There were bursts of firecrackers outside, and it was not easy to fall asleep when I went back to sleep.
When Su Ruo returned to her room after taking a shower, Han Zecheng was fiddling with the books on the bookshelf. Then Su Ruo discovered that there was a plate of dumplings on the table, steaming hot and emitting bursts of fragrance, and there was a stack of red envelopes next to it.
Han Zecheng followed her gaze and glanced at the dumplings and red envelopes, and explained, "Dad asked Aunt Cao to send them over. She said that there is a custom of eating dumplings during the Chinese New Year in my hometown, and the Han family has always kept this custom. We have to eat a few more dumplings before going to bed on New Year's Eve."
There is no explanation for those red envelopes.
Even without him saying it, Su Ruo knew that it should have been given to Guoguo by the Han family.
Su Ruo sat at the table, smelling the aroma of the dumplings. She was actually very hungry.
They had a simple lunch at noon and had been traveling all the way here, but although the New Year's Eve reunion dinner was rich, to be honest, she really didn't eat much, and she thought he probably didn't eat much either.
She nodded and said, "Well, this is a very good custom. Brother Han, come over and eat with us. You haven't even eaten a few bites of rice just now."
Han Zecheng couldn't help but laugh when he heard her coquettish tone.
She is just like that, she will talk about anything casually. Something that was originally very heavy, after she said it like this, it seems like it is not a big deal.
He put down the book in his hand, walked to the table and sat down, saying, "Give it a try, Aunt Cao's cooking skills are very good."
As he said that, he picked up one and put it in Su Ruo's small bowl.
Su Ruo hummed and said, "Okay, I'll try."
As he said that, he picked up the dumpling in the bowl and dipped it in some vinegar to try it. It was a simple dumpling with cabbage, mushroom and pork filling. It was not easy to get other fresh vegetables in the winter, but the dumplings with the same cabbage, mushroom and pork filling were really fragrant and the dumpling skin was also chewy.
After Su Ruo finished one, Han Zecheng put another one in her bowl.
Su Ruo took a bite and said, "You can try it too. I saw that you didn't eat anything for dinner, and you drove for an entire afternoon, so you must be hungry."
Han Zecheng said "hmm", but just as he picked up the chopsticks, he heard Su Ruo say, "Wait a minute."
Han Zecheng looked up at her.
Su Ruo smiled and finished the remaining half of her dumpling, then picked one up from the plate for her and said, "I'll feed you."
Han Zecheng: ...
"Stop it."
He said.
After saying that, he lowered his head and picked it up himself.
Su Ruo grabbed his hand holding the chopsticks and said, "Let me try. Today is the first New Year's Eve we spend together..."
Han Zecheng simply couldn't bear it anymore.
He grabbed her hand with his backhand, then leaned over and whispered something in her ear. Su Ru was stunned at first, then said, "Okay, okay, you feed me later."
However, Han Zecheng pulled back when he heard her say that, and sat up straight, without a smile on his face, and said condescendingly: "Not later, but in the evening... Of course, if you are anxious to have a later time, you can, but wait until I finish eating first."
After he finished speaking, he paused and said with a half-smile, "But when the time comes, don't cry and beg for mercy, saying you don't want it and you can't eat it."
Su Ruo was stunned. It was just a dumpling. Why was he crying and begging for mercy, saying that he couldn’t eat it... Then something suddenly flashed through her mind and she was stunned. With a "pop", the dumpling in her hand fell onto the table along with the chopsticks.
His face instantly turned red, and blood seemed to be dripping out.
How could he, how could he say such a thing with such an expression?
Han Zecheng glanced at her but ignored her and continued to eat dumplings calmly.
Seeing him looking so serious and as if he didn't want to be disturbed by anyone, Su Ruo was so angry that she almost vomited blood.
This person, how could this person be like this? ! !
She felt embarrassed and annoyed, but didn't want to tickle him... It's not that she didn't want to, but even looking at him made her blush and her heart beat fast, let alone playing with him. Her strength was not enough for him to see, and in the end she would just be bullied by him.
She didn't want to pay any more attention to him, so she stood up and turned to leave.
She went outside and watched Guoguo playing in the yard for a while. The cold wind blew away the embarrassment on her face. Then she went to the bathroom, brushed her teeth, and returned to her room to sleep.
She ignored him and just pulled the quilt over her and went to sleep.
Han Zecheng found it funny to see her angry look.
She is so easily teased yet she insists on teasing him with her little paws all day long. As a result, he can't stand it if you say something a little harsh.
Does this mean that the officials are allowed to set fires but the common people are not allowed to light lamps?
He ignored her too.
After eating the dumplings slowly, I took a shower and then sat down in front of the bed to coax her.
Su Ruo didn't want to pay attention to him, but when she saw the red envelope in front of her, she couldn't help but ask curiously, "What is this?"
She saw that it was a red envelope.
But why was he waving a red envelope in front of her?
"New Year's money."
He said simply.
ha?
