On New Year’s Eve, Lin Yingtao joined Jiang Qiaoxi for dinner at his cousin’s house. With the hospital’s permission, his cousin was briefly discharged, sitting in a wheelchair. It had been four years since he last had a New Year’s Eve dinner at home. The whole family gathered around him, and even Lassie was brought over from his wife’s parents’ home. The cousin hugged his child, who could now call him “Dad.” Looking at his family and Lassie clinging to his legs, he was overwhelmed with happiness and shed tears.
Jiang Qiaoxi remarked, “You don’t need to cry so much over being touched.”
His cousin sobbed, “Your living space is so small, it scared me.” Amid the family’s laughter, he reached for his wife’s hand and kissed it.
At the dinner table, Jiang Qiaoxi held Lin Yingtao’s hand in front of everyone. He suddenly turned serious, telling his uncle and aunt that with his cousin soon to be discharged, this might be the last New Year he’d spend with them.
His cousin’s wife, sitting across, looked stunned.
The uncle nodded with a slight smile. The aunt added, “Don’t speak so absolutely. What if you want to spend New Year in Hong Kong someday—”
The cousin, playing with his child, asked Lin Yingtao, “Little sister, do you like Hong Kong?”
Lin Yingtao sat nearby, gradually understanding the meaning behind everyone’s glances. She looked up at Jiang Qiaoxi’s profile, caught in his gaze.
The cousin’s wife poured herself some Japanese sake, which resembled baijiu. She stood up, raising her glass to Jiang Qiaoxi, mentioning she learned this from Uncle Jiang Zheng.
“On behalf of our family, I want to thank you, Qiaoxi, for your help over the years, whether caring for Ruocheng or accompanying Dad and Mom in his place. Since Ruocheng can’t drink, I’ll toast you on his behalf.”
Lin Yingtao looked up, watching Jiang Qiaoxi stand. He initially shook his head, disliking such formal scenes, but his cousin’s wife drained her small glass in one go. Jiang Qiaoxi smiled, quickly taking the sake bottle from his uncle and pouring himself a small cup.
“Thank you for taking me in, both when I was young and now,” Jiang Qiaoxi said.
Lin Yingtao received red envelopes from their uncle and aunt. Sitting in a corner, she stroked the aging Lassie. She saw Jiang Qiaoxi being called to the nephew’s room by his aunt and cousin’s wife, speaking in Cantonese. The aunt pushed a wooden box to Jiang Qiaoxi, which he refused after a glance, but his cousin’s wife insisted he take it.
Lin Yingtao, holding a pot of new narcissus flowers, bid farewell to the family. The cousin’s wife packed her lots of candied lotus seeds and fried taro chips, placing them in the cloth bag holding Jiang Qiaoxi’s wooden box.
Walking on Hong Kong’s New Year’s Eve, Lin Yingtao asked Jiang Qiaoxi, “You won’t be spending next New Year in Hong Kong?”
Jiang Qiaoxi, arm around her waist, replied, “Don’t you want to spend it with Uncle Lin and the others?”
Lin Yingtao lowered her head, ears reddening, looking at the flowers in her arms.
At seventeen, Jiang Qiaoxi had once called Lin Yingtao late at night, saying he was turning eighteen and couldn’t keep going to his cousin’s place, as his cousin had his own family. “I need to be independent,” he’d said.
Although this was delayed by over four years, it seemed Jiang Qiaoxi could finally let go of all burdens and start a new life.
Lin Yingtao placed the narcissus flowers next to the pothos on the windowsill. The Narcissus was beautiful but short-lived, while the pothos endured, symbolizing auspiciousness, eternity, and peace.
Every autumn, small red fruits would grow among the pothos’s green leaves, bringing a festive air.
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, Lin Yingtao and Jiang Qiaoxi went to see the fireworks at Victoria Harbour. Before leaving, Lin Yingtao told Cai Fangyuan and others in their WeChat group that she’d send them some photos.
Cai Fangyuan privately messaged her: “Still no proposal?”
Lin Yingtao stared at her phone screen, biting her lip, when suddenly Jiang Qiaoxi closed the wardrobe door and handed her a new red sweater bought yesterday.
“Change clothes, let’s go early,” he said softly, showing no unusual signs.
Lin Yingtao put on the earrings, wearing a red sweater, a white long skirt, and boots. They took a car to Victoria Harbour. Du Shang said in the group chat that he’d wanted to bring his girlfriend, but heard it would be very crowded: “Aren’t you booking a hotel room to watch? It’s just a bit more expensive, Jiang Qiaoxi can afford it now, right?”
Lin Yingtao turned to look at Jiang Qiaoxi, thinking he might want the lively atmosphere of everyone celebrating the New Year together—coincidentally, she liked that too.
