New Year's Eve
February 16, 1988.
Steamed fish, braised pork, chicken stew with mushrooms, four-happiness meatballs, fried ribbonfish... the aroma of rice permeates the entire house.
A small fire simmered water on the stove behind the door, bubbling away; a crack opened in the window, and a whooshing sound filled the air; several people raised their glasses and clinked them together, creating a clattering sound.
"Happy New Year!"
With the baby in her belly, Xu Tangmian's family of three, Li Youlan's family of three, Li Yutao and her brother, Song Weidong, and everyone's beloved Zhi Meizi, all gathered around the table to enjoy the New Year's Eve dinner.
Although it was the first time Li Youlan's children had come here, they were very cheerful. After eating a few bites, they went off to play with Zhi Meizi.
Xu Tangmian turned on the TV, raised her glass to Li Qingmang and said jokingly, "This glass is for Brother Xiaotao. Without him, we can't watch the Spring Festival Gala."
Li Qingmang glanced at Song Weidong across from her without making a sound, and only when he showed no reaction did she curl the corners of her mouth and accept the thanks with a clear conscience.
As soon as he put down his wine glass, Li Yutao quickly refilled it for him.
Liu Xingyao nudged his nephew with his elbow, glared at the wine glass in front of him, and then glanced in Li Qingmang's direction. Only then did Song Weidong reluctantly raise his wine glass and stand up respectfully to say, "I'd like to toast you too."
Before Li Qingmang could react, he had already finished his drink and sat back down.
Li Qingmang chuckled and downed his drink, then smiled and said to him, "Actually, you should toast your uncle and aunt. If it weren't for them, according to your local custom, the fish head would be facing you, right?"
“Brother!” Li Yutao frowned.
"Xiaotao, shouldn't we call our parents now? In previous years, we were always there for them."
Li Yutao silently placed a star anise on her brother's plate: "Who told you not to go back? I didn't invite you."
"Tch." Li Qingmang snorted, then smiled and politely said to the others at the table, "Excuse me, I need to call home to let them know I'm safe."
The others naturally had no objections. Xu Tangmian muted the TV, and the others tacitly stopped chatting and picked up their food, leaving him a quiet space to make the call.
"Yes, Xiao Tao is with me." Li Qingmang said politely to the person on the other end of the phone, then suddenly covered the receiver: "Li Yutao, come here."
When calling her parents, Li Yutao had no choice but to obediently take the receiver: "Happy New Year, Dad and Mom!"
After chatting for a while, "Weidong, come here for a second."
Song Weidong pointed to himself and asked silently, "Me?"
"Just go when I tell you to!" Even Liu Xingyao couldn't stand his dawdling. "Watch your mouth!"
Song Weidong had no choice but to take the receiver: "Yes. Yes. That's right. Okay. I will. Happy New Year to you both."
...
Sensing the turbulent atmosphere at the dinner table, Xu Tangmian silently swallowed and turned to whisper to Yu Chunsheng, "You're so lucky to have married me; no one from your family will make things difficult for you."
Yu Chunsheng chuckled and replied, "Not necessarily. Maybe your grandfather will come looking for me."
Xu Tangmian's expression suddenly changed, and she turned her head in shock: "You!"
"Alright, alright, I was just kidding." Yu Chunsheng concealed his thoughts and quickly coaxed her, "I was just kidding, don't take it to heart, be careful not to upset the baby."
After hanging up the phone, the three returned to their table. Xu Tangmian already had a poor appetite, and her excitement at seeing the song on TV made her even less inclined to eat. She hoped to see everyone's surprised expressions, as if that would prove her worth as a time traveler.
Her right hand, which was resting naturally on her lap, was suddenly grasped by Yu Chunsheng. Xu Tangmian looked up at her husband, who seemed to know what she was thinking. He nodded gently at her and leaned closer, saying, "Don't worry, I believe you."
Seeing the intimate interaction between the two, Song Weidong, who was standing nearby, suddenly lost the taste of the food in his mouth.
He silently poured himself a full glass of wine and downed it in one gulp, his mind filled with Li Qingmang's words to him at noon: "Who is on your side?"
Yes, he and Li Yutao were never on the same page.
From the moment they became a couple, he often asked himself what it was about him that Li Yutao liked. At the time, he was limping, older, had a mediocre job, and was often mean to her.
After learning that she came from a wealthy family, he felt a mixture of love and resentment. He wasn't the kind of man who only loved rich girls and lived off them; at the time, he only thought, "She comes from a good family and is still willing to teach here, which shows that she is a woman of high moral character. Only someone like her can be my spouse."
Hate? Perhaps it's hate that she was too young, too beautiful, too flamboyant. If she had been born a few years earlier, his love wouldn't have felt so sordid.
He finally overcame his inferiority complex and fell in love with her, so why did she go with her brother to become an official and make money elsewhere? Sigh.
The wine glass was raised and then lowered, the clear liquid that gushed from the glass container splashed onto the table, but also wet another pair of eyes.
Every move of a beloved person cannot escape the eyes of an admirer. Seeing his furrowed brow, Li Yutao also put down her chopsticks.
Why did her brother say such things? She clearly had time to explain things to Song Weidong slowly, but his reckless behavior left her unsure how to face him.
She couldn't abandon the smooth path her family had laid out for her, but she also loved Song Weidong! Why did she have to make a choice? The two weren't mutually exclusive. Sigh.
