When someone stops telling a story halfway through, it’s very frustrating.

Lin Wanxing couldn’t catch her breath.

She wanted to ask what had happened, why they were keeping little secrets from their teacher.

But the students didn’t want to talk about it. She remembered that whenever this topic came up before, the students would look at Fu Xinshu’s face and avoid discussing it.

As a mature adult, she should give children the freedom to keep their privacy.

So the topic ended there.

After assigning the final assignment, Lin Wanxing announced that the courses for the High School Senior Yuanyuan tutoring class and Coach Wang Fa’s football training class were temporarily suspended.

In other words: the New Year was coming, classes were suspended, don’t bother me!

In a coastal midland city like Hongjing, the New Year atmosphere wasn’t strong.

At most, businesses would put up Spring Festival couplets and start playing New Year songs. Migrant workers in Hongjing gradually returned to their hometowns, making the city increasingly empty.

The apartment buildings were mainly occupied by tenants from out of town, and even Coach Xiao Sun had gone home for the New Year.

The night before New Year’s Eve, Lin Wanxing sat alone in her room facing her computer.

It was time to “write reports” again. She stared blankly at her email interface.

Suddenly, her WeChat lit up.

Wang Fa sent an emoji—a rabbit ringing a bell.

This was the code for having a drink in the evening.

Lin Wanxing replied with a drooling little fox.

Lin Wanxing wrote: Hungry!

On the rooftop terrace.

To keep the air humid and warm, a copper kettle was boiling water on a small charcoal stove.

Wang Fa removed the kettle, placed a long-handled pot on the stove, and poured the water from the kettle into the pot.

Lin Wanxing sat at the dining table with her laptop open.

The water quickly came to a boil.

Wang Fa opened two packages of instant noodles. Under the shelter, peaceful, subtle sounds arose.

Lin Wanxing came back to her senses. Because of the upcoming New Year, she had specifically asked the students to finish all the stored food in the house, so she asked, “Hey, where did these instant noodles come from?”

“Confiscated,” Wang Fa replied.

Looking at the two packages of shrimp and fish cake noodles, Lin Wanxing remembered that they were bought when the students were obsessed with instant noodles.

Later, she thought it was too unhealthy and suggested canceling instant noodles. Everyone began the grand journey of making communal meals.

But unexpectedly, some had escaped the net.

The charcoal fire was a light orange, the golden yellow noodles bubbled in the pot, and the air was filled with the fragrance of seasoning powder—everything was very comforting.

Wang Fa added sausage and fried eggs to the pot. He brought over a stool, sat in front of the small stove, and leisurely cooked the noodles.

Water vapor rose in the night, and the dim yellow light fell on him, highlighting his straight nose and clean profile. Lin Wanxing just watched.

Wang Fa faced the stove and casually asked, “When are you going home?”

Lin Wanxing was stunned, not expecting Wang Fa to suddenly ask this.

“What about you? When are you going home? Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve,” Lin Wanxing asked in return.

“My family’s emotional bonds are rather distant, so I don’t need to go back,” Wang Fa said.

“Is that so?” Lin Wanxing was surprised.

“What about Teacher Lin?” Wang Fa asked.

The winter night was somewhat damp and cold. The weather forecast predicted a large-scale temperature drop, possibly with snow.

Lin Wanxing thought for a moment, then answered, “My situation is different from the coach’s. I fought with my family.”

The noodles in the pot were still bubbling away. Wang Fa turned his head and looked seriously at Lin Wanxing.

On the moonlit winter night, her hair was loosely tied up. She had a hairpin at her temple. She probably didn’t realize that when she talked about these things, many emotions would surge into her eyes.

Even if she appeared calm on the surface, her eyes didn’t lie.

Wang Fa turned back and gently stirred the noodles in the pot.

“Why did you fight?”

“Well…” There was a light sound from the wooden table nearby as Lin Wanxing laid her head down. Whenever she couldn’t think of any solution, she would instinctively put her head down.

Her voice was soft and slow. She said, “Because my parents are ordinary people, and of course I’m ordinary too. Many things are beyond their acceptance range. They don’t believe or accept them, which is very normal.”

