Gifting in sets of six or eight brings good luck

[Scene: A cozy teahouse in Shanghai. Li Wei and Chen Hao sit by the window, sipping jasmine tea. On the table are two small boxes wrapped in red paper.]

Li Wei:
(grinning and pushing a box toward Chen Hao)
Here you go! I got you a little something — well, actually eight little somethings. Eight pairs of chopsticks. Eight, you know, because ba sounds like fa — wealth! You’re going to have such good fortune this year!

Chen Hao:
(chuckling)
Eight pairs of chopsticks? Wei, I live alone. I barely use one pair a day, and now I have eight? What am I supposed to do, open a noodle shop?

Li Wei:
(laughs)
Maybe! But I’m telling you, it’s not about using them — it’s about the luck they bring. Remember during Spring Festival last year, when I gave my cousin six oranges? The next week, she got that promotion she’d been waiting for. Coincidence? I don’t think so.

Chen Hao:
(raising an eyebrow)
Or maybe she worked hard, impressed her boss, and it just happened to line up with your oranges. You know, oranges don’t really have a hotline to HR.

Li Wei:
(waving his hand dismissively)
Ah, you always say that! But why take the risk? Why not lean on a little extra luck? Even my grandma says when you give things in sets of four, it’s bad luck — because si sounds like death! And I tell you, I’ve felt it. Once, my friend gave me four teacups — that week, my phone screen cracked and my scooter broke down.

Chen Hao:
(grinning)
Wei, you’re connecting random events. If I gave you four socks, and then you tripped over a crack in the sidewalk, would you really blame the socks? It’s our brains — we’re wired to look for patterns, even when none exist.

Li Wei:
But don’t you feel better when things just… align? Like when you set your alarm for 8:08, don’t you feel like the day starts on a lucky note?

Chen Hao:
Honestly? No. I feel better when I get eight hours of sleep, not when the clock shows magic numbers. Look, I get that traditions can be comforting — they connect us to family, culture, even give us a sense of control when life feels unpredictable. But they’re not causing the good or bad stuff.

Li Wei:
Hmm. So you’re saying I should just… ignore all of it?

Chen Hao:
Not necessarily. I think if it makes you happy, go ahead — wrap things in red paper, gift in eights, avoid the number four on hotel floors. But maybe don’t depend on it. You worked hard for your new job, right? That wasn’t because you wore red underwear on the first day, was it?

Li Wei:
(snorts with laughter)
Okay, okay — point taken! Though, to be fair, the red underwear didn’t hurt.

Chen Hao:
(laughing)
Touché! Maybe that’s the best compromise — keep the traditions that make you happy, but give yourself credit for the hard work and planning behind your success.

Li Wei:
Alright, Mr. Scientist, deal. But just to be safe, I’m still setting your birthday gift at eight items next month.

Chen Hao:
(grinning)
Fine. Just make sure it’s not eight alarm clocks, or I’m blocking your number.

Li Wei:
Deal! But they’ll all be set for 8:08.

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[Both laugh, clinking their tea cups together as the afternoon sun filters through the window.]