Happy New Year
“You said…” Zhang Chenglin suddenly threw the question at her, but seemed not to have expected an answer: “Isn’t this God’s punishment for Zhuang Yanbin’s insatiable greed?”
But if it's a punishment, why does it have to be Li Lianhuan?
Fengyue knew he was feeling bad, so she stayed by his side silently.
He didn't want to talk, so she didn't disturb him either.
"when--"
"Bang--"
After a long while, the clock on the wall struck the first chime of the Lunar New Year.
Immediately, deafening fireworks and firecrackers began to sound outside, one after another, celebrating the arrival of the new year in a different way.
"Happy New Year."
With a smile on her face, Feng Yue spoke her first words of the new year to Zhang Chenglin in a light and cheerful tone.
"Happy New Year."
Zhang Chenglin finally managed to shed some of the gloom on his face. He didn't laugh, but at least his expression remained relatively calm.
Fengyue stood up, her fitted cheongsam slightly wrinkled at the edges from sitting for so long. Zhang Chenglin noticed this and reached out to smooth it out for her without making a sound.
Feng Yue's smile widened as she reached out a hand to Zhang Chenglin, who was sitting on the sofa.
Zhang Chenglin glanced at her, then reached out and took her hand.
Fengyue took his hand and ran with him to the side corridor of the main hall, where they could see the fireworks outside.
Zhang Chenglin stood beside her, gazing at the fireworks in the sky, slightly lost in thought...
When she came to her senses, she saw that she was only wearing a thin cheongsam, and she couldn't help but frown slightly. Just as she was about to say something to remind her, she saw Xin Jie come out of the restaurant, carrying his big fur coat and Fengyue's coat.
When Xin Jie saw him turn his head, he instinctively tried to hand him his fur coat, but Zhang Chenglin reached out and took Feng Yue's outer garment first.
He then gently placed his hand on Fengyue's shoulder. Fengyue, who was lost in the fireworks, snapped back to reality and looked at him with a stern smile.
Zhang Chenglin straightened her coat from the front again before taking the fur coat from Xin Jie and putting it on. Feng Yue watched as he reached out to tie the front ties for him.
As a competent assistant, Xin Jie knew that it was time for him to disappear.
Feng Yue and Zhang Chenglin stood under the covered walkway for a long time. Perhaps it was because of the good harvest this year, or perhaps it was because of the good business this year, but the fireworks outside went on for a very long time without stopping.
Feng Yue leaned against Zhang Chenglin's chest, watching the fireworks for a while in a daze, before suddenly asking, "Did you make a New Year's wish, sir?"
Zhang Chenglin glanced down at her, his gaze filled with a multitude of emotions. Feng Yue looked at him and, seeing that he hadn't spoken for a long time, realized she might have asked too many questions.
But after a moment, he looked up again at the sky, which was still filled with fireworks, and spoke in a soft but firm voice:
"May the land of China be peaceful and harmonious, and may the country be prosperous and the people live in peace."
Feng Yue's heart skipped a beat, but her smile remained unchanged. "It definitely will."
"And you?"
Zhang Chenglin suddenly looked down at her and asked, "What did you wish for?"
"Of course I hope I'm younger than I was last year," Feng Yue said with a smile, her face devoid of any hint of jest.
Zhang Chenglin was amused by her and said, "Yes, I will."
Feng Yue turned her head, lowered her eyes, and smiled.
The courtyard in front of me was covered with white snow, which shone with colorful light under the reflection of the fireworks.
It was as if she had written down her New Year's wishes there—
May he enjoy joy and peace year after year.
*
The next day was the first day of the Lunar New Year.
Before lunch, Ji Yuxing, Chai Feixue, Ji Ruqiong, Zheng Mingzhe, Peng Xi, Zheng Xuewen, and He Zhonghua gathered at Zhang Chenglin's house.
As soon as Peng Xi entered the room, he shoved Zheng Xuewen, whom he was holding, into Zhang Chenglin's arms and said with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Zhang."
After that, ignoring what Zhang Chenglin said, she turned around and went into the kitchen to help Fengyue, Chai Feixue, and Ji Ruqiong prepare lunch.
Zhang Chenglin had originally arranged for Xinjie to go out and invite two cooks to come and prepare the meal that morning—knowing that there would be many people today and that it would be too much work for Fengyue and Chai Feixue to cook for themselves. However, before Xinjie could even leave the gate after receiving the task, he was blocked by Ji Ruqiong and Chai Feixue as they entered.
Ji Ruqiong: "Go back."
Xin Jie: "?"
“We can do it ourselves. Zheng Mingzhe and Peng Xi are not outsiders. Besides, Peng Xi will definitely help when he comes over,” Chai Feixue explained with a smile. “And He Zhonghua goes without saying.”
Xin Jie was caught in a dilemma, but seeing that Zhang Chenglin didn't say anything more, he immediately went to the side to wait.
Zhang Chenglin was fine on his own, but when a baby was suddenly placed in his hands, he was a little flustered and at a loss.
Meanwhile, Zheng Mingzhe, enjoying the spectacle, chatted animatedly with He Zhonghua and Ji Yuxing.
“No,” Zhang Chenglin frowned, looking at Zheng Mingzhe, “Why did your wife put the child in my hands?”
"It depends on how reliable you are." Zheng Mingzhe shrugged, his amused smile undiminished: "She says I'm unreliable every day at home, but there's no way she would entrust Awen to me."
