In the Northern Song Dynasty, he started by marrying the eighth daughter of the Su family.

While his family was laughing at Su Shi, Han Zhuo had already picked up the "neglected" account book and started to look through it.

But seemingly sensing something was amiss, she gently patted Han Zhi's shoulder with the ledger, drawing his attention.

Han Zhi turned around and saw the account book in Han Zhuo's hand. He leaned over and asked, "Sir, is there something wrong?"

“There is something amiss…” Han Zhuo pulled him to sit down in front of the chaise lounge, then said, “The records of New Year’s Day purchases here, aren’t they a bit off? It feels…”

"It feels like something is missing."

"Is something missing?" Han Zhi leaned closer, looking at the densely packed items listed in the ledger:

Chicken, duck, fish, meat, various dried fruits and candied fruits, new cloth, incense, candles, paper horses, tips for the servants, tea, wine and snacks for guests... He looked at it carefully from head to toe, then looked up somewhat blankly: "Is everything alright? This is pretty much what the manor buys every year, nothing's missing, right?"

Han Zhuo didn't answer directly, but his gaze went past Han Zhi's shoulder and landed on the little watermelon on the bed, who was trying to raise its little head and babbling to announce that it had successfully rolled over again. Then it slowly moved to the second watermelon, who was sleeping soundly in the cradle with a rosy little face.

"You're shrewd outside, but muddle-headed at home—you've only considered the old practices from previous years, have you taken into account these two new little mouths in the family?"

Han Zhuo then said, "Too little! Much too little! We only prepared the amount of candied fruit for the adults in previous years, forgetting that the children also love snacks, especially Little Watermelon, who is almost old enough to grab things and put them in his mouth..."

"And this new cloth, only the material for the adults to make new clothes has been counted. What about the material for Xiao Xigua and Er Xigua's New Year's jackets, hats, and quilts? The New Year is a time for family celebration, how can the older ones be counted while the younger ones are not?"

"Then there are the red envelopes prepared for the younger generation who come to pay New Year's visits—at least for the Su twins, right? Newly made peace locks and peace bells; and those cypress leaves and herbs specially used for children's bathing and warding off evil spirits... Do I need to tell you more?"

Han Zhi suddenly realized what was going on, and Han Zhuo, seeing the situation, said, "The addition of a new member to the family is a great joy, and when it comes to buying New Year's goods, the first thing to consider is these two little ones. Every expense must include their share. Food, clothing, and toys—can't we skimp on anything?"

Han Zhi nodded, and Han Zhuo closed the account book and put it aside. Then, hands in his pockets, he ignored Han Zhi and returned to the bedside. By this time, Madam Cheng was already impatient—

She took out two red envelopes from her sleeve, placing one on the little watermelon's belly and the other next to the second watermelon's pillow.

Little Watermelon was lying on its back, trying to roll over by kicking its little legs, when suddenly something appeared on its belly. It tilted its head, its bright black eyes curiously staring at the bright red color. Its little hands immediately abandoned its attempt to roll over and clumsily reached for the red object, its little mouth making excited "oh oh" sounds.

Han Zhi also walked to the side of Xiao Xigua's bed. He did not immediately stop his son from grabbing things randomly. Instead, he stretched out two fingers, gently pinched a corner of the red seal, and pulled it out a little from under Xiao Xigua's waving fist to prevent it from getting wet with saliva or being scratched.

Little Watermelon let out a dissatisfied "Ah," but his little hand still stubbornly reached out. Han Zhi slightly turned his wrist, and the red seal waved in front of Little Watermelon's eyes to attract his attention, while his other hand quickly tidied his son's slightly disheveled clothes.

Su Xun then laughed and said, "It's not even New Year's Day yet, why are you in such a hurry?"

Madam Cheng rolled her eyes at him and said, "On New Year's Day, we give out lucky money for good fortune. Today, we're giving out red envelopes from the bottom of the drawer, meant to 'suppress evil spirits' and protect the child's safety year after year. This blessing is naturally best kept under us as soon as possible."

Su Xun stroked his short beard, chuckled, and said no more.

"Being a father for the first time is a time of many things to think about, and it's normal to not be able to think of everything at once. But this is a major event during the New Year, concerning the well-being of the whole family, especially since the child is so delicate, so we need to be careful in every aspect. The red envelope from my mother-in-law to ward off evil spirits is the first and most important thing, and it's meant to bring good luck and peace."

Han Zhuo then spoke again, taking two red envelopes from his pocket and placing them next to Little Watermelon and Second Watermelon respectively. This diverted Little Watermelon's attention again.

The little one's bright eyes widened instantly, and he struggled to turn his head, looking at the one on his belly and then at the new one by the bedside, his little face filled with surprise and "choice paralysis".

He exclaimed "Ah!" as if trying to grab them all at once, his little hands waving excitedly in the air, unsure which one to pounce on first.

"Little money-grubber, you're getting too lucky and now you're being picky?" Madam Cheng was amused by her grandson's appearance. She picked up one of the red envelopes that Han Zhuo had just put down and stuffed it into the little watermelon's open hand. "Here, this is from your grandfather. Hold on tight!"

Little Watermelon's little hands immediately clenched reflexively, the red, angular edges digging into his soft palms, creating a strange sensation. He stopped looking at anything else, focused intently on lowering his head, trying to put this "new toy" in his hand into his mouth to taste it.

"No eating! No eating!"

Han Zhi, quick-witted and agile, "rescued" the red seal from the little guy's mouth, which provoked another round of dissatisfaction from the little guy.

Su Zhen, who had been watching with a smile, stepped forward. She took out two small brocade pouches, both embroidered with auspicious patterns, from her sleeve, put the red envelopes given by Madam Cheng and Han Zhuo into them respectively, and carefully tightened the silk ropes at the openings.

"This way it won't get dirty, and it won't be chewed up by this little rascal," Su Zhen explained with a smile, placing the brocade pouch with the red seal back on Little Watermelon's belly and Little Watermelon's pillow.

The pouch was soft and its color was gentler. Little Watermelon held the bulging little bag with curiosity, temporarily forgetting the thought of biting it, and just curiously pinched and shook it.

The little watermelon, held in his chubby little hand, felt much more interesting than the hard red seal. He shook the bulging little bag intently, listening to the slight rustling sounds inside, his little mouth widening to reveal his pink gums, and he let out a satisfied "giggle".

Su Zhen then picked up the restless little guy and said, "Little guy, it's almost New Year's, you've come at just the right time."

Little Watermelon was suddenly picked up by his mother, his view shifting upwards, filled with wonder. He wriggled around, his little hands still tightly clutching the soft brocade pouch with the red seal, his head turning this way and that, his bright black eyes curiously taking in every familiar and warm face in the warm pavilion.

"Ah! Ah—!" He was like a little general inspecting his territory, excitedly waving the brocade pouch in his hand, announcing his presence to everyone.