Chapter 163 Nian Nian's Christmas Eve Promise
The snow fell earlier this year than in previous years. As of today, it has been snowing heavily for three days.
Fortunately, Hai City's road clearing work was done promptly and swiftly, otherwise the city's traffic would have been paralyzed.
Wet snow water was spread on the straight and curved roads, and the flower beds on both sides were piled with thick, uncleared snow.
Nian Nian, wearing a cream-colored knitted scarf, walked slowly towards the teaching building. When passing by the sculpture on the stone altar, he took off one of his gloves and pinched some snow into his palm.
The snowball in his hand melted away and he entered the classroom.
His butt had barely touched the bench, and his schoolbag was halfway stuffed into the drawer when Xi Zimu couldn't wait to lean over and start chatting with him: "Niannian, you saw it on the way here, right? A lot of stores have put up Christmas trees in front of them."
"Oh, right." Nian Nian put her schoolbag away and said suddenly, "Tomorrow is Christmas."
Christmas is not a traditional festival in China, so people do not have any customs to follow. Only businesses that want to make a profit and young people who like Christmas will vigorously create a Christmas atmosphere for this holiday.
Nian Nian and the others only have a novel feeling about Christmas, and they are lukewarm and not that enthusiastic.
After all, it is a foreign holiday. Chinese schools will not give holidays for it, and it has no status in the hearts of students.
The only thing that may attract them are the cultural elements that symbolize Christmas, such as Santa Claus, Christmas trees, reindeer, etc.
Because it's fun and cute.
"We have to go to school anyway, so it doesn't matter whether there is a holiday or not." Ji Shuhe spread his hands, "Niannian, don't you agree?"
"Yeah." Nian Nian nodded nonchalantly, lowering his eyes as he took off his other glove, untied his scarf, and then hung it on the back of the chair. After doing all this, he raised his palm to fan himself, "The air conditioning is so hot today."
"It must be a bit hot when you first enter the classroom." Ji Shuhe turned his head and glanced at the temperature display of the air conditioner. "The temperature is the same as yesterday, not higher."
Having said that, he still took advantage of his position next to the window and opened the tightly closed glass, leaving a three-finger-wide gap for ventilation to ensure that Nian Nian would not feel too stuffy.
In winter, an ordinary day passed as usual.
When the school bell rang, Nian Nian packed up her desk and schoolbag step by step, took off the scarf on the back of the chair and put it back around her neck, and finally put on gloves.
Just like in the morning, Nian Nian wrapped herself tightly and walked out of the classroom like a dumpling.
He was walking with his head held high, clutching the strap of his schoolbag. Suddenly, someone gently stopped him with an unyielding force. Along with the movement came a familiar, slightly smiling voice: "Nian Nian, you're walking so fast."
Nian Nian looked towards the owner of the voice and suddenly curled her lips: "Brother Duan, why haven't you come home yet?"
It was just after school, and in the corridor many students from unknown classes were in a hurry to go home, and their shadows passed by them.
The crowd was too dense, so Jiang Duan could only pull Nian Nian to a place where they would not block the road. Then he took out a round red thing from his pocket with his right hand and put it in Nian Nian's hand.
"for you."
"An apple?" Nian Nian touched the red apple, which looked as if it had been waxed, and exclaimed in admiration, "This apple is so beautiful, so red and round, it looks like it came from Snow White's hand."
Jiang Duan pinched his warm earlobe and said, "Tonight is Christmas Eve. Eat the apple before going to bed. It symbolizes peace and safety. Don't forget."
"Christmas Eve?" Nian Nian was confused for only a second before accepting it without hesitation. "Okay, I'll definitely eat it before I go to bed."
The cars that the Shi and Jiang families use to pick up their children are parked at a fixed location outside the school all year round. After the two of them finished muttering, they walked towards the school gate together.
On the way, Nian Nian held the red apple Jiang Duan had given her and said fancifully, "Brother Duan, I want to eat the apple and use the core to plant an apple tree. What do you think?"
"Sure." Jiang Duan glanced sideways and smiled. "Are you interested in growing apple trees again?"
"No." Nian Nian kissed the apple. "I will use the seeds of the peace apple to plant an apple tree. It will produce a lot of peace apples. When the time comes, I will pick a lot of peace apples and give them to Brother Duan. I hope Brother Duan will be safe and sound forever!"
Jiang Duan remained silent after listening to his fantasy, but a hint of joy appeared in the corners of his eyes and brows.
The two got into their own cars at the school gate and went back to their respective homes.
Before going to bed at night, Shi Guilin washed the apples and cut them into pieces and arranged them on a plate according to Nian Nian's request. He also dug out the cores and kept them in a disposable cup.
Nian Nian took a picture of the fruit plate with her phone watch and sent it to Jiang Duan, along with a voice message:
"Brother Duan, I didn't forget to eat."
After giving it to him, he ate the apple one piece at a time.
After eating the peace apple, Shi Guilin took out the small flowerpot that he had prepared three hours ago, filled with soil and watered with nutrient solution, as well as the fruit core that had been cut out in advance. He and Nian Nian squatted in the living room on the first floor, and they worked together head to head to discuss the steps of planting an apple tree.
"Family, fruit farmer Lao Li is here to teach you how to plant apple trees. The black particles on my palm are apple seeds. In front of me is a random piece of open space in the orchard. First, dig a hole of the appropriate depth..."
The prelude was too long, Shi Guilin frowned and pressed the fast-forward button.
After struggling for half an hour, the two of them finally buried the seeds.
"Nian Nian, go to bed first. Dad will help you put the flower pot in the greenhouse. We'll look at it tomorrow."
"Well, let's see tomorrow."
Today's work should be done today. Nian Nian went upstairs to her room, lay down comfortably in bed, and fell asleep with ease.
Day after day, the apple tree grew taller and taller, until it was too tall for the greenhouse to accommodate it. It had to be transplanted to the land in the backyard, but it still did not bear fruit.
Finally, in the fourth year after the apple tree was transplanted to the backyard, in a harvest autumn, Nian Nian welcomed the day when his peace apple matured.
At that time, Jiang Duan had already graduated from Haishi Concordia Bilingual School and was waiting for a new learning career to begin at Haishi No. 1 Middle School in three days.
It is a study life without Nian Nian for the time being.
It was three years of junior high school that I spent alone.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