Su Ruo stuck her head out and repeated, "New Year's money?"
Han Zecheng hummed and said, "Don't you only remember things before you were 18? You would have received New Year's money during that time, right? Then I'll continue to give it to you."
His tone and expression seemed casual, but the look in his eyes when he looked at her was very focused.
Su Ruo was stunned for a moment when she saw him.
I forgot about his previous joke.
She pursed her lips and muttered in a low voice: "You are not my elder, why give me New Year's money?"
He closed his eyes, smiled faintly, and said slowly: "There's nothing wrong with being an elder. Didn't you cut off ties with your family? From now on, it's just me and Guoguo. If you want an elder, then I can be your elder. I can also give you all the love you want from an elder."
Su Ruo was stunned for a moment, her face slowly burning, but her heart was pounding.
I just stared at him blankly, not knowing how to react for a moment.
At this time, there was a "bang" and a cannon was heard outside. Su Ruo was startled, but after the cannon, she finally reacted, then climbed up and sat up, slightly raised her head to look at him carefully, and said, "You are coaxing me."
Han Zecheng raised his eyes, looked at her face, and said in a low voice, "Tell me what's not enough."
For a moment, Su Ruo felt a lot of emotions surging up from her chest.
She bit her lip to suppress the urge to cry, lowered her eyes, looked at the red envelope in his hand, and suddenly thought of his previous words, and whispered: "Can an elder say that kind of thing?"
What elders?
Han Zecheng laughed.
He reached out and smoothed her hair which was hanging down because of her lowering her head, and put it behind her head, but he didn't say that to her.
He said, "Do you think my dad and Aunt Wen are okay? In fact, Aunt Cao was also very nice to me when I was a child, so people I know can't understand why I don't want to live in the Han family, as if I have given up a lot of future prospects because of this... What do you think?"
Everyone thought he was weird.
For those people, being able to make a career in the army was a complete accident, but if they had stayed in the Han family, it would have been a smooth road.
The moment Su Ruo heard him say this, she forgot all the jokes and shyness.
Her expression also became serious, and then she looked at him and shook her head.
Of course she wouldn't fail to understand.
No one could understand his choice better than her.
Because she was exactly like him back then.
She lived that kind of life for more than ten years, and was finally taken to a farm by them and almost died.
The Han family is actually quite nice.
Even Han Qinqin, who now has an extreme and weird temper, was just a child of a few years old at that time.
But that's all superficial.
The Han family is harmonious again, Wen Qiaoyi is gentle and generous again, and Han Zehua is well-educated again.
But that wasn't his mother, and that wasn't his biological brother either.
No matter how good they look, it's just appearance... This family is harmonious and happy, and if he joins, it might destroy this harmony.
Just like today’s New Year’s Eve reunion dinner.
Without them, the Han family might have spent a happy New Year's Eve.
But because of their appearance, the reunion dinner ended up being dull and awkward.
Therefore, he could only go through the hardships and bitterness alone.
He was born without a father. Not long after, his mother remarried and he lived with his grandmother.
Then I watched my grandmother starve to death, and finally had to live under the care of someone like my stepfather.
Su Ruo reached out and took the red envelope from his hand, then lowered her head, kissed it lightly, and stuffed it under her pillow.
She turned around and knelt up, looked up at him, and said softly, "No need for them."
"Didn't you just say that I will have you and Guoguo in the future? Then you will also have me and Guoguo. We will be a family in the future. We will spend every New Year's Eve together. Even if... even if we are not together due to special circumstances, our hearts will be together, okay?"
She looked at him, her eyes clear and bright, like the clear lake water on an autumn night, reflecting people's shadows and their hearts.
Han Zecheng reached out and touched her cheek.
My hands are shaking a little.
He is actually a very cold person, his heart is as desolate as a dry desert.
The so-called iron will is because one is so cold-hearted that he doesn't even care about himself, so naturally he has a will of steel.
He is kind to people because he acts accurately according to a set of principles.
He originally thought that this would be his life forever.
But I didn't expect to meet her.
She was so beautiful and delicate, as if she had grown in his heart, the only soft spot in his heart.
But many times, having her made him feel unreal.
It seemed that if he wasn't careful, he would break it all, or someone else would break it all.
He thought that perhaps he was a despicable person.
Ever since she woke up and her eyes showed trust and dependence on him, he had been very calm and slowly using various methods to slowly manipulate her heart, making her more and more attached to him and fall in love with him step by step.
But so what?
He was still thinking about it.
One day, maybe she will find that the world outside is wider and she doesn't want him anymore, and he will let her go.
But he now clearly realized that he couldn't do it.
Whenever he thought about it, he would feel extremely painful and have the urge to do something.
So he couldn't do it at all.
He bent down to kiss her.
Carefully, he pecked at it bit by bit, as if he was kissing a treasure, but occasionally he would bite it gently, causing her to tremble.
But while kissing her like this, he never reached out to hug her.
