You clearly have a house, but it's been empty for half a year. Your elder brother doesn't live in it, and you don't live in it either. What are you doing?"

"Dad, thank Auntie for me. I'll be back tomorrow. It's getting late, you should go back."

"Well, that's fine. Let's go visit some relatives with Dad this year."

"good."

Since listening to her mother's advice, Deng's mother has been treating Deng Chen better recently.

She herself reflected on this. After learning that Deng Chen's arm was disabled, she was worried that Deng Chen would become a burden to the family. She had tried to separate the family, and later unreasonably demanded the house back.

It was indeed a bit too much. Even his own son couldn't stand it and didn't want to live in the new house.

Her mother was right. Deng Chen's mother died after giving birth to her. At that time, she could not accept her husband's betrayal and was unwilling to accept the child.

I was raised by my father-in-law for a few years, but later he passed away and I couldn't live with them.

She didn't look happy either.

She didn't want Deng Chen to change his opinion of her, but she felt old and had controlled her husband for so many years. It was distressing to see him in a dilemma every day.

We are so old now, so I'd better not bother with him.

After Deng Chen saw his father off, he turned around and looked at his own yard.

It's empty. I've lived here for so long, but I still don't feel at home at all.

It's not even as good as the sense of belonging I feel at a shoe factory.

...

On New Year's Eve, Ying Li made dumplings with Liu Zhi and Ying Han.

Mr. and Mrs. Ying became idle, and the family prepared a table full of dishes.

Father Ying and Brother Ying also started drinking white wine.

Ying's mother took out the fruit wine she bought this year.

"Well, Mom, this fruit wine tastes good."

"It was my first time buying it. I bought it at the supply and marketing cooperative near us. They said it was weak, like a soft drink."

"Mm, mmm, Auntie, this is delicious."

"If it tastes good, drink more. Our whole family must finish all the food on this table today."

"Ah, finish eating. I'll probably gain a few pounds after the New Year."

"Sister Xiaozhi, don't worry. I'll make you some fruit juice tomorrow. I guarantee you won't gain weight."

"What kind of fruit juice is so magical?"

"I won't tell you."

The warm family watched TV, ate and drank, and stayed up together until after midnight.

Ying Han couldn't bear it any longer, so he pulled Liuzhi upstairs to sleep.

Liu Zhi was surprised and said, "Hanhan, you are drunk. My room is downstairs."

"Sister Xiaozhi, I'm not drunk, but my brother is."

"Your brother is drunk, let me help him back to his room."

"No, to prevent my brother from making a mistake. You must sleep with me tonight."

Ying Han whispered something in Liu Zhi's ear in a sly tone, causing Liu Zhi's face to swell up like a boiled shrimp.

Maybe the sound was not too quiet, his brother actually leaned over to take a look, then turned away embarrassedly and ran back to the house dejectedly. "Mom and Dad, I'm going to bed first. You should go to bed early too."

"Hanhan, do you have that thing?"

“…”

"It's, that monthly one, and I forgot to bring mine."

"Oh, I have it." After Ying Han understood, he quickly took out something from his storage box. "Sister Xiaozhi, this is new."

"Thank you. I don't know why, but I always get embarrassed when this happens. Especially when it's the first time... Oh, I won't say anymore. It's embarrassing."

Liuzhi stopped talking and ran to the bathroom.

Ying Han raised his eyebrows, as if he had discovered some big news.

....

The first day of the Lunar New Year is a time for fun. City A doesn’t have many ancient buildings or tourist attractions.

So the whole family slept in.

After lunch, Ying Han drove his brother and sister Xiaozhi to her house.

Although I know that my younger sister has a house here, this is my first time here.

I thought it was a small house, but it turned out to be this big when I looked at it from the outside. It's a storefront, and the yard inside is also very pleasant.

"This house is so nice. I fell in love with it the first time I came in." No matter who it is, as long as they enter her little building, there is no one who doesn't like it.

Liuzhi ran up and down and almost stopped walking. She was ready to stay here for the night.

Ying Han asked his brother to light the fireplace and prepare to have a pot of rice here in the evening before going back.

I ran to the kitchen and made a pot of fruit tea.

...

"Brother Chen, Comrade Ying's car is here. Why don't we call her?" Yu Xiangdong drove his uncle's car, passed by Ying Han's small building, and saw the car parked in front of her door from a distance.

"Call them over. It's so hard for a bachelor like me to find a partner. What's the point of just three grown men like us?" Yang Ping spoke without waiting for Deng Chen to speak.

After he finished speaking, he paused and looked at Deng Chen and said, "It's the first day of the new year, what a good opportunity, why are you running away from it?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Deng Chen retorted, "I didn't escape."

At this time, Yu Xiangdong had already driven his car to the door of Ying Han's house. He turned around and said to them with a smile, "Brother Chen, you are not trying to play hard to get, are you?"

Deng Chen kicked his car seat to express his dissatisfaction.

However, he remained silent about inviting Ying Han.

Yu Xiangdong and Yang Ping knew him too well. He was obviously a reserved person who took advantage of others and acted ungratefully.

"Is anyone there?"

"Is Comrade Ying at home?"

Ying Han had just put the tea on the coffee table in the living room when he heard two familiar voices. He looked through the window and saw that it was Yu Xiangdong and the others.

He quickly stood up to greet them, "Comrade Yu, Comrade Yang... Deng Chen? Why are you here?"

"Hi, it's New Year's Day, and everything is so boring. We drove past here and saw you at home, so we came in to say hello. You have guests, so if it's not convenient, we'll leave first." Yu Xiangdong said with a smile, and as he spoke, he pushed Deng Chen forward subtly.

"No, my brother and his girlfriend are in the room. We're out for some fun too. Come in and have some tea together."

"Oh, then we won't be polite." Yang Ping thought about the two women and thought it wouldn't be too awkward to play with his partner later, so he took the lead and stepped through the door.

Ying Han smiled at Deng Chen and waited until he entered before following him.

"Brother, Sister Xiaozhi, these are my friends. Yu Xiangdong, Yang Ping, and this is Deng Chen."

"Comrade Yu, Comrade Yang, hello. Deng Chen, we've met before."

"Brother Ying, long time no see."

Deng Chen greeted Ying Lida.

"It's just right, let's get together today. Come, everyone, take a seat."

Ying Han and Xiao Zhi hurried to the kitchen and brought over a few more cups.

"Brother Ying, Sister Ying. Where are you planning to go this afternoon?" After they got familiar with each other, Yu Xiangdong also changed the way he addressed them.

"It's so cold and there's nowhere to go, so we're just going to stay at home." Ying Li said.

"No, Yang Ping found a girlfriend before the New Year, and he's taking her out to play today. We three grown men don't have any girls, so we don't have time to chat. Why don't you, brother and sister, take your wife along as well? It'll be more lively with more people, and it won't be boring."