My Family Is Very Odd

The sky slowly dropped tiny white particles, like stars.

In a blink of an eye, the New Year was approaching, and Li Xiao Gui had grown a little taller. But she still hadn't changed much from before. Her height, smile, and weight were all about the same.

Except she ate less candy than last year. And not only that, but Li Xiao Gui's weekly snacks were also restricted. It must be because of the cavities she had before, Li Xiao Gui thought. And every time she thought about it, she regretted not controlling herself before.

She thought that once her cavities were healed, everything would be back to normal.

Who would have thought that her usually silent grandpa would be the one to confiscate her snacks and candy, supervise her daily brushing, and even increase her weekly exercise?

Li Xiao Gui and Burly Ghost were at the gate of the house, putting up spring couplets and red New Year's blessings.

This year, snow fell on the town for the first time in a long time. Snowflakes, like dandelions, floated and scattered down.

“To the left, a little more to the left, it's a little crooked!” Li Xiao Gui, bundled up in her clothes, stood on the snow in front of the door, her voice clear as she directed Burly Ghost.

Her hair was tied in two buns, held together with her favorite white pom-pom hair ties.

Burly Ghost faced the door with his chest and belly, holding the New Year's blessing in his hand. He turned his head 360 degrees and shouted with a grin, "Little Gui baby, is this right?"

He positioned himself so he could hold the blessing in the right place while facing Li Xiao Gui. It just looked a little scary.

"Yes, yes, yes, that's right, brother!" Li Xiao Gui's neck was wrapped in a thick hooded lambskin scarf. She stretched her neck out with effort as she spoke, her breath misting in the air.

The dark and gloomy ghost house looked a little more cheerful with the red spring couplets and New Year's blessings.

"Good job, brother!" Li Xiao Gui's voice echoed in the vast expanse of white snow. Against the backdrop of the thick, vast snow, her voice was even softer and more delicate, like a bird chirping.

Shen Chen especially liked to hear her talk.

Shen Chen, wearing a black scarf and holding a transparent umbrella, stood not far behind Li Xiao Gui.

"Xiao Gui."

Li Xiao Gui turned her head, her small face buried deeper into her scarf. "Shen Chen!"

Li Xiao Gui waved.

Snowflakes fell on the white skin around Li Xiao Gui's eyelashes. Shen Chen wanted to reach out and brush them away.

Shen Chen moved his fingers and pulled his black scarf up a little. "Mm."

Shen Chen also buried his chin into his scarf.

"Let's go, let's go shopping!" Li Xiao Gui had arranged to go to the supermarket with Shen Chen to stock up on snacks, fruits, and drinks for the New Year.

Li Xiao Gui waved to Burly Ghost. "Brother, Shen Chen and I are going out!"

As soon as Li Xiao Gui finished speaking, a yellow umbrella and a fluffy, round, yellow chick bag slowly descended from the windowsill on the second floor of the ghost house.

The umbrella and the bag floated down as if they were alive. One landed by her hand, and the other went over her head and landed on her shoulder.

"Your phone and gloves are in the bag," came Young Ghost's voice from the second floor.

"Okay! Thank you, Dad!"

Burly Ghost waved. "Be careful, Little Gui baby. The snow makes the ground slippery."

"Mm!" Li Xiao Gui turned and followed behind Shen Chen.

Li Xiao Gui and Shen Chen walked side by side, her head reaching his shoulder.

Li Xiao Gui's hands were tucked in her coat pockets, her chin buried in her scarf. She turned her face to the side and said, "Shen Chen, Shen Chen, I want to buy strawberries later, strawberries with cream. And bananas, tangerines, cherry tomatoes, apples! Oh, and yogurt, let's make a yogurt fruit salad! I suddenly really want to eat yogurt fruit salad!"

As she spoke, Li Xiao Gui seemed to find it a little difficult to breathe. Shen Chen saw her rub her nose and then stick her delicate nose and small red lips out from the scarf.

Li Xiao Gui breathed out, and warm white mist spread out in circles between them.