The sky still showed traces of sunset, the last glow of the day merging into the night. Lin Yingtao, hand in hand with Jiang Qiaoxi, walked through the increasingly crowded streets. Jiang Qiaoxi stopped at an intersection, looking across Victoria Harbour. “That’s where I work,” he told her.
Lin Yingtao stood on tiptoe, seeing the International Commerce Centre, Hong Kong’s tallest building, across the water.
The streets were packed, and Lin Yingtao heard many mainland tourists speaking—Northeastern dialect, Shanghai dialect, Hokkien, Cantonese… It was fascinating. She hugged Jiang Qiaoxi’s waist, waiting in the bustling crowd. Never afraid of crowds, she looked up at his face, wrinkled her nose, and stood on tiptoe to playfully kiss his lips repeatedly.
This was Lin Yingtao’s nature—the happier those around her, the more excited she became.
Jiang Qiaoxi held her tighter.
When the fireworks began, Lin Yingtao felt the crowd around her like water about to boil, screams erupting. She turned in Jiang Qiaoxi’s arms, wide-eyed and watching, starting to jump excitedly. The previous crowding, heat, and leg aches were forgotten. Fireworks shot into the sky with loud bangs, then exploded, creating a constantly changing, dazzling spectacle above Victoria Harbour.
Stars burned their most beautiful moment, then faded, scattering over the sea.
Lin Yingtao stared upwards, the fireworks reflected in her large eyes, like dispersing fireflies.
The image of that little boy with a backpack disappeared before her eyes.
Lin Yingtao looked up at Jiang Qiaoxi amidst the tourists’ clamor and fireworks bursts.
Jiang Qiaoxi was looking down at her.
Fireworks rose behind him, illuminating his young shoulders and wind-tousled short hair. That brief, fleeting radiance lit up Jiang Qiaoxi’s face for an instant.
“Yingtao,” Jiang Qiaoxi said, looking at her, “Will you marry me?”
Lin Yingtao’s lips parted, and tears immediately welled up in her eyes.
The group waited a long time but never received the photos Lin Yingtao had promised to take. The fireworks display lasted over twenty minutes, with tourists frantically taking photos and videos on their phones and cameras, excitedly screaming and wishing each other Happy New Year, while Lin Yingtao sobbed loudly in Jiang Qiaoxi’s arms. He held her, covered her head with his coat, and looked up to see the fireworks. Many people around them were startled by Lin Yingtao’s loud crying, turning to look at the young couple. Festive New Year songs were still playing, and no one knew why the girl was crying so hard.
Lin Yingtao’s eyes were red, her small face covered in tears. Sitting on the bus, she still occasionally sniffled. Jiang Qiaoxi reached over to wipe the tears from her face. She leaned against him, letting him hold her tightly, her eyes gazing out the window. They returned home together, hand in hand, and went upstairs.
They showered together. The bathroom was tiny, the two of them squeezed together under the small light bulb. Lin Yingtao lowered her wet eyelashes, her hands holding Jiang Qiaoxi’s back. He gently massaged the soap into her hair, their scents becoming increasingly similar.
Lin Yingtao put on her pajamas, dried her hair, and got into bed. Since returning from Victoria Harbour, she hadn’t spoken a word to Jiang Qiaoxi, not knowing what to say.
Jiang Qiaoxi wore only pajama pants, his upper body bare, his back showing a concave arc. He opened the wardrobe door, felt in the pocket of his work suit, and took out a small black velvet box.
Lin Yingtao sat in the warm light by the bed, stunned, watching Jiang Qiaoxi approach and sit on the edge of the bed.
Jiang Qiaoxi opened the small box, revealing a pair of rings that glinted in the light. No one knew when Jiang Qiaoxi had bought them, how long he had prepared, or how long he had hesitated until today. Lin Yingtao lowered her head and stared at them for a long while.
“Lin Qile.” Jiang Qiaoxi suddenly called out to her.
“Hm?” Lin Yingtao replied, her voice choked with emotion.
Seeing her like this, Jiang Qiaoxi thought she might cry again. He gently pinched her cheek, then placed the ring box in her hand, which rested on the bedspread. Yingtao looked up as Jiang Qiaoxi walked to the door, retrieving a wallet from his bag.
He returned, sitting before her. Opening the wallet, she noticed a photo on the outside—a selfie they’d taken in their small rental apartment during her first visit to Hong Kong. Jiang Qiaoxi extracted an HSBC card, slipping it under the ring box in Yingtao’s palm.
Yingtao raised her eyes, pressing her lips together in a puffy-cheeked smile. Tears still lingered in her eyes as she clutched the items.
Seeing her finally smile, Jiang Qiaoxi grinned too.
Yingtao buried her face in his chest, whispering near his ear, “I’m Mrs. Jiang Qiaoxi now…” Her voice wavered between laughter and tears. Jiang Qiaoxi embraced her, his arms encircling her slender back, allowing her to express both joy and sorrow against him.
