Hearing there was a surprise, the two little ones' eyes began to sparkle. "Really? What is it?"
Huo Tingzhou wasn't entirely sure either, just looking expectantly towards the basement.
"I told you it's a surprise. Even Dad doesn't know."
Afraid they would get restless and run around, Huo Tingzhou gave them an important task.
So, the two little ones promptly sat down on either side of Third Granduncle and Uncle Zhong.
"Great-grandpa, Grandpa Zhong, Mommy said she has a surprise for us!"
Hearing this, Third Granduncle and Uncle Zhong cooperatively set down their teacups. "Oh? Is that so!"
The siblings nodded in unison, even making a "shh" gesture.
Seeing the two little ones sitting there with their arms crossed, sitting up perfectly straight, Third Granduncle was a bit puzzled.
It was only after Huo Tingzhou explained that they understood the children were currently "building up their excitement."
Seeing this, everyone stopped talking, patiently waiting for Jiang Si while keeping vigil for the New Year.
Jiang Si was unaware of everything happening in the living room. At that moment, she was rummaging through chests and boxes in her space, looking for clothes.
She had already mostly sorted through the jewelry, but she had far too many clothes—nearly thirty boxes just for garments alone.
After searching for over ten minutes inside, Jiang Si finally found the chest specifically for storing formal gowns.
Most of these gowns were custom-made for her eighteenth birthday coming-of-age ceremony. Although the major political movement hadn't officially begun then, rumors were already circulating.
Knowing that Father Huo and Mother Huo were also coming to attend, Shen Xiuwen had generously commissioned over ten sets of gowns for her.
The rest were custom-made for her while Jiang's mother was still alive.
But these weren't what Jiang Si was looking for. She remembered that during Jiang's mother's final days, she had hired over ten master craftsmen to custom-make a wedding dress for her.
Not being able to see her daughter get married was Jiang's mother's greatest regret in life, so she had poured her heart and soul into the wedding dress.
For this reason, she specifically asked the master craftsmen to leave extra room in the measurements for future alterations.
After a thorough search, Jiang Si finally found the wedding dress, carefully wrapped in soft silk, at the bottom of the chest.
The dress was made with intricate three-dimensional lacework, the bodice embroidered with climbing roses.
The neckline featured a high mandarin collar design, paired with puffy, billowing sleeves—both retro and exquisite.
The matching headpiece was a gradient fringe made of silk flowers and matte pearls.
The long veil was edged with delicate lace.
Just like her amazement when she first saw the finished product over a decade ago, Jiang Si fell in love with it at first sight.
She had initially worried the size might not fit, but surprisingly, it fit her perfectly when she put it on.
This was mainly due to the master craftsmen's skill. Besides two rows of adjustable pearl buttons on the side waist, they had also left a wide lace ribbon in the back for cinching.
Apart from being somewhat heavy to wear, it was practically flawless.
After changing into the wedding dress, Jiang Si found a double-strand pearl necklace from her jewelry box and paired it with a pair of low-heeled Mary Jane shoes.
Unconsciously, this whole process took nearly forty minutes.
Afraid they would get anxious and come looking for her, Jiang Si didn't even have time to put on makeup. She just applied some lipstick to brighten her complexion, then lifted her skirt and went out.
The two little ones were indeed getting a bit restless.
Fortunately, Huo Tingzhou suggested making them little orange lanterns, which barely managed to placate them.
At that moment, he was intently peeling an orange in his hands.
Hearing footsteps, Huo Tingzhou instinctively looked up.
His movements froze instantly.
"Thud—"
Huo Tingzhou was so mesmerized that he didn't even react when the half-peeled orange in his hand fell to the floor.
Coincidentally, the orange rolled twice on the floor and came to a stop right before Jiang Si's lace-trimmed skirt.
The two little ones weren't much better off than their father.
Just moments before, the siblings had been discussing how no matter what surprise Mommy had, they were going to exclaim with loud "wows."
But upon seeing their mother, they were utterly stunned!
They even forgot to blink.
Finally, it was Third Granduncle and Uncle Zhong's voices that pulled the thoughts of the father and his two children back.
"Xiao Zhou, what are you standing there for? Go help her. Si Si's wedding dress is very heavy."
When Little Man had this wedding dress custom-made all those years ago, both of them old folks were present.
They heard from the master craftsmen that the dress had several layers in the skirt, weighing at least over ten pounds, and the headpiece was heavy too.
Only then did Huo Tingzhou snap out of it, quickly getting up to meet her.
The two little ones, showing good sense, also ran over to hold up the train of the dress.
Jiang Si didn't ask them if it looked good. Seeing the identical looks of awe on the faces of the father and his children was answer enough.
"So, are you satisfied now? Are you all happy?"
The children's reaction time took after their father. After a few minutes of stunned silence, exclamations of delight finally erupted around her ears.
"Mommy, are you a fairy?"
"Mommy, you're the most beautiful mommy in the world!"
"Even prettier than the movie stars on posters! Prettier than the princesses in fairy tales!"
"..."
Jiang Si accepted all the compliments graciously, though the children's praises were getting more and more extravagant.
Zhaozhao wished she would dress like this every day from now on, and her reason was quite compelling.
In her view, since Mommy lived in a house like a castle, she should dress like this every day.
Suisui, on the other hand, wished Mommy could dress like this to pick them up from kindergarten.
That way, all the children in the kindergarten would know that he not only had a cute and clever little sister, but also a mother more beautiful than a fairy!
Jiang Si was both amused and exasperated by their words. Please, spare your poor mother.
Just wearing it for this short while, she was already starting to sweat.
But thinking it was a rare occasion, Jiang Si still lifted her skirt and let the two little ones lead her around the living room slowly for over ten minutes.
During this time, the children improvised, applying the "Wedding March" they had heard at noon.
"Da-da-daa, da-da-da-daa..."
In the end, Huo Tingzhou brought out the camera he had prepared in advance.
With a flash of light, happiness was captured forever.
The consequence of this happiness was that night, the two little ones ignored their father's hints and suggestions. After washing up, they headed straight for the master bedroom on the second floor.
Huo Tingzhou sighed helplessly. "Alright, it's getting late. Time for you to sleep."
Suisui and Zhaozhao exchanged a look. "Daddy, you have to promise us one thing."
"What is it?"
"You can't secretly move us away after we fall asleep!" Then they added, "Tomorrow, we want to be the first to wish Mommy a Happy New Year!"
"Fine, I won't move you."
Seeing their father nod in agreement, the two little ones finally relaxed and obediently slipped under the covers.
But Huo Tingzhou had only promised not to move them away; he hadn't said they could sleep between him and his wife.
So, the moment the two little ones fell asleep, he moved them to the inner side of the bed.
At that time, there was less than an hour left before the New Year's bell would ring.
With the two little ones there, they couldn't really do anything anyway.
The two of them sat shoulder to shoulder, talking for quite a while before Huo Tingzhou finally asked a question.
"Darling, that wedding dress..."
