Chapter 154 Then I'll definitely do it. "I just want to see what those big cities can do..."

On February 19, 2015, the New Year's bells rang.

He went to Guangdong again a couple of days ago, but still couldn't find Jiang Yueming. He recharged his phone with 500 yuan, even though these days not many people communicate by text message anymore.

"Leshan, Li Leshan!" Han Jiang shouted at him, which brought Li Leshan back to his senses. "What are you doing? You're so engrossed in watching the skit. What's on this year's show?"

Han Jiang went up to take a look, but he could only hear the sounds of someone busy in the kitchen and couldn't see them.

"Luckily I went back to Third Alley to take a look. You little rascal, why didn't you say you were coming back?" If Han Jiang hadn't seen the light on in Li Leshan's window from afar, he wouldn't have gone up to drag him home. It was the New Year, and everywhere was filled with joy. What kind of place would it be to leave him alone in the house? Han Jiang felt bad about it.

In fact, they knew the answer in their hearts. Han Jiang wouldn't have gone to the Third Alley for no reason. He must have gone to check if someone had gone home for the New Year first, and only after receiving a negative answer could he continue walking into the alley, so that he could see if Li Leshan's window was lit.

They all knew it, but no one said it.

Han Jiang felt his eyes stinging, and he continued, "You know how much my skills have improved over the years."

Li Leshan, of course, had no idea. To be honest, he had hardly ever eaten Han Jiang's cooking because Jiang Yueming had told him it was inedible. This year, however, Han Jiang insisted on cooking, and no one could stop him. Li Leshan was finally able to try it.

The Han family was very hospitable. Han Jiang's father pulled Li Leshan to drink, and Han Jiang's mother served Li Leshan food. They completely ignored Han Jiang's shouts from the side, "He can't drink, he can't drink, he can't drink." In fact, Li Leshan could drink, but he refused.

“You’ll find an opportunity to get him drunk, you know?” Han Jiang whispered as he leaned in. “That’s just how my dad is. He doesn’t care if you can drink or not, as long as you’re not driving, he’s considered a drinker.”

Li Leshan wasn't that kind of person; he was honest to the core, so he still drank it.

"Han Jiang, Yue Ming isn't coming back for the New Year this year, is she?" Yang Su asked Han Jiang while urging Li Leshan to eat more. She didn't know what had happened this past year and assumed their relationship was still the same as before.

Almost simultaneously with hearing this, Han Jiang and Li Leshan paused, their chopsticks still in their hands. Han Jiang was taken aback, then forced a smile, reverting to his previous demeanor. "Tch, such a busy man, why leave a big city to come back to this shabby little place? Isn't it cold enough?"

Yang Su nudged Han Jiang with her elbow, her tone slightly reproachful, "Why do you say that? Yue Ming is busy, but he's busy with important matters. Look at you, you're so irresponsible every day."

Han Jiang was tired of hearing Yang Su's words, but he didn't want to argue with her. He thought to himself, "That's true. He's always busy doing nothing. Xiao Bai left and hasn't come back, not even for the New Year. When will he come back? It's like he'll never return to Shengping."

He still harbored resentment, so Han Jiang could only respond, "Yes, yes, I'm no match for him, alright?"

Yang Su then turned to Li Leshan and said, "Leshan is such a good kid. I've liked him since he was little. He's so sensible and obedient. Leshan, how's it going in Beijing? Have you found a boyfriend yet? You shouldn't just focus on studying all the time. You're old enough to find someone. You can get married right after graduation and have your own little family, wouldn't that be wonderful..."

"Mom!" Han Jiang hadn't paid attention to this person for a moment, and she brought up Li Leshan's wedding. Who could take care of his life or death? "Can you stop talking about this? Why don't you urge me? Why are you so concerned about other people's affairs? He's getting married right after graduation. What, are you in a hurry to give a wedding gift? If you don't give ten or twenty thousand, I'll see how you feel."

"What's the use of nagging me?" Yang Su glared at him and said, "I don't even want to talk about which girl would be interested in you."

Han Jiang slumped onto the table, completely at a loss. There was no point in him saying anything, no point in refuting anything. Yang Su couldn't understand Li Leshan's sign language anyway, so he might as well just let Yang Su perform her own monologue. Now, he'd turned himself into a denunciation meeting.

Li Leshan smiled politely to the side, but said nothing.

The denunciation meeting finally ended, and Han Jiang was able to come back to life. He and Li Leshan stood outside the door catching their breath. Inside, it was noisy and chaotic, like a battle. Whoever stepped in first would be the one to die.

