He was wearing his newly bought blue down jacket. Now that he had some extra money, he didn't want to put himself in a difficult position.

He walked to the intersection, and a black Volkswagen stopped in front of him. The window rolled down, and the young driver asked in his hometown dialect, "Just one piece of luggage?"

Chen Xu felt very at home when he heard his hometown dialect here. He smiled and said, "Yes, just one."

The driver opened the trunk and asked him to put his luggage in. Then he got on the passenger seat.

"We have three more people to pick up," the driver explained and started the car.

Chen Xu's hometown is more than 400 kilometers away from this city. After the highway was opened two years ago, it only takes three or four hours to drive there. He used to take the bus, but in the past two years, he has changed to hitchhiking, which is more convenient and the cost is not much different.

The other three passengers were all young girls, probably college students. People who work in companies usually don't have holidays so early.

Several girls were chatting in the back row. Chen Xu put on headphones, listened to music, and closed his eyes to rest.

When he was young, he was very carsick and would vomit every time he got in a car. It was not until junior high school that he got better. Although he is no longer carsick, he cannot look at his phone or read a book. If he does, he will get very sick.

So, when he was riding in a car, he would either chat with people or close his eyes and rest.

Everyone got along well along the way and arrived home smoothly.

This is a small county town. After the expressway was opened in the past two years, the development has become faster. After the ring road was opened, the urban area expanded several times. I haven't been back for a year, and I feel that the whole place has changed.

It was not until the car stopped at the entrance of the alley that Chen Xu found that extremely familiar feeling.

He got out of the car and looked up. He found that the sky had become clear at some point. The warm sunlight shone down and he felt a little sweaty.

At this time, it was already past twelve o'clock, and he walked into the alley with the bag in his hand. This area was full of old-style residential areas, most of which were old buildings built decades ago.

His house was in the second building. The door at the staircase on the first floor had been replaced with a new one. He walked up and pulled it and it opened. It was not locked.

The narrow staircase gave people a sense of crampedness. Walking here, he regained his familiar memories.

He walked all the way to the top floor, which was the fourth floor. The door was not closed and he could hear TV commercials coming from inside.

"mom."

As soon as he entered the door, he shouted, and then he saw Chen Ziqi sitting on the old rattan chair watching TV, and he was stunned.

"Surprise." Chen Ziqi jumped off the chair with a proud look on his face.

Chen Xu was surprised, "Why are you here?"

"Why can't I be here?" Chen Ziqi said with a smile, walked forward to take the backpack from his hand and put it on the sofa.

"Xiaoxu is back." In the kitchen, mother heard the noise and came out with a spatula. When she saw him, she said, "Sit down and drink some water and take a rest. You'll be able to eat soon." After that, she went back to the kitchen.

Chen Xu picked up his backpack and was about to go back to his room when Chen Ziqi stopped him and said, "This room is mine, you can stay in that one."

Chen Xu was surprised, "Why don't you live in your own big house and come to live in the old house?"

"None of your business." Chen Ziqi pushed him to the next room.

This is an old house from decades ago. It was allocated to his grandfather when he was working. It originally had two bedrooms and a living room, about 80 square meters. Later, a small room was separated from the living room, making it a three-bedroom house.

Chen Xu's parents lived in a big room, and now Chen Ziqi occupied another one, so he could only move into the small room.

The room was indeed very small, with only a one-meter-wide bed and a desk. There was not even room for a chair in front of the desk.

The room had obviously been cleaned, and the sheets, pillows and quilts were all new.

He hung his backpack on the wall and asked Chen Ziqi, "Why did you come back this year? Didn't you spend the New Year with your dad outside in previous years?"

"Isn't Old Chen so busy every year that we can hardly see him? He lives alone outside too. He might as well go back to his hometown." Chen Ziqi complained.

Chen Xu thought about it and it was true. His uncle had opened three chain supermarkets, which were quite large. During the Chinese New Year, he had to give gifts to the heads of the industrial and commercial, fire, food and other departments, and treat them to dinner. How could he have time to spend with his daughter?

