Contractual Love: Mistaken for True - Chapter 34 - The New Year
y planned the timing, setting off from home in the afternoon, and by the time they arrived in Town A, it was already evening. As soon as the car came to a stop, relatives gathered around, having heard that Xia Chen was bringing his wife home for the New Year. Naturally, the various relatives were eager to catch a glimpse of their new daughter-in-law.
Xia Chen took Xu Xiaoyou’s hand and led her inside, making their way to the two elderly figures. He greeted them with “Grandpa and Grandma.” Xu Xiaoyou followed suit, and the two elders nodded, scrutinizing Xu Xiaoyou closely. She was quite attractive, and it seemed that her personality must differ from that of Xia Chen’s mother; this daughter-in-law should be easy to manage.
“Mom and Dad, you can put away those thoughts. I won’t let you lift a finger against Xiaoyou,” Mom Xia said as she walked in, addressing the elderly couple.
Caught by Mom Xia discovering their little scheme, the two elders exchanged glances and chose to remain silent. In front of this daughter-in-law, they felt increasingly diminished.
At that moment, Xia Chen’s aunt, Xia Yu, emerged from inside, calling everyone to the dining room for dinner, easing the tension for the elderly couple.
At the dinner table, everyone was enjoying themselves, laughter filling the air. Xu Xiaoyou sat next to Xia Chen, who occasionally served her food, and they exchanged a few words now and then.
After the meal, everyone settled in the living room to discuss the ancestral worship planned for the next day. Xia Chen and Xu Xiaoyou simply sat there without voicing any opinions; these matters were usually handled by the older generation. Most of the time, the elders would consult Xia Chen only when there were differing opinions, but with Mom Xia around, everything was kept simple. She had long since grown tired of the old ways.
After finalizing the ancestral worship arrangements, Grandma Xia spoke up, “The rules of the Xia Family state that the daughter-in-law must go through a recognition ceremony with the ancestors, so…”
“Mom, didn’t I say everything should be kept simple?” Mom Xia interrupted Grandma Xia.
Xu Xiaoyou quietly turned to Xia Chen and asked what “recognition” meant.
Leaning in close, Xia Chen whispered in her ear, “Recognition means a person has to kneel in the ancestral hall overnight without moving, and only when everyone goes to worship the ancestors the next day does it count as completed.”
Kneeling in the ancestral hall all night? What kind of rule is that? No wonder Mom Xia wanted to take Papa Xia and leave.
“What about you? Aren’t you going to stay with me?” Xu Xiaoyou asked hopefully.
“I’m not going,” Xia Chen replied firmly, shattering her hopes.
“Then I don’t want to go,” she said, as the thought of the ancestral hall was quite terrifying.
“Don’t worry, I won’t let you go,” Xia Chen reassured her, providing her with a sense of relief.
Over there, Mom Xia and Grandma Xia were at odds over the matter, and Xia Chen finally stepped in to speak.
“I won’t let Xiaoyou stay alone in the ancestral hall overnight. It’s the dead of winter, and the hall is freezing; how can she stand that? Besides, if your precious great-grandson gets frozen to death, who will take responsibility for it?”
Xia Chen’s remarks left everyone speechless. Precious great-grandson? It seemed like quite a leap, something Grandpa and Grandma Xia were secretly thinking about. Pregnant? So that meant she had recovered, was what Mom Xia was pondering. A child? I’m pregnant, but how come I didn’t know? That thought raced through Xu Xiaoyou’s mind as she tugged at Xia Chen’s shirt, wanting to ask him what on earth he was talking about.
It was Aunt Xia Yu who reacted first and asked Xia Chen how many months along the “child” was.
Xia Chen cleared his throat and replied, “What I meant to say is that maybe Xiaoyou is already pregnant. We haven’t been trying to avoid it since we got married, so…”
So that’s how it is, Xu Xiaoyou thought, blushing deeply.
In the end, despite all the back and forth, Mom Xia still did not agree to let Xu Xiaoyou go to the ancestral hall, and Xia Chen firmly opposed the decision. As a result, they had to abandon the plan, and the arrangements the two elders had made were all in vain.