She couldn't bear it anymore, and finally put her arms around his neck, threw herself into his arms, moaned softly, and then when his hand went in, she said, "Here, this is not at home, I don't want it... and Guoguo is still playing outside."
"Nothing."
He whispered, "I just want to kiss you."
Su Ruo was a little uncomfortable with him. She pinched him and panted, "Aren't you an elder? Can an elder do this?"
After that, he snorted and said, "Are you saying you are old? You are old enough to be my elder."
She lost her memory for five years, but she still felt like she was only a teenager...
She just said it casually.
But the speaker is unintentional, but the listener is intentional.
But he suddenly stopped.
He slightly pulled away from her, looked down at her, and said, "Then if you meet someone younger who you can get along with better in the future, and you have the same career pursuits and hobbies, will you like them?"
It was as if when he looked at her paintings he could only decide whether they were pretty or not, but he couldn't see anything deeper.
Looking at the things on her drawings, one can only tell what they are, but cannot accurately tell when they are from, nor can one tell whether they are authentic or not, nor can one say whether they have any special value.
But others can.
They have younger bodies, more time, and careers that they both love. No matter what you say, they could spend days and nights together talking about it.
What's more, she has a childhood sweetheart.
That's one such man.
They still have little memories from their childhood.
He taught her to draw, helped her with her homework, bought her gifts to comfort her when she was wronged by her stepmother, cooked for her, and did her homework for her by imitating her handwriting.
Su Ruo felt dizzy from his kiss, but she could not hear the danger in his tone.
He suddenly pulled away, and her clothes came apart again. She felt a little cold, and she subconsciously snuggled into his arms, annoyed at his fickleness, and said coquettishly, "Well, you like it, right? Why don't you like it?"
His hands suddenly grabbed her waist.
His breathing became heavier, but as his eyes were fixed on her, he could not speak.
His hands were like iron clamps, pinching Su Ruo so hard that it was painful. She also had difficulty breathing due to the pressure.
She quickly pressed against him and said, "It hurts."
Han Zecheng relaxed a little.
His heart felt like it was on fire, but he was also very clear-headed. He wanted to say something, but felt that there was no point in saying anything.
Finally, he lowered his head and kissed her lips again, pressing down. This time the kiss was heavy and long. Soon Su Ru was completely exhausted from dealing with this kiss and she didn't know which way was which.
I don't know how much time passed, but he held her in his arms and she slowly woke up.
He really didn't do too much. This was the Han family. Even if Han Hehuai said this was their yard, he wouldn't do more here.
He held her in his arms and she in his arms. Neither of them spoke a word. They hugged each other and listened quietly to the bursts of firecrackers outside.
This is just the beginning, it's not even twelve o'clock yet.
After twelve o'clock, people will continue to set off firecrackers. Three doors will be opened from the inside to the outside, and a burst of firecrackers will be set off each time a door is opened. However, the opening time for each household is not the same, so there will be the sound of firecrackers all night long.
But everyone thinks that the louder the sound of firecrackers, the more prosperous their life will be, so they buy the loudest firecrackers, wishing they could shake the building down. It's really heart-wrenching just to hear them.
After another round of firecrackers, Su Ruo said, "Do you know? In my grandparents' hometown in the countryside, men are highly valued over women. Families without sons are not allowed to open both doors for the opening cannon. Families with only daughters can only open half of the door. Families without sons and daughters are not even allowed to set off the opening cannon... I heard about it, too."
He stroked her back with his hand and heard her continue, "They say that if there is a stepmother, there will be a stepfather. When I was a child, I went to my grandparents' hometown in the countryside to celebrate the New Year. When the aunts and grandmas saw me, they would always praise me, saying that I looked like a fairy in a painting. This look is really rare."
"But when I turned around, I heard them sighing, saying that she was so beautiful, but unfortunately she had a bad fate. She lost her mother, and her biological mother didn't leave her a brother. Although this Jianzhou daughter-in-law was a second marriage, she was pregnant and gave birth to a son, so even the grandparents sided with the stepmother."
"After this, I don't know who my stepmother will sell me to as a wife... Then they started saying that the girl from some family was given to a fool as a wife by her stepmother, and that she was given to a lame man just to get three dou of rice so that she could find a wife for her foolish son..."
So when she was a child, she was really worried that Lin Wanhua would sell her to a fool as a wife.
This psychological shadow has been with her as she grew up.
Perhaps for this reason, when her father asked her to get engaged to Yuan Chengyang, she agreed without much hesitation.
It’s funny to think about it now, but she was really scared.
Still a fear that no one can tell.
But when you think about the reality, it’s actually not that funny...Behind those sighs and laughter, whether well-intentioned or gossipy, is her fearful childhood and others’ cold life.
He held her hand a little tight. She pursed her lips, smiled lightly, and said, "So when I opened my eyes that day, I found myself in a strange house, Guoguo was calling my mother, and your mother's accent was shouting outside. My first reaction was, ah, did Lin Wanhua drug me and sell me to some small mountain village to be someone's wife?"
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