During the Lunar New Year, the entire nation of China was celebrating this important holiday.
Firecrackers had been going off since the early hours of the morning, and even now, the occasional pop could still be heard.
This year, Ren and his family planned to return to his hometown to celebrate the New Year. So, early in the morning, Ren went to wake up his little daughter, who was still sleeping.
The warm blankets in winter made it the perfect time for a lazy morning, especially for kids. After a whole semester of school, Yueyue was finally on break. Plus, she had stayed up until midnight the previous night, so waking her up was no easy task.
"Time to get up," Ren said gently, standing beside Yueyue's bed. In response, Yueyue snuggled deeper under the covers.
"Little lazy pig, get up. Mommy and your brother are already awake. Mommy even got up early to exercise. How can you still be sleeping in?" Ren gently nudged his daughter.
"Just… just five more…" Yueyue mumbled sleepily, barely able to form her words.
"Five more minutes?" Ren asked, half-smiling at her incomplete sentence.
"Five hundred years… zzz…" Yueyue mumbled before her eyelids drooped, and she drifted back to sleep.
Ren was left speechless for a moment. Clearly, he had no choice but to use his secret weapon!
A mischievous glint appeared in Ren's eyes.
"If you don't wake up, I'm going to put my cold, cold hands under your blanket!" he teased, grinning.
"Nooo!" Yueyue's head slowly emerged from the blankets, her sleepy eyes squinting at her dad. She sniffled like a little piglet, still reluctant to wake up. She pouted, turned her head to the other side, and pulled the covers over herself, leaving part of her back exposed.
She curled up like a little bug, eyes peeking out from a small gap in the blanket. "I've been sealed by the blanket monster! I can't get up!" she mumbled.
Seeing his daughter like this, Ren knew it was time for his ultimate card: "Today, we're going to Grandma's house, and you'll get red envelopes with money."
"!!"
In an instant, Yueyue's eyes sparkled, though it quickly faded. She sulked, "I'm not going! You always take my red envelopes away anyway!"
She looked genuinely upset as she said this.
"All the money you get this year will be yours," Ren said, feeling a bit soft-hearted.
It was understandable. The poor kid had worked so hard to collect her lucky money only to have it all taken away by her mom.
"Really?" Yueyue perked up, poking her head out in excitement.
"Really!" Ren nodded. "But you can't spend it recklessly like before!"
Truth be told, the reason Yueyue's money had been taken away last time was because of her own doing. Even adults have trouble controlling their spending when they have a bit of extra money, let alone a child with a pocket full of cash.
At first, Ren and Jada hadn't taken Yueyue's money. But when she started buying all sorts of junk from the school store, Jada had no choice but to confiscate it.
"Okay…" Yueyue hesitated for a moment before agreeing. She held out her little hand and said, "Pinky promise!"
"Pinky promise, one hundred years no change…" Ren said, hooking his pinky with hers.
After brushing her teeth, washing her face, and eating breakfast, the family of four, along with their dog, hit the road.
When they arrived at Ren's hometown, he was surprised to find that it wasn't just his wife and kids waiting for him at home—there was a whole crowd.
His mom's relatives had also come to visit for New Year's, which wasn't unusual, though they usually came later in the holiday.
A bunch of kids were running around, excitedly talking about wanting to watch Ultraman and asking for new comic updates after discovering Ren was the Porter.
They had even come to his hometown to demand updates!
Ren couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. When would manga artists ever have the freedom to say, "I just don't feel like drawing today," without getting pestered?
He suddenly found himself admiring the genius Hunter x Hunter creator, Togashi. He could quit drawing at any time, spend his days playing mahjong, and still be supported by a rich and beautiful wife.
Hmm…
Rich wife?
Ren glanced over at Jada, who was chatting with the relatives.
Oh, right, his wife was also a successful woman. Well, that settled it.
Thinking about it, Ren realized he didn't actually have to keep drawing. His company was running smoothly now, and they were doing well.
But, being a manga artist with a conscience, Ren wouldn't abandon his work like Togashi. He was still young. Maybe he would stop drawing when he was in his late thirties or early forties. After all, who ever complains about having too much money?
Just look at all those successful business people—no matter how much they make, they're always looking for ways to earn more. Money really is a good thing.
Ren was slightly frustrated, but Yueyue was having the time of her life.
She had received lots of lucky money this year, and none of it would be taken away!
Yueyue giggled as she counted her red envelopes. She was so happy that she didn't even bother to put them in her pockets. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted her little brother and immediately started showing off. "Hehe, little brother, I got lucky money. Do you want some?"
Her little brother, still curious about the bright red envelopes, stared wide-eyed at them, captivated.
Seeing Yueyue showing off, Ren couldn't help but feel like teasing her.
"Oh? Yueyue is so nice, she's going to give her brother some lucky money?" Ren said, reaching out as if to take one of the envelopes.
Yueyue immediately pulled her hand back, clutching the envelopes to her chest. She glared at Ren, looking like she was ready to explode. "Dad! You promised not to take my money!"
"Wait, I thought you were going to give your brother one of your red envelopes?" Ren asked, pretending to be surprised.
"Why would I give him my money?!" Yueyue puffed out her cheeks, clearly angry.
"Oh, I see. So you're not giving him any?" Ren sighed dramatically and looked down at the little boy squirming in his arms. "Poor thing, Yueyue won't give you any lucky money, even though she's your big sister. She's supposed to be your elder, you know."
Yueyue's little brother, still too young to understand, tilted his head in confusion and stared at his sister, his innocent eyes wide. He pointed at her and asked, "Sister?"
----------
For 10 advance chapters: patreon.com/michaeltranslates