Chinese New Year and my presence

My niece remembers. A few months back, she was asking me when I would be back. That has since subsided.

Until recently. When Chinese New Year came aknocking. She seemed to have connected Chinese New Year to my presence at home (which is not incorrect as I've been home every summer thus far, except the current one of course) and has asked her parents and grandparents repeatedly where I am. Then she took to asking me directly over the phone again.

“Gu gu! 爲甚麽沒有囘來？”

“Gu gu東西還沒有做完。”

“爲甚麽Gu gu東西還沒有做完？”

“老師給gu gu很多功課做囉。”

“爲甚麽老師給gu gu這麽多功課做？”

“因爲gu gu要讀書嘛。”

“爲甚麽gu gu要讀書？”

At this point, grandma intercedes (and rescues me),

“當然要讀書啦！沒讀書就不識字了！慧慧也是有讀書，對不對？”

“對！”

“Gu gu恭喜發財和happy birthday后就囘來，好不好？”

“好！”

49 days to go.