Chapter 96
The morning was always foggy during this period, and the whole world was shrouded in a cold, white gauze.
Fortunately, it didn’t affect the visibility much, especially since Shen Tiantian had two strings of small red lanterns hanging on his shoulders, which looked even more festive and bright in the lingering fog.
The butler uncle found a ladder and was responsible for hanging the lanterns. Tiantian held the lanterns and helped to pass them over.
He was too short and couldn’t reach the main gate even when standing on the ladder, so he had to let the butler uncle do it.
After a busy morning, all the places in the yard where lanterns could be hung were hung with bright red small lanterns.
The butler looked at the refreshed yard and said with a smile:
“This year is really festive.”
In previous years, Shen Yuanchuan and his two sons didn’t pay much attention to this traditional festival. At most, they would sit down together for a New Year’s Eve dinner on the thirtieth of the twelfth lunar month.
There were no other activities at all. Shen Yuanchuan felt that the form was greater than the actual meaning, and it was unnecessary.
But this year was different.
Shen Yuanchuan was still busy working at the company to earn money, and everything at home was decided by Tiantian.
The small lanterns and window decorations were all picked by Tiantian with the butler uncle, and he had chosen the most festive colors on the market.
The entire villa was decorated into a sea of red.
Tiantian had been hanging small lanterns all day. When night fell, the red lanterns in the entire villa swayed in the wind, and with the bright lights in the courtyard, it was like a sea of red stars.
Shen Jinfeng was the first to come home. He saw the festive courtyard and windows, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
In the house, Shen Tiantian was wearing his fluffy clothes and bouncing on the carpet.
Seeing his brother come back, Shen Tiantian was still pushing his toy car with a clattering sound. He wasn’t wearing shoes, and his chubby little feet were only covered with a pair of fluffy socks.
“The little car is here.”
Shen Tiantian mimicked the sound of a car and bumped into Shen Jinfeng’s foot.
“Ah, a car crash. Big brother, you’re in a car accident. Hurry up and lie down and wait for the ambulance to come and save you.”
Shen Jinfeng looked at the little one who was circling his feet, entertaining himself, and couldn’t help but shake his head with a light laugh.
“Stop playing. Have you had dinner yet?”
The others had come back late today, and Tiantian had already had dinner.
But seeing his brother go to eat, he was still greedy. He ran over and stood by his brother’s leg, looking up at him.
The chef was also on vacation these few days, and the dishes for these two days were all specialty dishes from a custom-made private restaurant.
They were light and delicious, with a variety of dishes and a complete range.
It was a different taste from what the chef uncle at home made.
Shen Jinfeng deliberately teased him. He served himself a bowl of soup, took a bite of the crystal shrimp dumpling with thin skin and tender meat, and hummed in acknowledgment.
“It’s really delicious. There’s a lot of filling in this shrimp dumpling.”
Shen Jinfeng picked up a shrimp dumpling and deliberately dangled it in front of Shen Tiantian. The fragrance made Shen Tiantian keep leaning forward.
Like a little puppy, he even sniffed the smell in front of his brother with his small nose.
After turning the shrimp dumpling around, Shen Jinfeng finally put it in his own mouth.
“Have you had shrimp dumplings, Tiantian?” he asked, knowing the answer.
Tiantian’s eyes were straight. He had completely forgotten whether he had eaten or not and shook his head in a daze.
“No. Are the shrimp dumplings delicious, big brother?”
He lay on Shen Jinfeng’s knee, looked up, and stared at his brother with expectant eyes.
The greed in his little eyes seemed to have turned into a thick substance, about to overflow.
Shen Jinfeng carefully savored the shrimp dumpling. After a long while, he said:
“It’s delicious. There’s a whole shrimp in the shrimp dumpling. The meat is fresh and sweet, and the juice will flow out when you bite into it. It’s very good.”
Then he added:
“Oh, I forgot you haven’t had it. You don’t know what shrimp dumplings taste like.”
Shen Jinfeng’s eyes were full of teasing.
