The little guy's big, innocent black eyes stared at Yueyue.
Yueyue suddenly felt like it would be a crime if she didn't give her little brother a red envelope.
But...
Yueyue looked down at the red envelopes in her hands.
She didn't want to give them up!
Her heart raced with anxiety, and she began to feel helpless, her eyes welling up with tears.
Ren, however, hadn't noticed her distress and continued, "Do you know the meaning behind lucky money? In ancient times, it was a tradition to give red envelopes to ward off bad luck for the coming year. It's said that lucky money can suppress evil spirits, so if younger children receive it, they will stay safe for the whole year."
As he spoke, Ren's tone grew darker, and his expression became eerie. He lowered his voice menacingly, "But if you don't give your brother a red envelope… well… who knows what might happen... Raaawr!!!"
Before Ren could finish, he felt a sharp pain in his toe.
"Honestly! I leave you alone for a bit, and you're here causing trouble," Jada scolded, releasing Ren's foot from her grip. "It's the New Year, why are you saying such unlucky things to the kids?"
Yueyue, however, wasn't paying any attention to her parents' interaction. She had long grown used to their banter.
Right now, all she could think about were the consequences of not giving her brother a red envelope.
After much internal struggle, she finally, albeit reluctantly, pulled out a plump red envelope from her carefully saved stash and handed it over to Jada.
In Yueyue's mind, the more money in the red envelope, the safer her brother would be. But...
She was also worried—if she gave away her red envelope, wouldn't she be less safe?
Yueyue started to feel conflicted again. She turned her head away, avoiding the sight of the envelope, afraid that she might change her mind if she kept looking at it.
Seeing this, Jada couldn't help but laugh. But at the same time, she felt proud of her daughter.
Yueyue was clearly protective of her little brother. The moment she thought he might be in danger, she didn't hesitate to give up her own lucky money.
This was a wonderful act of kindness.
Sharing, after all, was something that many children struggled with.
Jada gently patted Yueyue's head and said, "Your brother already has his own red envelopes, see? They're in his pockets. So, you can keep your money. Little kids don't need to give each other lucky money."
As she spoke, Jada reached into her son's pocket.
The little guy was wearing a new outfit today, with a cartoon image of Gintoki from Gintama picking his nose, grinning mischievously. It was the kind of face that made people want to smack it.
Gintoki's big grin concealed a large pouch on the outfit. Jada unzipped the pouch to reveal several red envelopes inside, showing them to Yueyue.
After all, Ren and Jada would never favor one child over the other, and these red envelopes were really just symbols—expressions of their love and good wishes for the new year.
Though, once the holiday was over, where the money would end up was a different story.
Seeing this, Yueyue let out a long sigh of relief.
Then, with a big smile, she stuffed her own lucky money back into her pockets and shot her dad a triumphant glare.
"But you better not spend it recklessly! Keep it safe, or Mommy will have to take it back," Jada warned, reminding Yueyue to be responsible. After all, it wasn't a good habit to splurge all her money, and she needed to learn the importance of saving from a young age.
"Mmm!" Yueyue nodded enthusiastically.
Agreeing for now—what happens later, who knows?
But it didn't take long before her eyes started darting around mischievously, focusing on her brother's Gintoki pocket.
Suddenly, Yueyue found herself agreeing with something her dad had said earlier.
Maybe kids shouldn't have too much money!
Plus, what if her brother treated the money like a toy and ripped it up or lost it?
Hmm...
Yueyue crossed her arms, deep in thought. She decided it was time for her to step up as a big sister and protect her brother's lucky money.
She'd just have to make a noble sacrifice for the greater good!
With that, Yueyue plopped down next to Jada and whispered, "Mommy, I think my brother's red envelopes should be kept somewhere safer. What if he loses them?"
Jada blinked, slightly surprised by Yueyue's suggestion. Following her daughter's gaze, she saw her son's pocket and immediately understood.
So, Yueyue had her eye on her brother's red envelopes, huh?
Amused, Jada decided to play along. "Oh? So where do you think the safest place would be, Yueyue?"
"Obviously with me!" Yueyue puffed out her chest and tapped it confidently.
Worried that her mom might not trust her, Yueyue started ticking off reasons on her fingers. "Look, Dad is definitely not safe. If the money goes to him, it's as good as gone!"
"Hey, saying that right in front of me isn't very nice," Ren interjected, giving his daughter a playful, menacing grin. "Better watch out for your red envelopes!"
"See! I told you!" Yueyue quickly ducked behind her mom, continuing, "Grandpa and Grandma aren't safe either, since we'll be leaving soon. And as for you, Mom, well, Dad will sneakily take the money from you anyway! So, I'm the only one left…"
Before she could finish, Yueyue yelped in pain, clutching her forehead.
(っ*Д`)っ
Jada had flicked her on the head, clearly seeing through her daughter's ploy. "So, in the end, you just want your brother's red envelopes for yourself, huh? Go play."
Rubbing her forehead and pouting, Yueyue sulked off, hands behind her back, muttering, "Who wants his red envelopes anyway? Geez, Mom is so mean for misunderstanding me! I was just trying to help!"
Her little brother, blissfully unaware of Yueyue's scheming, had no idea that his sister had almost gotten away with stealing his lucky money.
He noticed her walking away and waved her over, inviting her to come play with him.
Jada, watching her two kids, couldn't help but smile as she picked up her son and kissed him on the forehead.
"You little rascal, still thinking about playing when your sister almost took your lucky money."
----------
For 10 advance chapters: patreon.com/michaeltranslates