Luo Xiao Qing brought Duo Duo and Guo Guo back home.
Duo Duo and Guo Guo couldn't wait to tell Luo Hui Zhen about their accomplishments.
Luo Hui Zhen was astonished: "Xiao Qing, are you sure you won't offend everyone by asking them for lucky money like that?"
Luo Xiao Qing: "Mom, First Uncle has been against our family for a long time. We can't get along unless we're willing to be taken advantage of. We can't avoid First Uncle. As for Second Uncle? When I go to the police station, he'll have to come to curry favor."
Luo Hui Zhen smiled: "You're right! You're so clever! I thought you were going to have a fight with them this time."
Luo Xiao Qing: "Why fight? We're all neighbors in the same courtyard. A little bit of joking and scolding isn't worth fighting over. Besides, hitting someone is against the law. Our family is law-abiding!"
Shen You Tian blinked: "Little Qing is amazing!"
Luo Xiao Qing turned to see Shen You Tian standing there awkwardly: "Cousin, why are you standing there?"
Luo Hui Zhen: "Didn't you tell her not to move and wait for you to come back? She's been standing there dumbly. I told her to come over and eat melon seeds, but she wouldn't."
Luo Xiao Qing walked over and tapped Shen You Tian's forehead with his cool fingers: "You're such a fool! I told you to stand, so you stand. If the people in the courtyard find out how foolish you are, they'll sell you off!"
Shen You Tian mumbled, "I don't listen to anyone else either!"
Luo Xiao Qing pulled Shen You Tian: "It's the New Year. Come on, eat melon seeds!"
Shen You Tian obediently walked over, sat down, and started shelling melon seeds.
When Shen You Tian finished shelling them, Luo Xiao Qing would reach over and grab one.
Shen You Tian didn't make a fuss. She quietly waited for Luo Xiao Qing to grab them.
Sometimes, Luo Xiao Qing was slow, and she would hold the melon seeds in her hand, waiting for him to grab them.
Seeing this, Luo Hui Zhen shook her head. Shen You Tian seemed smart and quick-witted, but in front of Xiao Qing, she was a bullied fool.
Duo Duo and Guo Guo nestled in Luo Hui Zhen's arms, bragging about their achievements.
"Mom, you didn't see! Grandma Jia sat on the ground and wailed, and in the end, First Uncle gave us the lucky money! And Second Uncle, he hadn't even woken up yet, and we woke him up! Mom, look, we made thirty yuan!"
Luo Hui Zhen: "Hand over the money!"
Duo Duo's eyes widened: "We gave it all to big brother!"
"Hey, you're learning to lie now? Hand it over!"
Guo Guo: "Mom, Guo Guo has never seen fifteen yuan in her entire life."
"You're so young, how can you say your whole life? You silly girl, now you've seen it, haven't you? Just take it and warm your hands. Okay? This money needs to go to Mom. Children can't hold so much money. Give it to Mom, and Mom can do great things."
Duo Duo: "But, the lucky money big brother gave us yesterday, he took it all away."
"That's big brother's money for getting married. Without that money, he won't be able to get married, do you understand? Do you want your brother to be single?"
Duo Duo: "Mom is being unreasonable!"
"I'm just being unreasonable. Mom doesn't want you to be taken advantage of. Mom will use the big bills to exchange for small bills for you."
Luo Hui Zhen took out fifty cents.
Duo Duo and Guo Guo reluctantly handed over the money. Shen You Tian felt sorry for them and wanted to speak up.
Luo Xiao Qing pulled her: "It's okay. I'll give them some money later secretly. Mom is a widow raising three children, and she's been used to saving and being careful in this courtyard. Just let Mom have her way. Later, I'll give them some pocket money!"
Shen You Tian sat down obediently and continued shelling melon seeds for Luo Xiao Qing.
Duo Duo: "Our family has never heard a radio, brother!"
Luo Xiao Qing slapped his forehead: "Oh, my head! I forgot about it. I'll go turn it on!"
