The second day of the New Year dawned with a sleepy kind of sunshine. Winter mornings in the city always felt different pslower, softer, as if the sun itself wanted to stay wrapped up in quilts and cotton. Outside, faint noises drifted in from the street: vendors calling, children laughing as they played with firecrackers, and the occasional bark of a dog chasing after someone's heels. A faint chill still clung to the air, though sunlight had begun spilling warmly through the windowpanes, chasing away the frost that lingered on rooftops and the corners of courtyards.
Inside the courtyard, life moved a little slower. Red lanterns still swung gently in the cold breeze, their tassels brushing against each other with soft swish, swish.
Jia Lan stirred awake beneath her thick quilt. The winter chill clung stubbornly to the edges of the blanket, making her reluctant to move. She rubbed her eyes and mumbled to herself.
Jia Lan lay under her thick quilt, unwilling to open her eyes. Her lashes fluttered when a golden streak of sunlight stretched across her pillow, warming her cheek. She let out a lazy groan, pulling the quilt up to her nose. "Mmm… so bright already? Why can't mornings wait a little longer in winter…" she muttered to herself, her voice muffled by the blanket.
She rubbed her eyes and mumbled to herself.
"Ah… just five more minutes. Why does morning come so quickly?"
But the faint sound of chatter drifting from the dining hall reminded her that her family was already awake. If she didn't hurry, she'd be the last one at the table again. With a sigh, she pushed herself up, her hair sticking out in messy strands.
After lying there for a few more minutes, she finally sat up, her hair tumbling down in a silky, slightly messy wave. The quilt slid from her shoulders, and a shiver ran down her spine when the cold air brushed her skin. Hugging herself for warmth, she swung her legs over the bed, her embroidered slippers waiting neatly at the side.
She shuffled toward the basin stand, where warm water had already been prepared by the servants. Bending down, she splashed the water onto her face, feeling the last remnants of sleep wash away. "Ahh, that's better," she sighed. She carefully brushed her teeth with fragrant powder and a bamboo brush, humming softly to herself as she worked.
Afterward, she picked up her set of skincare bottles the ones no one else in the house knew were secretly gifted by her mysterious system. She dabbed the refreshing lotion onto her cheeks, patted lightly until her skin glowed, then applied a layer of cream to lock in the softness. Her reflection in the bronze mirror smiled back at her radiant, fresh, and more beautiful than ever. She carefully styled her hair into a soft half-bun, letting the rest cascade over her shoulders like dark silk.
Once she slipped into her festive padded jacket, embroidered with plum blossoms on the sleeves, and wrapped a red scarf around her neck, she felt completely ready to face the second day of the New Year.
When she walked into the dining hall, the cheerful bustle inside instantly warmed her heart. The long table was already laid out with steaming bowls and plates: freshly fried youtiao golden and crispy, fluffy mantou buns stacked in a bamboo basket, bowls of pork and pickled cabbage dumplings, fragrant soy milk, sweet glutinous rice cakes, and a big pot of eight-treasure congee, its rich aroma filling the room. The house smelled like happiness itself savory, sweet, and celebratory.
Her grandparents were seated at the head of the table, both smiling warmly as they chatted with her parents. Xu Li, elegant as always, was spoon-feeding little Nuan, who was clapping her tiny hands at the sight of dumplings. Yao Jing, ever the lively one, was already munching on youtiao with an exaggerated look of bliss.
"Good morning, everyone!" Jia Lan greeted, her voice light and cheerful as she walked in.
"Ah, our little girl is finally awake!" her grandmother chuckled, her eyes crinkling with amusement. "Didn't want to leave your warm bed, hm?"
Jia Lan grinned sheepishly as she sat down between her brothers. "The quilt was too comfortable. Who wakes up early in winter unless they're forced to?"
Her eldest brother, Jia Ruiyu, smirked. "Lazybones. If you were married already, your in-laws would have knocked on your door by sunrise."
Jia Lan gasped dramatically, picking up her chopsticks. "Then it's a good thing I'm not married. Otherwise, they'd have to deal with a daughter-in-law who bites when woken too early."
The whole table erupted in laughter. Even baby Nuan giggled, clapping her hands as if she understood the joke.
Her father teased with a chuckle.
"If you had slept any longer, little lazybug, you'd only get leftovers."
Jia Lan plopped into her seat with a grin.
"Then I'll happily eat the leftovers. Our leftovers taste better than other people's feasts."
That earned her a round of laughter. Xu Li, her eldest sister-in-law, handed her a basket of steaming buns.
"Here, take one. It's filled with minced pork and cabbage. I saved it before your second brother ate them all."
"Hey, sister-in-law don't frame me!" Jia Wei protested, his mouth already full of dumpling.
"I only had three!"
"Only three?" Yao Jing raised her brows. "And who was the one sneaking into the kitchen last night?"
The whole table burst into laughter again while Wei coughed and hid behind his teacup.
Jia Lan took a bite of the bun, savoring the juicy filling. She sighed dramatically.
As breakfast began, everyone dug into the spread.
"Lan'er, try this," her mother said warmly, placing a dumpling into her bowl. "Your aunt made the filling herself this morning."
Jia Lan took a bite, savoring the juicy mix of pork and cabbage. "Mmm, so good! Auntie, you should open a dumpling shop. You'd be rich in a week!"
Yao Jing puffed up proudly. "Don't tempt me, Lan'er. If I open one, I'll make you the cashier. You're pretty enough that customers will line up just to see your face."
"Second Sister-in-law!" Jia Lan exclaimed, half embarrassed, half amused.
"Don't tease her so early in the morning," Xu Li said softly, though her smile betrayed her amusement.
Partway through breakfast, their mother turned toward Xu Li. "Li, are you planning to visit your family today? It's the second day, after all."
Xu Li's smile faltered slightly, though she quickly smoothed it over. She shook her head gently. "No, I won't go. My family… it's complicated. My sister-in-law always looks at me with dislike, and being there feels more like a burden than a joy. Why would I drag myself somewhere I feel unwelcome? I'd rather spend the day here, with people who truly love me and Nuan."
The room fell quiet for a moment, then her father spoke firmly. "You are part of this family now, Li. As long as we're here, you don't need to think about those who don't value you."
Grandmother nodded in agreement. "This house is yours too. You're our daughter as much as you're our daughter-in-law. Don't feel wronged."
Xu Li's eyes softened, and she lowered her head slightly, her voice thick with emotion. "Thank you, Mother, Father. Truly."
Yao Jing reached over and squeezed her arm. "Exactly! Why waste time with people who don't know your worth? Stay here and enjoy dumplings with us. They taste better than grudges anyway."
Xu Li finally laughed, and the warmth returned to the table.
Jia Lan raised her cup of soy milk like a toast. "Then it's settled. No gloomy thoughts today! Only good food and good people."
Everyone chuckled, clinking their chopsticks against their bowls in mock cheers before diving back into breakfast.
The house buzzed with chatter, warmth, and the clinking of bowls, while outside the festive noises of the New Year carried on. Inside these walls, though, it felt like their family's joy was its own little world bright, cozy, and filled with love.