Huo Guining turned her head towards the source of the laughter.
"Dad?"
Huo Xiaozheng walked up to the canvas and, upon seeing its contents, felt a sense of relief wash over him.
"It's about time. Grandma wants you to come back to the ancestral home for dinner tonight."
Huo Guining obediently put down her paintbrush and, while tidying up her art supplies, asked, "Will big brother be there?"
"Yes, everyone will be there."
Huo Guining was somewhat surprised. "Aunt will be there too?"
Huo Xiaozheng raised an eyebrow. "Is there a problem?"
Huo Guining seemed conflicted, hesitating before speaking. "The last time Aunt played tennis with me, I wanted to ask... Is she..."
"Is she not getting any work?"
Huo Xiaozheng found this both amusing and exasperating.
But he didn't rush to explain.
As they were about to leave, Huo Guining picked up the tulips she had bought, intending to give them to Zheng Jinxiu.
At six in the evening, the two arrived at the Huo Family Ancestral Home.
The Spring Festival had passed, but the red lanterns and decorations in the courtyard hadn't been taken down yet.
She hadn't noticed during the New Year, but now she saw that some trees still had the character for 'congratulations' hanging on them.
"Eh? Why is this character still here?" Huo Guining asked curiously.
Huo Xiaozheng explained, "It probably means 'congratulations on the new spring.'"
Huo Guining nodded, seeming to understand but not quite.
Huo Xiaozheng carried her with one arm while she held the tulips.
The night breeze blew, bringing a chill.
The garden's ground lights were on, guiding them inside.
The living room lights were dim, and the interior was silent.
"Dad, did Grandpa and Grandma forget we were coming?" Huo Guining hesitated. "It feels like there's no one home."
Huo Xiaozheng pretended to think. "That shouldn't be the case."
As he spoke, he stepped inside.
Huo Guining reached out and pushed open the slightly ajar door.
"Happy birthday!"
With a chorus of well-wishes, the Huo family members emerged from the shadows.
Led by Huo Yueze, who was holding a birthday cake, everyone sang the birthday song as they slowly approached.
The flickering candlelight illuminated everyone's smiles.
Huo Guining looked at everyone in disbelief, then turned to Huo Xiaozheng.
As the song ended, Huo Yueze urged, "Little sister, quick, make a wish and blow out the candles!"
Huo Jing came forward, took the tulips from her hands, and winked at her.
"Wishes are more likely to come true if you say them out loud!"
Huo Guining, still a bit confused, closed her eyes, made a wish, and then, with Huo Yueze's assistance, blew out the candles.
In an instant, all the lights in the living room came on.
Huo Xiaozheng put her down and pinched her nose. "Did you forget today was your birthday?"
Huo Guining scratched her head sheepishly. She couldn't say she had forgotten, as she wasn't quite sure which day her birthday actually was.
After the ceremony, everyone gathered at the dining table.
"Wow."
The long dining table was laden with all kinds of dishes.
Zheng Jinxiu smiled and said, "We specially invited a renowned chef to cook for you. Ning-ning, try it and see. If you like it, Grandma will take you to the restaurant next time."
Huo Yueze felt jealous. "Grandma, how come I didn't get this treatment on my birthday?"
Zheng Jinxiu reassured him, "Alright, alright, Grandma will arrange it for you next time."
After the meal came the classic gift-giving session.
Huo Guining, led by Huo Yueze, came to her bedroom.
"There were too many gifts to bring to you one by one, so we put them all in your room."
"Go ahead and open them."
With that, Huo Yueze gave her a gentle push.
A small mountain of colorful gift boxes occupied a corner of the bedroom, taller than Huo Guining herself.
She was surprised. "Are all these for me?"
Huo Jing smiled. "Of course, they're all for you. Everyone has given you something."
Huo Guining's eyes sparkled as she walked to the center of the small mountain and sat down, picking up the nearest small square gift box.
Huo Jing suddenly called out, "Wait! These gifts are what we would have given you from ages 1 to 6. The boxes are numbered, you can guess based on the numbers."
Huo Guining was stunned. "From 1 to 6 years old?"
Huo Jing smiled sweetly. "That's right. As you open the gifts, we'll accompany you growing up!"
A warm feeling washed over Huo Guining, and she couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat.
Huo Yueze hurriedly handed her a box marked with the number 1, urging, "Little sister! Open this one, open this one!"
Huo Guining's emotional moment was interrupted, and she opened the box with mixed feelings. The small golden package box should be...
"Wow! A gold bracelet!" Huo Guining's smile was so wide her eyes nearly disappeared. There was no one who didn't like gold as a hard currency.
Huo Yueze proudly declared, "It's from me!"
The elders burst into laughter, praising the gift.
Huo Guining sweetly thanked him.
It seemed that all the gold-wrapped boxes were from Huo Yueze.
Realizing this, Huo Guining decided to find all the gold ones and open them.
For age 2, a children's picture book. For 3, a princess dress. For 4, a doll. For 5... a game console? For 6... a balance bike?
Huo Yueze excitedly said, "Little sister, with these, you can go out and play with your big brother!"
Huo Guining replied, "Thank you, big brother."
Next...
Huo Guining's eyes were drawn to a series of black gift boxes with gold trim.
With Huo Xiaozheng's help, she successfully found all six.
For the 1st year, a Cartier bracelet.
For the 2nd year, a classic Dior handbag.
For the 3rd year, a custom Juicy Couture doll.
For the 4th year, a Bvlgari necklace.
For the 5th year, the latest smartphone model.
For the 6th year, a set of keys.
Huo Guining was a bit confused. "What kind of keys are these?"
Huo Jing cleared her throat. "They're car keys."
Huo Yueze took the keys and looked at them, letting out an earth-shattering wail. "Ahhhh! It's that Bugatti supercar! I've been asking for it for so long and no one would give it to me..."
Huo Yueze learned what it meant to be as quiet as a mouse after receiving a punch.
Although Huo Guining wasn't very familiar with luxury brands, she knew that this set of gifts must have cost at least several million.
"Aunt, is it really okay for you to give such expensive gifts?" Huo Guining worried. At this rate, wouldn't her aunt end up penniless?
Huo Jing keenly noticed something in Huo Guining's expression.
She said ominously, "It's fine. I can give even more in the future, thank you."
Huo Guining replied, "Okay then, thank you, Aunt."
She hadn't realized before how strong-willed her aunt was.
A smile rippled across Huo Xiaozheng's eyes.
The gifts from the others were, comparatively, much more practical.
Apart from some jewelry and jade, there were also properties.
Zuo Qinfang had been particularly creative, gifting her a set of her favorite painting supplies.
Huo Guining was moved to tears.
After opening all the gifts, the butler wheeled in a six-tier giant cake, sprinkled with edible gold leaf on top.
It was said that Old Master Huo had personally ordered it, with the beautiful explanation: "Each layer represents making up for each of Ning-ning's missing birthdays in the past."
On the very top layer was a Q-version of Ning-ning, sporting a princess haircut, looking down at everyone haughtily.
