Chapter 58, New Year's Eve Dinner
The Yan family had their New Year's Eve dinner in silence. With her adoptive father around, Daohua would think of the slap she received in the pavilion. Not to mention livening up the atmosphere, it was already very restrained of her to be able to hold back and not leave.
To this day, she still remembers the roaring in her ears and the burning pain on her face.
If my stepfather had cared about the father-daughter relationship at that time, he would not have beaten her so hard.
She didn't want to invest any more affection in such a father.
Yan Zhiyuan wanted to liven up the atmosphere at the table, but Old Lady Yan was not in a good mood, and Madam Li did not respond. Among the younger ones, only Daohua and Yan Wenkai were witty and humorous, but unfortunately, both of them were silent tonight. Yan Yile was lively, but what she said did not arouse anyone's interest at all.
So, the Yan family’s New Year’s Eve dinner that year ended very quickly.
"Okay, you all go back to your own yards to celebrate the New Year." Old Mrs. Yan said lightly.
Yan Zhigao immediately smiled and said, "Mom, how can we go back? We'll stay here with you."
Yan Zhiyuan also expressed his opinion: "That's right, mother, let us accompany you."
Old Madam Yan didn't want to deny her sons' filial piety, so she said nothing and turned to look at her three daughters-in-law: "The children are still young, there is no need to stay up all night. Take them back to bed."
Seeing her son and daughter looking bored, Sun smiled and said, "Then I'll take them back first, and then come over to accompany me later."
Seeing the pitiful looks of Yan Yishuang and Yan Wenbin pleading for help, Yan Zhigao thought of Aunt Lin who was eating the New Year's Eve dinner alone, and said, "Mother, I will take Yishuang and Wenbin back to Shuangxinyuan first and will be back soon."
Old Madam Yan waved her hand nonchalantly and looked at Mrs. Wu: "Wenhui is still young, you should take him back to sleep."
Before Wu could say anything, six-year-old Yan Wenhui ran to the old lady on his short legs, hugged her legs and said coquettishly, "Grandma, I want to stay up all night with you and big sister."
Seeing her little grandson, Mrs. Yan smiled more and touched Yan Wenhui's little head: "If you feel sleepy, you must tell your mother. You are still young and can't stay up late."
Yan Wenhui nodded vigorously, then ran out to look for Daohua and the others.
Soon, Yan Zhigao and his companions left, and the room became quiet again.
Yan Zhiyuan looked at the people who stayed behind. The third brother was a quiet person, and his eldest nephew was also an introverted person. His eldest sister-in-law was fine in previous years, but he didn't dare to get into trouble this year.
After looking around, Yan Zhiyuan felt depressed. There were so many people in the room, but he couldn't find anyone to talk to.
Well, let's just sit here quietly and celebrate the New Year.
"grandmother!"
Suddenly, Daohua ran in with Yan Wentao, Yan Wenkai, and the little tail Yan Wenhui.
Seeing the rice flowers, Old Lady Yan's smile brightened: "You are so impetuous and unladylike. Where have you been?"
Daohua shook the playing card in her hand and said, "I was worried that grandma would be bored during the New Year's Eve, so I went to get this."
Old Lady Yan's eyes lit up, and Yan Zhiqiang, who had been sitting still, came over with a smile: "I was just bored, the cards are just right. Mom, shall we start a game of 'Card Chain'?"
"Come!"
The old lady, who had originally shown no interest, suddenly became energetic, waved her hand, and began to shuffle the cards actively under the stunned gaze of Yan Zhiyuan and others.
The playing cards were made by Daohua based on the playing cards in her previous life. When she was in her hometown, there were too few entertainment activities, so every Chinese New Year, she would play "Card Chain" with Old Lady Yan and others to pass the time.
'Card Chain' has also become a rare entertainment that Mrs. Yan likes.
Yan Zhiqiang and Daohua sat down as if they were familiar with the place.
Daohua smiled and said, "Grandma, is there any prize?"
Old Madam Yan took out her purse with a smile and said, "If you have the ability tonight, you can win all my purse."
Daohua and Yan Zhiqiang immediately smiled at each other.
Seeing that Daohua and the other two were about to start drawing cards, Yan Wenkai became anxious: "Big sister, what about us?"
Daohua: "Just watch first, and when you learn it, start a new game yourself."
Card Solitaire is easy to play, and Yan Wentao also loves to play it. He immediately said, "Big sister, do you have any more cards? Give them to me. I'll teach Wenkai and the others how to play."
Daohua took out a deck of cards from her pocket and handed it to Yan Wentao, then waved to Madam Li: "Mom, come here, I will teach you how to play cards, and you can play with grandma later."
"OK!"
Mrs. Li sat down next to Daohua with a smile.
Yan Wentao and Yan Wenkai ran to find Yan Wenxiu and forced him to play a new game.
For a moment, only Yan Zhiyuan was left sitting there dryly.
Seeing his elderly mother and the not-so-bright third child having fun, Yan Zhiyuan walked to his three nephews and watched them curiously. After watching for a while, he also became interested and insisted on playing with his three nephews.
By the time Yan Zhigao had sent Yan Yishuang and Yan Wenbin back, the previously deserted New Year's Eve celebration had become extremely lively, with laughter and joyful chatter audible even through the door curtains.
As soon as I entered the house, I saw my wife and third brother playing cards with the old lady, all three of them with smiles on their faces; on the other side, my second brother was also playing cards with Wenxiu and a few others, making a lot of noise and having a lot of fun.
As for the eldest daughter, she walked around with a smile on her face, adding tea and snacks to everyone from time to time. Behind her, little Wenhui followed closely behind her.
Everything is so joyful.
It seemed as if the deserted New Year’s Eve dinner was just an illusion.
"Brother, why did you just come back? Come on, play a game with me."
Just when Yan Zhigao was thinking about this, Yan Zhiqiang suddenly came over and pulled him to sit in his seat.
Yan Zhigao looked at his mother and wife and said with a smile, "I don't know how to play this. Third brother, please explain it to me."
Yan Zhiqiang immediately said, "It's very simple. Look, my mother and I both know how to play it."
Hearing this, Old Lady Yan glared at San'er angrily: "What do you mean? Are you saying that I am just as stupid as you?"
Yan Zhiqiang immediately begged for mercy: "Mom, you are the mother of the county magistrate, and you also raised Daohua, that clever girl. Who dares to call you stupid?"
Old Lady Yan snorted coldly and let him go.
After playing a few times, Yan Zhigao had roughly figured out the rules and said with a smile, "This game is quite novel and suitable for killing time."
Yan Zhiqiang: "Isn't it? When I was back home, staying up all night every year was boring, so Daohua made a deck of cards like this, and everyone in the tribe loved to play with it."
Yan Zhigao was surprised: "The playing cards are made of rice flowers?"
Old Lady Yan glanced at her eldest son and said, "Your daughter is very clever. Only you can mistake fish eyes for pearls."
Yan Zhigao said helplessly: "Mom, I don't have a son." He preferred Yishuang more, but it didn't mean he didn't value his eldest daughter.
Old Madam Yan glanced at Daohua, who was sitting next to Yan Wenkai, holding Yan Wenhui and eating a snack. "I'm warning you, if you dare to do anything to me again, I'll take Daohua back home and won't bother you anymore."
Yan Zhigao: "Mother, I know I was wrong. I was really angry at the time and hit the rice flowers. You can't ask your son, the father, to apologize to your daughter, right?"
Old Mrs. Yan snorted coldly and said nothing.
(End of this chapter)
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