On New Year’s Eve, Grandmother Yu returned to spend the holiday with her son and grandson. Though she didn’t want to see her son, she at least wanted to care for her grandson. She made buns for Xu Changle and brought some to Xia Xiaolan’s home. The two households were less than two minutes’ walk apart, and the freshly steamed buns were still hot when they arrived at Xia Xiaolan’s place.

Xia Xiaolan immediately grabbed a bun to eat when she got home.

“Your cooking skills are unmatched!” She gave a thumbs up, and Grandmother Yu’s stern expression softened.

“Your Uncle Xu won’t let me cook anything, saying he’s worried I’ll tire myself out. Hmph, how many years have I been cooking? Besides, I’m making these for you all and my grandson to eat. If he’s so capable, he can choose not to eat them!”

Even during the New Year, the old lady showed no mercy toward Xu Zhongyi.

Xia Xiaolan didn’t speak up for Xu Zhongyi either. The elderly, like everyone else, yearn to feel needed and fear becoming useless. Some people who’ve been leaders for many years suddenly lose their spirit when they retire and their doors no longer receive visitors.

Elderly people who don’t feel needed often go to extremes. Some become particularly insecure and try to hold onto money, becoming increasingly miserly with age. Others seek attention from their children and become increasingly difficult…

Grandmother Yu didn’t care about money. While she could be difficult, she only directed it at Xu Zhongyi. What could outsiders say? This was Xu Zhongyi’s debt to his mother, and he would gradually repay it. After all, the old lady was getting on in years, and who knew how much longer she could remain difficult? Perhaps Xu Zhongyi wished for his mother to stay spirited and difficult, so she would live longer!

As the old saying goes, “One wishes to care for their parents, but they are no longer there,” and “white-haired people sending off black-haired ones” – these are life’s tragedies. No matter how much money or power one has, it’s useless when loved ones are gone. Money and power can’t bring them back to life, so we should cherish them while they’re alive.

Xia Xiaolan bit into her bun while looking at Comrade Liu Fen’s black, glossy hair and nearly wrinkle-free face, growing happier the longer she looked.

“What are you grinning about while eating a bun?” Liu Fen laughed at her, but Xia Xiaolan didn’t explain.

Comrade Fen was still so young and could accompany her for many more years, which naturally made Xia Xiaolan very happy. Though they always called him Old Tang, Tang wasn’t really that old.

So with their family of three and this stable home environment, Xia Xiaolan felt blessed.

That afternoon, she didn’t go anywhere, obediently staying home to help Liu Fen. Since Tang Hongen’s cooking wasn’t good, he was assigned to odd jobs, while Xia Xiaolan got the task of cutting vegetables.

After three in the afternoon, Liu Yong arrived with Li Fengmei and Liu Zitao. As the younger generation, Xia Xiaolan was completely banished from the kitchen, her only task being to entertain Liu Zitao.

Well, with such a big age difference, how could they play together?

With no other choice, Xia Xiaolan took Liu Zitao to buy firecrackers, setting them off all over the street.

Xia Xiaolan made three rules with him: First, no throwing them at pedestrians; second, no throwing them in places that could easily catch fire; and third, absolutely no blowing up manhole covers!

“If I find out you’ve thrown them into sewers or outhouses, our sister-brother relationship is over!”

Was it that serious?

Liu Zitao felt the firecrackers burning in his hands.

Rural children particularly liked throwing firecrackers into outhouses… the details were too disgusting to describe, and it was mainly unsafe.

The threat of “ending their relationship” was so powerful this time that Liu Zitao would probably remember it for years.

Though he was reluctant to set off firecrackers so cautiously, once Xia Xiaolan split them and joined in, Liu Zitao immediately became jubilant.

By the time they reached their front door, they had only used half their firecrackers.

Playing together, they didn’t even feel the cold.

The four adults at home had been busy all afternoon and had already prepared a table full of dishes.

Fried, stir-fried, and boiled dishes, with fish and meat – it was a very sumptuous New Year’s Eve dinner.

Because the atmosphere was good, Liu Fen specially permitted Tang Hongen to have a glass of wine. Xia Xiaolan brought out a bottle of red wine and placed a glass in front of everyone except Liu Zitao:

“Mom, why do you control everything Uncle Tang does?”

Tang Hongen glanced at her, “Your mother is showing care for me. What do you know?”

Well, one was willing to manage, and one was willing to be managed – she was the one meddling.

Tang Hongen raised his wine glass, “Wine is just a medium. Let’s use it to wish our family good health, progress in studies, and success in work in the new year!”

Liu Yong chuckled and raised his glass, adding: “Happy New Year, wishing you prosperity and wealth!”

This made even Tang Hongen laugh.

Everyone picked up their glasses and drank a little. There was no need to drain the glasses – the family didn’t need such formality. Why rush and get dizzy when it would only harm the body?

As Tang Hongen said, wine was just a medium to express joy and create an atmosphere.

They ate their abundant New Year’s Eve dinner while watching the Spring Festival Gala together.

Everyone enjoyed every program thoroughly. The 1987 Spring Festival Gala stage didn’t have the dazzle of later years, and the TV picture quality wasn’t HD, but every program was made with great care.

Even Xia Xiaolan found it quite enjoyable.

When the male singer from Taiwan came on stage to sing “A Fire in Winter,” Li Fengmei and Liu Fen’s eyes were glued to the screen.

It was so passionate!

The singer was handsome and stylish – their ears felt like they were about to catch fire!

During the New Year countdown, the phone rang.

Zhou Cheng called to wish Tang Hongen and Liu Fen a happy new year.

Being the brigade leader brought different treatment – Zhou Cheng had never called so late before, but now he had more freedom.

This Spring Festival, leaders would visit the work unit, and Zhou Cheng and others had to prepare for the reception.

While others could take holiday leave, he absolutely couldn’t leave. He would have to wait until after New Year’s Eve and the first day of the New Year to find an opportunity.

Finally, Old Tang passed the phone to her. Outside, the sound of New Year’s firecrackers rose and fell. Zhou Cheng laughed on the phone:

“Wife, Happy New Year!”

“You too, Happy New Year! Be happy every day!”

The New Year’s bell of 1987 rang.

This was Xia Xiaolan’s fourth New Year since returning once more.

…

At the Xu household, a hundred meters away.

Xu Zhongyi was completely drunk.

This was the first Spring Festival reunion with his mother after many years of separation, with him bringing his son.

He had imagined this scene countless times.

He would one day return to China with his wife and children.

However, Cui Yiru could never return – death was a kind of release for her, as she couldn’t face what she had done.

And his father hadn’t lived to see this day.

Then there was his daughter Tina, who had no attachment to the Xu family at all.

Xu Zhongyi had become Master Qiu, gained power and money, and could take revenge… but the devastation after revenge was something money couldn’t fix. The scars would take who knows how long to heal.

Xu Zhongyi couldn’t make too many detailed expressions, but he was drunk.

It was happiness mixed with complex emotions.

“His alcohol tolerance is still as poor as before…”

Grandmother Yu watched her son, muttering, then gave Xu Changle another bun.

“Eat more, you loved these when you were little.”

“Grandmother, I still love them now.”

It still tasted exactly like it did in childhood, unchanged.

Xu Changle swallowed the bun. “…Grandmother, can you not accept Tina?”