Chapter 382 Sending New Year's Gifts 1
After putting up the Spring Festival couplets and window decorations, Mao Mao counted down the days until the New Year.
But there are other things to do before the Lunar New Year.
They sweep away the dust, offer sacrifices to the Kitchen God, and buy New Year's goods. Spring Festival couplets and window decorations should be put up before the New Year, but they put them up early.
As the New Year approaches, truckloads of New Year's gifts are delivered to her door. As a young girl with many friends, Mao Mao has also received many New Year's gifts.
Every day, Mao Mao sits in the courtyard playing the harmonica, practicing the new tunes that her fourth aunt taught her. Every now and then, she hears the sound of a car stopping. When she looks up, she sees the driver stop in front of the Marshal's Mansion, with a trunk full of gifts.
They were all gifts from Mao Mao's good friends.
Having received many gifts, Mao Mao also put on her little shoulder bag, took her brother's hand, and went out to deliver New Year's gifts.
We should reciprocate!
The gifts weren't anything very expensive; they were Spring Festival couplets she wrote herself, and a box of pastries she bought from a time-honored bakery.
Before Lou Yansui led Mao Mao out the door, he looked back in confusion and asked, "Third Brother, are you really not going?"
Lou Hongjian didn't even look up, his brushstrokes flowing across the table: "No! I still need to paint door gods for my family."
strangeness.
For the first time, when he had the chance to go out with Mao Mao, his third brother didn't try to take it from him.
But it's better if no one fights over it.
Lou Yansui was happy to go out alone with her younger sister.
He helped his sister into the car, glanced at the list of gift recipients, and quickly planned the fastest route.
The first place we arrived at was Zhang Jingshu's house.
Their timing was perfect; the Zhang siblings were just about to leave when they saw Mao Mao arrive, and they were overjoyed.
Zhang Jingsen greeted her happily, "Little Mao Mao, did you come to play with me?"
Mao Mao shook her head and held up the snack box in her hand: "Brother Sen Sen, Sister, Happy New Year! I've come to give you a gift."
Besides the fragrant pastries, there was also a Spring Festival couplet written by Mao Mao herself.
Upon seeing the crooked and messy calligraphy on it, Zhang Jingshu immediately laughed: "Mao Mao, did you write this yourself?"
"Um!"
"That's amazing!" Zhang Jingshu praised, "You're so young, yet you can already write Spring Festival couplets. Unlike Sen Sen, who still often makes mistakes when doing her homework."
Mao Mao held her older brother's hand, her little head held high: "Brother taught me!"
"Thank you for the gift. I will put up this couplet for Chinese New Year this year."
You're welcome!
Holding another box of pastries she had given him, Zhang Jingsen warmly invited, "Mao Mao, my sister is taking me out to play. Do you want to come with me?"
"Go play?" Mao Mao's eyes lit up.
Lou Yansui was quick-witted and stopped her sister, who was about to nod in agreement.
"We still need to deliver gifts to other people," Lou Yansui reminded her, looking down. "Right, Mao Mao?"
“Yes, that’s right.” Mao Mao nodded: “Mao Mao also needs to give gifts to other friends.”
Zhang Jingsen then said, "Little Mao Mao, not today, but I can play with you tomorrow. I'm on winter vacation now, I have plenty of time, I can play with you every day. Do you want to go to the zoo?"
Lou Yansui's gaze remained imperceptibly fixed on him, and she straightened her body slightly.
He suddenly asked, "Have you finished your winter break homework? Did you pass your final exams? Mao Mao got a perfect score on her final exams this year, how about you?"
Upon hearing her brother's praise, Mao Mao immediately puffed out her little belly confidently, "Mao Mao got a hundred points! Brother also got a hundred points! He's number one!"
Zhang Jingsen: "..."
Tears welled up in his eyes: "I, I, sob sob..."
Zhang Jingshu: "..."
Don't even mention it.
She hadn't seen her younger brother's homework since the holiday started. As for the final exam papers, all she could say was that, thankfully, first-grade studies weren't too difficult, and she could still have a good New Year.
