Night fell, dark as ink, slowly spreading out and gently enveloping the entire village.
The soft moonlight filtered through the dappled leaves, casting patches of silvery shadows on the ground.
In the distance, the occasional bark of a dog added a touch of liveliness to the tranquil night.
When Zhang Long returned to his room and saw the scene before him, an irresistible urge welled up within him.
He turned around quietly, slowly locked the door from the inside, and then found an old towel to carefully stuff the gaps in the door, determined to create a private little world that belonged only to him and Hu Xinxin.
He just hadn't expected that the soundproofing of the rural house was really poor. If he made a little noise, whether the neighbors knew or not is another matter, but the old couple downstairs would definitely hear it clearly.
Downstairs, in Mr. and Mrs. Zhang's bedroom, the light cast a soft glow, adding warmth to the entire space.
Mr. and Mrs. Zhang, who had originally planned to rest, heard the faint noises coming from upstairs, exchanged a knowing glance, and smiled at the same time.
The two walked toward the living room with perfect understanding.
Zhang's mother said with a smile, "Come on, come on, there are still a few episodes of that TV series we didn't finish watching yesterday, let's go to the living room and continue watching."
Mr. Zhang was initially quite excited, but upon hearing this, he deflated like a punctured balloon: "Sigh, these days, TV dramas are neither martial arts nor fantasy; they're all just love stories. I really don't know what's so interesting about them."
"Hmm? What are you muttering about?"
Zhang's mother glared and raised her voice a few decibels.
Mr. Zhang fell silent instantly and obediently followed Mrs. Zhang to the living room to watch TV.
Meanwhile, upstairs, moonlight streamed through the thin curtains, casting a hazy glow and draping the room in a dreamy veil.
Zhang Long grinned and chuckled, "You little rascal, where do you think you're going? Take this from Old Zhang!"
A fun-filled role-playing game has begun.
Hu Xinxin moved nimbly through the room, her silvery laughter echoing in the small space.
The two chased each other, completely immersed in the joyful atmosphere, as if the whole world consisted only of their laughter.
Actually, Hu Xinxin just had a sudden idea today, wanting to leave a unique and beautiful memory in Zhang Long's room.
What was initially thought to be a simple game turned into a spectacular large-scale role-playing extravaganza as the two became increasingly engrossed in the game.
Their figures and footprints were left in every corner of the room; the game was incredibly intense.
Before we knew it, time had slipped away, and this joyful interaction had lasted for more than forty minutes.
... (1800 words omitted here)
Afterwards, the two embraced tightly, and Hu Xinxin was immersed in happiness, involuntarily looking forward to the future.
She imagined having a son and a daughter in the future, with the whole family sitting together in harmony—what a beautiful scene that would be.
She felt increasingly lucky, convinced that the man before her was the one she could rely on for life, and that it was wonderful to marry for love.
Downstairs, Mr. and Mrs. Zhang were engrossed in watching a TV series, while Mr. Zhang sat with a helpless expression on his face.
But they seemed to be celebrating too soon. They had just retreated to the living room because of the noise from their eldest son's room, and after watching TV for a short while, they heard another noise coming from above.
This made Zhang's mother slightly annoyed, while Zhang's father was secretly delighted.
Zhang's mother muttered, "That brat, he still can't calm down even though it's almost New Year's."
But she was overjoyed, after all, both of her sons had brought their girlfriends home, which was much better than her two sisters who were anxious and worried about their children's marriages.
So the elderly couple moved from the living room to the kitchen on the first floor.
Inside the kitchen, dim yellow light illuminated every corner, and various cooking utensils were neatly arranged.
Zhang's mother thought she should prepare some late-night snacks for her two children; they must be exhausted after playing for so long.
A simple bowl of sweet egg soup, yet it is filled with her heartfelt affection.
About half an hour later, Zhang's mother posted a picture of sweet egg soup in the "We Are a Loving Family" group chat, along with a message: "Come and have a late-night snack."
Early the next morning, the winter sun struggled to pierce through the clouds, casting a few weak rays of light.
Zhang's mother held the two bracelets and paced back and forth in front of her eldest and youngest sons' rooms.
The surprise the children gave her this year came so suddenly that she didn't have much time to prepare a gift.
But she still secretly noted down the wrist sizes of her two daughters-in-law during the last meal.
Although this gold bracelet is rather ordinary in style, it is a small gift with great sentiment.
Zhang's mother first called her eldest son several times, but Zhang Long was fast asleep and didn't hear the phone ring at all.
Left with no other option, Zhang's mother had to find a spare key to open the door.
As soon as she entered, she was shocked by the scene before her. The room, which she had just cleaned yesterday, was now a mess, with pieces of clothing scattered everywhere.
"See nothing that is indecent, and hear nothing that is indecent."
With a blush on her face, Zhang's mother looked at the young couple sleeping in each other's arms and couldn't help but smile like an aunt.
She gently placed the auspicious dragon and phoenix bracelet she had prepared for her eldest daughter-in-law beside her pillow, then quietly slipped out and gently locked the door.
Then, she went to her youngest son's room in the same way. This time, her daughter-in-law was already awake. Seeing Zhang's mother come in, she said shyly, "Thank you, Mom."
After saying that, as if realizing she had said the wrong thing, her face turned bright red instantly, and she quickly shrank back into the blanket.
Zhang's mother was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening and was overjoyed.
"It's alright, it's alright!"
Zhang's mother said with a smile, "I won't disturb your sleep."
In high spirits, Zhang's mother felt as if she had become more than ten years younger. Her steps downstairs were much lighter, and the birds outside the window were chirping merrily, as if singing for this warm family.
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