A reborn mother longs for her daughter's happiness.

Chapter 167 Reunion in the Spring of the Year of the Snake

As the Spring Festival draws ever closer, the entire city is immersed in a festive and lively atmosphere. Streets and alleys are adorned with lanterns and decorations; bright red lanterns hang high, and colorful lights twinkle, making every corner exceptionally warm and inviting. The air is thick with the aroma of the New Year—the gunpowder of firecrackers, the sweet scent of candy, and the enticing aromas of various delicacies mingled together, making one's mouth water.

At Li Yuan and Liu Xuan's home, a lively scene unfolded. Their youngest son, Liu Qicheng, had just returned from high school for winter break and was busily preparing dumplings with his parents in the kitchen. Liu Qicheng wore an apron with cartoon patterns, his hair was messy, and his face was covered in flour, making him look like a little kitten. As he kneaded the dough, he hummed off-key pop songs, occasionally cracking jokes at Li Yuan and Liu Xuan, making them laugh heartily.

"Mom, what do you think of my dough? Doesn't it look more and more like a master chef's?" Liu Qicheng stopped what he was doing and proudly showed off his work.

Li Yuan smiled and rolled her eyes at him, saying, "With your skill level, you're still far from good enough! But it's good that you have the intention. Hurry up and massage, don't be lazy."

Liu Xuan, who was rolling out dumpling wrappers, couldn't help but tease, "Son, if you can knead this dough into something beautiful, I'll give you a 'Best Culinary Skill Award'."

"That's great! Dad, you can't go back on your word. Once I've kneaded it into a flower, you have to keep your promise." Liu Qicheng's eyes lit up, and he said seriously.

Just as they were chatting and laughing, busy with their tasks, the doorbell suddenly rang. Li Yuan put down the dumpling filling she was making, dusted off her hands, and asked疑惑地问道, "Who could it be on New Year's Day?"

Liu Xuan stopped what he was doing, wiped his hands, and said, "I'll go take a look." With that, he walked towards the door.

Liu Xuan opened the door and saw a young, beautiful girl and a handsome young man standing there. The girl had her hair tied in a high ponytail, her eyes were bright, and her face was beaming with a radiant smile. She was Li Yuan and Liu Xuan's eldest daughter, Li Shiqing, and the young man standing next to her was naturally her boyfriend, Zhang Chen.

"Dad!" Li Shiqing saw Liu Xuan and excitedly rushed over to give him a big hug.

"Oh, my darling daughter, you're finally back! Daddy missed you so much." Liu Xuan hugged Li Shiqing tightly, his eyes full of love.

Zhang Chen quickly stepped forward and said politely, "Uncle, I brought you and Auntie a small gift. I hope you like it." As he spoke, he handed the gift box to Liu Xuan.

"Oh, you've come all this way, no need to bring gifts. Come in, come in." Liu Xuan took the gifts and warmly invited them into the house.

Li Shiqing and Zhang Chen went inside, and Li Yuan and Liu Qicheng, hearing the noise, also came out of the kitchen.

"Mom, little brother!" Li Shiqing called out happily when she saw Li Yuan and Liu Qicheng.

"My darling daughter, you're finally back! I missed you so much!" Li Yuan rushed forward and hugged Li Shiqing tightly, her eyes glistening with tears of excitement.

"Sis, you're finally back! I've missed you so much!" Liu Qicheng said excitedly as he came over.

"I miss you all too!" Li Shiqing said with a smile.

Zhang Chen politely greeted Li Yuan and Liu Qicheng again: "Auntie, little brother, hello!"

"Alright, alright, please sit down." Li Yuan took Zhang Chen's hand, looked him up and down, and smiled with satisfaction. "This young man is really handsome and looks like a good kid."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, just as everyone was about to sit down and have a proper chat, the doorbell rang again.

"Who is this?" Liu Xuan asked, puzzled.

"I'll go check," Liu Qicheng volunteered and ran to open the door.

Liu Qicheng opened the door and saw a tall, elegant girl and a bespectacled, well-mannered young man standing there. The girl was Liu Yixin, the second daughter of Li Yuan and Liu Xuan, and the young man was her boyfriend, Fu Yu.

"Second sister, you're back!" Liu Qicheng exclaimed with delight upon seeing Liu Yixin.

