Chapter 116

Hearing Han Ting say this, Chu Xia also raised her eyes and looked at him.

He now looks decadent, as if he had suffered a huge blow in life and fell into depression, and has lost all enthusiasm for his own life.

Han Ting also knew that there was no shortage of people in the Tang family’s restaurant.

He said this in a self-deprecating and resigned tone, and then stopped talking.

Tang Haikuan and Wu Xuemei washed the vegetables and meat in early summer and returned to the kitchen together.

The three of them continued to work together cutting vegetables, chopping meat and shredding radishes.

Wu Xuemei chopped the meat and whispered, "What does he mean by saying this all of a sudden? Is he still thinking about our Xia Xia?"

Tang Haikuan said: "He still dares to think about it now, I will chop off his head!"

His daughter Chuxia has just graduated from a prestigious university and will be working as a cadre in a public institution after the New Year. Han Ting not only has nothing now, but is also divorced. How dare he still think about her?

As she said this, Wu Xuemei suddenly thought of something else.

She didn't continue the conversation, and looked at Chu Xia and asked, "By the way, Xia Xia, you and Xiao Lin have already graduated, have you started to think about this?"

In early summer, I was cutting radish shreds with my hands.

After hearing this, she paused for a moment, looked at Wu Xuemei and said, "We just graduated and haven't reported to the unit yet. We haven't... thought about this..."

Wu Xuemei looked at Chu Xia and continued to ask, "So, are there any intentions between you and him now?"

Chu Xia's heart was beating uncontrollably, and she said, "I don't have one yet. I'm not in a hurry to get married. I'll talk about it after I get a stable job."

Wu Xuemei and Tang Haikuan looked at each other and didn't say anything more.

They chatted about other light-hearted topics, and laughed while preparing the fillings for the dumplings, and shaping them into round radish and meatballs.

After lunch, the dough had not yet risen, so the three of them fried the meatballs.

When the dough has risen in the evening, steam the buns and you’re done for the day.

After washing up and getting ready for bed in the evening, Tang Haikuan went to bed first and warmed the quilt.

Wu Xuemei sat at the desk and applied cold cream in front of the mirror. After she finished applying it on her face, she gently rubbed her hands inside and out.

Wu Xuemei asked Tang Haikuan: "Do you think Xia Xia and Xiao Lin have that kind of relationship?"

Tang Haikuan thought for a moment and said, "If you ask me to think about it, I really can't figure it out. Didn't Xia Xia say it herself today? She doesn't have it for now."

"How could there not be?" Wu Xuemei sat on the bed and said, "If she hadn't, would she have allowed Xiaolin to come to her house all the time? Would she not have treated him as an outsider? Looking at how they usually get along, I have always felt that they should have had feelings for each other in their hearts for a long time, but they just never broke the window paper. If they were not interested in each other, could their relationship have been so good until now?"

Tang Haikuan thought about this for a while.

He looked at Wu Xuemei and asked in confusion: "Then why did Xia Xia say no?"

Wu Xuemei: "They are too embarrassed to tell us, or too embarrassed to admit it."

Tang Haikuan: "Why don't we help them get back together and let them break this window paper?"

Wu Xuemei thought about it and shook her head, saying, "Forget it. Let them figure it out on their own. We don't really know what's going on between them, and it wouldn't be good if it makes things awkward."

Tang Haikuan thought about it and agreed.

It is most difficult for outsiders to interfere in emotional matters.

So he stopped thinking about it, and lay down and said in a relaxed voice: "That's true. We are all old, and the times are different now. We don't understand the things between young people. Let them deal with it on their own."

Wu Xuemei nodded, turned off the lights, lay down, chatted with Tang Haikuan for a few more words, and then fell asleep.

***

The next day was New Year’s Eve.

The yard, which had been deserted for a year, became lively early this morning.

No one has to go to work or go out to make a living.

