He who resents
This New Year's Eve, Zuo Xiao's house was deserted as usual.
Because she didn't want Old Zuo to work hard—and didn't want to have to endure his cooking during the Lunar New Year—Zuo Xiaoren had already booked a New Year's Eve dinner at a local hotel. Grandma, Old Zuo, and herself shared eight dishes. Afterward, the father and daughter packed up the leftovers and returned the grandmother to her two-bedroom, one-living-room apartment. Old Zuo had tried to persuade her, but she refused to stay at her biological son's house for the night, so the idea was abandoned.
Back home, Lao Zuo turned on the TV to watch the Spring Festival Gala. Zuo Xiao listened to the sound of fireworks and firecrackers outside and suddenly felt interested. She called Chen Liqing. Ten minutes later, Chen Liqing drove her to buy fireworks. Then, after another 20 minutes, they arrived at a scenic spot with a lake.
This was a government-designated centralized fireworks display area, and with so many people there were so many fireworks, it was a real treat just to watch. Zuo Xiao couldn't wait to get out of the car, leaving Chen Liqing to find a place to park and unload the truck.
Not far away, a teenage middle school student bent over, lit the fuse, and ran away with a strange cry. A moment later, a beam of orange light shot up into the night sky with a muffled sound, and a blue flower ball bloomed in the air and on the lake surface, a breathtaking beauty. Zuo Xiao quickly pulled out his phone to record the video. Just as he finished filming the second firework, Zhuang Jinghao called via video.
"Happy New Year!" The tail end of the song was drowned out by the sound of fireworks. The little cutie on the screen widened his eyes and asked excitedly, "Are you watching the fireworks?!"
Zuo Xiao smiled, switched to the phone's rear camera, and asked her to watch the fireworks. Exclamations echoed, and even though she was thousands of miles away, she happily acted as the atmosphere. No one standing under the fireworks was as excited as she was.
At this moment, Zuo Xiao caught a glimpse of Chen Liqing walking towards him carrying a huge fireworks gift box. He smiled and pointed the camera at him.
"Ah!" The person on the phone let out a short cry, then covered their mouth. The background shifted from the living room to the balcony, where a rosy glow filled the screen, and where the sea and sky met, the shadows of coconut trees swayed.
"Are you and Chen Liqing together?" The little cutie's face was redder than the sunset. Zuo Xiao raised his chin, called Chen Liqing over, and then switched back to the front camera.
The two of them were in the same frame, facing the person with red hair and red cheeks in the camera. Her eyes sparkled, and her voice was loud and clear with a hint of shyness and a slight nervous tremor: "Chen Liqing, Happy Chinese New Year."
"Happy Chinese New Year." Chen Liqing grinned back at her.
"Have you finished your New Year's Eve dinner?" Zhuang Jinghao asked.
Zuo Xiao deliberately didn't answer, letting Chen Liqing take the spot. He reacted and said with a smile, "It gets dark early here, so we've already finished eating. How about you?"
"Grandpa and brother are still cooking, it will be ready soon. We're going to set off fireworks later, too, at the beach! I'll video chat with you then, and you can watch the Hainan fireworks, too!"
"Okay." Chen Liqing was extremely patient and took the initiative to start a new topic. "What are you having for New Year's Eve dinner?"
Zhuang Jinghao suddenly became more excited: "Eat seafood! My brother chartered a boat and took me, grandpa and grandma out to sea to fish! Come on, I'll show you!" As she spoke, the scene switched to her subjective perspective, walking from the balcony to the living room, and then into the kitchen.
Zuo Xiao saw a familiar figure from behind. He was cooking with his left hand, something was stewing on another gas stove nearby, and several dishes were already placed on the counter.
"Brother! Say hello!" As Zhuang Jinghao called out, the busy man turned around. At this moment, the scene suddenly switched to Zhuang Jinghao's smiling face, and then Zhuang Yu'an also entered the picture.
His eyes suddenly lit up, and then he was slightly startled. After a full two seconds, he smiled and said, "Happy New Year!"
