Chapter 138 Family Portrait
Xia Xiaoxiang watched from the side, initially confident, but when she heard Mao Mao stammering for a long time without being able to utter a single word other than "Happy New Year," she was dumbfounded.
The third concubine glanced at her out of the corner of her eye.
Did you teach him?
Xia Xiaoxiang: "..."
After a brief silence, Madam Lou handed over the red envelope in her hand and said kindly, "Yes, Happy New Year to Mao Mao too."
"Thank you, Grandma!"
Mao Mao thanked him while holding the red envelope, and happily ran towards Lou Dashuai.
She stood in front of Lou Dashuai and gave him a sweet smile: "Dad, Happy New Year!"
"Hey, Happy New Year, Mao Mao!"
Lou Dashuai suppressed the wildly upturned corners of his mouth, clenched his fist to his mouth, coughed seriously, and shook the red envelope in his hand: "Mao Mao, I'm not as easy to talk to as Grandma. If you don't say something nice, I won't give you this New Year's money."
The four older brothers, who had already received their New Year's money, stood by watching the show.
Lou Yansui wanted to go help his sister, but as soon as he lifted his foot, he was stopped by a look from Commander Lou.
Lou Dashuai looked at the little dumpling in front of him with a smile: "Mao Mao, have you figured it out yet?"
Mao Mao thought about it very seriously.
She racked her brains trying to recall what her mother had taught her that day, but those auspicious words were too hard to remember. She would forget them as soon as she finished eating, and now she couldn't remember a single one.
Mao Mao thought hard for a moment and said, "I wish Daddy can eat lots of food."
Commander Lou: "Hmm!"
Mao Mao: "Daddy, grow taller!"
Lou Dashuai: "Hmm...hmm?"
With a determined look on her chubby little face, Mao Mao declared, "Daddy will become smarter!"
Commander Lou: "..."
You've got it backwards; shouldn't this be a blessing for you?
Lou Dashuai was both speechless and amused, and handed over the red envelope in his hand.
While Mao Mao was receiving the red envelope, he cupped his daughter's little face in his hands, affectionately rubbing her soft cheeks, and said with a beaming smile, "Daddy's sweet Mao Mao, in the new year, you must eat well, grow taller, and become smarter. Oh, and also stay healthy and happy!"
"Thank you, Dad!"
After receiving the red envelopes from Old Madam Lou and General Lou, the five mothers over there had theirs ready.
Who else has five mothers like her? And each of them prepared a New Year's gift for her.
The little girl called out repeatedly, and soon, Mao Mao's arms were filled with so many red envelopes that her little hands couldn't hold them all.
That's not all.
After watching his younger sister finish paying her New Year's greetings, Lou Fengju took out a small red envelope he had prepared in advance from his pocket and waved it at his sister: "Mao Mao, come here to me."
"Big brother, you've prepared too?"
Lou Fengju raised her eyebrows and looked over, only to see Lou Heming also take out a red envelope he had prepared in advance from his pocket and say gently to Mao Mao, "Mao Mao, I have one here too."
Not only him, but every brother thought of giving their little sister a red envelope, and they all took them out now, waiting for their little sister to wish them a Happy New Year.
Mao Mao was overjoyed and went to pay his respects to each of them one by one.
Happy New Year, brother!
May my brother be healthy and happy!
"Brother, eat your food too, grow tall... Oh dear!"
Mao Mao was caught by her third brother.
Lou Hongjian smiled mischievously, his peach blossom eyes sparkling. "Mao Mao, I'm even harder to talk to than Dad. If you want my New Year's money... you have to kiss me first!"
Mao Mao obediently pouted and gave her brother a wet New Year's kiss.
He gave him a kiss on the left, then on the right... before he could even get a kiss on the right, Lou Hongjian was pulled away by his brothers.
Lou Fengju: "Ah Hong, don't be so shameless."
Lou Heming: "New Year's money is a blessing, we can't cheat Mao Mao like this."
Lou Hongjian was suppressed by his two elder brothers, and shouted loudly, "Don't stop me! You yourselves clearly want to kiss too!"
"Mao Mao, don't pay attention to your third brother." Lou Yansui pulled his sister to his side, took out the New Year's money he had prepared for her, and put it into the pile of red envelopes in Mao Mao's arms.
He said gently, "I hope that every year we grow up will be just like this day, and that we will always be happy and free from worries."
Mao Mao happily said, "Brother, you want the same one too!"
"Yes, I've been happy every day since I had Mao Mao." Lou Yansui touched his legs, which were now able to walk, through his pants, feeling the healthy and strong tendons beneath. His eyes crinkled with laughter. "Even if new troubles arise in the future, I will try my best to overcome them. I am Mao Mao's favorite older brother. In the future, I will be as reliable as my eldest and second eldest brothers, and be Mao Mao's support."
Mao Mao also raised her chubby chin, patted herself with her little hands, and said confidently, "Mao Mao can lean on her brother too!"
Lou Yansui smiled and said, "Okay, when Mao Mao grows up, she can lean on her brother too."
Looking at the loving scene between the brother and sister in front of him, Lou Hongjian suddenly felt that something was missing.
He couldn't help but ask, "Ah Sui, why don't you mention me at all?"
Lou Yansui took her little sister's hand: "Come on, Mao Mao, let's go dancing."
