Xu Ying, her spirits low , kicked at pebbles on the path as she made her way home. The moment she stepped through the door, Xu’s mother beamed, pulling her into the kitchen. “My dear, try the fish Mom made! How does it taste?” she asked, overflowing with eager anticipation.
Xu Ying gazed at the sweet and sour carp, its vibrant colors promising a treat. She picked up her chopsticks and took a bite. After a few chews, her eyes widened in genuine surprise. “Mom, it’s delicious!” she exclaimed. Her mother’s cooking skills had truly improved by leaps and bounds!
Xu’s mother’s smile stretched from ear to ear at her daughter’s praise. “As long as it’s delicious,” she murmured, content. It wasn’t in vain that she had studied for so long.
“Little sister, go inside first,” Brother Xu instructed, holding a string of firecrackers, which he then hung on the clothesline in the yard. Xu Ying, covering her ears, darted away, seeking refuge beneath the eaves. As Father Xu lit the fuse, a joyous crackling filled the air, and the resounding chime of the New Year’s bell echoed through the village. No sooner had the sound of the firecrackers in the Xu family’s yard faded than the celebratory explosions began in other homes, a continuous, joyful cacophony.
“Yingying, let’s go out and play!” Lu Daya and Xu Jingjing ran in together, eager to pull Xu Ying away.
“Remember to come back for dinner!” Xu’s mother called out.
Xu Ying acknowledged her mother, then allowed herself to be pulled along by the two girls to the foot of the back mountain.
“Xu Ying, Happy New Year!”
A familiar voice resonated, and Xu Ying looked up in surprise. Huo Chen stood on the hillside, with a match in hand. He lit the fireworks, which soared into the night, then gracefully leaped down the mountain, striding purposefully towards Xu Ying. As the fireworks ignited, the entire starry sky burst into brilliant light.
“Wow, it’s so beautiful!” This was the first time Xu Jingjing and Lu Daya had witnessed fireworks, and their eyes were wide with wonder and delight. Xu Ying had seen fireworks before, but no one had ever set them off just for her. This was the first time someone had lit them solely for her pleasure.
“I heard that girls in the city like to watch this, so I bought some. It’s really pretty, isn’t it?” Huo Chen said, his gaze fixed on the dazzling display, then on Xu Ying. He then produced a red headband and a scarf, presenting them as if they were priceless treasures. He had originally intended to buy more elaborate gifts for Xu Ying, but since their last meeting, he realized she already seemed quite wealthy. He knew that a heartfelt gift was more meaningful than mere money. Then, he took out a bankbook and handed it to Xu Ying.
Xu Ying’s eyes widened as she stared at the bankbook in her hand. She leaned closer to Huo Chen, whispering into his ear, “Did you rob a bank?” The warmth of her breath, the soft scent of her hair, brushed against Huo Chen’s ear, sending a delicious tingle through him, making his throat constrict.
“No, I earned it,” he murmured, his voice a little hoarse.
“How is it so much?” It was 50,000 yuan! To earn that much in only half a month meant the work must have been incredibly dangerous. Xu Ying looked at Huo Chen, her expression tender. “You’re not allowed to go there anymore! What will I do if something happens to you?”
Huo Chen chuckled softly, gently scratching the tip of Xu Ying’s nose with his finger. “I thought you didn’t care about me!”
Xu Ying, feigning annoyance, pretended to be angry. “How could that be!”
“Then why do you always say it’s appropriate to break up when you’re not in love?” Huo Chen’s eyes darkened at the memory, and he looked at Xu Ying as if he could devour her. Xu Ying felt a sudden, inexplicable guilt, and her head drooped slightly.
“Ahem! We’re still here! You can’t just bully my cousin like that, Huo Chen!” Xu Jingjing couldn’t help but interject, seeing her cousin look so pitiful and bullied. Hearing her voice, Xu Ying’s head snapped up happily, and she quickly ran to Xu Jingjing, leaving Huo Chen feeling a little bewildered.
“Huo Chen, when are you going to explain your relationship to my uncle and the others?” Xu Jingjing asked, lifting her chin. “Love without marriage is just hooliganism. Now that you’re together, you need to make plans for marriage.”
Xu Ying’s jaw dropped.
Huo Chen suppressed his smile, his expression turning serious. “I’m going to Yingying’s house in the next few days, but I don’t know if Yingying is willing.”
“She will definitely be willing!” Xu Jingjing declared.
“Sister!” Xu Ying exclaimed, mortified.
Xu Jingjing shot her a look. “What’s wrong? Are you unwilling?”
Lu Daya, a willing accomplice, chimed in, “Yingying, anyone who doesn’t regard marriage as love is just a hooligan. You can’t be a hooligan, and you can’t give Huo Chen a chance to be a hooligan.” At the end of her sentence, Lu Daya looked noticeably depressed.
Xu Ying felt like she had shot herself in the foot. She looked at Huo Chen, her voice resolute. “Even if you meet my parents, you can’t bully me! If you bully me, I will break up with you!”
Huo Chen’s face lit up, his excitement almost childish. He swore instantly, “I can’t! I won’t!”
“That’s good!” Xu Ying said, then, with a playful push, urged Huo Chen away.
So many things had changed in this life. What had transpired between Sun Yiliang and Lu Daya was utterly beyond Xu Ying’s expectation. “Sister Daya,” Xu Ying began, “when do you and Teacher Sun plan to meet your parents? Are you getting ready to get married?”
“Da Ya, are you in love?” Xu Jingjing’s ears perked up, her eyes wide and flickering with curiosity as she leaned in, eager for gossip.
Lu Daya didn’t try to hide anything. She nodded, but a trace of sadness shadowed her expression. Looking at Xu Ying, Lu Daya poured out all her recent frustrations. “I don’t know if I want to continue with him. I’m not young anymore, and my parents hope I can get married soon. But Sun Yiliang has never mentioned marriage. I talked to him a few days ago, and he said he was still young and wanted to wait a few more years before getting married.”
“I don’t know if I should wait any longer!” Lu Daya confessed, looking truly uncomfortable. Yet, she felt a strong reluctance to break up; they had been together for half a year.
“Is he nice to you?” Xu Jingjing asked.
Lu Daya nodded.
“How is he nice to you?” Xu Ying pressed, wanting to assess the true nature of his kindness.
Lu Daya’s eyes lit up as she spoke of him. “Whenever the weather changes, he reminds me to wear warmer clothes so I don’t catch a cold. He says that when he makes money, he’ll buy me clothes, and when we get married, he’ll treat me well, and I won’t have to do the housework alone…”
Upon hearing this, Xu Jingjing grew indignant. “Sister Da Ya, are you stupid? These are just empty words! Who wouldn’t say such things if they don’t have to act on them?”
“Sister Da Ya,” Xu Ying added, feeling that Lu Daya was hopelessly naive, as if their previous conversation had been in vain. “If you want to see whether a man treats you well, it depends on whether he is willing to spend money on you. Anyone can match his words with actions, but you have to see if he is truly giving to you.”
“But he still has a sister to support!” Lu Daya hesitated, offering a defense.
Xu Jingjing’s temper flared. “His sister is old enough! Why does he need to support her? If he has to support her now, what about later, when you get married and have children? Who will support your children then? Sister Da Ya, this man is just a freeloader. Don’t be fooled by his sweet words. Break up with him as soon as possible!” Xu Jingjing’s anger was palpable.