"I get one too?"
Gu Jiaojiao was genuinely surprised. She was already married, and getting married meant you were an adult. She hadn’t expected to still receive a red envelope.
Leng Yuan’s expression was gentle, his eyes as brilliant as the stars. "You’ll get one every year from now on."
Gu Jiaojiao took it and felt its thickness, exclaiming, ’Goodness!’
’Did Leng Yuan stuff his entire life savings in here?!’
"Thank you, darling."
After accepting the red envelope, Gu Jiaojiao’s face lit up with a smile. She then took out her own red envelopes and handed them to Sweet Girl and Xiao Yang.
Sweet Girl and Xiao Yang froze.
They were already overjoyed to receive one red envelope; they never imagined Gu Jiaojiao had prepared some for them too.
Gu Jiaojiao spoke with a warm smile.
"Go on, take them! These are from your big sister, and the ones just now were from your brother-in-law. For the new year, I wish our Sweet Girl and Xiao Yang peace, happiness, good health, and good fortune."
Tears instantly welled up in Sweet Girl’s and Xiao Yang’s eyes.
After so many years, this was the first time they had been treated so preciously, and the two of them couldn’t control their emotions.
Sweet Girl and Xiao Yang then stood up and respectfully offered them formal New Year’s greetings.
Gu Jiaojiao smiled and ruffled the two little ones’ hair, her voice gentle. "Alright now, no crying on the first day of the new year. If you do, you’ll be crying for the rest of the year."
It was a traditional saying from the older generation, but hearing it made Sweet Girl and Xiao Yang laugh.
"Big Sister and Brother-in-law are so good to us, we’re too busy smiling to cry."
Xiao Yang nodded in agreement.
Gu Jiaojiao told the two to sit down and eat.
But Sweet Girl and Xiao Yang ran back to their room, returning a moment later. Sweet Girl had also prepared New Year’s gifts for the family: two handkerchiefs. One was large and blue-plaid, obviously meant for a man.
The other was white with embroidery, clearly for a woman.
Sweet Girl handed the handkerchiefs to Gu Jiaojiao and Leng Yuan. "Big Sister, Brother-in-law, this is Sweet Girl’s New Year’s gift for you. It’s just... I bought it with the money Big Sister gave me."
She had wanted to prepare something herself, but she didn’t know how to make anything, so she could only use the money Gu Jiaojiao gave her to buy the two handkerchiefs.
Gu Jiaojiao was overjoyed. She felt like a mother receiving a gift from her own child for the first time, and she immediately showered the girl with praise.
"The money Big Sister gave you is yours. It’s clear you put a lot of thought into choosing these handkerchiefs. I love them! And this floral pattern is just beautiful."
Leng Yuan nodded along. "Mm."
Next was Xiao Yang. He had prepared a handmade wooden bracelet for Gu Jiaojiao. He had cut beads of a uniform size from fragrant wood, polished their surfaces until they shone, and finally strung them together. Gu Jiaojiao loved it, too.
Leng Yuan’s was the same.
Seeing that neither of them had noticed the hidden detail, Xiao Yang immediately pointed at the beads and urged them to look closer.
Only then did Gu Jiaojiao examine it closely, discovering that one of the beads on the bracelet had tiny characters carved into it. Looking carefully, she saw they read: *Live a long life.*
Leng Yuan’s was the same.
It was truly a simple and heartfelt blessing.
The four of them had all finished exchanging gifts, though Leng Yuan had yet to receive one from Gu Jiaojiao. He didn’t seem to mind, though, and called for everyone to eat.
After the meal, Gu Jiaojiao went back to her room to get the red envelopes she had prepared in advance. She gave a portion of them to Leng Yuan, and the four of them headed out to pay New Year’s visits.
As they walked into the village, they saw red couplets and red *fu* characters for good fortune everywhere. The streets were bustling with villagers, most of them taking their children out to make New Year’s calls.