致爱新春 Delivering a little love for Chinese New Year

Less than 24 hours after I had placed an online order on Alibaba's Tmall Supermarket, my father-in-law's jubilant voice on the other end of the phone conversation confirmed that everything had been delivered straight to his home in rural Zhejiang province. Yes, he had received the six bottles of French red wine, the three red-and-gold boxes of assorted Xinjiang dates and walnuts, and the two tins of ginseng – our Chinese New Year presents for the family.

我在阿里巴巴天猫超市下了一笔网购订单，不到24小时，住在浙江农村的公公就兴冲冲地来电话，说所有东西都直接送到家里了。这是我们给家里的年货，有六瓶法国红酒、三盒大红和烫金礼盒包装的新疆大枣和核桃，还有两罐人参。

Just as he felt such excitement over receiving the bounty of gifts we had chosen, I was thrilled by the remarkable convenience and ease of the whole online transaction.

跟公公收到年货时的喜悦心情一样，我也为在线交易的超级便利而欢欣不已。

Years before, not a single express delivery company guaranteed next-day shipping straight to someone's door in my in-laws' mountainous rural village, located over 20 kilometers away from the more urban county seat. Most orders used to take at least two to three days and usually required a trip by the recipient to the local express delivery station for pickup. But now, I didn't have to worry about whether my father-in-law could possibly lug all those bottles of wine and boxes of dates and walnuts back home from the station by himself, thanks to Tmall Supermarket and their attentive service.

我公公婆婆居住的山村距离县城有20多公里，过去任何一家快递公司都做不到第二天送货上门。大多数订单至少需要两到三天时间，并且需要收件人亲自到当地的快递站提货。现在因为有天猫超市的周到服务，我公公不用再去快递站把红酒、大枣和核桃拉回家。

I'm certain my husband Jun's family never imagined that one day, they would receive Chinese New Year goods, known asnianhuo, through home delivery. Traditionally, you would present them in person during the holidays. But we wouldn't be able to reunite with the family this year. And Tmall Supermarket's promise to deliver right to their house, the following day, made it the next best way to send them something special for the season.

我丈夫的家人应该没有想到，现在的年货能送货上门。过去的传统，都是在春节期间亲自送年货。但是今年我们不能跟家人团聚了。天猫超市承诺第二天送货上门，这成为春节送礼的最好方式。

When it comes to giving Chinese New Year goods, in certain respects, things have really changed in my husband's family, especially in the years since reform and opening-up that filled Jun's childhood. His earliest remembrances ofnianhuo – white granulated sugar, red dates,baijiu liquor and dried lychees – have now given way to more diverse and international offerings, such as boxes of organic milk, imported wines and chocolates, American pecans, and European olive oil. I've even observed Chinese New Year goods evolve in the years since I married into his family, witnessing a great variety of products become available with better quality and more dazzling Chinese-style packaging. And now with online shopping, it's possible to send almost anynianhuo to anyone in the family, even if you can't be home for the holidays.

说到送年货，这些年尤其是我丈夫亲身经历的改革开放以来，家里的年货发生了改变。丈夫最早记忆中的年货——白砂糖、红枣、白酒和荔枝干，已经被更加多样化、国际化的产品取代，比如有机奶、进口红酒和巧克力、美国山核桃和欧洲橄榄油。我们结婚后的这几年，也能感受到国产年货的变迁，质量更好，中式包装更炫。现在又有了网购，即便不能回家过年，也能把各种年货送给家人。

Yet even with these developments, some things will always remain the same.

然而，时代虽在发展，但有些方面依旧如初。

After all, the delight we heard over the phone in the words of my father-in-law, so enchanted to see those boxes from Tmall Supermarket, echoed his joy in past years whenever he would see me presentnianhuo at the table during the family dinner on Chinese New Year's Eve, the most important meal of the year. That's because the true spirit behind givingnianhuo has always endured. It's still a gesture to show love and care for those you cherish above all during China's greatest annual holiday, regardless of whether you're handing it to someone at the scene, or shipping it by next-day service through your favorite online store.

我们毕竟只能在公公收到天猫超市寄到的年货后，听到从电话里传来他的兴奋的话语，想象着过去那些年，每当一年最重要的年夜饭的餐桌上，看到我亲手送上的年货，他那开心的样子。送年货的背后，蕴含着真挚的情感。在中国这个最重要的节日，无论是亲自将年货送到对方手里，还是通过你最喜爱的网店将年货在第二天送达，都表达着对至爱亲朋的关爱之情。

But, with any luck, next year's special delivery to the family home will be me and my husband, bringing a little holiday cheer in person.

希望来年，我和丈夫能亲自带年货回家，给家人带去节日的欢乐。