Chapter 111: New Year Greetings

Bai Xi had not expected Xiao Hei to summon Xiao Shunzi and the others, but she did not intend to replace them; carrying the food baskets downstairs was a trivial task for them anyway.

"Great-Aunt," they greeted in unison.

"Greetings to you, Great-Aunt."

"Great-Aunt, Happy New Year!" Little Stone seemed to have had a sudden epiphany. Upon seeing Bai Xi, a stream of well-rehearsed phrases tumbled from his lips: "Wishing you a Happy New Year!"

"Good, Happy New Year to you all as well," Bai Xi nodded.

She felt quite indifferent about the New Year, but the people here seemed to attach great importance to it, so she simply followed their customs.

Xiao Shunzi and Xiao Liuzi shot sidelong glances at Little Stone, muttering to themselves that the boy was nothing but a sycophant. Nevertheless, they followed suit, beaming as they offered their own New Year greetings to Bai Xi.

"Alright, alright, I know you all have sweet tongues. Carry the things down first; everyone below is waiting impatiently."

Little Stone chirped, "Great-Aunt, don't you worry. Everyone has nothing urgent to do; they just want to come and pay their respects to you."

"You certainly have a sweet mouth today. Very well, I’ll reward you with two extra candies later."

These words made Little Stone’s eyes crinkle with delight. "Thank you, Great-Aunt!"

His voice was loud enough that those waiting below heard him clearly. Even without knowing exactly what had happened upstairs, they could tell it was something auspicious—at least, it sounded like a good thing to Little Stone’s family.

Little Stone’s mother smiled and whispered to her mother-in-law, "Mother, it seems Stone has earned a compliment from Great-Aunt."

"Indeed, I heard it too."

Soon, the crowd waiting below saw Xiao Shunzi descend carrying two baskets, followed by Xiao Hei, who was covered in white fur, and then Bai Xi, dressed in her new clothes.

Today, Bai Xi wore a bright red cotton-padded jacket. Her hair was tied into two buns with red ribbons, and the collar and cuffs were trimmed with rabbit fur. Though the fur was not as grand as other varieties, it made her look all the more festive and adorable. This outfit was a tribute from the villagers. Before it was finished and delivered, many who had seen it thought it looked festive and pretty, but they hadn't expected it to look even better once Bai Xi put it on. The woman who had sewn it felt a surge of pride in her heart. Look, how beautiful Great-Aunt looks in the clothes she made!

As soon as Bai Xi appeared—before she had even finished descending the steps—the crowd gathered below spoke in unison.

"Greetings, Great-Aunt! We wish you a Happy New Year!"

With a rustle, the entire crowd knelt on the ground.

Anyone else might have been stunned, but Bai Xi merely paused for a moment before continuing down the final steps. She stood upon a stone pedestal and said, "Rise. I slept in late this morning, so I apologize for keeping you all waiting."

"Not at all, Great-Aunt. It is we who arrived too early."

"Great-Aunt, please don't say such things..."

After a few polite exchanges, Bai Xi sat upon the Taishi chair that had been prepared for her, ready to receive the New Year greetings from each household.

A cold breeze blew, and Bai Xi shivered slightly. Before she could pull Xiao Hei into her arms for warmth, the dark clouds that had been obscuring the sun parted, and sunlight spilled down, instantly making the air feel much warmer.

Xiao Hei sat on the stone pedestal right at Bai Xi’s feet. Bathed in the sunlight, the scene left the people of Niuluo Village momentarily stunned. An immortal child with a white tiger—who could possibly doubt that their Great-Aunt had descended from the heavens?

Bai Xi had long grown accustomed to the heavens "cooperating" with her recently. This time, she didn't even bother to look up; as long as the sky didn't cause her trouble or work against her, she was content.

*“You little ingrate!”* A faint, ethereal voice echoed. It seemed to come from right beside her ear, yet it also felt as if it had drifted out of the very fabric of the world, barely audible.

Bai Xi froze. Subconsciously, she looked at Xiao Hei and asked in a low voice, "Xiao Hei, did you hear something?"

Xiao Hei looked up at her, puzzled. *Master, is something wrong?*

"No, never mind. It’s nothing." Bai Xi shook her head. She must have been imagining things.

Soon, Chen Daliu, having regained his composure, clapped his hands to gather attention and began directing everyone to come forward in turn to offer their greetings. Everyone was very orderly, following the sequence in which they had arrived at the treehouse.

The first to come forward was Old Li’s family. The eight members of the household approached respectfully, led by the patriarch, Old Li. They knelt and kowtowed to Bai Xi, reciting in unison the auspicious phrases they had practiced countless times.

"We wish Great-Aunt fortune as vast as the Eastern Sea and longevity as enduring as the Southern Mountains."

Bai Xi smiled. "Good, very good... Come, here is a red envelope. May you have peace and smooth sailing."

"Thank you, Great-Aunt!" Old Li’s family rose with smiles and stepped forward to receive the envelope.

The envelopes contained amounts ranging from twenty cents to one yuan. There were thirty envelopes with one yuan, thirty with sixty cents, twenty with fifty cents, and the rest contained twenty cents. Bai Xi had asked Chen Rui to prepare them, and the girl had spent nearly an entire day getting them ready.

When handing them out, Bai Xi grabbed them randomly from the basket; whether one received a large or small amount was entirely a matter of luck. These envelopes cost Bai Xi quite a bit, but she was happy to do it. After all, she had the money, and since this happened only once a year, it was worth it to make everyone happy.

On a side table sat several large trays filled with melon seeds, peanuts, candies, and pastries. After paying their respects, people would help themselves to a small portion. Adults would take a handful of seeds and peanuts, while children would grab a couple of candies or a piece of pastry. Even the seeds and peanuts provided by Great-Aunt were of the highest quality. This was seen as an omen that in the coming year, everyone’s fields would be filled with abundant harvests and their lives would be sweet.

"Greetings, Great-Aunt. Wishing you endless longevity and daily joy..."

"Good, very good. Come, take your red envelope. I hope everyone’s life gets better and better."

"Happy New Year, Great-Aunt. Wishing you health and prosperity, and may every year be as wonderful as this one..."

Bai Xi’s mouth twitched. While "may every year be as wonderful as this one" sounded like a blessing, the current times weren't exactly easy. However, she knew these were the auspicious phrases they had painstakingly memorized, fearing they might make a mistake today. Even so, there were those who stumbled or got the words wrong.

The New Year was meant for joy and auspiciousness. She didn't believe in these things, but since the people here did, she indulged them. She didn't get angry at those who made mistakes; instead, she smiled and comforted them. After all, she was their Great-Aunt, a person of great magnanimity. Her reaction left those who had stumbled feeling both touched and embarrassed, while the others waiting in line felt their own nervousness dissipate. The onlookers didn't jeer, but instead shared in the good-natured atmosphere.

"Good, very good. Come, take your red envelope..."

Soon it was Zhang Xiu’s family’s turn. Chen Rui’s voice was clear and pleasant, her eyes sparkling, and her face beaming with an irrepressible, radiant smile.

"Xiao Rui wishes Great-Aunt a Happy New Year. May you be happy every day, may your wishes be fulfilled soon, and may you soar to the nine heavens..." These were phrases Chen Rui had learned after pestering Bai An'an to tell her several myths, and she had chosen the ones she thought sounded the most impressive and fitting for the occasion.