Zuo Xiao and Chen Liqing wished him a Happy New Year. Then Grandpa Zhuang entered the painting, and Zhuang Jinghao introduced them loudly: "Grandpa, these two are Zuo Xiao and Chen Liqing, good friends of my brother and me!" The two young people quickly greeted the old man, and the old man greeted them warmly.
The scene on the screen switched again, moving to the corresponding food as Zhuang Jinghao introduced it: "Let me show you tonight's dishes! My brother is making salt and pepper mantis shrimp, and next to them is steaming grouper. This one is pan-fried Spanish mackerel... This is stir-fried chicken with ginger, my grandfather's specialty... And here are bluetail shrimp, look, they're still alive! And here are stir-fried pork with garlic sprouts and water celery... And there's also kelp and pork rib soup. Seven dishes and one soup, exactly eight dishes!"
"I'm done!" Zhuang Jinghao's smiling face reappeared on the screen. "Did you buy any fun fireworks? I saw a lot of people online saying how amazing this year's fireworks are!"
"Let me take a look." Chen Liqing squatted down and opened the fireworks gift box. Zuo Xiao also squatted down and searched with him.
"What about this one?" She picked up a small puppy-shaped firework and read the words on it: "Dog shit luck? That's what this firework is called?"
"I know that!" Zhuang Jing said excitedly, "This puppy can poop! I saw it online!"
"Really?" Zuo Xiao also became interested. "Chen Liqing, try putting one out there."
So Chen Liqing was responsible for setting off the fireworks, and she was responsible for holding the mobile phone and live-broadcasting for Zhuang Jing to see the puppy's butt on fire, and then it pulled out a long black feces.
The three of them laughed and played "Hen Laying Eggs" and "Dynamic Snail".
"Damn it!" Zuo Xiao pointed at Chen Liqing and complained, "Chen Liqing, what kind of gift box did you buy? Why are all of them weird? There's not a single normal one!" Zhuang Jinghao also agreed: "This gift box is really something!"
At this time, Zhuang Yu'an's voice came: "Get ready for dinner."
The sudden video call ended there. Zuo Xiao and Chen Liqing continued to set off fireworks. By the time they finished setting off the last one, it was already past nine in the evening. Zuo Xiao felt cold and said he wanted to go home.
On the way back, she watched the colors blooming in the sky and smiled, "It's so exciting! The last time I had fun like this was in my freshman year of high school. I remember your dad won 20,000 yuan in the lottery that year and bought a lot of fireworks, including some really cool big ones."
"Yeah." Chen Liqing laughed, "That time you burned your new down jacket and blackmailed me into buying you a new one with my New Year's money."
"No way!" Zuo Xiao retorted, "It was clearly you who burned it, and you still refuse to admit it."
Chen Liqing pursed her lips and chuckled, saying, "Forget it, let the past be the past. Just consider it my fault."
"Don't give me that! You're the one who burned me!"
The two of them brought up old grievances, one after another, endlessly, and before they knew it, they had driven into the residential complex.
"Why don't you and your dad come over to my house and spend some time?" Chen Liqing said, "Just the two of you staring at each other is so boring."
"Forget it, he won't go." Zuo Xiao knew Old Zuo well. Although he was close to Chen Liqing's parents, he wouldn't disturb other families on New Year's Eve, which would only make him stand out as lonely. But she couldn't abandon Old Zuo and go out alone.
When I got home, Lao Zuo was sitting alone on the sofa, roasting by the fire, eating peanuts, and watching a boring song and dance show.
Zuo Xiao took a shower and opened WeChat while drying her hair. Only then did she realize that Zhuang Yu'an had sent her many messages with an "8" written on the little red dot.
The earliest unread message was from around five o'clock when she was about to pick up her grandmother for the New Year's Eve dinner. Zhuang Yu'an asked, "Baby, what are you doing?" It had been less than two hours since their last conversation.
Then he asked, "Is it dark over there, baby?" and sent a photo of a brilliant sunset dyeing the sky red. "We went out to sea to fish and are on our way back. The catch was pretty good." Then there was a photo of a large bucket of seafood on the boat.
Another hour passed. "I'm home. Is the baby already eating the New Year's Eve dinner? I also need to prepare to cook. I'll contact you later."
