Chapter 25 Yi Yunxue: Happy New Year!

"Son, didn't A-Sheng give you two bottles of red wine a few days ago? Take them out to drink tonight," Chen Zhengyong said to Chen Jiang.

"Alright," Chen Jiang nodded in response.

On New Year's Eve, everyone was busy—except for the village children. While helping to wash the blood clams, Chen Jiang could hear the constant sound of children setting off firecrackers outside. The whistle-rockets, in particular, were going off in bursts.

They worked until noon and grabbed a quick bite. By one or two o'clock, Chen Jiang went to take a shower and changed into new clothes. His parents also changed into the new outfits Chen Jiang had bought them from a brand-name store. Chen Jiang couldn't even remember the brand; he had simply picked them up at the Wanda Plaza in Shenzhen, grabbing items from several different shops.

"Look, dear, how does this coat our son bought me look? Is it pretty?" Chen's mother modeled the coat, showing it off to her husband.

"It looks great! Everything looks good on my wife!" Chen's father quickly complimented her.

Seeing this, Chen Jiang couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, Mom, it's almost three o'clock. We should head over to Grandpa's place."

The family packed the washed seafood and headed toward the old family house. This year, Chen Jiang's family was responsible for the seafood and drinks, while his uncle's family prepared snacks and meat dishes.

When they arrived, his uncle's family had already beaten them there. Chen Jiang glanced at the ingredients on the table; his uncle had bought plenty of beef, as well as meatballs and vegetables. Beef hotpot was a local specialty; when hosting important guests, many locals loved taking them to a beef hotpot restaurant. The local beef was always fresh yellow cattle, and it was quite expensive. Many families in the area liked to gather around a hotpot for the New Year, while others preferred preparing a lavish feast.

"Hey, you guys, come here," Chen Jiang said, beckoning to the younger generation playing in the open space outside when no one was looking.

"Uncle, what is it?" Four little kids trotted over to him.

"I'm giving each of you a red envelope. Remember to hide it well, and only tell your moms after you get home tonight, okay?" Chen Jiang said with a smile.

"Okay!" the four children agreed in unison.

Chen Jiang took out the red envelopes he had prepared and handed one to each of them. He even thoughtfully helped the youngest niece tuck her envelope into the innermost pocket of her coat and zipped it shut.

"There, keep it safe so you don't lose it."

"Uncle is the best! The red envelope my dad gave me is much thinner than yours," the eldest child of his oldest cousin said excitedly. Although they didn't yet understand the true importance of money, they knew that a thicker envelope meant their elders valued them more.

"Remember, don't tell your parents yet. Wait until you get home tonight," Chen Jiang reminded them again. "Alright, go play."

Back inside, his mother, aunt, and two of his aunt’s daughters-in-law were playing mahjong. His father sat with his uncle, chatting about family matters.

"A-Jiang, there's a village opera tonight. Want to go check it out?" his second cousin asked, leaning in.

"Sure," Chen Jiang agreed.

Around here, every holiday, the village would set up stages for opera performances; sometimes there was more than one. Because the village was large and populous, the performance area was divided into several sections. Chen Jiang hadn't visited the opera stages in a long time.

By evening, just as the sun set, the sound of continuous fireworks echoed outside. Chen Jiang went up to the rooftop terrace and looked out. In the sky, fireworks blossomed like giant flowers—dozens of them, blooming in every corner of the horizon. It was beautiful.

Chen Jiang recorded the scene and sent it to Yi Yunxue.

[Chen Jiang]: (Video)
[Yi Yunxue]: Wow! You guys are allowed to set off fireworks there?
[Yi Yunxue]: So many people are doing it! Why is your village so crowded? It looks much livelier than my hometown!
[Chen Jiang]: Our village has a lot of people; the population is quite concentrated. Plus, the cultural atmosphere here might be a bit stronger than where you are.
[Yi Yunxue]: Have you eaten yet?
[Chen Jiang]: Not yet.
[Yi Yunxue]: Me neither, but my dad is already cooking. His cooking is delicious! If you have a chance, come over, and I'll have him make something for you!
[Chen Jiang]: Alright, I'll definitely go when I have time! But are you sure your dad won't mistake me for some punk trying to woo you and give me a good beating? (Dog-head emoji)

Seeing this, Chen Jiang felt a strange, momentary daze. Going to her house to eat her father's cooking? It felt a bit odd.

