noffsinger Chapter 443
Chapter 443
Si Nian took them to try on a few down jackets. The jackets were light, thin, and warm, and the children all liked them very much."Mom, Mom, these clothes are so light and comfortable to wear."
Second Child was so happy that he jumped up and down on the spot.
The heavy cotton-padded jackets they wore before were not only bulky but also restricted their movement.
Otherwise, his sleeves wouldn't have gotten wet.
"As long as it's comfortable."
Si Nian smiled and went to pay with Zhou Yueshen.
After buying the jackets, they also got fleece-lined pants and snow boots for the children.
Upon hearing the price, Second Child lost his nerve and quickly changed his tune, "Mom, actually, I think the big cotton-padded jackets are pretty good to wear too."
Si Nian smiled and rubbed his head. "Don't worry, it's not like your dad can't afford it."
Now that their family's living conditions had improved so much, there was no need to pinch pennies over something like this.
Si Nian also bought a loose, long down jacket for herself so that even when her belly got bigger later on, she wouldn't feel restricted.
She could wear it all winter long.
She also picked out a black one for Zhou Yueshen.
The family bought quite a lot, carrying bags big and small. Fortunately, the children could carry their own things; otherwise, no matter how strong Zhou Yueshen was, he wouldn't have been able to carry it all.
On the way home, they saw someone setting up a stall selling fireworks and firecrackers.
The prices weren't very high.
These things would go up in price once the New Year arrived.
Seeing that the children couldn't take their eyes off them, Si Nian bought quite a few to save for the New Year.
After buying clothes, Zhou Yueshen went back out in the afternoon to buy New Year goods.
The family was very busy for several consecutive days.
On New Year's Eve, the children started nagging early in the morning about pasting up the spring couplets.
Si Nian also woke up early to make tangyuan and dumplings.
The fillings had been prepared in advance the night before.
Zhou Yueshen lit the honeycomb briquettes and a small brazier early in the morning.
As soon as you entered the living room, it was wonderfully warm.
Because it was too cold in the winter, the windows were sealed with plastic wrap to prevent the heat from escaping, keeping the house very cozy.
Si Nian only needed to wear a fluffy set of pajamas around the house.
She sat at the table wrapping dumplings and shaping tangyuan. They weren't the usual round tangyuan, but sweet dough drops that were a must-eat for the New Year in their hometown. She mixed the filling herself, which contained peanuts, sesame seeds, and white sugar, bursting with sweet juice with every bite.
Yaoyao pinched a piece of dough, trying to learn how to wrap it from her mother. After a long time, the dough was kneaded completely out of shape, and she still hadn't managed to wrap it.
Si Nian noticed that while this child was smart and learned things quickly, she just couldn't do this kind of manual work at all.
Perhaps she was simply born destined to enjoy a life of ease.
Looking at her daughter's rosy little face, Si Nian's eyes softened unconsciously.
Second Child came in from outside holding the spring couplets. "Mom, Mom, where do we paste this?"
Si Nian took a look and said, "This is a paper cut, it goes on the window. And this 'Fortune' character goes on the front door, but it needs to be pasted upside down."
"Why upside down? Won't we be unable to read the word then?"
Despite having gone to school for a few years, Second Child, who still lacked any real cultural refinement, asked this soul-searching question.
Si Nian didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "The word for 'upside down' sounds just like the word for 'arrive.' So 'Fortune upside down' means 'Fortune has arrived,' understand?"
Second Child suddenly saw the light. "I get it now, so that's what it means."
Since using tape didn't look nice, Zhou Yueshen also made some flour paste.
The two children couldn't reach, so naturally, he was the one to paste them.
Second Child was still standing there, bossing him around, "It's crooked, it's crooked! Too high, too high! Dad is so clumsy!"
When Zhou Yueshen was pasting the "Fu" character for good fortune, the little boy was afraid his dad wouldn't understand the reasoning, so he reminded him, "Dad, this needs to be pasted upside down. Mom said pasting it upside down sounds like fortune has arrived."
