Joyful Motherhood in a Rural Family

While they were talking, she also put the remaining 20 taels of loose silver into her pocket. She then began to separately store the remaining silver tickets and bills, keeping the silver coins securely stashed away.

“That’s right, this year isn’t like the previous years. It’s New Year’s tomorrow, we can’t put off preparations.”

Di Yelei chuckled sincere.

He couldn’t help but remember the Days of the New Year’s past, feeling a surge of emotions.

“Exactly! With this sudden windfall of silver, how should we spend it?”

“How to spend? I don’t plan on touching the 1,000 taels from Madam Gan Senior. Who knows if there will be any complications? Better to hold on to it for now.”

She’s always been somewhat wary of Madam Gan Senior. Maybe it’s the hawkish glint that occasionally shone within the latter’s genial facade that put her on guard?

“That’s wise! The silver did come in a peculiar way. We should just keep it and not touch it, as we don’t really need to.”

Di Yelei nodded repeatedly.

After putting away the silver, Liu Sisi stood up and seeing Di Yelei still standing in place, she couldn’t help but curiously look at him.

“What’s wrong? Why are you still standing here?”

“Aren’t I just waiting for further instructions from my little kitten?”

Jokingly, Di Yelei said as he turned and started to walk outside, “Fine! I’ll go pay back the borrowed money to Uncle Land Officer and Brother Zhang, then I’ll head over to the old house, give mom her retirement money, and come back for the New Year’s Eve dinner.”

“That sounds good, you should go now! Any later and you might end up crashing someone’s New Year’s Eve dinner.”

Liu Sisi’s comment immediately tickled Di Yelei!

He couldn’t resist coming back, bending down to plant a kiss on Liu Sisi’s forehead.

“Sisi, our home is doing well today, all beacuse I, Di Yelei, married you. You truly are my lucky star!”

As he spoke, he planted another kiss on her little mouth and it looked like he was gradually moving downwards.

Liu Sisi hurriedly pushed him away, dodging him.

“Quit fooling around! That tickles… It’s getting late, you better leave quickly! Are you really planning to go crash someone else’s New Year’s Eve meal?”

“Sisi, my little kitten…”

His face kept getting closer as if intentionally being mischievous.

She dodged!

He chased!

She couldn’t help but dodge.

He followed persistently!

Constantly teasing her petite body.

She was all along trying to fend off and avoid him, being fearful that he could inadvertently hurt the baby inside her belly.

“Mmm…let go…Ye Lei…”

“Don’t move about, I won’t hurt the baby. I just want to have you more, don’t hide…mmm, let me kiss you, so fragrant…”

His mouth refused to leave her lips for a moment, continued deepening the kiss. His large hand stoked the fan of desire on her body, sneaking down her collar and silently moved to the source of that bliss…

She anxiously grabbed her clothing. “Stop! If you keep this up, I’m really going to get angry…”

Although her words sounded harsh, they came out almost like a deflated balloon, so broken they barely made sense.

“Little kitten, my little kitten, you are so sweet and beautiful!…”

His eyes were filled with love and desire. He looked at her for a long time, lost in his infatuation, before murmuring these words. Finally, he buried his head in her neck, unable to move for a long time.

Liu Sisi did not say anything more. She wrapped her arms around his waist, silently accompanying the man lost in his love.

After quite a while of affection, Di Yelei reluctantly let her go and left the room.

The blush on Liu Sisi’s cheeks was prominent, and she couldn’t help but keep the faint smile on her lips.

It took a while for her to calm her racing heart before she left the room to start preparing the New Year’s Eve dinner.

The New Year’s Eve dinner was almost all prepared yesterday, Liu Sisi planned to stir-fry a couple of vegetables, make a clear soup, and call it done.

As soon as she walked into the kitchen, she found that Liu Zhi’er was already busy on the stove. She was full of joy, and she was nothing like the depressed person she was a few days ago.

When she turned her head and saw Liu Sisi coming in, she quickly greeted her, “Up already, Sisi? I just made you a bowl of ginger soup. Drink some more and sweat a bit. Getting a cold during the New Year would be bad.”

“It’s okay now, I already sweated before.”

Said Liu Sisi as she proceeded into the kitchen.

Today, surprisingly, Xuan’er also put down his books and came out of the room. He was playing with Da Mao and YingEr, while Elderly Mr. Di sat by the brazier, watching Xuan’er enthusiastically telling stories to the two little ones.

The vegetables in the greenhouse were still doing well. Probably because the underfloor heating passed through this area, they were still vibrant green.

She picked some from each type and fried them separately. She also took out some pickled cabbage, pickled turnip leaves, and pickled small radishes from the pickling jar and sliced a whole plate full. This was great to stimulate the appetite and help with greasy food; how could the New Year’s Eve dinner be without it?

Once everything was ready, everyone started to help set up the tables and chairs.

Based on Sisi’s suggestion, they’d have the New Year’s Eve dinner in the kitchen, it was warmer. But Dad thought that the New Year’s Eve dinner should naturally be eaten in the hall to be formal. So everyone brought the food to the hall, placed a charcoal stove under the table, and set up braziers in the four corners of the house. The charcoal was stoked, and the house warmed up quickly.

Elderly Mr. Di was on the side, plunking away on the chopping block, making paper money. Liu Sisi tried to help but was told by Elderly Mr. Di to step back.

The incense and firecrackers were also prepared; once Di Yelei was back, they would start the New Year’s Eve dinner!

Not long after, Di Yelei indeed returned!

But who came back with him was a massive crowd from the old house!

“Sisi, I…”

Di Yelei pulled Liu Sisi aside, an embarrassed look on his face, “Earlier I went to the old house, I was planning to give my mom her retirement money and come right back, but then…”

“Then what?”

Liu Sisi raised an eyebrow.

He looked nervously at the crowd that had just entered the hall, “Then…Then my Second Sister-in-law said that today is a great day for family reunion, and naturally we should all be together. So she suggested that we come to our house and eat New Year’s Eve dinner together.”

Liu Sisi turned her gaze to Ms. Xin, who was smiling smugly at her, then to Ms. Wang, who was acting like she had stolen something, and finally to Ms. Zhao, who stubbornly stood at the doorway of the hall refusing to come in. Finally, her gaze fell on Di Cheng, who was supporting Ms. Zhao. Di Cheng seemed to be talking with Di Gaoyuan, who had just stepped through the door, his face full of bitterness.

Liu Sisi took a deep breath, turned to look at Elderly Mr. Di, who was struggling to stand up with his crutch, and suddenly laughed.

“Today is indeed the New Year’s Eve, it’s a time for family reunion, peace and harmony! Having a big family eating reunion dinner together is even more lively! You should hurry up and invite everyone to take a seat.”