This light-hearted story is about a M’sian Chinese family’s habit of gossiping and how the tables were turned on them during their 2025 CNY reunion dinner.
My cousin Vivien has always been the golden child: Straight-As from primary school through uni, impeccable manners, and a smile so sweet it could charm even the most kepoh auntie into smiles.
But behind Vivien’s perfect exterior was a sense of frustration simmering for years, and it all boiled over during our 2025 Chinese New Year reunion dinner at Ah Ma’s house in Penang.
Vivien and I have always been close, despite the distance. She’s based in KL for work, while I’ve stayed in Penang, but we keep in touch regularly—texting, calling, and meeting up when we’re in each other’s kampung. Among the cousins, she’s the one I get along with best. She’s sharp, funny, and never treats me like an afterthought, even when everyone else does.
By day, she works in marketing, but her real passion—and side hustle—is being a beauty and fashion influencer. With over 250K followers on Instagram and TikTok, everything she posts looks effortless.
But within the family, her curated perfection wasn’t as admired, and she knew it. That night, as everyone was finishing their tong sui, Vivien leaned over to me and whispered, “You know, they always talk about me behind my back.”
I blinked. “What are you talking about? Everyone loves you. You’re the role model!”
She gave me a tight smile and pulled out her phone. “That’s what they want you to think. Here, look.”
Tracker of Family Gossip
On her phone, she had created a folder of notes. I flipped through and felt a shiver of excitement run down my spine. It was a family gossip tracker:
- Uncle Lim said she was “too perfect” and “trying too hard to impress people.”
- Auntie Dorothy called her Instagram “fake” because “nobody’s life is that happy.”
- Even her mum had told Ah Ma that Vivien was “too independent” and would “probably end up divorced and alone by 30.”
I stared at her, stunned. “Why did you keep all this?”
Vivien smiled, though her eyes flashed with mischief. “For proof. No matter how perfect I am, they’ll always find something to criticize. But this year,” she said, smoothing her cheongsam, “I’ve decided to hentam balik,” she gave me that influencer wink-kiss-head tilt, “Revenge this year, is served with lap mei fan.”
The Toast To Usher in Chaos
The dinner went smoothly until she stood with her glass of Chinese tea and tapped a spoon against it. “To family,” she said, smiling brightly. “The people who always have your back—or at least a comment about it.”
A few cousins chuckled nervously, but the aunties and uncles exchanged glances. Vivien continued. “I just want to thank Uncle Lim for thinking I try too hard, Auntie Dorothy for saying my Instagram is fake, and oh, Mum,” she added, turning to her mother, “Thanks for telling Ah Ma I’ll be divorced by 30.”
Dead silence. The only sound was the faint popping of firecrackers at a distant neighbour’s house… probably where quite a few people wish they were at that moment. I was trying not to burst out laughing. Vivien set her glass down and smiled sweetly. “Just thought we should have some honesty this year. Gong Xi Fa Cai, everyone!”
Letting the Fireworks Fly
She sat down as if nothing had happened, but the tension around the table was palpable. Before anyone could respond, our cousin Wei Xuan, known for his big mouth, leaned back and grinned. “Since we’re being honest,” he said, “Who’s going to address the elephant in the room?” he flicked his chopsticks, towards the object of his attention, “Auntie Linda’s jade bracelet.”
I covered my laughter with a choked fake cough, as I caught Vivien’s eye across the table. She’d given me the same wink as before and it fell into place: Vivien was the firecracker; Wei Xuan was the match.
All eyes turned to Auntie Chun, who was conveniently wearing a very familiar jade bracelet on her wrist. “These?” Auntie Chun stammered, holding up her arm. “Oh, these are just a gift from Uncle Lim last year. Nothing to do with Auntie Linda.”
Wei Xuan smirked. “Really? Because Linda told me they were one of a kind. Funny how they ended up as yours.”
Uncle Lim’s face turned red. “Eh, let’s not jump to conclusions, lah. Maybe there’s a misunderstanding.”
But Wei Xuan wasn’t done. “Oh sure, just like how Linda’s antique teapot is now in your living room?”
At this point, Ah Ma banged her chopsticks on the table. “Enough!” she snapped, glaring at everyone. “Nobody is fighting over my sister’s things during Chinese New Year!”
The room fell silent, and for a moment, we all thought that would be the end of it. But then my brother Ming blurted out, “Well, since we’re at it, who took Linda’s car? I could’ve used that!”
Burning Down Everything to Clear the Air
The room erupted like a firecracker factory doused in petrol. Auntie Dorothy accused Uncle Lim of being greedy. Uncle Lim shot back about how Auntie Dorothy had borrowed money she never returned.
Mum started complaining about how Wei Xuan always showed up late for family events. Min brought up a time when I accidentally knocked over his drink when we were kids.
Everyone was shouting, rehashing old grievances and airing fresh ones. Through it all, Vivien just sat there, sipping her tea with a satisfied smile. I leaned over to her. “Why would you do this?” I asked, genuinely baffled.
She tilted her head, her expression serene. “Years of snide remarks, gossip, and kaypoh nonsense. Sometimes you have to burn everything down to clear the air.”
The fireworks outside faded as the chaos inside continued. This year’s Chinese New Year reunion dinner wasn’t just unforgettable—it was historic. One thing’s for sure: The 2026 Reunion Dinner would be very interesting.
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