In the west room, Jiang Guanjie and Jiang Shan came home early for the winter vacation. After getting up this morning, the brother and sister were busy cleaning the house and putting up Spring Festival couplets and window decorations.

Han Lei and Li Lan from the east room returned with their two children at dawn.

Han Ting did not sleep in his room that day. After being woken up by Han Lei, he washed up and took Han Mengyuan and Han Feipeng to clean the house and put up Spring Festival couplets and window decorations.

In the atmosphere of the New Year.

No matter how many terrible and devastating things happened in the past year, on this day everyone's face was filled with festive and enthusiastic smiles.

In the midst of the busyness, it seems that what is being swept away is not only the dust that has accumulated over the year, but also all the unhappiness and dissatisfaction of the past year.

The house is decorated inside and outside to welcome the new atmosphere of the new year.

After a busy day, we have the New Year’s Eve dinner and then watch the TV gala to stay up until the end of the year.

After twelve o'clock, the adults gave New Year's money to the children at home, then took the firecrackers and fireworks they had bought in advance, and went to the alleys to set off firecrackers and fireworks together in a lively manner.

When fireworks were being set off in the alley, Chaozi and Guogai ran over to find Han Ting.

The three of them did not join in the fun to set off the fireworks, but just stood in the corner and watched others have fun.

While looking up at the fireworks, Chaozi and Guogai each put their arms around Han Ting's shoulders to give him strength and comfort.

The pot lid said, "Brother Ting, everything will be fine."

Chaozi continued, "Life is all about ups and downs, it's no big deal."

They have been through everything, so this is not a hurdle that they can't overcome.

Han Ting took a deep breath as he looked at the night sky filled with fireworks.

He suddenly said, "Tell me, if I had understood Chu Xia's feelings earlier, and seen the good in her earlier, if I hadn't been so self-righteous that she suffered so much for me, and hadn't let her be disappointed and heartbroken in me, what would my life be like now?"

These were the words he had been holding in his heart for three whole years.

Over the past three years, he has imagined this scenario countless times in his mind.

He wanted to say "I'm sorry" to Chuxia countless times, but he never said it.

There is no "if" in life, and saying sorry cannot change any reality.

Chaozi and Guogai looked at Han Ting and breathed a sigh of relief.

They glanced at Chu Xia who was setting off fireworks with Tang Haikuan and Wu Xuemei.

In the early summer now, just standing there and smiling can make people feel like they are glowing.

After looking away and being silent for a while, Chaozi said, "Brother Ting, she is no longer the same as us."

Hearing this, Han Ting laughed at himself, "So my mom was right, I am indeed blind."

Seeing Han Ting so depressed, Guo Gai comforted him in a relaxed tone: "Brother Ting, don't think about these things. Let the past be the past and let's start over. Love is a matter of one period after another. If this one is gone, there will be the next one. Have you forgotten that you are our most unrestrained and uninhibited Brother Ting, and there is nothing that you, Brother Ting, cannot tolerate."

Han Ting said: "I may never get over this matter in my lifetime."

Whenever I think back, from childhood to adulthood, my life has been almost entirely filled with the presence of early summer.

She silently filled his entire life, leaving countless marks in his more than twenty years of life.

All the care and affection that he had once ignored became clearer and clearer in his mind over the years, and every little thing was restored clearly.

He could even remember every expression on Chu Xia's face when she called him "Brother Han Ting".

And he had never seen or appreciated all of this before.

Whenever I think of this, I feel deep bitterness in my heart.

***

After all the fireworks were set off, Chuxia, Tang Haikuan and Wu Xuemei welcomed the new year with great joy, and then went back to the house to sleep in great happiness.

I didn’t sleep for long and woke up early the next day.

Get up and eat the first dumplings of the New Year in the festive atmosphere of the New Year.

In the early summer of this year, I didn’t go to each family to wish them a happy new year like a child.

