Chapter 36 Going Home for the New Year Chen Mian, you'll come back, right...?
The next morning, Chen Mianmian and her friend packed their belongings and took them to Yu Xiaoyue's house. Before leaving, Ayili insisted on stuffing each of them with a large bag of high-quality cotton.
Seeing that Chen Mian and the other woman kept refusing, Ayili pretended to be angry and said, "Hurry up and take the girl. You helped me sell the last batch of cotton for a good price, so you have to give me a chance to express my gratitude. If you don't like this cotton, I'll give you some extra wages."
"Acha, you don't need to pay me extra wages. It's because your farm's cotton is of good quality that it can fetch a high price. I didn't help much," Chen Mian replied politely, not taking credit for it. But she couldn't persuade Ayili otherwise and finally had to accept the payment.
The two had more luggage than usual, and they promised Ayili they would come back to work for her next cotton picking season.
The two girls, with backpacks on their backs and their hands full of things, walked towards Yu Xiaoyue's house in the morning light, with a withered cotton field behind them.
On the way, Li Cuiping seemed to remember something and asked curiously, "Mian, speaking of which, when did you get together with Officer Ji? How come I didn't know?"
She only remembered that when the three of them went on a trip to Tianshan, Chen Mianmian and Ji Yu seemed a little reserved. After returning from Tianshan, she was basically inseparable from Chen Mianmian. She wondered when they had started "hooking up" behind her back.
Could it be... that time?
Chen Mian was suddenly brought up the matter again by her friend, and she looked a little embarrassed. Ever since she had dinner at Yu Xiaoyue's house last time, she had been pretending that nothing had happened.
But she couldn't escape Li Cuiping's persistent questioning. She shyly brushed a stray hair behind her ear and replied hesitantly in a low voice, "Don't talk nonsense, we're not together yet."
Li Cuiping was somewhat shocked upon hearing this. If they weren't together, then why were Ji Yu's parents and Chen Mian talking "like that"? Moreover, it was clear that Chen Mian and Yu Xiaoyue had a very good relationship.
Chen Mian had no choice but to continue explaining her connection with Ji Yu's family, "My brother saved Ji Yu when he was in the army, so their family is probably repaying a debt of gratitude and has always taken good care of me."
Li Cuiping disagreed. She pouted and said, "Even if it's to repay a debt of gratitude, there's no need to offer yourself in return. I think Officer Ji must really, really like you to have spent time preparing his parents beforehand."
After saying that, she looked up at the sky with some longing and sighed, "Don't you think this is really romantic? Just like in the TV dramas. When will I meet my leading man?" Suddenly, the image of a man flashed through her mind, but it disappeared in an instant.
Li Cuiping immediately looked away, then glanced at Chen Mian with a slightly puzzled look, and said, "But why aren't you two together yet?"
“Because he hasn’t officially confessed yet,” Chen Mianmian replied matter-of-factly, a statement that Ji Yu himself had made.
The two chatted and laughed all the way to Yu Xiaoyue's house. Ji Yu and his son were not home; they had both gone to work.
Yu Xiaoyue hadn't seen Chen Mian for several days. She warmly held the other's hand, her eyes filled with even more affection. She wondered if her silly son had succeeded in winning her over, and when she would finally be able to hold her sweet and soft granddaughter.
They temporarily left their luggage in the same room that Chen Mian had stayed in before. Yu Xiaoyue smiled a little embarrassedly, "I'm afraid it will be a bit of a hassle for the two of you tonight. I've had some things to take care of at home recently and haven't had time to tidy up the other rooms. Just make do for one night, and I'll tidy up the extra rooms for you tomorrow."
Chen Mian stepped forward and took Yu Xiaoyue's arm, saying with a smile, "Auntie, you're too kind. We've loved sleeping together since we were little, it's not crowded at all."
"And we're only staying one night, we're leaving tomorrow."
Yu Xiaoyue was somewhat surprised to hear this. "Why are you leaving in such a hurry? Why don't you stay here for a few more days?" Her son has been working overtime at his company these past two days, and she doesn't know if Chen Mian will have a chance to see him one last time before he leaves.
Chen Mian politely declined, saying, "No, Auntie, I want to go back early and spend more time with my family."
After saying that, she added, "Don't worry, our luggage is still here, we'll be back after the New Year!"
Li Cuiping scratched her head and said with a smile, "We're going shopping today, and we're going to eat something delicious..."
The Populus euphratica Hotel in the city center.
Under the large table were packages of various sizes, containing cross-patterned handkerchiefs, ethnic Uyghur clothing, and snacks such as raisins.
Li Cuiping was studying the menu with great interest, saying she wanted to get revenge on her spending, but once she sat down, she was reluctant to spend too much, so she frowned and carefully selected her items.
Chen Mian rested her head on her hand listlessly, watching the passersby outside the window. She had eaten at this restaurant several times before, but she didn't have much of an appetite today.
Ji Yu had just finished get off work and was going out to eat with his colleagues when he passed by the Huyang Restaurant. For some inexplicable reason, he glanced up at a familiar spot and saw the woman he had been longing for day and night.
