On her birthday, Fei Ni realized that almost all the wishes she had made last year had come true.

She was still with Fang Muyang, and she would be attending university next year, though whether Fang Muyang could attend university remained uncertain. She wasn’t greedy at all this year, making only one birthday wish: that Fang Muyang could attend university with her.

Last New Year, Fang Muyang celebrated with Fei Ni’s parents while his parents were still at the Agricultural Machinery Factory. This year, before the holiday, Mother Fei had already arranged where her daughter and son-in-law would spend New Year’s, preparing numerous holiday goods for Fei Ni to bring to the Fang family on New Year’s Eve. Fei Ni and Fang Muyang had a busy New Year, first going to the post office to send gifts to their brothers and sisters, then returning shortly after with package receipts to collect incoming parcels.

Old Fang had three children, and on New Year’s Eve, both his eldest son and third daughter called to send their greetings and mailed gifts to him and their rebellious brother.

The youngest rebellious son and daughter-in-law accompanied him for New Year’s, which warmed his heart. Last year, he and his wife were at the Agricultural Machinery Factory, where many kindly colleagues invited Teacher Mu to celebrate with them, with his invitation coming merely as an afterthought. They would tell Teacher Mu, “Bring your spouse along too,” as if he were just someone’s attachment. The home was indeed better!

His rebellious son and daughter-in-law were making dumplings in the dining room, while his wife was following a recipe to make dessert in the kitchen.

Old Fang was deeply moved and wanted to compose a poem, but before he could return to his study to pick up his brush, his rebellious son called from the dining room: “Dad, come help make dumplings!”

Auntie Yang had returned to her hometown for New Year’s days ago, so household chores had fallen back to Old Fang. He believed that having a job meant he could rightfully avoid housework but with only him and his wife at home, who else would do it? So he did it haphazardly, thankfully the cafeteria provided meals even during the holiday. Yesterday, upon learning his rebellious son and daughter-in-law were coming, he had risen before five to clean the rooms, even reaching the corners. He was still a proper father. His son hadn’t seen his hard work, only seeing him now drinking tea, listening to records, and reading the newspaper. He had no energy left for making dumplings.

Fei Ni nudged him with her elbow, “Let Dad rest properly.”

“Our dad loves making dumplings; you can’t deprive him of his joy.”

Who likes making dumplings?

Old Fang was considerate of his rebellious son and daughter-in-law’s efforts, “Don’t make too many; the dumplings are just ceremonial. What’s most important is our family being together.”

Fang Muyang’s dumpling-making differed from others. While most people tried to make each dumpling identical, he strived to make each one unique. For him, dumpling-making seemed like some sort of game.

Fei Ni found him slow but didn’t rush him, only increasing her own pace.

Fang Muyang made one in the shape of an animal, matching Fei Ni’s zodiac sign, and asked her, “Does this look like you?”

Fei Ni held it and looked, feeling the dumpling’s expression somewhat resemble her when she was serious. However, when transferred into an animal’s form, the serious aspect dissolved into playfulness.

Teasing her again!

But with Old Fang in the living room and her mother-in-law in the kitchen, Fei Ni couldn’t play along.

“Go ahead and slander me,” she said softly, “Hurry up and finish, stop playing. No matter how good it looks, once it goes in the pot, you won’t be able to see it.”

“Then take a good look now.”

Fei Ni looked again, thinking Fang Muyang had indeed made it well, and it would be a shame to cook it. “Let’s take a photo of it then.”

Fang Muyang hadn’t expected Fei Ni to take it so seriously.

Fei Ni took it to heart, getting the camera to photograph all the dumplings Fang Muyang had made.

Old Fang thought his rebellious son was truly lucky; even his dumpling-making was treasured by his daughter-in-law.

Fang Muyang made four animal-shaped dumplings, representing each of their zodiac signs, with his and Fei Ni’s being the same.

Fei Ni specifically put peanuts in the four dumplings, believing whoever got the peanut would have good luck throughout the coming year. In Fang Muyang’s family, they hadn’t traditionally included such additions in their dumplings. New Year’s had always been their most chaotic time since their housekeeper would go home, and more than half their New Year’s Eve dinner consisted of various canned foods. Despite the chaos, the festive atmosphere remained. During holidays, Fang Muyang would start drawing New Year pictures, Mu Jing would write couplets, and their eldest brother would repair the household appliances his younger brother had broken while teaching him how to make fireworks. This instruction wasn’t free—all the New Year’s cards their eldest brother gave to classmates and teachers were drawn by Fang Muyang. To please his wife, on New Year’s Eve, Old Fang would have all three children perform music together: he played the accordion, his eldest son the piano, his third daughter the flute, and his youngest son the violin. Everyone performed their piece with absolutely no coordination. After performing, they would distribute gifts and red envelopes, and Fang Muyang would grab his envelope and run downstairs to set off firecrackers.

