Outsider: The Fifth Young Master of the Kang Family

Chapter 138: Red Envelopes on the Second Day of the Lunar New Year
"Happy New Year!"

At 2:12 on February 0, the Kang family, who were staying up all night, wished each other a happy new year. Fireworks and firecrackers had been banned in Guangzhou for a long time, and without the task of setting off firecrackers, everyone was sleepy at this time, so they all went back to sleep. For example, the second brother and his wife had to go back to the clothing store to help out in the morning.

After breakfast on the first day of the new year, Kang Qirui brought Zhu Wanling back to the Zhu family to wish Mrs. Zhu a happy new year. "Mom, aunt, uncle, happy new year, and wish you prosperity and good health." As soon as they entered the house, Kang Qirui and Zhu Wanling wished a happy new year to the people who were having breakfast in the room. When Mrs. Zhu saw her daughter and son-in-law coming, she quickly put down her chopsticks, took her daughter to sit on the sofa, and started to make tea.

"Mom, let me do it. Are you full? If not, go back and continue eating. We can do it ourselves." Kang Qirui was very perceptive. He took the teapot and started brewing it himself. "Yes, Mom, you should have breakfast first." Zhu Wanling also advised.

Mrs. Zhu waved her hand, indicating that she was full, and began to chat with Zhu Wanling. Her daughter and son-in-law came so early, which showed respect. She was not being polite, but was calling for courtesy.

Kang Qirui and Zhu Wanling sat in Zhu's house until they finished lunch before leaving. Before leaving, Kang Qirui gave Mrs. Zhu a big red envelope, which made Mrs. Zhu even happier. After leaving Zhu's house, Kang Qirui took Zhu Wanling to visit his teacher Huang Lao's house to pay New Year's greetings. As the saying goes, "If you are willing to pay New Year's greetings on the first or second day, you will not be willing to pay New Year's greetings on the third or fourth day." When you pay New Year's greetings to someone's home represents the position of that person in your heart.

After leaving Huang's house, Kang Qirui and Zhu Wanling did not continue to pay New Year's greetings, but went to the flower street. However, Kang Qirui dragged Zhu Wanling home after a while. There were too many people and it was too crowded. Even Kang Qirui was squeezed enough, and Zhu Wanling, who was pregnant, could not walk even more. The two of them decided to go home.

On the second day of the Chinese New Year, when the Kang family was still having breakfast, Uncle Liang came with his three grandchildren, "Old Kang, we are here to pay New Year's greetings." While the old man was still sighing that Uncle Liang came so early, Tianxiu ran into the dining room and said happily to the second brother and his wife, "Daddy and Mommy, I asked Uncle Liang for a red envelope."

"Did you thank him?" Er Lao asked while eating breakfast. Tian Xiu shook his head to indicate that he didn't remember. Er Lao glared at Tian Xiu and scolded him, "You have no manners." Then he stood up and walked out of the dining room to the living room, "Uncle Liang, thank you. Did Tian Xiu thank you?"

Uncle Liang, who was eating candy, also stood up and said, "Yes, yes, yes." Then he took his three grandsons to wish the second brother a happy new year, "Uncle, happy new year."

"Huh? Who are they?" Er Lao had never seen Uncle Liang's grandchildren, so he asked. Uncle Liang explained: "They are my grandchildren, who came back from Hong Kong to celebrate the New Year."

"Oh, Wangding, you guys sit down for a while and wait for me." Er Lao and Liang Bo said, then came back to the dining room and patted Ersao. Ersao turned around and saw Er Lao holding out his hand to him, so she asked, "What are you doing? What do you want?"

"You received a red envelope from Uncle Liang. Uncle Liang brought three grandchildren with him, so we have to give him red envelopes." Er Lao's tone was a little helpless, and the second sister-in-law went back to the room and took out a lot of red envelopes. Kang Qirui couldn't help but ask curiously: "Second sister-in-law, why do you give so many red envelopes?" The second sister-in-law sighed and pointed at Tianxiu and said: "Your nephew, you go up to everyone and give them red envelopes to wish them a good fortune, so don't we have to give them a red envelope in return?"

After saying this to Kang Qirui, the second sister-in-law handed the red envelopes in her hand to the second brother one by one, "These are ten-dollar notes, put them in the bag on the right. These are twenty-dollar notes, put them in the bag on the left. These are fifty-dollar notes, put them in the bag at the back. These are one hundred-dollar notes, put them in the bag for clothes."