The next morning, Xu Xiaoyou was awakened by a knock on the door from Xia Yu. After being tossed around by Xia Chen the night before, she had only collapsed into a restless sleep by dawn. It was barely seven o’clock, and with Xia Yu knocking at the door, Xu Xiaoyou, feeling sore all over, could hardly get up.
Xu Xiaoyou couldn’t hear a word of what Xia Yu was saying outside, and as soon as the noise faded, she was about to fall back asleep. At that moment, Xia Chen got up and pulled Xu Xiaoyou, insisting she couldn’t sleep any longer. He had heard Aunt Xia Yu mention something outside, and he knew Grandpa and Grandma were already in the dining room getting ready for breakfast. It wouldn’t be right for a daughter-in-law to still be in bed. Besides, there were indeed things to take care of today.
Reluctantly, Xu Xiaoyou got out of bed, dressing slowly. Seeing her manner, Xia Chen realized she was not fully awake and took her clothes, intending to help her change. Even though they were married, it was better for her to handle changing clothes herself. Xu Xiaoyou snatched the clothes back from Xia Chen, shooting him a glare before heading to the bathroom.
“Good morning, Grandpa, Grandma, Aunt, Uncle. Mom,” Xu Xiaoyou greeted everyone as she made her way downstairs, arriving last. Once she and Xia Chen came down, Grandpa instructed the staff to serve breakfast. The meal was quite light; since the two elders always ate simply, everyone followed suit with a light breakfast.
Today is New Year’s Eve, and there are many preparations to be made, especially in a large family like the Xia Family. Although the Xia Family has always been of a single lineage, there are still many extended relatives. After they finished breakfast, everyone began to appear with gifts and offerings in hand.
Seeing that everyone had gathered, Grandpa Xia led them toward the ancestral hall. Xu Xiaoyou and Xia Chen walked behind. As the eldest grandson and granddaughter-in-law, they should have been walking beside Grandpa Xia, but Xia Chen didn’t understand much about these rituals, and he wasn’t interested in them either. Grandpa Xia didn’t push the issue, allowing them to stay at the back of the group.
For Xu Xiaoyou, it was her first time seeing such an impressive ancestral hall. While she had seen ancient halls during her travels, none compared to the Xia Family’s hall, where every brick and beam emanated a sense of history.
Xu Xiaoyou quietly asked Xia Chen how many years the ancestral hall had been standing.
Xia Chen thought for a moment and replied, “I’m not sure, but I think it’s been here for several hundred years.”
Several hundred years? The bricks, tiles, and pillars have been preserved so well-just how wealthy is the Xia Family?
In the hall of the ancestral hall, Grandpa Xia began reciting the memorial prayers. In truth, very few people were actually listening; this was something from the older generation, and for the younger people of the new era, it didn’t hold much value. However, as a member of the Xia Family, no matter how much they disliked it, they still had to adhere to the tradition.
Once Grandpa Xia finished reciting, Xu Xiaoyou felt her legs ache. She glanced at Xia Chen, who looked perfectly fine. Then she heard Grandpa calling her and Xia Chen’s names, and Xia Chen took her to stand beside him. At Grandpa Xia’s direction, they started to pay respects to their ancestors. This wasn’t just a simple bow; it required a formal ceremony involving three kneels and nine bows, with each ancestor receiving a tribute. As the new daughter-in-law of the Xia Family, she had to take this seriously. So, Xu Xiaoyou was compelled to perform the entire ritual earnestly. Xia Chen and Mom Xia couldn’t intercede because this was about seeking blessings from their ancestors for the Xia Family to grow and prosper.
After paying respects to all the ancestors, Xu Xiaoyou felt entirely drained. She could barely stand, and it was only with Xia Yu’s help that she managed to get back up. Xia Chen took Xu Xiaoyou from Xia Yu’s grasp, wrapping his arm around her waist, he asked, “Can you walk?”
Xu Xiaoyou shot a glance at Xia Chen and weakly replied, “Why don’t you try doing a hundred frog jumps and see if you can walk?”
Xia Chen picked Xu Xiaoyou up without hesitation, ready to leave the ancestral hall. Xu Xiaoyou hurriedly asked, “What are you doing?”
Xia Chen simply said, “Going home.”
“What about the offerings?”
“It’s over!”