It wasn’t until Fang Muyang went to the countryside that he ate dumplings with coins at a local’s home—cabbage filling with just a bit of dried shrimp for flavor, which was already a luxury since who could usually afford wheat flour? When locals invited him for dumplings, he would only eat one out of courtesy, after all, they could only afford dumplings twice a year.

Fei Ni told Fang Muyang that putting coins in dumplings could be troublesome if swallowed, and using peanuts for good luck was sufficient.

Most of the New Year’s Eve dinner was prepared by Fei Ni and Fang Muyang. Though neither was particularly skilled in cooking, they appeared quite capable in this household. Old Fang had also contributed to the dinner by opening two cans of food.

The four of them sat around the table, and Old Fang, looking at the spread, first thanked his daughter-in-law for her hard work, then invited his wife to speak. He planned to give his New Year’s thoughts after his wife spoke—this year had brought many changes that couldn’t be summed up in just a few words. Unexpectedly, Teacher Mu directly thanked their son and daughter-in-law and gave the signal to begin eating.

Fang Muyang graciously allowed his father to say a few words before they started.

Old Fang cleared his throat and began speaking. He first thanked his wife for their mutual support, saying that without her companionship, he might not have peacefully endured those difficult times. Growing emotional, he reached for his wife’s hand, but Teacher Mu, finding him too sentimental in front of the children, refused to cooperate. Old Fang felt slightly embarrassed, but it wasn’t too serious. After thanking his wife, he thanked his daughter-in-law for standing by his rebellious son during hard times and helping organize his manuscripts. With only four people at the table, Old Fang had to thank his son too, mostly for helping him acquire the television, refrigerator, and other household appliances.

Fang Muyang responded that there was no need for thanks since it was all bought with his father’s money.

After expressing his gratitude, Old Fang began delivering his prepared messages of wisdom.

Everyone respected Old Fang and wanted to wait until he finished before starting to eat, but his speech showed no signs of ending. Fang Muyang interrupted his father’s speech, “Dad, try this dumpling, I made it.”

Old Fang swallowed his prepared speech along with the dumpling.

After the New Year’s Eve dinner, naturally, the dishes needed to be cleaned. Old Fang offered to wash them.

As the younger generation, Fei Ni and Fang Muyang couldn’t let their elderly father wash the dishes, so they volunteered for the task.

The two squeezed into the kitchen to wash dishes. Fang Muyang’s fingers dripped cold water onto Fei Ni’s arm.

“Cold!” Even her complaint was whispered. Slightly annoyed, she deliberately wet her fingers with cold water and pinched Fang Muyang’s arm. Worried she might have pinched too hard, she asked if it hurt.

Fang Muyang said he couldn’t ask for anything better.

Fei Ni lowered her head, ignoring him.

Fang Muyang set off firecrackers downstairs, telling Fei Ni to make a wish.

Fei Ni made the same wish on her birthday—that Fang Muyang would be able to attend university.

Fei Ni asked Fang Muyang, “What did you wish for?”

“I hope in the new year, you’ll love me a little more.”

“How silly!” As if she didn’t love him enough already.

In the new year, Fei Ni and Fang Muyang received very generous red envelopes. Their parents-in-law still saw them as children.

Having received so many gifts from their in-laws, the three elder Fangs naturally had to reciprocate.

Fang Muyang transported Fei Ni and all their gifts, big and small, back to his in-laws’ home.

Lin Mei’s first words to Fei Ni were: “Have you received your acceptance letter?”

Since the college entrance exam ended, Lin Mei has been waiting for Fei Ting’s acceptance letter. Learning that Fei Ni hadn’t received hers either, Lin Mei felt relieved, confirming that the letters simply hadn’t been sent out yet rather than Fei Ting not being accepted.

Fei Ni and Fang Muyang even prepared a red envelope for their unborn niece or nephew. Fei Ni knew her brother would attend university, and without a salary while studying, money would be tight. Since her brother and sister-in-law would never accept money normally, giving the baby a red envelope was her way of showing support.

Lin Mei refused, “There’s no precedent for giving red envelopes to unborn children. Besides, you’ll both be students this year, and students are like children in my eyes—they should receive red envelopes, not give them!”

Fei Ni laughed, “Does that mean my brother is also a child in your eyes?”

“Once he starts school, I really won’t let him give out red envelopes anymore.”