However, just half an hour later, he sent a photo of freshly fried fish: "This is pan-fried Spanish mackerel. Spanish mackerel is a common fish in Hainan, with tender and delicious meat. I'll make it for you when I have the chance."
Zuo Xiao read his message, a tragic monologue unfolding in his mind, and couldn't help but feel a little guilty. Turning off the hair dryer, he replied, "I haven't had time to check WeChat... I'm home now and just finished a shower. Have you guys finished dinner?"
The chat interface immediately showed that the other party was typing, but she waited for a full minute and still no new message came in. She didn't know what long article the guy was editing.
After she dried her hair, she picked up her phone again, only to see a new message from him: "We're getting ready to set off fireworks. I'll call you later so we can watch it together, okay?"
Soon, Zuo Xiao found out what was going on with this guy.
It was Zhuang Jinghao calling, the sound of waves in the background. "We're at the beach!" she said. "Are you home yet?"
"Yeah, I'm already home."
The other party was silent for a moment, then said, "Brother doesn't seem happy tonight. He's been distracted since dinner and seems to be worried..." She asked, "Did you have a fight?"
Zuo Xiao frowned: "No."
"Oh, maybe he's jealous." Zhuang Jinghao said bluntly.
"Huh?" Zuo Xiao was stunned for a moment, "Who are you jealous of?"
"Chen Liqing!" Zhuang Jinghao said, "I suspect it was when you and Chen Liqing were setting off fireworks that your brother saw you two playing together, so close together, and he got jealous."
"How could that be!" Zuo Xiao scoffed at her speculation. "We're just setting off some fireworks, it's not that serious. Stop pretending to be a relationship expert, little one."
Zhuang Jing was unconvinced. "I have a say, okay?" She said, looking embarrassed. "When I first saw you and Chen Liqing standing shoulder to shoulder, I felt a little guilty... At the time, I told myself: Zhuang Jing, please don't be so petty! And then Chen Liqing showed such enthusiasm towards me that I finally put my mind at ease."
"Haha!" Zuo Xiao teased her, "So you're a jealous little kid!"
Zhuang Jinghao curled her lips and said, "No, I didn't. I was just a little sad, but I got over it quickly. But it seems my brother hasn't moved on..."
After hanging up the phone, Zuo Xiao returned to his room, lay on the bed and made a video call to Zhuang Yu'an.
After more than ten seconds, his face appeared on the screen. The background was pitch black, and the sound of waves was loud, one after another.
"Are you ready to set off fireworks?" she asked with a smile.
He smiled into the camera, his face illuminated by the screen light. "You called right after I got to the beach. I pulled a camper and loaded it with fireworks."
"Let me see."
The camera turned, and Zhuang Yu'an showed her the equipment in the camping trailer, including several folding chairs, some food and drinks, and then some loose fireworks, including two large ones.
At this moment, Zuo Xiao's phone received a video call notification from Ms. Dai. "My mom is calling. I'll call you back later."
Ms. Dai and her young boyfriend, Zhou Yiyang, were celebrating Chinese New Year in Dali this year. They were now sitting, dressed elegantly in a long velvet dress, enjoying the breeze by the Erhai Lake. The two of them had chatted for less than ten minutes when Ms. Dai, feeling obligated, said, "That's about it, isn't it?"
Zuo Xiao also felt that there was nothing to talk about, so he said, "Well, if you have nothing else to say, hang up."
"Okay," she said, "give your dad a message for me. I wish him good health and ask him to smoke less."
After hanging up, Zuo Xiao was stunned for a moment. They say character determines destiny, and this truth is clearly demonstrated in the lives of Ms. Dai and Old Zuo. Their divorce marked a watershed moment: one quickly moved on, living a carefree and fulfilling life; the other, trapped in the shadow of the past, has suffered years of depression and perpetually viewed the other as an enemy. A person's destiny is determined not by circumstances but by character and perspective.
She video-called Zhuang Yu'an again.
He set off a massive firework display, more than a dozen in total, each one richly shaped and colorful, like a scattering of flowers from heaven. Through the screen, Zuo Xiao could hear Zhuang Jinghao clapping in amazement, and the old man cheerfully exclaiming, "It's beautiful!"
