In the afternoon, Auntie came to pick up Wenwen and brought some New Year supplies for Yu Shu's family. She held Yu Shu's hand and chatted casually.
"Yu Shu, you should teach Wenwen more. I think she's fallen into puppy love."
Yu Shu was puzzled. "Auntie, how did you find out she's in puppy love?"
"Look, she's getting moodier and won't let me enter her room anymore. She's always hugging her phone and giggling. And when she's playing games, she wears headphones, and I don't know who she's talking to."
Yu Shu was even more confused. "But she's always been like that."
Isn't it normal for kids her age to not allow their parents in their rooms, to be moody, and so on?
But Auntie insisted, "She's definitely dating someone!"
Ye Ping chimed in, "A mother's intuition is always spot on. When you were in high school, you were involved with boys and often brought little gifts home. You thought I didn't know?"
Just then, Shen Youlin came to deliver cut fruit. Hearing Ye Ping's words, he pouted and left the fruit before walking away.
Yu Shu covered her face. "Why did you bring that up? Shen Youlin is so petty; he's going to sulk again."
With the topic shifted from Wenwen to Shen Youlin, Auntie asked about him. Ye Ping kept praising Shen Youlin, getting more and more excited, her face flushed with joy.
"It's like I have another son," Ye Ping said, grinning from ear to ear as she showed Auntie the gifts Shen Youlin had given her, bragging through words and actions.
Seeing Ye Ping's changed attitude from before, Auntie was also delighted. "You should enjoy life now. You don't have to worry about anything."
"Yes, I don't have to worry anymore. Yu Shu and Yu Yang are all grown up. I don't have to fret, and now I have another son."
Not just another son!
In the evening, as Ye Ping prepared the New Year's Eve dinner, everyone except the lazy Yu Shu was busy in the kitchen—Yu Yang and Shen Youlin were busy eating.
As Ye Ping fried meatballs, the two guarded the stove, snatching them one by one as they came out. Shen Youlin would occasionally run to the living room to feed Yu Shu.
Ye Ping felt they were in the way and gave each of them a small bowl of meatballs to shoo them away.
Looking at his small bowl and then Shen Youlin's large one, Yu Yang exclaimed, "Mom! You got it wrong! I'm the biological son!"
"Go away! You two are both adopted. Stop getting in the way!"
Yu Yang then complained to Yu Feng, who was cutting fragrant cured meat. Yu Feng simply said he couldn't overrule Ye Ping's decisions in their home.
Shen Youlin brought his bowl to Yu Shu and stuffed a meatball into her mouth. "Our mom just favors me! Hehe!"
Yu Shu patted his stomach. "What's this? This is our mom's love for you! You're even developing a belly now."
Shen Youlin looked torn but was tempted by the meatball aroma. Finally, he decided with difficulty, "I'll start working out after the New Year, definitely!"
"Don't force it. Just being healthy is fine."
In front of Yu Shu, Shen Youlin happily called Ye Ping "our mom," but in front of Ye Ping herself, he politely called her "Auntie." However, people sometimes slip up.
At the dinner table, as everyone was seated, Ye Ping started giving out New Year's money before the meal. The first red envelope went to Shen Youlin.
Shen Youlin quickly received it with both hands. "Thank you, Mom!"
He blurted it out in excitement without thinking. Everyone froze when they heard it.
Yu Shu silently scolded him as a "money-grubber" and said, "This is New Year's money, not a fee for changing how you address us."
Then Ye Ping took out a thicker, larger red envelope. "This is the fee for changing how you address us."
"Thank you, Mom!" Shen Youlin said even louder, taking Ye Ping's red envelope. He then stretched out his hand to Yu Feng. "Dad!"
"Eh!" Yu Feng happily responded and gave Shen Youlin a large red envelope.
Yu Yang's eyes widened, and he imitated Shen Youlin, stretching out his hand to Yu Feng. "Dad! I want one too!"
Yu Feng gave him a slap on the hand. "What fee for changing how you address me?!"
Yu Yang's palm was red from the slap. He waved his hand and shouted, "If you don't give me money, I'll start calling you Uncle!"
Shen Youlin took out the red envelope he received and offered it to Yu Yang. "Here, change to calling me Brother-in-law."
"Brother-in-law it is!" Yu Yang took the envelope. "Brother-in-law is great, brother-in-law is wonderful! A child with a brother-in-law is like a treasure!"
Everyone roared with laughter, raised their glasses before the meal to toast, "Happy New Year!"
The family happily ate their reunion dinner together, with the Spring Festival Gala playing on the TV in the living room. Fireworks bloomed outside, and children's laughter could be heard from downstairs.
Ye Ping had put gold coins, each weighing ten grams, into some of the dumplings. Yu Shu ended up getting three gold coins from the four dumplings she ate.
But Ye Ping had only put three gold coins in total.
Yu Yang was so angry he almost threw down his chopsticks. "Mom! Did you do that on purpose for her? You must have marked them!"
The dumplings were all in a large soup bowl, and Yu Shu had simply scooped out four at once without picking them.
Yu Shu gloated, "I just have good luck!"
After midnight, everyone went back to their rooms to sleep. Shen Youlin blatantly followed Yu Shu into her room, and the others pretended not to notice.
Yu Shu smiled and pinched his cheek. "You really don't hide it at all. Just give you a bit of sunshine, and you bloom. You didn't even try to conceal following me into my room."
Shen Youlin looked matter-of-fact. "My parents gave me a fee for changing how I address them. Do I still need to sneak into my wife's room?"
...
At the peak of their passion, Shen Youlin said breathlessly, "Happy New Year."
Yu Shu kissed him back and said through their intertwined lips, "Happy New Year."
It wasn't a wish but a promise to make each other's new year happy.
After the storm, the lovebirds cuddled.
Suddenly, Shen Youlin said, "I wish we could wake up tomorrow as an old couple, so old we can barely walk."
"Why?"
"Because only then can I be sure you're mine."
Only when your hair has turned gray and your beauty has faded can I be certain your remaining years will be with me.
He must have been affected by Meng Xulin's taunts.
Yu Shu felt both heartbroken and amused, unsure of what to say. After thinking for a bit, she said, "When you one day have high blood sugar and can't beat your great-grandchild for cake, I'll take you for barbecue."
Shen Youlin hugged her and giggled.
"I love you, from dawn till dusk, from youth till old age."
Yu Shu replied, "You mean from sunset till sunrise, you don't love me?"
"Tsk! You wretched woman, always ruining the mood!"
