On New Year's Eve, the two started preparing the New Year's Eve dinner at noon. This year they made twelve dishes, including crispy chicken, roast duck, braised carp, braised beef, Qianlong cabbage, fried shrimp, dry-fried meatballs, stir-fried bean curd sheets with coriander, braised winter bamboo shoots, stewed lamb with radish, colorful peanuts, and four-happiness meatballs.

Two people definitely can't finish it, but the leftovers can be stored in a space for preservation. Chinese New Year should have a sense of ritual.

They clinked their glasses. This was their fourth year together. "Husband, I wish you good health and all the best in the new year."

"Wife, I wish you all the best in the new year, happiness and health." The two smiled at each other and drank the wine in their glasses.

After tasting every dish, Su Qingmeng felt full. She watched Lin Xiuyao eat, and the announcer's voice came from the radio, "Wishing the people of the whole country a happy new year!" She was indeed very happy. With her lover by her side, she got everything she wanted.

After school started, the two moved back to the house next to the university. The courtyard house was too far from the university. Riding a bike from the Second Ring Road to the Fourth Ring Road every day was too tiring, and taking the bus was not open until four or five in the morning.

They lived at the university from Sunday to Friday and returned to the courtyard on Saturday. Although they had put their valuables in the space, they were still worried about the courtyard being empty, so they came over once a week.

In March, Lin Xiucheng from his hometown received a letter saying that Zhang Qian had given birth to a daughter. His joy could be seen in the letter. Lin Xiucheng already had both a son and a daughter, and he encouraged Lin Xiuyao to cheer up.

Lin Xiuyao felt a bit down. Several of his cousins ​​already had two children, but he was the only one without one. Su Qingmeng consoled him, "Good things are never too late. I'll give you a smart and adorable baby after graduation." They were both smart and good-looking, with strong genes.

Lin Xiuyao rubbed against Su Qingmeng's arms like a dog, "Wife, I'm just a little envious." In fact, he didn't really want it. Now the two of them were so happy and could do whatever they wanted. But he could get the comfort of his wife's love by pretending to be pitiful, so of course he couldn't miss this opportunity.

When he was a child, he lived with his uncle. At that time, Lin Song from his eldest cousin's family was still a baby and kept crying at night. The whole family didn't get a good rest during those days. His eldest aunt had to wash diapers and hold the baby. It took both his eldest cousin's wife and him to take care of the baby.

If Su Qingmeng becomes pregnant and gives birth to a child, they both have no elders, and the burden of life will fall on themselves. If the child is not well-behaved, he will have to bear the consequences, so it is better for the child to come later.

"Knock, knock, knock," there was a knock on the door, "Is anyone there?"

Su Qingmeng pushed him away. "Someone's here. Go open the door." Lin Xiuyao muttered, "Who's so tactless as to come here at this hour?" and opened the door. "It's Zhou San. What's going on?"

Zhou Laosan bought four chickens from a rural area in the suburbs and asked him, "Do you want some? I bought them from a fellow villager." He is now reselling agricultural products to make a little money. The couple next door are rich, so whenever they have something good, he always comes to ask first.

Lin Xiuyao paid for two. The farm chickens at this time were very fragrant when stewed, and Su Qingmeng loved them. "How are you doing? How much can you earn a month?" He studied economics and liked to inquire about market conditions.

Zhou Laosan didn't hide it from him. After all, Lin Xiuyao was a college student and couldn't compete with him. "When it's good, I can make over a hundred a month. When it's bad, it's about thirty or forty."

Lin Xiuyao: "That's not bad." Now workers only make about 40 yuan a month. "Work hard and save some money to open a shop later." Maybe there will be a chance for cooperation in the future. Zhou Sange is a nice person, except that he is a little weird.

The internship started soon. Su Qingmeng went to a newspaper to work as an editor. She had been publishing articles for the past three years, so her class teacher recommended her to the newspaper. Lin Xiuyao went to the Industrial and Commercial Bureau where he wanted to work.

Su Qingmeng's workplace is close to the courtyard. Her newspaper office is in Xicheng District, so it takes 20 minutes to get to work by bike. Lin Xiuyao's is a little further, about half an hour.

Her internship life was quite easy. The elder sister who led her was a nice person, and she didn't have any ambitions. Su Qingmeng wanted to take the postgraduate entrance examination, and would not come to work in the newspaper after graduation. She just needed to do her job well, and she didn't have to deal with complicated interpersonal relationships. If she could get along well, she would get along with them, and if not, she would stay away from them.

She knew that some people said she was aloof behind her back, but she didn't care.

Lin Xiuyao was much more tired than her. The relationships between government departments were complicated, but fortunately he adapted quickly and handled it with ease.

After getting into the job, I have more free time. I used to get up at 5am in college, but now I can get up around 7am. I get off work at 5pm and can do whatever I want. I have a lot more free time every day.

Now she doesn't have to do morning exercises, and she drags Lin Xiuyao to swim in the space every night. Fitness exercise is essential, not only to exercise the body, but also to maintain a good figure.

Spring has arrived, and Su Qingmeng is thinking about decorating the courtyard. She planted a few trees before because she was busy with school, and this time she wants to completely renovate it.

The entire courtyard had only four plots of land in the middle of the second courtyard, and the rest was paved with blue bricks. She finally finished it over a weekend and two days of her off-get off work time.

The yard has changed a lot. There is a small garden in the northeast corner with a swing and full of roses. The northwest corner is reserved for growing vegetables, and the seeds have already been planted.

There is a laurel tree planted in the southeast corner and a crabapple tree in the southwest corner. Both trees were transplanted from other places. They have thick trunks and dense crowns. A circle of hydrangeas are planted around them and surrounded by a fence.

Under the canopy, she plants roses, still small seedlings, which she bought at a flower market in Beijing. On the farm, she has a "potted plant table" with a variety of plants. She places pots of them under windows and in her rooms to purify the air and beautify the environment.

After this arrangement, flowers will bloom all year round. Lin Xiuyao always followed instructions. He had no aesthetic sense and didn't even recognize these flowers and trees. But looking at the decorated courtyard, full of flowers and flourishing, he also admired Su Qingmeng's vision.

Su Qingmeng's current job is to proofread articles, writing two manuscripts a week, which is quite leisurely. On her days off, she drags Lin Xiuyao to a nearby gymnasium to play badminton, and then they go out to eat.

She has finished writing her romance novel, "Qingqing." The heroine is a university student in a sweet relationship with a cadre. After graduation, she faces a dilemma: study abroad or fall in love. She eventually breaks up with the hero and chooses to go abroad. When she returns, he's married and has children, but she's become a better version of herself. It's a truly wonderful story.

Studying abroad has become a trend in recent years, and she's keeping up with current events. But the main point she wants to make is that women should be clear-headed and motivated, and not give up their careers for love.

This time, Su Qingmeng published under the pen name "Shenshui." From now on, she would use this pen name for popular fiction, primarily romances. They didn't need to be profound or insightful; she could express herself freely, even if her writing was a bit lacking. She had read so many melodramatic dramas and various TV series in her later life that she had a wealth of material to draw from. Writing romances was profitable, and they had a wider audience.