novelraw Chapter 136 : I Love Labor the Most
Chapter 136 : I Love Labor the Most
Chapter 136: I Love Labor the Most
Ever since returning home for the winter break, Chen Fan became particularly fond of sleeping in.
Lying in his familiar room, on his familiar small bed, Chen Fan could sleep until the end of time.
At first, Li Jinqiu came to call him to get up a few times, but later Chen Jianye stopped her.
"The child has finally gotten a winter break, let him rest well at home."
For Chen Fan, perhaps what he enjoyed was not necessarily sleeping in, but the feeling of being a child where his parents would call him to wake up, with breakfast ready and no need for him to worry about anything.
In this home, Chen Fan didn't need to think about anything, able to let go of all burdens and pressures, and carefree to be himself.
The 24th of the twelfth lunar month.
Chen Fan didn't go anywhere, accompanying his parents to move all the old furniture out and thoroughly clean the room.
Although this house was a bit old, with peeling walls in some places.
But after cleaning, Chen Fan felt an exceptional warmth.
On the 25th, when Chen Fan got up, his father had already gone to the neighbor's house who sells tofu to queue up and grind soybeans.
After breakfast, Chen Fan accompanied his mother to the village market.
As a child, Chen Fan's favorite was wandering the big market before the New Year.
But now, he didn't have much interest in everything, more of a nostalgic attitude observing the crowds.
Today, he acted as the labor, helping his mother carry the chickens, ducks, fish, meat, and large cabbage they bought.
Li Jinqiu even bought Chen Fan several bundles of firecrackers, including two large packs of pull-string firecrackers.
Those were Chen Fan's favorites as a child.
Chen Fan laughed wryly.
Even though he was a university student, in his mother's eyes, how was he still treated like a child?
On the way back, they occasionally encountered fellow villagers.
"Ah, Xiao Fan is back. Look at this child, already a university student..."
"I heard Xiao Fan got into a prestigious university, tsk tsk, impressive..."
"This child will definitely have a promising future."
Facing the villagers' praises, Li Jinqiu always had a reserved smile on her face.
But Chen Fan could see that with him getting into university, it allowed his parents to hold their heads higher with more confidence in the village.
On the 26th, it should have been the day to slaughter pigs for the New Year.
Chen Fan's family didn't raise pigs, so they had to buy meat from the village butcher.
In previous years, his parents were too frugal to buy much, only cutting a small piece.
But this year, Chen Jianye directly bought meat worth one hundred yuan.
Even Chen Fan was impressed.
"Dad, did our family strike it rich? Buying so much meat."
Chen Jianye, with a cigarette in his mouth, smiled and said, "Your mother said you've gotten thinner this time you came back, so she told me to buy more meat for you to replenish while you're at home."
The 27th, slaughtered chickens and stewed meat.
The 28th, fried meatballs and made dough.
The 29th, steamed buns, fried fish and fried tofu...
On the night of the 30th, firecrackers sounded outside, and fireworks filled the sky.
Li Jinqiu stood by the stove, busy making dumplings.
The prepared dishes were already set on the dining table, and Chen Fan sat with his father.
Compared to previous years, this year's New Year's Eve dinner was evidently more sumptuous.
In the eyes of the parents, their child had entered university, representing their complete growth into adulthood.
Chen Fan went to the bedroom and took out a bottle of Moutai liquor he had bought in advance from his luggage.
"Dad, shall we have a drink tonight?"
Chen Jianye glared at him, "Moutai? When did you buy this?"
"Heh, I bought it in Yunhai."
"This liquor isn't cheap, you kid, wasting money again..."
Seeming to recall his wife's reminders from a couple of days ago, Chen Jianye forcibly swallowed back the words he wanted to use to lecture his son.
"Alright. Tonight is New Year's Eve, so let me properly taste this good liquor my son bought for me."
Chen Fan smiled, got up to retrieve two small liquor cups from the cabinet.