He thought he was seeing things, so he rubbed his eyes. He wasn't mistaken; it wasn't a shadow. He couldn't help but beam with joy and waved repeatedly in Chen Mian's direction.
Sadiq, who was standing next to him, saw that he had suddenly stopped and was no longer walking. Following Ji Yu's gaze, he saw a beautiful woman in her early twenties with long hair leaning against the window.
Looking at Ji Yu's silly expression, Sadiq thought to himself, "Love conquers all." He patted Ji Yu's shoulder speechlessly and said succinctly, "I'm leaving. Do as you please."
At this moment, Chen Mian finally noticed the man downstairs. She smiled faintly and was about to look away when she saw him point towards her spot, as if he wanted to come up.
She thought for a moment, then got up and decided to go find the other person herself. Li Cuiping asked in confusion, "Mian, where are you going? Aren't you going to order food?"
"You order for me, I saw a friend, I'll go down and say hello."
Chen Mian ran quickly down the stair railing. The song playing in the restaurant was just then, "My beloved, don't worry, I'll be back when the peach blossoms on the mountain are in full bloom..."
Downstairs, Ji Yu stood upright at the restaurant entrance, eagerly waiting for his girl to come down. He had so much to say to her.
When Chen Mian actually stood in front of him, he stammered and couldn't speak. After a long while, he finally managed to stammer, "What a coincidence."
Chen Mian chuckled, her bright, dark almond-shaped eyes curving into sweet crescents. She took the initiative to invite, "Let's take a walk."
Ji Yu's face was beaming with joy, and he replied awkwardly, "Okay...okay."
The birch leaves along the roadside have mostly fallen, the temperature is getting lower and lower, and a thin layer of frost has formed on the branches.
The two walked slowly along the street, one in front of the other. Chen Mian suddenly turned around and smiled. She clasped her hands behind her back, walked backwards for a few steps, and had a bright smile on her face. The dimples at the corners of her lips were also faintly visible. Her bright eyes were fixed on the other person. "Hey, I'm leaving tomorrow... Don't you have anything to say?"
Ji Yu was taken aback and asked, "Why are you going back so early?" He thought they still had some time to spend together, so why were they going back already?
Before the other person could answer, he realized that his question might have been a bit abrupt, so he immediately changed his words: "I'm not questioning you, I just... I just didn't expect..." The day of parting would come so quickly, and he hadn't even had a chance to take the other person to see a movie.
Chen Mian just smiled and didn't reply. After saying those words, she belatedly felt shy and her ears turned bright red.
She didn't know what was wrong with her. She was becoming less like the carefree person she used to be, and a figure she cared about slowly began to appear in her heart. Sometimes, even while working, she would wonder what that person was doing...
Seeing that the other party remained silent, Ji Yu had no choice but to continue, "Going home is also good, spend more time with your family."
"Could you please give me your home address? I don't mean anything by it, I just want to send some gifts to your parents as a token of my appreciation."
Ji Yu added, "Consider it... a thank-you gift for your brother, okay?" He looked down at Chen Mian earnestly, holding onto a sliver of hope that he could get her home address, just in case... no, there was no "just in case".
After a moment's hesitation, Chen Mian couldn't find a reason to refuse, so she could only nod in agreement and casually recite an address.
Ji Yu quickly pulled out his notebook and notes from his inner pocket, then carefully closed and put them away. This matter was very important to him, so important that he didn't want any mistakes to happen, and he didn't even trust his proud memory.
He paused for a moment, then said, "When are you coming back? I'll come pick you up then."
Chen Mian: "Let's wait until after the Lantern Festival."
"good……"
At Wumu Railway Station, Ji Yu drove to pick up Chen Mian and her companion.
Outside the platform, Li Cuiping had already discerningly taken her luggage inside, leaving Chen Mian and Ji Yu standing there.
Chen Mian kept her head down, her luggage temporarily placed at her feet. Her gaze unconsciously lingered on her luggage; they had already said what needed to be said yesterday.
Ji Yu was silent for a moment, then finally spoke again to confirm, "Chen Mian, you will come back, right?"
Chen Mian replied, "Of course."
Ji Yu's throat was a little dry, her lips parted slightly, and in the end she only managed to utter, "Be careful on the road."
Chen Mian nodded obediently, said "thank you," then bent down to pick up her luggage, turned around, and left without looking back.
The man behind her couldn't help but raise his hand to try and stop her, but he only managed to touch a few strands of hair that were fluttering in the wind.
He watched the other person's figure gradually disappear into the distance, and a sudden fear gripped him, a fear that the other person might never return. Reason told him that Chen Mianmian still had her luggage stored at home, and the other person should come back.
His emotions told him that they weren't officially dating. What if someone introduced Chen Mian to someone during the New Year? She was so beautiful and had such a lovely personality...
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Author's Note: Today a friend dragged me hiking, and it turned out to be one of those wild mountains with no trails, super, super steep! I relied entirely on a stick I found for support and desperately clung to branches along the way to get back safely and update you all. I was terrified; my legs are still weak o(╥﹏╥)o
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