Chapter 24
In the blink of an eye, it was the twenty-eighth day of the year. The driver arrived on time at Chunjiang Huajing Garden to pick up the passenger, and Wei Yuhuan held tightly onto the fully-packed Xie Xiaojiang, not wanting to let go.
Xie Xiaojiang was also a little reluctant to leave. He was trapped in the whirlpool of love and desired Wei Yuhuan’s embrace, the scent of his body, and his seemingly never-ending pampering… They had only been together for less than a week, but Xie Xiaojiang felt like they had been together for a very long time.
Wei Yuhuan touched his forehead to Xie Xiaojiang’s and asked in a low voice, “When will you come back?” Perhaps it was because this little guy had run away twice before, leaving a deep shadow on Wei Yuhuan. Now that he was leaving again, Wei Yuhuan was very anxious.
Blushing, Xie Xiaojiang replied, “After the fifth day of the new year.”
Wei Yuhuan raised his hand and used his fingers to caress the lips that he had kissed, teasingly saying, “When you come back, let’s do it.”
Xie Xiaojiang’s face turned red like a tomato, but he was also annoyed. They were both grown men, why did he feel like he was always being toyed with by Wei Yuhuan?
Damn it, what was there to be shy about! Xie Xiaojiang gritted his teeth and mustered up the courage to say, “Okay, you, you wait for me at home!”
Wei Yuhuan was momentarily stunned, but then he burst out laughing. Xie Xiaojiang had already grabbed his luggage and hurried out the door, looking as anxious as a cat whose tail was on fire.
As he saw Xie Xiaojiang huddled up in the car with half his face covered by a scarf like an ostrich, Wei Yuhuan laughed and tapped the car window. The driver lowered Xie Xiaojiang’s window, and there were already two boxes of New Year goods that Wei Yuhuan had bought for Xie Xiaojiang inside. He smiled at Xie Xiaojiang and took out a big red envelope from his pocket, whispering, “Here, take it. It’s an early New Year’s gift for you. Buy some delicious food for your little sister when you go back.”
Xie Xiaojiang’s face lit up with joy, “You’re giving me a red envelope too!” He weighed the envelope in his hand and his eyes grew wide, like a puppy that had just received a bone, excitedly exclaiming, “There’s so much money!”
Wei Yuhuan squinted his eyes, seeing a contradictory innocence and cunning, simplicity and worldliness in Xie Xiaojiang. However, this kind of contradiction did not make him dislike Xie Xiaojiang. Instead, he felt that it was frank and genuine.
Xie Xiaojiang was also shy and received the envelope, looking up at Wei Yuhuan and saying gratefully, “Thank you.”
Wei Yuhuan asked, “Thank you for what?” and couldn’t help but lower Xie Xiaojiang’s scarf, leaning down to kiss him gently, softly saying, “Just remember me.”
Xie Xiaojiang: “… ” O////O
Wei Yuhuan instructed the driver to drive carefully and to make sure to report back when they arrived. He then waved goodbye to them.
Xie Xiaojiang leaned against the car window, watching Wei Yuhuan, who was wearing his home clothes, gradually disappear from his sight. He felt empty and suddenly felt a little lonely.
What to do, he’s already starting to miss Wei Yuhuan.
Opening the red envelope, Xie Xiaojiang began to count the money inside – 5,000, 10,000, 15,000, 20,000… 28,000! (=口=)
When he first picked up the red envelope, Xie Xiaojiang knew there was a lot of money inside, but he didn’t expect there to be this much. Xie Xiaojiang had never touched so much cash in his life, and now his eyes were wide open.
He had been saving diligently for a year, including the two months of salary he received after signing with Huan Yu, and he had never saved more than what Wei Yuhuan gave him in one red envelope.
The money he had saved was only enough to cover his younger sister’s living expenses and tuition for one year of junior high school in the city. He had planned to live frugally himself and save some money to give his aunt a red envelope to thank her for taking care of his sister. Although his sister attended a boarding school in the city, she still spent her summer and winter breaks at their aunt’s house.
But now, with the red envelope from Wei Yuhuan, Xie Xiaojiang felt like he had suddenly become a millionaire and had more confidence in himself when he went home.
For someone like him, who was just a working-class person, how much money he could earn and bring home every year was everything.
Xie Xiaojiang hugged the red envelope, deeply moved. He wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes and secretly vowed that he would do whatever Wei Yuhuan asked of him, even if it meant risking his life.
Afraid of drawing too much attention, Xie Xiaojiang did not ask the driver to drop him off at his doorstep but instead had him stop near the town bus station. He insisted on walking the remaining mile back home by himself.
Everything was fine back in his hometown, and his younger sister had grown taller. His aunt had two daughters, and Xie Xiaojiang gave each of his two female cousins a red envelope worth 200 yuan and gave Xie Xiaoxi a separate 500-yuan red envelope. Later, he gave his aunt 3,000 yuan and also gave her all the New Year’s goods that Wei Yuhuan had bought.
Money can make the ghost turn the mill, not to mention family ties.
After receiving Xie Xiaojiang’s red envelope, his cousins became kinder to Xie Xiaoxi, and his aunt treated Xie Xiaoxi like her own daughter. In the next two days, he accompanied his three sisters to go shopping and watch movies and bought them some small things that girls like.
His aunt, seeing that he was more generous this time than before, asked him indirectly how much he could earn in a year. Xie Xiaojiang smiled and said, “Actually, after paying for my sister’s tuition, I can spend almost all the money by the end of the year. I saved only a few hundred yuan for transportation, so I can earn more when I go back.”
Upon hearing this, his aunt immediately smiled and praised Xie Xiaojiang for being sensible, filial, and promising.
