Chapter 491: Holding Your Hand, Growing Old Together

Chapter 491 Growing Old Hand in Hand

Time passed quickly, and soon it was the end of the year—their second New Year spent on the island.

Since Xiao Xiao gave birth until now, Miao Cuifang and Ye Jianguo had stayed on the island to accompany her. During this period, Miao Cuifang had left twice to tend to some business at her studio.

After the babies turned a month old, Miao Cuifang was able to both take care of the children and paint. Meanwhile, Ye Jianguo became a guest instructor for the military and had fully adapted to island life.

Though she still couldn’t see many friends, Xiao Xiao was already very content with her current life.

In the twelfth month of the lunar calendar, as the Lunar New Year approached, Ye Xiaoxiao played with the children while discussing with Lu Hanchuan how they'd celebrate the holiday this year.

“I haven’t asked Mom and Dad what they think yet. Are we really not returning to Baishi Village for the New Year?”

Lu Hanchuan smiled. “Don’t worry about that. Mom and Dad already have it covered.”

Ye Xiaoxiao tilted her head quizzically. “Are you hiding something from me?”

Lu Hanchuan didn’t answer at the time, but on New Year’s Eve, she finally realized what he meant by “arrangements.”

On the morning of New Year’s Eve, Aunt Zhao was in the kitchen preparing dumpling filling, while Ye Xiaoxiao prepared to hang the couplets she had written the night before.

She wondered where Miao Cuifang and Ye Jianguo were—it was already 8 a.m., and usually, they were always early. Now that it was the end of the year, Ye Jianguo didn’t have to go to the military base every day, so he would definitely visit his grandchildren whenever he had time.

She held up the couplets, adjusting their alignment. With Lu Hanchuan not at home, there was no one to help her check if they were straight.

Just as she was adjusting them, Fluffy and Ermo, the dogs, in the yard started barking excitedly and running toward the gate.

Ye Xiaoxiao started to scold the dogs when she turned and saw a group of familiar faces.

Not only did she see the whole Lu family walking together, but her master, grandfather, brothers, and sisters-in-law had all come. Many of them were people she hadn’t seen since moving to the island. Before she could even process it, tears welled up in her eyes.

Lu Hanchuan walked over, took the couplets from her, and gently wiped her tears.

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

He pulled her into his arms. “I was afraid you’d cry if I told you in advance. Who knew you’d cry anyway?”

Ye Xiaoxiao tried to compose herself, though her voice still trembled. “These are tears of happiness.”

Lu Hanchuan smiled. “Our Xiao Xiao is the happiest.”

With so many people around, many stepped forward to help hang the couplets, finishing the task in minutes.

Ye Xiaoxiao ushered the elders inside. “It’s the middle of winter—making the trip all the way here must have been exhausting. If I’d known earlier, I wouldn’t have let you come.”

The others were fine, but Grandpa Lu and Grandma Lu were older, and even flying could be taxing on their health.

Grandma Lu waved it off. “We’d gladly come no matter how far, just to see you.”

Grandpa Lu was eager to see the children. “Where are my great-grandson and great-granddaughter? I’ve brought them big red envelopes!”

Lu Xingzhou was just as eager to see his grandchild, but he supported the elderly man and urged him to slow down. "Let's not all go in at once—we might scare the kids."

Grandpa Lu: "Then I'll go in first, and you wait outside."

Lu Xingzhou: "..."

As the grandpa, shouldn’t he get to go first?

While the elders lined up to see the children, Ye Xiaoxiao chatted with her eldest brother and sister-in-law in the living room.

"You all came—why didn’t you bring Grandma and Grandpa along?"

Ye Changqing: "Grandma and Grandpa are getting on in years. They’re spending the New Year with Uncle at home, but they’re looking forward to your return. The roads back home have been repaired, so it’s much easier to travel now."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Good thing they fixed the roads. As long as we’re connected to the outside world, development will surely follow."

With everyone here, the small living room in Xiao Xiao’s house was packed.

Ye Xiaoxiao asked the others to sit while she pulled Lu Hanchuan aside. "Why didn’t you tell me earlier? I didn’t prepare anything."

Lu Hanchuan: "Relax, I took care of everything—accommodations included. You’ve got nothing to worry about."

Ye Xiaoxiao poked Lu Hanchuan’s chest. "How long have you been planning this behind my back?"

Lu Hanchuan caught her mischievous fingers. "We skipped the baby’s full-month party. This New Year’s has to be special."

Ye Xiaoxiao gazed into Lu Hanchuan’s eyes. "Thank you."

It had been a long time since Xiao Xiao had said these words to Lu Hanchuan, but now, she couldn’t think of anything else to express her feelings.

Lu Hanchuan pulled her into a hug—some things needed no words.

Of course, it was just a brief embrace, since her brother and sis-in-law were right there.