Han Jiang lit a cigarette in the hallway; the embers were the only light source in the darkness. Years ago, he didn't smoke, nor dared to, for fear Yang Su would chase him for nine blocks with a broom. Even now, he doesn't dare smoke openly and can only do so discreetly.

"Want one?" Han Jiang handed over the cigarette pack.

Li Leshan waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need to.

Han Jiang was just being polite; if Li Leshan really wanted it, he couldn't give it to him, lest he corrupt him. He leaned against the wall, his eyes fixed on the couplet opposite him.

Silence filled the air, and no one spoke first.

"I'm sorry," Han Jiang said, his tone apologetic, "I hope I didn't cause you any psychological trauma by asking you to come to my house."

Li Leshan chuckled and shook his head. He then gestured to Han Jiang in sign language, "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Han Jiang was very loyal to his buddies, but after saying that, he fell silent again.

Han Jiang stubbed out the cigarette butt on the wall and stuffed it into his pocket. He couldn't leave it by the door; he had to destroy the evidence. If Yang Su found it, he and his father would be in trouble.

"Jiang Yueming, he's not coming back for the New Year." After a long pause, Han Jiang finally spoke.

He didn't want to contact them first, so he could only ask Jiang Yueming's closest people. Han Jiang felt that contacting them first at this point would be admitting defeat, and that he would be letting Xiaobai down, and also letting himself down. Jiang Yueming was such a heartless person; he said he wouldn't come back and then he just didn't. What, was his ex-girlfriend here or something?

Regardless, Han Jiang still harbored a grudge. From childhood to adulthood, whenever he and Jiang Yueming argued, he was always the one who had to back down. Having done so many times, he was now half a head shorter than Jiang Yueming. This time, he refused to back down and waited for Jiang Yueming to do so. However, the bastard hadn't contacted him for half a year.

"What do you think he's thinking?" Han Jiang continued. He didn't even look up at Li Leshan; he was talking to himself and didn't want any response from Li Leshan.

Fortunately, he didn't want to, because Li Leshan didn't know how to answer him either. What could he say? Could he say that it was because of him that Jiang Yueming didn't return to Shengping?

"Next year... I won't be coming back either. I'll be doing an internship, and I probably won't be returning to Shengping after that." Han Jiang lit another cigarette to relieve his boredom. He looked at the ground and chuckled softly. Who would have thought that the person who least considered leaving would finally realize he had to leave Shengping?

"I also want to try my luck in a big city. I just want to see what's different about it." Han Jiang smiled at Li Leshan, his tone tinged with self-deprecation. "So, are you going to support me?"

Li Leshan's Adam's apple bobbed, and he gently patted Han Jiang's shoulder. "I believe you."

Han Jiang was stunned for a moment. He leaned against the wall and laughed out loud. Fortunately, his vocabulary accumulated over the years allowed him to understand the sentence. He laughed and then felt like crying. "With your words, I'm sure I can do it."

A wind was blowing outside. Li Leshan pulled his collar up. He felt that the New Year was losing its festive spirit. On his way back to Third Alley, he saw a stall selling couplets. The stall owner was a little girl, looking at him timidly. The couplets weren't being sold at the right time; those who wanted them had already bought them, and those who hadn't bought them in so long wouldn't buy them again. So pedestrians hurried by, and almost no one stopped to take a second look.

Li Leshan stopped and stood in front of the stall for a long time before finally choosing two identical Spring Festival couplets. He handed the little girl fifty yuan, and without waiting for change, he took the couplets and walked back to Third Alley.

He still remembered what Jiang Yueming had said. He promised Jiang Yueming that he would put up the couplets every year. Although no one would read them now, Li Leshan still carefully and neatly put up the couplets at Jiang Yueming's house and his own door.

Looking at the festive Spring Festival couplets, Li Leshan stood at the door for a long time, reluctant to leave. He still had the key in his hand, but now he could no longer open the door without permission.

Li Leshan slowly, very slowly, sat down against the wall, his back pressed against the hard, cold surface. Looking at the various New Year's greetings from different carriers on his phone, he opened the message box with Jiang Yueming, stared at the few messages he had left, and after a long while, ultimately sent nothing.

Happy Lunar New Year's Eve, and Happy Chinese New Year!

Li Leshan curled up in a corner, his back against the wall. He didn't feel cold. He buried his face in his arms and slowly fell asleep in the place that was both closest to and furthest from that person.

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Author's Note: It's a bit late today. First, the system kept crashing. I waited half an hour and when I wanted to republish, I found it was under online review again. That took another half hour. Sorry, everyone!