"Stay home today, or I'll throw all three of you into the cow dung!"

It was New Year's Eve, and Song Qing came over early in the morning to help prepare the dishes. Lu Ronghui also helped out. Everyone was so busy that they didn't have time to think about their mischievous son at home.

After finally getting the filling ready, Aunt Tian poured a lot of oil into the pot to start frying the meatballs. She glanced to the side with a strainer and saw An'an tiptoeing out like a thief. She immediately called out to her.

This brat has been running rampant in the village these past few days. He comes back every day with a flushed face, doesn't seem to mind the cold, and spends the whole day outside with his clothes all dirty.

No one will have time to clean for her tonight, so let her stay at home with them.

An'an pouted, clearly dissatisfied. Liu Jiandong didn't dare to speak and silently went back to lie down on the kang (a heated brick bed). Chen Junliang saw that her pout was so bad it could hold an oil lamp, so he took a piece of candy from his pocket and put it in her hand. Only then did An'an smile.

Song Qing saw this and sighed silently. Although the two of them often complained that An An was a tagalong, they were actually very good to her and always kept candy in their pockets to coax her.

The two boys, around ten years old, had long since had their fill of setting off firecrackers, but they still followed An'an's lead and acted out to please her. Even when their aunt scolded them, the two boys remained silent.

An'an, being quite clever, naturally knew that her brother and uncle doted on her, and she usually liked to stick close to them. Sometimes when Song Qing wouldn't let her do something, she would pester them relentlessly.

Because of these two people covering for her, she doesn't have time to play with Zhao Qin's two children now.

Everything was ready. In the afternoon, Aunt Tian called for boiling water so everyone could take a bath and change into new clothes. An'an wore a red cotton-padded jacket today. She already had a red scarf, and Lu Ronghui knitted her a red hat. With her rosy little face, she looked like a warm and cozy fire.

She was so festive that everyone who saw her wanted to hug her and kiss her.

"Wow"

I slipped over as soon as I got dressed, and there was already a meal laid out on the table: golden-fried meatballs, braised pork slices, sweet and sour pork, dry-fried eggplant, stir-fried potatoes, green peppers, and eggplant, and a big goose stewing in a large iron pot.

"Hungry? Have a meatball to tide you over, and we'll start our New Year's Eve dinner after the firecrackers are done."

Aunt Tian immediately picked up a still-hot meatball for her, and An'an ate it with a grimace. Aunt Tian then slipped a red envelope into her pocket.

May you grow taller and taller in the new year, and eat meat every day.

After saying that, he gently patted her on the head and told her to keep the red envelope in her pocket for a while and not to run outside to buy firecrackers as soon as she got it.

An'an smiled contentedly as she held the large red envelope; if she couldn't buy it today, she would buy it tomorrow.

Besides her third aunt giving her a red envelope, her great-uncle also gave her one, as did her eldest uncle. Her youngest uncle even stuffed a big bag of firecrackers into her pocket. Mom, Dad, and An'an were all smiling so hard their eyes were practically closed as they held the red envelopes.

The preparations for the New Year's Eve dinner took all day, and before it even got dark, Aunt Tian quickly invited them to sit down.

May the new year bring peace and safety, and may we have meat to eat every day.

Everyone smiled and exchanged a few kind words. As soon as Uncle Liu sat down, he immediately called for the wine to be taken out of the cupboard. Aunt Tian glanced at him a few times, but in the end, she held back from scolding him because it was the New Year. An'an had been sitting next to him swallowing her saliva for a long time, just waiting for someone to start eating so she could follow suit.

Just as everyone was about to pick up their chopsticks, a sound came from outside.

When Song Qing walked into the courtyard, she stood there stunned for a long time, blinking her eyes several times in disbelief.

"Sister Guan, why are you back now? Weren't you supposed to come back after the New Year?"

Guan Lian and her family of three, carrying large and small bags, were travel-worn. After leaving the train station, they searched for a long time before finally finding a car to take them there, even though it was Chinese New Year.

They had just gotten off the train and wanted to come over and take Xiao Liang back first. Guan Lian was carrying gifts in her hands, and she immediately started panting when she spoke.

“It doesn’t matter where we spend the New Year. We wanted to get back before New Year’s Eve, and we made it just in time. The train wasn’t delayed either. Thank you for taking care of Xiao Liang during this time.”

Hearing the noise, the people inside came out one after another.

"...Mom? Grandma and Grandpa?"

Chen Junliang stared at the three familiar figures for a long while, and only after hearing his mother and grandparents talking did he dare to confirm that it really was them. His eyes welled up with tears, and he stood there for a while before calling out to them.

Guan Lian's parents wiped their eyes. It seemed that their child had grown taller in the few months they hadn't seen her. They had come so quickly that they would probably have to make do with just a quick New Year's Eve dinner tonight. The old couple quickly took out some money from their pockets to give their grandson a red envelope.

Song Qing glanced behind them but didn't see Xiao Sheng. She didn't ask him anything at that moment, but instead pushed open the door and told them to come in quickly.

"Uncle and Aunt, please come in first. It's been so cold on the way here. There's a fire burning inside."

Guan Lian and her parents wanted to refuse, thinking that at this time, families were reuniting, so what were they going to do there?

"No, no, we just wanted to see our child first, so we didn't want to trouble you."

Aunt Tian stepped forward and took the bundles from their hands, insisting on pulling them into her home. It was the dead of winter, and they had just gotten off the train. It would take them some time to heat up the house, so they should hurry up and warm up here.

"Come in, come in quickly. We haven't started eating at home yet. You must be freezing on the way here."

Aunt Tian insisted that they sit down and eat. This year, the family had plenty of meat, and the New Year's Eve dinner was especially lavish. They could not finish it all, and with three pairs of chopsticks, it would be enough. Besides, the more lively the New Year's Eve dinner, the better.

"It's already this late, you'll just be going home to a cold house, so why not stay here and have some fun together?"

Guan Lian's parents couldn't resist the enthusiastic Aunt Tian and were quickly pulled to sit down at the table. Guan Lian hurriedly stuffed the things she had prepared into Aunt Tian's hands.

"Auntie only has some dried meat and New Year's goods. If you don't accept them, we'll feel bad troubling you here."

After another round of excuses, by the time everyone was seated at the table, it was already dark outside.

The kang (heated brick bed) was warm enough to keep the room cozy, and An'an ended up wearing only a thin jacket, her belly round from eating.

Uncle Liu insisted on dragging people to drink, and by the end, Lu Yang and Liu Jianqiu were almost lying on the table. The room was warm and lively. Chen Junliang recovered from his initial surprise and disbelief, and for the first time, his face was full of smiles.