Yingqu Liuzi was pampered by her wealthy daddy.

The plane landed on the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month.

When Shen Yu'an turned on his phone, his mother had already sent him several messages, asking what time he would arrive and saying that the food was ready.

Shen Yu'an replied, "Just landed, waiting for my luggage," and then put his phone in his pocket.

Xize pushed the luggage cart beside him and asked in Chinese, "Baby, does Mommy like tea?"

Shen Yu'an glanced at him sideways. Xize's Chinese had improved a lot in the past few years, and he could communicate in daily life without any problems. He was even learning English faster than Shen Yu'an.

He no longer needs Shen Yu'an to translate for him, and he can understand most of what his parents say when they talk. He only asks questions when he encounters unfamiliar words.

Why are you asking this?

I brought my mom a box of tea. I don't know if she'll drink it.

"My dad drinks tea, but my mom doesn't."

Xize didn't say anything, took the box of tea out of his luggage bag, glanced at the packaging, and then put it back.

When I got home, my mother was already standing downstairs. She hugged Shen Yu'an and said he looked thinner.

Then she smiled at Xize, who called out "Mom" in Chinese. The mother paused for a moment, then turned to look at Shen Yu'an. Shen Yu'an didn't say anything, but a slight smile played on his lips.

Mom smiled and patted Xize on the shoulder: "That sounds pretty natural."

"I've practiced," Xize said.

When they came upstairs, Dad was watching TV in the living room. Seeing them come in, he stood up, shook hands with Xize, and asked if they were tired from the journey. Xize said he wasn't.

Dad nodded, sat back down on the sofa, and turned the TV volume down a bit. After a while, Dad looked up and asked him, "I heard you've been learning Chinese lately?"

"Yes, I've been studying for several years. Now I can speak."

"Your pronunciation is quite accurate."

"Yeah, I learned it from Xiao An."

Shen Yu'an, who was standing nearby, heard this but didn't reply. He looked down and pretended to be looking at his phone.

Dinner was a simple home-cooked meal prepared by Mom. Xize sat next to Shen Yu'an, his movements of picking up food with chopsticks already quite natural.

His mother pushed a plate of braised pork toward him and said, "Try this."

Xize picked up a piece, chewed it a couple of times, swallowed it, and said, "Mom, this tastes better than what you get outside." His mother didn't reply, but smiled and served him another bowl of soup.

After the meal, Xize helped his mother clear the table. His mother didn't stop him and let him take a few plates into the kitchen.

Shen Yu'an stood at the living room doorway, watching Xize's back as he helped his mother pass plates in the kitchen. He looked a little too tall in the kitchen.

Dad walked over and stood beside him, followed his gaze, and said, "His Chinese is indeed quite good now."

Shen Yu'an looked away from his father and said, "Yes, he's been studying."

"Last time I came, I could only speak the simplest language."

"He memorized a lot of words. He also practices them often at home."

Dad didn't say anything more and turned back to the living room.

Shen Yu'an was still standing at the kitchen door looking inside when Xize finished putting down the plates and turned around. Seeing Shen Yu'an standing at the door looking at him, he walked over and said, "Baby, what are you doing standing here?"

Shen Yu'an said, "It's up to you." Xize didn't say anything, but took his wrist and led him back to the living room.

On the afternoon of New Year's Eve, Mom took out the Spring Festival couplets and said she would put them up while the weather was nice.

While Shen Yu'an was changing clothes in the bedroom, Xize had already taken the Spring Festival couplets and was standing at the door gesturing their positions.

He asked Shen Yu'an which side was the right. Shen Yu'an walked over and glanced at it, saying that the right side was the first line of the couplet. Xize tore off the tape and stuck it on, then stepped back two paces to check if it was straight, before stepping forward again to flatten the edges.

Mom peeked out from the kitchen and said it was pasted up quite straight.

Xize said thank you, Mom, and turned to see Shen Yu'an leaning against the door frame watching him with a slight smile on his lips.

In the afternoon, when they were making dumplings, Xize sat next to Shen Yu'an, holding a piece of dough in his hand.

Shen Yu'an demonstrated to him how to put the filling in and how to pinch the edges. He followed along, but the shapes of the first few dumplings he made were not quite right.

Shen Yu'an looked at the one in his hand and said, "That's shumai." Xize looked down at the dumplings in his hand, didn't reply, and picked up another wrapper to continue wrapping.

When they got to the sixth one, the shape was a bit better. Shen Yu'an leaned over to take a look and said, "This one looks good now."

Xize placed the dumpling on the bamboo mat, next to the ones Shen Yu'an had made.

"Baby, how many years have you been wrapping up your baby?"

"I've been making them since I was a child, and I make them every year for Chinese New Year."

"Then teach me."

"I just taught you."

"Teach me again. You didn't learn that last one."

Shen Yu'an placed another piece of dough in front of him, helped him adjust the position of the filling, and then closed his fingers together to let him pinch the edges.

Xize looked down at him as he adjusted the position of Shen Yu'an's fingers on the back of his hand. Only after Shen Yu'an finished did Xize look up at him and say, "You've learned half of it this time."

"We'll learn the rest next year."

"Then I'll come again next year."

Shen Yu'an didn't reply, and took another piece of dough to wrap the next one.

The New Year's Eve dinner table was laden with food. Xize sat next to Shen Yu'an, occasionally placing a piece of fish in Shen Yu'an's bowl.

His mother glanced at his movements, picked up her wine glass and clinked it against Xize's: "Happy New Year." Xize raised his glass in return and said, "Mom, Happy New Year."

His mother smiled as she finished her drink and placed a piece of pork rib in his bowl, saying, "Eat more, you're too thin." Xize replied, "Mom, I'm not thin." His mother ignored him and placed another piece in his bowl.

After dinner, the family sat in the living room watching TV.

The Spring Festival Gala was showing a skit, and Dad laughed, and Mom laughed along with him.

Shen Yu'an leaned back on the sofa, looking at his phone. Xize sat quietly beside him, watching the TV screen, occasionally glancing down to reply to a few messages. After a while, he turned his head and called out, "Baby."

Shen Yu'an looked up: "Hmm?"

"Happy Spring Festival."

Shen Yu'an paused for a moment, then laughed: "Didn't you just say that?"

"That was for Mom. This is for you."

Shen Yu'an put down her phone, turned to face him, and said, "Then say it again."

Xize looked at him and said, "Happy Chinese New Year, baby."

Shen Yu'an didn't answer. He reached out and took Xize's hand, placing it on his knee. They clasped hands together, then he leaned back on the sofa and continued watching TV.

Xize's hand didn't pull away from his palm; it remained held there. The skit on TV had ended, and a song was playing; the lyrics were hard to make out, but the melody was slow and gentle.

The sound of firecrackers outside the window drifted in from afar, rising and falling intermittently.

Shen Yu'an called out "Daddy," and Xize turned his head to look at him. He was also looking at Xize, and their eyes met. They sat side by side without moving.

He gripped Xize's hand tighter, his fingertips brushing against the back of Xize's hand. He paused for a moment, then looked away and back at the television screen in front of him.

Xize didn't pull his hand back; he just placed it on Shen Yu'an's knee, palm up, as if waiting for him to hold it again next time.

A thin layer of condensation covered the windows, and the sound of firecrackers outside came and went. The TV was broadcasting the host's New Year greetings, the last syllable of which was drawn out.