Chapter 84

Time flew by in an instant.

In the blink of an eye, it was New Year's Eve.

Following the tradition of previous years, Huo Guining and Huo Xiaozheng spent the New Year at the Huo Family Ancestral Home.

This was Huo Guining's first time staying overnight at the Huo Family Ancestral Home.

Considering Ning Ning's poor health, Old Master Huo had specifically arranged for Huo Xiaozheng's room to be modified.

Next to the large bed, a slightly shorter but equally wide small bed was added.

Huo Guining exclaimed, "What a big bed!"

Huo Xiaozheng felt a twinge in his heart.

Initially, due to his wariness of Ning Ning and for his own convenience in checking on her, Ning Ning's bed at Panlong Bay was relatively small.

Huo Xiaozheng pondered whether he should replace Ning Ning's bed with a larger one after the New Year.

Huo Yueze knocked on the half-open door and called out to Ning Ning, "Ning Ning, shall we go fishing?"

Huo Guining glanced at the time, it was 10 AM.

She asked puzzled, "Don't we need to hang couplets and prepare for the New Year's Eve dinner?"

Huo Yueze paused for a moment: "Couplets? New Year's Eve dinner? We don't need to..."

Huo Xiaozheng interrupted, "Ning Ning, do you want to hang couplets?"

Huo Guining nodded.

Huo Yueze was about to say that the butler would arrange for someone to do these things.

But since Huo Xiaozheng had already spoken, Huo Yueze also became interested.

Hearing that Ning Ning wanted to hang couplets, Old Master Huo thought for a moment and said to the butler, "Bring paper and brushes."

Huo Guining exclaimed in surprise, "Grandpa, are you going to write the couplets yourself?"

Old Master Huo smiled, his stern face softening, "Grandpa is old now, I can't keep up physically, so I'll just write one pair for the main entrance."

Huo Guining excitedly said, "Then I want to write the small ones."

She looked at Huo Yueze, "Brother, let's write together!"

In previous years, during the Spring Festival, Huo Yueze would either play games with his friends or go out to have fun.

On New Year's Eve, he would have dinner with his family, pay respects to the elders, receive red envelopes, and that would be the extent of his New Year celebration.

Hearing Huo Guining's novel suggestion, he eagerly agreed.

In the main hall, the butler cleared two large tables for them.

He brought out brushes, ink, and high-quality red paper, setting everything up.

Old Master Huo held the brush, dipped it in ink, and his brush tip danced across the paper, the characters strong and powerful.

"May happiness dwell in this precious place for a thousand years, may fortune shine upon this household in all matters"

"But one thing, the brush strokes are too hard."

Huo Xiaozheng's heart skipped a beat, and a phrase involuntarily came to his mind.

'Too rigid and easily broken.'

Huo Xiaozheng's hand slowed down, until he could no longer concentrate on writing.

Huo Guining was oblivious to this, innocently asking Old Master Huo, "Is it not good if the brush strokes are too hard?"

Old Master Huo, remembering something, changed his words, "Hard brush strokes are good too, it shows strength in the brush tip."

Huo Guining smiled again.

Old Master Huo glanced in Huo Xiaozheng's direction, their eyes meeting directly, both filled with deep thought.

Whether it was Ning Ning's paintings or her writing, they gave Huo Xiaozheng an uneasy feeling.

After the couplets were written, Huo Guining and Huo Yueze happily ran off to hang them.

It was because of this activity that Huo Yueze experienced the taste of the New Year for the first time.

"Brother, a bit to the right, it's too high, come down a bit, that's it!"

After hanging the couplets, Zuo Qinfang organized everyone to make dumplings together.

In previous years, the dumplings would be prepared by the chef, and everyone would just wait to eat.

This year, seeing Ning Ning so enthusiastic about family activities, Zuo Qinfang simply had the chef prepare the ingredients.

The whole family gathered around the dining table, happily making dumplings together.

Time flew by, and soon it was 8:30 PM.

Huo Jing, having finished participating in the Spring Festival Gala, rushed back in a hurry.

Zuo Qinfang quickly put the dumplings in the pot, added two bowls of cold water after the water boiled, and the plump dumplings floated one by one.

Huo Yanqin brought out large bowls, scooped out the dumplings, and served them.

The dumplings were thin-skinned with generous fillings, still steaming hot.

"Happy New Year!" Old Master Huo was the first to raise his glass.

Huo Guining stood on her child's chair, holding a stemmed glass filled with cherry juice, happily toasting with everyone.

Festive music came from the TV, and in the bright dining room, the Huo family chatted and laughed, no longer bound by the family rule of 'no talking while eating'.

On this day, lights shone in every home, each with a lamp waiting for its wandering child.

After the New Year's Eve dinner, Huo Guining insisted on staying up to see the New Year in, but eventually succumbed to sleepiness.

Huo Xiaozheng held her on the sofa, covering her with a blanket.

Huo Jing commented, "Ning Ning's physical condition looks pretty good."

Huo Yanqin spoke up, "Maybe we should forget about the hypnosis thing?"

Huo Xiaozheng seemed slightly swayed.

Huo Yueze exclaimed in horror, "What hypnosis? Hypnotize who?!"