Zhou Yueshen pinched his little face, which was red from the cold, and pasted the character properly.
Zhou Zedong, who was better at detailed work, was assembling lanterns on the side. Having finished, he brought them over, and Zhou Yueshen hung them by the door.
The festive red and the snow-covered courtyard formed an absolutely beautiful picture.
Looking at the finished work, Second Child nodded in satisfaction. "I did a great job. I should set off a firecracker to celebrate."
Zhou Yueshen and Zhou Zedong thought to themselves that it seemed all he did was chatter non-stop.
Second Child didn't care what they thought. He immediately ran into the house, dug out his matchcrackers, and ran back out, announcing he was going to set them off.
Just as he struck one and tossed it, Chen Haoran walked out from around the corner carrying some things. As luck would have it, the firecracker landed right inside his clothes.
Chen Haoran said, "Sister... huh, what's this?"
He looked down; his clothes were smoking.
"Ah—"
In the courtyard, Second Child was made to stand in the corner as punishment.
Chen Haoran looked at the hole in his clothes, then at Second Child who was being punished, and laughed dryly. "Um, it's fine, Sister Si Nian. Little Han didn't do it on purpose."
Si Nian frowned and said, "Whether it was on purpose or not, this kind of behavior is wrong. It's a good thing it was you. If it were anyone else, they would have probably caused trouble for him by now."
Chen Haoran was speechless. What did she mean by 'it's a good thing it was him'?
Did it not matter just because it was him?
She should know that this new jacket of his was a limited edition that cost a lot of money.
He had worn it over today specifically to show it off.
Yet before he even stepped through the door, a hole had been blown into it.
But as it happened, he was the type of person who didn't like to hold grudges against children.
He took a deep breath. "It's partly my fault for taking the shortcut, otherwise he wouldn't have missed seeing me."
He had taken the small path, thinking it would be closer.
Who knew that the moment he stepped out, a lit firecracker would end up in his arms.
Fortunately, this type of firecracker wasn't very powerful.
Thinking back on it, Chen Haoran still felt a lingering fear.
"Little Han, hurry up and apologize to your Uncle Chen," Si Nian said, shooting the boy a look.
Uncle Chen Haoran was confused.
"How did I become an uncle?"
He was only about seven or eight years older than the kid, right?
Si Nian rolled her eyes at him. "You call me sister, and he is my son. If he doesn't call you uncle, is he supposed to call you brother?"
Chen Haoran's face twisted.
So no matter how they addressed each other, he was the one getting the short end of the stick?
"Uncle Chen, I'm sorry. I didn't do it on purpose."
Second Child said obediently.
"Oh, it's fine, it's fine. I don't blame you," Chen Haoran hurriedly said.
He actually quite liked younger siblings, especially Si Nian's youngest daughter, who was as round and cute as a little dumpling.
In previous years, when his parents asked him to deliver things to relatives, it was like asking for his life.
Today, he had volunteered to come over, saying he was delivering New Year's goods.
He was carrying quite a few large and small bags right now.
Si Nian hadn't expected someone to come pay New Year's greetings so early. She went back inside, prepared a red envelope, and handed it to Chen Haoran.
Seeing his dumbfounded expression, she smiled and said, "It's from an elder, so don't be polite and just accept it."
Chen Haoran's mouth twitched.
Si Nian also went and cooked him a bowl of sweet dough drop soup. Chen Haoran felt that absolutely everything in the Zhou household was delicious.
Unlike his own home, where the New Year lacked any warmth or liveliness. They would either go to a hotel or have the nanny cook the meals.
Everything was pre-arranged, completely devoid of any New Year atmosphere.
Even when Si Nian asked him to stay for lunch, he declined.
He explained that he still had another house to visit.
Si Nian had no choice but to let him go.
Later that afternoon, Zhou Yueshen started preparing the food by slaughtering chickens, cleaning fish, and braising pork trotters, having also bought a good amount of seafood.
The whole family was bustling about, busy preparing the New Year's Eve dinner.