Chapter 386: Chapter 387: The Incense Cannot Be Extinguished
"Xiaxia, can’t you find a nicer nickname?" Ye Zi’an asked helplessly.
To his surprise, Yang Chuxia suddenly pulled a cheeky face at him, said "No" and ran off.
Ye Zi’an watched, laughing and crying at the same time, as she ran into the distance. He thought to himself, people say he has changed, but this little girl has also changed in her own way. No, not changed. She’s different when she’s around him.
Yang Qingrui and his brother have been scolded by Ye Zi’an in the daytime, so they remained somewhat languid into the night.
Especially when they saw Ye Zi’an, they were angry but didn’t dare to voice it.
Ms.Wang and Yang Dachuan were curious and asked Yang Qingrui what was wrong. Yang Qingrui couldn’t tell them. If he did, he might receive another scolding from his mother.
Just thinking about the extra thirty characters he had to write, on top of those assigned by the teacher, was enough of a worry. Thus, after dinner, the two brothers returned to their rooms.
This once-a-year happy evening turned into a suffering day for the two brothers.
"Xiaxia, your two brothers are really working hard. Seeing them like this, I feel at ease." After bringing a few plates of fruit and snacks to the brothers’ room, Ms. Wang said.
At this, Yang Chuxia burst out laughing.
"What are you laughing about?" Ms. Wang asked, puzzled.
"Nothing, I’m laughing because what mom said is right." Yang Chuxia popped a melon seed in her mouth and added, "With the two brothers working so hard, mom can look forward to becoming a mother-in-law."
"I don’t want to be a mother-in-law." Ms. Wang said, "But if your two brothers can be successful in their studies, it would be great. In the end, our Yang family hasn’t produced anyone with academic achievements. If they can do it, it will be an honor for our family."
At this point, Ms. Wang got up quickly and said, "I need to burn some more incense, and I pray three times a day, hoping that your younger brothers will amount to something in the future."
In their countryside home, if there was no nearby temple, they would set up an altar at home and burn incense during festivities. From the time they woke up in the morning, the altar was set up, with plenty of food and vegetables in front of it.
Before every meal, Ms. Wang would absolutely make offerings and light incense. If it was not time for meals, she still kept a constant eye on it, and as soon as the incense was about to go out, she would add more. No matter what, the incense must not go out.
Seeing Ms. Wang about to go burn incense again, Yang Chuxia called out, "Mom, remember to say a prayer for me and Brother An when you’re chanting."
"Tsk, you naughty girl, what nonsense are you spouting?" Ms. Wang glared at her. This preposterous child turned a prayer into chanting spells. She really needed a good spanking.
Seeing the look of disdain on her mother’s face, Yang Chuxia broke into a mischievous smile.
This tradition of staying up all night on New Year’s Eve was hard to endure. It was tiring to stay awake until the next day.
At first, it was okay. But as it got later, it became unbearable. Old Yang had already gone to sleep because of his age. Though Yang Chuxia also intended to sleep, Ms. Wang insisted that she stay awake.
She said, "Just now, didn’t you ask me to include you and Zi’an in my prayers? So, I made a wish to God hoping that Zi’an’s leg will heal."
"But what does that have to do with me going to sleep?" Yang Chuxia asked, confused.
Ms. Wang replied, "As a reward for God’s help in Zi’an’s recovery, the two of you must ensure that the incense in our house keeps burning throughout the night. As soon as it goes out, you should light it up again."