The camera scanned and saw Zhuang Jinghao also on a video call with someone. Although she couldn't see the face on the screen clearly, Zuo Xiao was sure that it was Chen Liqing, and she guessed that Zhuang Yu'an had also noticed it.
"Who is Xiaojing chatting with?" she asked deliberately.
Zhuang Yu'an didn't hide anything. He fixed the camera on Zhuang Jinghao's direction and said, "It seems to be Chen Liqing." He paused and said, "They seem to be getting close recently?"
Zuo Xiao chuckled: "It seems like you are not going to stop it?"
"Why stop it?" Zhuang Yu'an asked, "Chen Liqing is a good person."
"But Xiaojing said it was easy for me to say that you initially introduced her to an honest science and engineering guy, the kind of genius and academic master." Zuo Xiao blinked. "I thought your requirements for a future brother-in-law were: super high IQ, super low EQ, and not too handsome."
Zhuang Yu'an was stunned for a moment, then asked abruptly, "Do you think Chen Liqing is handsome?"
Zuo Xiao was slightly startled, then smiled.
"That depends on who you compare him to. Compared to most men, he's definitely much more handsome, but compared to you..." She curled her lips and said leisurely, "We're on par."
The man on the screen had a complicated expression. He was silent for a moment, then lowered his eyes. “He’s a little more handsome than me.”
Surrender without a fight? Retreat to advance? Zuo Xiao found it amusing and said, "Her sunny and handsome little wolf-dog type is indeed more popular in recent years."
Zhuang Yu'an's expression became solemn, he gritted his teeth and said, "But you don't like this type, right?"
"No." Zuo Xiao said matter-of-factly, "It's just that we know each other too well. I don't have any feelings for him, but he's actually my type."
For a moment, the other person lost control of his expression, his eyelashes trembling, his lips quivering, as if the sky was falling. Zuo Xiao realized that he had gone too far and quickly tried to make amends, "Don't get me wrong, I really have no interest in him at all... We've been friends since we were little, and he's like a real brother to me."
"I didn't misunderstand." Zhuang Yu'an's eyes were lonely. "I know you're not a fickle person. I... am just a little envious."
"What are you envious of?" Zuo Xiao asked in confusion, "Do you also want to have a brother?"
The other person shook his head: "I just envy you two. You can accompany each other even on a special day like New Year's Eve, and I..." He turned his eyes away, not daring to look directly at the camera and look at her, "I don't have the qualifications to be by your side."
Zuo Xiao could hear his lament. He lamented his own "namelessness and status," and resented her for giving Chen Liqing "privileges" he didn't have. But he didn't dare point the finger at her, so he could only silently express his grievances.
Zuo Xiao found him pitiful, hateful, and a little cute. He sighed and said, "It's not a question of eligibility. We each have families to spend time with. Isn't it normal that we can't celebrate the New Year together?"
But the other party pressed on: "If I say I can, and my family supports it, will you allow me to come and accompany you?"
Zuo Xiao was stunned for a moment and said, "That's not good... It's New Year's Day, and you're just going to abandon the old man and your sister like this?"
"I mean if," Zhuang Yu'an said seriously, "If my grandparents and Jinghao are willing to spend the New Year with me in Nanjing, will you agree to come out and meet me on New Year's Eve?"
Zuo Xiao breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that if it was just a meeting, rather than a requirement to visit the parents, she would have no problem with it. She said, "You are free to go wherever you want to celebrate the New Year. If you happen to be in Nanjing, of course you can come out and meet them."
Zhuang Yu'an's eyes lit up, and he immediately said, "How about I come to Nanjing after the third day of the Lunar New Year?"
"Ah?" Zuo Xiao was dumbfounded.
Zhuang Yu'an pursed his lips and said, "I'll talk to my grandparents tomorrow to see if they want to come to Nanjing with me." His tone suddenly became cheerful, even with a hint of excitement. "If they want to stay in Hainan, then I'll come alone. Don't worry, I won't bother you. Just come out and see me when it's convenient for you."
Zuo Xiao was speechless, feeling like he had fallen into a trap dug by someone.
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