Chapter 47
As the end of the year approached, Zhang Xiaotian's mother showed no signs of returning home, and Zhang Xiaotian hadn't heard anything from Secretary Wang. He took the initiative to call his mother several times, but over the phone, they were surprisingly tacit, and neither of them mentioned whether they wanted to spend the New Year together.
But Zhang Xiaotian is not always alone at home.
Lu Bai had been coming over quite often lately. Ever since getting Zhang Xiaotian's permission last time, he'd been visiting Zhang Xiaotian's house more frequently, occasionally bringing him some food cooked by Lu's mother, filling Zhang Xiaotian's refrigerator and dining table with it. Zhang Xiaotian hadn't taken any tutoring classes until school started. Every day, he was either completing his assigned study tasks or worrying about how to finish all the food before it went bad.
"It's fine as long as you eat everything. You don't have to finish it all." Lu Bai couldn't bear to see Zhang Xiaotian in trouble, so he helped him eat every time he came. After a few weeks, Zhang Xiaotian's figure didn't change much, but Lu Bai gained weight on his belly.
"It's so delicious, it would be a shame to waste it."
Zhang Xiaotian had already finished eating, but he still held his chopsticks and refused to leave the table. Lu Bai saw him shoveling the rice back and forth in the bowl, refusing to put it in his mouth, so he snatched the bowl away.
"If you can't eat anymore, don't eat anymore. It's not like I won't bring you food later." He collected the dishes on the table and walked towards the sink. "Just tell me what you want to eat later. My mother doesn't have any other hobbies, she just loves to cook, and she's happy when people order food for her."
"How can I always trouble my aunt?" Zhang Xiaotian wanted to stand up with them, but he couldn't stand up at all.
I really ate too much.
Zhang Xiaotian leaned on the table and sighed. It seemed that whether there was any in the future was not important, but sending less was more important.
"Since you like my mom's cooking so much, why don't you ask your nanny to cook for you?" The dishes for both of them were easy to wash. Lu Bai washed his hands and casually wiped them on his pants. "Why don't you just come to my house and eat?"
"That won't work." Zhang Xiaotian shook his head when he heard that.
The nanny had to report to Secretary Wang what he ate and how much he ate every day. If there was anything unusual about his diet, the nanny would be in trouble, if not lose her job. Zhang Xiaotian couldn't refuse, and he didn't want to cause trouble for the nanny, so he asked Lu Bai to help him eat at the beginning. But he didn't expect Lu Bai to come and not only come, but also come with food every time.
"Let Aunt Lu rest for a few days." Zhang Xiaotian moved to the side of the refrigerator and patted it. "Help me deal with it in the next two days. It's almost the New Year, and the refrigerator is full of leftovers."
"Oh, right." Lu Bai suddenly realized and asked, "What are you going to do during the New Year? Will your aunt come back?"
"have no idea."
"Didn't you ask your aunt? Didn't your aunt tell you?"
Zhang Xiaotian pretended not to hear and turned to walk into the house. Lu Bai didn't get an answer, so he followed Zhang Xiaotian and asked him again:
"I'm asking you a question. What are you going to do during the New Year?"
"Do you want to go out to digest your food?" Zhang Xiaotian didn't want to talk anymore and wanted to change the subject.
"Answer me first!" Lu Bai was a little angry when he heard this. "Do you really want to get by on your own?"
"Ah?" Zhang Xiaotian pretended to be stupid.
Seeing that he was pretending not to understand, Lu Bai became even angrier. He sat down on the sofa, frowned, and hesitated for a while before saying:
"I don't mean to say anything bad about you, Auntie, but you're too... career-oriented. You'll be thirty tomorrow..."
He looked up again, pointed at the room, and said to Zhang Xiaotian, "I was just about to say this when I came in. Look at your house now. How is it any different than when I first came here? It doesn't look like Chinese New Year at all."
In fact, there is still a difference.
Zhang Xiaotian kept this thought to himself. As he listened to Lu Bai muttering about his anger, his eyes unconsciously scanned the room.
