Chapter 172 Farewell to the Old Year
New Year's Eve has arrived.
Cong Chun's house has been decorated much more this year, all of which were bought by the eldest son when he went to the market in town.
He will stay at Cong Chun's house for the Spring Festival this year, which may be the last year that Cong Chun and Grandma Wen spend the Spring Festival here.
Therefore, Duan Mingxiao decided that this year's Spring Festival must be grand, with big red lanterns hanging high. Given the young master's extravagance, it was almost as if he had hung a dragon head on the roof of Cong Chun's house.
Ji Ruhui was not here; Duan Mingxiao had sent her back to Jinghai City.
However, it was impossible for Young Master Ji to stay at Cong Chun's house on New Year's Eve; leaving was only a matter of time.
Immediately afterward, Duan Mingxiao recalled what had happened a few days ago and became furious.
They wanted to kick Ji Ruhui in the face a few times before the chick finally calmed down.
That day, Ji Ruhui had a mysterious look in his eyes, hooked his arm around Young Master Duan's shoulder, and spoke in a somewhat flirtatious tone.
"By the way, Ah Can, could you ask Xiao Congchun for me if he has any older or younger sisters?"
Upon hearing this, Duan Mingxiao paused slightly, his long, dark eyes giving Ji Ruhui a meaningful look.
Immediately afterwards, Duan Mingxiao spoke to Ji Ruhui, who was standing to the side, his tone feigning some doubt.
"Did you know that Cong Chun has a mole under his lip?"
Ji Ruhui nodded.
"I know."
The mole under Cong Chun's lip was very noticeable and in a very suitable position, adding a touch of beauty to the lower half of her cool face.
Immediately afterwards, Duan Mingxiao suppressed his anger and asked again.
"I think it's beautiful, what do you think?"
Ji Ruhui nodded thoughtfully, recalling the mole under Cong Chun's lip, its place perfectly placed, indeed very beautiful.
"I think it's pretty too."
Ji Ruhui had barely finished speaking.
The next second, the young master's fist landed directly on Ji Ruhui's face.
"What do you know? You're not allowed to secretly look at him!"
Beside her, Ji Ruhui covered her cheeks, on the verge of tears. Everyone loves beauty, but Ah Can is too stingy.
Right now, in the main hall, several people are staying up late around a charcoal fire to welcome the New Year, while outside the door, the crackling of firecrackers adds to the lively atmosphere.
Duan Mingxiao played Spring Festival Gala operas on his tablet for Grandma Wen. He had come to Cong Chun's house for the New Year and had already spoken with Ms. Yun and the old man. They had just had a video call.
Cong Chun also received New Year's money from Yun Lanshuang and Duan Chengshan.
The Duan couple weren't idle either. Knowing that Duan Mingxiao wasn't coming back, they didn't stay at the old house but went abroad for vacation. After working for a whole year, it was a rare treat to give them a break.
The two of them accompanied the elderly person to watch the opera, and they didn't find it boring at all.
Under the guise of being open and aboveboard, Duan Mingxiao secretly held someone's hand. When Cong Chun tried to stop him, he glared at her.
Duan Mingxiao was always restless.
Before they knew it, it was midnight, and the old man was clearly getting sleepy.
Grandma Wen looked at her grandson and called out.
"Baochun, when are you going back to the city after the New Year?"
Cong Chun felt a pang of anxiety. During this time, he had mentioned to his grandmother many times that she should come back to Jinghai City with him when school started, with Duan Mingxiao playing the supporting role.
Does Grandma disagree?
"Grandma...I..."
Grandma Wen, wearing a dark purple cotton coat, smiled kindly at me.
"Grandma, please harvest the remaining vegetables in the field as soon as possible."
"Otherwise, they would all rot in the ground."
"I won't buy rapeseed this year."
Cong Chun pursed her lower lip and stepped forward to hug Grandma Wen's arm.
Grandma Wen patted Cong Chun's head.
"Grandma will stay with you."