However, when we meet, we will be polite and courteous, say a few auspicious words to wish each other a happy new year with a smile, and get a few auspicious words at the same time.

In the afternoon, Lin Xiaohan also came with gifts to wish everyone a happy new year.

Chuxia, Tang Haikuan and Wu Xuemei all knew that he might not be able to enjoy the New Year at home, so they specially prepared a large table of dishes today just to make up for it for him.

Chuxia also specially saved a few buckets of fireworks.

After dinner in the evening, I still went to the park with him to set off fireworks.

When we get to the park, we go to the old place.

In early summer, take out all the fireworks and place them in rows on the ground.

Then she took out a lighter from her pocket, handed it to Lin Xiaohan and said, "You come."

Lin Xiaohan took the lighter and asked, "Have you thought of all your wishes?"

Chu Xia nodded at him, "I've thought about it all."

Lin Xiaohan went over and lit the first firework barrel.

As the first barrel of fireworks rose into the sky, Chu Xia and Lin Xiaohan watched side by side and made all their wishes for the year in their hearts.

Then when the second bucket of fireworks was launched, Chu Xia suddenly took out a red paper package from her pocket, and said with a smile under the light of the fireworks: "I have not only prepared wishes, but also New Year's money for you."

In the past two years, she was the one who received his New Year's money, but this year she wants him to receive it.

When Lin Xiaohan saw the New Year's money, he was silent for a moment, then took a step back.

He cleared his throat and said, "Forget about the New Year's money."

Look at him like this.

Chu Xia smiled and said, "You have taken advantage of me for two years. This year I must take it back."

After saying that, she took a step closer to Lin Xiaohan, and couldn't help but smile with a silly and smug look on her face. She reached out to grab Lin Xiaohan's pocket, trying to stuff the red envelope into his pocket.

As a result, Lin Xiaohan blocked it with her hand and she couldn't get it in.

Chuxia raised her head and looked at him, intimidating him with her eyes, then went to search his chest pocket.

Lin Xiaohan didn't block him this time.

Chuxia opened his chest pocket and stuffed the red envelope into it.

Just after she stuffed the red envelope and before she took her hand back, Lin Xiaohan suddenly held her hand.

Chuxia was stunned for a moment, then raised her head with a puzzled look.

As soon as I raised my eyes, I met a pair of dark eyes in the light of the fireworks.

Fireworks exploded above her head, and her heartbeat skipped a beat.

Realizing that she was standing too close to Lin Xiaohan, and that she was almost lying on his chest in order to put the money into his pocket, she quickly stepped back to create some distance between them.

As a result, just as she moved back a little, Lin Xiaohan grabbed her hand and pulled her back.

Almost bumping into him, Chu Xia's heart was pounding. She raised her head and asked him, "What...what are you doing?"

Lin Xiaohan suddenly lowered his head and moved closer to her face, saying, "Han Ting is behind us."

The moment Lin Xiaohan lowered his head and leaned his face towards her, Chu Xia's heart suddenly tightened again, and even her breathing tightened in an instant. But she understood what he meant, so she just stood there without moving.

Then Lin Xiaohan didn't raise his head again and just looked at Chu Xia from a close distance.

The distance between them was so close that Chu Xia could not only see his eyes and lips, but also feel his breath.

His close gaze seemed to carry a raging fire.

Chuxia felt her heartbeat getting faster and faster uncontrollably, as if heavy drum beats were hitting her eardrums. Large areas of heat quickly formed on her earlobes, spreading to her cheeks.

Just when Chu Xia felt that her breathing was about to break, Lin Xiaohan suddenly said, "Have you figured it out? When you like someone, you can't help but be moved."

Chu Xia's eyes suddenly widened as she looked into his eyes that were right in front of her.

My heartbeat, my breathing, the fire that was burning in my cheeks, everything was spinning out of control.

There was a sudden explosion above my head.

Chuxia came to her senses, immediately pulled her hand out of his, turned around and ran away.