Chapter 50: It's For the Children
Sun Yong was just placing the last plate of steamed fish on the table when the familiar opening music from the Spring Festival Gala began playing on TV. He took off his apron, grabbed a bottle of wine, and walked to the table. "Captain Yu, what's the hour?" Yu Hao smiled. "Sure." "Come on, everyone, take a seat. It's New Year's Day, and eating and drinking well is a good omen." Sun Yong invited everyone to sit down, his tone tinged with excitement. But this excitement seemed to mask a deep sadness. As everyone settled in, the Spring Festival Gala began playing on TV, the vibrant scenes of singing and dancing softening the warm light in the living room. "Oh, the Spring Festival Gala has begun," Sun Yong poured Captain Yu a glass of wine and handed it to him. Luo Xue turned around. "Will there be another magician this year? Last year, that guy made the pigeons disappear!" "Maybe there'll be something even better this year," Sun Yong said, smiling as he helped her pick up a piece of fish belly. "Eat it quickly, it'll get fishy if it gets cold." Yu Hao glanced at Luo Xin, who was lost in thought as she stared at her daughter. His gaze quickly fell on the TV screen. Sun Yong suddenly sighed. "The Spring Festival Gala used to be better. Zhao Benshan's sketches were so funny. These days..." He waved his hand. "It's just a bunch of stars who look the same, it's boring." "Who is Zhao Benshan?" Luo Xue asked, blinking. "He's a master of sketches." Yu Hao took over, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing against his wine glass. "Every New Year's Eve, his show would have the whole village roaring with laughter." Sun Yong nodded vigorously. "Yeah, that 'Selling Crutch', such a classic! These days, the jokes are as stiff as frozen dumplings, you can't even chew them." He clinked his glasses with Yu Hao. "Captain Yu, don't you agree?" "Haha, yeah, the Spring Festival Gala these days is really boring." He turned to look at Luo Xin, finding her also watching TV. As their eyes met, Luo Xin quietly slid aside, the legs of her chair scraping softly against the floor. Yu Hao's fingers stiffened, and he lowered his head to take a sip of his wine. The wine was a local Lao Baigan, its spicy flavor burning down his throat, but it couldn't suppress the bitterness in his heart. He deliberately ignored the blue butterfly at the Xingyue Hotel, the knife wound on Wang Shun's chest, or even the tattoo on Luo Xin's ankle, which was hidden by his trouser leg. He only wanted to remember this moment—the noise from the TV, the aroma of the food on the table, Luo Xue's crisp laughter, and... Luo Xin was just around the corner. "Brother Sun's cooking is really good." Luo Xin suddenly smiled. She picked up the serving chopsticks and picked up a piece of pork chop for Sun Lei. "This sweet and sour sauce is just right..."
Sun Yong was just serving the last plate of steamed fish when the familiar Spring Festival Gala opening music began playing on TV. He took off his apron, grabbed a bottle of wine, and walked over to the table. "Captain Yu, what's the hour?"
Yu Hao smiled and said, "Okay."
"Come on, come on, everyone, take a seat. Today is Chinese New Year, so eating and drinking well is a good omen." Sun Yong invited everyone to sit down, his tone revealing a different kind of excitement. But this excitement seemed to be masking a deep sadness.
When everyone was seated, the Spring Festival Gala started playing on TV. The scenes of singing and dancing made the warm light in the living room look particularly soft.
"Oh, the Spring Festival Gala has started." Sun Yong poured a glass of wine for Captain Yu and handed it to him.
Luo Xue turned her head and said, "Will there be another magician this year? Last year, that uncle made the pigeons disappear!"
"Maybe there will be something even better this year." Sun Yong smiled and gave her a piece of fish belly. "Eat it quickly, it will get fishy when it gets cold."
Yu Hao glanced at Luo Xin, who was looking at her daughter in a daze. Yu Hao's eyes then fell on the TV screen.
Sun Yong suddenly sighed. "The old Spring Festival Gala was better. Zhao Benshan's skits were so funny. These days..." He waved his hand. "It's just a bunch of stars who look the same. It's boring."
"Who is Zhao Benshan?" Luo Xue asked with blinking eyes.
"He's a master of skits," Yu Hao continued, his fingertips unconsciously stroking his wine glass. "Every New Year's Eve, the whole village would burst out laughing when his performance came on."
Sun Yongmeng nodded. "Yeah, that 'selling crutches' bit—what a classic! These days, the jokes in skits are as hard as frozen dumplings, impossible to chew." He clinked his glasses with Yu Hao. "Captain Yu, don't you agree?"
"Haha, yes, the Spring Festival Gala nowadays is really boring." After saying that, he turned to look at Luo Xin and found that she was also watching TV.
The moment their eyes met, Luo Xin quietly moved to the side, and the chair legs made a slight sound as they rubbed against the floor.
Yu Hao's fingers stiffened as he lowered his head to take a sip of his wine. It was a local Lao Baigan, a spicy flavor that burned down his throat, but it couldn't suppress the bitterness in his heart.
