Chapter 47: Taking Care

It was soon New Year’s Eve. Hanging spring couplets, pasting “Fu” characters, and putting up red lanterns filled the house with festivity. This year, the addition of a few little helpers—who were more troublemakers than anything else—made the atmosphere even livelier.

Sitting on a chair by the window, Xiao Yao listened to the cheerful chatter and laughter. Her lips curled into a smile. Life was so wonderful now—her family lived in harmony. She wished this happiness could last forever.

Xiao Yang, who usually stayed in his study, was dragged outside by his elder and younger brothers today. However, he seized every opportunity to sneak back into the house. Even if he wasn’t in his study, being indoors was better than freezing outside. When he saw his younger sister, he knew he’d found his excuse.

“Ping’an, how about Third Brother plays with you?”

“Okay!” It wasn’t often her third brother took the initiative. She was the only one in the family who could get him to do so, and she eagerly responded.

Xiao Yang carefully peeled nuts for his sister, fed her snacks, and played with clay figures together. Though he spoke little, he was exceptionally attentive. With him around, Xiao Yao never had to ask for things like handkerchiefs or shoes; he always anticipated her needs and acted promptly.

Outside, there was joyous laughter, while inside, it was warm and harmonious. General Xiao and his sons were busy preparing for the ancestral worship ceremony, while Lady Qin led the daughters-in-law in preparing a lavish New Year’s feast. Everywhere bustled with activity.

Only Xiao Yang and Xiao Yao remained calm and unperturbed, undisturbed by the outside commotion.

Both General Xiao and Xiao Jingkang sent people to check on Xiao Yao, worried she might feel neglected. General Xiao was particularly displeased with his son and daughter-in-law, grumbling that if others could go out, why couldn’t his precious granddaughter? He even threatened to take care of her personally if they continued to show favoritism.

During the New Year, Xiao Jingkang feared his father might uncover the truth, which would completely ruin the festivities. To avoid this, he explained that he simply didn’t want his daughter catching cold. As expected, he was met with a glare. A glare was better than the truth coming out, so he endured it.

Once the outdoor tasks were done, Xiao Lang and Xiao Yi joined the elders for various family responsibilities. As representatives of the younger generation, there were many duties they needed to participate in. Xiao Rui, on the other hand, reveled in the rare opportunity to play outside, coming up with every excuse not to return.

The remaining three initially tried to resist but were soon guilt-tripped by Xiao Yi’s remark: “Are you all just going to play and leave Ping’an alone?” This quickly brought them back to the house obediently.

This year, the Xiao family was finally complete. In previous years, someone was always missing, leaving a sense of regret on what should have been a day of reunion. This year was different—not a single person was absent. As a result, everyone’s mood was particularly joyous.

Lady Qin, in particular, felt incredibly content. Her husband had returned to the capital, her youngest son had promised to stay, and the Fang family’s issues had been resolved. Overwhelmed with satisfaction, she even drank two extra glasses of wine.

After dinner, the younger grandchildren were sent off to bed, as they were too little to stay up until midnight. The rest of the family gathered to chat and welcome the new year. Since Xiao Yuan’s first birthday was just two days away, the women naturally shifted the conversation to the upcoming celebration.

Yuan Yutong, feeling apologetic for delaying her sisters-in-law’s return to their maiden families the previous year, didn’t plan to hold a grand celebration for her daughter this time.

“Even though Ruyi’s first birthday coincides with the New Year and makes it inconvenient to hold a big event, our family should still celebrate joyously. This isn’t negotiable,” Tong Mingyu firmly opposed Yuan Yutong’s suggestion.

“We’re not new brides who must return to our maiden families on the second day of the New Year. A day or two’s delay doesn’t matter,” Li Jiaoying chimed in, also disagreeing.

Tong Mingyu and Li Jiaoying understood that their sister-in-law didn’t want to trouble everyone since her family wasn’t nearby and the celebration fell on a significant day. However, they viewed her decision as unnecessarily distant. They had all lived together for years; as one family, how could they let such an important occasion pass lightly?