“Sounds like a horror story,” Wang Fa said.

Lin Wanxing tapped her chin on the table, as if nodding.

At this point, only the crackling sound of charcoal fire filled the winter night.

Students have things they don’t want to talk about, and in the adult world, there are similarly many issues that are avoided and unresolvable. This is normal and not a problem.

Later, they discussed what vegetables to buy at the market tomorrow.

Lin Wanxing introduced the New Year’s flower market and said she could take him to see it on the first day of the New Year.

Wang Fa scooped out the noodles, filled a bowl for her, and questioned, “The employee works hard for a semester, and Teacher Lin’s year-end bonus is a trip to the vegetable market?”

Lin Wanxing’s hand holding the chopsticks pulled back, looking at the instant noodles in her hand, she immediately felt embarrassed.

Lin Wanxing felt that although she and Wang Fa didn’t have a clearly defined employment relationship, as the highest leader of the team (self-proclaimed), it would be impolite to have Wang Fa buying groceries and cooking during the Spring Festival.

So she gave Wang Fa two choices: a year-end bonus or a short trip to a nearby place.

Wang Fa’s choice was a luxurious, all-inclusive short trip.

Lin Wanxing waved her hand decisively: Let’s go!

The method of choosing the destination was simple.

Lin Wanxing took out a tourist map of the areas surrounding Hongjing and let Wang Fa pick freely.

The coach scanned the map and pointed his finger at a blue lake.

Wannan Village was in the southwest of Hongjing, backed by Xia Mountain and facing Tianxin Lake.

“Embracing the yin while facing the yang, with mountains behind and water in front.”

From a feng shui perspective, this was an auspicious place.

Indeed, most people in Wannan Village had the surname Zhou. Benefiting from feng shui advantages and the tradition of passing down education through generations, the village had produced three top scholars in ancient times. During the Ming Dynasty, an ancestor had held the position of Grand Master of Ceremonies, the highest official in the Zhou family.

On New Year’s Eve, Lin Wanxing and Wang Fa stood by Tianxin Lake.

A few people were sketching by the lakeshore, outlining faint Spring Festival scenes. Blue sky and white clouds reflected on the lake’s surface. Camphor trees and evergreen pines and cypresses lined the shore. Across the lake were pink walls and black-tiled roofs—a thousand-year-old ink-wash painting-like southern village.

Lanterns swayed lightly on the eaves. People were returning to the village, creating a lively Spring Festival atmosphere among the comings and goings.

After finishing the history of Wannan Village, the guide began explaining the history of water diversion and excavation of Tianxin Lake. She said that there would be an ancestral worship ceremony today, so they were very lucky to witness a traditional folk activity.

Lin Wanxing breathed in the cold, refreshing air by the lake and took a couple of photos of the scenery across the lake.

Just then, a WeChat notification popped up.

She opened it to find a photo of the locked rooftop door, sent by Qin Ao.

She showed the photo to Wang Fa, “I told them we’d be off for seven days, they are—”

“Fortunately, we left,” the coach commented.

Lin Wanxing sent the photos of Tianxin Lake that she had just taken.

Qin Ao immediately sent a voice message: “Damn! Did you go out with the coach? You’ve abandoned us!”

Lin Wanxing pressed the voice message button. Wang Fa suddenly looked down at her. So she raised her phone and placed it near Wang Fa’s mouth.

“Yes.”

Wang Fa lowered his head slightly, moved closer to the phone, and those two simple, direct words came softly from his thin lips.

The warm breath blew onto Lin Wanxing’s wrist.

She instinctively let go, and the message was sent.

The other side immediately protested, with WeChat notification sounds ringing continuously.

Qin Ao directly initiated a WeChat video call. Lin Wanxing could almost see the students jumping up and down.

She raised her phone and looked at Wang Fa, “What should we do? The kids get anxious too easily.”

Wang Fa was quite decisive, directly pressing the red hang-up button on the WeChat call interface.

Lin Wanxing understood perfectly. She set her phone to silent mode and crossed the stone bridge into the village with Wang Fa.