There was the unwiped kitchen sink, the living room sofa haphazardly covered with a coat, the untidy sneakers in the entryway, and the growing pile of Lu Bai's clothes in the bedroom closet, which Zhang Xiaotian had left there to put away. The house was gradually beginning to look like someone was living there. While that wasn't enough for Lu Bai, it was reassuring enough for Zhang Xiaotian.
"...I haven't bought any New Year's goods or put up any couplets. I'm busy with work, but this is Chinese New Year, not some other festival..."
As Lu Bai spoke, he became increasingly angry. He seemed unable to bear it any longer, and he spoke without paying any attention to politeness: "No matter how important the work is, you can't go this far. Just throwing you to an outsider like this is too much. How can a mother be like this!"
"Why are you really angry?" Zhang Xiaotian laughed. "What's the difference between Chinese New Year and other festivals? It's just one day, so it just passes by."
"Are you Chinese?" Lu Bai suddenly jumped up from the sofa. "What Chinese person doesn't celebrate the New Year well? How can we be so careless?!"
Seeing that his face was red with anger, Zhang Xiaotian coaxed him, "Yes, we should take it seriously. So what do you think we should do?"
"It's dark now..."
Lu Bai walked around every room and then returned to the living room. Zhang Xiaotian followed him. Seeing him standing in the middle of the living room with his hands on his waist, not moving for a long time, he said, "Can we celebrate the New Year like this now?"
"No!" Lu Bai licked his lips and said firmly, "Tomorrow, let's go buy something!"
"I know you didn't get enough sleep, but if you want to buy it after noon, there won't be any place left."
As Lu Bai pulled Zhang Xiaotian towards the market, he continued, "Although I asked you to spend your 30th with my family, you still can't skimp on the things you need for your home. Besides, I'll have to go there later, and I don't want to be led around like a monkey by my elders and relatives."
Zhang Xiaotian was pulled out of the bed by Lu Bai. At this moment, he didn't even open his eyes, and he was dragged all the way without waking up.
"You don't even have any snacks. I really don't know how you're doing at home..." Lu Bai talked to him, but there was no response for a long time, so he turned around and saw that Zhang Xiaotian was still half-closed and dazed, so he reached out and pulled Zhang Xiaotian's scarf open a little.
"Hiss!" A gust of cold wind blew in, and Zhang Xiaotian shuddered violently.
"Come on, we have a lot of things to buy, you have to help me think about it!" Lu Bai pushed Zhang Xiaotian in front of him, held his shoulders with both hands to prevent Zhang Xiaotian from moving, and carried Zhang Xiaotian to the supermarket.
There was a commotion right in front of them. There were so many people trying to get into the supermarket that the line stretched all the way to the side of the highway. So, no matter how anxious they were, Lu Bai told them to just sit there and freeze.
The long lines were a pain for those trying to buy, but a boon for the vendors at the supermarket entrance. Chestnuts, melon seeds, peanuts, mixed vegetables, glutinous rice noodles, roasted nuts, and pastries filled the air with a cloying aroma. The crowds, like buzzing worker bees, scurried briefly between the dazzling array of stalls.
Zhang Xiaotian had no choice but to wake up now.
As the saying goes, young stomachs can't handle old-fashioned snacks. Even Lu Bai, who loves to join in the fun, just stood by and watched. The two of them, hunched over and stamping their feet, followed the group forward step by step.
"What else is there to buy?" Zhang Xiaotian tightened the scarf that Lu Bai had just pulled open. "You already said I'd go to your house on the 30th, so what else do I need to buy?"
"We have to buy that!" Lu Bai glanced at the stall beside him. "If we don't add some New Year's atmosphere, how can we show that it's different from usual? Besides, even if my aunt is late, she will definitely come back. When she comes home and sees the house bustling with activity, she will definitely praise you!"
Zhang Xiaotian thought to himself that wasn't necessarily the case, but ultimately, he didn't say anything. The two of them waited in line for twenty minutes in the biting wind, finally entering the supermarket, frozen to the bone.
"Hurry up, hurry up, I'm freezing to death."
"What do you want to buy?" Zhang Xiaotian pushed a cart over. "Have you made a list?"
"What list?" Lu Bai reached out and tapped his solar plexus. "That's all I have in mind. I'll think about it as we walk."