Fei Ni insisted, so Lin Mei finally accepted. As a family, their polite back-and-forth made things feel somewhat formal. Feeling the thickness and size of the envelope, she knew it wasn’t a small amount. She told her unborn child, “Your aunt and uncle have given you not just red envelopes for the next thirty years, but even included your future wedding gift.”

Perhaps because Fei Ni’s New Year’s wish came true, Fang Muyang was the first in the family to receive his acceptance letter.

Originally, Fang Muyang had planned to wait until Fei Ni’s letter arrived before sharing the news with family. But he couldn’t stop Xu Hui from coming to ask.

Since Fang Muyang had been unemployed at home, Fei Ni’s transportation had once again become his bicycle’s back seat. Just as Fei Ni entered the hutong, they saw Xu Hui smiling at them.

This was Xu Hui’s fourth visit to Fei Ni and Fang Muyang’s home. Her first visit was after the entrance exam, her second was to paint Fei Ni, and her third was to deliver Fei Ni’s framed portrait. Her painting of Fei Ni hung in Fang Muyang’s studio, meaning he had to admire her work whenever he painted there. The only imperfection was that she had captured Fei Ni’s dignified side—Fei Ni hadn’t drunk the wine she’d prepared, showing only her usual demeanor. Fang Muyang saw it but was far from feeling inferior. She thought about painting another one, but getting Fei Ni to model again wouldn’t be easy.

Her first three visits were mainly for Fei Ni, but this time she came for Fang Muyang. She had received her acceptance letter from the Art Academy today and, in her excitement, wanted to know if Fang Muyang had been accepted too. If he had, that would be wonderful. If not, she planned to introduce him to her tutor. Fei Ni was far better than Fang Muyang but lacked teaching experience, so even if she tutored him, she might not target the right areas. How could Fei Ni understand the struggles of people like her and Fang Muyang?

Xu Hui brought not only her good news but also a small cake as a gift.

As soon as she saw Fang Muyang, Xu Hui announced her acceptance to the Art Academy. Fei Ni’s heart sank—Fang Muyang had applied to the same school in the same city, so logically, they should have received their letters on the same day.

But Fang Muyang hadn’t mentioned anything about acceptance. He must have been rejected. Graduate school admission notices had already been sent out, and Fei Ni wasn’t sure whether to encourage him to apply for graduate studies or take the entrance exam again.

Though disappointed, she had been prepared and didn’t show it on her face. She just wondered how to convince Fang Muyang to take the exam again, knowing how much he disliked tests.

Fei Ni invited Xu Hui in, made tea, and divided her cake into three portions. Xu Hui ate her cake and drank Fei Ni’s tea, sighing to Fang Muyang, “You’re blessed.” Seven parts envy, three parts jealousy.

Though Fang Muyang always made tea for Fei Ni, whenever Xu Hui visited, Fei Ni served the tea. This led Xu Hui to misunderstand, thinking Fei Ni supported Fang Muyang both spiritually and materially while also serving as his muse, while Fang Muyang did nothing, skipped work, and only painted. Every visit, Xu Hui would marvel at how Fang Muyang had managed to find such a beautiful and understanding partner. Why couldn’t she have such luck?

Fang Muyang did indeed feel blessed but didn’t need Xu Hui to come to tell him so.

He asked Xu Hui, “Why are you here?”

“I wanted to ask if you were accepted by the Art Academy?”

Xu Hui’s question carried a hint of provocation. If Fei Ni hadn’t understood Xu Hui’s personality, she might have thought she came deliberately to upset Fang Muyang.

Fei Ni was about to tell Fang Muyang, “It’s okay if you weren’t accepted, there are still two more chances to take the exam this year.” Before she could speak, Fang Muyang said, “I was accepted.”

When she heard these words, Fei Ni was pouring tea into Xu Hui’s cup and didn’t notice it overflowing. Xu Hui’s hand holding the cup was scalded by the hot tea, making her cry out.

Fei Ni apologized and took Xu Hui to rinse her hand, but the joy from Fang Muyang’s acceptance radiated from her eyes, impossible to hide.

Before leaving, Xu Hui told Fang Muyang, “You’re really lucky.”

Fei Ni misunderstood Xu Hui’s meaning and explained that Fang Muyang had studied hard before the exam; his success wasn’t just luck.

“I meant he’s lucky to be married to you.”

Fei Ni was too embarrassed to tell Xu Hui that they were both lucky.

After Xu Hui left, Fei Ni asked Fang Muyang, “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Though she already knew the answer.

“I wanted us to celebrate together.”

“I would only be happy for you if you were accepted, not feel pressure.” She knew she would get in.

