Chapter 386 New Year Preparations
After giving Uncle Chen a gift and playing on the swings, Mao Mao, still thinking about the gifts she hadn't finished giving, quickly left with her brother.
The car window rolled down, and she poked her little head out of the car, leaning against the door to say goodbye to her friend: "Goodbye, Uncle, I'll come visit you again next year."
Shen Zhaolin said reluctantly, "See you next year, Mao Mao."
See you next year!
Mao Mao waved her little hand, her tender, childlike voice drifting on the wind: "Uncle, Happy New Year~"
Under Shen Zhaolin's gaze, the car turned into a distant black dot.
Shen Chuoying stood on tiptoe and looked out: "Why did they leave so quickly?"
“There’s plenty of time,” Shen Zhaolin said gently. “With the New Year being so lively, Mao Mao will definitely enjoy going out to play. We’ll go find her then.”
The word "New Year" sounds festive and full of hope. Next year may seem far away, but it will be here in the blink of an eye.
After sending gifts to all my friends, I didn't forget to send one to my good friend Sophie before the post office closed.
At dusk, Mao Mao delivered the gifts and went home empty-handed.
As soon as she entered, she was hugged, lifted high, and spun around in mid-air.
Mao Mao giggled and kept laughing: "Daddy!"
"Why!"
Lou Dashuai affectionately nuzzled her soft little face: "Where did Mao Mao go to play? Why are you back so late?"
"Mao Mao went to sit on the swing~"
"Swing, oh swing, so nice."
It wasn't lunchtime yet. Lou Dashuai looked around, picked up his daughter, and went out the door again. His stern tiger face broke into a big smile: "Maomao wants to play on the swing. Why go outside? Daddy can stay home with you."
Mao Mao sat in her father's lap, legs crossed: "Swinging on the swing~"
The father and daughter sat on the swing, swaying slowly to the sound of their happy little voices.
Lou Hongjian stayed home all day drawing door gods. After finishing, he didn't go anywhere. Only when his younger siblings came home did he finally couldn't resist peeking out and blocking Lou Yansui from entering.
He asked meaningfully, "You took Mao Mao out today, nothing happened, right?"
Lou Yansui reflected on her experiences today: "..."
Although the younger brother didn't say a word, Lou Hongjian understood.
He patted his younger brother on the shoulder and comforted him, saying, "It's okay, Ah Sui, at least Dad won't hit you. Tell me secretly, is it a big deal?"
Lou Yansui was silent for a moment, then said, "Teacher Shen made a swing at home and invited Mao Mao to play on it."
Lou Hongjian immediately turned his head and looked out the window into the courtyard.
On the swing, Commander Lou was completely unaware, embracing his daughter and enjoying the bliss of family life, a smug look on his face. He was oblivious to the fact that his mortal enemy had also experienced the same joy that day.
Lou Hongjian shed a tear of sympathy for his father.
The problem is...
"What else?" Lou Hongjian turned his head in disbelief again: "Besides Mr. Shen, didn't Mr. Nie do anything else?"
“When we arrived, the Green Gang was having a meeting,” Lou Yansui said. “After handing the things over to Mr. Nie, Mao Mao didn’t stay long before we left.”
That's it?
"what else?"
Lou Hongjian: "..."
That's strange.
Why was he so unlucky when he went?
As for what else...
Lou Yansui calmly walked past her brother and went inside.
It's the Lunar New Year, so let's not talk about it.
...
In the last few days before the New Year, every morning when Mao Mao wakes up, she stands in front of the calendar and counts the days on her fingers.
After eating breakfast and feeding the goldfish, he was dragged away by the third concubine to practice a new song.
It's New Year's Day, and all the students are on holiday, except for Mao Mao.
In order to get the big red envelope promised by Madam Lou, the third concubine put in a lot of effort and became more and more determined. Whenever she had free time, she would take Mao Mao to tutor music lessons, which would last all day.
Fortunately, Mao Mao is a little girl who loves music class. She can play her harmonica all day long without getting tired, and she happily plays it around in the garden every day.
After a day of classes, the third concubine dreamt that she was playing the harmonica.
It was visibly that she looked haggard, like a withered flower.
Xia Xiaoxiang felt a little sorry for her and patted her shoulder to comfort her, "Never mind, never mind."
"That won't do. I've been teaching for so many days, and the New Year is almost here. If I give up now, wouldn't all my efforts be wasted?" The third concubine rallied her fighting spirit.
Xia Xiaoxiang hesitated, then said, "I haven't seen the old lady's cat for many days now..."
Third concubine: "..."
After a few days, the sound of the harmonica disappeared from the yard.
Sitting in the small living room, the ladies could no longer see the two figures, one big and one small, learning to play the harmonica.
The third concubine would mysteriously take Mao Mao away every day, teach her, and then mysteriously bring her back, hiding somewhere to give her extra lessons. Even the big white cat would curiously peek out from the house.
When asked, the answer is always to maintain a sense of surprise.
Otherwise, if you see it right under your nose every day, and all the progress is obvious, how can you make a name for yourself on New Year's Eve?
Everyone has reservations about this.
Time flies by in the blink of an eye as days are crossed off on the calendar.
On New Year's Eve, the Lou family got busy early in the morning.
The kitchen was the first place to start work, preparing the sumptuous dishes for the New Year's Eve dinner while making breakfast.
Mao Mao woke up early in the morning and ran away and disappeared. Xia Xiaoxiang searched around and finally found her youngest daughter helping to tend the fire behind the stove. Her face was flushed in the firelight.
"Why are you hiding here again?"
Mao Mao was happily led out by her mother. Her pockets were bulging. She rummaged around and pulled out a pastry, feeding it to her mother: "Mother, eat."
Xia Xiaoxiang took a bite, then reached into her pocket and pulled out a slip of paper for her.
It looks familiar.
Just like the one we learned last year.
"Mother, are you learning again?"
“We’re not the same as last year, things are different now!” Xia Xiaoxiang said proudly. “Now, you’re in school and I’m in school too. We’ve both learned a lot of characters. When you give New Year’s greetings, say some auspicious words to make the old lady and the commander happy.”
Mao Mao nodded her little head earnestly.
She looked down at the note.
The words above were written with the help of the second concubine. When Xia Xiaoxiang made her request, she said that she wanted it to be as auspicious as possible and as cultured as possible.
Mao Mao pointed to a complex character above, tilted her head back, and obediently said, "Mother, Mao Mao doesn't recognize this one."
Xia Xiaoxiang looked down and said: "..."
It's over.
He has only been studying for one year.
The mother and daughter were practically illiterate.
She stamped her foot, snatched the note, and hurriedly went to find the second concubine.
I need to write something simple!
Xia Xiaoxiang walked away.
Another tapping sound approached.
When the third concubine saw her, she looked around and, seeing that no one was around, quickly took her little hand and whispered, "Come on, baby, let's go to the tutoring class again."
It wasn't evening yet.
She still has a chance!
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