"Okay." Zhang Xiaotian pushed the cart and walked in side by side with Lu Bai.
Many shelves were empty, but even so, people came into the store like wild animals smelling something. Zhang Xiaotian hadn't been part of such a lively atmosphere for a long time, and now he was a little excited by the atmosphere and began to look forward to staying up all night tonight.
"So what should we take first?"
"First... let's get the couplets?" Lu Bai pondered. "Don't buy the ones with gold dust on them, they're vulgar."
"Couplets are sold outside supermarkets," Zhang Xiaotian said. "They're more expensive inside supermarkets."
"Ah, is that true?" Lu Bai thought about it and said, "Then let's go buy some meat and vegetables."
"Nanny will buy those things."
"Hiss...Then what should I buy..." Lu Bai looked embarrassed, and Zhang Xiaotian sighed.
"Didn't you say it's all in your head?"
Knowing this would be the outcome, Zhang Xiaotian hadn't come out specifically for shopping. He pulled Lu Bai out of the aisle and walked to a shelf that wasn't blocking the way. "Then think about what you've bought for your family."
"Basically, it's vegetables, meat, fruit snacks..." Lu Bai said this and slapped his thigh, "Then buy some fruits and dried fruits to put at home, just in case a guest comes, it will be easy to entertain!"
The idea was good before shopping, but when you actually walk past the rows of shelves, even the most organized people can't help but put a few more things in the cart. They come in empty-handed, and by the time they leave, they have so many things in their hands that two people can hardly hold them all.
"I don't think you're here to buy anything for me," Zhang Xiaotian weighed the full shopping bag in his hand. "You're just here to buy some snacks and secretly leave them with me so you don't have to get scolded by Aunt Lu when you get home."
"Hehe, then what's mine is yours? When I get it to your house, of course you'll eat it first. I'm just taking it with me." Lu Bai had a bag tied to each wrist and a box of ice cream in his hands. "Luckily, there's still room in your refrigerator. My refrigerator and freezer are full, so it's just right for you!"
"Tsk." Zhang Xiaotian imitated Yin Li and rolled his eyes at Lu Bai.
On the way back to Zhang Xiaotian's house, the two of them went back to Lu Bai's house first. Without even entering the door, Lu Bai stuffed the things he wanted to put down into the hands of Lu's mother who opened the door.
"Lu Bai! You kid, didn't you say you were going to buy some for Xiaotian's family? Why are you buying all these snacks?" Mother Lu was busy moving things into the house, not forgetting to pat Lu Bai on the back. "You're so grown up, but you still have no manners. You stuff all the two cents you have into your mouth!"
"Hey! Stop hitting me, I bought some for you!" Lu Bai's hands were empty, so he quickly went to divide the things in Zhang Xiaotian's hands, "These are the only things we have, the rest should be taken to Tian'er's house."
"Don't treat your mother like a fool, these are all your favorite foods!"
"That's because Tian'er and I have the same taste, Tian'er, don't you think?"
Zhang Xiaotian saw Lu Bai winking at him again, so he suppressed his laughter and nodded, saying, "Ah, yes, we all love to eat these."
"Don't cover up for Lu Bai," Aunt Lu kicked Lu Bai again and winked at Zhang Xiaotian, "But you should eat more, kid. You're too thin..."
"Let's go! The box is so heavy!" Lu Bai pushed Zhang Xiaotian with the box and turned to his mother and said, "Mom, don't bother talking to Tian'er anymore. There will be plenty of time for you two to talk later. Let's go!"
Zhang Xiaotian was pushed forward and had no choice but to look back as he walked: "Then we'll go first, Auntie!"
"Hurry up, we're waiting for you two to come back!"
Mother Lu watched them go downstairs, closed the door, and continued to shake her head and smack her lips at Father Lu: "Look at other people's children. When did Lu Bai become so presentable..."
Time always flies when you are with Lu Bai. Zhang Xiaotian followed him everywhere this afternoon. When he came to his senses, it was dark outside and the New Year's Eve dinner was served. He was sitting around the table with Lu Bai's family.
