New Year's Wishes
After things stabilized in Beiping, Hebei, and other places, the situation in the Northeast gradually improved. As the Gregorian New Year approached, Ji Yongkang refused to stay in Shandong, saying that he would always go home for the New Year.
When her parents-in-law wanted to go home, Chai Feixue always had to go back with them. After all, the two elderly people were getting on in years, and with Ji Yuxing not around, she had to go back and take care of them.
Ji Ruqiong originally wanted to return to Northeast China with them, but just before they were about to set off, she suddenly received a letter from Sheng Dongsheng asking her to return to Shanghai first.
During the days when Chai Feixue and Ji Yuxing's parents were preparing to leave, Ji Yuxing stayed in Zaozhuang with them. This was always the case with Chai Feixue; they were often apart, but Ji Yuxing would try to spend as much time with her as possible whenever he had the chance.
When two people are together, it seems that just one day of companionship is enough to make a lifetime complete.
During the day, Chai Feixue spends most of her time at Zhang Chenglin's house, keeping Fengyue and Suisui company.
When I got home in the evening, I had dinner with Ji Yuxing and my parents-in-law. Ji Yuxing wouldn't let me go out.
The weather was exceptionally good the day Chai Feixue and Ji Yongkang left; it was a rare sunny day. Fengyue took Suisui to the train station to see them off.
Almost three months old, Sui Sui can already babble many syllables. When Ji Yuxing holds her in his arms, she is always incredibly well-behaved.
Before getting into the car, Chai Feixue was still reluctant to part with him and teased him for a long time.
Ji Yuxing looked at her tenderly, and then smiled and said, "After the war is over, let's have one too."
"We'll arrange a marriage between our children, Sui Sui and me."
Upon hearing Ji Yuxing's words, Chai Feixue blushed and looked up at Feng Yue, whose face still held the same gentle smile as always.
A few minutes later, Fengyue stepped forward and took Suisui into her arms, asking Ji Yuxing to help Chai Feixue with her luggage.
Watching Chai Feixue turn and walk towards the car, Feng Yue smiled and said, "When things are peaceful again, you must come back often."
Chai Feixue was a sentimental person, and she was never good at dealing with farewell scenes. With red eyes, she nodded and said, "Okay."
After Chai Feixue and Ji Yongkang left, Ji Yuxing did not return home. He bid farewell to Fengyue and Suisui at the train station and set off for Shanghai to meet up with Ji Ruqiong.
Seeing that Ji Yuxing and Ji Ruqiong left in such a hurry, Feng Yue felt that something was wrong somewhere.
I wonder how Zhang Chenglin is doing now...
The days always pass very quickly when your loved ones and friends are not around. Fengyue and Suisui lived a simple life at Zhang Chenglin's house day after day, waiting for Zhang Chenglin to come back.
During this time, Ji Yuxing came back to visit her and Sui Sui once, and Xin Jie also came to visit twice. When Feng Yue asked him, he said it was because Zhang Chenglin was too busy to leave, so he sent him to come and see her, so that she could feel at ease.
I don't know why, but Xin Jie's eyes always well up with tears whenever he sees Sui Sui.
He was always very kind to Sui Sui. The second time he came, he brought a lot of milk powder, nutritional supplements and toys. Even though Feng Yue kept saying that Sui Sui was too young to need so many, he smiled and stuffed them all into Feng Yue's hands without holding back a single one. He then stammered that Zhang Chenglin had asked him to buy them.
Fengyue didn't suspect anything, but she always felt that something was wrong.
On the morning of New Year's Eve, Zaozhuang was blanketed in a heavy snowfall. As if heralding the passing of the old year and the welcoming of the new, the white snowflakes drifted down one by one, covering all the grime that had accumulated in the city over the past year.
The snow stopped around noon. Fengyue wrapped Suisui up in layers of clothing and stood under the covered walkway, looking out at the courtyard that was completely covered in snow.
At four months old, Sui Sui is very active. Being confined by too many clothes is uncomfortable for her. She will reach out and grab Feng Yue's hair from time to time, and kick Feng Yue from time to time.
He was so engrossed in his lovemaking that I could barely hold him. Just as I was about to say something to him, I heard the sound of knocking on the front door.
Fengyue's breath hitched. Although she never said it aloud, there wasn't a single moment when she didn't long for his return.
If I open the door later, I'd love to see him standing there.
As Fengyue thought this, she quickened her pace as she walked out, while the clueless Suisui giggled in her arms.
Hi~ Long time no see.
Ji Ruqiong and Xin Jie were standing outside the door.
When Fengyue saw them, a fleeting look of disappointment crossed her eyes, but she still smiled and welcomed them in.
Ji Ruqiong was carrying some vegetables, eggs, fish, and meat, while Xin Jie was carrying things he had bought for Sui Sui.
"Why did you two come together?" Fengyue asked, finding it quite novel.
"It was just a chance encounter at the door." Ji Ruqiong walked into the kitchen with practiced ease, put down all the vegetables, washed her hands, and then walked to Fengyue's side. Without saying a word, she took Suisui from her: "Come here~ little Suisui, let Aunt Qiong see if you've gained weight."
“My brother and I originally bought tickets to Shandong together, and my sister-in-law also bought a ticket to come to Shandong today,” Ji Ruqiong said to Fengyue while teasing Sui Sui. “But a few days ago, my sister-in-law found out she was pregnant, so my brother went back to the Northeast first.”
"That's wonderful." Feng Yue smiled gently, watching Ji Ruqiong skillfully tease Sui Sui.
