He Teng had already felt a hint of embarrassment from being caught by He Zhilan for lying about not having prepared a red envelope. So, when Zhilan suddenly hugged him and kissed him, he was totally taken aback.
Glancing at his excited wife, a smile tugged at He Teng’s lips, quietly turning up at the corners.
Zhilan didn’t care about the money in the red envelope. She still carried a childish heart, enjoying receiving red envelopes and the blessing and care of the person giving them to her.
Without opening the red envelope, she slipped it under her pillow, mumbling softly, "Sleeping on the red envelope from my husband will make my sleep sweet tonight."
After placing the red envelope, Zhilan got back into bed with a bright smile. Noting that He Teng hadn’t spoken since giving her the red envelope, she poked his waist tucked under the covers. When He Teng’s body stiffened in surprise, she looked at him and chuckled, asking, "When did you prepare the red envelope for me? Before I came?"
"Why are you asking such detailed questions?" He Teng shifted his body onto his back, no longer leaning against the headboard. The next second, his charming wife pressed herself against his side, watching him with eager eyes.
"You tricked me this afternoon! Brother, am I the first one you’ve given a red envelope to?" Zhilan grinned, "You lied to me about not having a red envelope this afternoon, and now you suddenly present me with one. It makes me feel so unexpectedly blessed!"
"What are you rambling about? It’s late, lie down, close your eyes and rest! Believe me, Ya’nan will come looking for you early in the morning!" He Teng didn’t tell Zhilan that he had really forgotten about the red envelope tradition. After years of working shifts and standing guard during the Chinese New Year, and not receiving red envelopes himself for several years, he had simply forgotten that giving red envelopes was a custom. It was only after seeing Zhilan’s dejected face this afternoon that he hastily got a red envelope bag from the political commissar’s wife.
Thinking about the teasing he had endured from the political commissar and others this afternoon, and then seeing the stars in Zhilan’s delighted eyes when she kissed him, He Teng felt that the teasing was well worth it.
The couple returned late. After washing up and chatting for quite a while, it was nearly midnight. Seeing Zhilan still giggling, He Teng gave her a mock stern look, told her to go to sleep, and switched off the light.
But his action to turn off the light was met with Zhilan’s dissatisfaction, "Brother, you can’t turn off the lights on New Year’s Eve. Have you forgotten our family tradition?"
In the pitch-black room, He Teng chuckled, "Are you so scared of the dark that you need to make such an excuse?"
"I’m not that scared of the dark anymore! And with you by my side, what do I have to fear?" Zhilan sat up, turned the light back on, and said, "Have you forgotten? This tradition has been passed down in our family and must continue."
Back in bed, Zhilan softly shared the story of why they keep the lights on during New Year’s Eve with He Teng, "There was an old woman who was well-regarded for her good deeds and sincerity. On the night when the invaders slaughtered the village, the old woman’s family was still sleeping. In her dream, the Bodhisattva asked her to light a lamp. The old woman did as she was told in the dream when she woke up. When dawn broke, she found out that every household in the village had been slaughtered. The invaders lit lamps as a sign that they had massacred a household. The old woman’s family escaped the disaster because of her lighted lamp. Since then, no matter when we go to bed on New Year’s Eve after dinner, we always leave the lights on until dawn to symbolize that lighting a lamp can ward off disaster and safeguard the family."