Chapter 136 Second Mother, Be Happy!
This New Year, everyone in the Lou family except for the first wife was in high spirits.
A spy was caught, but apart from the first wife, no one else was affected.
Lou Hongjian closed his gallery ahead of schedule, shops on the street closed one after another, even hospitals closed for the holidays, and the whole family stopped working and started their annual leave.
On New Year's Eve, before dawn, the Lou family's servants began to get busy.
To prepare a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner, the kitchen has long since purchased fresh chicken, duck, fish, and meat, all of which will be turned into delicious dishes today. The chef got up early in the morning to prepare the broth, and the aroma wafted out in waves.
As soon as Mao Mao opened her eyes, she smelled the aroma and ran towards the kitchen with her short legs.
"Uncle." She drooled, tilting her soft, adorable face upturned, her eyes sparkling as she stood to the side: "Can Mao Mao taste it for you?"
The chef placed two freshly steamed custard buns in her hands, one in each, and ushered her out of the busy kitchen.
After a while, Mao Mao came back with her lips licked: "Uncle, let Mao Mao taste it for you again."
After trying it five times in a row, she finally got up with a round little belly, burped, and obediently let Xia Xiaoxiang, who had come looking for her, lead her away.
Xia Xiaoxiang kept saying, "Eat less during the day, save room for a big meal tonight!"
With bright, sparkling eyes, Mao Mao said, "I can eat tonight too!"
Xia Xiaoxiang: "..."
Xia Xiaoxiang led her into the small living room.
At this moment, there was no one in the small living room. She looked around, closed the door of the small living room, and mysteriously took out a piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to Mao Mao.
"Mother, what is that?"
Xia Xiaoxiang raised her chin and said smugly, "This is a cheat sheet I specially made for you!"
Mao Mao looked completely bewildered: "What is a cheat sheet?"
“Tonight, you have to wish your elders a Happy New Year. Unlike before when it was just the two of us, there are so many people here. You’ll have to say a few words to each of them, so it’ll be seven or eight.” Xia Xiaoxiang said cleverly, “I’ve thought of some things for you in advance. Just say what’s written here.”
"The one above?"
"That's right! The nicer the words, the happier the Marshal and the Old Madam will be!"
Mao Mao looked down at the paper, then looked up at her mother.
After a long while, she said in confusion, "Mother, I don't understand."
Xia Xiaoxiang: "..."
Oh dear, I forgot.
My own child can't read yet.
Xia Xiaoxiang was at a loss for what to do.
She is illiterate.
She specially asked her second concubine to help her write it. Every sentence sounded very cultured and elegant, making people feel good just by listening to it. She was so focused on how auspicious it sounded that she didn't even remember it herself.
She cleared her throat, tried to recall the sentence for a long time, but couldn't come up with a complete sentence. So she stomped her foot and said, "...You wait, I'll teach you after I've finished learning!"
With that, she opened the door and rushed out to seek help from the second concubine.
The big white cat slipped in through the crack in the open door.
During the festive New Year, it wore a little red vest, its tail held high, and its whole body was fluffy and soft, like a walking dandelion.
Meow~
The big white cat walked up to Mao Mao and rubbed its head against her calf, its fluffy tail brushing against the back of Mao Mao's foot.
Mao Mao greeted happily, "Kitty!"
Meow~
"Happy New Year, kitty!"
Meow~~~
The big white cat rubbed its head against her again before gracefully jumping onto the sofa and lying down on a cushion.
The morning sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating its white, fuzzy body as if shrouded in a halo, its heterochromatic eyes as clear as gemstones.
Mao Mao also climbed onto the sofa and half-lay down against it.
The Spring Festival couplets and window decorations were put up several days ago. A red window decoration of magpies announcing spring was pasted on the French windows of the small living room, which looked particularly festive in the bright sunlight outside.
The Lou family home was bustling with activity today, with all sorts of sounds coming from all directions. Everyone was busy preparing for the New Year, except for a cat named Yi Mao Mao who was leisurely basking in the sun.
