On New Year's Eve, Xiao Yunying prepared a large table full of dishes.
The children ate until their bellies were round and full, and afterwards, none of them wanted to sit down. They kept walking back and forth in the living room to digest their food.
Even Luo Yang, who was usually very restrained, stood quietly by the wall, avoiding Xiao Yunying's teasing gaze.
Xiao Yunying and the other women sat around the stove, watching this scene and laughing at them without any restraint.
“It’s not like I don’t feed you. Look at you, so weak. You get so full just from the sight of food. Your bellies are all bulging.”
Luo Chen and Luo Yang felt their cheeks burning slightly. Luo Li wasn't afraid of being laughed at; he had been laughed at countless times before. Everyone knew he was greedy, and he had developed a thick skin about it.
"It's all because Mom's cooking is so delicious. There are several dishes that I've never had before, and they weren't even available last year for Chinese New Year. I couldn't resist and ate a bit too much."
Xiao Yunying did not refute. She had made several elaborate dishes today, which were time-consuming and complicated. She usually wouldn't bother to spend so much time making such dishes.
Madam Luo said, "Delicious dishes also require a lot of effort. You have no idea how complicated it is to make those dishes. Your mother has really shown off her skills today."
Luo Li replied matter-of-factly, "That's why this isn't a dish we can eat anytime. Since Mother made it today, we should naturally eat more."
Xiao Yunying said, "Stop being so cheeky, or you'll ruin your stomach and never be able to eat good food again."
Luo Li immediately made a face: "Then I will try to restrain myself in the future and not let myself eat so much."
Xiao Yunying gestured for him to look at the table: "There are digestive tablets in the small pink dish. Everyone should take two tablets to help with digestion."
The children quickly went over and started distributing the digestive tablets.
Seeing Luo Xin quietly and secretly walk past with Duan Xiaoxiao, and also ask Luo Chen for some digestive tablets, Xiao Yunying shook her head with a helpless smile.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Duan Yingying staring blankly at the stove, her brows slightly furrowed, clearly worried about the house.
She leaned over and whispered in Duan Yingying's ear, "It's the New Year, don't think about those worries. There's no rush to build a new house. Just stay at my house and I'll find someone to build it for you after the New Year. If you don't have enough money, I can lend you some."
Duan Yingying snapped out of her daze, and after hearing what Xiao Yunying said clearly, she whispered, "Sister Yunying, our family has already troubled you so much..."
Xiao Yunying deliberately asked, "What, do you have enough money to build a new house?"
"It's not enough... I... I can ask Sister Cheng Yue for an advance on several months' worth of monthly allowance..."
She stammered as she spoke, because she remembered that Cheng Yue still owed Xiao Yunying a large sum of money because of the opening of her new store.
Besides, building a new house and making furniture, plus the workers' wages, would take several months' worth of her monthly salary.
Xiao Yunying also mentioned this: "Your boss's wife still owes me a large sum of money, and you still want to ask her for an advance on your monthly allowance."
"I……"
Xiao Yunying tilted her head and smiled at her: "Alright, don't think too much about it. I didn't give it to you for nothing. You have to pay me back in the future, so don't try to renege on your debt."
"Sister Yunying, thank you..."
"Hey, you can't cry during the New Year, quickly hold it back."
One sentence made Duan Yingying laugh through her tears, and she sniffed to hold back her tears.
This year, there were more people in the family, making it more lively than last year. Everyone stayed up until around 2 a.m. before gradually going back to their rooms to sleep for a while.
Xiao Yunying couldn't take it anymore. She was only pretending because there were many people in her family; otherwise, she would have gone back long ago.
She yawned and went back into the house. As soon as she entered, she saw a brocade box on the table.
Was curiosity a gift Luo Sheng gave himself?
Luo Sheng was still keeping vigil in the living room, so she didn't rush over to ask him anything. Instead, she took off her coat and went to sleep.
The next day, when Xiao Yunying got up to pay New Year's visits, she noticed that the other side of the quilt was neatly folded, and assumed that Luo Sheng had stayed up all night to welcome the New Year and hadn't come over to sleep.
When she sat down at the dressing table to comb her hair, she noticed that the brocade box that had been on the round table had been placed there, clearly a gift for her.
She opened the brocade box, inside was a pair of jade earrings, carved with cherry blossom patterns, small and exquisite, suitable for everyday wear.
The fact that it appeared in her room and then ran from the table near the door to her dressing table made it obvious who sent it.
"You have good taste."
Xiao Yunying removed the silver cloves from her earlobes and put on the pair of earrings.
She looked in the mirror and gently shook her head, watching the earrings in the mirror sway gently as well, and smiled contentedly.
After she finished combing her hair, it was still dark. She first opened the front door to wait for the children who came to pay their respects for the New Year, and then went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
She saw light coming from the kitchen while she was in the courtyard. When she stepped inside, she saw that apart from Madam Luo and two maids, all the other women were busy working inside.
"You all get up so early, so I'm the last one to get up."
Everyone exchanged New Year's greetings and auspicious words. Zheng Yunwan said, "Yunying made such a big table of dishes yesterday. You worked so hard. I was thinking of getting up early to make breakfast so that Yunying could sleep a little longer."
"What a thoughtful girl." Xiao Yunying took out a red purse from her bosom and stuffed it into Zheng Yunwan's arms: "I'm giving you this red envelope to reward you for your hard work every day."
Just as Zheng Yunwan was about to say something, Xiao Yunying put a finger to her lips: "This is New Year's money. I'm older than you, so I can't refuse."
Zheng Yunwan blushed slightly: "Then thank you, Sister Yunying."
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
