Chapter 16

The Song family has a tradition of sending New Year's gifts. While most people wait until the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar to give gifts when they go out to visit relatives, the Song family prepares the gifts for the elderly on the thirtieth day and sends the children to deliver them.

On the first day of the new year, they go out with the children to visit everyone.

On the thirtieth day, the Fang and Zhang families had already prepared the New Year's gifts for the other branches of the Song family.

Because they slaughtered pigs, they had some surplus, so the gifts included lard from the pig slaughtered on the twenty-ninth day, three pounds of pork, a small basket of over twenty tangerines, and half a pound of sugar cubes. They also added some other items based on each family's situation, such as extra hair ties for families with granddaughters or great-granddaughters who were growing up, and extra handkerchiefs for newly married daughters-in-law.

These gifts were considered quite generous in the surrounding villages.

Of course, they would receive gifts in return for the ones they gave. The return gifts were also prepared in advance, and as soon as the younger generation presented the gifts and wished the elders well, the return gifts would be given.

Each family was expected to give gifts to five other families and receive gifts from five, balancing out the gifts given and received. This way, they could redistribute the gifts to other families if needed.

This practice of exchanging gifts during the New Year was common, and sometimes a gift could end up back in the hands of the original giver after circulating through the village.

The lard was prepared in advance and stored in large bowls. The solidified lard, with its creamy white and slightly yellow appearance, was covered with oil paper to prevent it from getting dirty, making it a very presentable gift.

In the past, the gifts were usually delivered by a few young boys, but this time Li shi asked Dingxiang to take Zhou Yinuo to deliver the gifts.

"Let Dingxiang and Zhou Yinuo go. If your third aunt says anything, they can handle it. Dingxiang is sensible, and it's not a problem for a newlywed to bring her husband along to represent her family. Everyone knows that Zhouzi now lives with us. He has no elders, so why can't he help us deliver gifts? It's a good opportunity to meet relatives and get acquainted with the neighborhood."

After thinking it over, Fang shi agreed and watched as Dingxiang, eager and excited, set off with Zhou Yinuo.

Each family's New Year's gifts were packed in straw baskets, which were then sent out directly. Zhou Yinuo carried a basket on his back, holding the handles of the basket full of gifts, following behind Dingxiang as they first went to visit their granduncles and grandaunts.

The eldest granduncle and the eldest grandaunt were already sitting on the kang bed, waiting for the younger generation to come and present their gifts. Despite the family discord during the division of property, it was still the New Year, and despite any lingering conflicts, the younger generation still gathered happily on this day.

The eldest granduncle held a pipe in one hand and gripped two longevity walnuts in the other, smiling warmly as he watched Dingxiang and Zhou Yinuo enter. He had told his wife earlier that this year, Dingxiang would be the one bringing the gifts.

Even though she was a married woman now, there wasn't much difference from when a son-in-law brings gifts, so it was a good opportunity for them to meet relatives. By the time the first day of the new year arrived, she wouldn't be able to leave the house.

"Dingxiang, come here! It's been a long time since I've seen you," The eldest Granduncle affectionately beckoned Dingxiang over.

Dingxiang looked around at the smoky room and the group of children playing gleefully on the heated brick bed, feeling that her grandfather was the best. He smoked, but never in front of the children.

"Eldest Granduncle, Eldest Grandaunt, Happy New Year to you both," Dingxiang said cheerfully as she handed over the basket. The eldest daughter-in-law next to the Eldest Grandaunt took the basket and showed it to the Eldest Grandaunt.

Eldest Grandaunt smiled and said, "This gift is really nice. Your family is prospering more and more. Is this your husband? I've seen him from afar when you got married. He's a spirited young man."

After bowing to the two elders, Dingxiang and Zhou Yinuo received the return gifts from the eldest daughter-in-law, two boxes of pastry rolls, a big bag of red bean buns, and a packet of sun-dried fruits. Although the gifts were not as lavish as the ones Dingxiang's family had brought, they were still considered appropriate return gifts for Eldest Granduncle's household.

Dingxiang packed the gifts into the basket and exchanged some words of goodwill with her eldest granduncle and grandaunt before heading to visit Eldest Granduncle's brother, Second Granduncle.

