Chapter 085

The setting sun fell behind the treetops and the classroom became dark.

Chuxia and others packed up the manuscripts they had printed that day.

The leading student said, "Let's stop here for this year. Chinese New Year is just two days away. Let's all go home for the New Year. Come back early after the New Year and we'll continue working."

Everything that needed to be packed up was packed up, and everyone dispersed.

Chu Xia, Zhou Jin and Zheng Xiaomin left the classroom together. When they reached the stairs and had not yet gone down, they happened to meet Lin Xiaohan coming down from upstairs.

The Political Science and Law Department where Lin Xiaohan worked was on the building above the Economics Department, and Chuxia would often run into him.

Chuxia met him at this staircase at the beginning of the winter vacation. She learned that he was also staying in school and did not plan to go home, so she asked him to write some articles for their magazine.

After seeing Lin Xiaohan, Chu Xia didn’t continue with Zhou Jin and Zheng Xiaomin.

She said hello to Zhou Jin and Zheng Xiaomin and asked them to leave first. After Lin Xiaohan came down from upstairs, she went downstairs with Lin Xiaohan and asked him, "When are you going home?"

Lin Xiaohan asked her back: "What about you?"

Chu Xia looked at her feet and said, "I'll go back now. Can you spare some time before the New Year? I'll treat you to a meal."

I owed him two meals last year, and I haven't found a chance to formally invite him out for dinner this year.

The year is almost over, so I have to treat him out for a meal.

After descending the last flight of stairs, Lin Xiaohan asked, "The day after tomorrow?"

Chu Xia said: "Sure, where is your home? I'll go find you."

Lin Xiaohan: "I'll go find you."

Chu Xia had no objection, "That's fine."

I didn’t have anything to bring home in early summer, so I didn’t plan to go back to the dormitory.

She walked out of the school carrying her schoolbag, and Lin Xiaohan walked her part way and then sent her to the platform to wait for the bus.

After leaving the school gate, the two talked side by side.

Chu Xia couldn't help but sigh: "Time has passed so quickly this year. I didn't feel anything. It was like the blink of an eye and suddenly it's Chinese New Year again. Last year we set off fireworks together on New Year's Eve, and it felt like it was just yesterday."

This year, I have been either in the library or in the classroom, and most of my time has been spent studying, so naturally I feel that time is compressed.

Lin Xiaohan continued the topic of the New Year and said, "I will bring fireworks to see you this year."

Chu Xia suddenly laughed, looked at him and said nonchalantly: "Do you want me to prepare some New Year's money for you?"

Lin Xiaohan: “…”

He couldn't help but think of the time when he had a high fever in the countryside. When he was dazed by the fever, he missed his mother and called her "Mom". Chuxia was sitting in front of his bed, holding his hand and wanting to be his mother.

"Want to take advantage of me again?" He raised his hand and tapped Chu Xia on the head.

Chu Xia hissed and covered her head, then looked at him and said, "You're not happy with the money I gave you, why don't you give it to me? I don't mind, but a stingy person like you will definitely not be willing to give it to me."

Lin Xiaohan: “…”

After a moment, he asked back, "Am I that stingy with you?"

Chuxia put down her hands, counted on her fingers one by one and said: "Yes, you lent me steamed buns and pickles, and asked me to return the steamed buns and canned beef... There was water in the kettle, I stared at it for a long time, and then you poured me a small bottle cap with disgust... You handed the milk candies to me, but you didn't even give me one... You gave me snacks and asked me to cook for you for a year and a half... You bought me a five-cent cream popsicle and put it on the account..."

Lin Xiaohan: “…”

He cleared his throat to interrupt Chu Xia, "Did you write everything down in a notebook?"

Chu Xia: "No, that's just because I have a good memory."

Lin Xiaohan: “…”

There is still a long way to go.

***

As I was talking, I walked to the platform and the bus arrived just in time.

Chu Xia didn't hesitate. She immediately said goodbye to Lin Xiaohan and ran to the car.

After getting on the bus, he found a seat by the window and sat down. When the bus started moving, he just waved to Lin Xiaohan again and watched him disappear from his sight.

She withdrew her gaze and put down her hand, then Chuxia took out the book from her bag.

It gets dark early in winter, so I could only read halfway through the book and then couldn’t see the words anymore.

So Chuxia put the books back into her schoolbag, looked at the dark street scene outside the car window and listened to the station announcements in the car.

When the bus is about to arrive at the station, I get up and wait at the door to get off and go home in the night.

The alleys and courtyards were deserted.

But it was dinner time and every house was steaming hot.

After entering the yard, Chuxia went straight back to the north room, opened the door curtain and went into the house, just in time to wash her hands and sit down to eat.

Tang Haikuan and Wu Xuemei knew that Chuxia was working on a magazine with her classmates at school.

I asked her about this while eating, asking her if she had finished.

Chu Xia shook her head and said, "Hand-engraving and hand-printing are too slow. It's almost the New Year, so let's go home for the New Year first, and then go back to school and continue."

After talking about school for a while, Tang Haikuan and Wu Xuemei talked to Chuxia about the east room.

Wu Xuemei looked at Chuxia and said, "It had only been two days since you went back to school when San'er from the east room came back."

Hearing this, Chuxia didn't have any special reaction.

She looked at Wu Xuemei and nodded, "I know. I was at home the day he sent the letter back."

Wu Xuemei looked at Chu Xia for a while and asked again, "You really don't have any other thoughts about him, right?"

After all, Chuxia had done so much for Han Ting in the past. Sometimes she and Tang Haikuan would wonder if Chuxia was just sad and was still thinking about Han Ting in her heart.

Chu Xia quickly shook her head and said, "Of course not, there's nothing wrong with my brain."

Wu Xuemei was completely relieved when she heard this, and added: "That's good, Han Ting is getting married tomorrow."

marry?

Chu Xia became curious again, "Who are you going to marry?"

Tang Haikuan continued, "We don't know. You should know. It's the one you mentioned. He talked to her when he was sent to work in the countryside. We haven't met her yet."

Chuxia understood and nodded slowly.

She really didn't expect that Han Ting and Su Yun would get married, although she had silently blessed them.

In the novel, they have never been married and lived together. They have been entangled in separation and reunion based on their endless love. When they are apart, they keep their love deep in their hearts, and when they are together, it is like a burning fire of love.

Wu Xuemei added: "Their families have met each other. Wang Cuiying is very dissatisfied with this girl. She doesn't like this or that and finds a lot of faults with her. She says that except for her barely acceptable looks, she is not good in other aspects. She comes from a bad family background and has no job. She has been in the countryside for three years and doesn't look like she can live or work."

Chu Xia was curious again: "Then why would they agree?"

Wu Xuemei said, "That's because Han Ting has been doing something big without saying anything. He got the marriage certificate without telling his family. They have to get married no matter what. It would be undignified to just bring the girl home to live with him without doing anything. So we'll just set up two tables tomorrow."

The Han family didn't invite any relatives, but only invited people from the courtyard.

Together with Han Ting's two childhood friends Chaozi and Guogai, they could barely fit two tables.

Chu Xia nodded again after listening and said, "Very good."

Wu Xuemei's voice was a little lower. "What's good? The whole family can't eat or sleep because of this. Han Ting himself is unemployed, and now he brings another unemployed person back. Wang Cuiying and Li Lan don't have jobs either. Han Qingtian earns his hard-earned money by riding a tricycle. The wedding didn't cost much, but it cost a lot. How are we going to live in the future?"

Chu Xia smiled and said, "It has nothing to do with us."

That's true, Wu Xuemei agreed: "It really has nothing to do with us."