Chapter 53: Staying Up on New Year’s Eve and Naming the Child

Han’s second daughter-in-law couldn’t bear to part with the good dishes, so she didn’t dare argue again. And Han Lao-san’s wife didn’t want to go back and eat the tasteless food cooked by her husband, so she wisely stopped speaking.

Seeing that they had finally quieted down, Old Lady Han glared fiercely at the two of them before returning to the kitchen to continue working.

As soon as his mother left, Han Lao-san jabbed his wife with his finger and scolded, “Gu Ming, today is New Year’s Eve. I’m holding back because of the occasion, but you should be more sensible. Otherwise, we might as well go home and eat steamed buns.”

His wife turned her face away angrily and ignored him.

Han Lao-er tugged second daughter-in-law outside and whispered, “Why on earth are you quarreling with third sister-in-law during the New Year? Who argues at New Year’s?”

But second daughter-in-law was still upset. “Look at her, just sitting there eating melon seeds like some queen. We don’t owe her anything, why should we serve her?”

Han Lao-er persuaded, “She’s pregnant, why bother arguing with her? And it’s not like you’re the only one working today. It’s mostly Mother, Eldest Brother, and Eldest Sister-in-law doing the work. They haven’t complained, so why are you?”

That shut her up.

Han Lao-er nudged her. “Alright, enough. Stop fussing and go help in the kitchen.”

She slapped the dust from her apron unhappily and slowly walked back inside.

Finally, the quarreling ceased, and the dishes were all brought out. Han Aiguo and his younger brothers pasted the red couplets they had bought onto the door with boiled flour paste, then set off a string of firecrackers at the gate. When the firecrackers finished crackling, the New Year’s Eve dinner officially began.

Before anyone picked up their chopsticks, Old Lady Han pulled out four red envelopes and handed one to each of her four grandchildren. “Here, this is your New Year’s money.”

The children’s eyes lit up instantly.

Han Lao-er quickly reminded his three children, “Hurry, say your New Year’s wishes to Grandma!”

The eldest, Hehua, spoke first, “Grandma, I wish you a happy New Year and a long life!”

Old Lady Han beamed. “Good, good! Well said, Hehua. I’m very happy.”

Timid little Taohua bit her lip nervously, unsure what to say. Hehua leaned over and whispered in her ear. After hearing it, Taohua repeated softly, “Grandma, I wish you good health.”

Old Lady Han chuckled and nodded.

Then everyone turned to watch Maomao and Xiaolei, waiting for their blessings.

Xiaolei, however, was far too focused on peeking inside his red envelope. He didn’t even hear the adults.

Han Lao-er snapped, snatching the envelope from him. “Say something to your grandma first! Did you hear me?”

Xiaolei panicked and rushed to grab it back. “Grandma gave that to me! Give it back!”

Han Lao-er raised his hand to smack him, but his wife quickly shielded the boy. “It’s New Year’s! Why are you beating the child?”

While they were quarreling, Maomao suddenly piped up loudly, “Grandma, I wish you eat big meat every day!”

The entire table froze for a moment, then burst out laughing.

Old Lady Han laughed so hard her eyes crinkled. “Alright, alright! If I can eat big meat every day, that would be wonderful.”

Han’s third daughter-in-law gave a smug look to the second daughter-in-law, her expression saying: See? My son is more promising than yours.

The second daughter-in-law was so angry she couldn’t speak.

Old Lady Han waved her hand. “Enough fussing with the children. Everyone eat, quickly, before the food gets cold.”

So the family finally began their meal.

This New Year’s Eve dinner was the most plentiful anyone in the family had ever seen, and also the most delicious. The aroma alone was enough to make mouths water. Both children and adults eagerly dug in, everyone eating with joy.

Han Aiguo uncorked a bottle of wine and poured a glass for each of his two younger brothers, and half a glass for his mother. “Mom, it’s the New Year. Let’s all drink together.”

Old Lady Han, who rarely drank, smiled. “Alright, I’ll have some too.”