Suddenly, a hand appeared across the gradually blurring, messy plate, holding a pure white porcelain spoon with a crystal-clear shrimp dumpling on it.
Li Qingmang silently shook his head as he looked at his sister's distraught appearance.
What's going on?! Do they think he's some kind of deity like Fahai or the Queen Mother of the West? It's like he's only good at ruining other people's relationships.
A relationship between people from unequal social classes is inherently unsuitable. Perhaps in the short term, hormonal stimulation and a man's sweet talk might give them a sense of mission to defy the world, and a naive and immature girl might call this love.
But as time goes by, in the monotony of daily life, under the test of mundane necessities like firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea, how many feelings can withstand the test of time? By then, having lost the nourishment of love and lacking a material foundation, can a girl who prioritizes love accept the contrast between the past and the present?
The younger sister is too young to understand this, but doesn't the older man understand? He just can't stand this man's scheming. He doesn't know what kind of spell he cast on Xiao Tao to make her so infatuated with him. He's already backed down, willing to pull strings for her, hoping they'll have better material conditions after they get married, and she still doesn't appreciate it!
If they unfortunately end up divorcing, the Li family could certainly be Xiao Tao's support. But Xiao Tao has always been clever and mischievous, never having experienced hardship. Why should she stumble on this old man? He's testing her! Humph!
After Li Qingmang finished serving his sister dumplings, his chopsticks reached for a piece of braised pork, just as another pair of chopsticks picked up the same piece. He looked up and saw it was Song Weidong's uncle.
The two of them put down their chopsticks at the same time. Liu Xingyao smiled and said a few nice words to smooth things over, but he was also starting to worry.
Since his sister and brother-in-law passed away suddenly, he has taken on the role of father to his nephew, who is only a few years younger than him.
Over the years, he has supported his own family and his wife in seeking justice for their friend, leaving almost no time for his nephew.
He quietly completed his studies and went to the countryside, where he fell in love with a girl but then something happened. Ten years ago, when he received a serious phone call from him saying he wanted to get married, he was overjoyed and immediately prepared a dowry for him.
This money was left untouched for ten years.
During this time, he advised his nephew to get treatment for his leg, but he always made excuses that he was too busy; he advised him to start a new relationship, but he said he was too tired; he offered to change his work address for him, but he said he would never go anywhere else in his life.
I thought this Comrade Li Yutao would be the cure for his problems. Wei Dong had cooperated with the treatment of his leg, but why was he still so stubborn in the end? Sigh!
After many years of marriage, Li Youlan immediately sensed something was wrong with her husband. Over the years, Liu Xingyao had been incredibly tolerant of her. How many men can accept that their spouse has another man in her heart and still go to great lengths for him?
She bore him children, toiled for his family, and repaid his love in her own way. It would be impossible to say that she had no feelings for her husband at all. After many years of mutual support, they had long since become each other's habit.
As for Ah Lin, he has finally been given a second chance at life, and he deserves his own happiness.
Everyone was preoccupied with their own thoughts, and there was a moment of silence at the table.
After the TV host finished introducing the program, Mao Amin, dressed in an elegant and sophisticated gold gown, slowly walked in front of the camera. Her voice began to sing, grand and melodious, the straightforward lyrics expressing the deepest emotions—completely different from other songs on the market.
The group of people, unaware of the situation, exclaimed excitedly, "This... isn't this the one we printed last night?"
Xu Tangmian was very satisfied and raised her head to claim credit: "How about that? My strategic vision was pretty good, wasn't it? It was I who asked Chunsheng to fight for the order."
Liu Xingyao, who also started his business in printing, naturally understood the significance of this for the factory. He immediately clapped excitedly, "Great! Great! From tomorrow onwards, Alin's factory will have an endless stream of orders!"
The others also put aside their personal concerns and raised their glasses to celebrate the future of the printing factory. Even Li Qingmang, who was usually out of place, said a few kind words: "Good for you, keep up the good work!"
“But I’m very curious.” He turned to Xu Tangmian, “How did you know this song would be played on the Spring Festival Gala? Just by gambling? That’s incredibly bold.”
Xu Tangmian smiled gently, "That's a secret."
"Alright, if it's a secret, I won't ask." He then looked at his younger sister, "You should learn from your best friend how to improve your judgment of people." Seeing Li Yutao glare at him again, he quickly added:
"It's not just about choosing a man, but also about career and all aspects of life! When are you going to grow up?"
"Alright, alright." Li Yutao refilled his glass, looking disgusted. "I can't stand all your lectures. When you were my age, weren't you watching TV too? Where did you get the experience to discipline me?"
Seeing that Li Qingmang was unconvinced, she added, "You! You only have the right to criticize me if you're in a relationship, otherwise I won't accept it at all!"
Li Qingmang was about to argue with her when suddenly, sporadic firecrackers sounded outside. The firecrackers continued intermittently until the early hours of the morning when a full-blown celebration finally began.
After staying up all night, everyone went back to their respective places. Xu Tangmian and Yu Chunsheng washed up and went back to their rooms to rest. Li Youlan and his wife took lanterns and their children back to Song Weidong's house, while Li Yutao was busy carrying her drunk brother to bed.
Song Weidong lingered until he finished dealing with Li Yutao's brother's matter, and then pulled her into the courtyard.
The cannon fire was too loud to hear each other, but when Li Yutao saw him cautiously leaning towards her, she thought he had finally figured out how to say sweet words, and she was secretly delighted.
But then he asked solemnly, "Do you want to break up?"
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