Time flies, and the Chinese New Year is just around the corner.
"Stack it up!"
"Wolf!"
Xiaoshan and Sanni can already speak, occasionally uttering non-standard sounds.
This surprised both Li Rouniang and Mo Bei.
Hearing Sanni call out "Dad," Mo Bei hugged Sanni and showered her with kisses: "My dear Sanni, call me again."
“Stack it up!” Sanni laughed.
Mo Bei happily lifted him high in the air.
Erni pouted, thinking, "What's so great about that? It's like you can't even make a sound yourself."
Her eyes lit up, and she ran over to hug Mo Bei's leg, crying, "Daddy, can you make me a small dagger for the New Year?"
"Erni, what did you call me?" Mo Bei asked excitedly.
"I told you I'd like you to make me a little dagger as a New Year's gift, okay?" Erni said coquettishly.
"No, that's not it. What did you call me earlier?" Mo Bei asked.
"Father!" Erni hugged Mo Bei and cried out. She had wanted to call him that for a long time. In her heart, Mo Bei was her father, and there was no room for argument!
"Okay, Dad will definitely make you a handy little dagger for the New Year." Mo Bei happily picked up Erni.
"You just keep spoiling her. You've really spoiled her rotten; she's practically the little tyrant of our village," Li Rouniang said with a smile, watching the two interact.
Erni's personality is like someone else's; she's very domineering. In the past six months, all the children in the village have been fawning over her, calling her "Big Sister."
Li Rouniang was really worried. How would Erni get married when she grew up?
"Father is the best to me." Erni smiled proudly, looking forward to getting a handy little dagger for the New Year. She was so happy.
Da Ni watched the interaction between the people inside from the doorway. She lowered her head and tugged at the hem of her clothes. Behind her, Old Man Mo patted her head and said encouragingly, "What does Da Ni want? Go and ask for it too. You must fight for what you want yourself."
Da Ni looked at Old Man Mo, nodded heavily, and then ran over to him, calling out, "Dad~" Da Ni's voice was a little hesitant and shy.
Mo Bei happily squatted down: "Good girl, call out again, and Daddy will buy you whatever New Year's gift you want."
"I want to buy a book. And a calligraphy brush and paper," Da Ni said hesitantly. She loved reading. She had learned so many characters from Old Man Mo, but she had only been able to draw them on the ground with a small stick. She wanted to seriously pick up a book and read it properly.
"Okay, Daddy will buy you three books." Mo Bei nodded.
Li Rouniang couldn't bear to look anymore. It seemed her husband was destined to be a doting father, completely controlled by these children.
Old Man Mo stood at the door, grinning from ear to ear. He was happy that his son was happy.
Xiao Shan, held in Li Rongniang's arms, clapped his hands and laughed for no apparent reason, seeing everyone laughing.
Everyone burst into laughter at the sight of Xiaoshan drooling.
It started snowing lightly that day, and Li Rouniang realized that the New Year was just around the corner.
She and Mo Bei bought many New Year's goods together, and of course Li Rou Niang also went to Hua Ru Yi's teahouse.
"Ruyi, come home with me for the New Year," Li Rouniang said warmly, pulling Hua Ruyi's hand.
“Okay, then I’ll close my shop a little earlier on New Year’s Day and then come find you,” Hua Ruyi readily agreed.
They'd known each other for a long time, like sisters, so there was no need for formalities. Besides, Hua Ruyi knew Li Rouniang would be getting married after the New Year, so the sisters probably wouldn't have many more opportunities to have private conversations.
However, she did approve of Mo Bei as a man who doted on his wife, so she figured Rou Niang's life wouldn't be too difficult after marrying him.
"Alright, it's settled then. I'll prepare your favorite pear blossom wine, and we'll drink until we drop and stay up all night to welcome the New Year," Li Rouniang said happily.
Mo Bei's house has been built, and the place is big enough!
So we plan to have dinner and stay up all night together in Old Man Mo's courtyard, which will make it more lively.
Hua Ruyi nodded. She didn't care. As long as she was with someone who made her feel comfortable, she didn't care what happened.
At the same time, she thought of Lei Dayong, a man who had been haunting her teahouse like a dog with a bone ever since that incident.
Thanks to him, her teahouse's business has been declining day by day. Just seeing that scoundrel makes her miserable.
She decided to go and avoid Rou Niang for a while. She was afraid that if she disappeared for too long, that scoundrel's affection would fade, and she didn't want to have any deeper contact with Lei Dayong.
After agreeing on their plans, Li Rouniang and Mo Bei hurriedly left together, as they still had some New Year's goods to buy. They also wanted to take advantage of the snow to quickly return and settle their belongings.
Years later, Li Rouniang often recalled this scene: Hua Ruyi standing at the entrance of the teahouse waving to her.
She smiled so sweetly under the snow.
She once thought that the two sisters would chat about everyday things and have private conversations together until their hair turned white.
But little did they expect that such an ordinary farewell would be their last. On the day they met again, snow fell on their hair, turning it a light white.
Years later, she saw a line in a poem that read: "If we are together in the snow one day, then we can consider this a lifetime of growing old together."
She cried her eyes out at the time. Although the poem referred to the affection between a man and a woman, the person she was truly thinking of was Hua Ruyi.
If she had known that this parting would be forever, she certainly wouldn't have said goodbye so readily, and wouldn't have turned and left without hesitation.
She definitely wouldn't have arranged to meet on New Year's Eve. On that day, she would have dragged Hua Ruyi home by force, and then wouldn't so many things have been avoided?
That being said, no one has the ability of a prophet to predict what will happen in the future.
Li Rouniang happily bought many New Year's goods with Mo Bei. When they returned home, the children surrounded them, chattering excitedly. She distributed the gifts to everyone, and everyone was very happy.
Erni took her little dagger and went to show it off to her friends in the village.
Dani took her favorite book and ran to her room to read it seriously.
Mo Bei, holding Sanni in one arm and Xiaoshan in the other, happily played with the two girls, toying with their newly bought toys. The two girls babbled incoherently at Mo Bei, their words seemingly nonsensical, yet they managed to communicate without any problems.
Old Man Mo sat in his rocking chair, smoking his newly bought pipe, and looked at Mo Bei with a smile.
Li Rouniang ran to the kitchen and prepared a sumptuous dinner.
Everyone had a very enjoyable meal that day.
It snowed heavily that night, and Mo Bei even built a big snowman with Da Ni and Er Ni!
Everything seemed so warm and cozy; no one expected that disaster would strike so quietly and without warning.
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