"Uh... I'm not entirely sure either, maybe... possibly... a few thousand?"
Tang Guo really wasn't brushing the question off. These gifts were either from her own home or from the department store counters of her company; she honestly hadn't paid attention to the price.
"Oh, a few thousand... That's really expensive..." Liu ShuXian was surprised. She hadn't expected this pretty young girl to be so generous.
Luckily, Tang Guo didn't mention the currency unit. If Liu ShuXian knew that the gift was priced in euros, she might have hesitated to accept it.
"The thought behind the gift matters more than its price."
Experienced and worldly, Xu NanShan wasn't as naive as Liu ShuXian. He could tell from Tang Guo's strange indifference to the high value of these gifts that her family was wealthy. He immediately signaled Liu ShuXian with a look, telling her to drop the subject so as not to give Tang Guo a bad impression.
In fact, Xu Mo was just as confused by Tang Guo's antics. Since meeting her, he'd only known her name and assumed she came from a similar background to his own. But now it seemed he had totally misjudged.
Tang Guo was a little rich girl playing humble! If her family could afford gifts like this, they must have at least a few million in assets. He still remembered when she'd tried to get him to pay for their meal...
"Tang Guo, we're both happy that you could come over, but today is New Year's Eve. I have to ask, why did you pick this time to visit?" Liu ShuXian asked, following the Chinese tradition where people don't usually visit each other on New Year's Eve.
Tang Guo scratched her head and smiled awkwardly. "My dad isn't home today. The house feels so empty, and I was a little scared, so... I'm sorry to disturb you."
"Oh? And where's your mom?"
Tang Guo's expression darkened a little. Xu Mo quickly cut off Liu ShuXian's probing with a forced smile and said, "Mom, let's not talk about this. Please, let's just get back to making dumplings!"
Tang Guo casually shook her head and said, "It's nothing... My mom passed away when I was three, and all I have of her are some old, yellowed photos. I don't really feel sad about it."
"Poor thing..."
Seeing Tang Guo's childhood misfortune, Liu ShuXian's motherly instincts kicked in, and she gently stroked Tang Guo's silky black hair. Tang Guo rested her head on Liu ShuXian's shoulder, closing her eyes in contentment.
"Auntie, you're so nice... Can I call you my godmother?" Tang Guo suddenly lifted her head and asked with a longing look.
"This child... Forget about the 'god' part. From now on, you're my daughter!" Liu ShuXian's face lit up with the glow of a saintly mother.
"Mom! Mwah~!"
Tang Guo planted a kiss on her cheek, and Liu ShuXian instantly smiled widely and hugged her, growing fonder of her by the second.
Looking at the two of them, who now seemed as close as mother and daughter, Xu Mo felt a headache coming on. This situation seemed to have spiraled completely out of control.
But this girl hadn't said anything that could cause his parents to misunderstand. Still, why was their relationship shifting into overdrive like this?
"Alright, now we're family.Tang Guo, stay with us and celebrate the New Year!" Liu ShuXian, in a great mood, began calling everyone over to make dumplings.
"Ah! This is what they call dumpling-making..." Tang Guo exclaimed, thrilled as she held up a dumpling wrapper, treating it like some rare treasure.
Why did making dumplings suddenly feel like a legend to her? Xu Mo couldn't be bothered with Tang Guo's dramatics. He grabbed a wrapper, ready to start, but just then, the doorbell rang again.
"Go see who it is. Maybe it's your daughter-in-law," Xu NanShan teased with a smirk at Liu ShuXian.
"You old rascal!" Liu ShuXian playfully tossed a stack of dumpling wrappers at him before heading toward the door, mumbling, "When did visiting become a New Year's Eve tradition? This isn't how it's supposed to be..."
"Happy New Year, Auntie. I'm Lin Yijing. Is Xu Mo home?"
The same opening line, the same pretty girl standing at the door, and Liu ShuXian was momentarily stunned.
Today, Lin YiJing was still as fresh and simple as always, with no makeup except for some light lip gloss. Her long, straight black hair cascaded like a waterfall to her waist, giving her an elegant, understated appearance.
She wore a fitted gray woolen high-neck coat, a pair of slightly faded blue jeans, and black low-heeled boots, paired with a white handwoven scarf. Despite her simple outfit, her tall, slender figure of about 1.7 meters gave her a chic, vintage vibe, understated yet full of charm.
If Tang Guo's entrance had been bold and dazzling, Lin YiJing's entrance was like a gentle breeze, refreshing and natural, as if she belonged there all along.
"Hey? Lin Yijing?" Xu Mo immediately jumped up in surprise, running to the door. "Why are you here at this time? Why aren't you at home with your parents?"
"Child, what are you saying?" Liu ShuXian poked Xu Mo aside with a finger, then took a pair of new slippers and greeted Lin YiJing warmly. "Come in and change your shoes quickly. It's cold outside!"
"Auntie, don't worry, I'll do it myself!" Lin YiJing took the slippers and handed Xu Mo two bottles of wine and a bag of fruit, apologizing. "I'm really sorry for coming so late. My mom insisted I come because you've helped our family so much. She said I should personally come and wish you a Happy New Year..."
"Help? What help?" Liu ShuXian turned back when she heard this.
"Last time I helped her carry 200 pounds of rice and a gas cylinder..." Xu Mo immediately rushed to interrupt her, pushing Liu ShuXian back into the living room. "Go back and make dumplings! You're acting like my real mom! You meddle too much!"
"Does your family... not know?" Lin YiJing was surprised by Xu Mo's explanation.
Secretly, Xu Mo turned his back to the living room, holding a finger to his lips. He whispered, "That's my pocket money. Don't spill the beans later, okay?"
"Pocket money? Yours?" Lin YiJing was slightly skeptical but didn't press further, simply nodding in agreement.
As it turned out, Tang Guo and Lin YiJing were somewhat familiar with each other. When they met in the living room, there was a moment of surprise, but they quickly returned to their usual demeanor. They weren't exactly close, but maintained a friendly and cordial relationship, exchanging smiles.
Seeing this, Liu ShuXian and Xu NanShan simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief but were also increasingly confused.
"Auntie, are you making dumplings? Can I help?" Lin YiJing, after taking off her coat and washing her hands, pulled over a small stool and sat down next to Liu ShuXian.
"That's great! But... do you know how to make dumplings?" Liu ShuXian asked, testing her by placing a few dumpling wrappers in front of her.
Seeing the puzzled look on Lin YiJing's face, Xu Mo threw her an apologetic glance. He knew Liu ShuXian was still rattled by Tang Guo's earlier antics. The little girl had made dumplings so poorly they were unrecognizable...
But soon, Lin YiJing proved the difference between her and Tang Guo, the "dumpling disaster maker." Stuffing, pinching, arranging... with a flurry of quick motions, she managed to shape almost all the dumplings, leaving Xu NanShan struggling to keep up.
Each dumpling she made was a perfect crescent shape, and every one was exactly the same length, as if measured with a ruler. Hundreds of dumplings were lined up neatly, like soldiers waiting for inspection.
In comparison, Xu Mo's dumplings looked like a disorganized mess, and Tang Guo's "masterpieces" had long been flattened and thrown into the trash in embarrassment.