Fei Ting also received his acceptance letter from the established Engineering Institute. He had chosen it as his first choice not because of its faculty, but purely because it was the closest key university in the city, making it convenient for him to return home often to care for the pregnant Lin Mei.

Learning of her brother’s acceptance added to Fei Ni’s joy threefold.

Fei Ni was confident about her university prospects, but as her acceptance letter kept not arriving, she began to doubt. One day she dreamed that she had completed her exam but forgotten to write her name. Fang Muyang went to university while she remained at the hat factory.

The dream was so terrifying it startled her awake.

Fang Muyang held Fei Ni, kissed her forehead, and comforted her: “Dreams mean the opposite. If someone like me can get in, you definitely will.”

“What do you mean ‘someone like you’? I think you’re wonderful, stop putting yourself down.”

Fei Ni only had this nightmare once. Afterward, Fang Muyang held her every night while sleeping, his warmth pulling her away from bad dreams.

While comforting Fei Ni, Fang Muyang asked his mother to help check Fei Ni’s scores.

Scores weren’t publicly available to examinees; even accepted students wouldn’t know their actual scores unless they specifically checked.

While checking her daughter-in-law’s scores, Teacher Mu also looked up her son’s. Indeed, as Fang Muyang had said before, the difference wasn’t just a few dozen points.

Teacher Mu went directly to the neighboring university’s admissions office, asking why they hadn’t sent Fei Ni’s acceptance letter yet. Fei Ni’s score, not counting English, exceeded the first-choice admission line by nearly forty points—she should be accepted. The admissions staff explained that the delay wasn’t due to insufficient scores; the issue was that her scores were too high, with a perfect score in English. Some institutions wanted to recruit Fei Ni as a specialized talent and had requested her file early. They had negotiated several times to ensure Fei Ni could attend her first-choice school. The matter was now resolved, and the acceptance letter had been mailed. Barring any issues, Fei Ni should receive it today.

When the letter arrived, Fei Ni had just sat down in the cafeteria. Sister Liu waved the letter through the crowd, telling Fei Ni to treat everyone to candy. Even Sister Liu, who had only attended elementary school, recognized the sender and postmark from the university. Though she hadn’t attended university herself, she knew schools only sent notices to accepted students.

While getting her mail, Sister Liu had seen Feng Lin staring at Fei Ni’s letter. Distrusting Feng Lin, she had collected Fei Ni’s letter too. Such an important letter couldn’t be lost.

Fei Ni sat among her workshop colleagues and opened the envelope. Those around her lost interest in eating and focused only on observing her expression.

Fei Ni read the letter word by word, then returned it to the envelope and carefully put it away, showing no trace of joy. She left her seat and rushed to the cafeteria window, leaving the female workers waiting for the outcome.

Sister Liu worried she had misunderstood—if Fei Ni hadn’t been accepted, wouldn’t her public announcement just embarrass Fei Ni?

Some workers defended her: “With Little Fei’s ability, the university shouldn’t be a problem. The issue is that everyone in the country wants to attend her chosen school. Think how many examinees there are nationwide.”

“I heard there’s something called a third choice; maybe Little Fei could attend another university.”

“Little Fei has high standards; she might not want to go to other schools.”

Everyone fell silent when Fei Ni returned.

Fei Ni brought back a large box of meat dishes. The cafeteria worker had even scraped the bottom of the pot into her box. Fei Ni smiled and told everyone, “This is all I can treat you to today, but tomorrow I’ll treat you to something better.”

The meaning was clear—Fei Ni had been accepted.

Sister Liu slapped Fei Ni’s back hard, “You kept your cool; you had me so worried earlier!”

With such joyous news, everyone agreed Fei Ni should treat them and didn’t stand on ceremony.

“You’ve brought honor to our workshop. Little Liang from the next workshop has been acting aloof since some teaching college accepted her. What’s the big deal? Little Fei’s university is ten times better, and she’s still treating us to meals.”

Fei Ni’s happiness showed only after leaving the cafeteria. Looking up, she found the clouds especially playful that day.

While working, Fei Ni smiled at the hats she made, eager to share her acceptance news with Fang Muyang.

Finally, at closing time, Fei Ni practically ran out.

Fang Muyang had learned from his mother that Fei Ni’s acceptance letter had been mailed, and seeing her expression, he knew she had received it. Her steps were quicker than usual, almost running toward him, then slowing as she got closer, but her eyes couldn’t lie. He saw again that look from her childhood photos, mixing pride and innocence with undisguisable joy.

Fang Muyang asked Fei Ni, “Shouldn’t you treat me to dinner today?”

“How did you know?”

“Of course, I knew. If you couldn’t get in, who could?”