With her family’s arrival, Ye Xiaoxiao was over the moon.

She even wanted to personally cook for the New Year’s Eve dinner, but Miao Cuifang and her sister-in-law shut her down.

Zhang Xue still treated Xiao Xiao like a child. "Xiao Xiao, go join Baocheng and the others. I saw them bringing lots of fireworks to set off by the beach."

Miao Cuifang added, "Or keep your second sis-in-law company. Let’s not let your or her cooking skills ruin this New Year’s Eve feast."

Though brushed off, Shen Qiuyu wasn’t offended—she knew her mother-in-law meant no harm and was simply stating the truth. She really couldn’t cook to save her life.

Ye Xiaoxiao stood there. "Sister-in-law, I’m a grown woman! I don’t like setting off fireworks."

She was already a mother of two—why did her family still treat her like a kid?

Zhang Xue brought the veggies to the kitchen, ignoring Xiao Xiao’s protest, and patronized her, "Then stand back and watch them set them off. Stay far enough so your clothes don’t get burned."

Ye Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes but gave in, walking away. "Call me if you need any help."

Miao Cuifang waved her off casually. "This kitchen’s cramped enough already. I can find everything here. Just go outside."

And so, Xiao Xiao was banished and didn’t step back into the kitchen until the New Year’s Eve dinner was served.

She ended up chatting a long time with her second sister-in-law. Shen Qiuyu shared some tips to bounce back after pregnancy with Ye Xiaoxiao.

As a dancer, many of her exercises were great for getting your shape back.

However, Xiao Xiao herself has recovered quite well, and the baby weight has already been lost. Now she looks no different from before giving birth.

Shen Qiuyu secretly glanced at Xiao Xiao’s stomach. "Your stomach has recovered nicely too—can’t even see any stretch marks."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "That’s because I used a lot of ointments before giving birth. They worked pretty well."

Shen Qiuyu kept asking her for details about the ointments, saying that if they were turned into a product and put on shelves, they’d surely fly off the shelves.

Ye Xiaoxiao actually had this exact idea in mind and was preparing to discuss it with Song Xiaoguang after the New Year.

No matter the time, making money’s always important.

With so many people gathered, this year’s New Year’s Eve dinner was extra fancy, and the atmosphere was super lively.

Lu Hanchuan had gone to the base early that morning but spent the rest of the day with his family.

During the meal, Grandpa Lu stood up and gave a short speech, his words full of happiness. He even raised a toast to Xiao Xiao, who quickly stood up in response.

But Grandpa Lu waved her back down. "Grandpa doesn’t mean anything else—just thanking you. Thank you for making this family happier."

Ye Xiaoxiao wasn’t sure what to say and glanced at the person beside her. Lu Hanchuan stood up and drank the wine for her, then helped his grandfather sit back down.

"Now that you’ve said your thanks, can we all dig in?"

As the eldest elder at the table, the old man gave the order: "Eat! Let’s all raise a glass together!"

The older relatives, who hadn’t seen each other in a long time, clustered together, chatting happily.

Meanwhile, the younger ones were already dealing cards.

In the room, the three youngest children lay together, out like lights.

This time, the second brother and sister-in-law had also brought Ye Yijia along, but the child was worn out from the trip and had fallen asleep early.

Ye Xiaoxiao placed Jia Jia on the big bed to sleep alongside the two little ones.

Ye Baocheng and Ye Baoyuan, the two boys, wanted to set off fireworks, but Zhang Xue wasn’t letting them go.

Since firecrackers had already been set off during the day, and the compound didn’t allow fireworks for safety reasons, they could only go to the beach.

The two boys were dying to go out and kept pleading with Zhang Xue.

Coincidentally, Ye Xiaoxiao wanted to get some air, so she volunteered to go with Lu Hanchuan to accompany them.

Though it was already past nine, the beach was buzzing with life.

Many children were running around on the sand, and fireworks were popping here and there. In the distance, red lanterns hung high, spilling warm light that lent a magic warmth to the cold winter night.

"Auntie! Uncle! We’re setting off fireworks now!"

The two boys yelled from ahead.

Bang!

Bang! Bang!

Fireworks exploded one after another, painting the sky in color against the dark sky.

Ye Xiaoxiao and Lu Hanchuan stood facing the sea, hand in hand.

"Hurry up! We need to make our New Year's wishes to the stars, the sea, the fireworks, and our loved ones!"

As the fireworks burst in the sky, Ye Xiaoxiao shook Lu Hanchuan's hand.

Lu Hanchuan squeezed his beloved's hand. Xiao Xiao watched the fireworks, his eyes never leaving her. "My New Year's wish is to hold your hand and grow old together."

As the last words hung in the air, Xiao Xiao turned just then, her eyes shining, and met her lover's gaze.

"That's my wish too."

———

"The End"

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