What to Do If I Become the Villain’s Daughter - Chapter 84
Time flew by in an instant.
In the blink of an eye, it was New Year’s Eve.
Following the tradition of previous years, Huo Guining and Huo Xiaozheng spent the New Year at the Huo Family Ancestral Home.
This was Huo Guining’s first time staying overnight at the Huo Family Ancestral Home.
Considering Ning Ning’s poor health, Old Master Huo had specifically arranged for Huo Xiaozheng’s room to be modified.
Next to the large bed, a slightly shorter but equally wide small bed was added.
Huo Guining exclaimed, “What a big bed!”
Huo Xiaozheng felt a twinge in his heart.
Initially, due to his wariness of Ning Ning and for his own convenience in checking on her, Ning Ning’s bed at Panlong Bay was relatively small.
Huo Xiaozheng pondered whether he should replace Ning Ning’s bed with a larger one after the New Year.
Huo Yueze knocked on the half-open door and called out to Ning Ning, “Ning Ning, shall we go fishing?”
Huo Guining glanced at the time, it was 10 AM.
She asked puzzled, “Don’t we need to hang couplets and prepare for the New Year’s Eve dinner?”
Huo Yueze paused for a moment: “Couplets? New Year’s Eve dinner? We don’t need to…”
Huo Xiaozheng interrupted, “Ning Ning, do you want to hang couplets?”
Huo Guining nodded.
Huo Yueze was about to say that the butler would arrange for someone to do these things.
But since Huo Xiaozheng had already spoken, Huo Yueze also became interested.
Hearing that Ning Ning wanted to hang couplets, Old Master Huo thought for a moment and said to the butler, “Bring paper and brushes.”
Huo Guining exclaimed in surprise, “Grandpa, are you going to write the couplets yourself?”
Old Master Huo smiled, his stern face softening, “Grandpa is old now, I can’t keep up physically, so I’ll just write one pair for the main entrance.”
Huo Guining excitedly said, “Then I want to write the small ones.”
She looked at Huo Yueze, “Brother, let’s write together!”
In previous years, during the Spring Festival, Huo Yueze would either play games with his friends or go out to have fun.
On New Year’s Eve, he would have dinner with his family, pay respects to the elders, receive red envelopes, and that would be the extent of his New Year celebration.
Hearing Huo Guining’s novel suggestion, he eagerly agreed.
In the main hall, the butler cleared two large tables for them.
He brought out brushes, ink, and high-quality red paper, setting everything up.
Old Master Huo held the brush, dipped it in ink, and his brush tip danced across the paper, the characters strong and powerful.
“May happiness dwell in this precious place for a thousand years, may fortune shine upon this household in all matters”
Old Master Huo put down his brush and rubbed his wrist.
Huo Guining’s eyes sparkled with admiration, “Grandpa, your handwriting is so beautiful!”
Old Master Huo laughed suddenly, modestly saying, “I haven’t written in a long time, I’m a bit rusty.”
Though he said this, the pride in his eyes was hard to conceal.
Huo Yueze, not to be outdone, picked up a brush, relying on the few years of calligraphy he had learned from Old Master Huo as a child.
Huo Guining was truly shocked, how come everyone seemed to know how to write?
However…
One minute later.
Huo Guining diplomatically suggested, “Brother, why don’t we try writing the horizontal scrolls to get a feel for it?”
Huo Yueze looked at his writing, which resembled spring worms and autumn snakes, and nodded gravely.
Zuo Qinfang happened to see this scene and couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
Huo Yueze felt a bit annoyed.
Huo Guining stood on the sofa and patted his head, “Brother just isn’t good at writing, don’t be discouraged, you’ll improve with practice.”
After Old Master Huo retired, the remaining couplets were divided among Huo Xiaozheng, Zuo Qinfang, and Huo Yanqin.
The three had distinct writing styles, but they all shared one thing in common – they were all pleasing to the eye.
Huo Guining clapped her hands, marveling at their skills.
