Could Our Ancestors' Graves Produce a Wisp of Auspicious Smoke

The card game went on all night, and the free-range chickens had long started crowing.

Xia Yanchun and Shen Yue had originally planned to pull an all-nighter, but they couldn't hold on. By two or three in the morning, they had already curled up and fallen asleep in their chairs.

Sleeping on the food stall chairs was actually quite comfortable.

As for the adults, since they had cards to play, they definitely couldn't sleep. But compared to the beginning, when they were playing cards with the intensity of unleashing martial spirits, things had calmed down a lot now.

When playing cards, you don't need to shout out your cards, you don't need to stand up and slam them down, and you certainly don't need to unleash your true martial spirit form.

This is a very obscure piece of knowledge that the vast majority of people don't know.

Shen Nian hadn't taken a nap, and he had woken up early on New Year's Eve. He had genuinely been awake for twenty-four hours straight. Aside from being a little bored, he felt fine.

His high spirits kept his body in peak condition at all times.

Since things had come to this, he might as well go for a run.

So Shen Nian jogged on the streets for an hour. Daily exercise was essential.

When he returned, the card game had ended. Shen Yue and Xia Yanchun had also retreated back into the house. Now they had to cook rice and prepare dishes. At around six o'clock, they had to worship the ancestors.

At six o'clock, the sky was just starting to brighten.

Shen Nian brought out three bowls of rice and three bowls of pork and chicken, placing them on plastic chairs. Following the procedure in his memory, he planted three incense sticks under the longan tree.

Worshiping the ancestors was a local custom. Everyone had to light three incense sticks, burn yellow paper money, pour wine, and bow a few times...

These tasks were usually done by the head of the family. Shen Nian was already an adult. Although it was still early for him to start a family, he still had to slowly adapt to the duties of a family head. In future Tomb-Sweeping Days, he would also be the one walking in front, weeding and burning paper for deceased ancestors and relatives.

Bow three times, make a wish.

"I hope my daughter is safe and sound from now on, that her career goes smoothly this year, that she gets promoted, meets a good family she likes, and gives birth to a big, chubby boy.

I hope my son succeeds in his exams this year and comes back as the top scholar..."

"It won't work if you say it out loud," Shen Shi couldn't help but complain.

"What do you know? If I speak while I think, the ancestors will be able to hear it."

Chen Minyue was very devout. If possible, she hoped the ancestors would work hard underground, that green smoke would rise from their ancestral tomb, and that they would bless her children to be better with each passing year.

Shen Nian put his palms together. Since he was here, he might as well make a wish.

He had many wishes.

He hoped both families would be safe and healthy, and he hoped to be lifelong rivals with Chunbao.

Rivals, rivals... first there is destiny, then there is rivalry.

Chunbao was a rival who could become his wife!

The family of three next door was also worshiping their ancestors. Shen Nian didn't know what kind of wish Xia Yanchun would make. He felt that Xia Yanchun probably didn't believe in this and was more likely just putting on a devout act.

...

Xia Yanchun pressed her palms together. Unlike her usual pretending, she had many wishes this year.

She hoped everyone would be healthy, hoped for great wealth this year, hoped to succeed in the exams, hoped for family happiness, hoped...

She hoped that Shen Nian would be her absolute best friend for the rest of their lives.

She also had a small request. If possible, she hoped the ancestors would use a little trick to make Shen Nian call her older sister every day.

They were all small wishes. Could the ancestors send up some green smoke for her?

After worshiping the ancestors, they had to light a string of firecrackers. It was just a small string, so it finished popping very quickly.

According to custom, the red paper on the ground had to be left until the third day of the Lunar New Year before being swept away. Now it was all dirty. Thankfully, the weather wasn't damp. If it rained, it would be a mess that even a dog would shake its head at.

Xia Yanchun didn't go find Shen Nian to play. She yawned, went back to her room on her own, and had a beautiful sleep.

Sleeping for just those few hours wasn't enough to sustain her.

When she woke up, it was already past three in the afternoon.

