On the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, Xu Zhiyuan came over early in the morning.
"Uncle, Auntie, Grandpa said we’re celebrating the New Year at home today and told me to invite you to come back for dinner in the evening," Xu Zhiyuan has been shattered by Xu Nianhua’s blows for the past six months.
In the past, he thought that Xu Nianhua was just slightly better than him.
But during this half-year of repeating a grade, Xu Zhiyuan found that Xu Nianhua’s grades were not just a bit better, but so good that he couldn’t catch up even if he raced on a shuttle bus!
Xu Zhiyuan also began to focus more on his studies. He... even if he couldn’t catch up to Xu Nianhua’s performance, at least he wanted to raise his own scores a bit, to narrow the gap between them!
Ji Ying agreed without hesitation; even though the family had divided, Xu Qinghe was still Xu Zhong’s son. Having a meal together for the New Year was the right thing to do.
After Xu Zhiyuan left, Ji Ying became a bit puzzled. In past years, the New Year was celebrated on the last day, so why did the celebrations start on the twenty-eighth this year?
This year there was no thirtieth, so after the twenty-ninth, it would be the first day of the first lunar month.
"I know, Xu Zhihao came back today." Just having returned from outside, Xu Nian’an said as he had heard about Xu Zhihao’s return while chatting with Cai Feng.
"Did Qiuyun come back?" Ji Ying asked.
Xu Nian’an shook his head, "I only saw him come back by himself."
Ji Ying’s eyes fell as she wondered, could it be that Shen Qiuyun wasn’t returning to the Xu Family because she was about to give birth?
"We’ll go to Grandpa’s house for the New Year’s celebration in the evening, let’s pack some things." Ji Ying said, then asked Xu Nian’an to sort out the canned goods, malted milk, and cakes they had bought.
"Right, take that box of chili sauce as well."
Ji Ying reminded that the box of chili sauce contained four bottles of fish chili sauce and four bottles of regular chili sauce, which could keep for quite some time. They were neatly packed in a box, which looked very presentable.
A box of chili sauce was equivalent to the average person’s two months’ salary.
Of course, buying it at factory price could save them half the cost.
"Okay." Xu Nian’an sluggishly took the items, having not the slightest interest in going to the Xu Family.
"Little sister, put on your new leather shoes."
After Xu Nian’an finished taking the items, he noticed Xu Nianhua was still wearing the black leather shoes she had on before, and he quickly said, "Put on your new leather shoes."
"Does it make a difference?"
Xu Nianhua was wearing a white sweater inside, one she had knitted herself, and over it, a black and white checked coat that reached her knees, paired with black trousers and black leather shoes, which made her figure look exceptionally tall and slim.
At that time, Xu Nianhua had taken a liking to the black and white checked coat immediately. The past her always wore black and grey, never trying other colors. Now that it was finally possible, and her family had money, Xu Nianhua wouldn’t treat herself poorly.
Dressing up beautifully and looking at the vibrant face in the mirror, she felt the days ahead were full of sunshine.
"It’s different, hurry and change." Xu Nian’an went proactively to her room, took the pair of white leather shoes off the rack, and handed them to Xu Nianhua to put on, saying, "Little sister, in the future, I’ll make sure you have new clothes to wear every year, you won’t have to envy others anymore!"
Xu Nian’an thought of how Xu Jiaojiao would surely be envious of his little sister, which made him feel exceptionally pleased. In previous years, it was always his little sister envying others, but this year, it was finally someone else’s turn to envy his little sister.
He planned to earn a lot of money in the future to buy his little sister delicious food and beautiful clothes and to make her look pretty and graceful.