Li Jinqiu brought over the dumplings and saw this scene, unable to help but laugh and say,
"The pork jelly I made the day before yesterday, shall I cut a plate for you two?"
Chen Jianye nodded, picked up the liquor cup to smell it first, then brought it to his lips and carefully took a small sip.
Chen Fan asked expectantly, "Dad, what do you think?"
Chen Jianye savored it for a while before speaking.
"It's just a grain liquor with a better mouthfeel, I don't understand why this liquor is so expensive."
Hearing this, Chen Fan laughed.
"Moutai is different from other baijiu. Other liquors sell products, Moutai sells culture."
"The two characters 'Moutai' have far surpassed the product itself."
Chen Jianye nodded thoughtfully.
"Anyway, I don't understand it either. This expensive liquor is too much of a waste for me to drink."
Saying that, he screwed the cap back on without a second thought.
"Alright, I'll just have this one cup."
He then took out the barrel of cheap baijiu he usually drinks.
Chen Fan laughed wryly, "Dad, is there any need to be so frugal?"
But Chen Jianye glared at him.
"It'd be a waste for me to drink this liquor alone. We'll take it out again in a couple days when relatives come over."
Chen Fan could only smile bitterly and shake his head.
"Alright, alright, suit yourself."
This was the happiest New Year's Eve dinner Chen Fan had eaten in this life and his previous life.
In his previous life, Chen Fan's college entrance exam results were not ideal, and his relationship with his parents was the old-fashioned, restrained way of interacting.
He rarely got to chat with his parents like friends, the way he did today.
Chen Fan could feel that getting into a prestigious university brought glory to his parents, making them view him as an adult now.
The dumplings on the table steamed, while on the TV, Zhao Benshan's New Year's Eve comedy skit "The Hourly Worker" began playing.
The millennium had passed.
The year 2001 officially began.
At midnight, Chen Fan set off a few strings of firecrackers in the courtyard.
Amidst the cracking sounds, Chen Fan took out his phone and sent Su Ruochu a text message.
"Wife, Happy New Year."
After a few seconds, Su Ruochu's message came back.
"Husband, Happy New Year, I love you."
Seeing the words "husband", Chen Fan felt giddy, almost leaping up.
He immediately wanted to call her, but quickly calmed down.
At this time, Su Ruochu should be with her family, so it would be troublesome if he called.
So Chen Fan could only hold back his excitement and reply with a text message.
"This is the first time you've called me husband, this is the best New Year's gift I've received."
Su Ruochu sent a smiley face, followed by a sentence: "Don't get too full of yourself."
Chen Fan smiled and continued replying.
"Next time we meet, can you call me husband in person?"
"Dream on."
"It certainly is a beautiful dream. Wife, when will you be done visiting relatives? I can't wait a moment longer, I just want to see you."
Seeming to sense Chen Fan's thoughts, Su Ruochu's reply this time became very gentle.
"Over the next few days, I have to go visit relatives for New Year's greetings, and my mom is watching me closely, not letting me go out casually."
"If it's really not possible, then the earliest would be the student reunion on the 5th day of the new year."
Chen Fan was devastated.
"Ah? I still have to wait five days? You might as well just kill me."
"No saying unlucky things during the big New Year's."
"If it comes to that, then on the 5th day, I'll find a way to tell my family I'm staying over at a classmate's house for a night..."
If Chen Fan still didn't understand the implication of those words, then he really was a fool.
For the shy and conservative Su Ruochu to say such words, it really took a lot of courage.
Chen Fan almost excitedly shouted out loud.
"Really? That's great."
"Don't think too much into it, I just want to make it up to you a bit. At most, I'll keep you company for a while, but we can't do anything."
Hearing this, Chen Fan couldn't help but almost laugh out loud.
The way Su Ruochu spoke those words that tried to cover up her intentions, it was really too amusing.
"Got it, got it, we won't do anything."
"But it's so cold outside, shall we get a private room at a hotel then?"
"Then we can practice pulling radishes together..."
"Can't be helped, I'm just a hard-working model youth who loves labor."