"Little brother, I'm back." Liu Yixin smiled and patted Liu Qicheng's head. Then, she pointed to Fu Yu beside her and said, "This is Fu Yu, my boyfriend."

Fu Yu greeted Liu Qicheng with a smile: "Hello, little brother."

Liu Qicheng warmly welcomed them into the house, saying, "Second Sister, come in quickly, everyone is here."

Liu Yixin and Fu Yu went into the house, and Li Yuan, Liu Xuan, Li Shiqing, and Zhang Chen all stood up.

"Yixin, you're finally back!" Li Yuan stepped forward, hugged Liu Yixin, her face full of joy.

"Mom, I'm back," Liu Yixin said with a smile. Then, she took Fu Yu's hand and introduced him to everyone, "This is Fu Yu, my boyfriend."

Fu Yu greeted everyone politely: "Uncle, aunt, sister, brother-in-law, hello! I am Fu Yu, it's nice to meet you all."

Li Yuan and Liu Xuan carefully observed Fu Yu. He was wearing a neat shirt and black-rimmed glasses, and his eyes exuded a refined and scholarly air. Li Yuan smiled and said, "This young man looks very knowledgeable. What does he do for a living?"

Liu Yixin said with a smile, "Mom, Fu Yu is a teacher in charge of ancient etiquette, and he knows a lot about traditional Chinese culture."

"Oh? An ancient etiquette instructor? That sounds like an interesting job," Liu Xuan said with interest. "Young man, tell us about the intricacies of ancient etiquette."

Fu Yu pushed up his glasses and said with a smile, "Uncle, ancient etiquette is a profound and extensive subject that covers all aspects of life. For example, there are many kinds of etiquette when meeting someone. The way of bowing is different depending on the occasion and the status. In formal occasions, you usually bow with your hands clasped together, with your left hand holding your right hand, hanging down naturally and swaying slightly to show respect and greeting."

As he spoke, Fu Yu demonstrated the cupped-hand salute on the spot. His movements were standard and elegant, and everyone couldn't help but applaud.

"Wow, Brother Fu Yu, you're amazing!" Liu Qicheng exclaimed with admiration. "Besides the cupped-hand salute, is there anything else?"

Fu Yu smiled and continued, "Of course. There's also the kneeling ceremony, which is a rather solemn etiquette, generally used for occasions such as sacrifices and paying respects to elders. The kneeling ceremony is further divided into different forms such as kowtow, bowing, and empty bow, each with its specific meaning and purpose."

"That sounds so complicated!" Li Shiqing frowned and said. "Are these etiquettes still practiced today?"

Fu Yu nodded and said, "Although the social environment and lifestyle have changed a lot, some traditional etiquette still has important significance in our lives. For example, during important festivals, celebrations or sacrificial activities, people still follow traditional etiquette norms to express their respect for their ancestors and to inherit traditional culture. Moreover, learning ancient etiquette can also help us improve our self-cultivation and quality, and cultivate good character and behavior habits."

"Well said!" Liu Xuan nodded approvingly and said. "Young man, it seems you really know a lot about ancient etiquette. Our Yixin has good taste, finding such a knowledgeable boyfriend."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yixin blushed and said shyly, "Dad, please don't praise him anymore. He's almost embarrassed."

Everyone was amused by Liu Yixin's words, and the room was filled with laughter.

"Alright, alright, everyone, stop standing there and sit down to eat dumplings," Li Yuan said with a smile. "The dumplings are all wrapped and ready to be cooked."

"Great! I'm starving!" Liu Qicheng said eagerly.

So everyone sat down at the table, while Li Yuan and Liu Xuan went to the kitchen to cook dumplings. Soon, steaming hot dumplings were served.

"Come on, everyone, try the dumplings I made and see how they taste," Li Yuan said with a smile.

Everyone picked up their chopsticks, grabbed dumplings, and put them in their mouths.

"Mmm, it's delicious! Mom, your cooking is getting better and better." Li Shiqing gave a thumbs up and praised it highly.

"It's really delicious, Auntie's cooking skills are impeccable," Zhang Chen added.

"Hehe, my dumplings are pretty good too! Everyone, come and try them!" Liu Qicheng said with an expectant look on his face.

Everyone tasted the dumplings Liu Qicheng made and nodded in praise.

