Chapter 53

The Xu family had a peaceful and harmonious New Year celebration. At least, on the surface, there was no unpleasantness.

The First Day of the Lunar New Year

Xu Da-ge (eldest brother Xu) took the lead, and the others followed, offering New Year’s greetings to Father and Mother Xu.

“Wishing Mom and Dad a Happy New Year and all the best!”

“May all your wishes come true!”

“Stay youthful forever!”

“Wishing you wealth hand over the red envelopes!”

Xu Jun’s voice was the loudest. In the family, aside from Ping’an, he was the only one not working and had no money!

“Give me the red envelopes!”

Ping’an didn’t quite understand what was going on still half-asleep he heard his little uncle yelling about red envelopes.

He didn’t know what red envelopes were for, but he figured they must be something good if his little uncle wanted them.

“Here, everyone gets one. Ping’an gets one too.”

Mother Xu looked at her children and her adorable grandson. No matter how much pain and sorrow there had been, it would slowly fade. As parents, their hearts would always be soft.

Mother Xu took out the red envelopes and started handing them out, beginning with Dali and his wife everyone got one.

“Thank you, Mom and Dad!”

Xu Di and the others all thanked their parents in unison, delightedly holding the red envelopes filled with their parents’ love.

“Thank you, Grandpa and Grandma!”

Ping’an tried to mimic the others. Thankfully, he didn’t mess up the titles.

“Big Brother, Big Sister-in-law, Eldest Sister, Second Sister Happy New Year!”

Xu Jun looked at his siblings, blinking cutely.

“Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.”

Big Brother Xu handed over a red envelope, and Xu Jun accepted it. Then he looked toward his sister-in-law.

“Little brother-in-law, you’ve had quite a fat New Year!” she teased him while handing him a red envelope. After all, Xu Jun had helped a lot with babysitting this past year.

“Here you go, you little money-grubber!”

Xu Mei also took out a red envelope. Xu Jun smiled and thanked her cheerfully as he took it.

Xu Di had also prepared one and quickly passed it to him.

“What about me?” Ping’an looked around at his parents and aunts—he hadn’t gotten one yet.

“Haha… Ping’an, you’ve been led astray by your little uncle. Here’s one from your Auntie Di—buy some candy with it.”

Xu Di handed him the red envelope she had prepared, as she had to leave for work.

Ping’an happily held the red envelope.

Xu Mei gave one to Ping’an as well, and he sweetly said, “Thank you, Aunt Mei!”

Xu Mei patted his head. What a cute little guy.

One by one, the ones who had to work left, and soon it was just Xu Jun, Xu Mei, and Ping’an at home.

“Well, they’ve all left. Just the three of us again.”

Xu Mei glanced at Xu Jun, who was visibly beaming with happiness.

“Big Sis, when you get married, what kind of wedding gift do you want? I have money now I can buy you something.”

“How much could you possibly have? Would you even be willing to spend it on me?”

“Of course I would! Aren’t you my real sister? Even if I don’t have much money, you can’t dislike the gift.”

Xu Jun said it naturally he truly wanted to give his big sister a wedding gift.

He knew that brides love getting gifts. Their mom had always said that he and Big Brother should protect their two sisters and be their support.

Though he was closer to his second sister emotionally, Big Sister wasn’t picked up from the street either she deserved kindness too.

For some reason, seeing Xu Jun’s earnest expression made Xu Mei’s heart ache a little.

“It’s fine. Your big sister has money. Save yours for candy.”

With that, Xu Mei quickly went inside. She felt like crying.

“Little Uncle, let’s buy candy.”

Ping’an’s red envelopes had all been taken by his mom, so he didn’t have any money left to buy candy.

“Ping’an, if we go buy candy now and your grandma finds out, we’ll both get spanked. Come on, let’s go play bamboo dragonflies instead.”

The uncle and nephew stayed home quietly, without splurging.

The Third Day of the Lunar New Year.

It was a normal rest day.