Outside the window, the clatter of firecrackers echoed, blasting the volume of the television inside. Inside the small room, the three of them spoke by shouting and walked like they were running. The family of three rushed about, giving Zhang Xiaotian his first festive New Year. In the steamy room, Zhang Xiaotian felt like he was dreaming. He didn't even dare to answer when Mother Lu called for food, fearing his voice would be too loud and wake him from the dream.
"Xiaotian?" Mother Lu saw him staring at her in a daze and called him again, "Eat your food?"
"Oh, okay!" Zhang Xiaotian quickly lowered his head to eat his rice. After taking two bites, he remembered and quickly swallowed it. He lowered his head and said, "Thank you, Auntie."
"What are you thanking me for, kid?" Mother Lu reached out and touched Zhang Xiaotian's head.
The hand was very warm, making people understand immediately where the scorching heat on Lu Bai's body came from.
Zhang Xiaotian felt the hand feel both light and heavy. The gentle movement weighed down his head, making it impossible for him to lift it. He ate his rice more and more slowly, but he kept his head down, unwilling to leave this small pocket of warmth.
"What time does the Spring Festival Gala start? We have a set, right?" Father Lu took the remote control and said, "Stop watching this mess. Don't miss the real show later."
"What's there to watch during the Spring Festival Gala?"
Lu Bai was eating and watching TV, but when his dad changed the channel, he decided eating alone was boring and started thinking about going out to set off fireworks. He cleaned his bowl and patted Zhang Xiaotian, "Come on, Tian'er, let's go set off fireworks! My dad bought a lot!"
Zhang Xiaotian didn't even look at the person being photographed. He put down his bowl and chopsticks and nodded with his head lowered.
"What's wrong?" Lu Bai embraced Zhang Xiaotian and slapped his mother's hand away. "Don't touch my head, I won't grow taller!"
"You're so nosy." Mother Lu tutted, "Xiaotian didn't even stop me."
"It's okay." Zhang Xiaotian also raised his head. "It's hot in the room, and it stings my eyes a bit. It's a good time to go out and cool down."
With strict regulations over the past two years, the number of people setting off firecrackers has dropped significantly, and even during Chinese New Year, only a hint of the old days can be tasted. Fearing a fire hazard near the flowerbed, Lu Bai took Zhang Xiaotian to a less crowded and less planted area. After wandering around a bit, they unexpectedly arrived at the swing set.
The swing was still rusty, covered in old snow. Perhaps it was the cold weather, or perhaps the children had found a new place to hang out; it must have been a while since anyone had visited. Zhang Xiaotian walked over, brushed off the snow, and sat on it, watching Lu Bai squatting there, studying the firecrackers he had brought.
"There are so many different kinds of firecrackers these days. Have you seen the videos online? There are also some that don't fly away after lighting, but instead come out in a bunch of something, like shit." Lu Bai patted his butt and stood up. Seeing Zhang Xiaotian sitting on the swing, he said, "Why are you sitting there? Get down, it's cold."
"Not cold."
Zhang Xiaotian sat there motionless. He didn't want to get too close to Lu Bai, fearing he might notice.
"Just put it there, I'll watch it." He said again when he saw Lu Bai was about to walk towards him.
"OK."
Lu Bai didn't go any closer. He began to arrange the flowers on the ground, first in a row, then standing back to look at them, then bending over to form a large hollow circle.
"Wait." Lu Bai lit them up one by one, then quickly stood in the middle and shouted to Zhang Xiaotian, "Tian'er, watch me transform!"
Fireworks exploded one after another, surrounding Lu Bai in the middle with a dazzling display of falling petals. Lu Bai imitated the movements of some game or anime character, stretching his arms and spinning in the flying sparks, which made Zhang Xiaotian feel both nervous and amused.
"Don't just laugh, come too!"
The fireworks were still burning when Lu Bai ran out. Zhang Xiaotian was startled and stood up from the swing and trotted over to him. Before he could see if Lu Bai was burned, he was grabbed by Lu Bai and dragged into the circle.
"Wear your hat, and don't burn your hair."
Lu Bai put the hat on Zhang Xiaotian's back and said, "Follow me!"
