ang pow inflation

as kids years back, we’d look forward to receiving fat red packets [ang pow] from elders who were giving distributing handing them out. of course, we had to make sure we greeted our parents’ brother or sister or cousin properly according to their ranks first, before we were handed the red packets. we’d fight among cousins to see who could greet the uncle or aunty the loudest, “GONG XI FA CHAI, KU MA!!!!!” or something like that.
and as the older ones we’d snub the younger cousins, “haha, yours so little! i got more money!!” just to make them cry. yeah, we were meanies. ;P
fast forward, and we now don’t find ourselves eagerly rushing to corner unsuspecting relatives for angpows anymore. politely, we’d shake hands and wish them good health, happiness and wealth for the new year, and shyly, uncomfortably accepting the angpows. feeling too old to be accepting angpows. = as working adults, should we not accept them, or shall we just take them, because we’re still not married?
i remember the biggest angpow i ever received was RM1,000.00 when i was 14 or younger. but now, how come i don’t get such an amount?? inflation???
i’m not shy! just accept any angpow given to me….. but i dread hearing the words that accompany them, “so when are you going to bring your boyfriend home to introduce him to us??”
“what boyfriend la, aunty… don’t have…..”
“what don’t have…. so shy for what….” my aunt will nudge me, thinking she could coax me into saying, “YES, I HAVE! NEXT YEAR I BRING OK!”
“don’t have la…. because i wanna continue collecting ang pows! hehehe…”
but i overheard my uncles suggesting that they may start a rule from next year onwards that for every year we delay in getting married, we’d have to refund a certain amount from the angpow received. which sounds rather stingy if the angpow is only RM10, and i’m asked to refund 20%!