Huo Xiaozheng handed her a smaller brush and some smaller red paper, letting her practice writing on the side.
“Dad, can I write the horizontal scroll for our room?” she asked.
Before Huo Xiaozheng could answer, Old Master Huo agreed, “The horizontal scroll, the frame couplets, the door heart – you can write whichever you like!”
Huo Guining cheered, then turned to ask Huo Xiaozheng, “Dad, what are frame couplets and door heart?”
Old Master Huo: …
Huo Xiaozheng put down his brush and patiently explained, “The ‘door heart’ is the Spring Festival couplet pasted in the center of the upper part of the door. The ‘frame couplets’ are pasted on the left and right door frames.”
Huo Guining had a moment of realization.
Huo Yueze, eager to prove himself, urged Huo Guining to start writing without bothering to learn about the intricacies of couplets.
Three minutes later.
“Hey, Ning Ning, how come your writing looks a bit better than mine?” Huo Yueze couldn’t help but scratch his head.
Huo Guining lay on the tea table, chin in her hands, looking thoughtful.
After a while, she said seriously, “Maybe it’s because I can draw.”
Huo Xiaozheng looked at her writing, and indeed it was true.
Ning Ning’s writing didn’t follow traditional rules, it had its own structure, like a painting, with its own kind of beauty.
Old Master Huo looked pleased, “Ning Ning has done well.”
“But one thing, the brush strokes are too hard.”
Huo Xiaozheng’s heart skipped a beat, and a phrase involuntarily came to his mind.
‘Too rigid and easily broken.’
Huo Xiaozheng’s hand slowed down, until he could no longer concentrate on writing.
Huo Guining was oblivious to this, innocently asking Old Master Huo, “Is it not good if the brush strokes are too hard?”
Old Master Huo, remembering something, changed his words, “Hard brush strokes are good too, it shows strength in the brush tip.”
Huo Guining smiled again.
Old Master Huo glanced in Huo Xiaozheng’s direction, their eyes meeting directly, both filled with deep thought.
Whether it was Ning Ning’s paintings or her writing, they gave Huo Xiaozheng an uneasy feeling.
After the couplets were written, Huo Guining and Huo Yueze happily ran off to hang them.
It was because of this activity that Huo Yueze experienced the taste of the New Year for the first time.
“Brother, a bit to the right, it’s too high, come down a bit, that’s it!”
After hanging the couplets, Zuo Qinfang organized everyone to make dumplings together.
In previous years, the dumplings would be prepared by the chef, and everyone would just wait to eat.
This year, seeing Ning Ning so enthusiastic about family activities, Zuo Qinfang simply had the chef prepare the ingredients.
The whole family gathered around the dining table, happily making dumplings together.
Time flew by, and soon it was 8:30 PM.
Huo Jing, having finished participating in the Spring Festival Gala, rushed back in a hurry.
Zuo Qinfang quickly put the dumplings in the pot, added two bowls of cold water after the water boiled, and the plump dumplings floated one by one.
Huo Yanqin brought out large bowls, scooped out the dumplings, and served them.
The dumplings were thin-skinned with generous fillings, still steaming hot.
“Happy New Year!” Old Master Huo was the first to raise his glass.
Huo Guining stood on her child’s chair, holding a stemmed glass filled with cherry juice, happily toasting with everyone.
Festive music came from the TV, and in the bright dining room, the Huo family chatted and laughed, no longer bound by the family rule of ‘no talking while eating’.
On this day, lights shone in every home, each with a lamp waiting for its wandering child.
After the New Year’s Eve dinner, Huo Guining insisted on staying up to see the New Year in, but eventually succumbed to sleepiness.
Huo Xiaozheng held her on the sofa, covering her with a blanket.
Huo Jing commented, “Ning Ning’s physical condition looks pretty good.”
Huo Yanqin spoke up, “Maybe we should forget about the hypnosis thing?”
Huo Xiaozheng seemed slightly swayed.
Huo Yueze exclaimed in horror, “What hypnosis? Hypnotize who?!”