Shen Tiantian didn’t see it at all. He was so greedy that his mouth was about to drool. He watched his brother eat the shrimp dumplings, and his own mouth couldn’t help but chew along.
Although he was just chewing on air.
Shen Jinfeng found his little appearance quite fun. He laughed out loud and gave him a shrimp dumpling.
He also took the opportunity to touch Shen Tiantian’s round little belly and said:
“You can only eat this one. Your belly is so full. If you eat too much, you won’t be able to sleep at night.”
Shen Jinfeng had gained experience in taking care of a cub. With a single touch, he knew how full Shen Tiantian was.
Shen Tiantian’s right cheek was chewing on the shrimp dumpling, and his eyes were sparkling as he ate. He nodded.
“I’ll only eat one, and then I’ll go to sleep obediently.”
Shen Jinfeng didn’t eat much for dinner. After he finished, he went back to his room to deal with some urgent work messages.
Tiantian blissfully finished his shrimp dumpling and was licking his lips, savoring the taste, when he saw his big brother and his daddy come back.
Although the two of them were in the same company, their workloads were completely different, and they rarely came back together.
As soon as Shen Yuanchuan entered the house, his sharp eyes softened for a moment. He looked at Shen Tiantian, and the corners of his lips lifted slightly.
“Did Tiantian help the butler uncle hang the small lanterns today?”
Tiantian nodded, bounced over, and puffed out his little chest to let his daddy see how capable he was.
“I helped. The butler uncle said that with Tiantian here this year, the yard is decorated very festively!”
Tiantian loved all kinds of holidays.
It was lively, as if the whole world was full of happiness.
Shen Xiuze, who had walked in a step later, heard Shen Tiantian’s cheerful voice, looked up at the window decorations on the living room window and the string of small lanterns, and a hint of fluctuation flashed in his eyes.
“It is indeed lively.”
Not just because of the decorations, but because there was a little person.
Chirping like a little sparrow, the atmosphere of the New Year seemed to have spread in an instant, making people belatedly feel the fiery atmosphere.
Tiantian ran over and kept asking the two of them:
“Big brother, Daddy, tomorrow is New Year’s Eve. What delicious food are we going to eat?”
Usually, people don’t go out to play on New Year’s Eve. The whole family stays together, puts up spring couplets, makes New Year’s Eve dinner, and enjoys the time together.
However, in the past, the Shen family’s New Year was very cold and cheerless.
Sometimes, they would spend New Year’s Eve directly at the company or at school, and sometimes they would hurriedly gather for a dinner.
This was the first time it was so grand.
Shen Yuanchuan thought for a moment. Before he could speak, he heard Shen Tiantian raise his small hand and say:
“Let’s make shrimp dumplings! I know how to make them!”
Tiantian, who had just finished eating shrimp dumplings, was still very greedy, and his mouth was unconsciously watering.
Before Shen Yuanchuan could agree, Shen Tiantian had already stomped his foot on the spot and shot out like a small cannonball.
“Butler uncle! Daddy said we’re going to make shrimp dumplings together tomorrow!”
Shen Yuanchuan smiled helplessly, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were tinged with gentleness.
“This little one, I haven’t even agreed yet.”
Perhaps because Shen Tiantian was too expectant, even the others couldn’t help but look forward to tomorrow’s New Year’s Eve dinner.
A night of sweet dreams, and New Year’s Eve arrived as scheduled.
The clouds in the sky were very thick, but it was a rare day without fog. The world was bright and clear.
The sunlight had almost no warmth, and it was biting cold when it fell on one’s skin, but the clear weather made one’s mood also become incredibly bright.
Qin Ye came over early in the morning to wish Tiantian an early New Year.
“Mommy is flying over. We’re going back to the Qin family’s old house for dinner today. It will be two or three days before we can come back.”
The Qin family was different from the Shen family. The Shen family’s lineage was not abundant, with a single heir for three generations. It wasn’t until Shen Yuanchuan’s generation that he had a few more children.
