Chapter 536: Three Families' Different New Year's Eves

Wang Yinghao stroked her granddaughter's hair affectionately: "Whoever eats the dumpling with the coin in it tonight will be the most blessed person in our family."

Shi Ranran back to her room with a "patter-patter" sound, and returned a moment later clutching a piggy bank: "Grandma, I have lots of coins here. Can we put a coin in every dumpling?"

"Hahahaha..."

Everyone laughed.

Shi Youxuan said to her daughter: "Only by wrapping one can we see who is the most blessed. If we put a coin in every dumpling, how would we tell them apart?"

Shi Ran: "Why do we have to compete for first place in being blessed? Can't we all be blessed people? If we can't tell them apart, doesn't that mean everyone is happy?"

Everyone:...

Wrapping a coin in a dumpling is a custom in Jiangzhou that has lasted for thousands of years.

Every family wraps a coin in a dumpling on New Year's Eve, but truly, no one had ever posed such a soul-searching question before!

That's right.

Why must one compete for first place in blessings?

Can't everyone be the most blessed person?

Of course, it is impossible to put a coin in every dumpling.

That would just be like eating dumplings and spitting out pits.

So, everyone agreed that whoever eats the dumpling with the coin must hold hands with everyone else to pass the blessing on to each person, so that everyone becomes the most blessed person!

The process of wrapping dumplings made Zichen incredibly happy.

The little guy found everything curious, and with wide, inquisitive eyes, he asked: "What's this?"

"What's that?"

It was just like a hundred thousand whys!

He didn't just ask; he had to participate personally, so he trotted over on his two short legs and dove headfirst into the flour basin!

The basin was full of soft dough, so he wasn't hurt, of course, but he couldn't get back out.

Seeing his grandson fall into the flour basin, Wang Yingzhi hurriedly went to pick him up, but was stopped by Sheng Jiang: "Don't pick him up, my grandson can climb out on his own."

He could climb out, but he came out covered in dough, ruining his festive new clothes, and there was a basin of dough to deal with too.

Wang Yinghao had given prior notice: no hitting the children today, and no making the children cry!

Which is to say—let him run wild.

But wasn't ruining a set of new clothes enough?

It wasn't enough.

Sheng Zichen left the flour basin covered in dough and walked toward the dough-kneading board.

Crawl, crawl...

When he couldn't climb up, he roared anxiously: "Help, help!"

Shi Youxuan looked at him, feeling both annoyed and amused, thinking: help you?

It's a miracle I'm not spanking you.

But even if Mom and Dad wouldn't help, someone else would.

Grandpa stepped forward to lift Zichen onto the board, letting him sit squarely in the middle of it.

He even laughed happily as he gave his reason: "It's New Year's today, just let my grandson have some fun, eh?" The old couple stood on either side, blocking the ends of the board to prevent their grandson from falling off.

As for how much of a mess he made?

Anything went.

Shi Youxuan, Sheng Hanyu:...

It was fortunate that Shi Youxuan was usually strict; otherwise, there was no telling how spoiled Erbao would be by his grandparents.

Sheng Zichen rolled around on the board, laughing "giggle-giggle," happy as could be.

After rolling for a while, he went quiet.

The little guy had been too wild today and got tired, so he simply fell asleep right there on the board.

Sheng Zichen was carried back to his room by his grandmother, who changed his clothes, wiped the flour off his little face and chubby hands, and tucked him in to let him keep sleeping.

Fang Jie kneaded a new batch of dough, and only then did they finish wrapping the dumplings in peace.

Once the dumplings were wrapped, the sky gradually turned dark.

Sheng Jiang suggested to his son: "You should go pick up your father-in-law to spend the New Year with us. He is very lonely all by himself at the nursing home."

Actually, Shi Youxuan and Sheng Hanyu had considered this long ago and had already asked.

Shi Yucheng wouldn't come, and besides, Jian Yixin and her husband were taking their child to the nursing home to spend the New Year with Shi Yucheng, so he wasn't lonely.

Shi Youxuan was still quite touched that her father-in-law had brought it up, and she said to him: "We have already asked. My father isn't coming. Yixin and Ze Rong are keeping him company today, so please don't worry."