The wooden box Aunt had given Jiang Qiaoxi contained a pair of traditional dragon and phoenix bangles, weighing a full six taels. These were part of Aunt’s dowry, which she’d given to her sister-in-law. The sister-in-law had kept them at her maiden home, only recently retrieving them to give to Yingtao.
Lin Yingtao stared in disbelief. “What are these…?”
Jiang Qiaoxi took one of Yingtao’s wrists, trying on a bangle.
Despite Yingtao’s slender wrists, the bangle didn’t look out of place. It gave the impression of a cherished daughter-in-law, pampered by her new family.
Jiang Qiaoxi gazed at Lin Yingtao. “Consider my sister-in-law as your mother-in-law.”
“These are so valuable,” Yingtao said nervously. She’d never handled gold before, and her wrist felt heavy. “We should return them to your sister-in-law…”
Jiang Qiaoxi sighed, “Do you know how long I argued? She wanted to give me three pigs—”
Lin Yingtao froze, not understanding.
Jiang Qiaoxi lowered his eyes. “I didn’t want them, so I only took this pair of bangles. Never mind, just keep them.”
After the New Year, Jiang Qiaoxi returned to work. He promised to be home for dinner but often got caught up with last-minute tasks, working until past 2 AM. When he returned home and unlocked the door, Lin Yingtao would wake. She’d get up to pour him water, but after just a couple of sips, Jiang Qiaoxi would set the glass down. He’d embrace and kiss her, loosen his collar, then fall asleep.
He’d sleep for less than two hours before waking again, the sky still dark outside.
Yingtao would be leaving in a couple of days. Jiang Qiaoxi turned towards her, watching her for a moment. She slept facing him, her hand curled near the pillow, a ring encircling her middle finger.
Jiang Qiaoxi unbuttoned his shirt, removed it, then lifted the covers and pressed himself against her.
Lin Yingtao woke, disoriented. Her wrists were bound with a necktie, raised above her head. As she opened her eyes, the tie loosened. She embraced Jiang Qiaoxi’s head resting on her chest.
“Aren’t you tired?” she asked softly.
Jiang Qiaoxi had worked for nearly twenty hours straight. After a brief rest, he now sought the compensation he truly desired.
Lin Yingtao felt a pang of sympathy. Was starting a family and career truly this difficult?
She lay there, cradling his face. Lin Yingtao suddenly recalled a junior schoolmate mentioning how, after finishing his winter camp exam, Jiang Qiaoxi had gone home, slept, and upon waking, immediately asked Lin Yingtao to meet him at the station.
“You’re like a baby,” she murmured, feeling the sweat at his hairline as she gently caressed his cheek. “Petting a math genius like a baby. There, there, no more headaches.”
In the second semester of her senior year, Lin Yingtao attended several interviews.
One weekend, she visited her aunt to discuss borrowing tuition money.
“After getting this certification, I can earn a higher salary,” Lin Yingtao explained. “Otherwise, if I start a family relying solely on my husband’s income, the pressure on him would be too great, making life difficult.”
Her aunt smiled, “Little Yingtao, you’re already worrying about your husband? Have you found one?” Then she asked, “What certification? How much higher would your salary be?”
Lin Yingtao considered, “About… five to ten times higher.”
Her aunt was stunned. “That much?”
“Yes!” Lin Yingtao nodded eagerly, accepting a teacup from her cousin. “I graduate this summer, then go to America in autumn for nine months, finishing next summer. When I return, I’ll work hard to repay you, Aunt. Please don’t tell Dad—I don’t want to use the money he and Mom have saved…”
Her aunt smiled, stroking her niece’s hair with a jade-bracelet-adorned hand.
“Studying in America,” she mused. “Where exactly?”
Lin Yingtao replied, “Portland. It’s about a ten-hour drive from San Francisco.”
“Where’s that?” her aunt asked.
Before her cousin could answer, Lin Yingtao chimed in, “San Francisco is near Berkeley. Aunt, do you know UC Berkeley? It’s right there!”
Seeing her excitement, her aunt laughed, “I don’t know it.”
Lin Yingtao pursed her lips for a moment, then said, “Well, it’s a very good school. I plan to visit it.”
Shortly after the semester began, Lin Yingtao took leave. On Sunday, March 4th, she flew from Beijing to her hometown, reading a Montessori book on the plane. At the local airport, she sat in Starbucks, sipping a Frappuccino and listening to CNN through her earphones.
She frequently checked her phone, confirming via WeChat that her parents were home—they were unaware of her visit. At 4:20 PM, Lin Yingtao stood, shouldered her backpack, got a fresh Americano, and headed out.
The arrival hall was crowded, with the Hong Kong flight delayed by twenty minutes. Lin Yingtao stood quietly among the throng, feeling distinctly different from everyone else. She was about to marry the person she loved most, and it was still a secret.
Jiang Qiaoxi, travel bag slung over his shoulder, walked towards her, looking travel-worn.