The Qin family’s side branches were complicated, and a whole book of genealogy could not be written down.
It was no wonder that Qin Bailan was in a hurry to seek development overseas. The current head of the Qin family in China was indeed a bit of a mess. If it weren’t for Qin Bailan’s support, the behemoth that was the Qin family would probably have already fallen into decline.
Qin Ye had thought that he could spend the New Year with Tiantian this year.
Before leaving, Qin Ye remembered something, ran back, and gave Tiantian a small red envelope that he had prepared long ago.
“Happy New Year, Tiantian.”
Tiantian let out an “ah,” not understanding why Qin Ye was giving him a small red envelope.
But Qin Ye had already gotten into the car, waved at Tiantian, and left.
However, being able to get a red envelope, Tiantian was still happy. He bounced and walked back to the villa.
The day was already bright. The butler uncle had helped to prepare the shrimp filling and placed it on the large table in the living room.
“Come on, the filling is ready.”
Shen Tiantian was the fastest to respond. He ran to find the floral apron he had worn once before, put on a blue dust cap, and rolled up his small sleeves high.
His white, lotus root-like little arms were exposed. Tiantian let out a long sigh.
“Okay! I’m going to make fifty shrimp dumplings!”
And eat until his belly is full!
He was in high spirits and even got Shen Yuanchuan, who had originally not wanted to get his hands dirty, to come over and make them together.
Shen Jinfeng had originally wanted to tease Shen Tiantian, but seeing Shen Yuanchuan, and thinking of the phone call from his mother’s attending doctor two days ago, the more he looked at Shen Yuanchuan, the more he disliked him.
He let out an impatient “tsk,” simply turned around, and sat down on the sofa.
Shen Xiuze didn’t like to get his hands dirty with things like flour.
He was a pure germaphobe and was not grateful for all kinds of dusty things.
However, watching Shen Tiantian make them was also very interesting.
Shen Xiuze’s lips lifted slightly, and he took a short video of Shen Tiantian with his phone.
In the video, Shen Tiantian was very serious. He couldn’t find a chef’s hat, so he used a blue dust cap instead. He was seriously rolling out the dough with a super small rolling pin.
His cheeks and hands were covered in flour, and even his long, thick lashes were stained with white flour.
Shen Yuanchuan asked him to help pass the chopsticks, but was refused by Shen Tiantian.
“No, I’m very, very busy. I can’t be bothered with you, Daddy. You can take this small piece of dough and go and play on the side.”
This was what Grandma often said to Tiantian when she was making dumplings or rolling noodles.
But when it came from Shen Tiantian’s mouth, it was particularly funny.
Shen Yuanchuan gave Shen Tiantian a tap and said speechlessly:
“Who is working and who is making trouble? Do you know how to make shrimp dumplings?”
Shen Tiantian puffed out his little chest, very righteous, and craned his neck.
“I can eat two shrimp dumplings in one bite. Of course I know how to make them!”
As a result, the fact was that being able to eat really didn’t mean being able to make.
Shen Tiantian had made several dough lumps, round and lumpy, and they didn’t look like shrimp dumplings at all.
It made Shen Yuanchuan laugh so hard that tears came out.
“And you still say you know how to make them? Watch Daddy show you a thing or two!”
Two minutes later, Shen Yuanchuan also successfully made a few dough lumps.
The father and son were on par.
Only Shen Jinfeng, on the side, was happy watching the show. He threw a sugar orange into his mouth and said:
“Oh, the father-son sketch is over? Why aren’t you continuing to act?”
He was just watching for fun.
The corner of Shen Yuanchuan’s mouth twitched. He was too lazy to say anything to this mean-mouthed second son and tried to save face:
“I’m old, and my old arms and legs are a bit uncoordinated.”
Shen Jinfeng continued to output:
“Then what should we do? Should we find a prosthetic limb for you later?”
Shen Yuanchuan: “…”
“Shen Jinfeng, it’s the New Year. Don’t force me to slap you.”
The whole family interaction is so wholesome ❤️