Luo Xiao Qing turned on the radio and started turning the dial. Soon, he found the channel for the New Year's special program:
Mr. Hou's "Marriage and Secret Letter": "Bold and daring, can't be cheated, Zhang Fei drank the Dangyang Bridge dry. Though it's not a good deal, a couple for a day, a hundred days of kindness...."
Mr. Hou's humorous voice came from the radio, making Shen You Tian smile.
While they were listening to the radio, they heard Yan Bu Gui's voice outside: "Xiao Qing, Third Uncle is here to pay his respects!"
Luo Xiao Qing got up: "Third Uncle, Happy New Year! Come in!"
As soon as Yan Bu Gui entered, he heard the clear voice from the radio. He was amazed: "Is that a radio? Hey, this is Mr. Hou's program! Oh, Xiao Qing, only your family can afford this, listening to the radio and eating melon seeds."
Soon, Zhou Po Po came with her family, Zhou Mu and his siblings: "Xiao Qing, Happy New Year!"
"Zhou Po Po, Happy New Year, come in!"
"Xiao Qing, Happy New Year!"
"Shui Tao, Happy New Year!"
"Xiao Qing brother, Happy New Year!"
"Niu Niu, Happy New Year!"
The room was instantly filled with people. Shen You Tian hung her head, pulling at the edge of her clothes uncomfortably. She wished she could find a hole to bury herself in.
He Yu Shui, Duo Duo, and Guo Guo were playing happily with Niu Niu and Xiao Man.
A group of children were running around in the courtyard and the house.
Luo Hui Zhen went into the house and brought out peanuts and melon seeds, enthusiastically entertaining everyone. These people were all the ones who helped Luo's family build the house.
Luo Xiao Qing wasn't stingy either. He let them eat the peanuts and melon seeds freely.
Soon, the floor was covered with melon seed husks and peanut shells, but no one cleaned them. They would sweep them away when they sent off the New Year.
Yan Bu Gui: "Xiao Qing, did you hear? Old Liu's son is going to work after the New Year, he's going to be a clerk! If he works hard, he'll become a leader in a couple of years! It's a pity that my family doesn't have any connections. I wanted to find a job for Yan Jie Cheng, but I couldn't find anything. He doesn't have any other skills either. Oh, Xiao Qing, maybe you can take my Jie Cheng with you when you go hunting, teach him a thing or two, at least so he won't starve to death!"
Zhou Po Po: "Third Uncle, Xiao Qing goes deep into the mountains to hunt, it's very dangerous. Does your Jie Cheng know any martial arts?"
"Xiao Qing can do it, and my Jie Cheng is even stronger than Xiao Qing!"
Seeing that Third Uncle wouldn't let up, Zhou Po Po whispered a few words to her grandson.
Zhou Mu was reluctantly pushed to the center of the room: "Neighbors, I just learned a poem at school. Let me recite it for you all. Goose, goose, goose, bending neck toward heaven's song, white feathers floating on green water, red feet paddling clear waves!"
Lao Lin Shu clapped: "Oh, Zhou Mu is such a clever boy. He looks quiet, but he's actually very smart! Maybe our courtyard will have a college student in the future!"
Tie Hammer: "Yes, my Niu Niu has learned a nursery rhyme too! Niu Niu, hurry up and perform for everyone!"
Niu Niu was forced to perform: "Little sister carries a doll, walking to the garden to see flowers, the doll cries for Mama, the butterfly on the flower laughs hahaha...."
Yan Bu Gui perfunctorily clapped: "Great, you performed really well! Xiao Qing, about that hunting thing with my Jie Cheng... "
Zhou Po Po: "Zhou Lin, you just learned how to do a backflip at home. Show them here!"
Yan Bu Gui: "Hey, Zhou Po Po, you know it's the New Year, right? It's the New Year, the host wouldn't dare to chase people away. You're stuffing melon seeds into your pockets, and you're insisting that Xiao Qing take your Jie Cheng with him. When Xiao Qing was sick, I didn't see you offering any help!"