Rebirth: My Dear Little Wife Is So Scheming

Chapter 267 - 267 267 Family Recognition

?Chapter 267: Chapter 267: Family Recognition Chapter 267: Chapter 267: Family Recognition On the evening of New Year’s Eve, the Bai Family was all bustling about, for it was the grand New Year’s Eve in their locality, and the festive dinner was set for the evening. Not only did they prepare several dishes, but they also needed to boil dumplings. Bai Song, along with his three sons, had already gone out to hang up couplets, and two red lanterns dangled merrily at their front gate. Bai Song had specifically run wires for them, and indeed, the view was much more festive.

Bai Xiao and her two older sisters were busy in the kitchen.

The dumplings had been prepared earlier.

Once the steaming dumplings were taken out of the pot, the New Year’s feast officially began.

At that time, their household did not own a television, so of course, they couldn’t watch the Spring Festival Gala, which had not yet made its way into villages like theirs.

However, since there were many children, the atmosphere was already lively.

Bai Yue, carrying the dumplings, walked into the house, calling out, “Come, come, New Year is here, everyone come in and eat. Let’s have a good New Year this year.”

Bai Song and his three brothers also came inside, surrounded by their three little ones.

“Time to eat! Time to eat! Come inside quickly.”

The three little ones were already thrilled. In past years at their home, having dumplings for New Year’s was good enough, but this year, not only at home could they freely enjoy sunflower seeds, peanuts, and candies, but they also received the latest gifts.

How could children not be happy during New Year’s?

Those brand-new down jackets, reportedly, were fine items only urban folk could wear. The kids tried them on for a long time and didn’t dare to wear them immediately; they carefully folded them and placed them under their pillows, waiting to wear them the next morning on New Year’s Day.

Especially with new school bags and stationery, that pen alone—He Qingsheng and He Huanhuan were older students! Of course, they knew what a fountain pen was. In their class, only the students from particularly well-off families would have a Hero pen, the cheapest kind available in the shop, both clumsy and ugly. This pen, however, was a Parker, clearly showing it was valuable.

How could the children not be delighted? They had new clothes and stationery, as well as delicious food, and yes, a radio! They truly felt like they were celebrating New Year already.

Inside the house, atop the kang cabinetry, sat a radio, buzzing and bustling at the moment with singing and, most importantly, comic dialogues which entranced the kids as two people performed.

After all, there wasn’t much in the way of cultural entertainment.

Bai Xiao glanced around, then quietly pulled Li Haiping aside, the eldest among the children at sixteen. He was already beginning to show the composure and demeanor of a man, and moreover, all three boys were supportive of Bai Yue’s situation! Such sensible kids were heartwarmingly precious.

Li Haiping and his aunt whispered for a while before he quietly slipped out.

Bai Yue and Bai Ju began to organize as, due to the many people, they divided into two tables. There were simply six young ones at home, so they split into two groups. Bai Xiao suddenly felt that their kang was a bit small.

Latterly, Bai Yue figured out a solution by placing the children’s table directly in Li Haiping’s room since there was also a radio there; they didn’t care whether they ate while listening to sketches or songs. Besides, the kang had been heated all day and was warm; the six children together could make as much noise as they wished.

The five adults sat at a separate table on this side, where they could speak about adult things without worrying about the children overhearing something inappropriate.

Once the table arrangement was decided, they immediately began shifting them.

Bai Yue served the dishes on that side, and with the weather like this, the food remained steaming hot, so there wasn’t any worry about the kids catching a cold. Yet, she felt somewhat distressed, reflecting on how Wang Yan was all alone in the village committee’s cave dwelling, cold and quiet, probably only having the steamed buns and vegetables sent over at noon. However, it wasn’t easy to invite him over.

As they were just finishing up, Li Haiping brought Wang Yan in.

“Auntie, I have completed the task,” he chuckled and ducked into the other room, kicking off his shoes to get up on the kang where the kids immediately started clamoring to begin eating.

They had been looking forward to delicious food.

The aunt had indeed prepared plenty of tasty dishes.

There were several steamed dishes alone.

Steamed tofu, steamed crispy meat! Plus, steamed pork belly, meatballs, fish, and a bowl of eight-treasure rice; that made six steaming dishes, a large plate of cold mung bean noodles, and a “three-shreds” salad with potatoes and radishes, and several large plates of piping hot dumplings, everyone had been eagerly guarding the dishes with their chopsticks.

As soon as the eldest brother climbed onto the Kang and picked up his chopsticks, everyone cheered, each holding a bowl, and with chopsticks in hand, they dashed toward their favorite dishes.

The young ones at the table hardly had time to talk. They were busy filling their bellies first.

Wang Yan was still a bit constrained, after all, he wasn’t very familiar with these sisters, and their relationship hadn’t been officially celebrated with a feast; strictly speaking, he was a son-in-law who was not yet recognized by public.

So, the nervousness in his heart was something no one could have guessed, of course, the main reason was that these past days in the cave dwelling, being all alone had indeed made him suffer. But he had no regrets, for his own happiness, he was willing to endure any hardship.

Originally, with the sporadic sounds of firecrackers outside, he had already placed the somewhat cold buns next to the stove to roast, and the vegetables in his bowl had also been put into the water in the pot to warm them up; that was going to be his New Year’s Eve dinner.

While doing these things, he even managed a bitter smile, as the family had had good years and never before had he had to suffer through such conditions on New Year’s Eve, but he truly held no grudges and had no regrets.

Unexpectedly, Haiping suddenly burst through the door, pulled him into a coat, and dragged him out, saying that his mother had asked for him to join them for the New Year’s Eve dinner.

Wang Yan was surprised; he and Bai Yue had agreed that after the New Year, the family would have a meal together as a formal acknowledgment of their relationship, as the two were already married by certificate, making them officially spouses. They decided not to have a wedding banquet, given the circumstances, a banquet would only be a subject for gossip and would make the elder Wang feel insulted; after all, they weren’t bothered by those formalities.

So, they had agreed to have a meal after the New Year, calling over the younger brothers and sisters, and thus fully settling the matter in the clear.

But today was New Year’s Eve, it didn’t seem appropriate to call him over.

There wasn’t much time to think it over, Haiping had already forcibly brought him over.

Now, standing in the room, he indeed felt a bit awkward.

Bai Yue was also stunned; seeing Wang Yan a bit uncomfortable, Bai Xiao hurriedly nudged her older brother, indicating that it was time for the men to handle it.

Bai Song immediately realized, quickly made space, “Brother-in-law, come over! Sit next to me on the Kang! It’s warm here. It’s New Year’s Eve, let’s all sit together as a family and enjoy a warm, lively meal.”

Wang Yan felt a warmth in his heart at this address of “brother-in-law”! He hadn’t expected Bai Yue’s younger siblings to accept him so easily.

He repeatedly said, “Okay! Okay!”

Bai Ju had already heard about her older sister and Wang Yan’s matter, but she had not yet met him in person.

This was indeed a first meeting.

“Brother-in-law, come up to the Kang!”

Wang Yan nodded, his eyes a bit tearful, and took his place on the Kang, signifying that he was now officially a member of the Bai Family.

Bai Yue’s face turned a shade of crimson, this was definitely Bai Xiao’s doing! She glared fiercely at Bai Xiao! The girl was always full of tricky ideas.