At eight o’clock in the evening, Mi Cai finally finished taking individual New Year photo shoots for the customers, and only then did we truly escape the busyness of the day. Mi Cai counted the payment they had received for the photo session, took out 900 yuan, and handed it to Xiao Nuo, who had been her photography assistant, with a gentle smile. She said, “Xiao Nuo, this is your Chinese New Year red envelope from me. I hope you can realize your dreams in this city next year, and I also hope our friendship will last forever.”
Xiao Nuo looked at Mi Cai somewhat unexpectedly. Perhaps because she knew Mi Cai came from a prestigious family background, she had never expected to develop a friendship with Mi Cai. But Mi Cai had indeed treated her with sincerity. Her eyes were full of emotion, and she spoke with a slight choke in her voice, “Sister, thank you… I’m a girl from the countryside. When I first came to the city, I didn’t know how to dress myself well, nor did I have a high academic degree. Because I had always worked as a waitress, I was constantly scolded and looked down upon by those arrogant customers. I had already become too afraid to dream under their scolding and social pressure… Thank you for telling me that even ordinary people can have dreams. I will definitely stay at Zhao Yang’s cafe and slowly realize my dreams!”
Mi Cai gently placed her hand on Xiao Nuo’s shoulder, put the money into her pocket, and then said to me, “Zhaoyang, it’s almost the New Year. Can you be generous and give Xiao Nuo a red envelope as well?”
I smiled. In fact, since the cafe opened, I had seen the changes in Xiao Nuo. At first, she had been slack. She had picked up some bad habits from society, so when the cafe was slow, she was full of complaints and doubts, lacking a determined and down-to-earth heart. But Mi Cai must have had a heart-to-heart talk with her… Therefore, she now learned to adjust coffee patiently from Qin Yan, carefully kept the cafe in good order, and viewed the cafe’s prospects optimistically… If it came to hardships, she had been the hardest working lately, running around busily. Of course, I wouldn’t be stingy with a red envelope. Immediately, I counted out 1800 yuan from my wallet and handed it to her, along with some encouraging words, letting her believe that everything would gradually get better next year.
Xiao Nuo was overwhelmed with happiness. She insisted on giving both Mi Cai and me a 999 yuan red envelope, wishing us a long-lasting relationship. Mi Cai, although unable to refuse her kind gesture, also empathized with how hard it was for Xiao Nuo to earn money. She accepted only 99 yuan from the envelope, smiling as she said, “Xiao Nuo, a long-lasting relationship only needs two 9s. Thank you for your blessing. Next year, we will also hold onto our dreams, and manage this cafe and our family well.”
“Okay, Sister Mi Cai, Brother Zhaoyang, you must work hard too, because I’ve already placed my dreams into this cafe. I’m waiting for you to use your big dreams to illuminate my small one!”
Mi Cai smiled and said to me, “Zhaoyang, did you hear that? Now Xiao Nuo’s words and actions are quite literary. I once again admire your influence!”
I was in a great mood and immediately hugged Mi Cai and Xiao Nuo, laughing brightly in the room… And we, who were in the process of building our dreams, had enough enthusiasm to look forward to more surprises next year… Yes, I want surprises. I hope that next year, when Mi Cai’s job becomes stable, she will quietly tell me one day that she is already expecting our child!!
I thought: At that time, our family will be more harmonious, and all of us will center our lives around this child with great anticipation…
…
At nine o’clock at night, we finally said goodbye to this tiring day and left the cafe. I drove Mi Cai, once again weaving through the city’s lights and the interplay of fireworks. I was already imagining having some late-night snacks and then taking a hot shower when we got home. However, Mi Cai seemed to have endless energy and insisted on dragging me to the mall to use the extra money we had just earned to buy New Year gifts for Ban Die and Mom. When we returned home, it was already 11 o’clock at night.
Opening the door, to our surprise, Ban Die and Mom had not yet gone to bed. They were sitting on the sofa waiting for us, and the scent of late-night snacks drifting from the kitchen made them look so kind and approachable. If the city itself had no emotions, then the familial love waiting in the myriad lights of the city had softened the entire city… These were feelings I had never experienced in Suzhou. Therefore, the choice of which city to like might have nothing to do with its scenery. Thus, I preferred Xuzhou, a city where I could see coal mines and industrial construction everywhere, while Suzhou’s beautiful gardens and rivers always remained etched in my memory, corroding my mood!… I really didn’t want to go back there anymore!
In the living room, Mi Cai and I sat around the dining table eating the late-night snacks Mom had prepared, while Ban Die and Mom sat opposite us chatting. I said to Mom, “Mom, when you and Ban Die have time, please give me the guest list for the wedding, and we should start making the invitations!”
Mom replied, “The list has already been prepared. I’ll have your father give it to you tomorrow…” She paused and then said seriously, “Zhaoyang, you are about to marry Xiaomi. According to tradition, the bride price cannot be taken lightly. Have you already prepared it on your side?”
I instinctively looked at Mi Cai beside me. I knew that this unbreakable traditional custom was a source of bitterness between us because Mi Cai, who could not speak of family affection, would be unable to handle this bride price… Her family remained an inescapable shadow over us!