The lake breeze was slightly cool, but the sunshine was good.

The ancestral hall of Wannan Village was right in the center of the opposite shore.

The side halls on the left and right were like exhibition halls, displaying old-style looms and modern water-jet looms. Photos hanging on the walls introduced the development history of the Zhou family.

Due to historical issues, Wannan Village had once been destitute. After the Reform and Opening Up, under the leadership of the Zhou family matriarch, Zhou Zhixian, they rebuilt their fortune through the textile industry. Later, due to the problem of foreign countries controlling the supply of synthetic fiber raw materials, the Zhou family decided to enter the petrochemical industry. Currently, they owned the world’s largest PTA factory.

Every time Lin Wanxing visited Wannan Village, she was forced to listen to the guides’ introduction of the villagers’ struggle.

Now, most villagers no longer lived in the village; it had become a tourist attraction.

But during the New Year, when wanderers returned home, Wannan Village had a different kind of liveliness.

In the main ancestral hall next door, long incense sticks were burning. Blue smoke drifted over the riding wall, with the plaque inscribed with four large characters, “Zhou Family Ancestral Hall.”

The scale of ancestral worship in Wannan Village wasn’t particularly large.

In the center of the ancestral hall were many large bowls used for sacrifices, filled with colorful cakes and other offerings.

On the ground were red and gold paper scraps left from the dragon and lion dances earlier in the morning. In the courtyard stood a huge incense burner with red candles standing on either side. Twelve zodiac lanterns hung around the ancestral hall.

When Lin Wanxing and Wang Fa walked in, a couple was bringing their college student daughter, who had just returned home, to burn incense.

The suitcase was placed directly by the pillar at the entrance to the ancestral hall. The girl took the incense sticks handed by her mother, lit them, and earnestly bowed three times toward the shrine.

The guide explained that in the past, clan rules were numerous, requiring the entire clan to worship together, and outsiders weren’t allowed to step in at all.

Now, entering a new era, the matriarch said they needed new methods, to simplify everything.

Not only could anyone enter the ancestral hall.

Villagers returning for the Spring Festival could also come and burn incense anytime. This was intended to give those who had gone away a sense of belonging when they returned home.

After the parents and daughter finished burning incense, they left together. The sound of the suitcase rolling over the bluestone slabs gradually faded away.

Wang Fa imitated that family, taking three incense sticks.

Seeing this, the staff stopped Wang Fa, “Young man, this is for villagers to worship their ancestors. Tourists don’t need to perform such a formal ritual.”

Wang Fa tilted his head slightly, looking at the shrine in the distance.

Recalling that Comrade Wang Fa had specifically requested to come to Wannan Village, Lin Wanxing suddenly realized something, “Is this your hometown?”

Wang Fa nodded and told the staff nearby, “My grandmother was from Zhou Village.”

The staff member suddenly understood.

Wang Fa burned the incense, and the staff member beside them chatted with them a bit more.

Wang Fa explained that he grew up abroad. He had memories of coming here with his grandmother to worship ancestors when he was young but had never returned since.

The staff member asked Wang Fa if he knew any relatives still living in the village and enthusiastically offered to help them find people.

“Yes, I do have some,” Wang Fa paused, glancing at Lin Wanxing. Lin Wanxing’s eyes brightened, and she excitedly said, “You have relatives living in the village? Can we go freeload on their New Year’s Eve dinner?”

“We can. Not only can you freeload a New Year’s Eve dinner, but you can also receive many red envelopes,” Wang Fa paused, leaning slightly to look at her, and said leisurely, “If Teacher Lin wants to go, I can take you right now.”

Lin Wanxing was about to nod when she suddenly shuddered.

She suddenly realized that going home for the New Year, returning to the clan for the New Year’s Eve dinner, receiving red envelopes and such… it seemed to have some other meaning.

She immediately became timid, waving her hands, “No, no, we’re in Wannan Village, we should follow Zhou matriarch’s call to simplify everything! Let’s just eat something simple for the New Year’s Eve dinner!”