Xia Yanchun stretched and lingered in bed for a while before groaning, throwing off the covers, and going to brush her teeth and wash her face.

Sleeping from morning until afternoon, this occasional reversal of day and night gave Xia Yanchun a slight migraine. Although it wasn't a major problem, it was very uncomfortable.

She wasn't hungry, and it was almost mealtime, so Xia Yanchun didn't eat. The house was quiet; her parents were still sleeping. However, the door to the house next door was open.

She thought it was his parents who had woken up early, but when she peeked through the door, she found it was Shen Nian, sitting in the living room doing a workbook.

He actually dared to secretly study and get ahead!

Xia Yanchun felt even more uncomfortable. This guy was usually very energetic. He had probably woken up ages ago and who knew how many questions he had secretly completed.

"Doing a workbook on the first day of the New Year, what are you trying to do? Stop writing!" Xia Yanchun padded over and slammed the workbook shut.

"Are you choosing this method to stop me from studying just so I don't surpass you?" Shen Nian looked at her with one eye wide and the other narrowed.

"You're overthinking it," Xia Yanchun puffed out her cheeks. "Studying on the first day of the New Year is just bad. It makes it look like no one is playing with you. Setting off fireworks, looking at your phone, or grabbing QQ red envelopes would all be better than studying."

"If you're afraid my scores will surpass yours, just say so. I'll stop studying, okay?"

"I already told you that's not it!"

Xia Yanchun plopped down next to Shen Nian and poked his shoulder. "You're supposed to be happy on the first day of the New Year, you know?"

"I get very happy just thinking about how the questions the teachers worked so hard to come up with are filled out by me in just a few strokes."

"..."

Is he... no longer human?! (Panic)

Xia Yanchun sighed and dangled her feet. "So you just studied like this all afternoon? What time did you get up?"

"Past one o'clock. I slept for five hours."

"Aren't you tired?"

"I'm fine."

Shen Nian leaned back against the chair, crossed his legs, and one of his hands naturally fell onto Xia Yanchun's leg.

Xia Yanchun immediately swatted away his naughty hand.

She had decided to live a healthy life. Recently, she couldn't keep teasing Shen Nian, nor could she let Shen Nian act out of line.

Positive energy!

Shen Nian didn't understand what was going on and gave her a curious look.

Hmm... so cute. One more look and he would explode, one more look and he would melt.

"Hehe, Chunbao."

Wrapping an arm around the back of Xia Yanchun's neck, Shen Nian directly pulled her in, making her lean against him.

Xia Yanchun, who never minded leaning against Shen Nian, instantly softened. "Are your parents still sleeping?"

"Yeah, they pulled an all-nighter. When I went to sleep, my parents were still awake."

"Oh, oh."

Her almond eyes blinked. Xia Yanchun looked at Shen Nian's thighs. She stopped leaning against him, changed her posture, relaxed her body, and lay down on his lap.

The sofa wasn't long enough, so Xia Yanchun's calves hung off the edge, playfully swinging back and forth. Her big toes curled up to hook onto her slippers so they wouldn't fly off.

She could see Shen Nian's astonished gaze. After his astonishment, Shen Nian immediately brought his legs closer together to make her head rest more comfortably.

So this is what a lap pillow feels like.

Even from this unflattering death angle, Shen Nian didn't look ugly at all.

"Chirp chirp chirp—" Shen Nian's hand tickled Xia Yanchun's stomach.

"Ahaha, don't tickle me..."

"Is your bro's lap pillow comfortable?"

"It's just okay."

"Get up, get up, it's my turn."

Xia Yanchun grumbled, pressed her head hard against Shen Nian's thigh, got up, and swapped places with him.

Shen Nian lay down just like she did a moment ago, resting his head on Xia Yanchun's lap.

"Your legs are so soft."

"!"

Xia Yanchun was taken aback, a wave of embarrassment instantly rushing to her head.

Could he be any more blunt?!

In a huff, Xia Yanchun used her fingers to stretch Shen Nian's nostrils open, pushing up slightly to turn his nose into a pig snout.

By crossing her, he had definitely messed with the wrong person.