Setting Off Fireworks

Su Li grinned and handed out the red envelopes she had prepared long ago to Jindou and Yindou.

Gu Yu and Li Huahua also came to offer New Year’s greetings, saying all sorts of auspicious things. Su Li happily gave red envelopes to all the children, even Bai Lu, Little Steward Yuan, and Tudan got one.

"Hey, I got a red envelope too!" Yuan Yu said with a big smile, holding his envelope.

"You’re still not married yet, so you still count as a kid! Save this red envelope for your betrothal gift, it'll help you get a wife!" Su Li teased him.

Yuan Yu blushed and quickly glanced at Bai Lu, then grinned at Su Li, "Thank you, Miss Ali. I’ll save this envelope and give it to my wife to keep in the future!"

The little kids circled the adults in the house, offering greetings and collecting lots of red envelopes, clutching them to their chests like treasures.

Su Li watched the laughing children with a gentle smile, then leaned lightly against Yuanbao’s shoulder.

Yuanbao held her hand and smiled innocently, "Wife, I’ll work really hard."

"Work hard at what?" Su Li asked with a laugh.

"Work hard so you can have a big, chubby baby next year!" Yuanbao replied.

"Pfft! Where did you learn that? Was it Brother Zhang Mu?" Su Li’s face flushed bright red. Zhang Mu was corrupting her pure Yuanbao again! When Zhang Mu and Wu Caiwei come to visit tomorrow, she’ll have to talk to Wu Caiwei and ask her to keep an eye on her husband!

"Dumplings are ready!"

The whole family gathered around the big table, happily eating dumplings.

"Oh wow, this little pig-shaped dumpling is delicious. I want it!" Li Yanhao snatched the pig dumpling with quick hands and popped it into his mouth, smacking his lips exaggeratedly.

"Hey, that was my pig dumpling!" Yindou protested, unable to hide his longing.

Li Yanhao teased Yindou, acting nothing like a royal relative, more like the king of the kids.

"Miss, I’ll get you a rabbit dumpling!" Li Huahua picked up a rabbit-shaped dumpling for Yindou, who took a big bite and made a face at Li Yanhao: "I’ve got one too, so I don’t need yours, hmph!"

The adults at the table watched Yindou’s adorable antics and bent over with laughter.

After finishing the dumplings, more dishes were brought out. Everyone ate and drank, enjoying themselves immensely.

On New Year’s Eve, everyone stayed up late, full of excitement—no one even mentioned going to bed.

"Time to put up window flowers!" Madam Wang and Madam Chen had snipped out plenty of beautiful, intricate window decorations, and the children cheered nonstop. So the two women took four kids to paste them onto the windows.

"Eugene Jr., are our firecrackers ready?" Lily Evans asked.

Eugene Jr. replied promptly, "They’ve been ready for ages! This year we don’t just have firecrackers, but also fireworks—Master bought them specially from Jiangnan, and even Clearwater Village hasn’t seen them yet! When the fireworks go up, they’re absolutely stunning!"

"I want to set off firecrackers! Eugene Jr., take us out!" The kids immediately swarmed Eugene Jr.

Eugene Jr., always good-natured, smiled and led the children outside to set off the firecrackers.

Long bamboo poles were used to hang the firecrackers, crackling and popping with a deafening racket—heralding a prosperous and thriving new year!

After the firecrackers, Eugene Warren started setting off fireworks outside.

With a bang, a firework shot into the sky and burst into a gorgeous flower shape.

"Wow, what a beautiful firework! It went so high!" Lily Evans exclaimed, laughing as she pulled Lucky outside.

The whole family had never seen fireworks before, so everyone came out to watch, giggling and crowding into the courtyard.

Lucky wrapped Lily Evans tightly in his arms, worried she’d get cold. His gaze was overflowing with tenderness and adoration, leaving Leonard Li beside them feeling like the third wheel and utterly exasperated.

With fireworks going off at Lily Evans’s house, the whole village could see. Many villagers came out to watch, all mesmerized by the dazzling display.

Old Madam Evans stepped outside, saw the fireworks lighting up the sky, then looked at her own New Year’s Eve table of bran radish and dark bread. She slapped her thigh and wailed, "What are you all staring at? Get back here, stop gawking! It’s just fireworks, what’s so special about them!"

Belle pouted and muttered, "Fireworks aren’t such a big deal, but just one costs enough to feed our whole family for a month. Lily Evans’s family has already set off fifty or sixty, and it looks like they’re going for a full hundred!"