Chapter 123 New Year
On New Year's Eve, the house was filled with a busy and warm atmosphere. In the afternoon, our whole family gathered around the dining table to make dumplings.
The division of labor was clear: Lin Yan and my mother were responsible for rolling out the dough. They were both very skilled and the dumpling wrappers they rolled out were round and even; my father and I were responsible for wrapping them. Although I was slow and the shapes were crooked, my father wrapped them quickly and well, and each one looked like a gold ingot.
The family worked in perfect harmony, chatting and laughing while wrapping the dumplings, having a great time.
Before I knew it, I had packed several full sheets, enough for lunch and dinner.
At three or four o'clock in the afternoon, Lin Yan started preparing the New Year's Eve dinner in the kitchen.
He put a lot of effort into it this time, saying he wanted to prepare an "unforgettable New Year's Eve feast" with dishes that were much richer and more refined than usual.
I sat next to him, half to help him pass something, and half to chat with him.
"Lin Yan," I asked him while peeling garlic, "Do you also...cook everything yourself during New Year's at home?"
Lin Yan was concentrating on cutting a fish, and without even looking up, he replied, "No. There's an auntie at home who cooks, why should I take over her job? But... before I went to college, I often cooked for that kid Lin Heng. He's picky, and he might not like what others cook."
When mentioning Lin Heng, his hands paused slightly.
I sighed, and the guilt I felt towards Lin Heng surfaced again: "Will it be too lonely to leave him alone at home for the New Year? Will he get bored?"
Lin Yan was silent for a few seconds before he whispered, "Alas, my little brother... sometimes he's just too sensible, which makes it difficult for me."
"I still feel like I owe him something..." I muttered softly.
Lin Yan put down the knife, washed his hands, and then came over to hold mine with his wet hands, his eyes very gentle: "How about...after the New Year, find a chance to bring him over to stay for a few days? Let him come and play too?"
"Take it?" My eyes lit up.
"Yes," Lin Yan nodded. "He's my family anyway. I should have come to pay a formal visit to my parents-in-law a long time ago."
He deliberately used the term "father-in-law and mother-in-law" and winked at me.
"That's not impossible..."
I was a little excited, but also a little worried. "I just wonder if that little devil is happy to come?"
Lin Yan smiled: "Don't worry, he will be happy to death. He would love to have someone to play with him and to have delicious food."
"Okay! It's settled then!"
The little haze in my heart was instantly dispelled by this plan.
The sky gradually darkened and the sound of firecrackers could be heard sporadically in the distance.
Lin Yan and I went downstairs carrying a big bag of fireworks and firecrackers that we had bought earlier.
Lin Yan first lit a thin fairy wand and handed it to me.
Silvery-white sparks immediately burst into life with a crackling sound, drawing bright and short light trails in the dim night, which was particularly beautiful.
"Baby, don't move, just keep this position." Lin Yan took out his phone and pointed the camera at me. "You look really good like this. Let me take a picture of you."
I was a little embarrassed, but I still held up the sparkler and watched him taking pictures of me attentively, feeling very sweet inside.
Like little kids, we tried all kinds of fireworks, drew circles in the air with sparklers, watched the sparks fly, and laughed happily.
My dad leaned out the window and yelled, "What are you two doing? You're just playing with those little things! Where are the firecrackers? Why haven't you heard anything from our house yet?"
I quickly looked up and replied, "Dad! I'm going to set it off right now! Wait and listen to the sound!"
Lin Yan smiled and spread out the extra-long string of firecrackers, lit the fuse with incense, then quickly ran back to me and immediately covered my ears with his hands.
I immediately raised my hands and covered his ears.
We both covered our ears, looked at each other, and laughed like fools as the "crackling" sounds became more and more frequent.
Immediately afterwards, deafening firecrackers exploded!
“Crackle—!”
The sound was loud and long-lasting, red confetti flew everywhere, and the familiar smell of gunpowder filled the air.
"Lin Yan! You picked a great firecracker! It's definitely the loudest on this street!" I leaned close to his ear and shouted.
Lin Yan looked very proud and shouted back, "Of course! Ours is also the longest!"
...Why does this sound a bit weird?
After setting off the firecrackers, we saved the biggest fireworks and planned to set them off after we finished eating the New Year’s Eve dinner.
When I returned to the house, the table was already filled with hot New Year’s Eve dinner.
We sat together, eating sumptuous dishes and dumplings we had made in the afternoon, watching the lively gala on TV, talking and laughing, the atmosphere was incredibly warm.
Lin Yan seemed particularly relaxed and happy today. He drank a lot of wine with my dad and had a smile on his face the whole time.
I know that this simple, lively and down-to-earth family reunion is a rare and precious experience for him.
Even though this is not the home where he grew up, this warmth and sense of belonging is what he has always longed for deep in his heart.
Looking at his happy smiling face, my heart seemed to be filled with something, and I felt particularly satisfied.
After finishing the meal and clearing away the dishes, we went downstairs again to prepare to set off the highlight of the night - those big fireworks.
After finding an open space, Lin Yan carefully lit the fuse and then quickly ran back to me.
The fuse burned out with a hissing sound, and then—
“Swoosh—bang!”
A beam of dazzling golden light suddenly shot up into the night sky, exploded at the highest point, and turned into countless dazzling meteors, slowly falling.
Immediately afterwards, fireworks of various shapes and colors rushed into the sky one after another, decorating the night sky like a dream garden.
Some look like giant golden chrysanthemums, some look like purple weeping willows, and some look like the twinkling Milky Way... The ones we bought were indeed high-priced items, and the effects are particularly shocking.
At the same time, the sound of fireworks being launched into the sky could be heard from all directions, and the night sky of the entire county was illuminated by the brilliant fireworks that rose one after another.
The sound of firecrackers and the brilliant fireworks enveloped everyone in the strong New Year atmosphere.
"Lin Yan... I'm so happy... It's so beautiful..." I was so overwhelmed by the beauty of the scene that I was speechless. I could only stare at the sky stupidly and mutter to myself.
Lin Yan hugged me from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder, his voice slightly drunken and full of satisfaction: "Wife... me too... the fireworks are beautiful... you are even more beautiful..."
Under the brilliant fireworks in the sky, we turned around naturally and exchanged a sweet and long kiss with the aroma of wine and fireworks.
Not long after, the sound of the New Year's countdown came from the TV and drifted faintly into our ears.
"Ten, nine, eight..."
We hugged each other and looked at each other's faces illuminated by the fireworks.
"Three, two, one..."
"Happy New Year! Wife/Husband!"
The clock strikes midnight, the old year bids farewell and the new year begins.
The noisy sound of fireworks and firecrackers seemed to reach a peak, and then slowly faded away.
But we know that our happiness and new chapter have just begun.
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