"No need, no need!" The old man waved his hand repeatedly, jogged away from the front of the house, and didn't forget to turn back and add, "Don't be shy with me, just say the word if you need anything!"
Wen Yuhan watched the old man leave with a smile.
The smile faded.
Behind a house not far away, a tall figure quickly disappeared into the shadows.
After that, many "kind neighbors" like Uncle Wang began to appear around Wen Yuhan, who would give him all sorts of things, or show concern for his well-being, and do his laundry and cooking.
When Wen Yuhan went to buy New Year's goods, his wallet was stolen. That same night, someone wrapped the money in old newspapers and threw it through his window.
One night, he was asleep when he suddenly heard a clanging sound outside. When he went out to look, he saw two neighbors busily watering and fertilizing the wintersweet tree.
Upon seeing Wen Yuhan, he awkwardly rubbed his dirty hands on his pants, his smile filled with embarrassment.
Wen Yuhan remained silent for a moment, then went back into the room and poured a bowl of water for the two of them.
After they finished their work and left, he looked up into the depths of the night, then turned and closed the door.
The person in the corner secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
In the blink of an eye, Lunar New Year's Eve has arrived.
One advantage of small cities over big cities is that they have a strong festive atmosphere during the Lunar New Year.
After all, at this time of year, big cities are full of people leaving, while small cities are full of people going home.
Wen Yuhan got up quite early that day, and unsurprisingly, a group of neighbors gathered at the door, vying to clean his house and put up Spring Festival couplets.
Wen Yuhan clearly remembered that when he came back last time, these people still looked distant and unfamiliar. They would often look at him with a subtle, amused gaze and gossip behind his back.
Unlike now, the way we treat him is not like treating a neighbor who hasn't come back in a long time, but more like treating a landlord.
Wen Yuhan bent down to pick up the "Fu" character next to her, but someone quickly snatched it away, saying with concern, "Oh, Wen, why are you up so early? Go back and sleep for a while. You've come all this way, you need to rest properly. We can take care of these."
"That's right, that's right, go back to sleep for a while!"
Looking at those warm, smiling faces, Wen Yuhan joked, "How could I possibly accept this? I can't afford to pay everyone's wages."
“Hey, it’s alright! There are people…” Li Bo, who was being very outspoken, was stopped by his wife who covered his mouth and smiled at Wen Yuhan, saying, “They’re all neighbors, what’s there to be embarrassed about?”
Wen Yuhan nodded and said no more. Seeing that no one wanted him to do anything, he could only hold a cigarette between his fingers and slowly walk towards the river.
There was a water tower there, and he used to love going there, where he would stay for most of the day.
...
It rained all night last night, and the river level is noticeably higher than before.
A thin layer of mist shrouded the river, and several water birds, seemingly unafraid of the cold, floated on it, occasionally dipping their heads into the water, though it was unclear whether they had caught any fish.
Wen Yuhan stopped on the riverbank by the water tower and calmly watched the water birds.
The reeds behind us rustled in the wind, bending to one side.
He fiddled with the cigarette pack in his hand, then took out another cigarette, tilted his head, and lit it. He then walked step by step towards the edge of the riverbank, glancing up at the sky.
Are those scattered white fluffy seeds reed catkins...?
Wen Yuhan squinted, a cigarette dangling from his lips, then shook his head and chuckled.
Where do these reed flowers come from this season...? They're dandelions.
He accidentally dropped his cigarette, paused for a moment, then took a small step forward and bent down to pick it up.
The moment he lowered his head, his eyes darkened slightly. The next second, a pair of hands pulled him into an embrace from behind and dragged him back.
"Are you trying to kill yourself again?!" A familiar growl sounded in my ear. "You're going to abandon me again! You don't want me anymore!"
Wen Yuhan closed his eyes; his intuition was right.
"I'm picking up cigarettes," he said casually.
Pei Shaocheng was still panting heavily, his mind still reeling, and he held onto Wen Yuhan's wrist tightly.
Wen Yuhan struggled twice but couldn't break free, so she whispered, "It hurts..."
Upon hearing this, Pei Shaocheng immediately let go as if he had been electrocuted, but then, worried that Wen Yuhan might jump into the river, he grabbed the corner of his clothes.
Wen Yuhan sighed: "Pei Shaocheng, what exactly are you trying to do?"
“Uh…” Pei Shaocheng didn’t speak, but stared intently at Wen Yuhan.
"Hmm? What do you want to do?" Wen Yuhan paused, then asked again.
"wants to follow you."
Pei Shaocheng lowered his head, and the usually imposing man looked like a child who had done something wrong.
"I didn't want to appear in front of you, afraid you'd see me and run away again." His voice was muffled. "But just now I saw you walking towards the river, and I thought you were going to..."
