Li Lao Er was the first to step through the door, and Jia Yin rushed over like a cannonball, shouting, "Happy New Year, Second Uncle! May you be promoted and make a fortune in the New Year!"
Li Lao Er beamed with joy upon hearing this, squatting down to catch his chubby niece. However, instead of hugging her, he took out a pair of small, golden fish from his purse. "Here, New Year's money! May our lucky girl grow up healthy and happy in the new year!"
Jiayin was overjoyed and wanted to kiss her second uncle after taking Xiaoyu, but Li Lao Er avoided her, saying, "Our Fu Niu'er will be a grown woman after the New Year. You can't be so casual anymore, otherwise people will say you don't know the rules, you know?"
Jiayin pouted, suddenly finding the little goldfish in her hand no longer appealing.
Just then, the Marquis and Mr. Wen came in from outside. She turned around and ran over, calling out loudly, "Godfather, Godfather!"
"What's wrong? Why is our Fu Niu'er unhappy?" The Marquis squatted down and gently put his hand around Jia Yin, but did not pick her up.
This made Jiayin even more frustrated, and she finally couldn't help but cry.
"I don't want to grow up. Growing up is bad. My second uncle doesn't dare to hug me anymore, and I have to learn manners. I don't want to!"
The Marquis is such a clever man; he immediately understood what was going on.
He found it both funny and helpless, and quickly wiped away the chubby girl's tears. "You can't cry on the first day of the new year, otherwise you won't have any good luck for the whole year. Our lucky girl has grown up, which is a good thing!"
"You can wear more pretty dresses and more pretty jewelry, and you can go out and have fun, right?"
Jiayin stopped crying and nodded gently.
The lack of childhood experiences in her past life left her with a knot in her heart, and she felt that no matter how much she tried to make up for it in this life, it would never be enough.
Growing up might be something to look forward to for others, but for her, growing up meant separation, loneliness, and being left all alone...
In fact, no one could understand her fear and resistance!
The lord wanted to speak, but suddenly he understood something from the little chubby girl's eyes.
He scooped up the chubby girl and placed her on his shoulder, then stood up abruptly. "Although our lucky girl has grown up and it's not as easy to hug her anymore, her godfather can carry you on his back!"
“Even if you’re eighty years old, in your godfather’s and family’s eyes you’re still a child! We can pretend outside, but at home, you can do whatever you want. If you don’t want to grow up, we won’t grow up! If you don’t want to learn the rules, we won’t learn them!”
"No one can wrong our Fu Niu'er. At worst, she can go to war with her godfather and become a brave daughter of a general. If anyone dares to say a word against her, we'll whip them!"
Fu Niu sat on her godfather's shoulders and saw that her second uncle and Mr. Wen were smiling indulgently, so she finally smiled too.
It seems that growing up isn't so scary after all...
Whether she grows up or not, those who love her will still love her!
When Old Lady Li came out of the house and heard the Marquis's words, she smiled helplessly, "You all spoil this girl so much. What if she really takes a whip and bullies people everywhere in the future?!"
"Then let's bully others, it's better than being bullied!" Li Laosi said as he followed.
He stepped forward and transferred his daughter from the Marquis's shoulders to his own, and the girl ran around the yard, making Jiayin giggle with delight.
Li Lao Er was afraid that he had hurt his little niece's feelings, so he tucked his long gown into his belt, carried his niece around the yard.
Next came Li Zhensheng, Li Laosan, Jiaren, Jiayi...
The men of the Li family, young and old, expressed their love and support for their precious child through their actions.
In the end, it was only because Grandma Li was afraid that her granddaughter would get a headache from the wind that she managed to snatch her granddaughter into her arms, and then invited everyone into the house.
Villagers brought their children to pay New Year's visits and kowtow, and the village heads of Dahuaishu, Dawangzhuang, and Xiaowangzhuang also came.
The Li family invited them to have tea and snacks, and the children were also given lucky money.
Each boy received six silver peanuts, enough for one qian of silver. The boys were overjoyed and gathered together to figure out what to buy.
Life was good in the village, and peddlers and vendors would come every few days.
But they didn't dare enter the village; they just shook a rattle drum at the village entrance.
The children are overjoyed every time they buy two pieces of sesame candy or a few snacks.
Clearly, the first peddler to come to the door after the New Year is going to make a fortune...
Before they knew it, it was the second day of the Lunar New Year, the day to visit one's maternal home. Madam Cui got up early and went to the Liu family in the city.
Her parents had both passed away, but her uncle, Old Master Liu, took good care of her. Liu Zhiheng and his wife also treated her like a younger sister. On such days, the Liu family would be especially happy if she came over for a meal.
Jia Huan also accompanied Wen Juan back to Luo'an Town, and took the opportunity to visit their empty courtyard.
Mr. Wen hitched a ride and went back to the city.
His family's affairs are a complete mess. He hid on the 30th and the first day of the new year. If he doesn't go back on the second day, it might affect the Li family...
Neither Zhao Yuru nor Tao Hongying had a family home to return to, but Old Lady Li doted on her daughters-in-law and called her sons to hand over the cooking duties for the day, allowing them to rest for a day.
Whether you're doing needlework, having snacks, chatting with people, or simply taking a nap, it's all fine.
Compared to many other families, the men in the Li family are already very loving towards their wives. They don't hit or scold them, share the chores, and discuss things together when problems arise. But... they've never even stepped into the kitchen.
If it's just porridge, it's manageable, but preparing lunch for the whole family is a huge challenge.
Just when I was at my wit's end, Li Yong came to ask for help.
It turns out that Hui Niang wanted to recognize the village elders as her godparents.
Previously, when Li Yong was not at home, Hui Niang was pregnant and stayed at the village chief's house. The old couple took meticulous care of Hui Niang, even more so than her own parents.
Hui Niang was extremely grateful and felt sorry for the elderly couple who had no children by their side to take care of them. Yesterday, she discussed it with Li Yong and the couple, who considered the Li family as their husband's family, and wanted to help Hui Niang find another family to support her.
They are willing to treat the village elders as their own parents, and are willing to take care of them in their old age and see them off when they die!
Early this morning, they took the child back to the village chief's house and told him about it. The village chief and his wife were overjoyed and are still crying at home now.
This is wonderful news!
The men and women of the Li family immediately said they wanted to go and offer their congratulations, and then they all rushed out, making Old Mrs. Li and her daughter-in-law laugh uncontrollably.
They weren't there to congratulate them; they were there to legitimately evade labor!
Soon, the men, women, and children of the Li family all arrived at the village chief's house. Uncle Zhao and several other old men were already drinking tea.
The couple next door, Liu the镖头 (bodyguard) and his wife, also came over to congratulate them, bringing their chubby baby boy with them.
Grandma Wu grabbed Grandma Li's hand and burst into tears before she could even speak. "My dear sister, you know, I'm such a sickly, useless person, and I haven't even left any bloodline behind..."
"I thought my life would just stay like this forever, but I never imagined that I would have such a wonderful daughter and two great-grandchildren. I really want to kowtow to God a thousand times!"
Grandma Li understood her excitement and gratitude, and kept half-embracing her, patting her back and advising her: "Old sister, people say you reap what you sow. Today's great joy is the result of your and the village chief's good deeds!"
"Hui Niang and Dayong are good children who know how to be grateful, so you can rest assured. From now on, you just need to take care of your eldest grandson and enjoy your retirement."
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