Su Yue raised her glass with a grin. “Comrade Han Aiguo, pour me one as well.”

Han Aiguo arched an eyebrow. “Are you sure you can drink?”

Su Yue mimicked his expression. “What, you’re looking down on me? I can handle at least one glass.” In the past, she had even managed two glasses of red wine, so this shouldn’t be a problem.

Han Aiguo chuckled and poured her half a glass. “Fine, just a little.”

“Thank you, Comrade Han Aiguo~” Su Yue said with a playful smile.

She first raised her glass to Old Lady Han. “Mom, I wish you always smile and stay forever young.”

Old Lady Han didn’t quite understand every word, but she knew Su Yue was blessing her with happiness and youth. Her eyes curved with delight. “Good, good. Thank you. Let’s drink.”

Su Yue took a sip but immediately choked. The liquor burned all the way down, making her gasp. “What kind of wine is this? So spicy!”

Han Aiguo quickly poured her some water. “Rinse it out.”

She gulped twice, but her stomach still felt like it was on fire. Han Aiguo immediately picked up some sweet food and held it to her lips. She obediently ate it, finally feeling relief.

Everyone at the table stared in surprise. Just moments ago, Su Yue had insisted she could drink, only to end up embarrassed.

But what stood out even more was Han Aiguo’s reaction. The usually stern, quiet eldest son was feeding his wife water and food as though she were a child. He was so tender and so considerate. The second and third daughters-in-law couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy. Their own husbands had never treated them with such care.

This sister-in-law wasn’t only pretty, but even her man treated her better than theirs. Truly, she seemed to have gathered all the blessings for herself.

Of course, none of this envy showed aloud, and soon the family returned to eating happily. Han Aiguo took Su Yue’s unfinished wine and downed it himself, not allowing her to drink more.

After the meal, the table was cleared, and everyone sat around cracking melon seeds and chatting as they waited for midnight. Staying up late was an essential New Year’s Eve tradition.

The children were lively at first, but by nine or ten they could barely keep their eyes open, nodding off like pecking chicks. Old Lady Han had them carried to bed, while the adults stayed up.

When the family was all together, Han Aiguo announced, “The army has called me back as soon as possible. I have to leave on the eighth day of the New Year. The tickets are already booked.”

Everyone froze. Even Su Yue hadn’t known the exact day as she thought they would leave later, but it turned out they had only one week left.

Old Lady Han was the most stunned. She had thought her eldest son would at least stay through the Lantern Festival. “Why so soon? Can’t you stay until the fifteenth?”

Han Aiguo patted her hand. “Mom, the army gave me until the eighth. That’s already the latest I can stay.”

Old Lady Han understood, but her eyes reddened. “I don’t know how long it will be before I see you again. Since you left for the army at sixteen, it’s been so rare for me to spend time with you. Now that you were home with your injured leg, I’ve had these days with you, but soon you’ll leave again…”

Su Yue quickly tried to comfort her. “Mom, don’t be sad during the New Year. It’s a good thing Aiguo can continue serving. And if we can’t come back often, then you can come visit us at the army. Stay with us for a while whenever you miss us.”

Old Lady Han forced a smile. “You’re right, it’s the New Year. I should be happy. I’ll visit when I can.”

But in her heart, she knew it was unlikely. There was too much to manage at home, pastries to sell, to care for the fourth son. She was bound to be separated from her eldest son and daughter-in-law for a long time.

Sensing her sadness, Han Lao-san quickly changed the subject. He looked at Su Yue. “Sister-in-law, since you and Eldest Brother are leaving on the eighth, you won’t be here when my second child is born. I originally wanted you to give the baby a good name. Why don’t you think of one now, so the child will already have a name when he comes?”

Su Yue waved her hand. “You’re the father. You should name your own child.”

Han Lao-san scratched his head awkwardly. “But I don’t know many characters. It’s hard for me to come up with names. When I named Maomao, I nearly went bald thinking about it.”

