"Uncle Jiang, hello,"
Xu Gu Zi opened the door and stepped aside, letting Jiang Lin and the others in.
At the same time, he turned his head and shouted into the house, "Mom, Uncle Jiang is here!"
"You guys eat whatever you want for now, I'll be done here soon!" Xu Zhao's voice came from the kitchen.
Immediately after, Xu Shu Zi was rushed out of the kitchen.
He was holding a plate in each hand.
One contained fruit, and the other contained delicate small pastries.
He shrugged helplessly and winked at Jiang Lin, "Look at your wife. She doesn't even want my help."
Jiang Lin found it amusing, and a smile couldn't help but form on his lips.
Xu Shu Zi's gaze drifted backward, landing on the mechanical ball and Xu Nan.
He placed the plates on the table and beckoned,
"Come sit down, take whatever you want to eat."
"Okay! ヽ(￣▽￣)و"
The mechanical ball responded joyfully, handing the few boxes of New Year gifts it had brought to Xu Gu Zi beside it.
Then it scurried over and sat down.
Looking at Xu Shu Zi, its pretty face beamed, "Uncle, Happy New Year!"
"So sweet, hahaha… Happy New Year."
Xu Shu Zi chuckled and took out a red envelope for it.
Even though the mechanical ball now had the appearance of a young lady,
In terms of age and seniority, it could still call him uncle.
It accepted the red envelope without any psychological burden.
"Thank you, Uncle!" said the mechanical ball.
Xu Nan also walked over, "Uncle, Happy New Year."
Xu Shu Zi looked at Xu Nan, who was wearing a red padded jacket, his small face flushed by it.
He chuckled and patted the child's head, "So well-behaved."
Like a New Year's painting doll.
As he thought this, he continued to rummage for red envelopes.
"Here, Happy New Year, grow up quickly!"
He had heard from Jiang Lin that this child had a special situation and could continue to grow, up to the age of eighteen.
"Yes, I will grow up. Thank you, Uncle!"
Xu Nan accepted the red envelope, looking obedient.
After putting down the New Year gifts, Xu Gu Zi turned around and received a red envelope from Jiang Lin.
"Happy New Year."
Xu Gu Zi's face lit up, but then he looked a little conflicted.
He didn't immediately take the red envelope.
Jiang Lin asked, "What's wrong?"
Xu Gu Zi thought for a moment and then said,
"Uncle Jiang, I've been officially hired and started working, so you don't need to give me red envelopes anymore."
He was an adult now!
Hearing this, Jiang Lin was a little surprised and glanced at Xu Shu Zi on the other side.
Xu Shu Zi was also a bit surprised. This child hadn't just been officially hired, so why was he saying this now?
Had he really grown up?
However, what did growing up matter?
Xu Shu Zi thought it was amusing and said, "You're not married yet, so you should accept red envelopes from elders when they give them to you."
Xu Gu Zi thought about it and realized it made sense.
So he happily accepted the red envelope, "Thank you, Uncle Jiang."
He couldn't receive red envelopes after getting married?
On the side,
The mechanical ball listened to their conversation, its mind whirring.
Then it looked at Xu Nan, "Xu Nan, will you get married in the future?"
Xu Nan, who was eating a small pastry, was startled, "Why are you suddenly asking this?"
The mechanical ball urged, "Just tell me, will you or won't you get married?"
Xu Nan pondered for a moment, "I don't know, it's still too early for me."
When he was in the human world before, he was always in Xu Ran's body.
After arriving in the underworld, he had always been in a child's body.
He had never once thought about this question.
"We'll talk about it later," Xu Nan said.
The mechanical ball: "Then, when you get married in the future, can you give me your share of the red envelopes?"
"Huh?"
"You're reluctant?"
"Uh… no."
Xu Nan didn't know what the mechanical ball was thinking. Red envelopes weren't meant to be transferred.
He paused for a moment and said,
"If that day ever comes, I'll give you a red envelope."
Although, in terms of seniority, they might be peers and there wouldn't be a reason to give red envelopes,
The mechanical ball was special.
Could a mechanical being fall in love with someone? Would it understand 'love'?
Xu Nan didn't know.
"You'll give me a red envelope?"
The mechanical ball tilted its head and thought for a moment, then smiled.
"Okay!"
Then it would get another red envelope every year!
As for whether they were peers or not,
If someone gave it a red envelope, why not?
"Mm," Xu Nan replied.
...
Amidst the warmth and harmony,
Xu Zhao came out of the kitchen carrying two plates of hot dishes.
"Dinner is ready!"
"Auntie, I'll help you!"
The mechanical ball quickly got up and went into the kitchen.
Xu Gu Zi followed it into the kitchen.
Xu Shu Zi also wanted to go, but his wife glared at him.
He retracted his steps.
He turned to chat with Jiang Lin.
Before long, the square table was filled with dishes.
Everyone sat around the table.
"Eat quickly, they're all hot."
After Xu Zhao called out, her gaze was involuntarily drawn to the young lady in the maid outfit opposite her.
She had to admit, the young lady was quite pretty.
"I wanted to ask just now,"
Xu Zhao looked at Jiang Lin with a mysterious smile, "This young lady is…?"
Seeing her wife's smile, Xu Shu Zi knew she had misunderstood.
He and his son had seen the mechanical ball's new image before due to their work.
But this was probably the first time she had seen it.
Before Xu Shu Zi could explain, the mechanical ball opposite replied,
"Auntie, I'm the mechanical ball!"
It sat up obediently, its lips curved upwards, revealing the dimples on its cheeks.
Allowing Xu Zhao to examine it thoroughly.
"Me, mechanical ball?"
Xu Zhao looked it up and down, her expression a little confused.
How did it turn into a person?
She looked at Xu Shu Zi, then at Jiang Lin.
Both ghosts nodded in unison.
Xu Zhao was stunned for a moment, then her face bloomed into a smile again, "So it's the mechanical ball! Why did you change your appearance? I almost didn't recognize you, haha."
The mechanical ball grinned, "Because this way is beautiful."
"Yes, it's indeed beautiful, very pretty."
Xu Zhao covered her mouth and chuckled, "I thought it was a young lady from some family just now."
?
Jiang Lin felt something was strange and glanced at Xu Shu Zi.
Xu Shu Zi took a bite of food and whispered in his brother's ear,
"She's trying to find a match for you.
Recently, many female ghosts have been looking for her, wanting to get to know you."
Jiang Lin raised an eyebrow, a little surprised.
Xu Shu Zi continued, "But don't worry, your sister-in-law isn't a reckless ghost."
Now that Jiang Lin had a house, status, and strength, he certainly had no trouble finding a partner.
But not just anyone was worthy of him.
And the ghosts who approached Xu Zhao would likely have a hard time meeting Jiang Lin in their daily lives.
"She just has this idea, she won't introduce just any ghost to you."
"However,"
Xu Shu Zi picked up a peanut and chewed it.
Watching his wife serve food to Xu Nan and the others, he whispered,
"Now that you have everything, can you also consider getting married?"
"Do you really plan to live alone forever?"
Getting married…
It was indeed the fastest way to settle someone down.
But Jiang Lin thought of the system, and those strange memory fragments.
He always felt that those memories, and the system…
Were trying to tell him something.
His gaze shifted to the mechanical ball and Xu Nan, and he said faintly,
"The Eighteenth Hall is already very lively."
Much livelier than before.
As for the future,
He would talk about it after he figured out all those things.
Xu Shu Zi glanced at him and scoffed,
"I think you just haven't met the right person."
"Before I met your sister-in-law, I was also stubborn. No one could persuade me…"
...