Mao Mao: "Okay~"
Lou Hongjian: "..."
On New Year's Eve, people stay up all night and cannot sleep until the New Year arrives.
The Lou family arranged a variety of New Year's Eve activities. To the music of the gramophone, the hall became a dance floor. Lou Dashuai led his wives into the dance floor, and Mao Mao spun around like a little top in the dance floor, with her brothers taking turns being her dance partners.
As she danced merrily, the little bells on her hair tie jingled for most of the day.
When Lou Yansui got tired of dancing, she sat down at the piano, and Lou Heming went to get a violin.
He has a pair of skillful hands for performing surgery, and his violin playing is also melodious.
The two brothers played a duet, and after their performance, it was Mao Mao's turn. Amidst enthusiastic applause, Mao Mao raised his little head and gave everyone a harmonica performance.
Puff~ Puff puff~
The hands of the Western clock ticked and turned several times, past Mao Mao's usual bedtime.
She lay in her mother's arms, half asleep, and even the clattering of the ladies playing mahjong couldn't wake her.
"Six of a kind... I won!"
Xia Xiaoxiang pushed the cards aside and patted the little girl in her arms: "Mao Mao, do you want me to carry you upstairs to sleep?"
No...don't.
Mao Mao tried to open her sleepy eyes wide, resting her little head on her mother's shoulder, her chubby cheeks squeezing out. She mumbled sleepily, "Mao Mao wants to... wants to stay up all night."
"If you keep playing like this, your mother will never have to worry about food or drink for the rest of her life." The third concubine shuffled the cards noisily and said to Xia Xiaoxiang, "Move over and let the first wife play."
Xia Xiaoxiang was on a winning streak tonight and was so engrossed in playing that she didn't want to give up her spot. So she said, "I'll take Mao Mao to Fourth Young Master."
Third concubine: "Hurry up, hurry up, we've been waiting for you."
Lou Yansui was playing chess with her three older brothers.
His chess skills were evenly matched with Lou Fengju's. The two brothers were locked in a fierce battle on the chessboard, their movements like swords flashing across the board. Lou Heming and Lou Hongjian, who had been watching from the sidelines, gradually lost their train of thought and couldn't help but yawn.
Just then, Xia Xiaoxiang brought Mao Mao over, and Lou Hongjian's eyes lit up as he stretched out his arms.
Is Mao Mao sleepy?
Mao Mao rubbed her eyes sleepily, "Mao Mao... Mao Mao doesn't want to sleep."
"You can't sleep on New Year's Eve, you have to stay up until the New Year." Lou Hongjian laughed: "Third brother will take you to do something fun, come on, let's set off fireworks."
"fireworks?"
Lou Heming: "Ah Hong, aren't the fireworks supposed to be saved for midnight?"
"There are also smaller ones; I bought a whole bunch!"
Upon hearing this, Mao Mao immediately woke up, her eyes widening as she looked at her brother with anticipation.
Even the two brothers who were playing chess turned their heads.
Small fireworks are tiny sparklers that you can hold in your hand, perfect for little kids like Mao Mao. Lou Hongjian lit one for her, and she watched the fireworks bloom in her little hand. The golden flames twinkled like stars in the night, and Mao Mao's eyes sparkled in the light.
She waved the sparkler in her hand, and the little tuft of hair on her head swayed happily, making a jingling sound.
"Brother, the flowers are beautiful!"
"Yes, beautiful!"
A sparkler vanished in an instant, and soon the brilliant light disappeared from Mao Mao's eyes.
But it's okay.
Her brother bought a huge one, enough for her to play with until dawn and still not finish.
The dazzling flames danced in the courtyard, accompanied by the little dumpling's cheerful laughter. Soon, everyone else in the house was drawn out by the commotion.
Lou Dashuai rubbed his hands together, then shamelessly joined his children's play: "Mao Mao, Dad's here!"
The flashes of sparklers illuminated people's faces, and joyful laughter filled the empty courtyard.
Lou Hongjian rushed into the room like a whirlwind and rushed out in a hurry, carrying a camera.
As the New Year approaches, we bid farewell to the old and welcome the new. After the New Year, Mao Mao will be four years old.
Three-year-old Mao Mao has only one day left, so we need to take more photos to capture her adorable appearance.
"By the way, we've taken a lot of photos of Mao Mao, but we haven't taken a family photo yet."
Lou Hongjian suggested, "Let's take a family photo."
Everyone responded.
Standing in the bright hall, the lights illuminated everyone's faces. The decorations for the New Year's party had not yet been taken down. Amid the hustle and bustle, the crowd stood in two rows, with General Lou, his wife, and Old Madam Lou sitting in the middle.
On one side were the wives, and on the other side were the four young masters of the Lou family.
"Ah Chun, Ah Chun—come help us take pictures!"
The maid quickly came over and carefully took the camera from his hand.
Lou Hongjian taught her how to use the camera, then ran back to stand beside his brothers, and everyone smiled brightly at the camera.
Crack!
Ah Chun carefully pressed the shutter.
The camera captured the first family photo taken after Mao Mao came to the Lou family.
Mao Mao sat in the arms of the central building commander, surrounded by her family. Deep dimples adorned her cheeks, and her chubby little face radiated childlike joy.
Eggplant~
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