The moment they stepped outside, Song Dingxiang inhaled deeply, savoring the crisp, smoke-free air. “Finally! I thought I was going to suffocate in there. There’s no way I’m doing this again next year. Eldest Granduncle’s cigarette habit is out of control,” she declared, waving an exaggerated hand in front of her nose as though to banish the lingering stench.

Zhou Yinuo gave a low chuckle, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Relax. You don’t have to worry about me. I’ll never touch a cigarette in my life. No choking hazard here.”

Dingxiang raised an eyebrow, playfully shaking her fist at him. “If you even think about smoking, I’ll make sure you’re banned from stepping foot inside the house. Don’t test me.” Her mock-serious tone left no room for argument as she spun on her heel and headed toward Second Granduncle’s place, leaving Yinuo grinning in her wake.

At Second Granduncle’s house, they were greeted with warm hospitality, a roasted chicken, and a generous slab of cured meat. Second Granduncle had a knack for creating flavors that left everyone craving more, but his culinary expertise had stirred up more drama than delight within the family.

The trouble, as Dingxiang knew from Fang Shi’s endless stream of gossip, was that Second Granduncle had chosen to pass his cooking secrets solely to his youngest son. This decision hadn’t sat well with anyone. The eldest son, who lived under the same roof, was seething with resentment, convinced he was overlooked. The second son had his hands too full with indulgences to care much about culinary arts. And the third son? Well, he had no time for family recipes; he’d escaped to the town, chasing a different life entirely.

Song Dingxiang couldn’t help but smirk as she thought about the tangled web of grievances. Family drama was exhausting to witness, but it certainly made for some sharp entertainment on the side.

When Second Granduncle wanted to pass on the skill to the youngest son, the other families objected.

"They all have their own problems, gave Second Granduncle a hard time, and eventually led to the family division. The youngest son was given two acres of land, and now he runs a successful cured meat business in the county town, without having to take care of the old folks. It's comfortable. But back in the day, your granduncle wanted the youngest son to stay, but the eldest son was afraid of being pushed out and refused. This led to granduncle dividing more land among them," Fang shi explained.

Because of this, Song Dingxiang looked down on this family a bit, even though they were doing well.

At Third Granduncle's house, the two sisters-in-law had been eagerly waiting at the door for other families to come and bring gifts.

Over the years, it had always been the same routine at the Song family. The Third Song's family would collect all the gifts first, then redistribute them into five portions to give to other families.

Otherwise, their gifts wouldn't be presentable. Initially, Fang shi didn't mind, but this time she was waiting at home to see what gifts the Third Old Song San would bring back this year. After all, they had received two pairs of shoe insoles last year.

"Oh, Dingxiang, come inside quickly. It's so cold out here, what was your mother thinking, letting her delicate daughter come out to deliver gifts?" The eighth daughter-in-law of the Song family said with a flattering smile, eagerly eyeing the basket in Dingxiang's hands, wishing she could keep those baskets for herself.

The courtyard was a mess, and Song Dingxiang paused at the threshold of the house, her fingers tightening slightly around the basket in her hand. She glanced inside but didn’t step forward. Instead, she said with a light yet firm tone, “I won’t be coming in. I’ve got to drop these gifts and head home quickly. Auntie, why don’t you take a look at these first and then show them to Third Grandaunt?”

The eighth daughter-in-law, grinning broadly, began unpacking the items. One by one, she laid them out until her hand froze on an oil bowl. Her smile wavered, and a sharp intake of breath escaped her lips. “Oh no, this bowl’s chipped! Isn’t that bad luck? Dingxiang, did your mother pack this? Honestly, she’s a bit careless sometimes, isn’t she?”

Dingxiang’s brows lifted in surprise, her voice calm but pointed. “Wait, what? Isn’t this bowl from your house, Auntie? My brother told me the last time he brought over fried fish, you took one of our bowls and swapped it with another. I thought this was from your place, so I brought it back…”

The eighth daughter-in-law’s grin vanished entirely, replaced with a cutting tone. “What nonsense is that? We never send out damaged bowls. The one we gave was perfectly fine!”

