Chapter 73 Lunar New Year's Day

Chapter 73 Lunar New Year's Day

With parents so selfish and self-serving, Xie Wanniang naturally didn't want Xiaoyang to associate with them. So when Xiaoyang cautiously observed her expression and asked if he could stay with her all the time, she agreed without hesitation.

If reunion brings not joy and happiness, but hardship and pain, then Xie Wanniang would rather Xiaoyang spend every festival happily by her side.

There was no need to get up early to visit relatives and friends for the New Year. The four of them ate their breakfast slowly and leisurely.

After finishing their meal and washing the dishes, Jiang Yuan and Hao Yu went to pay New Year's visits to the village head and several village elders. Xie Wanniang and Xiao Yang, on the other hand, opened the door and waited for the village children to come over.

Unlike adults who only visit relatives, the village head, and the village elders to offer New Year's greetings, children would run to every house in the village in search of delicious snacks.

Xie Wanniang was quite generous to the children. She took out fried sesame leaves, roasted peanuts, and malt sugar blocks that Jiang Yuan had bought in town. Like an emotionless tool, she wore a proper professional fake smile and responded to the children's "Happy New Year" while quickly distributing the items to the children who came to pay their respects.

A small handful of fried sesame leaves, a small handful of roasted peanuts, and two pieces of maltose can make each child jump for joy.

As the first group of children who came to offer New Year's greetings left, Xie Wanniang whispered to Xiaoyang, "Do you want to go with them to wish the villagers a Happy New Year?"

Xiao Yang shook his head, "I'll stay with my sister."

Xie Wanniang then asked, "Do you want me to go back with you later?"

Xiao Yang hesitated for a moment, but ultimately shook her head and refused Xie Wan Niang's kindness. She couldn't let Sister Xie, who had been kind to her, go to her parents' place during the New Year and listen to their sarcastic and mocking remarks.

She clenched her little fist, "I can do it myself."

She planned to go back to pay New Year's respects in the early morning, when Hao Yu and Jiang Yuan had already returned and her family was also busy. In front of other villagers, especially her cousins ​​who came to pay New Year's respects to her parents, her parents wouldn't be able to say or do anything too outrageous.

Xie Wanniang wasn't too worried. Although Xiaoyang's parents were selfish, her older brother and sister were all decent people. She believed that if her parents said or did anything too outrageous, someone in their family would secretly inform her.

Just like when Xiaoyang had a high fever and her parents gave up on her, her second brother secretly gave her a signal and asked his cousins ​​to help invite an elder from the clan.

Xie Wanniang didn't mind that Xiaoyang maintained a good relationship with these kind-hearted relatives. Accompanied by Xiaoyang, she sent away the village children under the age of ten, and then packed some hemp leaves, peanuts and malt sugar for Xiaoyang to take back and share with her older brothers and sisters.

Xiao Yang was afraid of spoiling her parents' appetites, so she didn't dare take all the things Xie Wan Niang had prepared. Instead, she only took the golden and crispy fried sesame leaves wrapped in oil paper.

Her house was very close to Hao Yu's house, and most of the villagers had loud voices. When she walked to the gate of Hao Yu's house with her short legs, she heard the voices of her cousin and others coming from the main room of Hao Yu's house.

Upon hearing several familiar voices, Xiao Yang immediately strode inside.

During the time she lived with Xie Wanniang, Xie Wanniang never lacked food or clothing for her. As a result, Xiao Yang was no longer the pitiful figure who was ragged and emaciated before.

The girl's skin wasn't much whiter, but her cheeks were chubby, and she looked very healthy. She was wearing a new red top that Xie Wanniang had specially made for her before the New Year. She was very well-behaved and greeted her parents, older brothers and sisters, sisters-in-law, cousins, and younger cousins ​​according to their seniority.

"Little girl?" Her cousins, who hadn't seen her in a long time, exclaimed in surprise. If the little girl hadn't called out to her parents and brothers and sisters, confirming that she was their cousin, they would never have been able to connect the little girl in front of them with their dark and thin cousin.

"My name is Xie Chaoyang now, you can call me Xiaoyang." Xiaoyang smiled and corrected everyone, and then, to everyone's disbelief, knelt down and kowtowed to her parents to wish them a Happy New Year.

Her father was furious, his face turning ashen. "You heartless, worthless wretch! Who gave you the audacity to change your surname?"

He doesn't care what Xiao Yang's name is, but he can't stand Xiao Yang changing his surname to Xie.

Xiaoyang had already guessed he would be angry, but she really wanted to take this opportunity to announce the name change today.

Of course, she consulted Xie Wanniang before doing this.

Xie Wanniang not only agreed, but also taught her how to deal with her father's anger.

Seeing that her parents weren't telling her to get up, the little girl simply stood up on her own.

She blinked her big, dark, and watery eyes. "It wasn't me who changed it. Miss Xie said I had to change my name to Xie Chaoyang. She also said that since she's already bought me, she has the right to change my name. Isn't that right?"

Xiao Yang's father was so speechless he almost fainted, but he couldn't find any fault with Xie Wan Niang, because just as Xie Wan Niang said, she had the right to change Xiao Yang's surname and name.

Even among servants, receiving a surname from their master and sharing that surname was a symbol of honor and favor, a great thing to be happy about and boast about.

In other words, even if he spoke ill of Xie Wanniang to the villagers, they would think he was being unreasonable.

Xiaoyang's father's face was ashen, but he could only argue arrogantly, "She told you to change it, so you change it? You really want to take someone else's surname?"

"My indenture is in Miss Xie's hands," Xiao Yang said innocently, continuing to defend himself in a gentle voice. "I have to listen to whatever she says."

Before her father could continue his unreasonable accusations, she put on a hopeful and expectant expression and said, "Dad, Mom, why don't you buy me back? I still prefer to take my father's surname."

Upon hearing this, her father, who had originally wanted to continue scolding her, and her mother, who had wanted to cry and wail, immediately froze, and both avoided her clear gaze.

Xiao Yang looked dejected and dejected. "Is it not okay?"

Her voice was muffled, sounding like she was about to cry, leaving her parents unsure how to react.

Taking this opportunity, Xiaoyang stuffed the snacks she had brought to the eldest sister who was closest to her, saying, "These are for you."

After saying that, the little girl quickly turned around and ran away.

Everyone in the room instinctively looked towards her back and saw her raise her hand to wipe her eyes. In the distance, they could also hear the little girl's sobbing.

Unaware that the little girl was just putting on an act, her cousins ​​all cast complex and subtle glances at her parents.