Li Baolong stepped into the room and was immediately stunned. The stunningly beautiful woman before him made him somewhat dazed. After all, he had never been so close to such a beautiful woman in his entire life, and a feeling of shyness welled up within him.
Just then, his cousin came over, smiling, and said, "Baolong, let me introduce you. This is my girlfriend, and she will be your cousin's wife. Her name is Jiang Xiaomei, and she's from Chongqing, Sichuan." Li Baolong blushed, smiled shyly, and quickly said, "Hello, sister-in-law, have some fruit." That's how he met his new cousin's wife.
That evening, after having dinner with his uncle's family, Li Baolong had to go to another room to rest because of his cousin's wife's arrival. That was his cousin Huang Chunhua's room; she worked in Chengdu and rarely came back, so his aunt arranged for Li Baolong to stay there.
At midnight, Li Baolong, half-asleep, vaguely heard strange noises coming from his cousin's room next door. There were whimpering sounds, as if his cousin was abusing his wife. Her cries came intermittently, disturbing his peace. Li Baolong was filled with doubt, unable to understand why his cousin would mistreat a woman, especially such a beautiful one. However, sleepiness eventually overwhelmed him, and he drifted back to sleep.
Li Baolong slept in late today and dreamt of Yuanyuan, a beautiful girl he had played with since childhood. In the dream, the two strolled along the Tuojiang River in Jianzhou City, and the wonderful feeling was like delicate vines that tightly bound him, making him intoxicated and unable to extricate himself.
It wasn't until noon that Li Baolong finally woke up. He saw his cousin's wife, Jiang Xiaomei, sitting alone in the living room and asked where his cousin was. His cousin's wife told him that his cousin had gone out to play mahjong and asked him to get up and go find him, offering to take him there. Li Baolong agreed and added, "Cousin's wife, it's noon, let's eat something first, I'm hungry." So, the two went to a nearby mutton soup restaurant. Li Baolong generously ordered a pound of mutton and said, "It's my treat today. Yesterday I received three months' worth of living expenses, three hundred yuan." His cousin's wife was surprised and said, "So much? You can spend it all?" Li Baolong laughed and said, "Don't worry, cousin's wife, if I don't spend it all, I can treat you and my cousin to dinner." After saying this, the two looked at each other and smiled.
In the afternoon, Li Baolong, his cousin, and his wife spent the afternoon playing video games. Afterwards, they went to a video arcade in a nearby alley. The arcade was owned by his cousin's friend, and his cousin knew the place well. Upon entering, he told the owner, Dahua, "Find me a private room; the three of us want to watch some videos." Dahua replied that the last private room was empty and told them to go there. Entering the room, Li Baolong saw two sofas in the small space, and on a worn-out desk in front of them sat an 18-inch color television—considered a luxury item in the late 1980s.
First, a Hong Kong action movie was played. As the gunshots echoed in the private room, Li Baolong was deeply captivated by the tense and exciting atmosphere. Next, a ghost story was played, and a sense of dread gradually filled the air. Li Baolong felt a little scared and turned to look at his cousin. He saw his cousin embracing and kissing his wife, his large hands roaming over her body. After a while, Li Baolong heard a sound coming from his wife's mouth that sounded somewhat similar to what he had heard the night before. He was momentarily stunned, wondering to himself: Do men make such sounds when kissing women? And this strange sound inexplicably stirred his young heart.
On Lunar New Year's Eve, families reunite. At my uncle's house, my cousin returned, her bags piled high with gifts, reflecting the radiant smile on my aunt's face. My aunt was overjoyed, praising her adopted daughter, but her words seemed to carry a hint of dissatisfaction with my cousin, Huang Jian. Huang Jian was lazy and irresponsible, shirking family duties and relying solely on his parents. His love life had been fraught with difficulties; over a dozen relationships ended due to his lack of productivity and laziness, yet he remained indulging in eating, drinking, and having fun. However, the warm atmosphere of Lunar New Year's Eve remained, and the family enjoyed the holiday together.
On the Lantern Festival, Li Baolong went to the countryside. He visited his lame uncle, and the two then went up the mountain together to clean the graves of Li's ancestors, burn paper money, and kowtow to express their condolences. Afterwards, Li Baolong spent a warm Lantern Festival with his uncle at his home, filling this traditional festival with deep family affection.
Back at her uncle's house in Jianzhou City, her cousin Huang Chunhua looked utterly dejected. She told her that she had resigned from the hotel because the owner had been arrested during the Spring Festival for involvement in a theft and robbery case from years ago. He had been a fugitive, but this time, his accomplices implicated him, leading to the hotel's closure and the unemployment of over a dozen employees. Fortunately, their wages for the month had already been paid. As a result, the already cramped space in her uncle's house, now occupied by six people, became even more crowded, creating a sense of oppression over time.
After the Spring Festival, Li Baolong went to school with his schoolbag. One day after school, his cousin Huang Jian was waiting for him at the school gate. Upon seeing Baolong, Huang Jian said he had something to say. Baolong asked what it was, and Huang Jian said he wanted to rent a house nearby so he could live with Baolong. It was close to Baolong's school, and the rent was fifty yuan a month, which they would split. After thinking about it, Baolong asked his uncle if he would agree. Huang Jian replied that his uncle would definitely agree, as Chunhua's unemployment had already troubled them, and he had told his uncle it was a friend's house and that Baolong could live there for free for two years, which was how he got permission. Baolong agreed, saying that having a place to live was enough.
The two then went to a building in a nearby alley. It was a five-story building with stairs, a two-bedroom apartment with a living room. The apartment was empty, with only two large beds, four old chairs, and a square table. The cousin said that his wife would come and clean the apartment, and they could move in the next day. Li Baolong agreed, saying he needed to go back and pack his things, and offered to give his wife 100 yuan the next day. His cousin, Huang Jian, quickly stopped him, telling Baolong to give him the money. Li Baolong said he was afraid Huang Jian would use it to gamble and lose it, leaving Huang Jian speechless.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