Everyone was amused by Han Lao-san’s pained expression, as though naming a child was the hardest thing in the world. Old Lady Han laughed when she remembered the trouble he had gone through naming Maomao, and the heavy mood at once dissolved.

Han Lao-er nodded sympathetically. “Ah, it really is difficult. When I named my three children, my head hurt for days, and the names I finally came up with weren’t that good either. Sister-in-law, don’t be polite. Just help Lao-san pick a name. He really can’t do it himself.”

The third daughter-in-law didn’t object. Deep down, she knew her husband’s level. The name he had given Maomao was terribly ugly, and she dreaded to think what sort of name he would choose for their second child. As for herself, she had to admit she was no better. She couldn’t even think of anything at all.

Even if she disliked Su Yue in her heart, she couldn’t deny that Su Yue was literate. A name given by someone educated would definitely sound better than anything her husband could invent.

Su Yue, curious after hearing so much talk, asked, “Then what’s Maomao’s formal name? I only know Maomao is a nickname. I’ve never heard his proper name.”

At that, Han Lao-san blushed bright red and stammered, “Maomao’s name is… Han Wangmao.”

Su Yue blinked.

She pursed her lips, trying hard not to laugh, but the mirth in her eyes betrayed her.

Han Lao-san, embarrassed, pointed at his second brother. “Don’t blame me. I only followed him.”

Han Lao-er frowned. “Why drag me into it? You picked that name yourself.”

“No,” Han Lao-san argued, “you named Xiaolei Han Wanglei. I just copied you and used the word wang in the middle too. That’s how I ended up with Han Wangmao.”

Han Lao-er snorted. “But Han Wanglei sounds cultured. Your Han Wangmao is tacky, it makes me laugh every time I hear it.”

Han Lao-san sighed in agreement. The name really was tacky, but he hadn’t known what else to use, so he had lazily tied it to Maomao’s nickname.

Su Yue couldn’t help feeling sympathy for the boy. When Maomao grew older and realized his name, wouldn’t he be furious with his father’s poor naming sense?

She realized she couldn’t refuse anymore. If she left the job to him, the second child would end up saddled with another dreadful name.

So Su Yue went to the room, fetched pen and paper, and began writing. She carefully jotted down characters with good meanings. The others found this very entertaining and crowded around to watch.

Everyone started offering ideas, shouting out names like Guo Guodong, Han Yaozu, Han Tuanjie…

The third daughter-in-law felt warmth rising in her chest as she watched. With the whole family gathered to choose a name for her child, she felt her unborn baby was treasured, and she even looked at Su Yue with a newfound fondness.

In the end, Su Yue chose two names. “If it’s a boy, call him Han Zhiwen, meaning ambition and culture. If it’s a girl, call her Han Yu, meaning beautiful jade.”

She had deliberately avoided flashy or modern naming styles. The names she picked carried good meanings and still suited the 1970s. A name from the 21st century would have been jarringly out of place.

Han Lao-san clapped his hands in delight. “Sister-in-law, an educated person really is different. These sound wonderful! Please write them down for me. I’ll keep the paper safe and give the name to the baby when he’s born.”

The third daughter-in-law felt secretly overjoyed. She believed these names were excellent. When her child grew up and introduced himself, his name would sound far more distinguished than others.

Even Han Lao-er felt a twinge of envy. He had once thought the names he gave his children sounded cultured, but compared to Su Yue’s choices, they seemed plain. He quickly said, “Sister-in-law, when I have more children in the future, you’ll have to name them for me too.”

Su Yue smiled and nodded in agreement.

The time flew by amidst their lively chatter, until suddenly a burst of firecrackers outside made everyone jump. Midnight had arrived. The new year was here.

Han Aiguo went outside and set off another round of firecrackers to welcome the New Year on behalf of the Han family.

By then, the food from dinner had long been digested. Su Yue went into the kitchen to make dumplings, serving everyone a steaming bowl under the dim light. The family ate the hot dumplings while laughing and chatting, their happiness brimming.

When the meal was done, the firecrackers outside fell silent, and every household settled into deep sleep. After all, one couldn’t stay awake all night. Tomorrow was the first day of the New Year, and they needed energy to go visiting.

