The liveliest part of the New Year was, of course, the tradition of paying respects to elders. Leading the way, Briana and Lena’s father knelt first before the old master and madam, bowing their heads in reverence. The elders handed out red envelopes—an unchanging tradition in this family. No matter the age, as long as one knelt to pay their respects, a red envelope was given. Even though they were long past the age of caring about money, Briana and her husband still accepted the envelopes with childlike joy, grinning as they expressed their thanks. After them, it was Aaron’s turn. Lena had seen him standing tall countless times but had never witnessed him kneeling. Especially in recent years, since he barely returned to the country, he had only ever sent his New Year’s greetings over the phone. Now, watching him kneel down, she realized that even though he did it the same way as everyone else, it felt… different. There was something regal about the way he moved, as if he
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