"Yang Qiu, it’s your turn!"
"Sister-in-law, I’d rather not, I... I can’t." Yang Qiu said, feeling very embarrassed.
Xiaoxiao saw that the girl had been bullied into being so introverted, she decided not to make things difficult for her and thought that she needed to take her out more in the future to help her become less timid.
"Alright, if you don’t want to perform, then don’t. Here, take this!"
"Take it quickly, you and the fourth brother are the same!"
Yang Qiu accepted the big red envelope and felt warmth in her heart, her eyes even getting a bit moist. It was her first time experiencing the New Year , with such an atmosphere and these kinds of family members, and it felt really good.
"Next, it’s mine and Yang Ming’s turn!"
Xiaoxiao stood up with Yang Ming to get the handkerchiefs they had prepared earlier. When they saw that Yang Ming also had a handkerchief, the family was puzzled.
"Third brother, what are you up to! Why are you holding a handkerchief like a maiden, haha," Yang Dong burst into uninhibited laughter.
"Old fourth!" Yang Dad called out to stop him, curious to see how his third son would change under the influence of his daughter-in-law.
Yang Ming and Xiaoxiao started their performance, "In the first month comes the New Year, on the very first day of the year, every family gathers, the young pay respects to the elder..."
As they sang, they twirled around, shocking everyone so much their jaws nearly hit the floor. They had expected the third son to recite a poem with literary flair like Yang Shu had, but instead, here he was, twisting and turning—was this really their third son?
The young ones were delighted, clapping and cheering. Yang Ming felt like he had lost all face; he had never done anything in front of others, not even in front of his family. Following his wife, he thought he must have gone crazy.
Xiaoxiao, on the other hand, was enjoying herself more and more, and at the end of the sketch, she even threw a flirtatious look at Yang Ming. Electrified, Yang Ming’s face turned red to the root of his neck, and he immediately sat back down in his original spot.
How could his wife do such a thing in front of so many people! Couldn’t she have kept it to their room?
The ever-so-oblivious Xiaoxiao didn’t notice Yang Ming’s reaction at all. She had only thrown the seductive glance because the act required it—to act professionally in a sketch, you need proper eye contact and interaction!
Without a care, she continued to liven up the atmosphere, "Second sister-in-law, second brother, it’s your turn now!"
Yang Gang immediately said, "I don’t know how either! Wife, why don’t you go ahead!"
The second sister-in-law was also in a fix, as she didn’t know how either, but she still said, "Then I’ll share a funny story. That day, I saw Yang Ergou at the east end of the village step in dog poop, and he was chased by that dog until he fell on his big butt!"
"..." There was silence from the family members. What was this second sister-in-law talking about? They were eating their meal! It would have been better if she hadn’t spoken at all.
Only Xiaoxiao almost choked with laughter.
"..." This third daughter-in-law really was different from the others.
Xiaoxiao was amused by the name "Yang Ergou"—so there really was someone with that name! And after the second sister-in-law’s story about Ergou stepping in dog poop and then getting chased by the dog, she just couldn’t hold herself back.
The elder brother and sister-in-law, as well as the father-in-law and mother-in-law, didn’t have an act to perform afterwards. Xiaoxiao thought that for a family that didn’t talk much and didn’t like to put themselves out there, they did quite well.
The meal was enjoyed immensely by all because with Xiaoxiao’s inclusion, they had an unusual reunion dinner. The table was filled with laughter, and the men drank their fair share of alcohol, though the women only had a little.