Mom also realized her slip of the tongue and quickly explained, “The bride price must be there, but what I mean is that this money can be given to Xiaomi for safekeeping first, and then given to her family when there is an opportunity…” After a brief silence, Mom smiled bitterly and continued, “As elders, we genuinely hope that there will be no obstacles in your marriage, and that you can live a bright and open life in the future… We also hope that Xiaomi’s mother can understand your marriage. Therefore, the bride price must be prepared for her, because eventually, we will be one family, and it’s best to have no such barriers!”
Mi Cai and I finally nodded together, accepting Mom’s suggestion of giving the bride price to her for safekeeping…
…
After finishing our late-night snack, Mi Cai and I returned to our own place. After washing up, we lay in bed chatting about the trivial matters we had experienced these days. We felt both a sense of anticipation and some worries, especially me. I always had an uneasy feeling that Yan Zhuomei’s warning to us was absolutely not just verbal. If we didn’t go to the US with her and instead got married in Xuzhou on our own, it would certainly anger her. My anxiety stemmed from my complete ignorance of the consequences of provoking her. To be precise, it wasn’t just anxiety—it was a deep sense of fear from the depths of my heart! Although I had only met her once, her style of always following through on what she said had already left a deep impression on me.
A moment later, Mi Cai, who had done much more than me throughout the day, fell asleep due to extreme exhaustion. I, filled with some concerns, continued to lie awake under the dim light of the night lamp, staring at the ceiling and lost in thought… I was still imagining what might happen in the future…
I don’t know how much time had passed when Mi Cai, who had already slept for a while, vaguely woke up, went to the bathroom, and only realized I was still awake when she returned and lay down beside me. She brushed her messy hair aside, somewhat more alert now, and asked, “Did I wake you up?”
“No, I just had a little insomnia!”
Mi Cai turned on her side, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at me and asked, “Then you must have something on your mind?”
I didn’t want to spread this anxious mood to her and affect her sleep, so I immediately denied it, “What could I possibly have on my mind? I’m just a bit excited…”
Mi Cai asked with concern, “Did you drink too much coffee during the day?… Try not to drink it too much in the future. Your nerves are too sensitive, and you shouldn’t consume such stimulating stuff.”
I smiled and replied, “Of course not… I just missed you so much, but since you were asleep, I didn’t want to disturb you!” I pretended to be coy for a moment, then continued, “But doing this alone by myself doesn’t really work. You know, we didn’t do anything last night. The desire from being apart for a short time is starting to stir in me again!”
“If you want to be naughty, just say so directly. Why do you need to give so many subjective and objective reasons? It’s like if I don’t cooperate with you, I’m doing something really cruel!”
“I just want to be a reasonable and persuasive man in front of you… Besides, this is actually a sacred duty bestowed upon you by heaven, and you have no reason to refuse me!” As I spoke, I rolled over and pinned her beneath me… However, she remained rational even at this crucial moment, promptly taking out a condom from the drawer beside the bed. I didn’t mind at all, because accidental pregnancy, especially when we weren’t ready for a child yet, would ultimately hurt her body. In this regard, she was still a woman who wouldn’t be driven by impulsive emotions. Since we started living together as a couple, she had always taken strict contraceptive measures, even during safe periods. The only exception was a few days ago in Suzhou… although the chance of pregnancy then was practically non-existent.
…
Time flew quickly amidst our continuous busyness, and soon it was the last day of the year—the Eve of the Lunar New Year!
On this day, Mi Cai and I got up early. Amid the continuous sounds of firecrackers, we started cleaning the house and pasted couplets to create a festive atmosphere. At this point, there were only 16 days left until our wedding day, and we naturally began talking about the friends who would come to attend our wedding.
After discussing a few names, Mi Cai suddenly remembered something and said to me, “Oh, I have some good news to tell you… Zhang Yixi has already found An Zong in Tibet. They are planning to spend the New Year there this year, but they definitely won’t miss our wedding.”
Suddenly hearing this news, I felt as if I had received a shot of adrenaline. After all, the journey of Zhang Yixi and the Red-Clothed Woman had been far more winding than that of Mi Cai and me, yet they still managed to reunite, which gave us a lot of confidence to overcome our difficulties. I smiled sincerely and asked Mi Cai with concern, “What about them? Are they going to consider getting married after attending our wedding?”
Mi Cai didn’t hesitate to reply, “This time you guessed right. Their wedding might only be a few days later than ours. At that time, you must definitely make time to accompany me to attend their wedding!”
“Of course, this is just a matter of mutual courtesy!” I immediately agreed.
Mi Cai nodded and continued wiping the already bright window even more spotlessly. In this brightness, I finally saw some hope for the future… I looked forward to my wedding with Mi Cai and awaited the day when I would reunite with old friends who I hadn’t seen for a long time, such as Luo Ben and the still-unheard-of CC… Perhaps also Yan Yan and Jian Wei. It was also possible that Yan Yan would come alone to offer her congratulations, while Jian Wei had already received the verdict from her parents, put everything behind her, and started a new life in America, thus finally severing all ties between us… This was how I imagined it at that moment.
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