Sheng Jiang felt it wasn't quite right and kept nagging: "Ze Rong is a child of the Sheng Family, and he's still a step removed from your father. It doesn't seem right that they can go keep your father company for the New Year, while you and Hanyu stay here with us. Why not have them all come over? It's more lively with more people..."

He meant well, but he didn't know that Jian Yixin had adopted Yuke's child.

These things couldn't be told to him; the fewer people who knew, the better.

Sheng Hanyu told his father not to meddle in other people's business, saying that since it was the New Year, he should just worry about his own family's affairs and not try to manage everyone else's.

Wang Yinghao frowned slightly; she didn't quite approve of her son's words.

How could her father-in-law's affairs be considered someone else's business?

However, hindered by the fact that her daughter-in-law was present, she said nothing.

She didn't say it to his face, but she would have to say it later.

Erbao woke up, and Shi Youxuan went upstairs to take care of the child.

Taking advantage of her daughter-in-law's absence, Wang Yinghao said to her son: "Hanyu, the way you spoke just now was wrong, and it was too cold-blooded."

Sheng Hanyu:...

He knew his mother had misunderstood, but let her misunderstand; he was not prepared to explain.

Jian Family.

Lady Jian was sighing and groaning at home, looking miserable.

Jian Fu kept winking at his wife, trying to get her to cheer up.

Today was New Year's Eve, and their son and daughter-in-law had specifically flown back to spend the New Year with her, yet she was putting on a long face, which was not good.

It would have been better if her husband hadn't winked; now that she felt noticed, she simply shed tears!

"Mom, shall I call my sister and ask them to come back?" Jian Yining suggested.

A married daughter is not supposed to return to her maiden home on New Year's Eve.

Jian Yining had been abroad for so many years and did not care about such so-called rules in the country, and Jin Wan'er cared even less.

When her son took the initiative to suggest it, Lady Jian was not happy, but instead said huffily: "Don't call. Even if you call, they won't come. That heartless thing gets more thoughtless the older she gets. She doesn't spend the New Year at home, but runs to the nursing home to spend it with Old Man Shi. Who knows what she's thinking? Her brain must be full of water..."

Only then did Jian Yining understand that the reason his mother was angry was not because his sister was absent, but because she had gone to the nursing home to keep Shi Yucheng company.

He did not think there was anything wrong with that.

His sister and Uncle Shi were like father and daughter and could talk to each other; what did it matter if they spent the New Year together? Being happy was what mattered most.

Actually, if it weren't for his mother not settling down these past two years and causing one thing after another.

Jian Yining would have wanted to get the families together to spend the New Year; wouldn't it be nice to have a lively, happy time with many people?

But with his mother's current temperament... that idea was just an idea; it was better to just think about it and leave it at that.

Nursing home.

On New Year's Eve, the usually lively nursing home now appeared exceptionally deserted.

Unlike other places, the courtyard where Shi Yucheng stayed was brightly lit, and besides the aroma of food wafting from the house, waves of laughter drifted out incessantly!

The atmosphere was very harmonious.

Several families spending the New Year together was actually more harmonious than many single families.

"Godfather, leave that there, don't move; I'll clean up in a moment." Shi Liu trotted over, took the bowl from Shi Yucheng's hands, and sent it to the kitchen.

The person washing dishes in the kitchen was a boy about the same age as Shi Liu, with delicate skin and a slightly thin, small build.

He was Shi Liu's boyfriend, and the two had been together for several years.

It was usually fine, but every time a holiday came around, the two had to separate, which made it especially hard for Shi Liu and Xiaolan.

But this year was different; spending the New Year at Godfather's house, the two could finally be together.

Godfather Shi Yucheng did not discriminate against them and treated them both like his own children.

"Hard work for you!" Shi Liu said in Xiaolan's ear.

Looking back to see no one was there, he quickly pecked him on the lips and pulled away.

Two red clouds immediately flew onto Xiaolan's face, and he gave him a reproachful look: "Stop messing around, it's not good if people see."