The New Year's Bells (Part 1)
As the Lunar New Year draws ever closer, red lanterns are hung in Anping Lane, and the air is filled with the faint smell of sulfur from firecrackers and the aroma of food prepared by every household for the holiday. In the past, Lu Shixu's "Shixu" shop would usually close for a few days during the Spring Festival. He was used to keeping to himself in the quiet of the room, listening to the distant noise outside the window, like a detached observer.
But this year is different.
Lin Zhiyi had started planning long ago. On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, she excitedly walked into the store carrying a large cardboard box.
"The Chinese New Year is coming soon, so we need to add some festive atmosphere to the store!" She opened the cardboard box, which contained brand-new red window decorations, a pair of small and cute zodiac paper-cuts, and several strings of Chinese knots with gold tassels.
Lu Shixu watched as she, like a busy sparrow, carefully placed paper-cut window decorations on the gleaming glass windows, then hung Chinese knots next to the wind chimes by the door. That vibrant red instantly brightened the originally quaint and quiet shop, bringing a lively and warm atmosphere.
He didn't stop her, but simply stood aside, a faint smile in his eyes, watching her busy herself. It was a novel feeling; his space, his world, was being gently and undeniably invaded by another person, leaving her mark. And he accepted it gladly.
"How are you going to spend this year?" After Lin Zhiyi finished pasting the last paper-cut window decoration, she jumped off the chair, clapped her hands, and asked casually, but her eyes were sparkling as she looked at him.
Lu Shixu remained silent for a moment. He knew that her parents didn't seem to have much contact with relatives, and her mother preferred peace and quiet. As for him, his grandfather would most likely be dragged along by the old neighbors to join in the festivities.
"I haven't decided yet," he said truthfully.
“Then… shall we spend it together?” Lin Zhiyi walked up to him, looked up, and smiled with a sunny disposition. “Right here. No Spring Festival Gala, no crowds, just the two of us, quietly staying up all night.”
Her suggestion, like a pebble thrown into a lake, created ripples in his heart. Quietly, he kept vigil for the New Year. Together with the clocks filling his room, and with her.
“Okay.” He nodded in agreement almost without hesitation.
On New Year's Eve, Lin Zhiyi arrived early. She brought her own homemade dumpling filling and kneaded dough, along with a few refreshing side dishes. Lu Shixu had also prepared some cooked food and fruit in advance. They carefully tidied up the workbench, laid out a clean tablecloth, and it became a temporary dining table.
There was no boisterous feast of seven large dishes and eight large bowls, only a few home-style dishes prepared with care. Outside the window, the occasional sound of firecrackers and children's laughter made the tranquility inside the restaurant all the more precious.
They chatted about random topics while making dumplings. Lin Zhiyi talked about how she used to insist on staying up all night on New Year's Eve when she was a child, but always fell asleep before midnight. Lu Shixu, on the other hand, rarely mentioned that when he was a child, his grandfather would wind up every clock that was still working on New Year's Eve, saying that it would make them "spirited" to cross into the new year.
"Back then, I felt that the moment when all the clocks in the room struck midnight together was the noisiest and happiest moment in the world," he recalled, a nostalgic smile playing on his lips.
Night fell completely, and the city was bathed in a warm, festive glow. They finished their simple New Year's Eve dinner, cleaned up, and sat side by side on the old sofa by the window, covered with the same thick blanket.
There were no bright overhead lights, only an old desk lamp on the workbench emitting a dim, soft glow, casting long shadows of the two people onto the wall covered with clocks, creating a bizarre and surreal scene, like a shadow play.
They didn't talk much, just sat quietly. Lin Zhiyi gently rested her head on Lu Shixu's shoulder, able to smell the faint, reassuring scent of pine and metal emanating from him, mixed with the subtle aroma of the New Year drifting in from outside the window. Lu Shixu's shoulders weren't broad, but they were enough for her to lean on. One of his hands was intertwined with hers, while the other rested casually on his knee, his fingertips unconsciously tapping a light rhythm that subtly blended with the ticking sounds filling the room.
Time, in this tranquility and warmth, seemed to be stretched infinitely, or perhaps it was accelerating toward some important juncture.
The hustle and bustle of the Spring Festival Gala on TV was shut out. At this moment, the world seemed to consist only of them and the ancient clocks that faithfully recorded the passage of time.
"It seems... it's almost midnight," Lin Zhiyi said softly, listening to the increasingly clear and continuous ticking of the clocks around her. She could feel that the gears inside many of the wound-up old clocks were gathering power for the final chime.
Lu Shixu hummed in agreement and squeezed her hand.
The sounds of firecrackers and fireworks outside the window suddenly intensified, like boiling water, heralding the end of the old year and the beginning of the new.
Amidst this noisy background, a miraculous scene unfolded inside the "Time Sequence" store—
First, there is a Swiss music box clock, from which a clear and lively musical sound flows.
Immediately afterwards, an old-fashioned German cuckoo clock popped out, and the little bird chirped "cuckoo, cuckoo".
Then came a variety of timekeeping sounds—deep, clear, melodious, short… rising and falling, echoing each other. Some struck once, some twice, some continuously… like a chaotic yet vibrant symphony orchestra, each playing its own movement the moment the conductor's baton fell.
They all participated in this celebration of time with their unique voices.
Amidst this ancient and magnificent symphony of timekeeping, Lu Shixu slightly turned his head and spoke in a clear and gentle voice to Lin Zhiyi:
Happy New Year, Zhiyi.
Lin Zhiyi looked up into his clear eyes, which reflected the warm light of the desk lamp and her own reflection. The chiming of the clock in the room resonated in her heart like celebratory cannon fire.
Her eyes crinkled into a smile, as dazzling as fireworks bursting in the night sky outside the window.
Happy New Year, Time.
All the hesitations, storms, and trials of the past year are washed away at this moment by the ringing of the bells throughout the room.
The new year arrives peacefully, carrying endless hope and warm expectations, as we hold hands tightly.
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