Zhang Chenglin: "..."
After lunch, Feng Yue, Chai Feixue, Ji Ruqiong, and a few others gathered around Peng Xi and Zheng Xuewen, having a great time. The group of men then decided to start their mahjong game.
"Hey He Zhonghua, hurry up! What are you dawdling for!"
"Hey Lao Zheng, if you're going to play it like that, then I'm going to..."
"Ji Yuxing, what kind of terrible card did you play? I'll give you a chance to play it again, okay?"
"Old Zhang is so straightforward, he gave it to me right away!"
"..."
"You lost again! Hurry up and give the money to Old Zhang."
Amidst the clamor of a group of grown men, Fengyue heard "You lost again" three times, all referring to Zhang Chenglin, and so far they had only played three rounds.
Seeing Fengyue chatting and momentarily distracted, Ji Ruqiong also noticed the situation at the mahjong table and explained helplessly, "Those guys just love to drag Brother Lin to play mahjong. Brother Lin is a terrible mahjong player but generous. Even when he loses, he doesn't complain. They like Brother Lin's 'mahjong character' but also want to take advantage of him."
Feng Yue smiled and shook her head, saying, "You guys talk first," before getting up and standing behind Zhang Chenglin.
He Zhonghua looked up, his expression slightly hardening, and muttered to himself, "I have a feeling she's up to no good."
"Just play your cards!" Zheng Mingzhe said, arranging his cards. "Why do you care so much?"
As the new game began, Fengyue stood behind Zhang Chenglin, watching his cards and occasionally pointing with her finger. Zhang Chenglin didn't mind; he played whatever she told him to play, showing a level of complete trust that would make others envious.
When it was Zhang Chenglin's turn, Fengyue gently patted his shoulder.
Zhang Chenglin understood, and pushed the tiles down, saying, "I won."
"That's great." Ji Yuxing couldn't help but give Feng Yue a thumbs up: "Feng Yue is amazing."
After winning the first round, he praised Fengyue highly.
But Zhang Chenglin winning three consecutive games is a different story—
Ji Yuxing: "Vocal! Who told you to cheat like that?!"
He Zhonghua: "That's no fun, is it? You can't experience the joy of mahjong by playing like this, can you?"
Zheng Mingzhe: "A true gentleman observes a game of chess in silence!"
Seeing that the noise was starting to target Feng Yue, Ji Ruqiong and the others couldn't sit still any longer and got up to come over.
Chai Feixue stood behind Ji Yuxing, Peng Xi held Zheng Xuewen and stood behind Zheng Mingzhe, and Ji Ruqiong had no choice but to stand calmly behind He Zhonghua.
Peng Xi first reached out and patted Zheng Mingzhe on the shoulder: "You talk too much!"
Zheng Mingzhe turned to look at his wife and children, touched his nose, and said nothing more.
“Mr. Zheng, you yourself said, ‘A true gentleman observes chess without speaking,’” Feng Yue said with a smile on her face, “Why bother arguing with a mere woman like me?”
Zheng Mingzhe: "..."
She turned and glared angrily at Zhang Chenglin, her eyes full of accusation.
Zhang Chenglin smiled faintly, but remained silent.
Feng Yue's card skills were truly formidable; none of the people present could beat her. After losing several rounds in a row, He Zhonghua, Ji Yuxing, and Zheng Mingzhe quickly got up and fled the scene, refusing to play any more.
Not only did they not win any money today, they also lost almost all the money they had on them.
I'm starting to know how to keep a low profile.
Ji Ruqiong, Peng Xi, and the others stopped paying attention to them. Peng Xi simply handed Zheng Xuewen over to Zheng Mingzhe and joined Feng Yue and Chai Feixue to continue their tea party.
Several grown men were having a great time playing with a child in the sunny courtyard. He Zhonghua seemed to have gotten tired of playing, so he found a corner and squatted down, quietly watching them play.
Fengyue was sitting in a spot where she could see him, and somehow she sensed a sense of loneliness in him.
So I couldn't help but ask, "Is He Zhonghua married?"
Because of Feng Yue's words, several women present turned to look at her at the same time.
Finally realizing what was happening, they all shook their heads: "No."
“He must be 27 this year, right?” Chai Feixue frowned and thought for a moment. “He seems to be the same age as Ji Yuxing.”
“Hmm,” Peng Xi nodded thoughtfully, “If I remember correctly, the four of them are the same age.”
“My brother mentioned it before,” Ji Ruqiong suddenly spoke up, drawing their attention back to him: “It seems that he and the person he liked broke up when they graduated from university.”
"Tell me more?" Chai Feixue became interested; after all, who doesn't like to listen to gossip?
Ji Ruqiong, who was the most expected to succeed, failed at the crucial moment, shaking her head: "My brother only mentioned it once."
Feng Yue: "..."
Peng Xi: "..."
Chai Feixue: "..."
"He met the girl he liked while studying at Cambridge. They were very close during their studies, and Mingzhe and the others also knew her." Peng Xi spoke up from the side, telling them the follow-up they wanted to hear: "But the girl is British, and her father is a capitalist with absolute power in the British royal family, so she is also a believer in capitalism."
At this point, Peng Xi suddenly paused, and the others could more or less guess what she was going to say next: "But as you all know, He Zhonghua is wholeheartedly dedicated to socialism... so they broke up when they graduated, the girl went back to England, and He Zhonghua returned to China without hesitation."
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