Old Lady Han, drowsy herself, finally said, “Tomorrow is the first day of the New Year. You two, Second and Third, come at noon to pay New Year’s greetings and eat here. Don’t bother coming too early.”

According to custom, married sons paid respects to their parents on the first day of the New Year, while on the second day, they accompanied their wives back to their natal families.

Han Lao-er and Han Lao-san gathered their wives and children and went home.

Su Yue boiled water so Old Lady Han could wash up, and then urged her back to her room to sleep. She and Han Aiguo washed quickly and returned to their own room.

Before bed, Su Yue still prepared his medicine as usual. Although Han Aiguo’s leg was already fully healed and the doctor had said medicine was no longer needed, she didn’t want the remaining portion to go to waste.

After boiling the herbs, she had him drink the oral dose first, then applied the herbs to his leg.

His leg showed no trace of redness or swelling, and it moved freely and strongly. In fact, Han Aiguo even felt it was in better condition than before the injury; whether imagination or reality, he didn’t know.

Thinking back to the despair he had felt, convinced his leg was ruined and that he could never be worthy of the girl he loved, he found it unbelievable. At that time, he hadn’t dared to hope he might recover, let alone continue his military career.

It felt like a dream, a miracle. And this miracle had been brought to him by her.

Ever since he had met her, he felt as though luck followed him.

Just then, a soft palm suddenly covered his eyes. He laughed. “What are you up to now?”

Su Yue said mysteriously, “Comrade Han Aiguo, close your eyes.”

He obeyed obediently.

“Don’t open until I say so,” she instructed, removing her hand.

She slipped to the closet, took out a sweater from the little box where she hid her things, and quietly returned with it behind her back. “Okay, open your eyes.”

Han Aiguo slowly opened them, squinting suspiciously. “What are you hiding?”

Su Yue swung the sweater out proudly. “Tada~ Comrade Han Aiguo, this is your New Year’s gift from your beautiful and lovely wife; a handmade sweater! I wish you a happy New Year, everything smooth, and all your wishes coming true!”

Surprise flickered in his eyes. “Didn’t you say it wouldn’t be finished until next year? How did you knit it so quickly?” He had truly believed he wouldn’t get to wear his wife’s hand-knit sweater until the following winter.

Su Yue lifted her chin smugly. “How could I really make you wait until next year? Your wife isn’t that foolish.”

“When did you knit it? I never saw you.”

She pointed toward Old Lady Han’s room. “I secretly knitted in Mother’s room. She covered for me. If I’d done it in front of you, where would the surprise be?”

Han Aiguo chuckled. No wonder she had been sneaking in there lately, saying they were talking about women’s matters that men shouldn’t hear. He had never questioned it. He hadn’t expected she was secretly knitting for him.

Feeling a swell of happiness, he immediately sat up, stripped off his old sweater, and carefully pulled on the new one. It was warm and soft against his skin.

Su Yue’s eyes brightened. The sweater fit him perfectly. With his broad shoulders, long legs, and well-proportioned muscles, he looked like a natural clothes model. The navy blue color was rare in this era of black, white, and gray; striking without being gaudy, and giving him a vibrant, energetic air.

Su Yue couldn’t help herself. Overcome by how good he looked, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him twice. “Honey, you’re so handsome.”

Han Aiguo had grown used to the odd words that came out of her mouth and automatically translated them as praise. Though a man didn’t need to be complimented on his looks, he couldn’t help but feel pleased when it came from his wife. He pulled her into a deep kiss, so intense her lips nearly swelled.

Startled, Su Yue shoved him away. “Comrade Han Aiguo, I surrender!”

He sighed helplessly and released her, patting her back gently. “Alright, alright. I’m sorry. Go to sleep.”

Relieved, Su Yue closed her eyes, drifting off almost the moment she touched the bed.

But her sleep was not destined to be peaceful. The system, which had been quiet for a long time, suddenly stirred again and this time, it came to her in a dream.