My System Forces Me to Live off Women

Chapter 541: Chapter 346: Dad and Mom, You Should Have a Second Child

With the development of the times, almost everyone is certain about one thing: the New Year atmosphere is getting weaker.

Nowadays, the 7-day break during the New Year holiday feels almost the same as a regular two-day weekend, sometimes even less enjoyable.

After all, there’s hardly anything more annoying than working seven consecutive days before the New Year.

Ultimately, the reason for the fading New Year atmosphere is the side effects produced during the gradual disintegration of agricultural social communities and farming culture, or perhaps the alienation of human society altogether by capitalism. Most working people in families have integrated into the capitalist mode of production as individuals, speeding up the pace of life, weakening emotional connections between people, making all festivals more commercialized... Capitalism turns people into spirits!

Most importantly, perhaps the group that used to be children has grown up.

Because they have grown up, they can no longer gather in groups, holding firecrackers and blowing things up like they did when they were young; because they have grown up, they can’t greet elders like before to get lucky money and New Year gifts, but instead need to spend money to prepare holiday supplies for the family and give younger kin red envelopes; because they have grown up, they can’t roam around carelessly with a runny nose and need to step up to cook, becoming the main force in household chores.

When people grow up, they take on responsibilities.

Happiness fades, anxiety increases, and naturally the New Year atmosphere weakens. They even feel like they’ve aged a year, with a vague worry about whether their income will increase next year, whether they can repay their mortgage and car loan, and anxiety prevents them from enjoying this New Year holiday.

"It’s just one miserable word, why even bother with New Year?"

Li Peifeng also felt helpless about this, especially since his birthday was on the day of the Spring Festival, which meant he seldom enjoyed the birthday cake ritual when he was young, only having dumplings instead.

And ever since Li Peifeng went to college at eighteen, he hasn’t received the lucky money from his parents anymore, with the reasoning being that he can already make money.

Every Spring Festival is his birthday, with the New Year atmosphere weakening each year, no lucky money and his birthdays being boring, purely adding insult to injury.

With three or four days left until New Year’s Eve, Li Peifeng returned from his grandparents’ place, couldn’t help but post a complaint on social media, which was seen by friends from [Chasing Wind Scumbag Girl Group] who left comments expressing their concern. Some girls even specifically sent him red envelopes, Guli Nazha included.

"Use it to buy some candy."

The highest amount in the red envelopes being no more than two hundred yuan, after being exposed to a 1.5 million yuan watch, he wasn’t tempted by such a small amount and did not accept it, deciding to casually chat with Guli Nazha for a bit and then moved on.

"Ding~ Ding~"

As for the closer ones like Xu Manning and Huang Tianxuan, they not only didn’t send him red envelopes but also criticized him in messages.

Xu Manning: "Withdraw that immediately, don’t think I don’t know you’re fishing!!"

Huang Tianxuan: "The hook is right by my mouth, you lousy guy, you used to ask for red envelopes in the book club, now you’re directly asking through social media? Are you baiting people for your own little pond again?"

"You guys really have wild imaginations."

To avoid misunderstandings, Li Peifeng deleted the post, and the two girls only let him off after that, bringing up his birthday and asking him about his plans.

"I’ll just have some dumplings and celebrate the New Year together, don’t worry about me, your happiness is my joy."

This was Li Peifeng’s reply after all since the special day on February first means the girls all need to spend time with their families for the New Year, traveling far just for his birthday seemed unnecessary and troublesome.

Huang Tianxuan: "Okay, since I gave you the gift in advance when I was in Hangzhou, so consider your birthday celebrated early."

Li Peifeng: "Mm, thanks for the watch, darling."

After responding, he looked at another chat where Xu Manning had fallen silent, almost showing no interest in celebrating his birthday, while Li Peifeng connected heart to heart and felt Miss Xu was still upset about the ’certificate signing order’, so he didn’t pursue it further.

[You sly turtle, you know your limits, if you ask me for a birthday gift, I’ll have Yueyue blow you up with 250 yuan firecrackers...]

Li Peifeng: "250 yuan worth of firecrackers are too dull, maybe 520 yuan would scare me a bit."

Xu Manning: "Don’t eavesdrop on my thoughts!!"

Li Peifeng: "But as soon as I think about you, darling, it’s like we’re in sync with our thoughts. Seems I need to restrain myself from thinking of you, I’ll try my best to restrain myself..."

Xu Manning: "(Angry) Don’t even think about not thinking about me!!!"

Li Peifeng: "(Speechless) Then what am I supposed to do?"

Xu Manning: "...Darling, why don’t you drive with Yueyue to the Capital, I’ll be with you for the New Year, and have your parents come too."

Li Peifeng: "Not very likely, who doesn’t spend New Year at home? I know what you’re anxious for, after the New Year I’ll head back to Beijing to meet your parents."

Xu Manning: "What use is that? Bring your parents along too, I want to announce your plan in front of both families, if they agree to let you marry four wives, I’ll agree."

Li Peifeng: "...If you want me dead, you might as well just blow me up with firecrackers, there’s no need for such elaborate plans."

Xu Manning: "I’m your first girlfriend!!"

Li Peifeng realized, finally understanding why Xu Manning was upset. It turned out to be about the certificate signing order. Well, that was easy to handle.

"But Qingge is older, and this marriage order doesn’t really mean anything, the marriage certificate doesn’t indicate the number of marriages. Although you’re the third, as long as we don’t disclose it, no one will know. Rest assured, this won’t lessen my love for you one bit, Manning, I love you~"