Chapter 57 - Terrible Visit with Grandma
The Spring Festival was not long after the winter break.
On the first day of the Spring Festival, it started to snow, and the snow covered the ground with a vast expanse of whiteness.
Tan Mo loved snow very much.
It reminded her of her times in the snowy mountains in her previous life.
It was a pity that the snow in Beijing didn’t fall too often, and the accumulation of snow on the ground was never great enough.
On this second day of the Spring Festival, they were playing in the snow that hadn’t had time to melt yet, and waiting to go for a visit to their grandmother’s house.
It was a custom during the Spring Festival for a married daughter to return to her home on the second or third day.
Tan Mo had let her long hair down today.
A year ago, Xu Mingzhen had taken her to get a French perm. Under the sunlight, her long, soft hair had a chestnut-colored tone. It looked as if the sun was shining on sparkling waves.
She wore a pumpkin-colored beret on a slant atop her head. Her long hair covered part of her cheeks, making her round, but increasingly defined, face appear even smaller than usual.
She was wearing a red wool coat, and a white wool scarf was wrapped around her neck, covering her small chin.
Dressed in red and white while walking through the snow, she seemed like something made of cinnabar flashing through the snowbanks.
However, although Tan Mo was dressed festively, there was no smile on her face. She lowered her head and kicked at the snow with her feet.
Xu Mingzhen squatted down to comfort her when she saw this. “We will just go on a quick visit and won’t stay for long. After lunch, we will come back as soon as possible. Lunch will not take much time.”
“I know.” Tan Mo, still not happy, lowered her head once again.
She didn’t like going to her grandma’s house because every time she went there she had an unpleasant experience.
Xu Mingzhen sighed and looked at her three sons, who appeared as if they were going to face a great enemy.
Tan Jinqi was the oldest, so he could control his emotions and not show what he was feeling.
Tan Jinsheng and Tan Jinyi couldn’t hide their emotions. They looked brave and filled with a righteous anger.
Tan Jinsheng said to Tan Mo, “Mo Mo, it’s okay, your brothers are here. If anything happens to you, we will protect you.”
His words made it sound as if they were going to confront an enemy.
Her children didn’t like to go to visit their grandmother, and Xu Mingzhen didn’t like to go either.
However, after all, she was her own mother, so she couldn’t not visit all year long no matter how dissatisfied she was.
It was the New Year, so she had to at least put in some effort.
“Let’s get going,” Tan Wenci said, as he came out of the house.
Xu Mingzhen sighed deeply and said, “No matter what my mother says, turn a deaf ear and don’t take her words to heart.”
“You say this every year.” Tan Wenci smiled while holding Xu Mingzhen’s hand as they walked toward the car. “Don’t worry, it’s been so many years now that we’ve been doing this, and I only have to stay for a few hours. Don’t you think I’ll be able to bear it?”
It was Xu Mingzhen’s mother after all. The old lady didn’t treat Xu Mingzhen very well, and Xu Mingzhen really didn’t go to visit her very often.
They didn’t need to endure Old Madame Xu that often.
…
The whole family arrived at the Xu family home with very heavy hearts.
As they approached the house, the housekeeper of the Xu family opened the door.
They had just walked in, and, before they could see anyone, they heard lively chattering and laughter from the living room.
Yuan Keqing’s soft voice was easy to identify amid the laughter.
“Keqing is so likable.” Old Madame Xu could also be heard talking and laughing.
When everyone in the Tan family entered the living room, they saw Old Madame Xu sitting on the sofa, with Yuan Keqing snuggled in her arms.
Upon seeing the Tan family arrive, the smile on the Old Madame’s face disappeared.
“Mom.” Seeing her reaction, Xu Mingzhen felt uncomfortable and her greeting came out cold.
“Why are you here now? Why don’t you wait for the housekeeper to tell you that the meal is ready before you come in?” Old Madame Xu scolded her in a nasty manner. Looking at the Tan family’s children who were standing behind Xu Mingzhen, she became even more disdainful. “No words of greeting even after arriving? Where are your manners?”
“Grandma, before we had time to say hello, you have already started criticizing us.” Tan Jinqi stood in front of his younger siblings.
“Are you trying to blame me?” Old Madame Xu pointed at Tan Jinqi with her index finger as her arm was shaking all the way from her shoulder to the tips of her fingers. “Look at this son that you raised. Is this his attitude toward elders?”
“Mom,” Xu Mingjing hurriedly tried to persuade the old lady to behave, “it’s the New Year, so please don’t lecture them first thing. It’s not that they came too late, but that we have come too early. You must give the children a chance to say hello to you.”
Xu Mingjing hurriedly winked at Tan Jinqi, saying, “Come on, give Grandma a New Year’s greeting.”
“Grandma, Happy New Year’s.”
Although all the Tan family’s siblings were reluctant, they still said hello in unison.
Old Madame Xu turned around and patted Xu Mingjing’s hand. “You have filial piety, so you came early.”
“Since your aunt is apparently speaking for you, then this matter is over.” Old Madame Xu pointed to the floor in front of the coffee table. “Bow your heads.”
The three brothers in the Tan family were really annoyed with the New Year’s tradition of kowtowing and red envelopes.
Every year, Old Madame Xu would make them kneel and kowtow, then say auspicious words.
When they were younger they didn’t care that much, but now, they really disliked this sort of outdated tradition, especially since they had to kowtow to someone they didn’t like
The three brothers lined up to kneel down, and everyone said words of greeting.
“Grandma, Happy New Year’s, I wish grandma wealth and fortune.”
“Grandma, Happy New Year’s, I wish grandma a long life.”
“Grandma, Happy New Year’s, I wish Grandma all the best.”
Tan Mo was the last one to come over. “Grandma, Happy New Year, I wish grandma a long life for 100 years.”
After the four had blessed her, Old Madame Xu took out four red envelopes from her pocket and handed them over one by one.
The red envelope was thin, as if there was nothing in it.
This year was the first time that Tan Mo had gotten Old Madame Xu’s New Year’s money. According to Old Madame Xu’s philosophy, children can only be given New Year’s Eve money after they start elementary school.
The four brothers and sisters didn’t dare to check to see how much money was in the red envelopes, so they just handed them to Xu Mingzhen.
They had enough pocket money, so they didn’t need this small amount of money.
Xu Mingzhen was used to it, but when she felt the thinness of the red envelopes, she still turned her head to look at Tan Wenci a little awkwardly.
Tan Wenci smiled indifferently, patted Xu Mingzhen’s hand to comfort her, but said nothing.
At this time, Yuan Keqing also came to stand before her grandmother. She knelt on the mat, kowtowed, raised her head, and said, “May my grandma have today’s glory forever. I will bow my head to Grandma every year, and bless you for many years. ”
Unlike her indifferent attitude just now, Old Madame Xu became all smiles, and she took out a red envelope from her pocket.
This envelope’s thickness was visible to the naked eye.
“Thank you, Grandma.” Yuan Keqing took the red envelope happily.
Then they heard Old Madame Xu say, “I heard from your mother that you did a good job on your exam. This is to reward you.”
Xu Mingzhen touched the thin red envelopes in her bag.
She got up with the bag and went to the bathroom. There she took the red envelopes out of the bag.
The red envelopes all had names written on them.
The three brothers in the Tan family each got 200 yuan.
Tan Mo only got a meager 100 yuan.