Chapter 100: Happy New Year

The pleasant gathering was ruined by Su Weilei's interference, leaving everyone with little interest, so Hu Jiahao suggested going to eat hot pot to chat while eating.

This suggestion was met with everyone's approval, only Yang Tianxing noticed that the look Tan Zhizhi gave him was a bit strange.

After sitting down in the hot pot restaurant, Yang Tianxing asked quietly, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Tan Zhizhi answered calmly.

Yang Tianxing curled his lips, thinking to himself that while you say "nothing," your face clearly writes the words "I am angry, hurry up and coax me."

Hu Jiahao specifically brought up a sore subject: "Yang Tianxing, congratulations, next year you can happily welcome a junior sister."

Yang Tianxing did not understand what he meant: "Next year we will all be sophomores, everyone will be able to welcome a junior sister."

"We are different."

Next, Hu Jiahao deliberately exaggerated the story about Zheng Xuan, claiming that Junior Sister Zheng swore to go to the Finance Institute and wouldn't listen even when her family bitterly tried to persuade her; this kind of infatuation moved many people...

The others found it amusing and joined in the teasing.

Only Tan Zhizhi silently drank barley tea, cup after cup, as if she had a grudge against the hot pot restaurant's barley tea.

Yang Tianxing didn't pay attention at first, but his expression slowly darkened as he listened further.

"Zheng Xuan is going to the Finance Institute because of me?"

"Clap!"

Tan Zhizhi slammed her teacup down, her tsundere attribute activated once again: "What, are you already impatient now?"

Yang Tianxing glanced at Tan Zhizhi, thinking that although you are prettier than Junior Sister Zheng, I did have some entanglement with Junior Sister Zheng, but in my past life I didn't know she went to the Finance Institute because of me; no wonder she pursued me so fiercely back then.

"No, I don't even know her, how could I be impatient."

Yang Tianxing quietly tugged at Tan Zhizhi's finger and said with a smile: "In the future, if I look for a girlfriend, I will take Little Zhizhi as the minimum standard; Zheng Xuan can't compare to Little Zhizhi, so I'm not interested."

"Pah!"

"Pfft!"

"Shameless!"

……………

As soon as Yang Tianxing finished speaking, it immediately drew a wave of mockery, and Hu Jiahao said directly: "Even in our school's flight attendant major, Little Zhizhi is at the top-tier campus belle level; Yang Tianxing, just wait to be a bachelor, don't you think so, Ziyang?"

Shao Ziyang had met Liu Jiaoyue, so he silently replied in his heart: "Not necessarily."

Even Tan Zhizhi thought Yang Tianxing was promising not to have any contact with Zheng Xuan, and she gradually felt relieved.

Just then, the hot pot broth was brought out, and everyone started chatting about food.

After finishing the hot pot, Tan Zhizhi wanted to go shopping with the other girls, and Yang Tianxing used the excuse of having something to discuss with Shao Ziyang to go home together.

"What's wrong?"

Shao Ziyang asked curiously.

"Can you get in touch with Zheng Xuan?"

Yang Tianxing said: "It's not convenient for me to step in, so you contact Zheng Xuan and help me pass on a message, just say I have a girlfriend and tell her not to come to the Finance Institute."

Shao Ziyang laughed when he heard this: "I thought you would be happy to have one more fan."

Yang Tianxing glared at him: "Don't you know what my situation is?"

……………

Shao Ziyang really did his best for his friend, and a few days later, news came back.

"Little Yang, Zheng Xuan said it doesn't matter if you have a girlfriend, she just wants to get into the Finance Institute anyway."

"Fuck, she really is still that crazy, whatever, I don't care anymore."

Yang Tianxing was preparing to take his driver's test, so he hung up the phone without saying anything more.

Listening to the "beep, beep, beep" busy signal on the phone, Shao Ziyang shook his head and sighed: "Next year's Chang'an will be very interesting."

Yang Tianxing had once used these same words to evaluate him.

As for Yang Tianxing's driver's test, because Tan Qingwu had personally put in a word, the driving school opened a VIP channel and assigned a full-time instructor to accompany him for practice.

He had originally thought it would be a losing business, but he didn't expect Yang Tianxing to be very well-versed in the rules; the tuition was paid in full, and the instructor's cigarettes were also supplied.

On the first day of practice, Yang Tianxing took out a pack of Hongtashan and stuffed it into the instructor's hand, but the instructor declined: "No need, I don't smoke."

Yang Tianxing smiled: "Don't be polite, I'll be here for two days at most."

The instructor didn't understand what was going on, thinking Yang Tianxing only had time to practice for two days, but it wasn't until Yang Tianxing stepped on the gas pedal that the instructor realized he only needed to practice for two days.

On the third day, Yang Tianxing applied for the exam, and the driving school urgently arranged for him to cut the line.

In 2002, driver's license exams didn't have electronic surveillance and the difficulty was very low; Yang Tianxing got his license with ease.

