Father's return was expected. He only had one long vacation a year, which was during the Chinese New Year.
However, the whole family was still overjoyed.
Before the New Year's Eve dinner, when setting off firecrackers, Siwan lit a firecracker, but Yanxi ran far away.
Crackle, crackle.
Ah Heng was standing nearby, staring blankly at the bright red, festive color. Before she could react, the cannon went off, giving her a big fright.
He spun around in circles, but there was nowhere to hide. The two boys had already disappeared. He stomped his feet and ran into the house, only to find Siwan and Yanxi hiding behind the door, chuckling.
She blushed with embarrassment and smiled.
"Aheng, Aheng, how could you be so silly!" Siwan cupped her hands in a mischievous gesture.
You're the idiot! We were born to the same parents, why are you calling me stupid!
Ah Heng was displeased. She rolled her eyes slightly and looked at Si Wan with a sly look, like a little fox.
After finishing their meal, Ah Heng watched as Yan hope ate until his belly was round and full, but without hesitation, he knelt down in front of Grandpa Yan.
"Old man, old man, here's your New Year's money!"
"How could I skimp on you! That's all the ambition you have!" Old Man Yan said with a laugh, but his hands moved quickly as he pulled out three red envelopes, one for each child.
Ah Heng hugged the red envelope, her face flushed with excitement, the same color as the envelope itself. She hadn't received a red envelope during Chinese New Year since she was ten years old.
"Grandpa Wen, congratulations on your fortune!" Yan hope smiled and knelt down in front of Grandpa Wen again.
"Good, good!" Old Master Wen had been in a good mood ever since his son returned, and he smiled as he wrapped a red envelope and handed it to the boy.
Aheng and Siwan naturally received a share as well.
Yan hope then turned to Wen's mother. Wen's mother always doted on Yan hope, and she was very generous with the red envelope.
"Uncle Wen, you've gotten even more handsome in the year I haven't seen you!" Yan hope turned to Wen's father, his words dripping with sweetness.
"Little brat, you think you can make money off me without even kowtowing to me? Not so easy," Wen's father teased.
Bang.
Yan hope kowtowed earnestly, laughed innocently, his smile seemed to soar to the heavens, and even the adults were amused.
Unfortunately, Yan hope's joy turned to sorrow. He had been kneeling for too long, and when he stood up, his head went black, he lost his balance, and he fell to the ground, pointing directly at the spot where Aheng was standing.
Ah Heng clutched the still-warm red envelope tightly—"No, don't worship me, I have no money..."
The room erupted in laughter.
Yan hope's face darkened, his expression turning gloomy, no longer displaying the feigned cuteness he had shown when facing the adults.
"Young master, I don't even have any money, but I still bought you pork rib noodles and a birthday cake. How can you be so heartless!"
Ah Heng complained, "Then you ate my white sugar cake..."
"You're the one who made me eat it. If you don't let me eat it, I won't even want to eat it!"
"It was clearly... you... who wanted to eat it..."
"Which eye of yours saw that I wanted to eat?"
"I... have... two eyes... 2.0..."
Siwan, standing to the side, laughed so hard she pounded the sofa.
"Yan hope, you can't give way to your sister!" Old Yan shouted at the boy, but in reality, he was laughing so hard his mouth was almost crooked.
Yan hope's big, dark eyes stared at Aheng for a long time.
Their eyes met.
Finally, unable to hold back any longer, he burst out laughing. His black hair trembled slightly with the laughter in his throat.
Ah Heng chuckled, his eyes sparkling with a captivating charm.
This year, who argued and bickered with whom, but they talked and laughed in the wind, and those arguments will stay until tomorrow...
That night, who kept whom in their heart, stayed up all night, and will keep it until next year...
Young girls and young boys, you forget so easily. One stranger after another, whose pen will capture the fleeting years...?
Chapter 17
Chapter 17
On New Year's Eve, the Wen family and Yan family stayed up together, watching Uncle Benshan and Aunt Dandan appear on the Spring Festival Gala and laughing from ear to ear.
That was in 1999.
A decade later, in 2009, Uncle Benshan was still as humorous and down-to-earth as ever, but Aunt Dandan was nowhere to be seen, leaving only Shenyang's famous Xiao Shenyang to dominate the scene.
From this perspective, male-male pairings are no less entertaining than male-female pairings; they still create a drama that will keep people laughing forever.
Of course, that's a story for later; the time travel went too far, so we'll leave that aside for now.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year in 1999, Xin Dayi went to the Wen family to pay New Year's respects to the adults. He was still as irritable and restless as ever, but he was innocent and simple-minded. The elders were pleased to see him and asked Yan Xisi, Wan Aheng to return the favor to the Xin family.
General Xin was a humorous old man. Although he had argued with Marshal Yan all his life, he genuinely liked Yan hope. Unfortunately, he was in poor health at the moment and reported to the military region at the end of the year to retire and enjoy his old age. He no longer showed the heroic demeanor of a soldier and looked like an ordinary old man, which made the younger ones feel a little sad.
"Old Yan has never done anything clever in his life. He only became a division commander by risking his life. When it comes to brains, he can't beat me." Grandpa Xin had his guard bring the three of them a lot of snacks, saying that they were his son Dayi's favorites.
"Grandpa Xin, at least I still have the surname Yan." Yan hope smiled, pressing the back of his fair hand to his lips.
Old Xin patted the armrest of the sofa and said with a smile, "I know your surname is Yan. We're just having a private conversation, so let's not let that old man hear us."
Yan hope nodded and smiled faintly in agreement.
"Is this Aheng?" Old Master Xin gazed at the little girl sitting upright beside him and spoke gently.
Ah Heng nodded blankly, her thin lips parting to reveal the gentle breath of spring.