Xie Xiaojiang wasn’t stupid. Even though Wei Yuhuan had given him 28,000 yuan, he didn’t dare to spend it recklessly.
The old saying goes that wealth should not be flaunted, and there is much truth to it. When his father was alive and had some money on him, he would be coaxed into gambling and wouldn’t come back until he had lost everything, including his pants. Even the villagers who cheated him did so because they coveted the few thousand yuan he made at the distillery. Xie Xiaojiang had long since learned about the wickedness of human nature. If his eldest aunt knew he had tens of thousands of yuan on him but only gave her three thousand, she would say he was stingy.
Although Xie Xiaojiang still had a lot of money in his pocket, he didn’t tell anyone, not even Xie Xiaoxi. However, to improve his sister’s life, Xie Xiaojiang secretly bought her a lot of new clothes and study materials.
In the past two years, Yanghe Town has developed rapidly, but Xie Xiaojiang’s eldest aunt still lives in an old two-bedroom and one-living room public housing unit, which is not in great condition.
Xie Xiaoxi is already a “big girl” and can no longer sleep with her brother, so she sleeps on the floor in her cousin’s room. As for Xie Xiaojiang, he can only sleep on the steel wire bed on the balcony.
The balcony is drafty, and the old cotton mattress is no match for the down comforter he used at Chunjiang Huajing Garden. The radiator in the room hasn’t been replaced in ten years, and the temperature doesn’t go up at all. Despite Xie Xiaojiang’s good health and strong temperament, he was still shivering with cold.
At night, he missed Wei Yuhuan very much.
Xie Xiaojiang thought it was strange that he had been living alone for so many years, but after sleeping with Wei Yuhuan for a few nights, he couldn’t get used to sleeping alone again.
On New Year’s Eve, Xie Xiaojiang called Wei Yuhuan while hiding under the covers: “What are you doing?”
“Thinking of you,” Wei Yuhuan had already returned to his own room, wearing warm flannel pajamas and leaning against the window, smoking and looking north.
Hearing Wei Yuhuan’s voice, Xie Xiaojiang felt sweet in his heart and whispered, “I miss you too.” There is a custom in his hometown of setting off firecrackers, and just as he said those words, there was suddenly a crackling sound of firecrackers outside the window.
Wei Yuhuan didn’t hear what he said and said “hello” twice on the other end, asking what he had said. Taking advantage of the noise, Xie Xiaojiang shouted into the phone, “I miss you too!”
Coincidentally, Xie Xiaoxi came over with a peeled apple, and froze at his side. When the firecrackers stopped, she smiled and asked, “Brother, who are you thinking of?”
Xie Xiaojiang: “…”
Time flies, and it was soon the fifth day of the lunar new year, the day Xie Xiaojiang and Wei Yuhuan had agreed to return to S City.
Xie Xiaojiang was overjoyed early in the morning and found his favorite clothes to wear from his suitcase. Xie Xiaoxi squatted beside him and touched his down jacket, saying, “This jacket looks really handsome.”
Xie Xiaojiang coughed lightly and said, “This is my work uniform, provided by the company.” In fact, they were all bought for him by Wei Yuhuan.
Xie Xiaoxi looked envious and said, “Big cities are really great. I want to study at the university in S city in the future and go there to cook for my brother every day.”
Xie Xiaojiang chuckled, “Can you cook?”
Xie Xiaoxi replied, “Yes, my aunt taught me how to make fried eggs and fried rice.”
Xie Xiaojiang pinched her cheek and felt a bit reluctant to part with his sister.
But he had to leave, as the driver sent by Wei Yuhuan called him and said they were only half an hour away from the bus station in their town.
Xie Xiaoxi insisted on seeing him off, so Xie Xiaojiang couldn’t refuse and took her with him.
When they arrived at the bus station, Xie Xiaojiang could see the familiar black car parked at the agreed location from a distance.
He said to his sister, “Alright, this is where we part. You go back quickly, study hard, and be a good girl.”
After hearing this, Xie Xiaoxi immediately recalled the scene several years ago when her brother gave up going to college for the sake of their family. She knew her brother had excellent grades, and their grandmother had always urged her to learn from him. However, after he received his college admission letter, he didn’t say a word for ten days and just stayed in his room staring into space. Later, he went to work at the town’s liquor factory. Their grandmother told her that Xie Xiaojiang made the sacrifice for her.
Xie Xiaoxi hugged her brother and said, “Mm,” her voice choked with emotion.
“What’s wrong?” Xie Xiaojiang smiled and patted her head. “You don’t want to let me go?”
This sentence made Xie Xiaoxi burst into tears, and Xie Xiaojiang felt a bit heartbroken. He comforted her, “You’re all grown up, and you’re still acting like a spoiled child. Alright, stop crying. Everything will be fine with your big brother around.”
As their parting drew near, Xie Xiaojiang thought for a moment and counted out one thousand yuan from his personal belongings, giving it to her and instructing, “Take this with you. When you go back to school, you can buy some things your classmates have, and don’t deprive yourself.”
Xie Xiaoxi was surprised and refused, “Brother, don’t give it to me. You have already bought me so many things. You keep it. You still need to eat and rent a place when you go back.”
Xie Xiaojian patted his bag and said with a smile, “Don’t worry, I still have enough. But you have to hide this money well, don’t let your aunt or cousin know.”
Xie Xiaoxi nodded obediently, “I know.”
As the two were reluctantly saying goodbye, a familiar voice suddenly sounded behind them, “Xie Xiaojiang.”
Xie Xiaojiang’s heart skipped a beat. He turned his head and saw Wei Yuhuan, wearing a gray coat, slowly walking towards him from the direction of the black car.