After returning home in the evening, Gao Meilan stared at the driver's license in a daze.

"What, are you going to take the test too?"

Yang Jianjun walked over and said.

Gao Meilan shook her head: "Why would a middle-aged woman like me take this? Besides, where would I need to drive to work in Jinzhou? Riding a bicycle is the most convenient."

"I just think the little brat is a bit strange; why would a college student need this thing? He didn't even ask us for the money to take the test."

Yang Jianjun was supportive: "It's not a bad thing for young people to learn more things. If he wants money, we'll give it to him; if he doesn't, we'll just pretend we don't know."

Gao Meilan sighed: "I just feel like our son is getting further and further away from us."

Seeing that his wife's menopause syndrome was acting up again, Yang Jianjun quickly lay down and pretended to sleep.

……………

Winter break time passed neither fast nor slow; when he was idle, he felt uncomfortable all over, but when he was visiting relatives everywhere, Yang Tianxing wanted to go back to school again.

In this rhythm, the most important festival in the heart of every Huaxia person finally arrived: New Year's Eve.

Yang Tianxing helped make paste to put up couplets, and Gao Meilan bought Yang Tianxing a new set of clothes as usual, signifying new beginnings every year.

In the evening, the family of three sat in front of the television watching the Spring Festival Gala; Gao Meilan had dough wrappers in one hand and filling in the other, as these were the dumplings to be eaten on the morning of the Lunar New Year.

At eight o'clock in the evening, the voice of a host came from the television: "This is the live broadcast of the China Central Television Spring Festival Gala. We thank the people of all ethnic groups across the country, the sons and daughters of China all over the world, and the thousands of households in front of their televisions for meeting with us once again for the Spring Festival Gala to joyfully welcome the new spring..."

The sound of firecrackers on the street outside had not stopped since the afternoon, and as the Spring Festival Gala began, another huge wave of firecracker sounds arrived; Yang Tianxing walked to the window and could still smell the thick scent of gunpowder.

"Come over quickly, the sketch comedy has started," Gao Meilan reminded him.

Yang Tianxing walked back to the sofa and began sending New Year's greetings to Xie Yu'an, Sun Nan, and Zhang Liye, and even sent one to Xu Zhizhou and Wang Shuzhu.

Xu Zhizhou did not reply, but Wang Shuzhu replied unexpectedly.

"Thank you, I wish you and your family good health and a happy reunion."

Yang Tianxing thought to himself that Wang Shuzhu's age and charm were not like those of a young girl, and he did not know if she was married or not.

Not long after, Tan Zhizhi called; she was not looking for Yang Tianxing—the two met often and it was not yet time to specifically say Happy New Year—she was calling to wish Gao Meilan and Yang Jianjun a happy New Year.

Gao Meilan chatted with Tan Zhizhi for quite a while, but after hanging up the phone, she sighed and said, "I wonder how things are over at Xiao Liu's side."

Yang Tianxing thought to himself that there were no base stations in that place, so even if one took a mobile phone there, it would just turn into a brick.

Yang Jianjun tapped the table and reminded her, "Ms. Gao Meilan, don't be too greedy; Xiao Zhiliao is already very good, be careful of ending up with nothing if you think too much."

Gao Meilan said softly, "Of course Xiao Zhiliao is good, it's just that I really miss that poor little Liu Jiaoyue."

Yang Tianxing hid in the corner of the sofa, not daring to make a sound; right now, if he made even the slightest noise, he would be making a mistake, and Gao Meilan would surely strike with a heavy fist.

After a while, when it was past 10 o'clock, Deng Yidi actually sent a text message as well.

"Darling, Happy New Year."

Yang Tianxing replied, "It's the New Year, don't use the wrong form of address."

Unexpectedly, Deng Yidi immediately replied: "Daddy, Happy New Year."

Yang Tianxing couldn't help but laugh; this move was something else, but thinking of those alluring red lips calling out "Daddy," it made one feel a bit stiflingly hot in the middle of winter.

At 12 o'clock at night, Yang Jianjun said to Yang Tianxing, "In the past, I was the one who set off the firecrackers and fireworks every year at this time; this year, it's handed over to you."

Yang Tianxing went downstairs, where the sound of firecrackers and fireworks rose and fell from all directions; he held a cigarette in his mouth, lit the fuse, and kept his hands in his pockets while watching the firelight dance in the pitch-black night, the red paper wrapping the firecrackers being blown everywhere, and the happy laughter of children coming from the street.

Looking up, the night sky was illuminated brightly by the fireworks, and snowflakes drifted down in abundance, landing on the ground and on Yang Tianxing's face, feeling icy and refreshing.

So it had snowed in Jinzhou as well; Yang Tianxing finished his cigarette and extinguished the butt, counting silently in his mouth: "1, 2, 3..."

"Ring-a-ling," Tan Zhizhi's call came through, and he answered the phone.

"Little Yang, Happy New Year!"

Yang Tianxing replied with a smile: "Happy New Year!"