He deliberately avoided thinking about the blue butterfly at the Xingyue Hotel, the knife wound on Wang Shun's chest, or even the tattoo on Luo Xin's ankle that was hidden by his trouser leg.
He just wanted to remember this moment - the noise from the TV, the aroma of the food on the table, Luo Xue's crisp laughter, and... Luo Xin was right beside him.
"Brother Sun's cooking skills are really good." Luo Xin suddenly smiled. She picked up the serving chopsticks and picked up a piece of pork ribs for Sun Lei. "The sweet and sour sauce is just right, not too sour or too sweet."
Sun Yong's eyes wrinkled with laughter. "I'm just imagining things. I rely on this little skill to make a living." He suddenly raised his voice, "Lei Zi, thank Aunt Luo quickly."
Sun Lei muttered "thank you" and buried the spareribs in the rice without picking up his chopsticks.
A skit began on TV. Lin Yongjian, wearing an exaggerated suit, spoke his lines at the top of his voice. The audience laughed so hard, but the living room was silent.
Luo Xue frowned and asked, "Why are they laughing? It's not funny."
Sun Yong scoffed. "That's right, what a mess!" He poured Yu Haoman some wine. "The old skits are still the most interesting. I remember Huang Hong and Lin Yongjian did the one with the sledgehammer, 'Eighty! Eighty!' How exciting!"
"Eighty?" Yu Hao felt a sudden pang of unease. The word reminded him of what Liu Bing had said at the snack street that day—"Sun Yong has been acting strangely lately. He's been hammering away at the wall. When asked, he says he's renovating. Who would smash things down themselves while renovating their house?"
His eyes unconsciously swept over Sun Yong's hands. The knuckles were thick, and there was a thick layer of calluses at the base of the palm, which showed the hands of people who had been engaged in physical labor for many years.
Sun Yong's purchase of rooms 201 and 202 suddenly came to mind. He had rushed to buy these two rooms right after Guo Zhong's death and had even gone to great lengths to renovate them.
Room 202 is the scene of Wang Shun’s murder. Normally, no one would want to touch such a house where such an incident had occurred, let alone buy it at a high price.
Is he hiding something? Yu Hao's heartbeat suddenly quickened.
So why did he suddenly mention the sledgehammer? Was it intentional? Or was it accidental?
If it was intentional, what was the meaning? Provocation?
When Wang Shun died, the window was open, and the back mountain was outside the window; Guo Zhong's body was found in a dead end, and there were clear footprints on the snow... These clues were like scattered beads, and were suddenly strung together by the word "smashing the wall". What's wrong with the wall?
"Uncle Yu, what's wrong with you?" Luo Xue's voice brought him back to reality. The little girl held up a piece of pork chop, her eyes wide. "Your face is so pale."
Yu Hao forced a smile: "It's okay, maybe I drank too much." He picked up the ribs and stuffed them into his mouth, but he couldn't taste anything.
Luo Xin's eyes fell on his face, with a look of understanding. She knew him too well. Every time a case reached a bottleneck or a key clue was discovered, his eyes would be fixed like this, and his fingers would unconsciously tighten.
She quietly put a piece of tofu into his bowl and whispered, "Eat some vegetarian food to press it down."
Yu Hao's ears felt slightly hot. This was the first time Luo Xin had spoken to him tonight.
The feeling of having my thoughts seen through by her was very subtle, with an indescribable warmth amidst the embarrassment.
He whispered "thank you", picked up the spoon and scooped up a mouthful of tofu. The warm bean fragrance finally dispelled some of the chill in his heart.
"Look at this fish," Sun Yong suddenly tapped the edge of the plate with his chopsticks. "I specially picked sea bass. It has few bones and is suitable for children." He picked up a large piece for Luo Xue. "Eat more, grow taller."
Luo Xue chewed the fish and mumbled, "It's better than the fried fish at the school gate! Uncle Sun, why don't you open a restaurant in the future? I'll go there every day to eat!"
"Okay." Sun Yong smiled happily, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes shining. "When you get into a key middle school, I'll open a restaurant and reserve a table for you."
"Hehe." Luo Xue laughed, "Uncle Sun is so nice."
The skit on TV was still going on, Lin Yongjian was delivering one joke after another, and the laughter from the audience sounded like recorded sound effects, so uniform that it was a little weird.
The sounds of firecrackers and fireworks could be heard from time to time outside the window, making the already bright living room even brighter. After a few glasses of white wine, Yu Hao suddenly felt a little dizzy.
He has a good alcohol tolerance, and I don’t know why he got drunk so quickly today. Yu Hao picked up the wine glass and was about to drink again when Luo Xin held his wrist.
"Drink less." Her fingertips were slightly cold.
Yu Hao was stunned for a moment and let go of the wine glass. He looked at Luo Xin with a dazed look in his eyes. Luo Xin's face was a little pale, but there was still a clear blush on her cheeks.
He shuddered, but for some reason, he unconsciously picked up the glass and took another sip, as if he wanted to get himself drunk.
Luo Xin glanced at her without saying a word. He just picked up the bottle of white wine on the table, poured himself a glass, drank it all, and then watched TV as if nothing had happened.
