Chapter 19
On New Year's Eve, Fang Zhao and his father cleaned the yard and put up the couplets. It was almost time for dinner.
From time to time, sporadic sounds of firecrackers could be heard outside, adding to the quiet winter day and creating a festive atmosphere.
Fang Zhao washed his hands and went to help his mother in the kitchen while she fried New Year's goods. Although he was nominally helping, he was merely watching over the pot and eating first. Before the glutinous rice balls were even finished, most of them were gone from the plate. It wasn't long before his mother kicked him out.
Fang Zhao had nothing to do so he had to sit in the living room and watch TV.
As the sky darkened, the sound of firecrackers became more frequent, and some people set off fireworks, and bursts of "crackling" sounds rushed straight into Fang Zhao's ears.
She suddenly thought of An Huainan.
What is he doing? His mother is gone. Doesn't that mean he will have to spend the New Year alone at home?
Thinking of this, Fang Zhao walked to the bedroom and wanted to send him a message.
After returning home from the holidays, Fang Zhao put the phone at the bottom of his schoolbag. If his parents knew that he had secretly bought a phone, he would be unsure whether he could survive New Year's Eve.
"It's time for the New Year's Eve dinner, what are you doing?"
As soon as Fang Zhao put his hand on the bedroom door handle, his mother called him.
"Come and serve the food."
Fang Zhao had no choice but to accept his fate and turned to go to the kitchen.
"This year's gala will begin in ten minutes. Let's focus our camera on the backstage staff—"
It’s still the familiar host, and it’s still the familiar Spring Festival Gala every year.
"Eat quickly, I have to go play cards after eating."
Every year after the New Year’s Eve dinner, Mom and Dad would go visit relatives in the village and play cards or mahjong.
The Lunar New Year is the time when the young and strong laborers in the village gather in greatest numbers, and those who work away from home also return home. Therefore, Fang Zhao's house has no curfew these days.
In the past, Fang Zhao didn't care about his parents' decision, but now when he heard that they were going to play cards, he quickly quickened his eating speed.
"Hey, this kid is weird. You're usually the last one to finish eating. Why are you eating so fast this year?"
The mother looked at her daughter who was wolfing down her food at the table and said, "Eat slowly. No one is trying to snatch it from you."
"Mom, the New Year's Eve dinner you cooked this year is really delicious."
"A flatterer."
Mom scolded me with a laugh, but she was still very happy. It seemed like my two days of researching New Year's Eve dinner recipes had paid off, especially this squirrel mandarin fish. Look how delicious it is when fried.
"Are there any friends who want to play with you this year?"
In previous years, after dinner, the adults in the village would get together to play, and the children would also get together.
Use your pocket money to go to the store to buy some fireworks and snacks, and find an open place to set off fireworks.
"Probably not." Fang Zhao thought for a moment, "No one has asked me out yet."
Except for a few who had poor academic performance and dropped out of school to attend technical schools, the others who grew up with Fang Zhao are all seniors in high school.
Before the holiday, the school held a special meeting and spoke for a long time, listing many examples of students who successfully entered prestigious universities. For example, the seniors from the XX class did not relax and studied hard on New Year's Eve in order to get into Peking University and Tsinghua University.
I guess no one will come out to play.
"Okay, we're going out. If you come back early, just lock the door and go to sleep. Your dad and I have the key."
"good."
Fang Zhao watched the two men walk out and disappear into the night. He quickly ran into the bedroom, pulled out his phone, and checked for any news from An Huainan.
The phone was silent, no messages at all.
"What are you doing?"
Fang Zhao opened An Huainan's cell phone number and sent a text message.
Suddenly, a red firework exploded outside the window. With a "pop", half of the sky was illuminated with a red glow. Fang Zhao turned his head and looked up at the colorful fireworks, his heart filled with emotion.
How long has it been since I enjoyed fireworks so leisurely?
"Wait until you come find me."
After a long time, An Huainan came back.
Fang Zhao looked at the words on the phone screen and couldn't help but curl his lips. An Huainan now seemed to have grown a mouth and could say any sweet words.
"Where are you?"
"Your doorstep."
This time the reply was very quick. Fang Zhao was startled and quickly jumped out of bed.
Her doorstep?
Fang Zhao ran out, and sure enough, a dark figure was standing outside the door. Seeing someone coming out, he turned around and faced her.
"棹."
The vast night cast a layer of mystery over the visitor, and the winter chill cast an icy coat over them. Fang Zhao walked over and hugged her, feeling like he was hugging a piece of ice. The chill flowed along his body and passed to himself.
"How long have you been here?"
"A while."
In fact, An Huainan had been standing here since Fang Zhao started pasting the couplets. In order not to attract her parents' attention, he stood straight in the corner of the wall, watching her busying around inside the door.
Just standing there and looking at her, I felt inexplicably at peace.
It's much better than the empty room in my own home.
"Isn't it cold?"
Fang Zhao put his hand against his face with heartache.
"It's cold." An Huainan took his hand away, touched Fang Zhao's hair, and put his hand in his pocket.
"Would you like me to come in and sit down?"
"Come on, come in."
Fang Zhao took An Huainan's hand and walked all the way to the room.
"You haven't eaten yet? Let me heat up the food for you."
