Chapter 121 Topic

We stood there and chatted for a while about family matters. Lin Yan even went to the stall next door and bought a lot of nutritional supplements and pastries suitable for the elderly. He forced them on the aunt who was accompanying my great aunt and asked her to help carry them back.

Looking at my aunt's back as she staggered away, I couldn't hold back my emotions any longer. I didn't care that we were at a busy market. I turned around and hugged Lin Yan tightly, burying my face in his chest, tears flowing silently.

"Husband..." My voice was muffled and nasal.

Lin Yan didn't say anything, but just hugged me back tightly, then gently pulled me and walked quickly into a relatively quiet and deserted alley next to me.

The alley was very quiet, with only the two of us.

He held me in his arms, patting my back again and again, his voice so gentle that it could drip water: "Alright, alright, don't cry anymore, honey... It's all over, I'll be here for you from now on."

I grabbed his clothes, tears all over him, sobbing, "Thank you... for speaking up for me just now..."

I never dared to say those words, or even think about them.

But he said it so firmly and without any reservation, as if he was protecting the grievance that I had always carefully hidden.

"Silly wife, isn't this what I should do?" Lin Yan lowered his head and gently wiped away my tears with his fingertips. "If I don't speak for you, who will? You must remember that from now on, the two of us are a small family. If I don't feel sorry for you, who will?"

"...well," I leaned into his arms, feeling both warm and sad, "but...my parents..."

"Wife," Lin Yan held my face and made me look into his eyes. His eyes were serious and deep. "Sometimes, people have to learn to 'separate issues.' Your mother was treated unfairly in the past, and that's an issue she needs to face. You feel sorry for her, and as a son, that's a very normal and precious emotion."

He paused, his tone more resolute. "However, you also have your own challenges. Growing up, you didn't enjoy enough maternal love, and you may even have endured a lot of neglect and pressure. The grievances you suffered are real. This doesn't become unimportant just because your mother suffered."

I looked at him, tears streaming down my face again, but my heart seemed to be illuminated by something, and suddenly I felt clear. "Lin Yan...you're right..."

"And now, being with me, you might face outside criticism, and even your uncle and aunt might be implicated. This isn't just a problem for you."

He held my hand tightly, his eyes gentle yet powerful. "This is a common problem for both of us. So, don't carry it alone anymore. Let me help you share some of the burden. Remember, I'll be there for you from now on."

I looked into his determined eyes, felt the warmth of his palm, and all the confusion, grievance, and anxiety in my heart seemed to have found a place to rest. I nodded vigorously and shook his hand tightly with my backhand.

"Yeah! With you here, I'm not afraid of anything."

After our emotions gradually calmed down, we rejoined the crowd at the market and continued our task of purchasing firecrackers and fireworks.

I came to a stall selling fireworks and firecrackers, and the various bright red packages looked festive.

We picked out a long string of firecrackers, and Lin Yan also took a fancy to a few large fireworks with unique shapes.

I looked at the fireworks in his hand and couldn't help laughing: "We can finally set off fireworks together this time!" In the past, either I didn't have the conditions or the mood, and I always felt that this was a very distant thing.

Lin Yan nodded, with some anticipation in his eyes: "Well, this opportunity is indeed rare. I've lived in the city for so long that I almost forgot what it's like to set off fireworks. There are no-burning zones everywhere."

Hearing what he said, my heart moved slightly, and I looked at him with some sadness: "It seems... your family rarely set off fireworks after that?"

"Not very often," Lin Yan said calmly, but with a hint of subtle melancholy. "Ever since my mom passed away, there hasn't been much of a New Year's atmosphere at home. Only that brat Lin Heng would occasionally make a fuss about setting off fireworks, and I would accompany him a little."

He paused, then added, "Mostly to make him happy."

Thinking of Lin Heng, my heart felt sad again.

That seemingly heartless boy hides so much desire for family warmth in his heart.

Lin Yan didn't want to make the atmosphere too solemn, so he turned to ask me, "How about your family? Did you have many New Year's gifts?"

I shook my head. "Not much. We just do it once a year, setting off firecrackers to suit the occasion. Fireworks... feel a bit extravagant. Plus, my dad finds them too noisy, and my mom thinks they're unsafe."

In fact, it is more of a habit of "just getting by", lacking a warm sense of ritual.

