youyou.

Taotao.

Mengmeng.

The triplets were already fifteen years old this year and would be taking the high school entrance exam next year.

But... they had absolutely no sense of urgency about the exam!

At fifteen, they were considered young women, but they didn't act like it; the three sisters laughed and wrestled, and no matter what was being done in the house, it could become their battlefield!

Making dumplings.

Flour got all over their clothes and faces; they wasted more than they used.

Wan'er was exasperated and shouted at the triplets: "Can you three act like girls?"

Youyou: "Mom, what are girls supposed to be like?"

Taotao: "Just like us, isn't this perfectly fine?"

Mengmeng: "Exactly."

Wan'er was so angry she laughed, pointing at her three daughters and saying: "Please go look in the mirror and see if any of you look like a girl from head to toe! You have the nerve to shamelessly say that girls are just like this."

"Other people's daughters have long hair and long skirts, are gentle in appearance, and speak in soft voices. Look at you three: short hair, jeans, playing basketball, fighting, speaking loudly with quick tempers, and resorting to physical force at the slightest disagreement. And you say girls are just like you?"

Looking at her three daughters, she had a headache.

If they didn't look like her, she would seriously suspect that these three girls in front of her had been swapped by her aunt back then.

She didn't know who they took after in personality either.

Anyway, it wasn't like her, and it wasn't like her husband.