New Year's Eve, Bazhenlou, third-floor private room.
Inside the Bazhen Tower, lanterns and decorations were everywhere, red and green ribbons were wrapped around the vermilion pillars, and the paper-cut shadows of "Fortune, Prosperity, Longevity and Happiness" were cast onto the carved window frames by the glass chandeliers.
In the private room on the third floor, a round sandalwood table was filled with gilded enamel tableware, and the steam carrying the aroma of cured meats and wine wafted through the carved wooden lattice.
In the corner, a gramophone played "Shanghai Nights," its sound mingling with the constant noise of fireworks and firecrackers outside, startling snowflakes from the plane trees into falling softly onto the roof of the rickshaw.
Under the dim yellow streetlights, the neat snow lay on the ground. People were dressed warmly, and their cotton boots made a soft, pattering sound as they stepped on the snow, like the prelude to music.
Xu Zhuohua took Cheng Muyun's hand and pushed open the door to the private room on the third floor. To her surprise, the room was already full of people.
Chen Hede was dressed in black, with a gold pocket watch pinned to his chest, and his arm was casually resting on the armrest of the armchair.
Beside her was Chen Hede, wearing a black and gold mandarin jacket with gold thread patterns, talking to Hu Moli beside him. The two of them had their heads close together, which was quite a sight to behold.
Opposite the three was Xu Jixin, who was used to being high-profile. He was dressed in a three-piece suit with a serious expression, one hand in his pocket and the other fiddling with a gramophone.
Liang Shaozun sat quietly in the chair, head down, with a cup of hot tea in front of him, emitting a rich aroma.
Xinghua was the first to greet him and immediately hugged Xu Zhuohua.
Everyone in the room turned their gazes toward the loving couple and smiled.
Xu Jixin walked over, his leather shoes making a thumping sound on the ground. "I said, I even canceled my family's New Year's Eve dinner, and you two made me wait for so long."
Xu Zhuohua gave Cheng Muyun a reproachful look. She thought one kiss would be enough, but the man next to her insisted on more. The two of them had been delayed for a long time. If Xu Zhuohua hadn't just recovered from a serious illness, she wouldn't have been able to satisfy him with just her hands.
Cheng Muyun put his arm around Xu Zhuohua's shoulder without any embarrassment, "It's cold outside, so it took me a while to get dressed."
Xu Jixin raised an eyebrow, looked at Xu Zhuohua's slightly red lips, then looked at Cheng Muyun and gave a wicked smile.
We're all men, we all understand.
"Waiter, everyone's here! Serve the food!" Xu Jixin called out to the waiter waiting outside.
Chen Hede raised his hand, "We're still one short."
Xu Jixin looked around the room. "Everyone's here."
Chen Hede raised his hand to check his watch. "He'll be here soon. Let's serve the dishes first, and you'll see in a bit."
Xu Jixin walked back to the table and sat down next to Liang Shaozun. "You all came here to celebrate my sister's recovery from her serious illness, right? These are probably the only people she knows in Xinhai City. Who else is there?"
Xu Zhuohua entered the room with doubts and was led by Cheng Muyun to sit down next to Xu Jixin, while Cheng Muyun sat next to Chen Hede.
Xu Zhuohua looked around and said, "Everyone I know is indeed here."
If we had to say who was missing, it would be Luo Yunqiao, but tonight is New Year's Eve, how could she not be eating at home?
The people at this table are Chen Hede, an orphan, as are Mei Heming and Hu Moli. Liang Shaozun goes without saying; the Liang family probably wouldn't let him sit at the table. Xinghua's parents sold her to the Xu family, so she's practically an orphan too.
Besides Xu Jixin and Cheng Muyun, who both have parents, Xu Zhuohua is also an orphan.
A table full of pitiful people, gathered together for a New Year's Eve dinner.
Waitresses in cheongsams moved about carrying lacquered trays. The eight-treasure duck on the trays was glistening red and oily, and the eight-treasure rice was inlaid with red and green shimmering with honey. Soon all the dishes were served, and the table was full of delicacies, creating an exceptionally warm atmosphere.
Xu Zhuohua looked around with some emotion. She had come to this time and space all alone, but she never expected to meet so many friends, all of whom were people she could name.
Although some have good reputations and some have bad reputations, there's no need to care.
It was as if a drifting duckweed had found a place to take root. Xu Zhuohua also found a place to settle down and even gained the person she loved most.
Actually, if you think about it carefully, she had a very fulfilling time during this period, which was extremely cost-effective.
Xu Zhuohua couldn't help but feel her eyes well up with tears, her nose tingled, and tears almost streamed down her face.
Cheng Muyun's warm hand took hers, his hot palm radiating a comforting warmth. Xu Zhuohua couldn't help but interlock her fingers and hold his hand tightly.
Xu Jixin picked up a glass of wine, his eyes narrowing into slits with delight. "Let me raise a glass and say a few words."
Cheng Muyun laughed and said, "Young Master Xu, don't drink too much before you've even had a chance to drink."
Xu Jixin waved his hand, "I just drank quite a bit of tea with Shaozun, but I didn't drink a drop of wine, so it's impossible for me to be drunk."
Chen Hede banged on the table, "Say what you want to say!"
Xu Jixin stood up, looking at the crowd gathered around him, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
He sighed, "I've been studying alone in Xinhai City for so many years, and this is the first time I've had so many like-minded friends to share a New Year's Eve dinner with."
Chen Hede's face darkened. Since his sister's death, he had applied to be on duty every year, and this was his first New Year's Eve.
Xu Zhuohua looked up at Xu Jixin, "Second Brother, why are you reminiscing about the past during the New Year?"
Xu Jixin slammed his hand on the table, almost knocking over the teacup in front of Liang Shaozun. Liang Shaozun quickly reached out to protect it.
“Yes!” Xu Jixin’s voice suddenly rose a few decibels. “Let’s not talk about sad things. What I want to say is that what we did was absolutely amazing! This year has been the most meaningful year of my life.”
Chen Hede raised his glass, "I feel the same way, let's raise a glass together."
Everyone raised their glasses.
Everyone felt pretty much the same; so much had happened this year.
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