After midnight, it was the start of the new year. Xu Di, along with his younger siblings, kowtowed to the old lady, the Marquis, and the Marquis's wife, Madam Wu, to wish them a Happy New Year. Each of them received several bulging purses. Xu Bai, who loved money, secretly took out the gold and silver ingots from the purse to examine them. They were all exquisite and delicately crafted, with auspicious meanings. Every year during the Spring Festival, each household would buy a batch of such gold and silver ingots as New Year's money for their own children, or as purses filled with these ingots when relatives brought their children to pay New Year's visits.

After the New Year's money was given, everyone went home to rest. The Marquis and Madam Wu had to get up early the next morning to attend the grand court assembly at the palace.

Zhang Zhaoci walked last. Before leaving, he checked the old lady's pulse. The old lady smiled and said, "I'm perfectly fine, aren't I?"

Zhang Zhaoci said, "We must prioritize prevention now. We need to nip it in the bud as soon as it shows signs. It will be too late to treat it once it has developed."

The old lady said happily, "Okay, okay, I'll listen to you, I'll listen to you."

Zhang Zhaoci said, "You should just listen to me. We doctors like obedient patients like you who follow medical advice and do whatever you're told. As long as you listen to me, you'll definitely live to be a hundred years old."

The old lady said, "Then I must listen to you even more. I still want to see our Di'er get married and have a wife. I'm still waiting to hold my grandson."

If Xu Di has another child, the Marquis's mansion will truly be a five-generation household, which is not very common in the capital. Therefore, the old lady takes her health very seriously.

When Zhang Zhaoci returned, she saw that the three children and Granny Lu were still waiting for her. The maids serving in the courtyard, except for those on duty, were all celebrating the New Year in their own rooms. Xu Di specially bought a lot of fruits and snacks from outside and distributed them to them. He then told them to take them back to their own rooms to eat, chat, and have a New Year's tea party.

Seeing the table laden with food, Zhang Zhaoci laughed and said, "Are you planning to stay up all night here?"

Xu Bai said, "Mother, I won't go back tonight. I'll sleep on this kang (heated brick bed) here with you. I'll lie down and sleep whenever I can't hold on anymore. Please don't let anyone carry me away. I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay here with you."

Zhang Zhaoci said, "Okay, I'll listen to you."

Xu Zhi said, "Mother, you've been gone for a year now. My brother, younger brother, and I thought of you and came to talk to you."

Xu Di said, "It's a rare holiday, but my father isn't here. I don't know how he's spending the holiday alone in Ganzhou."

Zhang Zhaoci said, "He's not alone. He must have had more than a dozen guards, as well as a steward and servants. He must have had a pretty good New Year."

Zhang Zhaoci said it was good, but in his heart he was still worried about Xu Rao. He was all alone in that cold and harsh place, and it was really hard on him.

Before dawn, Zhang Zhaoci woke up. The three children were lying haphazardly on their kang (a heated brick bed), covered with blankets and fast asleep. The whole family was going to the old lady's house for dumplings in the morning. Zhang Zhaoci and Granny Lu woke the three children up. Xu Bai was too excited yesterday and didn't go to bed until the early hours of the morning. He was so sleepy that he could barely open his eyes. He let his mother and sister change him into bright red new clothes, comb his hair, and wipe his face with a warm towel before he was slightly awake.

Xu Di was already dressed. The seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy looked exceptionally tall and handsome in his new clothes.

Looking at Xu Di, who was dressed in a bright red silk cotton coat, apart from the jade hairpin in his hair and the jade pendant hanging at his waist, he had no other ornaments. Even so, he was still handsome and had the air of a noble young master.

Seeing Xu Di's attire, Zhang Zhaoci smiled and said, "Xu Di, I really didn't expect that with just a little dressing up, you would look like such a handsome young man."

Xu Di said, "That's right. Don't you know who gave birth to me? My parents are good-looking, how could their child be bad?"

Xu Bai wrinkled his nose upon hearing this and said, "I really can't stand the way you guys are praising each other."

Zhang Zhaoci pulled Xu Bai into her arms and kissed Xu Bai's soft cheeks hard. After wiping his face, Xu Bai applied some moisturizing oil, which Xu Di and Zhang Zhaoci made together using modern techniques and adding a lot of Chinese medicinal herbs. The effect and taste were both excellent.

Xu Bai quickly wiped his face and said, "Mother, I just applied some lotion. Aren't you afraid of getting a kiss on my lips?"

Zhang Zhaoci said, "My son is good-looking, and I'm happy about that. What's wrong with giving him a kiss? As long as I'm happy."

Xu Bai waved his hand and said, "Okay, okay, whatever makes you happy."

Granny Lu had already taken out the cloak she would wear when she went out. Seeing that Zhang Zhaoci was still playing with the children, she smiled and said, "It's getting late, let's go quickly."

Zhang Zhaoci took it and helped Xu Bai put it on. Holding Xu Bai's hand, she said, "When you see Grandmother later, you must say auspicious words. You must say auspicious words to everyone you meet today, understand?"

Xu Bai said, "I know, Mother. I've lived through several years, how could I not understand this? Don't worry."

Zhang Zhaoci said, "It's good that you know, Mother. I was just afraid that you were too young and didn't know how to speak properly."

Xu Di followed behind and chuckled when he heard Zhang Zhaoci's words. Xu Bai heard this, turned around, and said, "Brother, Happy New Year."

Xu Di, unusually, didn't retort. How could he? If he spoke as sharply and sarcastically as usual during the New Year, his own mother would be the first to hold him accountable.

Although Xu Bai carried memories of his past life, he was indeed born from Zhang Zhaoci's womb, just like himself. He was his own brother, and he knew in his heart that he wasn't very lenient with this younger brother. In general, it was because he had been an only child for over thirty years, and his parents suddenly had a second child, which made him feel uncomfortable.

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