"Good girl! You have a beautiful face; you are a blessed person." Old Master Xin seemed to like Aheng very much, looking at her with kindness that reached his heart.
Ah Heng looked at the old man, pursed her lips, felt a little embarrassed, and lowered her head.
When she was young, the elders often said that she had a kind face and a graceful figure, and that she was a blessed child.
"Siwan, I heard from your grandfather that Aheng came in third in the grade in the year-end exam, even surpassing you." Old Xin remembered something and laughed heartily at Siwan.
Siwan hesitated for a moment, then smiled cautiously and said, "Aheng has always been clever and likable, so it's only natural that I, as her older brother, am not quite as good."
Old Xin frowned – “You child, you’ve always been like this. You always think a hundred times before you speak. We’re all family, isn’t it tiring?”
When Xin Dayi frowned, he was just like the old man, except that he was short-tempered and lacked the sharp insight that comes from the old man's life experience.
Siwan blushed upon hearing this, nodded, but did not defend herself.
Yan hope rolled her big eyes and smiled brightly, "Grandpa Xin, my old man's men sent some good tea when they came to pay their respects for the New Year a few days ago. It hasn't been opened yet."
"Or perhaps, the Zhenmeizi from Tunxi?" Old Xin's eyes showed a hint of interest.
“Yes, it was my grandfather’s old subordinate who sent someone to buy it. There were only three coins in total, and most of it was in my family. They said it was some kind of tribute…” Yan hope smiled and tapped her fingertips lightly on the sofa, pretending not to remember.
"Gongxi!" Old Xin clapped his hands, his eyes lighting up. "I sent my men to look for it a few days ago, but they said that Zhenmei was out of stock, and the top-grade Gongxi had already been bought up by the higher-ups. What was left was some Yuhou, which I don't like to drink, so I thought I'd just give up. I didn't expect that old man to beat me to it again!"
Yan hope smiled and said, "Grandpa has always been concerned about your health and told me that I must say something to you."
"What? Tell me." Old Xin's lips curled up, his wrinkles softening.
"Old man, don't pretend to be sick if it's nothing. Damn it, it's just a minor old injury. You're always talking about retiring. Come over here when you're feeling better, I'll treat you to tea." Yan Xi murmured, mimicking the tone perfectly.
Old Xin sighed with a touch of melancholy and said slowly, "That year, when your father was born, Old Yan was so happy that he dragged me out for drinks all night. My sister-in-law was angry at the time, but now, in the blink of an eye, my sister-in-law is gone, and your father has gone abroad. We old folks can't help but feel lonely."
"Grandpa Xin, you understand these principles, so why do you need us, the ignorant juniors, to explain them to you?" Yan hope lowered his head and spoke calmly.
"You can tell me, it's alright." Old Xin smiled, his eyes filled with a sense of desolation.
“Those who stay are destined to stay.” Yan hope’s tone was devoid of emotion, shrouded in mist. “And those who leave, if they do not wish to see each other again, are also destined to part ways.”
Ah Heng's eyelids twitched slightly, but after a long while, they finally calmed down.
But gradually, my heart softened and felt helpless.
How much they must have wanted to avoid seeing each other to reach the point of separation...
Was this utterly extreme statement meant for others, or was it a stern admonition to himself?
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During the Spring Festival, we eat and drink day after day, and set off firecrackers whenever we feel like it, and the days fly by like flowing water.
School will start in a few days.
On the evening of the 14th, while Ah Heng was reading at home, she received a life-threatening phone call.
The other end of the line was a child's voice, trembling with tears. Without even asking who was on the other end, the child stammered, "Brother Siwan, bring people to 'Flying' quickly! There are a lot of people beating up Brother Yanxi!"
Immediately following was a busy signal.
Ah Heng was stunned, but her feet didn't stop. She ran to Si Wan's room, her Mandarin blaring like a dolphin's cry—"Si Wan, find someone! Fei Xiang, save Yan Xi!!!"
Siwan's face flushed red instantly. She put on her coat and ran outside as fast as she could, shouting as she ran, "Aheng, whatever you do, don't tell the adults!"
Ah Heng first picked up the stick, then threw it away and grabbed the first-aid kit, thinking to herself—I'm so busy, how can I have time to complain to the adults!
Then, he rushed out of the house like a gust of wind.
"Flying" is a famous bar. Although it is not big, the owner has connections and the business is thriving. Every night, there are many people looking for fun. However, it is a mixed bag, and fights often break out.
When Ah Heng arrived, two groups of people were fighting fiercely in the alley in front of the bar.
She couldn't recognize anyone else, only three shadowy figures—pink, white, and black—that were very lively and fierce.
The man in black, with his messy eyebrows and hair standing on end, looked furious. His eyes widened as he cursed and picked up a glass bottle he'd somehow found, then smashed it at the other man with a dark expression, kicking him hard with a fierce look.
The one in white had bloodshot eyes and prominent veins on his forehead. Gone was his usual gentle demeanor. He grabbed the tall, muscular man beside him, clenched his fist, and with a gust of wind, struck him.
"Damn it, you dare to touch my brothers? You don't want to live anymore! I'll grant your wish today!!" The one in black was Xin Dayi. He roared, his long legs moving like the wind, kicking down one person at a time, and two people at a time.
"Pah! You androgynous pretty boy, daring to steal my girl! If I, Tiger Tyrant, don't kill him today, I'm done for!" A young man with dyed yellow hair, who looked like the leader, had a face full of scars and fierce, sinister eyes, and smiled sinisterly.
"Then I'll take care of you first today!" The one in white was Siwan. After dealing with the group of people beside her, she rushed forward, grabbed the man by the collar, and beat him hard.
The boy in pink, with several men who looked like lackeys lying beside him, clapped his hands, looking refreshed, and walked over.