Obviously, Luo Xin's action was beyond Sun Yong and Yu Hao's expectations. They looked at each other, both a little surprised. It was Yu Hao who spoke first, "You... why are you drinking too?"
"Nothing, I just suddenly wanted to drink." Luo Xin didn't look at Yu Hao, and silently picked up a piece of fish for Luo Xue, "Eat more, your uncle Sun cooks so deliciously."
Seeing this, Sun Yong smiled and said, "Yes, today is Chinese New Year, everyone is happy, drink some wine if you want." At the same time, he pointed at Luo Xue and Sun Lei, "You two, eat more vegetables and grow up."
Suddenly, a string of fireworks exploded outside the window, and golden debris fell all over the window frame. Luo Xue stood up, "Sun Lei, Sun Lei, look, what beautiful fireworks!"
Sun Lei followed her gaze out the window. The fireworks were indeed beautiful, so beautiful that it made people intoxicated, even if it was only for a moment.
The fireworks reflected in Luo Xin's eyes seemed to be wet with emotion. Yu Hao looked at it and felt pain in his heart again.
At this moment, he suddenly wanted to ask her again, what have we become in the past twelve years? If it weren't for these two murders, would everything be the same as before?
If he wasn't a policeman, but just an ordinary person, would the ending be different? If...
But where do so many ifs come from?
Under the stimulation of alcohol and the entanglement of worries, Yu Hao felt a sharp pain in his temples.
Sun Yong suddenly stood up: "I'm going to cook dumplings. It's time to put the dumplings that Luo Xin brought into the pot." When he turned and walked into the kitchen, Yu Hao caught a glimpse of his shoulders trembling slightly.
Luo Xue yawned and leaned on Luo Xin's arm: "I'm sleepy..."
"Go to the sofa and take a nap. I'll call you when the dumplings are ready." Luo Xin stroked his daughter's hair.
"No." Luo Xin shook his head, "I want to stay up late with everyone."
After a while, Sun Yong came out of the kitchen carrying a large plate of steaming dumplings, his steps a little unsteady, "Eat dumplings!"
Yu Hao stood up, and Luo Xin followed suit. They walked side by side to the kitchen, their arms occasionally touching, then bouncing away as if they had been electrocuted.
Yu Hao looked at her back and suddenly felt afraid that the New Year's Eve dinner would end.
The fireworks outside the window started to explode again, this time especially densely, as if they were counting down to the approaching midnight.
Yu Hao took a deep breath and smelled the aroma of dumplings and the faint scent of shampoo on Luo Xin. He thought, this is it, at least now, they can still sit together like a family and have a New Year's Eve dinner.
As for those things that are coming, let them come slowly with the ringing of the New Year’s bell.
After eating the dumplings and clearing the table, Sun Yong pulled Yu Hao aside to chat.
"Captain Yu, what do you think we have been living for all our lives?" Sun Yong had also drunk a lot of wine today. At this moment, he was obviously drunk and his face was flushed.
Yu Hao was much more sober at this time. He shook his head. This question was too big for him to answer.
Sun Yong smiled faintly and looked at his son Sun Lei. "I think it's all for the children, don't you think?"
Yu Hao looked back at Sun Lei, who was teaching Luo Xue how to carve, while Luo Xin was sitting on the sofa watching the Spring Festival Gala.
"Yes." Yu Hao nodded in response.
Sun Yong burped and continued, "Anyway, this is how my life will be. No matter what, I have to protect him. I don't care about myself."
He looked at Yu Hao, a trace of sadness suddenly appearing in his eyes. "If, I say if, Captain Yu, if one day I am no longer around, will you old neighbors help take care of Sun Lei?"
"You've had too much to drink, how could you think that?" Yu Hao signaled him to stop talking. Sun Lei was still standing by. He noticed that Sun Lei had frowned slightly.
"No, I want to say it." Sun Yong waved his hand, "Do you know how to do it?"
"Of course," Yu Hao replied, "I grew up eating at various restaurants myself."
Sun Yong turned his head to Luo Xin again. Luo Xin obviously heard what he said and nodded.
Sun Yong smiled and clapped his hands, "Then I feel relieved." After that, his chest shook and he stood up: "I'm going to the bathroom." He walked a little unsteadily and almost bumped into the TV cabinet.
There were sounds of vomiting and running water coming from the toilet.
Sun Lei suddenly spoke, his voice as light as a feather, "He said it was a stomach problem."
"I'll go take a look." Yu Hao stood up.
The toilet door was ajar, and Sun Yong was bending over to wash his face. Drops of water dripped down his chin and mixed with his tears.
Yu Hao knocked on the door gently.
Sun Yong raised his head suddenly, and his red eyes were reflected in the mirror: "Captain Yu..." He wiped his face, "I drank too much, embarrassing myself."
"It's okay, everyone gets tired sometimes." Yu Hao comforted.
When Yu Hao, Luo Xin and Luo Xue left, Sun Yong had already fallen asleep. Yu Hao helped him onto the bed, gave Sun Lei a few words of advice, locked the door from the inside, and they went downstairs.
On New Year's Eve, the lights were bright, but Yu Hao felt a sadness he had never felt before.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