I have to say that the red envelope from the second sister-in-law is quite generous. Even after more than 2024 years, in when the economy has grown several times more than it is now, the red envelopes starting from yuan and capped at yuan are still very popular and still belong to the generous group. After the second sister-in-law put the red envelope for the second brother, she went out to the living room with him, "Happy New Year, Uncle Liang, have some tea." She greeted him and started to make tea. "Little friend" the second brother was about to give red envelopes to Uncle Liang's grandchildren when he heard the second sister-in-law cough. It turned out that the second brother took the red envelope from the back of his pants, which was fifty-one. He came to his senses and thought about taking the one in the left bag, but the second sister-in-law was still coughing.

The second brother was stunned for two seconds. With the relationship between Uncle Liang and his father, twenty yuan was not too much. He thought about it and decided to listen to his second sister-in-law, so he reached into the bag on the right to take out the ten-yuan red envelope. As a result, the second sister-in-law continued to cough, but the second brother would not do that. There was no five-yuan red envelope this year, and ten yuan was already the smallest, so why was she still coughing?

He became impatient, "Hey, are you done coughing?" The second sister-in-law quickly took a sip of tea and said, "I really coughed this time."

After the second brother handed out the red envelopes, the Kang family had finished their breakfast. Out of courtesy, everyone came out to greet Uncle Liang and wish him a happy new year. Then, the old lady, the eldest brother Guang Xianglan, A Yao Xingzi, A Zu Diana, Kang Qirui and Zhu Wanling gave each of Uncle Liang's three grandchildren a red envelope. After receiving the red envelopes, Uncle Liang also left with his grandchildren. A Yao sighed, "Now I finally understand why our Kang family has the most people coming to wish us a happy new year during the New Year."

"Of course it's your father, I'm popular, what else could it be?" As expected of your father, he takes credit for every achievement. But A Yao shook his head and said, "You're wrong, father. It's because you come to our Kang family to pay New Year's greetings, and you get the most. This year, all five of us brothers are married, plus you, father and mother, there are six couples, that's twelve red envelopes. If a child earns more than a hundred yuan per trip, how can you not come?"

What Ayao said made everyone feel that it made a lot of sense. In this era when red envelopes of 380 cents, 170 yuan and yuan were still popular, the Kang family was very generous. The old lady and her mother all gave yuan, Ayao, Azu and Kang Qirui all gave yuan, the eldest brother Guang and Xianglan gave yuan, yuan and yuan, and the second brother and his wife received the most red envelopes because Tianxiu received them. This child came to the Kang family to pay New Year's greetings, and could get a maximum of yuan, and at least yuan.

It would be strange if there weren't many people coming to pay New Year's greetings to such a family. As expected, after Uncle Liang left, other neighbors came to pay New Year's greetings one after another. The old man felt distressed after being calculated by A Yao just now, and now he saw everyone handing out red envelopes one by one. In just this morning, more than ten groups of people came to the Kang family, and at least three or four thousand yuan was handed out in total.

The old man was in so much pain that he had no mood to eat lunch. Kang Qirui advised him, "Old man, it's like this every year. Weren't you very happy when people came to pay New Year's greetings before? Why are you annoyed this year?" The old man sighed and said, "I didn't calculate this account before. Today, when A Yao mentioned it, I calculated the account and realized the pain in my heart."

"It's okay, there won't be that next year." Kang Qirui said with a smile. His father looked puzzled, and the others looked at him. Kang Qirui chuckled and said, "Next year we will have at least three more children, plus Tianxiu's four children will receive red envelopes. It's obvious that there won't be so many people coming to visit us for the New Year."

Everyone nodded, but the old man still looked unhappy, "That's next year. What should we do this year?"

"It's just red envelopes. Red envelopes are red envelopes, just for good luck. Everyone has given red envelopes, are you still worried that we won't be willing to give them out? If you really don't want to, just give out less. It doesn't matter if other people give one or two red envelopes." Kang Qirui said, "The purpose of Chinese New Year is to have fun and have fun. You don't have to worry too much about the money. As the saying goes, the more you give out, the more money you earn this year."

Many Cantonese people do have this belief. According to the Yi Za Zhu, "Doing business will bring you profits, and doing business will bring you benefits." Many people believe that the more red envelopes you give out, the bigger and smoother your business will be this year.

(End of this chapter)