The sound of fireworks had continued past one in the morning on the first day of the new year before the sky finally returned to silence.
The formerly deep blue sky was now drifting with white mist, what would later be called smog.
Carefully closing the window, Liu Chen pulled the pink floral goose-down quilt her mother had spent a fortune on over herself and drifted into sweet dreams.
...
At the Tulip Sanatorium, Luo Meihong, who had just beaten her own daughter until she bled, lay in her hospital bed watching the Spring Festival Gala on television. Listening to the deafening fireworks outside, she suddenly remembered the New Year scenes from when her son was still married.
Back then, she would just sit at the mahjong table playing mahjong. Relatives who visited the house were received by Liu Fang. Children who came to the house would sweetly wish her a Happy New Year and then go to Liu Fang to receive lucky money.
As for the New Year's Eve dinner, it was basically prepared by Liu Fang and her younger daughter Hu Min over the course of a whole day in the kitchen. They would have a simple meal of six dishes and one soup at noon, with the evening banquet being the main event.
A table piled high with two layers of dishes, more than they could eat, all her favorites: braised pork knuckle, braised ribs, boiled beef, sweet and sour fish...
Thinking of this, her stomach rumbled.
Luo Meihong suddenly remembered, she hadn't eaten dinner today?
But as soon as she thought of eating, her stomach churned; it just felt uncomfortable.
Forget it, it's late at night. If she asked the orderly to bring her food now, it would probably just torment her more.
Falling asleep with an empty stomach, Luo Meihong vaguely thought, what would have happened if her eldest son hadn't divorced?
...
Zhang Lili and Hu Qian sat at home. Zhang Lili had originally thought that on New Year's Eve, that scoundrel Hu Xingfa would at least come back to put on a show, for the small family to have a reunion dinner. But she waited until eight in the evening, and he never showed up.
When she called him, a young girl's voice answered. Zhang Lili said nothing and hung up the phone.
Putting down her phone, she looked at Hu Qian, who was sitting by the table playing with her phone, and gestured with her chin.
"Eat."
Mother and daughter each held their phones, thinking of the person on the other end. By the time the meal was over, hardly any of the dishes on the table seemed to have been touched.
After finishing their "New Year's Eve dinner," Zhang Lili went straight to her room to shower and locked the door behind her.
Hu Qian, meanwhile, sat in the living room, watching the Spring Festival Gala and continuing to chat with her netizen friend from Beijing.
However, today, her friend's replies were a bit slow.
'Qianqian, promise me, you must get into a university in Beijing, so we can be together again.'
Looking at this message in QQ, Hu Qian replied without thinking:
'Okay, then we'll see each other in Beijing when university starts!'
...
Hu Xingfa, whom Zhang Lili had assumed was staying with his "little secretary," was now squatting in a police station. After being escorted away by two security guards, he was taken to the logistics office.
To prevent him from causing more trouble, the two security guards insisted on guarding him until the mall closed. He heard this and thought, how could that be acceptable? The mall had air conditioning, but it wasn't as comfortable as being at home.
Then, during an argument, somehow they broke an ornament in their office. The security guards said it was bought by the boss for 100,000 yuan and demanded compensation. Hu Xingfa wasn't an idiot, so he naturally wouldn't just pay whatever they said.
As a result, after a back-and-forth dispute, they ended up at the police station.
The logistics supervisor of Century Mall was at the police station, registering with the police while holding an invoice.
"Our boss is from Hong Kong, and you know how they do business there, they value feng shui. So, he specifically spent a large sum to invite a master from Hong Kong to set up a 'Peaceful Business Formation'. This ornament is part of it.
It's the New Year, and the 'Peaceful Business Formation' has been broken. I don't even dare tell the boss. I'm not asking for much. I just want Mr. Hu here to either go to Hong Kong and invite another ornament, or compensate us with the amount on the invoice. We'll then beg the master for mercy."
Hearing this, Hu Xingfa knew he had to pay the 100,000 yuan.
Firstly, the businessmen from Hong Kong and local tycoons had connections. He, who rented out excavators, was nothing in their eyes.
Secondly, even if he could buy an identical ornament, it wouldn't be the same if they said it hadn't been blessed by the master.
But he was just furious and didn't want to pay the 100,000 yuan in front of those two security guards. Plus, his phone had run out of battery and turned off. It wasn't until he heard the deafening sound of firecrackers and fireworks from outside the police station that he realized.
It was the New Year.
...
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Liu Chen naturally woke up at seven-thirty.
Her mother had already come in, holding the new down jacket bought yesterday. Seeing Liu Chen awake and lying on the bed, she took out a white sweater from the wardrobe and said,
"Today, your Uncle Chen Long and we two are going to burn incense for your maternal grandmother and the others. It's fine if you didn't go in previous years, but this year you have the college entrance examination, so you must go."
Listening to the bubbling sound of boiling water from the kitchen, and Chen Long's occasional inquiries:
"Sister Liu, do you want to season it yourself, or should I do it for you?"
"You do it for me! I'm not picky!"
After speaking, Liu Fang closed the bedroom door, locked it, then dragged the still groggy Liu Chen out of bed, lifted her hands, and helped her put on the white sweater, then put the short pink down jacket bought yesterday onto her arms one by one.
She then took out a pair of thermal pants and a pair of jeans from the wardrobe and placed them by the bed.
"Put on your pants, and after breakfast, gather at your aunt's house."
Liu Chen squinted, grabbing her mother's arm.
"Mom..."
"Hm?" Liu Fang heard her daughter's soft voice and bent down, tilting her head, thinking her daughter had something to say.
"Mom, will Uncle Chen Long live with us from now on?"
"Get lost! What are you thinking, kid? Why would Chen Long, who has his own house, live with us?"
Liu Chen nodded.
"Oh, okay."
Hearing her mother's words, Liu Chen felt a little relieved. Although she supported her mother pursuing her happiness, she would still be very nervous about living under the same roof as a strange man.
Now that she had her mother's answer, Liu Chen rolled over, stood up from the bed, put on her thermal pants and jeans, then put on her pink leather slippers and padded out the door to wash up.
While brushing her teeth, she thought that when she got into university in the future, she could come back during winter break and cooperate with Chen Long on the formula for starch roasted sausages produced by the system.
Yes, after all, it would likely be her mother and Chen Long's marital property income. Of course, since it was a cooperation, she would definitely take half the money. This way, she could also explain why she wouldn't lack money for school.
After thinking it through, Liu Chen spat out the foam in her mouth in one go. Yes, a fresh start in the Year of the Ox! She would also be awesome!