Chapter 118 Chinese New Year

As the Spring Festival approaches, the streets are decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and red can be seen everywhere.

Molly received a new set of red clothes made for her by her aunt: a bright red wool coat and a bright red trench coat. The children also received a set of new clothes each.

Grandpa Ji and Grandma Ji were also dressed in red, in red Tang suits, which fit them well and kept them warm.

Ji Hefeng successfully changed careers and became much more leisurely, spending his days accompanying Molly to buy New Year's goods. They also took the children along, almost getting separated from each other several times in the crowds. Molly and Ji Hefeng weren't in a hurry, but Ji's parents were extremely anxious.

“They won’t get lost, I’ve been watching them the whole time.” Ji Hefeng said calmly, but his mother slapped him. Not satisfied with just the slap, she twisted his ear. “The end of the year is when human traffickers are most active, so you better watch out. If any of these six are missing, I can’t live anymore.”

Upon hearing this, Ji Hefeng repeatedly apologized, "Don't worry, Molly and I are here."

"We can't be careless." Mrs. Ji looked at her daughter-in-law beside her, whose obedient and gentle smile instantly calmed her down.

This son is becoming increasingly unreliable; his wife is much better.

During the Spring Festival, not many relatives of the Ji family were going to visit, but quite a few people came to visit. Apart from her eldest uncle and aunt's family, Molly didn't recognize almost any of the others.

Aunt Ji's family came again, following Uncle Ji's family.

Since it was Chinese New Year, Grandma Ji and Grandpa Ji didn't want to get angry, so they let them in.

To everyone's surprise, as soon as Aunt Ji entered the door, she said, "Molly, I see that you've hired so many people in your cake shop. If you ask me, how can you trust outsiders as much as your own family? Why don't you hire your cousin to be your shop manager and let her manage the money for you?"

Molly shook her head. "Li Qingyang is not my cousin, and I will not hire her."

"Molly, you opened a cake shop?" Auntie stared at Molly.

Ji Heguang and Zhou Min also looked at Molly, and their expressions turned somewhat unpleasant, as if they had thought of something.

"Oh dear, you guys didn't know? That super popular Sweet Cake Shop these past few months is owned by Molly. You wouldn't have kept this from your second brother and the others, would you?" Aunt Ji said with a gloating expression, as if she was waiting to see a good show.

“The second son didn’t intend to hide it; it was I who forgot, forgot to mention it to the eldest son.” Grandpa Ji said with a gloomy face, staring intently at his youngest daughter.

"Dad, I'm not the one who did something wrong, why are you looking at me like that?" Aunt Ji said innocently.

"What kind of mistake is this? What obligation does Molly have to report to you about her affairs?" Grandpa Ji glanced at his eldest son and youngest daughter's family. "Have you reported everything to your second son?"

Uncle Ji and Aunt Ji remained silent.

"You've seen the people and paid your respects for the New Year, you can go back now," Grandpa Ji urged them on.

Grandma Ji hesitated for a moment, but ultimately said nothing.

Uncle Ji and Aunt Ji had just left when He Pan arrived.

He Pan himself was covered in gifts, and behind him were two bodyguards, each carrying several large boxes.

"You can just come in person, why bring so many gifts?" Grandma Ji scolded playfully.

"It's never a bad thing to be polite. These were all gifts from others, and I couldn't finish them all. I thought you had a lot of people here, so I brought them over to you." He Pan laughed heartily, not taking the gifts to heart.

Grandma Ji felt a little upset. Everyone knows that during the Lunar New Year, people should bring gifts when visiting someone's home. But her eldest and youngest daughters came empty-handed.

Are they dissatisfied with the second child, or with the two of us old folks?

"Grandma Ji, where are the children?" He Pan looked around but couldn't see the children.

“There are fish that have frozen to death in the pond, and they’re going over to check on them. It’s in the backyard, I’ll take you there,” Grandma Ji said.

"It's freezing cold and the roads are slippery, so please don't go. Just give me directions, and I can get there myself." He Pan spoke in a familiar tone. He had been to the Ji family's residence quite often before, but over the years, there had been considerable changes, and he was no longer familiar with the place.

"Walk to the end of this corridor, then turn left, and you'll see people once you enter the courtyard."

"Okay, I understand. That's all for now, Grandma, I'll head over now."

He Pan had just arrived when Wu Guyu and his wife arrived as well, carrying large bags and small packages, with their driver carrying several boxes behind them.

"Why are you here to wish us a Happy New Year? Molly and I were just about to bring some children to your house tomorrow." Ji Hefeng invited them in.

“There’s no conflict.” Wu Guyu didn’t believe Ji Hefeng’s words. “I’m not going anywhere tomorrow. I’ll just stay home and wait for you.”

"No," Ji Hefeng conceded, "I was just saying that."

With so many children, taking them out is really difficult. Even if he, Molly, and Mo An each looked after one of the children, there would still be one left over, which they simply couldn't manage.

