Lin Fengnian and Song Mei were a little embarrassed when they received the red envelopes and said, "Grandma, we're all married now, how can we still accept your New Year's money?"
Song Anxin smiled and said, "Why can't you have them? With your mother and grandmother around, you'll always be children."
"Come, come, your mother and second maternal grandmother have also prepared one for each of you. Ah Si, you have one too. Granny Wei and Granny Qi, may you be safe and happy... Qingshan and Qingfeng, you all have one too."
Upon hearing this, Granny Wei and Granny Sun quickly said, "Oh dear, madam, you can give money to Ping An and An Gui, but we are all old women, why are you giving us New Year's money?"
Song Anxin smiled and said, "Who says old people can't have New Year's money?" She turned around and gave an even bigger red envelope to Old Mrs. Song, "Mother, not only do they have some, but you do too. Please don't refuse. This is my filial piety. Please put it by your bedside tonight, and you will surely have peace and safety every year!"
Grandma Song was overjoyed that her daughter had said such a thing, so she had to accept the gift. She was so old; who would have thought she'd receive New Year's money again? Her face beamed with a wide smile, and she said repeatedly:
"Alright, alright, Mother will be safe and sound every year." She then took out a small cloth bag embroidered with the character "福" (fortune) from her bosom and placed it in Song Anxin's hand. "Xin'er, Mother knows you are not short of money now. This bag of a hundred blessings was sewn by Mother herself. Inside is a peace talisman that Mother specially obtained from the temple. Keep it with you, so that my good daughter may also be safe and sound."
Song Anxin accepted the gift with gratitude. Who would have thought that she, who used to spend the New Year all alone, would now have a son, daughter-in-law, and Sister-in-law Lin as family, and a mother who loves her so much? This feeling is truly wonderful.
Song Anbang naturally received a bag of blessings and peace from his mother, as well as New Year's money prepared for him by his older sister. For a moment, he was at a loss for words.
Meanwhile, the four maids, Ping An and Xi Le, along with An Fu and An Lu, held their New Year's money, their eyes filled with joy and a few tears welling up. They were all orphans and had never received New Year's money before. So this is what it feels like to receive New Year's money on New Year's Eve. The lady truly treated them like a mother.
The four of them, Qingshan and Qingfeng, stared blankly at the New Year's money in their hands for a moment. They had been sold into the Yan family since they were young, and all they had to do was study hard and travel around. Even the New Year was just an ordinary day for them. Their most important task was to protect the safety of their master's family.
This year, they not only had a good New Year's feast but also received lucky money. According to the older brother who had taken care of them before, lucky money is a New Year's blessing from elders. They knew from a young age that they might never have it in their lives, even though they were very envious when they were young. The four men were touched as they recalled this, and their usually stern faces softened considerably.
What Song Anxin didn't know was that her actions would be forever etched in the hearts of these people, and that in every memory of her life, this warmth would flow into their hearts.
At this time, Brother Lin and his wife also started distributing New Year's money. Uncle Bai also prepared some for the children. Lin Erxi and Lin Fengyao, along with Dongzi and Xiaocao, were kowtowing all over the place.
After finishing the New Year's Eve dinner, everyone gathered on the kang (heated brick bed) to make dumplings and stay up late to welcome the new year. They chatted and laughed as they entered the new year.
As people go to sleep at night, those who receive lucky money carefully place it on their bedside table, hoping for a better new year.
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On the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, Song Anxin got up early and put on the new crimson embroidered jacket that Tao Xiuniang had prepared for her. Xile styled her hair into an auspicious bun, and Wuyou also added some jewelry to make her look dignified and elegant.
"Madam, you should always dress like this. You look even more elegant than the noble ladies in the city," Granny Wei exclaimed.
Song Anxin smiled and said, "Let's dress like this for the New Year. I'd rather not dress like this on ordinary days. I'm a farmer, and I'm not used to dressing like this every day in the village."
Granny Wei and the others readily agreed. Their lady was approachable and never put on airs. She usually mingled with the women in the village. She was truly a lady among the common people.
At Chen Shi (7-9 AM), Song Anxin first went to pay her respects to Old Madam Song for the New Year, and then the two of them went to the main hall to receive New Year's greetings from all the family members, big and small.
"Mother, elder sister, Happy New Year! I wish you both long life, good fortune, and auspiciousness in the coming year," Song Anbang said.
"Grandma, Mom, Happy New Year! I wish you good health, happiness, and longevity in the new year!" Lin Fengnian said.
"Grandma, Mom, Happy New Year! Wishing you..."
".......
After the family members finished paying their respects to the New Year, Granny Wei and Granny Sun led the servants to pay their respects to Song Anxin and Old Madam Song.
The crowd below chanted in unison, "May the old lady and the lady be blessed with boundless happiness and peace year after year!"
Grandma Song was all smiles up there, she couldn't be happier.
"As people get older, they like the lively atmosphere of Chinese New Year with lots of people. I wish you all the best in the new year."
Song Anxin smiled and offered her blessings to each of them, then distributed New Year's red envelopes to the servants. Soon, villagers began visiting each other to exchange New Year's greetings, and the four Lin Fengnian brothers also went out to visit their relatives and friends.
Everyone trudged through the unmelted snow, visiting each other's homes without feeling the cold at all. Adults and children alike wore joyful expressions. Almost everyone in the village had come to Song Anxin's house to offer New Year's greetings. They knew that they were able to have a good New Year this year entirely thanks to Aunt Lin's family.
"Second Aunt, Auntie, Happy New Year!"
"Second Aunt, Eldest Sister-in-law, Happy New Year!"
"........"
Song Anxin and Song Mei received guests who came to pay New Year's visits at home, and they would give the children who came to pay New Year's visits a small snack.
The children in Linjia Village were visibly less thin and weak, and their eyes sparkled when they looked at Song Anxin. After paying their respects in the morning, the children began to run around the village, searching for scattered, unlit firecrackers to play with. Every now and then, the sound of a firecracker could be heard in the village, followed by the sounds of children playing.
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, it is the day when daughters of each family return to their parents' home to pay New Year's visits. Song Anxin's mother is here, so Song Mei does not need to return to her parents' home to pay New Year's visits. Therefore, there is nothing for their family to do. On the third day of the Lunar New Year, Master Liu, along with Lin Taohua, Mingzhu, and Mingyue, came to Linjia Village to pay New Year's visits.
On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, Song Anxin got ready to go to the county. Today, she was going to the county government office to pay New Year's respects to Magistrate Yan and Master Yan, and also to visit the Liu family. The Liu family had also paid New Year's respects to their elder brother's family, and the elder brother and sister-in-law naturally went with her to visit the family.
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