Zhang Jingshu frantically tried to comfort her younger brother: "Sen Sen, don't cry. Otherwise, we won't go out to play today. I'll hire a tutor for you."
Zhang Jingsen burst into tears.
Lou Yansui turned around, supporting his sister's shoulder. Amidst her sobbing, Mao Mao looked back with concern, but before she could offer any words of comfort, her brother pushed her out the door.
The second stop was Grandpa Zhou's house.
The car couldn't drive into the alley, so Mao Mao, carrying the gifts, walked in familiarly. Just as she raised her hand to knock, she heard a voice from inside: "Idiot! Idiot!"
Mao Mao's hand suddenly stopped in mid-air.
Mrs. Zhou's voice followed closely behind: "Don't call out, I'll go open the door."
"Idiot! Idiot!"
"well!"
Mrs. Zhou opened the door and saw a tiny little dumpling standing there, dressed in round, fluffy clothes with fuzzy trim, its fair and pretty little face staring blankly at her.
Mrs. Zhou was immediately delighted: "Mao Mao, what brings you here?"
Mao Mao blankly held up the snack box in her hand: "Happy New Year, Grandma."
Inside the house, upon hearing the noise, Old Master Zhou came out with his hands behind his back, his expression still serious.
In the birdcage under the eaves, a brightly feathered parrot flapped its wings, shouting, "Idiot! Idiot!"
Mrs. Zhou had just taken the box of pastries from her hand when she heard her own parrot's squeaks. This parrot was a gift from Mao Mao and her brother.
It was fine when it was delivered, but now it's full of idiots.
Mrs. Zhou said apologetically, "It's all my husband's fault. He often loses his temper with the bird, which makes it imitate all sorts of things."
Mrs. Zhou warmly invited, "Come in, Mao Mao, have a cup of tea. I just steamed some dim sum this morning."
As Lou Yansui led her younger sister across the threshold of the Zhou family home, she thought to herself: Now that Mr. Zhou is doing things for Dad, could it be that he's scolding Dad at home every day?
Mao Mao had been to the Zhou family's house several times before, so she knew the way inside well and climbed up to sit down in the seat next to Old Master Zhou.
Mrs. Zhou served tea and snacks to the brother and sister. “It’s quite a coincidence. Zhao Linxing came by yesterday and mentioned you. I was wondering when you would come, and here you are.”
Mao Mao munched on a snack, swinging her little feet: "Mao Mao wishes Grandpa and Grandma a Happy New Year!"
Mrs. Zhou smiled and said, "Good, good, good, Happy New Year."
"Oh, right." She nudged Zhou Shaoyan: "Coincidentally, Mao Mao is here. Go write a few Spring Festival couplets and have him take them back."
Old Master Zhou stared wide-eyed: "..."
Besides his famous students, his calligraphy is also renowned, and it's incredibly valuable. Countless people beg for his calligraphy, let alone his Spring Festival couplets. Yesterday, one of his students came, but he didn't even lift a finger...
With that thought in mind, Old Master Zhou stood up.
But Mao Mao shook her head: "Grandma, no need, I already have some. My brother wrote Spring Festival couplets for me."
Zhou Shaoyan glanced at Lou Yansui beside him.
Lou Yansui, holding his teacup, nodded somewhat awkwardly to him. He had heard of Old Master Zhou's reputation, but this was the first time he had met him; after all, he was Teacher Shen's teacher.
Mao Mao even raised her little hand and volunteered, "Grandpa, I'll write for you too!"
Old Master Zhou: "You're going to write it for me?"
Mao Mao: "Okay, I'll write you some Spring Festival couplets!"
Old Master Zhou: "..."
"You wrote this yourself?" Mrs. Zhou exclaimed in admiration, "You're so talented! That's amazing!"
Grandpa Zhou remained silent, opened another gift she had given him, and began to admire it.
Seeing the crooked, scrawled characters that had almost no calligraphic merit, Zhou Shaoyan frowned: "These characters..."
Before he could finish speaking, he caught a glimpse of the little girl next to him, looking up at him expectantly.
The words lingered on his lips.
“…Well, there’s still room for improvement,” he said.
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