"How many children do you have?" Wu Guyu looked around.

“They’re on the kang (heated brick bed), He Pan is with them.” Ji Hefeng said with a twisted voice, “Why do you all come here looking for my daughter and son? If you want them, go have them yourselves. What kind of behavior is it to keep eyeing other people’s children?”

"Do you think having a baby is easy?" Wu Guyu said helplessly. "Having a baby depends on fate. It's not like you can just have them whenever you want them."

Thinking about how he had succeeded in conceiving six children at once, Ji Hefeng nodded in deep agreement, "It seems that I have a deep connection with my children."

Wu Guyu: "......."

Ji Hefeng's smug look made him itchy to punch him.

Ji Hefeng, He Pan, and Wu Guyu rarely got together, and the three of them talked about starting a university.

Molly listened quietly without making a comment.

"Molly, how could you have agreed to He Pan's suggestion to start a university with him?" Wu Guyu's wife, Yan Yun, was a very gentle person with a beautiful appearance and a soft voice, which made people feel very comfortable.

"I had a momentary lapse of judgment," Molly said earnestly.

"puff--"

Yan Yun covered her mouth, her eyebrows curving into a smile.

“I regret it a little, but Grandpa and Grandma both said that starting a university is a good thing. Now that Ji Hefeng has taken over, I can’t be bothered to care anymore.” Molly is more concerned about Mo An and the other two who are about to go abroad. They are so young and going to a place where they don’t know anyone. I wonder if they will cry.

"Gu Yu said you have a strong sense of righteousness in your heart. He admires you, and I admire you too." Yan Yun's eyes sparkled. Whether it was Molly raising her younger brother at such a young age, adopting two children who were not related by blood, rescuing people in the flood, or taking out a million yuan to build a school without blinking an eye... all these things made her admire her.

Moreover, considering that this girl was only twenty-one years old this year, a few years younger than herself, Yan Yun felt even more inferior.

Molly hadn't expected Wu Guyu and his wife to give her such high praise, and repeatedly said, "I am unworthy of such praise."

When she made the decision, she didn't think too much about it; she just followed her heart. She wasn't as noble as they thought.

Yan Yun shook her head. "Molly, you're just very good."

Mo He started on the night of the third day of the Lunar New Year. Li Xiaoju came to knock on the Ji family's door in the middle of the night. When Molly saw Li Xiaoju, who was covered in dirt, she was startled.

"Your sister is about to give birth!" Li Xiaoju gasped for breath, panting heavily.

Upon hearing this, Molly put on her clothes and went outside without saying a word.

She went to get the car, and only after Li Xiaoju got in did she ask, "What happened to you?"

"I'm fine. I just slipped and fell a few times on the way here." Li Xiaoju wiped her face. "The ground was wet and slippery. It was late at night, so I didn't dare take your sister to the hospital. I could only come to find you."

Molly nodded. "You should come to see me. If it's during the day, you can just give me a call."

"That's right. It's so late at night, there's nowhere to make a phone call." Li Xiaoju was anxious, but Molly was already driving very fast, so she didn't dare to urge her.

There were few people outside at night, so Molly sped up and arrived at Mohe's house in ten minutes.

"Please go inside and change your clothes first. Where are your things for the delivery? I'll get them into the car first," Molly said as they walked.

"It's in the lobby, those bags and basins are it," Li Xiaoju said.

Molly responded, took her things to the car, and then went to Mo He's room. Mo He knew her sister had arrived when she heard the noise. She lay on the bed, turning her head to look towards the door. The moment she saw Molly, she felt inexplicably at ease.

"Panpan is awake too?" Molly suddenly remembered that there was still a little girl named Panpan who was left unattended.

"She's awake. Let's take her to the hospital together in a bit." Mo He lovingly touched her daughter's face, finding it both amusing and heartbreaking to see her still half-asleep.

"Then I'll dress her." Molly quickly dressed Zhao Pan and put on her shoes, then lifted her off the bed and said to her, "Panpan, walk out slowly. Auntie will take Mom to the car first, and then come back to pick up Panpan in a little while, okay?"

Zhao Pan looked at Molly blankly, without saying a word. Molly could only hug Mo He tightly and quickly walk out the door. Behind her came Zhao Pan's crying. Molly paused, but then heard Li Xiaoju say, "I'll hold Panpan."

When Molly was looking for a house, she wandered around this area quite a bit and knew the layout of the buildings like the back of her hand. She knew that there was a hospital not far from here, called something like a health center.

Molly drove to the hospital building. There were few people and cars at night. When she carried Mohe inside, the nurse on duty was startled.

"Are you injured?" the nurse asked.

“No, it’s giving birth, my water broke,” Molly replied.

"The maternity ward is on the second floor. Can you carry her up there?" The nurse looked at Molly, hesitating whether to push the bed over.

“No need, I can carry you.” Molly saw the stairs and went up first.