Lady Qin, rarely taking charge, also voiced her opposition. The first birthday celebration would proceed, albeit without extravagance, but it must be lively. The men had no objections either. Xiao Jingmin even stood up, bowed to his sisters-in-law, and apologized, “I’m sorry for causing you trouble.”

“Don’t be so formal; we’re family!” Tong Mingyu quickly returned the gesture.

After setting off firecrackers and staying up late, the family ushered in the new year together.

The next morning, the four younger grandchildren donned new clothes and went to Ninghetang to pay respects to the elders. When it came time to hand out red envelopes, everyone remembered Xiao Yao’s antics from the previous year and eagerly awaited her reaction. General Xiao handed over the red envelope without hesitation, while Lady Qin simply smiled, waiting for her granddaughter’s response.

“Why are you making things difficult for my granddaughter?” General Xiao asked, puzzled.

“You’ll see in a moment,” Lady Qin replied mysteriously.

Initially confused, Xiao Yao only understood when her second brother leaned in and whispered a reminder: “What did you do last year for New Year?”

Realizing what was expected, Xiao Yao sighed inwardly. Without the reminder, she would have completely forgotten. Coming up with something new for New Year’s greetings each year—really, Grandma, is it necessary to challenge a child like this?

“Grandma… Happy New Year!” she said, slightly amused at herself. If this trend continued, she thought, she might be forced to greet her family in English next year.

Her unique greeting satisfied Lady Qin, who happily handed over the red envelope. General Xiao, however, felt a pang of regret. In his haste, he had missed out on a more delightful interaction with his granddaughter. Feeling sorry for her grandfather, Xiao Yao sweetened the deal by adding a loud kiss to her “Happy New Year.” Instantly, General Xiao was overjoyed and floated on cloud nine.

The rest of the family seized the opportunity to ask for kisses, and Xiao Yao, obliging them all, spent a good while fulfilling their requests. Though happy to bring everyone joy, she ended up exhausted, breaking out in a cold sweat. Her frail constitution still left much to be desired.

Since it was the first day of the New Year, all the men with official titles, led by General Xiao, donned court robes, while the women, under Lady Qin’s guidance, dressed according to their rank and left in carriages to offer New Year’s greetings at the palace.

This left Xiao Jingyan as the highest-ranking family member at home, tasked with looking after the children. The usually carefree and handsome young man felt utterly aggrieved. How could they assign an unmarried man to watch over children, especially four toddlers? It was too much!

Driven by a sense of shared misery, Xiao Jingyan made meticulous arrangements: Xiao Lang was to look after Xiao Qi, Xiao Yi was responsible for Xiao Jun, Xiao Yang and Xiao Rui were assigned Xiao Yuan, while he himself was left with Xiao Yao.

Pleased with his seemingly perfect plan, Xiao Jingyan was just about to commend himself when Xiao Yuan vehemently protested. To the little one, anyone who tried to separate him from his sister was a villain. Stomping his tiny feet and huffing, he ran straight to Xiao Yao, trailed by two entirely unrepentant “nannies.”

Before long, the four children had regrouped, even managing to rope in a few of the older ones. Xiao Yao, amused, glanced at her fourth uncle. Seeing his utterly defeated expression, so unlike his usual confident self, she turned away and stifled a laugh.

Such a flawless plan, such a considerate arrangement—why had it failed? Xiao Jingyan couldn’t accept the outcome. But the reality was clear, whether he liked it or not. He realized he had no talent for dealing with children. Apart from his niece Ping’an, he resolved to steer clear of kids and even began harboring doubts about fatherhood.

Lady Qin could never have anticipated that leaving her son to care for the children for just one day would lead to such thoughts. If she had known, she would have never assigned him this task.

Xiao Lang and Xiao Yi, unable to suppress their amusement, laughed discreetly. They sympathized with their fourth uncle’s plight; no man wanted to spend the entire day babysitting. Seeing how disheartened he was, they decided to shoulder more of the childcare responsibilities for the day.

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(fú) means good fortune or blessing, and it’s commonly displayed as a symbol of happiness, prosperity, and good luck.