Unlike in the north, where the New Year's Eve dinner is the most important meal, in Jing Province, the family reunion dinner at noon is the most important meal.
Dinner is usually made from the leftovers from the family reunion dinner at noon; if there's not enough, we just add a little something extra.
That night, the lights in the house didn't go out until after midnight.
The whole family gathers together to stay up all night on New Year's Eve.
It was warmer in Xu Ningyan's room, and the two of them were too lazy to move.
I just heated up the lunch and ate a few bites, mainly because I was too full at noon and had various snacks in the afternoon, so I wasn't hungry at all.
There's not much entertainment to do while staying up to welcome the New Year at this time. There's no internet, and there isn't even a Spring Festival Gala yet.
The two of them were bored sitting there, and seeing Gu Zhiyuan's attitude, it seemed he wanted to drag Xu Ningyan to tutor her even on New Year's Eve.
Even if Xu Ningyan loves studying, she doesn't want to study on the night of New Year's Eve.
After refusing on the spot, fearing that Gu Zhiyuan would not give up, she simply dragged him to play Gomoku.
They tore off a piece of scrap paper and drew a chessboard, then one person took melon seeds and the other took peanuts to make chess pieces.
After explaining the rules, Xu Ningyan, taking advantage of Gu Zhiyuan's initial unfamiliarity with them, won two rounds but then never won again.
He was immediately enraged and grabbed all the sunflower seeds and peanuts, eating them in one go.
Then, under the pretense of rummaging through the cabinet, he actually pulled out a deck of cards from his storage space: "Luckily, I remembered. I bought a deck of cards before I came back, just to use for staying up all night tonight."
Holding the cards, the two thought for a long time and finally decided to play Cat Fishing, also known as the childish card game of dragging a train.
The two of them played this childish card game until midnight, still not satisfied.
Fortunately, Gu Zhiyuan came to his senses first and looked at his watch: "It's past midnight! Happy New Year, Aning! I wish you all the best, peace, and good health in the new year!"
He handed over a red envelope, saying, "Here's your New Year's money!"
Xu Ningyan accepted the red envelope in surprise: "I still have New Year's money?"
Gu Zhiyuan smiled and said, "Of course! No matter how old you are, your older brother will give you lucky money every year!"
"Thank you, big brother! Happy New Year to you too! I wish you a smooth road ahead and all your wishes come true in the new year! I hope you get a promotion and a raise, and become the head of the design department! I also hope you can excel in the new tasks and trample Lu Kai under your feet—"
Gu Zhiyuan's gentle smile turned into a helpless, wry smile as he listened: "A-Ning, is this a blessing or a wish?"
Xu Ningyan chuckled, not telling Gu Zhiyuan that in her heart, he was more effective than a Bodhisattva! The Bodhisattva was too busy to hear her wishes, but as long as the big boss was appeased, he was comparable to a turtle in a wishing well—uh, ptooey!
Slip of the tongue! The big shot is clearly the bodhisattva in her personal wishing well!
Fearing that Gu Zhiyuan would ask further questions, she also took out a pair of leather gloves from the cabinet and handed them to him: "Big brother, this is your New Year's gift!"
When she first stocked up, the price was 29.9 yuan per pair at the Yiwu Commodity Wholesale Market, and she stocked up on several pairs, both men's and women's.
The weather was cold, and Gu Zhiyuan rode his bicycle to and from get off work every day. His hands were exposed to the cold and were really freezing.
She didn't have the essential skills for women in this era, like knitting sweaters and gloves, so she simply found a pair in her storage space for him, which was also a way of giving an explanation to the outside world.
Otherwise, everyone would say, "Why didn't you knit a pair of gloves for Gu Zhiyuan?" and criticize her for not caring about Gu Zhiyuan, implying that their relationship was strained.
What a joke! Xu Ningyan wouldn't let anyone talk about such a trivial matter? Of course she's got it under control!
Gu Zhiyuan took the black leather gloves; the leather was soft, but the workmanship wasn't particularly fine.
However, somehow, a thin layer of velvet was added inside, making it soft and warm to the touch.
I tried it on, and the size fits perfectly, without affecting the movement of my fingers at all.
My hands warmed up after wearing them for only a short while.
Gu Zhiyuan had seen such fine items in the capital, with better leather and more exquisite workmanship, but none were as comfortable as this.
I don't know where Xu Ningyan found this; it must have been really hard for her to go to such lengths.
He wanted to say a few more words, but seeing Xu Ningyan rubbing her eyes and looking sleepy, he gave up the idea: "Thank you, Ning! Go to sleep early! We have to go to the brigade to pay New Year's visits early tomorrow morning!"
Xu Ningyan nodded, watching Gu Zhiyuan fill the stove with firewood, seal it, and tidy up Xu Ningyan's room before returning to his own room.
Xu Ningyan used the hot water from the stove to brush her teeth and wash her face before climbing into bed.
I was about to go to sleep, but when I saw the red envelope on the table, I couldn't help but get up, pick it up, go back to bed, wrap myself tightly in the blanket, and then open the red envelope.
There was twenty yuan in the red envelope, brand new bills, clearly exchanged on purpose.
Besides the twenty dollars, there was also a string of five copper coins strung together with colorful silk threads.
Five Emperor Coins?
This was Xu Ningyan's first reaction.
Looking down, she realized that these Five Emperors Coins were not the small Five Emperors Coins of the five Qing Dynasty emperors that she had thought they were.
Instead, it refers to the Five Emperors Coins, namely the Qin Banliang, Han Wuzhu, Kaiyuan Tongbao, Song Yuan Tongbao, and Yongle Tongbao.
If someone else gives you this, it's almost certainly fake.
But it was a gift from a big shot, so there's no doubt it's genuine!
Xu Ningyan held the string of five Emperor coins! She had only heard experts talk about this on TV and seen some pictures of it online, but had never had the chance to see it in person.
I never imagined that after time travel, I would actually be able to touch something real!
If she weren't afraid of soiling the Five Emperors Coins with her saliva, she would have loved to hug and kiss them a couple of times.
The sleepiness that had been creeping in vanished at that moment.
Xu Ningyan tossed and turned, unable to sleep, after pressing the Five Emperors Coins under her pillow. Her resolve to cling to Gu Zhiyuan's coattails only grew stronger!
Putting everything else aside, just for the New Year's money he gives me every year, I'd be willing to follow Gu Zhiyuan for a hundred years!
In the next room, Gu Zhiyuan couldn't sleep either, so he lay on the bed.
I listened intently to what was happening over there.
I heard Xu Ningyan finish washing up and get into bed, and then I heard her get out of bed very quickly.
Then I heard the sound of the five-emperor coins slipping through my fingers, and I also heard Xu Ningyan gasp and the muffled thud of him hitting the blanket...
She couldn't help but picture Xu Ningyan's adorable expression of wide-eyed surprise, then covering her mouth and pounding the blanket with her fist. Before she knew it, the corners of her mouth curved into a smile.
I was happy that Xu Ningyan liked the New Year's gift I gave her, but a subtle pang of pain welled up in my heart again.
This girl is probably receiving a New Year's gift for the first time in her life, right? That's why such a small thing can make her so happy!
Next year during Chinese New Year, no, after Chinese New Year on her birthday, I must prepare a thoughtful gift for her.
Gu Zhiyuan pondered what gift would be appropriate to give, and slowly drifted off to sleep...
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