Zhang Xiaotian's wrist was grasped, and he was faced with a sea of fireworks. Countless fireworks flashed before his eyes, forming a surface that poured down like a waterfall of indescribable colors. Zhang Xiaotian followed Lu Bai into this dazzling scene, feeling that nothing tonight seemed real.
Everything tonight was like a dream, a beautiful dream from which he was reluctant to wake. A happy family, close friends, and a stable life, like the fireworks at this moment, were the fragments of happiness he longed for in his ordinary life.
Zhang Xiaotian stood in the middle of the fireworks in a daze, wanting to reach out and grab something, but Lu Bai intercepted his hand halfway.
"Does it look good?"
Lu Bai lit two more fairy wands without knowing when. He put one in Zhang Xiaotian's hand and clinked the other with Zhang Xiaotian.
"Isn't this a bit too girly? It seems only little girls play this, and boys should play with sky rockets, firecrackers, or something like that."
Lu Bai ordered several more in one breath and held them all in his hand. "But I've wanted to play this for a long time. I always see others playing with it and I'm jealous."
"nice."
Zhang Xiaotian also hit him back: "It's just fireworks, there's no distinction between men and women, just play if you want to."
"You're right." Lu Bai smiled, holding the small handful of fairy wands and shaking them while looking at them. "If you want to play, then play."
Zhang Xiaotian also turned his gaze to his own.
The fairy wands were unlike those on the ground. Amid the surrounding noise, the fairy wands seemed quiet, their overflowing fireworks vanishing into the air before they even touched the ground, like raindrops falling into a river.
If only the fleeting moment could be kept a little longer.
Zhang Xiaotian looked at it in a daze. If he could do it, what price would he have to pay?
As long as he can afford it.
The snowy ground where the fireworks had burned out was stained with ashes. Lu Bai cleaned up the garbage and turned to look at Zhang Xiaotian.
"Go home."
In the end, Zhang Xiaotian did not spend the night at Lu Bai's house.
"It's so late." Lu Bai walked him home in the cold wind, muttering a little dissatisfiedly on the way, "It's not like we don't have room at home. Besides, you can sleep in the same bed with me..."
"Your family will be busy tomorrow, so it's inconvenient for me to be here." Zhang Xiaotian shrank his neck. "Besides, you don't have to see me off. Just stay home and spend the New Year's Eve with your uncle and aunt."
"We agreed to celebrate the New Year together..." Lu Bai pouted.
"It's not like we won't see each other again." Zhang Xiaotian said, "I still have leftovers and the snacks you bought in my refrigerator. If you don't come, I can't handle it all by myself."
"That's right." Lu Bai seemed happy again after hearing this. "Then I'll go tomorrow."
"You should help with the housework first."
The air was filled with the faint smell of gunpowder after the fireworks were set off. Lights were on in every house we passed by. I don’t know whose windows were not closed tightly, and I could hear the words prepared by the Spring Festival Gala host for the New Year countdown.
"Looking back on the past year, we have worked hard but also gained a lot; we have experienced storms but also achieved great success!"
"A year has passed so quickly." Lu Bai suddenly raised his head and shouted towards the sky, "It's so fast!"
Yes, it’s happening so fast. So fast that I don’t even have time to think about the future; it’s right before my eyes.
"Let us leave all our regrets to the past and bring all our hopes to the future."
Grades, family relationships, further studies, future, and Lu Bai.
There are both expectations and regrets.
"No matter where you are at this moment, please accept our sincerest gratitude and best wishes!"
"Can you go in a little later?" Seeing that they were almost at Zhang Xiaotian's house, Lu Bai asked loudly, "It's time to count down, come with me!"
"Let us welcome the new spring together and count down together! Ten, nine, eight..."
One step, two steps. Zhang Xiaotian stopped two steps away from his home, feeling that he had never been so eager for the arrival of the new year.
Five, four, three...
"Tian'er, look, is there someone standing in your window?"
Lu Bai suddenly raised his hand and pointed to the window. Zhang Xiaotian looked in the direction of his finger and saw an unexpected but reasonable person, his mother whom he had not seen for a long time.
"Happy New Year! Happy New Year to everyone!"
The dream finally ended.
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