"What's the point of you following me?" Wen Yuhan interrupted gently, then answered for Pei Shaocheng, "Unless you lock me in the room like you used to and use all sorts of conditions to blackmail me. Of course, that would still be very effective. Otherwise, it's meaningless."
"I won't do it again!" Pei Shaocheng said hurriedly. "I won't do that again... Xiaohan, I just want to be closer to you, to see you from afar every day. Don't worry, I won't do anything." His voice trembled: "I really can't bear it without you..."
“You’re already affecting my life.” Wen Yuhan turned her back and lit a cigarette. “Also, tell them not to come anymore. I’m exhausted.”
"Xiao Han..."
"Go home early, isn't the Chinese New Year your busiest time?"
After saying that, Wen Yuhan left the riverbank without looking back.
Only Pei Shaocheng and that lonely water tower remained.
...
A note from the author:
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 64
Before he knew it, it was getting dark, and Wen Yuhan realized that he had been wandering around Wancheng like an unemployed bum all day.
He couldn't help but smile, silently affirming himself in his heart.
What do you mean by "like"? He's an unemployed bum.
A little boy in a padded jacket held a firecracker in his hand, which exploded with a "bang" at Wen Yuhan's feet. Wen Yuhan was startled. The little boy excitedly ran past him, but he grabbed him by the collar and dragged him back.
"Shouldn't you apologize to me?" Wen Yuhan squatted down and said in a serious tone.
The child made a face at Wen Yuhan, completely unafraid.
Wen Yuhan magically pulled a cigarette case from his pocket, took out the last cigarette, and blew on it. Then he put the cigarette in his mouth and squinted at the child.
The child, unaware of Wen Yuhan's intentions, stared wide-eyed at the cigarette pack in his hand. Wen Yuhan beckoned the child closer.
"One, two..."
He muttered something under his breath, then suddenly slammed the cigarette box flat with a loud bang.
The child pouted, then burst into tears and ran away.
Wen Yuhan straightened up, a cigarette between her fingers, and looked at the chubby figure, chuckling to herself for a while. Then she continued walking forward, bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun.
People eat reunion dinner and watch the Spring Festival Gala on New Year's Eve, so there are hardly any people on the streets at this time.
The air was filled with a faint smell of gunpowder, and there were many traces and red fragments left by firecrackers on the ground, which were wet with rain.
Wen Yuhan walked through several intersections before finally finding a small shop that was still open at a corner.
He bought a carton of cigarettes and a case of beer. His neighbors had already given him a lot of New Year's gifts, and the refrigerator was full, enough for him to eat from the first day of the Lunar New Year to the fifteenth.
By the time we returned to Shaou Street, it was completely dark.
The area is mostly comprised of single-story houses, at most two stories high. Looking out the window, Wen Yuhan could hear the joyful sounds coming from every household. Some sounded like relatives returning from afar, while others were probably already toasting at the dinner table.
Specks of light shone on his face, yet his expression remained neither sad nor happy. His lips, slightly upturned, showed no sadness, and his eyes showed no joy.
A firework exploded in the sky, just the kind of ordinary red and green fireworks.
Wen Yuhan stopped and looked up. The unburnt cigarette in his hand was still slowly emitting white smoke.
The fireworks in his pupils brightened and faded, constantly changing.
Amidst the occasional sounds of laughter and chatter around him, he softly spoke to the deserted Shaou Street:
"Then... Happy New Year!"
...
When they were still some distance from the old house, Wen Yuhan saw a tall figure sitting alone against the wall under a street lamp.
Shaou Street is very run-down, so the streetlights are all from a long time ago.
Not only was the light dim, but the voltage was also unstable. As a result, the person's figure flickered between light and shadow.
On the riverside street shrouded in a light mist, the composition and lighting resemble a highly stylized movie scene.
He truly deserves to be a star of the big screen.
As Wen Yuhan passed by that person, the other person slowly raised their head, their dark eyes following Wen Yuhan's figure closely.
He reeked of alcohol, and his eyes were somewhat unfocused. As he stood up, leaning against the lamppost, his imposing height instantly blocked the faint light.
Happy New Year, Minor Cold.
When he spoke, Pei Shaocheng's voice was already hoarse from the alcohol, and his hands awkwardly went into his coat pockets.
“I… forgot my keys.” He glanced at a nearby bungalow. “I’ll rent it and live next door to you now.”
"Let's take a taxi to the street corner and find a hotel in the city center," Wen Yuhan replied calmly, taking out his key to open the door and about to close it.
Seeing this, Pei Shaocheng hurriedly tried to brace himself against the door, but lost his footing and swayed.
Wen Yuhan frowned slightly and looked up at Pei Shaocheng quietly.
Pei Shaocheng's fingers, which were resting on the door frame, twitched slightly. After a moment, he whispered, "Sorry," and reluctantly moved his hand away.
Wen Yuhan said no more and locked the person outside.
The distant rumble of thunder suggests it's going to rain again tonight.