"Xinyu, when you co to find at this ti, it must be sothing good."
"Yeah, I went to the seaside today. We have so octopus at ho. Call them. If they want, they will co to ."
"I want so. Everyone in my family loves to eat it. How much do you have left?"
"Over a hundred pounds. We can divide it among us, and it should be enough."
"Great, you’re really a good friend."
"Haha, we share blessings together."
Xiao Yun suddenly said seriously, "Xinyu, don’t worry. We share blessings, and in the future, we’ll face difficulties together too."
"Hmm, I trust my judgnt." Their good relationship is because there’s no personal interest involved. If they were colleagues in the sa workplace, things might be different.
Xiao Yun made the phone call, and they all agreed to et at six in the evening. Jiang Xinyu went back ho.
Kaiyun wasn’t coming ho for dinner that evening, aning he didn’t know what ti he’d be back.
She lit the stove, thinking about stewing beef. Slowly stew it in a clay pot for a few hours; it would be delicious. There are radishes brought back from the village; they’re good for energy in winter.
She soaked a lot of shellfish at jerky. Kaiyun loves it, and since he’s leaving, she’ll make what he loves. Otherwise, who knows when they’ll et again?
The big pot heated water, preparing for a bath tonight. She felt covered in the sea’s fishy sll.
At ten to six, the doorbell rang. They ca together, eight of them.
"Xinyu, you’re really amazing. How did you manage to get this?" Liu Yuwei circled the four large basins of octopus.
"I caught a ride to the seaside with soone else. Deal with it yourselves; I really don’t want to touch them."
"Do you want to eat them?"
"I do. That’s different, okay? Hurry up."
"Give fifteen pounds. I love eating it," Xiao Yun said eagerly.
"Okay, fifteen pounds for you. The rest we can divide ten pounds each among us. Xinyu, if there’s extra, set aside so for Old Ding. You always forget him," said Liu Yuwei.
Jiang Xinyu smacked her forehead, "Really, I always forget Director Ding. I’ll set aside fifteen pounds for him. I haven’t even given him a New Year’s gift. When I’m done, who lives nearby? Could you take it to him?"
Lv Beiguang looked at Jiang Xinyu, shaking his head.
"I’ll deliver it, I’ll go now. How much is the octopus?"
"Forty cents per pound."
"Alright, weigh it for first."
Lv Beiguang took the bread and pretzels handed by Jiang Xinyu and placed them in the basket, with octopus on the back seat.
They started dividing it, first giving Xiao Yun fifteen pounds, then seven shares of ten pounds each, and with thirty pounds left, Jiang Xinyu kept it all.
Lv Beiguang returned twenty minutes later, bringing six Yuan back to Jiang Xinyu.
By the ti they all left, it was almost seven o’clock, and she prepared hot water for her bath.
She didn’t even realize when Kaiyun returned until she was held in an embrace.
"What ti is it?"
"Sleep, it’s one o’clock."
"How did you get in?"
"I jumped the wall."
"You, you jumped the wall?"
"Haha, this wall can’t stop ."
"I’ll find soone to make it higher when spring cos."
"Haha."
Jiang Xinyu sensed his joy, rolled her eyes, "Did you eat?"
"No need to trouble yourself, we’ll eat together tomorrow."
"Do you want so bread?"
"No, having you is enough."
Early the next day, Jiang Xinyu hurriedly made breakfast, cooking scallion pancakes for Kaiyun.
"Wife, you’re going to spoil ."
"Hmph!"
Looking at her proud little expression, he moved quicker than he thought, and already picked her up.
"You’ve already eaten, you’re not going out today?"
"I’m going out this afternoon. I’ll spend the rest of the ti at ho with you. I can’t bear to leave you."
"I can’t bear to be apart from you either, even seeing you once a day would be nice."
Today is already the twenty-ninth of the lunar month, no need to prepare much. They enjoyed a feast of seafood at noon. Both were very satisfied.
On the thirtieth, sporadic firecracker sounds could be heard.
Jiang Xinyu had prepared a few strings of big red firecrackers in advance. In the afternoon, Kaiyun set off two strings in the courtyard, giving them a festive vibe. Everyone says life should have a sense of ceremony.
In the evening, they made dumplings together, with three kinds of fillings: seafood, pork with scallions, and beef with scallions.
Sitting on the heated kang, they quietly talked and laughed, anticipating the arrival of the New Year’s Day of the sixty-first year.
At midnight, Kaiyun dragged Jiang Xinyu outside to set off fireworks. They held each other watching the fireworks.
"Wife, happy new year, congratulations on being a year older."
"Haha, talking about a woman’s age?"
"I’m just hoping you’ll be eighteen tomorrow."
His blatant gaze made Jiang Xinyu’s cheeks flush.
The first day of the lunar new year is basically a day for visiting, but neither of them wanted to go out. They just cozied up at ho.
From next door, there were the sounds of kids’ laughter. No matter what, kids are carefree. On the third, Jiang Xinyu began preparing food for Kaiyun. Due to the weather, she could prepare more preserved ats, beef, pork hock. Everything was dried, wrapped in plastic wrap.
She stead two pots of bread, and made a lot of pretzels too.
"Wife, having you is wonderful. No one has ever treated this well."
"Haha, if I don’t treat you well, who should I treat well?"
That evening, on the fourth, Kaiyun seed to want to make up for not being together in the future.
Jiang Xinyu did not refuse him today either, "Wife, when will you be an adult?"
Early the next morning, Jiang Xinyu got up at five to make dumplings for him, wishing for a smooth journey; the elderly say eating dumplings before going out is auspicious.
After eating, they leaned together on the kang, with Kaiyun holding her tightly.
But inevitably they had to part. Hearing the car horn outside, Jiang Xinyu gave her man a kiss, "Wait for ."
"Yes, wife, I’ll wait for you." Grabbing his briefcase, Kaiyun left. Jiang Xinyu escorted him to the gate. She didn’t watch him get into the car, fearing she’d be reluctant to let him go.
She shut the door, went back to the house in a daze, lay on the kang, not knowing what she was thinking. His departure seed to take a part of her with him.
Maybe she really shouldn’t insist on staying here; she’d feel the sa anywhere alone. Being with him is the happiest thing.
At noon, eating dumplings by herself suddenly lifted her spirits, and she decided to go to him within the next year or two, even if it’s just to cook him a al at night.
In the following days, she focused on reading and studying, aiming to graduate high school. If there’s a chance for university, that would be even better.
On the eighth day of the lunar year, Jiang Xinyu went to the supply and marketing cooperative, chatting with Xiao Yun and the sales clerks all morning, and stayed for lunch at the cooperative’s cafeteria.
"How is it? Not as good as your textile factory’s food, right?"
"It’s about the sa. I think it’s fine. Sister She, have you eaten at our textile factory?"
"I ate there the year I started working. I still miss your chef’s braised pork belly."
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