How could there be such a pure and wonderful person in the world? Before meeting An Youhe, he never believed that a beautiful appearance could also have a pure heart.
His life used to be like a stagnant pool. He thought he had found a lifeline and clung tightly to Jiang Jiayan, only to find that she was not a lifeline, but a floating duckweed. He had only grasped at nothingness and could not pull himself ashore.
At that time, he believed that all beauty has flaws, and that one must endure these flaws; this was the price of beauty. Later, however, the price became too heavy.
In this life, he finally learned to let go and to relinquish control.
Only after letting go did I realize that there is beauty in the world, and that beauty was right beside me.
Rough fingertips gently caressed the girl's creamy skin, as softly as feathers.
The girl giggled from the tickling sensation, blinking as she asked, "What are you doing?"
"It's nothing, I just think you're so beautiful."
The girl slowly moved to Ye Zhou's side, wrapped her arms around his waist, and the two embraced each other on the cramped bed.
An Youhe took a deep breath of the pleasant scent emanating from the boy.
"Ye Zhouzhou, I'm so glad you're here. I've been so happy with you. My old life seems to be getting further and further away from me. I'm afraid I don't know how I'll live without you. Ye Zhouzhou, it's so good to have you."
Ye Zhou raised his hand and lifted a strand of the girl's black hair. He had witnessed her short hair grow into the long hair she had now, and time had passed with it.
"It's so good to have you, Youhe."
The two of them nestled close together, as if there were only the two of them in the world.
...
Back home, Ye Zhou took out the food container he was holding and placed it on the table.
Ye Qing followed the scent and sneaked out of the room.
"What is this? It smells so good."
Ye Fan and Zhou Ping were busy preparing the New Year's Eve dinner in the kitchen, while Ye Qing was fast asleep in her room.
"These are fried dough sticks and some fried pork belly that Youhe brought."
Ye Qing opened the food container and saw the golden color inside, causing her mouth to water uncontrollably.
"Xiao An can even make these? They look delicious." She said, reaching out to grab a small piece of crispy pork and stuffing it into her mouth.
"It smells so good, it's so delicious, even better than what you buy in stores."
Ye Fan was drawn out of the kitchen by Ye Qing's loud voice, "What's so delicious? I'll try some too."
Ye Zhou suppressed a laugh, "You guys eat less, leave some for Mom."
Zhou Ping started muttering in the kitchen, "Xiao Qing, wash your hands and come help in the kitchen to take the dishes out."
Ye Fan loudly disagreed, "Why should my daughter help? She's still growing, I'll serve the dishes."
Zhou Ping brought out two dishes and glared at Ye Fan, saying, "You've spoiled the child rotten. She can't do any chores, not even cook. If no one cooks for her, she'll starve to death."
Ye Qing chuckled, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, leaving Zhou Ping utterly helpless.
A full moon hangs in the sky, reflected on the window.
You can also hear the sound of firecrackers in the distance.
Zhou Ping took a bite of the fried dough stick and couldn't help but praise, "Xiao An's cooking is so good. I wonder if Xiao Zhou can work harder so that I can eat such delicious fried dough sticks in the future."
Ye Fan: "My son's charm goes without saying, but I'm a little worried that he'll get married before my daughter. After all, he already has a boyfriend, while my daughter doesn't..."
Ye Qing almost choked on her food: "What do you mean? I've been in a relationship the whole time."
Zhou Ping frowned. She had never heard her daughter talk about being in love before. "Which family's young man is it?"
Ye Qing stammered, "Liu Tian."
Ye Fan nervously swallowed. "You mean Liu Tian, who often plays with Xiao Zhou?"
"Um."
Ye Fan: "She's only nineteen, and you're three years older than her. You're like an old cow eating young grass!"
Ye Qing retorted, "What's wrong with being three years old? A woman three years older is like a golden brick. Liu Tian is kind of cute being silly."
Zhou Ping recalled the scenes from her recent encounters with Liu Tian. Every time Liu Tian bought something at the supermarket, he would praise her, his words as sweet as honey. Now it seemed that it was all premeditated.
However, the young man seemed very strong, tall, and handsome, and his appearance was quite compatible with his daughter's.
However, Zhou Ping felt that Liu Tian was a bit silly and simple-minded, while her own daughter was lively and outgoing, so the two of them were bound to not last long.
“Fine, I won’t care how you date. But as a girl, don’t rush into marriage, you know? Marriage is a once-in-a-lifetime event,” Zhou Ping said seriously.
Ye Qing couldn't help but chuckle, "Mom, how did you figure out I wanted to get married? Look at your daughter, is she someone who's going to get married? I haven't had enough fun yet!"
The family enjoyed a lively reunion dinner as fireworks exploded in the distance, illuminating the room with vibrant colors.
Ye Zhou looked out the window at the fireworks.
He turned around, put on his clothes, and prepared to go out.
"Where are you going so late at night?"
"Go to Youhe's house."
"Okay, go ahead, don't rush back."
...
Grandma lay on the recliner, covered with a blanket. Wangfu lay quietly on the blanket, its tail wagging back and forth.
The village was filled with the loud sounds of fireworks and firecrackers, and the streets and alleys were filled with the sounds of children running, playing, and cheering.
An Youhe came out of the house with a hot water bottle in her hand, put the hot water bottle under her grandmother's hand, and then sat on a small stool next to the recliner.
Another year has passed. Time really flies.
An Youhe gazed at the full moon in the sky; this was the seventh year she had lived with her grandmother.
At that time, she had just left her parents, and all she could see in her eyes was fear for the future. It was her grandmother who traveled a long way to come, grabbed her hand, led her away, and showed her the way.
But now Grandma's hands are like withered wood, a testament to the years and years of hard work.
An Youhe moved the stool and snuggled close to her grandmother.
I reached out and grasped my grandmother's hands, feeling the warmth emanating from them.
"Grandma, were you happy this Chinese New Year?"
“I’m happy every year during the Lunar New Year, but this year is the happiest. Seeing that you’re not all alone makes me stop worrying.”
The girl nuzzled against her grandmother's shoulder like a kitten.
When she first came here, she was just a twelve-year-old girl. She had never done any heavy or tiring work, or even started a fire or cooked a meal. She was afraid of animals and insects, and even birds flying in the sky could terrify her.
Grandma took her to farm, weed, and cook. She cried as she worked, secretly enduring the old woman's "abuse."
As she grew up, she was no longer the helpless little girl she once was. She could support herself and endure hardship, but she still couldn't shake her habit of crying easily.
In fact, she had already learned a word from her grandmother: growth.
The little girl has grown into a young adult.
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