The Xu family planned to visit the grandparents. Xu Mei hadn’t gone to see them since coming back.

After breakfast, the whole family, including Ping’an, went to visit the grandparents.

“Xu Mei is back? Why did you wait this long to visit Grandpa and Grandma?”

“She’s here, isn’t she? Why are you talking so much?”

The one being scolded by Grandma Xu was Aunt Xu Xiaohua Xu Di’s aunt a woman who wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed.

Grandpa and Grandma Xu had six or seven children in total, but only three survived: Father Xu, Second Uncle Xu, and Aunt Xu.

For various reasons, most of the children passed away. Aunt Xu was the youngest and weakest, and they never thought she’d survive.

But somehow, against the odds, she grew up.

Because she was weak and the youngest, she was spoiled from a young age.

When she grew up, she fell for a man in the same village Yan Zhiwei. Grandpa and Grandma Xu didn’t approve.

Yan Zhiwei had a stepmother. His mother died leaving behind him and his sister, and then his father married a widow with kids and had more children with her.

With such a complicated family background, there was no way Grandma Xu wanted her precious daughter marrying into it.

But what parent can win against a child’s stubbornness? Aunt Xu cried, threw tantrums, and threatened to kill herself if she couldn’t marry Yan Zhiwei.

She even said if the family didn’t agree, she’d pack her things and go on her own.

Grandma Xu was terrified that if she did that, she’d be controlled by her husband’s family for life.

In the end, Grandpa and Grandma Xu gave in and let them marry.

Life after that wasn’t particularly good or bad it was just complicated with a big extended family and lots of squabbles.

Thankfully, she married within the same village, and her maternal family had some status.

Grandpa Xu was the village accountant, so the Yan family didn’t dare go too far they just refused to split up the household.

Aunt Xu already had three kids the eldest over 11 and the in-laws still refused to divide the household.

A whole bunch of people squeezed into one house, arguing constantly it was chaos.

After over a decade of marriage, Aunt Xu had turned bitter and sharp-tongued, nothing like the delicate girl she once was. When she argued with her sisters-in-law, her insults were creative and never repeated.

So when she saw her elder brother’s family arriving, all well-dressed, she felt upset.

She didn’t dare pick on her sister-in-law, who was more assertive, but Xu Mei was younger easy target.

Interestingly, Xu Mei looked a lot like her aunt.

Back in the day, Aunt Xu was one of the most beautiful girls in the area. Many suitors came knocking, but she rejected them all dead set on marrying Yan Zhiwei. Who knows what spell he put on her?

Xu Mei resembled her aunt and shared a similar personality.

However, Xu Mei was more educated and understood more about life, which made a difference.

Xu Mei couldn’t be bothered to argue with her aunt and didn’t even reply after all, Grandma wouldn’t let Aunt Xu act out.

“Dad, Mom, Xu Mei is getting married soon after she returns. We came today to tell you in person.”

Mother Xu was fed up with her sister-in-law Xu Xiaohua pretty face but no brains.

“What? Getting married? What does the groom do? Don’t tell me she’s marrying a local?”

Before Grandma could respond, Aunt Xu cut in again.

“Xiaohua, just go home already. Your chatter is giving me a headache.”

“Mom, you don’t like me anymore, do you? I just got here, and you’re already kicking me out? Am I still your daughter? Sob sob sob…”

Aunt Xu launched into her usual performance crying, complaining, making a scene. She was an expert at it, tears on command.

“Shut up! It’s New Year’s are you trying to wail like at a funeral? If you wanna wail, go wail back at the Yan house!”

Grandma Xu had really had enough of her daughter. She couldn’t blame anyone else it was her own fault for raising her that way.

Seeing her mother truly get angry, Aunt Xu immediately stopped crying and stood off to the side, silent.

She wasn’t leaving. Since her second brother’s family was here, she knew their mother would prepare a good meal. She needed to bring her husband and kids over too.

Not eating would mean missing out!