Chapter 428: New Year's Eve

February 15th, Chengdu.

The TV was broadcasting the Premier League match between Bournemouth and Stoke City.

"Good shot!" Xu Qingzhou took a bite of a banana.

Xu Shouyun nodded: "It's a good shot. It's a pity, the national football team also had a scoring opportunity like that in a match at the time, but they didn't seize it."

In the 2018 World Cup, the Xia team failed to advance to the final 12 in the Asian zone qualifiers and was eliminated in the group stage.

"The next session will probably be better."

Xu Qingzhou comforted his dad, feeling that he still had to give Old Xu some hope, even though the later parts were also hard to describe.

Wang Xiaping checked the time and urged: "Alright, what time is it? With those two dark circles under your eyes, hurry up and go rest."

"10:30? You guys watch; I'm going to sleep."

Xu Qingzhou also insisted. He was young now, and although jet lag wasn't as uncomfortable as it used to be, his body was indeed protesting.

He washed up quickly, greeted his parents in the living room, closed the door, messaged Song Yao, and then put down his phone to sleep.

In the living room, Xu Shouyun picked up the remote and turned down the TV volume.

"This kid..."

Wang Xiaping couldn't help but recall the dinner party that evening and sighed: "These two young people are more harmonious than we are, like a real couple."

Xu Shouyun: "?"

"They just get along very well; what's that word... 'Raising the tray to the eyebrows' (mutual respect)."

Wang Xiaping held it in for a long time.

Xu Shouyun wanted to explain that "raising the tray to the eyebrows" refers to a husband and wife, but he understood that saying it would be useless and he would just get scolded, so he pursed his lips and said: "What couple doesn't quarrel? Can we know if they quarrel?"

Wang Xiaping thought about it, and it was indeed the truth. Young people today have short tempers and talk about breaking up or divorcing at the drop of a hat. "I'll find time to ask another day."

"Worrying for nothing~"

Xu Shouyun sneered. He had taught by personal example for more than twenty years; could he have taught someone to bully his wife?

"Heh, what's wrong with worrying? Which thing in this house wasn't managed by me worrying bit by bit?"

"Yes, yes, yes..."

Bedroom.

Xu Qingzhou closed his eyes, vaguely able to hear the muffled voices of Xu Shouyun and Wang Xiaping.

"This feeling is still the best."

Listening to their voices, he inexplicably felt at ease. Closing his eyes, his consciousness soon fell into chaos.

The 29th of the twelfth lunar month, buying New Year's goods; New Year's Eve, pasting couplets, making the New Year's Eve dinner.

The whole family started getting busy from the moment they got up in the morning.

Wang Xiaping was frying crispy meat in the kitchen. Taking advantage of the gap, she came out to say to the father and son watching the ball game in the living room: "If you ask me, we should have called Song Yao and the others over. How nice it would be for the two families to have a lively meal together."

"Not engaged, not married, it's not according to the rules."

Xu Shouyun shook his head.

Wang Xiaping glanced at Xu Qingzhou on the side: "You have to ask your son about this."

"Mom, we're both still studying; isn't it a bit early for these things?" Xu Qingzhou was gnawing on an apple, not expecting the pot to land on him.

"Also... I heard your aunt say on the phone a few days ago that your cousin Xu Yuan has already started looking for a wedding date."

"So fast."

"Yeah, he's 25; it's the age to get married... It's going to be fried too old."

Wang Xiaping ducked into the kitchen.

In this regard, they actually still had some old-fashioned ideas. Both children were still in school; engagement or marriage wasn't something to consider.

Xu Qingzhou already smelled the fragrance of the crispy meat and went to the kitchen to steal a bite.

"Is it dirty?"

"Just washed my hands."

Wang Xiaping glanced at Xu Qingzhou, thinking of the serious matter from a few days ago: "You two, how do you usually resolve quarrels?"

"Quarrels?"

Xu Qingzhou grinned, and only after finishing the crispy meat did he shake his head: "No, we never quarrel."

"Nonsense, your dad and I have lived together for decades and still quarrel every day. Can you young people not quarrel?"

Wang Xiaping rolled her eyes.

"Really don't."

"What if there's a conflict?"

"Reason it out."

"What if you can't reason it out?"

Xu Qingzhou thought seriously and sighed: "Then I guess we can only have a fight."

Wang Xiaping's face darkened, feeling that this brat needed a lesson. Having such a good girlfriend, he actually dared to use his hands.

"Mom, don't look at me like that; your son is the one who gets beaten often." Xu Qingzhou felt it necessary to expose the school beauty's evil deeds.

"Serves you right."

"Mom, you're too double-standard."

At 6:00 PM, the fragrant dishes were served on the Xu family's dining table.

Xu Shouyun took out the Luzhou Laojiao 1573 from the cabinet with a chuckle. Wang Xiaping didn't stop him as usual; it was the New Year, drinking a little added to the atmosphere.

For the first two days of the New Year, Xu Qingzhou and Song Yao went to each other's homes. It wasn't until the third day of the New Year that they finally had time to come out and have a gathering with two good friends.

At the entrance of Chengnan Middle School.

Ding Jiahui gave Song Yao a big hug. "Yaoyao, I missed you so much."

"I missed you too," Song Yao said.

Xu Qingzhou examined Guo Ziyang, surprised: "Ho, Fatty, haven't seen you in half a year, you've lost weight again."

"Don't mention it; it's work and papers, I'm almost wasted."

Guo Ziyang showed an expression of having no love for life.

Not having seen them in half a year, Guo Ziyang and Ding Jiahui really had significant changes. Perhaps because they had both been interning at companies for several months, the student aura on them had faded by more than half.

Ding Jiahui had already pulled Song Yao away, turned back and shouted: "Can you two talk while walking? Let's go buy a drink first."

Starbucks.

After the four ordered, they sat down and chatted about their respective work.

"Our team leader, last time I revised the copy six times and sent it over. Do you know which version he used? The first version! Now I finally know what it means that art comes from reality. I wanted to smash the keyboard on his face right then and there."

Ding Jiahui was always relatively active.

Guo Ziyang also began to sigh: "I finally understand, the most important thing in the workplace: refuse, and you'll have much less trouble."

"Hmph, I told you before to know how to refuse," Ding Jiahui said.

Xu Qingzhou was watching the fun, adding fuel to the fire: "Isn't he quite good at refusing? Look, you two almost didn't get together..."

The following words were glared back by Song Yao.

"..."

Guo Ziyang's head grew big, thinking to himself, damn, Xu Qingzhou, you just wait.

"Exactly, I was the one who said it back then."

Guo Ziyang said with a bitter face: "I was brain-dead at the time."

"Good to know."

The four chatted and laughed.

Ding Jiahui poked Song Yao with her finger and whispered: "Yaoyao, that woman has been looking at us. Do you know her?"

Song Yao turned back and indeed saw a woman wearing sunglasses in the corner looking at their position. Seeing she was discovered, the other party averted her gaze, picked up her bag, stood up, and left.

"Don't know her."

Song Yao shook her head.

She vaguely guessed the other party's identity.

Xu Qingzhou also looked in Song Yao's direction, swept his gaze over the woman's back, paused slightly, and calmly withdrew his gaze.

"I'm planning to tinker with a studio with two friends, heh heh..."

Speaking of future arrangements, Guo Ziyang was high-spirited, expounding on the philosophy of his studio—providing an environment full of infinite possibilities, realizing personal value, and business content: computer software development, website construction and maintenance, designing and producing various advertisements, computer hardware and software, blah blah blah.

(End of chapter)