"Little brother, I didn't expect your dumplings to be so delicious! You've improved," Liu Yixin said with a smile.

"Of course, I'm very talented," Liu Qicheng said proudly.

Everyone ate dumplings and chatted, creating a very harmonious atmosphere. Li Yuan and Liu Xuan looked at the children sitting around the table, their hearts filled with joy and happiness.

"Children, this year is the Year of the Snake. I hope you will all have a safe and smooth year ahead," Li Yuan said with a smile.

“Mom, you too. You and Dad should also be healthy and happy,” Li Shiqing said.

"Yes, our whole family should be healthy and happy," Liu Yixin said.

"Come on, let's toast to the happiness of our family!" Liu Xuan raised his drink and said loudly.

"Cheers!" Everyone raised their drinks and clinked glasses in celebration.

Just then, Fu Yu suddenly stood up, cleared his throat, and said, "Uncle, Aunt, Sister, Brother-in-law, Brother, I would like to take this opportunity of family reunion to express my feelings to Yi Xin."

As he spoke, Fu Yu took out a delicate little box from his pocket, opened it, and inside was a sparkling diamond ring. He knelt on one knee, looked at Liu Yixin with deep affection, and said, "Yixin, from the moment we met, I knew you were the one I had been searching for. Your kindness, gentleness, and beauty deeply attracted me, making me unable to extricate myself. In the past, we have experienced many wonderful times together, and we have also faced many difficulties and challenges together. Every time I am with you, I feel incredibly happy and fulfilled. I hope that in the future, I can always be by your side, taking care of you, loving you, and walking with you through every stage of life. Yixin, will you marry me?"

Liu Yixin looked at Fu Yu, tears of emotion welling in her eyes. She nodded and said, her voice choked with emotion, "I do!"

Fu Yu smiled happily, stood up, put the diamond ring on Liu Yixin's finger, and then hugged her tightly.

"Wow, how romantic!" Li Shiqing exclaimed excitedly.

"Congratulations, Second Sister! Congratulations, Brother Fu Yu!" Liu Qicheng said excitedly.

Li Yuan and Liu Xuan watched this scene with tears of relief and joy in their eyes.

Li Yuan stepped forward, hugged Liu Yixin and Fu Yu, and said, "Children, I wish you happiness!"

Liu Xuan also came over, patted Fu Yu on the shoulder, and said, "Young man, you'd better treat Yi Xin well in the future. If you make her suffer any injustice, I won't let you off the hook."

"Uncle, don't worry, I will take good care of Yixin and won't let her suffer any injustice," Fu Yu said firmly.

Everyone offered their blessings to Liu Yixin and Fu Yu, filling the room with an atmosphere of happiness and joy. This Lunar New Year of the Snake was made even more unforgettable and wonderful by the family reunion and Fu Yu's proposal.

After eating dumplings, everyone sat together in the living room to watch the Spring Festival Gala. Each performance was more entertaining than the last, making everyone laugh heartily. Liu Qicheng would occasionally imitate the actors on TV, performing some funny acts, which made everyone laugh even harder.

"Little brother, it's such a pity you're not an actor," Li Shiqing said with a smile.

“Exactly, my brother’s performing talent is so good he could perform on the Spring Festival Gala,” Liu Yixin added.

"Then I'll become an actor in the future. Maybe one day I can even appear on the Spring Festival Gala stage!" Liu Qicheng said seriously.

Everyone was amused by Liu Qicheng's words, and the living room was filled with laughter.

Before they knew it, it was midnight. Firecrackers went off one after another outside, and fireworks burst into colorful bursts, illuminating the entire night sky. Li Yuan and Liu Xuan took the children to the balcony to enjoy the beautiful fireworks together.

"Wow, so beautiful!" Li Shiqing exclaimed as she looked at the fireworks in the night sky.

“Yes, it’s really beautiful!” Liu Yixin also said.

"The new year has arrived, and I hope that everything will get better and better for our family," Liu Xuan said with emotion.

“Yes, Dad,” Li Shiqing said. “Our family will always be together, living happily ever after.”

Everyone nodded, their hearts filled with beautiful hopes for the future. On this Lunar New Year's Eve of the Year of the Snake, the family gathered together to welcome the arrival of the new year. Their laughter and blessings drifted into the distance with the blooming fireworks…