Li Yue Shu had no experience with celebrating the New Year, nor did she know how to prepare for it. She could only constantly learn from Mother Mo and Aunt Liu, jotting down the items that needed to be prepared.
In her memory, she had never celebrated the New Year with family.
Everyone in the organization was merely a tool for making money, and festivals were no different from ordinary days.
However, if her best friend had no missions, she would come to the laboratory to find her, and they would eat New Year's Eve dinner together in the small kitchen.
She wondered how Xiao Yu was doing alone now.
According to the organization's practices, they would definitely not search for her body in the ruins, nor would they handle her funeral.
The entire laboratory had been blown up, and if Xiao Yu wanted to pay her respects in the future, she would have no place to go.
Perhaps it was because her longing was too strong. At that very moment, in another dimension, a woman wearing a tight leather suit, with a fiery figure but a soft and cute appearance, suddenly turned around.
She was looking in the direction of her best friend's laboratory explosion.
In just a few months, a new laboratory had been built there, looking exactly like the old one, as if the explosion had never happened.
This was the organization. No matter how important a person was, once they lost their value, not even a trace of them would remain.
Just then, a figure cautiously approached, "Sister Xiao Yu, I've made some progress on what you asked me to investigate."
...
Mother Mo and Aunt Liu had listed quite a few items, but fortunately, there was still a month until the New Year, so Li Yue Shu planned to buy them gradually over several trips.
As usual, she first went to the new restaurant in the neighboring town to take a look.
Since the last incident, Shen Can had been more distressed about the restaurant than Li Yue Shu, even living there directly.
Perhaps because of this, the renovation progress of the restaurant was much faster than Li Yue Shu had anticipated.
After a brief look, Li Yue Shu prepared to leave.
Shen Wei immediately followed, "Is Ah Shu leaving so soon?"
She usually stayed busy at the restaurant until the hour of Shen.
"I'm not going home. I'm going to buy some things, and also find a carpenter to make something," Li Yue Shu said while untying the horse reins. "I'll come back to pick you up later, so don't wander off."
Upon hearing that she was going out alone, Shen Wei immediately pouted, "I want to go with Ah Shu!"
Since regaining his memory, if he wasn't with her, he would always have Xinghe watch her from the shadows.
He couldn't ascertain this woman's identity, so he could only start with the clues in her daily life.
Li Yue Shu had also been uneasy about leaving him here. She didn't know many people in the neighboring town, and if Shen Wei truly ran off, she might not be able to find him.
Seeing that he wanted to follow voluntarily, she directly brought him along.
No one knew that at this very moment, a figure, having secretly rushed from Zhongzhou, concealing his tracks, and galloping at full speed, burst into the prefect's mansion with a handwritten letter.
...
Since there was still some time before the New Year, Li Yue Shu bought items that could be stored.
Lanterns, firecrackers, window decorations, couplets paper...
These festive items made the entire street look vibrant red.
"We need to buy two sets of these things. One set for our own use, and another for Aunt Liu's family," Li Yue Shu said to Shen Wei as she carried the items. "Although Uncle Liu and Aunt Liu will be celebrating the New Year with us, they are still a separate family, and we must make it lively for them too."
Shen Wei looked at the vibrant red items in the carriage, momentarily dazed.
In the past, servants would handle the decorations during the New Year, and he had never expected there to be so many trivial items.
Seeing that Li Yue Shu was still looking for things, he couldn't help but ask, "Is there anything else Ah Shu needs to buy?"
Li Yue Shu didn't turn around and said, "It's the New Year, so we must buy new clothes for the family members. Including Uncle Liu, Aunt Liu, and Shen Can, there are a total of nineteen people in the family, and we need to prepare at least one new outfit for each person."
She sighed at this point, "Most of the family's money has been invested in the restaurant, so we only have enough to prepare one new set of clothes."
"Right, I still need to buy some red paper. on the first day of the New Year, we have to give red envelopes to the children in the family."
"Besides our own New Year's goods, we also need to prepare gifts for visiting relatives. We don't have much interaction with the villagers, but we must go to the Li Zha's house and the Sun family's house, as well as Doctor Chen's house."
"Ah Min's birthday is on New Year's Eve, so we need to prepare a special gift for him, we can't just lump it in with the New Year's celebrations..."
Li Yue Shu listed all the details as she walked.
Shen Wei remained silent throughout, simply following her.
Every New Year, his mansion would host grand celebrations, and all matters would be arranged by dedicated staff.
He actually didn't like these lively occasions.
Everyone would offer insincere congratulations, with hidden daggers in their smiles, full of hypocrisy and flattery.
But at this moment, he suddenly looked forward to the New Year.
...
Although the money was limited, it was their first New Year, so Li Yue Shu found the best tailor and had new clothes made for everyone.
Nineteen sets of clothes were a large order in town. Li Yue Shu haggled for a long time and then, leaving a month for preparation, paid a deposit.
Emerging from the tailor shop, Li Yue Shu couldn't help but pull Shen Wei and instruct, "After we get back, don't mention anything about us buying clothes to anyone."
Shen Wei looked bewildered, "Why? Can't we tell Aunt Mo and Aunt Liu either?"
"No," Li Yue Shu thought for a moment before choosing her words. "This is a surprise. If they know in advance, they won't be as happy."
Shen Wei naturally understood her meaning, but his face showed sincere bewilderment, "Then if I know, won't there be no surprise?"
Li Yue Shu was speechless, "...Are you genuinely foolish or just pretending?"
Shen Wei's heart skipped a beat.
He still maintained an innocent expression, "Ah Min said I'm smarter than him, so I'm not foolish!"
Li Yue Shu chuckled and couldn't help but pat his head.
It must be hard for Ah Min to say such insincere words at such a young age.
At the same time, Shen Yi Min, who was attending class at the academy, suddenly sneezed.
Hearing the sound, the tutor quickly asked with concern, "Does Yi Min have a cold? It's cold lately, remember to wear more clothes when you go out."
This was the most talented child among all the students he had ever taught.
The Tong Sheng exam was to be prepared after the New Year, and he absolutely couldn't have any problems.
Shen Yi Min stood up and respectfully cupped his hands towards the tutor, "Thank you for your concern, Tutor. This student is fine. My parents will take care of me at home, and I will be in the best condition to participate in the Tong Sheng exam."
...
To be continued.
Li Yue Shu gently patted Shen Wei's head and quickly withdrew her hand.
Her current body was only fifteen or sixteen years old, and with poor nutrition in the past, her development was slow. She was a full two heads shorter than Shen Wei.
Even a simple head pat required her to stand on her tiptoes slightly.
Alas, Ah Yu's little head was more comfortable to pat.
Shen Wei, unaware that his head had been deemed less comfortable, stood stunned for a long time, unable to recover.
In his memory, the last time someone had patted his head was when he was young and in the cold palace, and his imperial brother had done it to comfort him.
Later, from some point onward, even when people stood before him, few dared to look up at him, let alone make such a bold gesture.
But just now, he had not been angry at all by her action.