According to the tradition of northerners, a large New Year's Eve dinner is usually prepared. It is usually eaten from New Year's Eve to the fifth day of the first lunar month, and the New Year is considered complete. It means "the family has more happiness, and there will be more every year."
Fang Zhao walked into the kitchen and looked at the table full of dishes, feeling a little at a loss as to where to start.
"Um, An Huainan, what do you like to eat?"
"Let me do it."
Since his father passed away, An Huainan has been cooking by himself. Although his cooking skills are not as good as those of a five-star chef, he has his own set of methods.
"Okay, come on."
Fang Zhao was very self-aware. The pots and pans in the kitchen seemed to have a grudge against him. The only time he baked a pancake on a whim, the batter on both sides was black and inedible.
She remembered that she threw the cake to her big black dog that guarded the house with some disgust, but the big black dog just sniffed it and went back to its nest to sleep.
The legendary "even dogs won't eat it".
Fang Zhao stood by and watched An Huainan's slender fingers working skillfully on the stove. He couldn't help but stare blankly. He thought he had good taste and that men who could cook were so handsome.
He heated up the frying pan and added oil. An Huainan skillfully put the dumplings in and fried them until the bottoms were golden brown. He then added some flour and water, covered the pan, and waited for the dumplings to be cooked.
“It smells so good.”
Fang Zhao took a deep breath and sighed sincerely.
"Why, not full?"
An Huainan glanced at her, Fang Zhao lowered his head, touched his still slightly deflated belly, and nodded.
I was just hoping to finish eating quickly, so I didn't eat much.
"I made a lot, just enough for us to eat together."
Turn off the heat, simmer for another two minutes, then lift the lid. A fragrant aroma hits your nose, and Fang Zhao's stomach growls twice at the right time.
"Let's go set off the fireworks later."
An Huainan put the fried dumplings on a plate, took out two empty bowls, and poured some Laba vinegar into them.
"Um, I didn't buy any fireworks."
Thinking that no one would come to play with him this year, Fang Zhao had to give up the option of fireworks when he and his father went to buy New Year's goods.
"I bought it. It's outside. Go get it later."
When Fang Zhao heard that there were fireworks, his eyes lit up immediately.
She loved setting off fireworks the most. The crackling sound always gave her a brief escape from the mundane world. Amidst the bustle, the deepest loneliness in her heart could be revealed without restraint. She would place it in the hottest place to warm it up. When she put it back, the loneliness would also be warm.
Fang Zhao pushed his electric bike out, put the fireworks that An Huainan bought in the bed, then sat behind the seat and the two rode towards the river.
There are not too many trees and no piles of corn stalks and firewood near the river, so it is a relatively safe place.
When they arrived, there were already groups of people setting off fireworks.
Fang Zhao jumped out of the car and looked at them with some envy.
"Here."
An Huainan put a fairy wand in her hand and picked up a lighter to help her light it.
The fairy wand emitted a bright flame and burned in her hand.
"Wow." Fang Zhao held it carefully and ran wildly along the river like a child.
Turning around, looking out from the fireworks, An Huainan was holding the remaining fairy wand in his hand, his eyes full of smiles, watching her making a fuss beside him. The flames of the fireworks illuminated half of his face, and his straight nose seemed to be shadowed, making his whole face more three-dimensional.
"careful."
An Huainan grabbed Fang Zhao who was retreating continuously, with a fallen tree trunk behind him.
"Don't you want to play?"
Fang Zhao ran over with a fairy wand and squatted on the ground to watch An Huainan fiddling with something.
"Stay back, don't get hurt."
Fang Zhao obediently stepped back.
Suddenly, a beam of light rushed out from the ground, like turning on a flashlight, illuminating the faces of both men for a moment.
Star-like sparks of fire shot out from the firework barrel, dimly lit, then scorching hot, and then extinguished. They were as short as a person's life, and as dazzling as a person's life.
"Are you cold?" An Huainan took off his coat and put it on Fang Zhao.
"It's not cold, wear it."
Fang Zhao struggled a few times but couldn't get past An Huainan, so he had no choice but to pull his clothes together and wrap himself up.
An Huainan touched her cold nose with his fingers. Fang Zhao smiled at him. An Huainan turned his face away and resisted the urge to kiss her.
"What's wrong?" Fang Zhao was confused and turned to look at An Huainan.
"Nothing."
An Huainan put his arm around her shoulders and let her lean on him. He was greedy for her warmth and her scent.
"Zhao, are you willing to accompany me to the capital to study at university?"
Fang Zhao's heart skipped a beat, then he nodded without hesitation, "I do."
An Huainan's hands were shaking. The answer Fang Zhao gave him ten years ago had kept him awake all night.
At that time, he could not promise her a future because he was too young and the future was too heavy for him.
And now, even though he knew it was impossible, he still wanted to ask.
Perhaps it was a deep obsession in his heart, he wanted to hear her say yes with his own ears.
He was afraid that she would reject him.
When he heard Fang Zhao say "I do", his whole heart relaxed. Smelling the fragrance of her hair, he wanted to hold her like this until the end of time.
As midnight approached, the clock in the distant square began to count down.
"Five, four, three, two, one"
"Happy New Year!"
The crowd by the river burst into blessings, and couples hugged each other tightly to welcome the arrival of the new year.
An Huainan couldn't help but tighten his grip and looked down at Fang Zhao, who was looking at the fireworks in the sky with excitement.
"I love you."
He said silently.
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