Wang Fa showed some regret and praised her, “Teacher Lin has great awareness.”

They arrived at Wannan Village in the afternoon.

The village and lake were large. Lin Wanxing and Wang Fa visited several scenic spots led by the guide, and the sky gradually darkened.

There weren’t many tourists on New Year’s Eve. After the guide finished introducing Xingluo Lane, her phone rang.

From the other end came the sound of a child calling for mom.

Lin Wanxing and Wang Fa exchanged a glance.

After the guide hung up, Lin Wanxing asked, “Do you finish work at a set time, or can you leave after showing us around?”

“Usually we finish at five, but today is special. The boss said we can leave early.”

“Then you should go home. We can explore on our own,” Lin Wanxing said hurriedly.

The guide, of course, still wanted to persist in showing them around.

Lin Wanxing made the excuse that she was too tired to walk and asked the guide to just take them to any restaurant where they could eat.

But…

It wasn’t that easy to find a restaurant open in the scenic area on New Year’s Eve.

They asked at several lakeside restaurants in Wannan Village. Either they were fully booked, or the owners had capriciously closed shop to be with their families.

The sun was setting, casting glittering reflections on Tianxin Lake.

Lin Wanxing thought that going back to the hotel for the buffet wouldn’t be bad either.

The guide then suggested that her family run a small tavern. Although they wouldn’t open on New Year’s Eve, if Lin Wanxing and Wang Fa didn’t mind, they could go to their tavern and eat whatever was available.

At the beginning of each year, everyone has some fantasies about their life in the coming year.

But for Lin Wanxing, she never imagined that on New Year’s Eve, she would be sitting by a small window overlooking the lake in a small tavern.

By the lake, children were starting to set off firecrackers. As dusk fell, flashes of light sparkled.

Salted peanuts and edamame were placed on a nostalgic small square table. The guide’s mother-in-law had given them a portion of all the dishes they had at home.

This was a casual New Year’s Eve dinner.

Across the table, there was a slight fizzing sound.

Wang Fa opened a can of cola.

The small tavern closed for New Year’s Eve, and was a bit cold, with damp blue bricks. The guide’s family lived upstairs, and the lively sound of children walking on the floorboards brought the vivid, vibrant atmosphere of real human life.

Lin Wanxing blew a breath into her palm, picked up the bowl filled with cola, and lightly clinked it with Wang Fa’s.

Suddenly, fireworks blazed on the lake’s surface, the bright light flickering on his face.

Wang Fa’s eyes were bright.

Around them was the great sound of thousands of families reuniting, yet the small tavern was very quiet.

The soda bubbled in the porcelain bowl, and the sound of “Happy New Year” was so grand it seemed to fill the entire universe.

Lin Wanxing gulped down a couple of sips of Coca-Cola, took out a red envelope from her pocket, and placed it in front of Wang Fa.

He was surprised for a moment, but as his hand touched the red envelope, he smiled helplessly.

Inside the red envelope was a tag that she had casually bought when visiting the Wannan Village Earth God Temple earlier.

It had two lines of text, “Life has many worries, but may each year bring joy,” with a red tassel tied with a Chinese knot below, full of folk festival spirit.

“Did you just think of this?” Wang Fa picked up the tag and examined it for a while, his fingertips rubbing over the words “Wannan Village Earth God Temple Souvenir,” as if checking if the color would fade.

“How can you say I bought it? This was ‘prayed for.’ And is the coach saying this to cover up not buying me a New Year’s gift?” Lin Wanxing asked proudly.

Wang Fa put down the tag, felt it in his pocket, and also took out a red envelope.

Imitating her, Wang Fa pushed the red envelope in front of her.

Lin Wanxing picked up the red envelope and opened it to find several real bills.

Yes, bright red hundred-yuan bills, eight of them, exactly 800 yuan.

She counted the money, her face involuntarily breaking into a smile, “How can I accept this? It’s a real red envelope!”

“I’m more practical,” Wang Fa paused, then added, “Little Lin, no need to be polite. After all, if I took you home to collect red envelopes, you would feel even more embarrassed.”