There was another knock at the door. Before Fengyue could even stand up, someone else spoke up faster: "I'll go."
Before Fengyue could answer, Xinjie had already walked out.
"Does he come here often?" Ji Ruqiong asked Feng Yue, looking up at Xin Jie's retreating figure.
“No, he’s come about three times this month.” Fengyue also turned to look at Xinjie and said, “He works so hard by Mr. Zhang’s side, how can he come so often? It’s enough if he comes to see Suisui on Mr. Zhang’s behalf once in a while and lets both sides know that everything is alright.”
After hearing Feng Yue's words, Ji Ruqiong lowered her eyes, concealing the sorrow in them, and nodded: "Yes! It's all right now."
As in previous years, Zheng Mingzhe and Peng Xi brought Zheng Xuewen to Zhang Chenglin's house to celebrate the New Year on the day before the New Year. Although they were late, they arrived.
He Zhonghua also came with them, but this year he wasn't alone; a girl was following behind him.
Zhang Chenglin and Ji Yuxing weren't there this year, so they didn't play mahjong as usual. Instead, they chatted together.
With a new person joining the family, there's bound to be plenty of talking points. Peng Xi and Ji Ruqiong kept pestering He Zhonghua to introduce them.
He Zhonghua glanced at the girl with a smile, laughing freely: "Fiancée, we'll be engaged around the end of the year, and you all have to come then."
“Of course we have to come and share in the joy!” Peng Xi turned and exchanged a glance with Zheng Mingzhe, and was the first to agree with He Zhonghua.
They had known each other for many years. He Zhonghua spoke with a smile, and his eyes shone when he looked at the girl, but there was no love in them.
The burning passion he felt when he saw Elizabeth in Cambridge during his youth was nowhere to be seen in his eyes at this moment.
Lunch was prepared by Feng Yue, Peng Xi, and Xin Jie. Zheng Mingzhe and He Zhonghua were chatting in the main room, while Huo Yao, the girl He Zhonghua brought, and Ji Ruqiong were watching the two children.
Zheng Xuewen was only a little over a year old. He was very interested in seeing little children and always wanted to poke at Sui Sui.
Whenever he got close, Ji Ruqiong would immediately stand up like a protective hen, her feathers standing on end: "No, no, no, this is my little niece's future fiancé, you can't steal him!"
Zheng Xuewen, who couldn't understand a single word, blinked his big eyes and looked up at her, then put his hand in his mouth and smacked it a few times.
Zheng Mingzhe, watching from the side, took his hand away and said jokingly but helplessly, "Aqiong, that's enough. Our Wen and Suisui are both boys, how could they be stealing your little niece's fiancé?"
He Zhonghua was watching the commotion with great interest, but the person who was usually the most boisterous around Zhang Chenglin was sitting quietly in his own spot this year.
Perhaps they were worried that the New Year celebrations would be too lonely without Zhang Chenglin at home, so they stayed at Zhang Chenglin's house to celebrate the New Year and didn't leave this year.
Sui Sui, who always goes to bed before 10 p.m., was very excited to see so many people today and hasn't gone to sleep yet at midnight.
A group of people were chatting when they suddenly heard the clock on the wall chime, and fireworks exploded all over the sky outside.
Sui Sui, who had never seen fireworks before, was stunned for a moment. Feng Yue looked at him and thought he was about to cry. She panicked and was about to comfort him.
Suddenly, he stretched out his two little hands and clapped his hands, his little body swaying back and forth.
His laughter was interspersed with two barely audible "die" sounds.
Fengyue looked at him and smiled, but as she smiled, her eyes reddened.
The noise of fireworks outside was too loud, and the sounds of everyone chatting inside drowned out Sui Sui's voice. Only Feng Yue could hear her clearly by looking down and listening very carefully.
Xin Jie sat not far behind the mother and son, watching the heartwarming scene of them together, and his nose suddenly felt sore.
Ji Ruqiong clasped her hands together and made a New Year's wish amidst the fireworks.
After making her wish, she turned to look at Sui Sui and asked with a smile, "What did Sui Sui wish for?"
Sui Sui shook her two little hands and said "ya" twice. Although we couldn't understand what she said, she was very happy.
The fireworks outside stopped a little after 1 a.m., and the people who were celebrating the New Year said goodbye to Fengyue and returned to the rooms that Fengyue had arranged for them in advance.
Fengyue carried Suisui back to the bedroom. Looking at the still excited Suisui, Fengyue smiled and held him in her arms, coaxing him, "Suisui, how about we make a New Year's wish together?"
Sui Sui couldn't understand what she was saying, nor would she respond; she just swayed her little body and clapped her hands.
Fengyue reached out and held his chubby little hand, and said softly, "I hope Father will be safe and sound every year and return home soon."
Sui Sui listened carefully, but still couldn't repeat it. She could only babble out two syllables she knew, "die" and "die".
After the Lunar New Year comes February in the Gregorian calendar. The winter snow melts, the grass grows and the birds fly, and the temperature, which has been cold for a long time, slowly begins to rise.
Fengyue still spends all her time at home with Suisui, as if it's a form of emotional support or a deep-seated attachment; she doesn't want to leave Suisui's side for even a day.
Around the end of February, Fengyue took Suisui out to buy groceries and overheard people chatting on the street:
"What's wrong with the Zhou family? Why are they hanging white cloths right after the New Year?"
"It's that Zhou family's eldest son's wife; she passed away the day before yesterday."
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