Chapter 199

"Wonderful--."

On the morning of Chinese New Year's Eve.

As Sheng Mumu had just come out of the bedroom, she heard Qi Shaobai's voice coming from downstairs.

Leaning over the railing on the second floor looking down.

She saw in the living room, Granny and Qi Shaobai were writing spring couplets together.

The paperweights pressed on the top edges of the red fretwork spring couplet paper.

Granny rolled up her sleeves and lifted the brush to write calligraphy.

The golden ink shimmered brightly, following the movement of the brush tip falling on the paper.

The brushwork was powerful and unrestrained, with rhythm.

Vigorous yet not without gentleness.

Sheng Mumu looked at it admiringly, and hurried downstairs.

She stood in a line with Qi Shaobai, posing as Granny’s fan girl, joining the chorus of praise.

Last time at the Garden Square, she had witnessed Qi Shaobai’s calligraphy.

Qi Mo had told her then that Qi Shaobai had learned some superficial skills from Granny when he was little.

Now at the first sight,

Sheng Mumu realized how precise Qi Mo's words were.

Compared to Granny’s masterful calligraphy, Qi Shaobai's bit of shoddy work could only be described as "superficial".

While she was thinking, Granny had already put down the brush, looking satisfied at the newly written couplet.

Top line: Wish with snowy meaning to pray for a bountiful year

Bottom line: Glorious spring sees ten thousand things anew

Horizontal inscription: Fortune and joy fill the doors

"Wow!"

Qi Shaobai seemed to have discovered something and suddenly exclaimed, pointing at the table.

"Granny, you hid names in the couplet!"

Granny smiled and nodded gently, praising: "Clever little one."

Qi Shaobai analyzed:

"The character ‘wish’ in the top line looks similar to Qi, there is ‘Sheng’ in the bottom line, it’s obviously our family’s spring couplets, so suitable--"

Sheng Mumu was pleasantly surprised, staring with rounded eyes.

She never thought her name would be included in the couplet.

"Not only does it represent little one and Mumu." Granny smiled benevolently, looking at her great grandson, "Little one, there is also your name, see if you can find it."

Qi Shaobai's eyebrows rose happily: "Where, where?"

"I found it!" Sheng Mumu answered quickly, "Snowy meaning, white, Qi Shaobai."

"That’s right~" Granny's smile deepened.

Just then, Qi Mo pushed open the study door, stepped down the stairs casually.

Sheng Mumu glanced at him and waved her hand, "Granny wrote spring couplets, come and see quickly."

When the man came down, Sheng Mumu said solemnly in a matter-of-fact tone:

"This pair of couplets was written by Granny, little Qi and I stood by the side cheering, we can barely count as participating in the creation."

She paused briefly, looking up at the handsome side profile of the man.

"As a member of the family, you can't shirk labour, you have to contribute as well."

Hearing this, the man was silent for a few seconds, and said slowly: "Then...shall I write a pair too?"

He understood Sheng Mumu’s meaning clumsily.

He reached out to take the writing brush.

Just as he stretched out his hand, his wrist was pressed by a fair and slender hand. Sheng Mumu's slightly mischievous voice came:

"It can't be that easy, what you have to do is manual labour--"

Sheng Mumu pointed at the villa door with her chin and instructed:

"Go, put up the spring couplets."

With her rational and justified manner, she was just like the exploiting landowners squeezing sweat from labourers in old society.

Qi Mo: "......"

On one side, Granny and Qi Shaobai were stunned for a moment.

They exchanged a tacit look silently.

Conveying brain waves without words.

Granny was surprised at first, then smiled with narrowed eyes: I’ve lived for so long and seen it all, this is the first time I've seen little one being ordered to work, oh ho ho.

Qi Shaobai stood straighter, chin raised slightly: I'm different, I’ve seen it many times before, nothing surprising.

Just as the grandmother and grandson were feeling emotional, the handsome man at the centre of the topic raised his brow.

His tone was light and lingering with laughter in response:

"Alright, I’ll go put them up."

Hearing the reply, Sheng Mumu nodded satisfactorily.

She held up the dried spring couplets and walked outside.

When she passed Qi Shaobai, she stopped and jokingly said, "Good boy, go get a chair and help steady your old dad."

Qi Shaobai responded happily: "Okay."

Qi Mo’s steps faltered, frozen for a few seconds.

Then he continued walking forward.

At the front door.

Qi Shaobai held on to the chair back, craning his neck to watch his dad put up the spring couplets.