Baochun, Grandma will stay with you until you no longer need Grandma's company.
Grandma Wen was Cong Chun's only remaining loving relative, and she originally did not want to leave this place.
But when Grandma Wen thought about how Cong Chun could only stand aside and watch with envy while other children were loved by their parents and grandparents, she decided to stay by his side.
She didn't want Cong Chun to envy other people's children.
She wanted Cong Chun to be a child that others would envy.
Duan Mingxiao watched the two quietly, his eyes revealing a mixture of heartache and joy.
Before arriving here, Duan Mingxiao noticed something: Cong Chun had a scar on her back, not deep or shallow, but enough to leave a mark. They had shared a bed for so many nights, yet Duan Mingxiao regretted not noticing it.
Back then, Cong Chun always wore a shirt in bed, and he thought it was because the other person was afraid of the cold.
On his second visit here, Duan Mingxiao realized that there were still many things he didn't know about Cong Chun.
For example, the other party doesn't usually have any entertainment activities because Cong Chun really doesn't have any leisure time.
Farm work, housework, and studies all weighed on his thin, frail back.
Compared to his own unfamiliarity, and sometimes even making things worse, Cong Chun's skill and seemingly relaxed demeanor suggested he had done these things countless times before.
Duan Mingxiao recalled the first time he met Cong Chun. Perhaps it was because that face and those eyes were so unforgettable that he forgot about the other person's faded clothes and malnourished hair.
They told Duan Mingxiao to get used to it, that everyone here is like this, and that Cong Chun was not an isolated case.
However, Duan Mingxiao always felt that Cong Chun shouldn't be like this. He felt sorry for Cong Chun's past, and when he first saw Cong Chun's living conditions, he wanted to pull him away and take the Cong family, the old and the young, to live in the house he bought in the county or city.
But Duan Mingxiao felt he couldn't do that.
At that time, Duan Mingxiao looked at the faint scar on Cong Chun's back and wondered when the other party had left it. However, countless bad guesses surfaced in his mind, and it was even possible that the reality was worse than he imagined.
For the first time, the young master experienced what it meant to be "heartbroken".
The things I experienced, the so-called rebellion, and the lack of support for my dreams, are nothing at all.
Thinking back to his younger self, who was once saddened by these things, Duan Mingxiao felt that he was really ridiculous.
Cong Chun turned her head away, calmly put down her clothes to cover her body, and asked Duan Mingxiao in a steady tone.
"What's wrong?"
This nonchalant attitude suggests that Cong Chun has become accustomed to such things.
Duan Mingxiao immediately hugged him and remained silent for a long time.
Cong Chun seemed to realize something, but he couldn't actually remember that he had a scar on his back.
Those things are too far removed from him now, like a raindrop disappearing into a calm lake.
In his eyes, everyone's experiences are different, and the pain is real, regardless of its magnitude or severity.
Cong Chun did not believe that his suffering was any greater than that of others because he had gone through these things.
"The wounds are all healed."
"It doesn't hurt, don't be sad."
"Your sadness is my sadness."
Cong Chun awkwardly comforted him, telling him that he now had a job he was interested in, kind and friendly teachers and classmates, an excellent and considerate boyfriend, and most importantly, his family members were by his side.
Cong Chun felt incredibly happy.
Duan Mingxiao was like the sun, nourishing and shining upon him, this little blade of grass.
Cong Chun often felt warm and cozy when he was with Duan Mingxiao, and he thought of the young master's good qualities.
It really can't fit even 8,000 words.
He cherished and treated their relationship with great care.
Inside the bedroom, two red envelopes lay quietly on the floral bed sheet, printed with festive tangerine patterns and the simplest blessing, "Wishing you prosperity." These were the New Year's money that Grandma Wen gave to the two of them.
A few days later, Cong Chun will leave this place with a handful of soil from his hometown and his most important family members, bidding farewell to the dampness and cold of the past and welcoming sunny days and sunshine.
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