Dingxiang chuckled softly, not missing a beat as she took the bowl back from her. “Oh, my mistake, then. I’ll go back and double-check with my brother. Maybe we’ll go door-to-door and figure out who sent us this chipped beauty. Once I know, I’ll be sure to return the bowl you originally gave us. Hmm… but really, who could it have been? Auntie, look at this—this crack here has been here for ages, hasn’t it?”

Before the eighth daughter-in-law could muster a response, the curtain parted, and Third Grandaunt appeared, her eyes sharp despite her feigned nonchalance. “What’s this racket over a bowl? A New Year’s gift has been delivered—why nitpick? It’s just a bowl, chipped or not, still usable. Dingxiang, no need to fuss. Your aunt-in-law loves to blow things out of proportion.”

But Dingxiang wasn’t about to let it slide so easily. Her voice turned smooth but firm, laced with a playful sting. “Third Grandaunt, it’s the New Year. Giving you a broken bowl just feels wrong. If it really came from Auntie’s house, fine, I’ll let it go. But if it didn’t, I’d like to know which neighbor thought it was clever to trade our fried fish for this. Don’t worry, Third Grandaunt, there aren’t too many suspects. I’ll sort it out and make sure you get the proper bowl.”

With that, she adjusted the basket in her hand, flashed a polite smile, and turned to leave without waiting for a reply.

Third Grandaunt quickly stopped her, looking suddenly enlightened, "Oh, I do recognize this bowl... Eldest daughter-in-law, isn't this the bowl I asked you to throw out last time? How did you give it to Dingxiang's house?"

The eldest daughter-in-law's husband ranked fifth in the family, she was stunned and quickly slapped her forehead, "Oh my goodness, my memory failed me. I must have been too busy that day and brought the bowl from the kitchen, planning to throw it out when I had the time. When Dingxiang's family came to deliver the fried fish, I didn't want to bother rearranging the bowls, so I just took one... It's all my fault, it's all my fault!"

She then smiled as she took the bowl back from Dingxiang and said, "I couldn't find it the other day, thought I had thrown the bowl out already. It's my fault."

Song Dingxiang said, "So, this bowl wasn't specifically given to you by my mother." She glanced at the eighth daughter-in-law.

The fifth daughter-in-law quickly said, "No, no, I just didn't remember it just now. This matter isn't known to Auntie, and you know her straightforward nature, Dingxiang, don't take it to heart."

Dingxiang smiled sweetly and said, "Don't blame my mother for gave you a broken bowl. That settled, let's wish a Happy New Year to Third Granduncle and Third Grandaunt." Afterward, she respectfully bowed with Zhou Yinuo by her side.

Third Grandaunt said, "The return gift is ready, go get it quickly, Eldest Son's wife. Dingxiang, you know the situation at your Third Granduncle's house; they're poor. We can't come up with a great New Year gift, but at least it's heartfelt."

The fifth daughter-in-law went into the house and came out shortly, holding a pair of shoe uppers.

Somg Dingxiang said, "Of course, I understand. Third Grandaunt, don't worry about it. If I minded, would I still bring the same New Year gift as usual? Oh, these shoe uppers... Is Jiao Xing behind this? The stitching on Jiao Xing's work isn't great."

The shoe uppers were cleanly cut, but the stitching was rough, making it quite unimpressive. It was all rushed work, using cheap fabric bought a few days ago at the market.

Third Grandaunt personally cut the shoe uppers with scissors and had the daughters-in-law and granddaughters put them together. Unfortunately, there was a lot of work before the New Year, and all the clothes in the house needed to be made, so no one paid much attention to these shoe uppers as they were meant for gifting, not for personal use.

The fifth daughter-in-law's expression darkened when she heard Dingxiang mention Jiao Xing. Jiao Xing was her daughter, who was thirteen this year and needed to be introduced to prospective families soon.

If word got out about her daughter's poor sewing skills, would she be able to find a good match?

But with such rough stitching, who else could she blame apart from Jiao Xing?

Thinking this, she couldn't help but glance at her mother-in-law...

Dingxiang: My mother taught me well, so what? Who's afraid of who!

Zhou Yinuo: I'm the background support for my wife; she's amazing. Go wife, keep going!