Granny and Sheng Mumu stood a little further away, overseeing the whole picture and directing positions.

"To the left, a bit higher."

"Shift right a bit, eh right there, stick it on!"

After putting up the spring couplets, Qi Mo came down from the chair and went to stand next to Sheng Mumu.

His gaze looked towards the door as he naturally put his arm around her shoulders.

The spring couplets stuck on the modernly decorated villa doors were somewhat out of place.

But it didn’t affect the strong festive atmosphere and joy at all.

Just like the four people in the yard. Although their blood ties were distant,

it didn’t affect them being a family at all.

A wisp of unprecedented stability rose from the bottom of Qi Mo's heart.

Wrapping around his chest, with layers of warmth surging.

The present he was able to see.

And the future he could imagine.

Were all warm colours.

He subconsciously held her shoulder a little tighter.

His palm gently caressed her delicate shoulder smooth as porcelain.

Sheng Mumu turned her head, not stingy with praise:

"You put them up very nicely."

With everyone participating in putting up the spring couplets, the words on it were no longer just hollow and cold texts, but were given more vivid implications.

Thinking this way, a misty smile emerged in Sheng Mumu's eyes. In the afternoon, Cheng Zhuo and Qiao Li came together.

Cheng Zhuo carried bags full of gift boxes in both hands.

Both large and small, containing abalone, sea cucumber, fish maw, about six to seven bags.

After putting down his things, Cheng Zhuo took out two game disc cases from his body.

Without changing his shoes, he called towards the inside:

"Qi Shaobai, Uncle brought you New Year gifts."

Qi Shaobai was accompanying Granny in watching the Nian Gen Xiao Pin Ji, a collection of CCTV New Year’s Gala skits from previous years. Ge You was sprawled paralyzed on the sofa.

Hearing there were gifts to collect, Qi Shaobai sprang up from the sofa like a carp.

"What gifts?"

Taking the game discs from Cheng Zhuo’s hands, Qi Shaobai scrutinized them front and back with interest, reading the game introductions in English.

He didn't notice at all a shrewd gleam flash across Cheng Zhuo's eyes for a moment.

Okay.

Qi Shaobai was interested in the game discs.

Cheng Zhuo thought inwardly: plan success.

Over the last few days, Cheng Zhuo had mulled over this for a long time.

Why was Qi Shaobai’s evaluation of his brother so different from his evaluation of him as uncles?

After thinking back and forth.

Perhaps it was because he had not shown his talents in front of Qi Shaobai.

Hmm, it must be so.

During high school, his brother was often busy with work and not at home. He was always alone at home, conquering various games. He was the game king of several blocks in the neighbourhood.

By gifting game discs as an opportunity to demonstrate to Qi Shaobai that his gaming talents were far above average.

It was a good plan.

"Shall we compete?" Cheng Zhuo smiled brilliantly, hooking Qi Shaobai.

Qi Shaobai nodded casually, saying offhandedly: "Sure, let’s go."

A few hours later.

Feng Yaoqin walked to the entertainment room door and knocked, calling loudly:

"Little Cheng, Shaobai, stop playing, come out for dinner, hurry up."

"Coming." One voice answered happily.

"Okay." Another voice was slightly frustrated.

After a while, the entertainment room door was pushed open.

Qi Shaobai walked lightly towards the dining room.

Cheng Zhuo followed slowly behind, patting the back of his head with a look on his face that showed he still could not figure things out at all.

How strange.

Skill level may decline but shouldn't lose every round to this little rascal Qi Shaobai.

What's going on. Where exactly was the problem.

Just as he was puzzling over this, Sheng Mumu came out from the kitchen next to him.

She held a few cans of the grape flavoured soda Qi Shaobai loved. Seeing the crestfallen look on her silly brother, she sighed and comforted with a smile: "Silly, losing to little Qi is not embarrassing at all."

Cheng Zhuo looked up somewhat comprehendingly: "?"

Sheng Mumu looked towards the dining table.

At the end of her line of vision was Qi Shaobai’s slender and straight back.

That back used to always hide traces of stubbornness and loneliness.

Now, the shoulders naturally relaxed down.

Sitting between Granny and Qi Mo, Qi Shaobai looked carefree as he proudly announced:

"I played games with Uncle just now and won five rounds in a row!"

Sheng Mumu withdrew her gaze. Long lashes lowered to hide the distressed look in her eyes. Her lips turned up slightly as she said softly to Cheng Zhuo:

"In terms of conquering games alone by oneself, he may have learned it earlier than you."