He said, "Then spend the New Year at my house this year."

Chen Ziqi glared, "Of course, otherwise, do you want to chase me away?"

"Who dares to chase you away?" Chen Xu tapped her forehead.

"OK."

Chen Xu agreed, walked to the kitchen door, looked at his busy mother, and asked, "Where's Dad? Isn't he back yet?"

While cooking, my mother said, "Business at the mall is better this year. Your dad can't leave, so he has been eating lunch at the store these days."

Chen Xu knew that the mall was opened by his father's old classmate, and wanted to find a trustworthy person to help look after it, so he found his father. Because the salary was relatively high, his father was particularly interested in this job.

As for my mother, she helps with cleaning at a nearby kindergarten. Now that the kindergarten is on holiday, she stays at home.

Soon, my mother's dishes were ready. Chen Xu helped to serve the dishes, while Chen Ziqi outside had already cleaned the table.

With one more person at the table, the feeling was completely different. Before, when his father was around, they didn't talk much, and it was just the mother and son who chatted while eating. Now that Chen Ziqi had joined in from time to time, the atmosphere became much warmer.

After dinner, when Chen Xu was washing dishes with his mother, his mother whispered to him, "People used to say that your uncle's daughter was very rebellious, but I didn't expect her to be quite sensible. Your uncle is so lucky."

That's when you haven't seen her rebel.

Chen Xu thought it was funny, but he knew that his mother had always wanted to have another daughter, so it was not surprising that she had a crush on the cute and sweet-looking Chen Ziqi.

After washing the dishes, Chen Xu said something to his mother and took Chen Ziqi out.

It was a small town, and there weren't many places to go shopping. Chen Xu planned to take her to the square area, where there were many clothing stores.

After going downstairs, Chen Xu stopped a three-wheeled motorcycle, asked the price, and then got on.

Chen Ziqi talked about something, "I heard Second Auntie call yesterday and said she was going to arrange a blind date for you. What are you going to do?"

"Given the current situation at my house, no matter who heard it, wouldn't they run away as fast as they could?" Chen Xu shook his head and said, "Only my mother still has illusions. People nowadays are very realistic. Few women are willing to suffer with you."

"So, if you want to find someone, look for someone who is young and simple..."

Chen Xu looked at her with amusement, "How deep is the hatred between you and your best friend that you are so tirelessly trying to push her into the fire pit?"

Chen Ziqi was shocked. "This is the first time I've heard someone say that they are a fire pit."

After saying this, he said with some regret, "Chen Xu, with your personality, how can you survive in this society? You are not thick-skinned, nor are you evil-hearted. You are just a lamb. Sooner or later, you will be eaten by others, and it will be too late to regret it."

Chen Xu tapped her forehead and said, "Where did you hear all this nonsense? It's time for your dad to take care of you."

"Did I say anything wrong?" Chen Ziqi looked at him unconvinced.

Chen Xu wanted to say something else, but the tricycle stopped and the driver in front turned around and said, "We're here."

Chen Xu glared at her, paid the fare, and got off the car.

Perhaps because it was almost Chinese New Year, the streets were especially crowded. The tricycle stopped at a crossroads, and the passing cars blocked the road. Some impatient drivers kept honking their horns.

Chen Ziqi liked this kind of atmosphere and said happily, "It's quite lively."

Chen Xu said, "There weren't so many people before. Let's go over there."

"Chen Xu."

At this moment, a surprised voice suddenly sounded behind me.

The voice was so familiar that Chen Xu felt as if an electric current ran through his heart. He turned around suddenly and saw a figure rushing over and hugging him.

He was knocked back a step by the impact, his neck was hugged tightly, he smelled a somewhat familiar fragrance in his nose, and there was a warm body in his arms.

There was a trace of astonishment and confusion on his face.

Yang Jinxia? Why is she here?

PS: Let me talk about the updates after the release. On the release day, there will be at least five updates, and more updates will be added depending on the situation. After that, there will be three updates, and at least 6,000 words. If the results are explosive, I will invest more energy in it. Everything depends on the situation on the release day.

(End of this chapter)