Just as Shen Kunyang was about to have someone pass over the red envelope, Bai Qingyu quickly stood up and performed the junior’s bow to Shen Kunyang, respectfully receiving the red envelope with both hands: “Thank you, Uncle Shen!”
Shen Kunyang smiled and nodded. Before he could speak, Bai Jinzhi had already stood up and performed the junior’s bow to Shen Kunyang first, saying with a smile: “Uncle Shen, Happy New Year! I wish Uncle Shen peace, health, and eternal youth!”
Everyone burst into laughter at Bai Jinzhi’s little monkey-like behavior. Shen Kunyang immediately handed over the red envelope: “Fourth Miss, Happy New Year to you too! May you have peace and joy in the new year! And naturally… it would be even better if you could find a good young man to protect our Fourth Miss!”
Bai Jinzhi received the red envelope with both hands, smiling: “Do I need a man’s protection? I’m already invincible! Uncle Shen, if you don’t believe me, let’s have a match in a bit!”
“The more you talk, the more improper you become!” Bai Qingyan laughingly scolded Bai Jinzhi.
“Xiao Ruohai, this is Uncle Shen’s red envelope for you. My red envelopes aren’t as thick as Physician Hong’s, so don’t despise them!” Shen Kunyang looked at Xiao Ruohai with a beaming smile, feeling very relieved that Xiao Ruohai could follow Bai Qingyan back to the battlefield.
Xiao Ruohai quickly stepped forward, bowed to Shen Kunyang, spoke auspicious words, and received the red envelope with both hands.
“If the Deputy Commander knew how excellently you’ve grown now, he would surely be comforted!” Shen Kunyang greatly admired Xiao Ruohai. He glanced at Shen Qingzhu beside him, then continued to Xiao Ruohai: “The Deputy Commander always hoped to see you get married. You should hurry up!”
Xiao Ruohai lowered his eyes, glancing from the corner of his eye at Shen Qingzhu, who was eating dumplings with her head down. He responded in a muffled voice and then withdrew.
Shen Kunyang smiled and looked at Shen Qingzhu sitting beside him: “Qingzhu, this is your godfather’s red envelope for you! Your godfather… also hopes to see you marry soon!”
Shen Qingzhu received the red envelope with both hands and thanked him. On such a festive New Year, she didn’t want to dampen her godfather’s spirits by saying she never planned to marry in this lifetime and would only stay by Miss’s side, so she said: “After Miss pacifies the realm, Qingzhu will certainly consider marriage seriously. Godfather needn’t worry.”
“Young Commander Bai! Look… Physician Hong gave red envelopes! Old Shen also gave them! You can’t refuse my red envelope, Old Cheng!” Cheng Yuanzhi also took out the red envelopes he had prepared for the children, cheerfully distributing them.
“Aiya! Why didn’t you all coordinate about preparing red envelopes?” Yang Wuce looked annoyed. “I didn’t prepare anything!”
“We few are relying on our age to act like old folks. What are you, a young man, joining in for?” Shen Kunyang said to Yang Wuce with a laugh.
Lu Yuanpeng saw Physician Hong, Shen Kunyang, and Cheng Yuanzhi giving red envelopes to the Bai family sisters, Bai Fifth Master, Bai Jinzhi… even Shen Qingzhu received one. He felt a bit envious and encouraged Sima Ping to join him in asking for red envelopes.
“Lu Yuanpeng, have you no shame? Does Physician Hong even know who you are?” Sima Ping looked at Lu Yuanpeng sideways. “If your grandfather knew you were asking for New Year money from Physician Hong, who doesn’t even know you, he’d beat you!”
“Physician Hong doesn’t know us, but we know General Shen! Let’s ask General Shen!” Lu Yuanpeng wasn’t really after the red envelopes – he just missed his grandfather, parents, elder brother, and sister.
Last year during New Year, he was in Nan Jiang and hadn’t seen the Bai family sisters distributing red envelopes so cheerfully. He had celebrated with the soldiers below, which was lively enough and lessened his homesickness.
Today, watching the Bai family sisters cheerfully distributing red envelopes above, he inevitably thought of his family. If he were at the Lu Mansion in the capital now, his grandfather, uncle, aunt, father, and mother would surely give him red envelopes, and his sister and brother would too – after all, he was the youngest!
“Lu San, Ma San…” Shen Kunyang called out below.
Lu Yuanpeng, who had just put a hot dumpling in his mouth, was yanked up by Sima Ping. Lu Yuanpeng almost swallowed the scalding fresh dumpling whole, burning himself so much that he beat his chest.
“Present!” Sima Ping stepped forward and knelt on one knee.
Lu Yuanpeng also followed suit: “Present!”
“Come here…” Shen Kunyang beckoned to them both.
The two quickly stepped forward. After bowing and standing up again, Lu Yuanpeng scratched his head and said, “General Shen, please stop calling me Lu San! I’m dying of embarrassment! I thought no one knew who I was! Turns out great… everyone in the army knows I’m Lu Yuanpeng, and I’m the only one who didn’t know. I thought others admired me from the bottom of their hearts, but they were all just playing along with me!”
Bai Qingyan looked at Lu Yuanpeng’s expression and smiled: “That’s all later. Your ability to endure hardship in the army is real! General Shen and General Cheng both saw it and praised you to me!”
“Here are red envelopes for you two brats! Work hard and fight bravely in the coming year!” Shen Kunyang tossed the red envelopes to Lu Yuanpeng and Sima Ping. After seeing them catch them, he said: “The soldiers in the army aren’t like those sycophantic people you’ve seen in the capital. If you two didn’t have some real ability, they wouldn’t respect you! The fact that they respect you shows you both have some real skill! Don’t belittle yourselves!”
Bai Qingyan also nodded with a smile.
Seeing this, Lu Yuanpeng showed his big white teeth in a grin: “I trust General Shen!”
“This year, you two can’t return home to reunite with your families, but the soldiers who have fought alongside you through blood and battle are also our family!” As Bai Qingyan spoke, she also threw two red envelopes to them. “You two are younger than me and call me Sister Bai. What A’Yu and Xiao Si have, you have too…”
Sima Ping looked up at Bai Qingyan, seeing her expression full of warmth and gentleness. The flickering candlelight cast a warm glow on Bai Qingyan’s flawless, refined, and elegant features. For a moment, Sima Ping couldn’t tell whether Bai Qingyan wanted to win over the Lu and Sima families through the two of them, or if she truly considered them as younger brothers.
Seeing Sima Ping staring blankly at Sister Bai, Lu Yuanpeng pressed down on Sima Ping’s head and made him bow to thank Sister Bai.
“Go eat dumplings!” Bai Qingyan glanced at Sima Ping. This child wasn’t bad-hearted, but his thoughts seemed to be getting more complex. However, having such a friend beside the carefree Lu Yuanpeng meant they complemented each other well.
In the lively medical camp, someone suddenly started singing the Bai Family Army song.
“Donning my armor and mail, with you I share the same enemy and hatred.”
Bai Qingyan and Bai Qingyu looked up toward the soldier who had started singing.
More soldiers joined in…
“Grasping the enemy-slaying blade, with you I share life and death.”
Hearing the Bai Family Army song, Shen Kunyang and Cheng Yuanzhi’s expressions became solemn, and they too put down their chopsticks and joined in: “Defending rivers and mountains, protecting the people, fearless true warriors.”