“Just like that?” Xu Xiaoyou was taken aback. Did that mean she was the only one who had to pay respects? “Why was I the only one doing the worship?”
Xia Chen raised an eyebrow and replied, “Because the responsibility of carrying on the family line rests on your shoulders, so it’s your duty to worship.”
“Did Mom do this too?”
“No, she didn’t. When my mom joined the Xia Family, I was only a few years old, so naturally, she wouldn’t have done something like this. Besides, Grandpa and Grandma wouldn’t have let her either.”
Xu Xiaoyou felt like crying upon realizing that even Grandpa and Grandma were the type to take advantage of the meek. “Why didn’t you stand up to stop this?”
“I want you to have kids soon; why would I step in?” Xia Chen’s words left Xu Xiaoyou completely speechless.
New Year’s Eve is always lively, with the whole family sitting together, enjoying food and drinks, and sharing happy stories. Xu Xiaoyou chatted with Grandma Xia, who, despite always talking about children, found Xu Xiaoyou to be quite interesting-at least more so than her daughter-in-law.
As the clock neared midnight, Xia Chen approached the two of them and said to Grandma Xia, “Grandma, I’m taking Xiaoyou out for a bit.”
Grandma Xia smiled and handed Xu Xiaoyou over to Xia Chen. She found the young woman to be quite engaging, much better than the previous daughter-in-law.
Xia Chen held Xu Xiaoyou’s hand as they strolled through the small town. Even though it was New Year’s Eve, the streets were filled with children playing and couples walking hand in hand. The winter chill was present, but it didn’t feel cold at all.
On New Year’s Day, they would pay respects to the elders, and Xu Xiaoyou received many red envelopes, often accompanied by the same message: “Have a child soon.”
“What are you thinking about?” Xia Chen asked as he walked in to find Xu Xiaoyou lost in thought.
“I just miss the lively atmosphere of a big family,” Xu Xiaoyou sighed.
Xia Chen sensed something wasn’t quite right and asked, “What do you mean? It sounds like you’re saying your family is small.”
“Well…” Xu Xiaoyou looked at the pile of red envelopes and said, “I’ve never received so many red envelopes in my life.”
Xia Chen glanced at the dozens of envelopes. The elders in his family were plentiful and generous, and by comparison, he had received quite a few as well. But Xu Xiaoyou’s comment made him ponder; she had never received this many envelopes before? When he visited her home last time, it hadn’t seemed lacking at all. Could it be that her relatives were stingy?
“Then from now on, every New Year I’ll give you a few envelopes to enjoy, okay?” Xia Chen said, wrapping his arms around Xu Xiaoyou.
Xu Xiaoyou smiled back at Xia Chen, knowing it wasn’t about the envelopes but rather how quiet her home felt during the New Year.
Just then, Mom Xia walked in and saw the two of them cozying up to each other. She cleared her throat a few times. Xu Xiaoyou was about to pull away from Xia Chen, but he refused to let that happen. Why should their affection be discouraged the moment his mom arrived?
“Xiaoyou, have you packed everything up?” Mom Xia asked. This return trip wasn’t going to be as simple as the last time; it was time for discussions about the wedding with their future in-laws.
“It’s all packed, Mom. You can relax,” Xia Chen replied impatiently.
“Oh, you think I can relax? How can I trust you until I see you both actually have a wedding ceremony?” Mom Xia said, playfully giving Xia Chen a light jab on the head. She couldn’t understand how he managed to handle Tianchen’s affairs but couldn’t seem to sort out a wedding.
“Mom, it’s actually me… I don’t want to have a wedding so soon…” Xu Xiaoyou said quietly.
“I understand,” Mom Xia responded sympathetically. “It’s Xia Chen’s fault for not passing your tests yet, which is why things haven’t worked out. Honestly, you’re still so young; it must be hard for you to be with him…”
Xu Xiaoyou had nothing to say in response. Faced with such a reasonable mom, she felt a sense of respect.
Xia Chen began to wonder if he was even her biological child. How could he have such a biased mother? It was a classic case of a mom forgetting her son after getting a daughter-in-law. But at least Xu Xiaoyou didn’t live with her; otherwise, who knows what they would conspire to do together?