Lou Hongjian swept past the door like a whirlwind, still shouting, "Second Brother, Second Brother, where are you? I'm having a New Year's party in the hall tonight, come help me out!"
Following behind him were the disorderly footsteps of several other brothers.
Footsteps approached softly, and someone entered the small living room.
The first wife closed the door, walked to the sofa and sat down, only then noticing two pairs of round eyes looking at her.
She was startled: "It's Mao Mao!"
Mao Mao greeted her obediently, "Second Auntie."
"Why."
The first wife casually grabbed an orange from the fruit plate on the coffee table and was about to hand it to her, but before Mao Mao could take it, she took it back and peeled the orange for the little girl first.
The first wife silently peeled the oranges and silently fed them to Mao Mao.
One orange segment after another was handed to her, and Mao Mao was overwhelmed with the feeding, her cheeks puffed out. Before she could even swallow the orange in her mouth, another one was offered to her.
She looked down at her slightly full belly, and when she looked up, another segment of orange was being fed to her by her absent-minded aunt.
Maomao: "..."
The first wife picked up an orange from the fruit plate, and just as she peeled it, a soft little body suddenly leaned against her.
The first wife lowered her head and met a soft, cute little round face.
"Maomao?"
The first wife quickly put down the orange in her hand, half-hugging the little baby who was leaning against her, as if she were embracing a soft cloud.
"Second Mama".
Mao Mao stretched out her little hands and hugged her, tilting her little face up in her arms and looking at her with concern: "Second Aunt, are you unhappy?"
The first wife was speechless: "I..."
“I’m not unhappy,” she said.
Mao Mao made a "hmm?" sound, like a small animal's purring, blinking its black grape-like eyes, which were clear and full of innocent purity.
Looking at such a tiny, adorable baby, the eldest aunt simply couldn't bring herself to lie. Not even a white lie.
"I...I'm just in a bad mood," the first wife changed her tune, "There's no one here, I came here to hide."
Mao Mao looked at her, seemingly understanding but not quite.
"Second Aunt, don't be sad." Mao Mao snuggled into her arms: "My mother said that if you are happy during the New Year, you will be happy all year round next year."
"Did your mother say that?"
"Um!"
The first aunt patted her little head, but she still couldn't muster any energy.
The first wife was always inconspicuous in the Lou family.
She was about the same age as the first wife and was one of the first concubines to come to the Lou family. She was gentle and mild-mannered, got along well with everyone, and never made things difficult for anyone.
Never stand out, never peek out, always gentle and kind, as soft as water.
The biggest incident since arriving at the Marshal's Mansion was that his own nephew had become a spy.
The Lou family has four sons, all born to the first wife. The three concubines have no children. As the eldest concubine, the first concubine thinks more about these things than the other concubines.
She's not young anymore; other people her age are already old enough to have grandchildren.
Ever since a little girl arrived at the Marshal's Mansion, her sweet, innocent voice has been all around me every day, making my heart flutter.
Fortunately, although she has no children, she has a nephew.
She truly treated her nephew like a son, giving him her whole heart and soul, and even wanted him to take care of her funeral arrangements after she passed away. Therefore, she tried her best to fulfill any requests her family made.
Despite having made such a plan, things didn't go as planned, and my nephew turned out to be a spy.
It was a bolt from the blue, leaving her heartbroken and in despair.
Of course, she would never hold a grudge against Mao Mao for this.
On the contrary, she was very grateful to Mao Mao for helping her see her nephew's true colors in time. However, her mood was beyond her control, and she couldn't get over this blow for a while.
The first wife held the sweet and soft little girl and couldn't help but say, "Mao Mao, how wonderful it would be if you were my daughter."
She was adorable and considerate, even better than any child she could have imagined.
"hold head high?"
Mao Mao tilted her head and said in confusion, "Second Aunt is Mao Mao's mother."
My mother said this on the first day I arrived at the Marshal's Mansion.
Mao Mao is here to be a daughter!
From then on, Mao Mao suddenly had four more mothers, and the four mothers also gained a daughter.
Mao Mao hugged her second aunt: "Second aunt, you have to cheer up!"
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