Shen Chen said, "It's too cold. And tangerines are cold. You just had diarrhea last time."

Li Xiao Gui said, "That's because it was my period." She retorted and then said, "Then, no tangerines, we'll get other fruits. Don't you think it feels good to eat something cold when the weather is cold?"

"Oh right, let's buy ice cream later! I want to eat ice cream. I haven't had it in ages!" Li Xiao Gui's thoughts jumped from one thing to another.

Seeing that Li Xiao Gui really wanted to eat it, and if it was only once in a while, it wouldn't hurt, Shen Chen looked at the expectant Li Xiao Gui, paused, and almost instantly changed his mind. "If you eat ice cream, you can't have yogurt fruit salad. Your stomach won't be able to handle it."

"Okay!" Li Xiao Gui nodded. "What do you want to eat? Grapes, dark chocolate, coffee, or cola? Anything else?"

Li Xiao Gui looked up and asked him. Shen Chen's lips curved up slightly. "That's all."

What Li Xiao Gui said was already what he liked.

Shen Chen: "That's enough. Coffee, not cola."

Li Xiao Gui: "Oh."

Li Xiao Gui said, "I also want to buy Pocky, chocolate and matcha flavor. And then let's buy some candy, some for you, and then you can sneak me some every day at school, okay? Look, my cavities are all gone now."

As Li Xiao Gui spoke, the snow gradually grew heavier. Shen Chen opened his umbrella and held it over Li Xiao Gui's head. He reached out his other hand and brushed the snowflakes off her hair.

Two gentle sweeps cleaned the snowflakes from her hair. Shen Chen looked down and saw snowflakes on Li Xiao Gui's cheeks and the tip of her nose. He paused again.

Just as Shen Chen hesitated, Li Xiao Gui pushed her yellow umbrella to the right and ducked out.

Li Xiao Gui held the umbrella with one hand and pushed the white umbrella back to Shen Chen with the other. "You hold it, you hold it. The umbrella is too small."

Li Xiao Gui said, then reached out and helped Shen Chen brush the snowflakes off his scarf.

Her small hand grasped the icy umbrella handle, then she pointed at Shen Chen's face with the rounded tip of her other hand. "Your face and head too."

Shen Chen silently brushed the snowflakes off his face at her words.

Li Xiao Gui felt her nose itch. She wrinkled her nose and twitched, shaking off the snowflakes that were tickling her. Then she reminded him, "And there's some in your hair too."

Shen Chen: Cute.

Shen Chen suddenly turned his head and walked forward, saying casually, "It's okay."

After taking two steps, Shen Chen stopped his transparent umbrella and turned it towards Li Xiao Gui's small yellow umbrella.

He reached out from under the slightly lower yellow umbrella and took the handle. Li Xiao Gui's vision suddenly brightened, and she looked up at Shen Chen.

Snowflakes fell one by one from the sky.

Shen Chen: "Didn't your uncle say he put gloves in your bag? Take them out and put them on."

Li Xiao Gui froze for a moment, then finally remembered. "Ah, yes. I forgot."

Li Xiao Gui unzipped her bag and took out her gloves. The gloves were yellow with white trim and felt soft and warm to the touch.

Li Xiao Gui took out the gloves and noticed that Shen Chen wasn't wearing any either, but she secretly compared them and thought that her gloves seemed too small.

Li Xiao Gui put on her gloves obediently and then slowly stood on tiptoe to take the umbrella back.

"Okay."

Her toes, which had been on tiptoe, came down, leaving two deep footprints in the snow.

The two continued walking forward, holding their different colored umbrellas. The pale yellow umbrella was slightly lower, and the transparent umbrella was higher.

The yellow umbrella asked, "Aren't your hands cold?"

The transparent white umbrella: "No. My hands are warm."

"Really?"

"Mm, touch them."

Author's Note:

Ghost Grandpa: Fewer snacks and candy, more exercise, balanced nutrition, be healthy!

Li Xiao Gui: Grandpa, do you think I'm fat? (sad face)

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