Lin Yan reached out and ruffled my hair. His tone was gentle, but it carried an unquestionable promise: "Let's set off fireworks every year from now on. I'll accompany you to set off fireworks to your heart's content."

I looked at his serious expression, and my heart warmed. I couldn't help but tease him, "I didn't expect Boss Lin to be so romantic~"

Lin Yan immediately raised his chin arrogantly: "That's... don't you see whose husband he is!"

We visited a few more stalls.

Lin Yan seemed to have turned on a switch. He looked around with great interest and kept asking me, "Ruirui, is there anything else you like? How about this one? How about that one?"

I felt a little embarrassed by his attitude. I felt like a kid who was taken out to play by his parents. I wanted everything I saw but was too embarrassed to ask.

"Hmm... I haven't played these for a long time, and I don't know what's popular now..."

"It's been a while since I last played, so I have to play even more!"

Lin Yan said, picking up a box of thin, silver-shining fairy wands from the side, and asked me with bright eyes, "Do you like this? It looks very beautiful when you draw circles in your hand."

I looked at the thin fairy wand that emitted tiny sparks of light when burning, and nodded. The few happy memories from my childhood were brought back to me: "I like it."

Lin Yan immediately said to the boss, "Boss, please help me get a bundle of this."

The boss, a warm-hearted middle-aged man, cheerfully took it and pointed to several larger boxes nearby. He enthusiastically recommended, "Good taste, handsome man! The fairy wand girls... uh, even kids love them! And look at these? They're all new, and the effects will be absolutely stunning! Baby's breath, peacocks spreading their tails, golden willows forming a shade... guaranteed to look great!"

Lin Yan looked at them one by one with great interest, then waved his hand: "They all sound good, so please pack them all for me."

"Hey! Lin Yan!" I quickly grabbed his arm, "Why buy so much? We can't put it all away!"

"I'm going to buy them anyway, so I might as well try all of them and see which one works best." He said in a tone that said, "It's no big deal."

"You really are...you start spending money lavishly as soon as you make money!" I muttered to myself.

Lin Yan lowered his head and leaned close to my ear, his voice full of smiles and as if for granted: "Anyway, the money I earn is for you to spend. I'm happy to spend money on you."

I simply couldn't do anything about him and could only helplessly hold my forehead.

The boss was so happy that he quickly packed our selections into beautiful red plastic bags, praising us non-stop: "Great! You two handsome men are so generous! No matter whether your wife is a man or a woman, you should pamper her well, right? It's Chinese New Year, so just have fun!"

My face turned red in an instant. I was so embarrassed that I wanted to find a hole to crawl into. I secretly pinched the back of Lin Yan's hand.

Lin Yan laughed instead, put his arm around my shoulders, and nodded to the boss: "Boss, you are right, you have to pamper her well."

We bought some small things, and I was really afraid that this "money-giving boy" would take half of the market home, so I quickly pulled him back.

When we got home, my mother saw the huge bag of fireworks and firecrackers we were carrying. She was stunned for a moment and asked, "Why did you buy so many?"

Lin Yan answered immediately, her tone very natural: "Mom, Ruirui likes it."

I:"……"

I quickly explained, "Mom, don't listen to his nonsense! He insisted on buying it!"

My mother looked at me, then at Lin Yan, who had a calm expression on his face. Her eyes moved back and forth between us, and finally she just said lightly: "It's very good. If you like it, buy more." After that, she turned around and went to do other things.

I was completely stunned. I punched Lin Yan and lowered my voice: "What's going on? Why did my mother suddenly unite with you?"

Lin Yan leaned close to me and whispered proudly, "It's not about being on the same page, it's just that Mom wants to make you happy too. She just doesn't say it."

Yes, people like my mother always hide their emotions beneath a calm appearance.

She just condoned and even indulged our happiness in her own way.

"Baby," Lin Yan hugged me, his voice softening, "Your happiness is the most important thing, okay? Money and other things are not a problem, I can earn it."

I felt mixed emotions, a strange feeling of being carefully cared for by everyone.

It seemed like all of a sudden, I became the center of the world, silently pampered by my parents and lover in their own way.

This feels... so good that it makes me a little overwhelmed and even a little uncomfortable.

Lin Yan keenly sensed my emotions and patted me on the back gently: "Don't think too much, just accept it. This is our way of loving you."

"Hmm..." I buried my face in his arms and responded muffledly.