Chapter 48 Buying New Year's Goods Together
Tomorrow is Lunar New Year's Eve. People who have been working away from home have already returned, and the atmosphere of reunion is even stronger in the small town.
Huo Nanchen unusually left work early today; at six o'clock, he pushed open the door to his home.
Dinner was prepared by Grandma Huo herself, consisting of three dishes and a soup, all ordinary home-style dishes.
Cabbage and tofu stew, bubbling with steam; mushroom and chicken stew, glistening with a dark, oily sauce.
A plate of bright green stir-fried vegetables, refreshing and delicious, and the steaming hot meal dispelled the winter chill.
Lin Xili held her bowl and ate her meal in small bites. She glanced at Huo Nanchen, who was eating silently across from her, and then at Grandma Huo, who was smiling beside her.
Her heart suddenly quickened, she gripped the chopsticks tightly between her fingers, then slowly put them down.
She cleared her throat and asked:
"Tomorrow... is New Year's Eve. Shall we go shopping for some New Year's goods after dinner?"
As soon as she said it, her heart skipped a beat, and her gaze fell on Huo Nanchen's face with a hint of nervousness.
This was the first time she had taken the initiative to suggest a family activity in this household.
Will he find it troublesome? He's already exhausted from leaving early and returning late on holidays to make house calls. Or will he think it's completely unnecessary?
Before Huo Nanchen could answer, Grandma Huo's eyes lit up.
She slapped her thigh, raising her voice several octaves.
"Go! Of course I'll go! Oh dear, what a forgetful thing I am! I was so happy to see you back, Xili, that I forgot all the important stuff!"
"Come on, you two young couple, let's go shopping!"
"Buy whatever you want to eat, whatever you want to do. Let's have some fun!"
The old man's hearty laughter instantly dispelled Lin Xili's awkwardness.
Her clenched hands loosened, and the light in her eyes rekindled with anticipation.
She turned her gaze to Huo Nanchen again.
Huo Nanchen paused in his chewing, put down his chopsticks, and looked up.
He met Lin Xili's cautious eyes, which held both probing and an undisguised anticipation.
He glanced at his grandmother, who was beaming with excitement, beside him.
The room lights fell on his deep-set eyes and brows, and after a few seconds of silence, his Adam's apple bobbed slightly.
"Um."
Grandma Huo smiled broadly, her eyes crinkling: "Then eat quickly, and we'll go after we finish. Right now, the town's New Year's market is at its liveliest!"
After dinner, the night was already deep, and the main street of the town was completely lit up.
Along both sides of the road, rows of temporary stalls were set up, with bright red lanterns of varying heights arranged in a continuous line.
Spring Festival couplets and the character "福" (fortune) are laid out, and the eyes are filled with festive red.
Sweets and snacks, dried and roasted goods, the aroma is irresistible, and there are lively chickens and ducks, and fresh fish just out of the water.
A dazzling array of goods filled the narrow street, the aroma of roasted nuts and the sweet, sticky texture of roasted sweet potatoes mingling together.
The sounds of adults chatting and children chasing each other rose and fell.
The bustling, lively atmosphere of everyday life made Lin Xili somewhat lost in thought.
This was the first time she had ever stepped into such a scene in person.
Here, crowds surged, shoulder to shoulder, with people gathered in front of every stall.
Every sound of bargaining is filled with the warmth of life.
Huo Nanchen walked to her left, his tall figure naturally separating him from the crowded flow of people.
His shoulder provided her with a safe haven.
Grandma Huo walked at the front with great energy, turning around every now and then to wave excitedly at them.
"Xi Li, come quickly, come over here."
Grandma stopped in front of a candy stall: "Look, this place sells peanut brittle. It's a well-established brand in our town."
She grabbed a piece and handed it to Lin Xili without saying a word.
Lin Xili reached out and caught it, then put the candy in her mouth and took a bite.
She nodded seriously: "It's delicious."
"Is it delicious, boss? We'll weigh two jin!" Grandma Huo said to the stall owner with a smile.
"Alright!" The stall owner immediately and efficiently weighed it.
Huo Nanchen stepped forward without saying a word, took out his wallet from his pocket, and paid the money.
They continued walking.
Grandma Huo stopped at the couplet stall, holding up two couplets and carefully comparing them under the light.
Finally, I chose the couplet with the most vigorous and powerful calligraphy, and also bought various paper-cut window decorations.
Grandma Huo said, "Pasting them on the windows, making them bright red and festive, is what makes it New Year's."
Next came sunflower seeds, nuts, and local specialties like dried sweet potatoes and sausages.
Lin Xili's gaze fell on Huo Nanchen's hands, where he was carrying more and more bags, one after another.
He simply followed in silence, paid the money, and then picked up his things.
He stopped in his tracks as he passed a stall selling small red lanterns.
The lantern was small and exquisite, with a bamboo frame and a golden "福" (fortune) character printed on red silk.
A small bunch of bright yellow tassels hangs down below.
"Buy this," he suddenly said.
Grandma Huo immediately came over, her eyes lighting up.
"Yes, yes, yes, this is great, let's buy two!" she said with a smile. "They'll look so festive hanging in your room!"
Lin Xili looked at Huo Nanchen, who took out his money and bought the pair of small lanterns.
When he handed her the lantern, her heart skipped a beat, and her breath caught in her throat for half a second.
Was he... picking out things for their room?
Huo Nanchen stopped again as he walked past a scarf stall.
He picked up a cream-colored wool scarf, which was soft to the touch and finely woven.
"Dr. Huo, these are hand-knitted by us, made of pure wool," the stall owner introduced with a smile.
Huo Nanchen took it in his hand and weighed it in his hand, then turned around.
Without saying a word, he unfolded the scarf and wrapped it around Lin Xili's neck without further ado.
"It's windy at night," he said succinctly, smoothing out the wrinkles in his scarf with his fingers.
My fingertips brushed against the side of her neck unintentionally, carrying a slight coolness, while the scarf, warm and soft, enveloped her.
The cold wind was kept out.
Lin Xili stood there, her fingertips curling slightly. The warmth on her neck made her eyes well up with tears, and she lowered her eyelashes repeatedly.
"Nan Chen is so thoughtful," Grandma Huo said, beaming from ear to ear. "Xili, look how much he dotes on you!"
Lin Xili's cheeks were flushed red by the lantern's glow.
Later, Grandma Huo took them to buy groceries for the New Year.
Huo Nanchen's hands were filled with more and more things, and the heavy bags left red marks on his hands.
Lin Xili felt sorry for him and reached out to help him carry some, saying, "Let me take a few."
He turned away from her hand, saying, "No need, I can carry it."
On the way back, the night grew deeper.
Grandma Huo walked in the middle, chatting contentedly.
Lin Xili listened quietly, a faint smile playing on her lips.
The off-white scarf around her neck kept out all the cold, and in her hands, she carefully carried a pair of small red lanterns.
Huo Nanchen walked beside her, carrying the heaviest New Year's goods.
The streetlights cast a long shadow of him, silent and reliable. He didn't participate in his grandmother's discussion.
The town was cold and windy at night.
But when the wind blew onto Lin Xili's face, it only stirred up the soft down of the scarf.
She shrank her neck, snuggling against that warmth, her heart swelling with joy.
So this is what it means to buy New Year's goods with family.
Noisy, mundane, yet reassuring.
Each New Year's gift in my hand is heavy.
That weight represents both the anticipation for the New Year and the cherishing of those around us.
Back in the small building, at Grandma Huo's urging, the two little red lanterns were hung on the bedroom window frame.
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