Chapter 384: Sisi’s Embarrassment
Elderly Mr. Di had prepared early, eagerly handing out various types of candy, pastries, and snacks to the children as they arrived.
Today, these children’s pockets must have been large and bulging with their New Year’s clothes, paying New Year’s greetings to everyone in turn.
Once they received the goodies, they would take them home and then pay New Year’s greetings to their elders in the village one by one.
Because Liu Sisi was pregnant and tired, she really got up too late. When she saw the ground covered in red in the courtyard outside, she couldn’t help but laugh!
“Did you set off the firecrackers this morning? I fell asleep and was so confused.”
While a group of children were crowded in front of their father to pay New Year’s greetings, Liu Sisi whispered to Di Yelei.
He was wearing a dark blue outfit today, tightly wrapping his majestic chest. His angular features, against his bronze-colored skin, appeared even more simple and honest. Only in his dark and deep eyes, a fleeting brilliance silently revealed his inner wildness, charm, and wanton!
Di Yelei had a rosy glow on his face, full of energy: “Of course I set them off. I went out to pay New Year’s visits to the elders and came back in a circle. Look, the window paper-cuts, fortune children, Door Gods, and spring couplets are all ready. It’s normal for you to be tired now that you’re pregnant.”
While talking, he lowered his gaze to see a freshly dressed Liu Sisi.
Today’s Liu Sisi was different from her usual makeup-free appearance. Her hair was piled up high, revealing her smooth forehead. Her eyebrows were lightly swept, and her apricot eyes were filled with the warmth of spring. Her skin was delicate, smooth, and as soft as jade with a gentle glow, exuding maternal radiance.
Following custom, she wore a magpie plum blossom hairpin in her hair. Her upper body was in a green tight-fitting robe with short sleeves, and her lower body was a green grass pleated skirt embroidered with large bright red pomegranate flowers. With just a glance and a smile, she captivated Di Yelei’s heart, making him unable to take his eyes off her!
Liu Sisi raised her head and looked at the red lanterns hanging at the entrance of the hall. Especially at the main entrance, the two large red lanterns and the four smaller lanterns next to them, with the large fortune knot in the middle, made the atmosphere rich with New Year’s flavor.
In the midst of laughter, the children finished paying their New Year’s greetings to Elderly Mr. Di and turned to pay their greetings to Di Yelei.
“Hey! What are you daydreaming about? Didn’t you see Di Cheng paying his New Year’s greetings to you?”
Seeing that Di Yelei was still lost in thought, Liu Sisi hurried to nudge him with her elbow.
Di Yelei finally came to his senses, chuckled a few times, and hurriedly took out the prepared red envelope from his arms and put it in Di Cheng’s hand.
“Very good! Happy New Year, great luck and great wealth, try to find a good wife this year and have a big fat boy soon!”
These words made Di Cheng’s face turn red with embarrassment as he took the red envelope, bowed his head, and thanked, “Thank you, Third Uncle and Third Aunt, for your kind wishes.”
“Di Cheng, you should take your Third Uncle’s words seriously. You are already seventeen this year, and it’s about time to consider getting married. Today, I shall have a good talk with your Second Sister-in-law. When the time comes, you can’t leave out your Third Aunt’s toast!”
These words brightened Di Cheng’s eyes! He immediately bowed with joy, “Thank you, Third Aunt!”
His gratitude was genuine, as he understood what Liu Sisi meant.
But before anyone could say more, a group of children crowded around and asked for red envelopes one after another. Liu Sisi happily took out the small amounts of silver she had prepared earlier, giving ten copper coins to each child who came to greet the New Year. The delighted children giggled and quickly covered their wallets before running out of the Di Family home to spread the news to the other children!
In general, people here only give melon seeds and peanuts as New Year’s gifts, or else candy or a single copper coin.
And Liu Sisi’s ten copper coins as ordinary New Year’s red envelopes were already considered top tier in Upper Village! No wonder these children were competing to spread the news!
As expected, even before Liu Sisi tidied up and prepared to go out and greet people for New Year’s, she saw a large group of children rushing towards the Di Family’s house.
The Di Family’s unique house was located on the edge of the mountain, away from the village. Watching a large group of children running over, the people in the house exchanged glances and started laughing as they took out their wallets.
“Elderly Mr. Di, Happy New Year! Wishing you good health!”
“Third Uncle Di, hello, we have come to pay you New Year greetings! May you be promoted and rich, with your sesame growing taller and taller every season!”
“Third Aunt Di, may you have a better year every year than the last!”
Countless little mouths were talking, and countless little ones were paying their New Year’s respects.
With the few people inside the house not stopping to answer, Liu Sisi just had time to hand out silver coins to the constantly moving little heads, not remembering any of them.
It took a great deal of effort to distribute the New Year’s money to every child and send them away. Before everyone could catch their breath, another flood of people came from outside.
But this time, it was not children who came, but their peers.
Of course, it was another lively scene!
This lively scene lasted until close to noon. Liu Sisi glanced at the sky. It was still snowing lightly outside, but it did not deter the enthusiasm of the crowd. The Di family’s kitchen, hall, and wing rooms were all filled with countless people greeting and celebrating together, either in groups of three or five, playing poker or Go, or bragging about their experiences outside, creating an extraordinarily lively atmosphere.
There was no sign of Liu Sisi and others being able to leave the house to pay their New Year’s respects.
Liu Sisi thought about it and pulled Di Yelei over: “Since everyone is gathering at our house and it’s almost noontime, I think we should not go out to pay our New Year’s respects. Instead, we can steam the food on the stove and invite everyone to eat.”
“Everyone’s coming to our house because of my father’s favor, to save face for us. We shouldn’t be stingy.”
Di Yelei whispered softly.
Liu Sisi raised her eyebrow: “So in the past at the old house, everyone in the village would gather in the old house?”
“Of course not! In the past years, everyone gathered at Mr. Land Officer’s house.”
Di Yelei smiled proudly, whispering into Liu Sisi’s ear, “I’m guessing! People are giving you face! They are treating you as the highest authority in our Upper Village!”
“What nonsense are you talking about? If people hear this, they’ll laugh at you!”
Liu Sisi quickly glanced at him, then looked around to see if anyone was paying attention to them. “You can’t talk about this freely.”
“Sisi, do you think your husband is talking nonsense?”
Di Yelei quietly approached her, grinning smugly, “If not, you can explain why the people in the village are gathering at our house. Or maybe you can go and ask them?”
“But, it seems that half of the people in the village have come, right?”
In addition to the people inside the house, the courtyard outside was also filled with people, especially in front of the Di family’s stable, where it was almost completely surrounded by a circle of people.