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That’s crooked! It’s crooked!
Is it straight now?
A little to the left, too far! Back a bit.
Alright, that’s good enough.
Bai Sha, standing at the doorway, was directing Zhou Haochen as he put up the couplets (TL Note: Decorative scrolls with poetic verses, typically hung in pairs on either side of a doorframe during Chinese New Year).
Despite her instructions, the couplets still ended up a bit crooked.
Bai Sha also affixed the ‘Fu’ character (TL Note: A Chinese character meaning ‘fortune’ or ‘good luck’) upside down on the door, then turned to the little one.
“Xiao Yu,” she asked, “do you know why the ‘Fu’ character is posted upside down?”
The little one excitedly raised her hand.
“I know! I know! Because ‘Fu’ (fortune) has arrived!”
Both Bai Sha and Zhou Haochen gave her a thumbs-up.
“That’s brilliant! You knew that?”
Early that morning, Bai Sha had roused the entire family.
Indeed, Zhou Haochen had successfully settled in.
As Bai Sha outlined the day’s plans, Zhou Haochen’s initially hazy eyes slowly widened.
“Wait, wait a minute,” he interjected. “Are you saying your New Year’s Eve dinner is eaten at noon?”
Bai Sha nodded, then clarified, “I used to wonder too why the New Year’s Eve dinner was eaten at noon.
But then I realized, back in my hometown, we just call it ‘Nian Fan’ (New Year’s Meal), without the ‘night’ part.”
Zhou Haochen felt his understanding of things slowly shattering.
The regional differences between north and south were truly vast!
“Here, the New Year’s Meal is usually eaten around noon or in the afternoon, depending on each family’s schedule.
Since we go to honor our ancestors and pay New Year’s visits (TL Note: ‘Jizu bainian’ refers to the custom of paying respects to ancestors and elders during the Lunar New Year) in the morning, we usually get back home around lunchtime, just in time for the meal.
My brother-in-law’s family, for instance, eats theirs in the afternoon.”
Zhou Haochen readily accepted this explanation.
After all, Bai Sha was the primary chef today; he was merely assisting, tasked with washing and chopping vegetables.
It was only natural to defer to the one doing most of the work.
Thus, once the couplets were in place, Bai Sha pulled Zhou Haochen into the kitchen.
“Xiao Yu, be a good girl and play by yourself,” she said. “Daddy and Mommy are going to make you something delicious.”
“Okay~” The little one gazed at the toys on her left, the phone in her right hand, and the big television in front of her.
‘Ugh~ It’s so hard to choose!’ she thought. ‘I just love New Year’s!’
Bai Sha’s New Year’s Meal primarily consisted of four main dishes: chicken, duck, fish, and pork, with pork trotters taking precedence, supplemented by beef, large shrimp, chicken feet, and peanuts.
However, with only three people now, Bai Sha didn’t intend to prepare quite so much.
There were also fried items, so while the variety of dishes would be extensive, the portions would be kept small.
Bai Sha first tackled the fried foods: fried meatballs, fried lotus root patties, and fried chicken strips.
Golden and crispy, they made Zhou Haochen give an immediate thumbs-up.
“Your cooking is truly excellent,” he praised.
The little one, drawn by the enticing aroma, quietly snuck into the kitchen.
After shushing her father, who was washing vegetables, she tiptoed to pilfer from a plate, but before her fingers could even touch, she was “apprehended.”
Bai Sha caught the little one’s hand, scolding good-naturedly, “They just came out of the pot, aren’t they hot?”
She then lightly kicked a certain someone.
“You too, why didn’t you stop her?”
Zhou Haochen raised his hands in surrender.
“I thought they’d been sitting for a while, they should be cool enough by now.”
Bai Sha turned, picked up a few pieces with chopsticks, and handed them to the eager little one.
“If you want to eat, just tell Mommy.
Why be so sneaky about it?”
The little one nodded, smiling sweetly.
“Thank you, Mommy!”
“Go play now.”
Watching his daughter skip away, Zhou Haochen shook the water from his hands and leaned in.
“I want some too.”
“How old are you? Can’t you get your own?”
Despite her words, Bai Sha still picked up a lotus root patty with her chopsticks and fed it to him, reminding him, “Careful, it’s hot.”
“How is it? Does it taste good?”
“Do you want to try some?”
