A/N - I had the idea coincidentally with CNY (which is today). Happy CNY to those who celebrate it!
You checked yourself one last time in the mirror before joining your cousins in the living room. You sat awkwardly, watching everyone talking to each other and preparing the feast. You couldn't believe Jackson managed to convince you to go back home for Chinese New Year. You remembered you weren't particularly fond of the tradition. You quite liked it when you were kids, but as you grew up, you started to understand things and it made you feel awkward, especially when you understood that you were adopted. Then you were saved once you were in medical school. Once you got night duty rotation, you got no option but to take turn. Everyone wanted to be home on Chinese New Year Eve, so everyone decided to draw a lot to decide who had to do the night duty. Maybe it was your luck, or lack of it, but you managed to get night duty on new year's eve. Though you got the day off on New Year, you were more than willing to switch if anyone else asked you to. When you got married to Jackson the first time, you got no choice but to back home with him to celebrate the new year with his family. But after you worked in Korea, this was the first time you flew back home to China for celebrating Chinese New Year.
Sophie nudged you and told you to help her arrange the food on the table. There were always plenty of food during new year's eve. When everything was settled, the feast began. Everyone else ate until their stomach full of food. Kids were running around, paying their respect to the elders and hoped to get hong bao in return. Then they would run to a secluded area and counted their 'earnings', comparing with each other and pouted when someone else got more than they did. You were helping your aunt to bring the dirty dishes to the kitchen when Sophie approached you.
"You'll come here again tomorrow, won't you?" You usually didn't want to show up on the second day as the second day meant accepting guests. Accepting guests meant they would poke into your life, asking questions endlessly. Something that you wanted to avoid. But you remembered your promise to Jackson. He and his family were supposed to visit yours the next day, so you got no choice but to nod at the question.
"His family will be here, right?" Sophie asked and you nodded again. You didn't dare to imagine the awkwardness. This would be the first time since the divorce that your family met with his again.
The next day, you decided to show up late. It was afternoon when you arrived. You earned a scornful look from Sophie for being late as she became in the spotlight because you weren't there. But she informed you that Jackson's family hasn't arrived yet. You were helping to replenish the snack for the guest when Sophie nudged you again. There, in front of the gate, you saw Jackson and his family arrived. He waved at you and you returned before retreating back inside. Your elders were supposed to meet them first before you. You heard them pay their respect to your aunts and uncles and you heard some conversations going on before they showed in front of you. You greeted them and let them in, while Jackson didn't waste any second to steal you away. However, the kids were fast to notice the arrival of new guest.
"Gong xi, gong xi," you heard them chanting while did their fist and palm salute before lining in front of Jackson. You bet the kids were hoping to get more hong baos.
"Gong xi," you heard Jackson replied their greetings.
"Hong bao na lai?" you heard one of them bluntly asked and Jackson chuckled.
"Sorry kids, no hong bao from me, since I'm not married yet," he answered and the kids looked disappointed but cheered up as Jackson pointed them to his parents and the kids got their new targets.
You laughed at his tactics, "Ain't you supposed to be the one that's giving hong bao already? You already had some earnings," you pointed but he shook his head.
"Nope. Thanks to you, I get back to single, hence, on the receiving ones, rather than the giving ones," he showed you his hong bao while wiggling his eyebrow and you couldn't help but laughing.
"Seriously? You got hong baos?" It was ridiculous for him to get hong baos at this age. You knew the tradition that all singles could get hong bao, but those who had a steady job usually refused them even though they were still single. So, even though Jackson was not married, but he had a job already, so why did he still accept hong baos?
Your conversation was cut short as you had to accompany your family to treat Jackson family. You served them their meals and had no option but to join in the conversation as well. As for Jackson, he appointed himself as the captain of the kids and led them to hunt for more hong baos. Including himself. It was funny to see the elderly, especially the grandmas, happily handed him hong baos considering he was an adult and had a decent earnings, on top of that. The hunt for hong baos got paused when the lion dance crew came and everyone cheered for them and enjoyed the show before it went away again. You saw Jackson's parents excused themselves as they still had some other relatives to visit but apparently Jackson didn't follow them. He decided to stay. He excused himself from the kids and pulled you away from the crowd once again.
"So, how much did you get?" he asked you and you raised your eyebrow. Did he seriously think you did the same and asked for hong bao around like him?
"Are you talking about hong baos? No, I don't get them."
"What? Why? You should make it the most while you're still single. Like me," he showed you his pile of hongbaos proudly and you scoffed at his 'earnings'. "After all, this is probably the last time to get it again," he casually said but you turned your head when you heard his last sentence.
"What do you mean?" You saw him putting his hong baos back to his pocket, but he seemed to have trouble with something in his pocket.
"Well, you don't think I'll stay single forever, do you?" he asked cheekily as he clearly saw the gears in your brain started moving. You heard him loud and clear about this year as his last time to get hong bao, which only meant one thing, he wouldn't be single again next year. And since you were back in relationship again with him, that only meant one thing, right? He pulled out something out of his pocket, and it wasn't a hong bao. It was a red velvet box. He clearly saw that you knew where this was heading. He pulled one of your hand and held it in his hand while he dropped on one knee.
"Wait, I had it in my head, but you made me forget everything," he looked nervous now as he suddenly forgot what he was going to say. "That being said, I was in love with you back then, and I still am today. I believe heaven agreed with me that we should be together as they sent you again back to my arms, so I'd be a fool if I let you go again. So, will you stop being stubborn and marry me again? Forever this time, please?" he looked up at you hopefully while opening the box in his other hand, showing you the ring. You froze in your place as you didn't expect him to propose on new year, in front of everyone, on top of that. "Princess, you're making me nervous now, can't you say something?" he broke your reverie and you saw worry in his eyes. You couldn't find your voice so you nodded and a smile appeared in his face.
"May I?" he asked, gesturing the ring and you nodded and he slipped the ring to your finger. You noticed it was a completely different ring. You still looked at your hand when he pulled you into his hug and kissed your forehead. You blushed when you heard people clapping from the background and you turned around to see Sophie and the kids whistling and clapping their hands while Jackson grinned from ears to ears and pulled you even closer.
"Yaaayyy!!!" you heard the kids crowded Jackson. "So, does this mean next year we will get hong baos from you?" they asked hopefully and Jackson couldn't help but chuckle and answered, "Yes kids, I'll prepare a lot of hong baos for you guys next year." And the kids cheered at his answer. Once they were out of sight, Jackson pulled you in his hug again and whispered, "For forever this time, okay?"
"For forever," you promised.
