I’m 30+ unmarried and received an angbao from my younger brother-in-law yesterday. I was so surprised I took it as in the 5+ years they have been together, my younger sister+husband have not given me an angbao during CNY – and I’ve never expected any.
But this year he suddenly came up and gave me one, shocked I just took it without thinking of the social etiquette behind an older person receiving from someone younger. (I’m thinking it’s probably because I helped look after their children when they went away on a trip)
Anyway my mum found out and told me off for accepting it saying “You are older how can you take it?!”
Me in my shock at being confronted I blurted out “Free money is money ah.” 😅😅😅😅 (In my defence I had just woken up from a nap and was half asleep)
And she retorted with “That’s like putting a price on your love for the children.”
So my question to all unmarried people, if someone younger than you who is married gives you an angbao, do you accept it? Was I wrong?
Here are what netizens think:
- Take also wrong. Don’t take also wrong. Just keep quiet and say OK. No right answer in this kind of question.
- Yah don’t think so hard la, no point here, everything also wrong if you keep rationalising it
- 3X unmarried here as well, no siblings but have younger married cousins. The first year a younger married cousin gave me an angbao, I tried rejecting it as I felt slightly weird taking it as I’m older than her… only for all my relatives to tell me to just take it. Also have since learnt that it’s even more rude to reject an angpao when offered one, so I’ve taken them since then.
- anyway, this kinda thing is very 意思 lol. Cousin only not say parent or grandparent so tbh its a token they can afford and a token I’m happy to just take lor. Because if reject means what, not happy not enough? Take means what, take youngster money? Dude if wna nitpick everything also wrong lolol u can’t win.