Bai Sha shook her head in refusal, warning, “If you try to kiss me with food in your mouth, I’ll ‘sha’ you.” (TL Note: A humorous play on words, where ‘sha’ sounds like ‘kill’ but is used here in a playful, exaggerated sense of ‘get rid of’ or ‘annihilate’).
His intentions exposed, Zhou Haochen silently returned to washing vegetables.
Bai Sha smiled.
This playful bickering was certainly much better than before.
The kitchen buzzed with activity, and finally, before lunch, a grand table of dishes was ready.
In the entryway, Zhou Haochen held an electronic firecracker, then glanced at the mother and daughter who had retreated to the bedroom, covering their ears.
“It’s fake, why are you hiding so far away?”
Bai Sha retorted, “Even fake ones can be noisy, you know?”
Zhou Haochen hung it by the door, pressed the remote control in his hand, and a crackling sound echoed through the hallway.
It was fortunate that this was a single apartment per floor, and the residents above and below had both returned to their hometowns for the New Year, otherwise, people would surely have come running.
However, Bai Sha didn’t let it sound for long.
A bit of atmosphere and a symbolic gesture were enough; she told Zhou Haochen to stop it, and it wouldn’t be seen again until next year.
Still, it was inconvenient within the residential complex.
Bai Sha mused, thinking of a certain mid-laner (TL Note: A specific role in online multiplayer games like League of Legends) and a prominent streamer within her social circle, wondering if she, too, should buy a large villa.
“Happy New Year!”
Bai Sha pulled a large red envelope from her pocket and dangled it before the little one.
The clever, mischievous girl immediately said sweetly, “Mommy! Happy New Year! May all your wishes come true!”
“Here! Good girl, keep the red envelope safe.”
The little one then scampered over to her father, opening her arms and declaring, “Daddy! Happy New Year! May all your wishes come true!”
Zhou Haochen nodded with a smile, pulling a red envelope from his pocket.
By its thickness, it seemed no less substantial than Bai Sha’s.
‘Having rich parents is truly wonderful! I’m so envious!’
The family sat down at the dining table and began their meal.
Bai Sha took a photo and posted it on her Moments (TL Note: A social media feature similar to a Facebook wall or Instagram feed).
The caption read: ‘My Reunion Dinner!’
It had indeed been a long time since New Year’s had felt this lively.
As Bai Sha ate, she smiled, looking at Zhou Haochen and their daughter.
****
–Uncle, I really won’t go. I’m perfectly fine staying home alone.–
–Sis? I… I won’t be coming home. Please give my regards to Mom and Dad for me.–
Bai Sha hung up one call after another, irritably running a hand through his hair.
He disliked intruding on others’ family reunions; it didn’t matter whose, he simply couldn’t bring himself to do it.
He shut down his computer.
Alone at home, the place felt desolate.
With it being New Year’s, even takeout required a long wait, so Bai Sha decided to go out and buy something to eat.
The streets were sparsely populated with pedestrians.
Bai Sha walked with his hands in his pockets, passing several shops, all of which had closed for the New Year.
As dusk gradually fell, Bai Sha continued to walk alone on the street, eventually entering a small convenience store.
He bought a bucket of instant noodles and a few hot dogs, then headed home.
The people on the sidewalks slowly disappeared.
In the residential complex, many rooms were brightly lit, and laughter occasionally drifted from within.
“Bang.”
After opening the door, his room was pitch black and silent.
Accustomed to this, Bai Sha flipped on the light, which shone blindingly bright.
Bai Sha walked into the dust-laden kitchen, picked up a rag to wipe a spot, and began preparing his own reunion dinner.
Bai Sha was a cheerful person; a single person constituted a home, and a meal eaten alone could still be a reunion dinner.
He fried an egg and placed it in his instant noodles.
All the lights in the house were off; only the dining area glowed in the otherwise dark environment.
Instant noodles with sausage and egg.
Bai Sha took a photo and posted it on his Moments.
The caption read: ‘My Reunion Dinner.’
****
“Cheers!!”
Three cups clinked together, and Bai Sha’s smile was radiant.
She felt truly happy, truly fortunate.
‘I left my old home.
Perhaps I didn’t hate it, but ultimately, I couldn’t go back.’
‘I refused another’s home.
Perhaps it didn’t dislike me, but I still couldn’t bring myself to accept it.’
‘Now I have a home of my own.
Perhaps it came about a little hastily, but I will cherish it always.’