"Turn left after you go up the stairs." The nurse followed Molly. "There are two obstetricians on duty. Don't worry, they are very skilled."

Molly hummed in agreement.

Mo He went into the delivery room, while Mo Li and Zhao Pan sat on a bench outside waiting. Li Xiaoju was restless, pacing back and forth, constantly peering into the delivery room.

A breeze blew through the corridor, and Zhao Pan's small body curled up into a ball. When Molly saw this, she unzipped her down jacket, stuffed her inside, and then zipped it up again, leaving only her little head sticking out.

Zhao Pan glanced at Molly, said nothing, and silently pressed her little face against Molly's chest. After a while, the little girl's breathing became even.

"Molly, do you think your sister will have a girl or a boy this time?" Li Xiaoju wanted a boy; if she had a boy, her family would have an heir in the first ten days of the month.

"Whether it's a boy or a girl, they're all my blood." Molly's tone was a little cold.

Li Xiaoju's face stiffened. She could tell Molly was unhappy, so she could only shut up reluctantly. But she didn't think she had done anything wrong. Everyone liked boys; she wasn't the only one. Besides, in the village, without a son, one would be looked down upon everywhere, and anyone could step on one's foot. If one was bullied, one could only swallow one's anger.

Girls are considerate, but boys are the pillars of support.

Li Xiaoju fell silent, as did Molly; only Mo He's suppressed cries of pain echoed from the delivery room.

About an hour later, a loud cry came from the delivery room.

Li Xiaoju was startled and pressed herself against the door of the delivery room.

After a while, the door opened, and the nurse came out carrying the baby.

"Nurse, is it a boy or a girl?" Li Xiaoju's voice trembled, and she didn't dare to blink.

"It's a boy." The nurse was used to this situation.

Upon hearing that it was a boy, Li Xiaoju burst into tears and sobbed uncontrollably.

Molly frowned and asked the nurse, "How is the mother doing?"

"The mother is in good condition. She can go home after two hours of observation."

By the time Molly took the Moho family home, it was already getting light.

"Do you have any baby formula at home?" Molly asked.

"I bought two packs to keep on hand, planning to breastfeed once my milk comes in," Mo He said.

Molly nodded. "I'll go back first and come back at noon."

Mo He readily agreed, "You didn't sleep all night, it's alright if you don't come."

Molly didn't say whether she was coming or not, and went back first.

When I got home, the restaurant was already bustling with servants.

"Young Madam, the soy milk is ready. Would you like to have a bowl?" a maid greeted Molly.

Molly immediately changed course and headed to the restaurant. She drank two bowls of soy milk, thanked the servants, and then went to her own yard.

Ji Hefeng was already awake. "Big sister gave birth?"

"She gave birth, a boy, exactly five pounds." Molly lay down and snuggled deeper into the blankets.

Why do you look unhappy?

“Li Xiaoju likes boys, and I’m worried that Panpan will have a hard time. She’s still so young, has a biased grandmother, and her older sister has a job and doesn’t have much time to spend with her.”

"......"

Ji Hefeng didn't know how to solve this problem either.

Human nature is inherently biased and cannot be straightened.

Molly woke up around noon.

After she finished eating, Mo An came to find her with bags and packages. "Sister, are you going to my eldest sister's place later?"

Molly nodded. "Go ahead. Are all these things for my eldest sister?"

Mo An nodded, "There are some for my eldest sister, some for my little nephew, and some for Panpan. I bought two sets of clothes for Panpan."

"That's thoughtful." Molly felt a little comforted; thankfully, someone remembered Xiao Panpan.

"Molly, these are the chicks Mom bought at the market today. Take them to your older sister." Mrs. Ji pointed to the chicken coop in the yard, which contained six chicks. "Your dad and I went to buy them together."

“Thank you, Dad. Thank you, Mom,” Molly said.

Mrs. Ji brought out another bag. "I also packed some clothes for Ji Yi and the others. Clothes don't dry easily in this weather. Take these to your sister. I hope she won't mind."

"Of course my sister won't mind." Ji Yi and the other children's clothes were washed clean and had no patches. Li Xiaoju had previously asked if she could give the clothes that Ji Yi and the others had outgrown to Mo He's unborn child, and Molly had agreed.

Mo An went to Mo He's place every day, leaving early and returning late, to prepare postpartum meals for Mo He.

On the tenth day of the first lunar month, Mo An, Lu Lu, and Mo Chuyang began packing their clothes.

On the eleventh day of the first lunar month, Molly and Ji Hefeng took their three children to the train station in the south.

After going south, the three children will transfer to a cruise ship to travel abroad.

“Mo An and the others are on Uncle Geng’s and our boat. There are many of our people on board, so they will be fine,” Ji Hefeng reassured Molly.

Molly shook her head. "A mother worries when her son travels a thousand miles. Even the most careful plans can have oversights. I can't help but worry about them."