[Yi Yunxue]: I don't think so. Right now, they're desperate for me to find a partner. It’s all those marketing accounts on short-video platforms—saying things like how many artists don't marry until they're in their forties. My mom actually believed them!
[Chen Jiang]: You're only 23, right? At your age, it's time to focus on your career! How can dating be more important than work?
[Yi Yunxue]: That's what I think, too. So don't you go finding a partner behind my back—let's focus on our careers together!

After sending that, Yi Yunxue felt her face flush. She wasn't sure what she was thinking; she had just sent the message impulsively.

[Chen Jiang]: Deal!

"A-Jiang, time to eat!" his grandmother's voice rang out.

"Coming, Grandma!" Chen Jiang called back, then typed into the chat: *I'm going to eat now.*

With a wonderful feeling in his heart, Chen Jiang sat at the dinner table. The two sisters-in-law ushered the children inside. "Wash your hands and come eat!"

Once everyone was seated, the grandfather, as the head of the family, spoke up: "In the new year, I hope our big family continues to prosper! I wish my grandsons success in their careers and my great-grandchildren success in their studies! Especially A-Jiang—I wish your company great prosperity!"

"Cheers!" Everyone raised their glasses. The children drank juice and soda, while the adults had red wine and beer.

...

On the other side, seeing Chen Jiang's reply, Yi Yunxue couldn't help but let a small smile grace her lips.

"Xiao Xue, time to eat!"
"Coming, Mom!"

...

After the meal, the family helped clear the table, and the women returned to their mahjong game. Chen Jiang headed out with his two cousins. The three young men went off to find friends to set off firecrackers, while his little niece followed behind Chen Jiang.

In front of the opera stage, it was incredibly crowded and lively. Many vendors were selling snacks, balloons, and other toys. When he was a child, Chen Jiang loved coming to the opera with his parents—not because the performance was particularly good, but because there was so much food.

Afraid his niece would get lost in the crowd, Chen Jiang hoisted her onto his shoulders. It was the little girl's first time seeing such a high perspective, and she exclaimed in wonder, "Uncle is so tall! You're taller than Dad and Second Uncle!"

She wasn't wrong. Chen Jiang was indeed the tallest in their family at 183cm. Given that the average height in Guangdong was relatively short, he was quite tall. His two cousins were barely over 170cm.

After walking around, his cousins were interested in watching the performance, but Chen Jiang, having bought his niece some cotton candy and a balloon, felt there wasn't much to see. He decided to take her home early.

"You're back? Weren't you going to watch the opera?" his uncle asked, surprised as they walked in.

"There wasn't much to see, so I brought her back," Chen Jiang explained with a smile. "Plus, it was too crowded; I was afraid the little one would get lost."

Chen Jiang glanced at the TV, which was playing the Spring Festival Gala. A comedy sketch was on, but everyone was busy with their own things, and no one was really watching. These days, keeping the gala on just felt like a habit.

The two elders went to bed shortly after ten. At eleven, Chen's mother finally put down her mahjong tiles. "Time to go home, we'll play again tomorrow."

Back home, Chen Jiang went to the rooftop to watch the fireworks. As the clock struck twelve, a massive firework bloomed in the sky.

Yi Yunxue sent a voice message: "Chen Jiang, Happy New Year!"

"Happy New Year to you, too!" Chen Jiang replied with a voice message, a faint smile on his face.

Chen Jiang's WeChat continued to receive New Year's greetings, including one from his old dorm mates.

[Dorm Group Chat]
[Zhang Jianlong]: Happy New Year to all my sons! May you have great wealth in the coming year!
[Lv Hao]: Return to sender.
[Wu Haiping]: Return to sender.
[Chen Jiang]: Why are you sons so obsessed with being the father every day?