Xie Xinlian nodded. "Uncle treats us well. We remember it. We will repay her when we have the chance."
Zhu Shunyao nodded. He remembered those who were kind to him. He also remembered those who looked down on him. He was not a saint. He would repay kindness. He would also repay grudges one day.
Xie Xinlian opened the red envelopes for her two daughters. She froze. Zhu Shunyao saw her stillness. She came over to look. She also froze. Each envelope had twenty yuan. That was forty yuan for two girls. Her monthly salary was only about thirty yuan. She took a deep breath. "We will remember Uncle’s kindness." It was for the children, but it really helped them.
Xie Xinlian put the money away silently. "Let’s add more to Fengguang’s red envelope tomorrow." She had planned two yuan. Now she would give five yuan.
Zhu Shunyao nodded. "I worry Uncle won’t bring Fengguang tomorrow." He sighed. "If he doesn’t come, we remember. If he comes, we give five yuan. Uncle knows our situation. Giving more is his kindness. We don’t need to pretend we are rich." After all, there were other children like Xie Shiyun.
"Okay." Xie Xinlian nodded. She remembered.
The next day, they went to Xie Zhong’s house. They went early in the morning. Xie Xinlian could help out. Zhu Shunyao took Zhu Yanyi and Zhu Yanli to pay New Year calls to Cheng Baokun. It took seven or eight minutes to walk from the Xie house to the Cheng house. They could still return to the Xie house for lunch.
"Godfather, Godmother, Happy New Year," Zhu Yanli and Zhu Yanyi said to Cheng Baokun and Chen Ailian.
Cheng Baokun and Chen Ailian gave them red envelopes. Zhu Yanyi looked around. "Where is Brother Cheng Chen?" Usually, Cheng Chen would come out when she knew they were coming. But today, she didn’t see her.
"Your Brother Cheng Chen went to your Godgrandfather’s house. Brother Cheng Xu went to his classmate’s house," Chen Ailian smiled. "If they knew you were coming, I bet they wouldn’t have left home. They will regret it when they return and find out you visited." Chen Ailian laughed. "Why don’t you stay for lunch at Godmother’s house?"
Zhu Shunyao smiled. "Sister-in-law, not today. We are here to pay New Year calls to Brother and Sister-in-law. We are eating at my father-in-law’s house today. Also, we are hosting tomorrow. Please come."
"Go, we will definitely go," Cheng Baokun laughed. "You’ll see. We will come early tomorrow. Those two boys miss Ani and Anni." Cheng Baokun was not exaggerating. Since recognizing Zhu Yanyi and her sister, the Cheng brothers protected them. They gave them the best food and toys first. Others couldn’t even touch them.
"Will Anni start kindergarten in the second half of the year?" Chen Ailian asked Zhu Shunyao. She looked at Zhu Yanyi, who was quietly eating an orange.
Zhu Shunyao said, "Her age is right. But I need to ask my father-in-law. She is learning from him now."
Kindergarten was different from later years. Here, it mainly helped watch children. Occasionally, they sang, danced, or played games. It was just to pass time. It did not teach pinyin or other knowledge like later kindergartens. It was like a small nursery.