Chapter 186: 1990: A Family by the Spring Chapter 186 Farewell, Nineteen-Year-Old Youth, Frozen on This Day

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Protagonist:

Lin Xiyu

"Hehe."

Li Liang couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The brothers were competitive with each other, picking on each other and joking around, drinking on their own, and sure enough they all got drunk.

"Past events turn to clouds and smoke, dissipating before each other."

"Even after saying goodbye, I can't see your lingering resentment."

"Everything you give me is just perfunctory; the more innocent your smile, the more wildly I love you."

"The longing I want to give you is like a kite with a broken string, unable to fly into your sight, unable to warm your sight......."

"I can already see a tragedy unfolding, no joy at the end, and I'm still hiding inside your dreams."

"In an instant there's some understanding, words spoken can't come true, and in the blink of an eye I find your face has become so strange it won't be like before."

"My world starts snowing, so cold I can't love you another day, so cold even hidden regrets are so obvious......"

"I kiss you goodbye, on a deserted street, letting the wind laugh at my inability to refuse......"

"I kiss you goodbye, on a wild night, my heart waits to welcome sorrow......"

Wang Fan, emboldened by drink, asked the female boss for a guitar and belted out Jacky Cheung's "Kiss Goodbye," drawing loud cheers from the crowd of onlookers.

Qu Peng got into it too, nodding his head and swaying, tapping a plate to accompany him.

Li Liang, a big guy at 1.88 meters, did the moonwalk and performed a passionate dance on the spot.

The magical dance moves left Wu Meng staring blankly.

"Brother-in-law, what are you performing?"

Xu Yi watched with a grin, encouraging Guben.

"Spin the chopsticks."

Guben casually picked up a chopstick, spinning it nonstop between his fingers.

"Good."

The onlookers watched even more excitedly, giving very enthusiastic support.

"Xiyu......"

Wu Meng, half-drunk and half-awake, rubbed her eyes: "Am I seeing things? Did I see such a magical scene?"

"None."

Lin Xiyu watched with great amusement: "Too bad there's no video recorder to record them."

"Don't you find it strange at all?"

Wu Meng found it unbelievable: "Wang Fan is singing for money, Qu Peng is accompanying him, Li Liang is dancing, Guben is performing variety acts......"

"Hahaha......"

Lin Xiyu heard "singing for money" and "variety acts" and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Li Liang tomorrow after he sobers up......"

Wu Meng, seeing her laugh, said cheerfully: "He'll probably slap himself, saying 'drinking caused trouble, caused trouble' three times, the glorious image of an honor guard soldier, just ruined so magnificently by himself......"

"Hahaha."

Lin Xiyu was amused by her humorous tone, laughing so hard she couldn't close her mouth.

"The little brother sings really well, it's our turn now."

Someone took the lead, the barbecue stall gradually became lively, and the stall owner cooperated by turning on the speakers, playing the most popular music at the moment.

The crowd, with alcohol going to their heads, began a wild celebration of singing and dancing.

"Xiyu, shall we dance too?"

Wu Meng was carried away by the cheerful rhythm, eager to join in.

"I don't know how to dance....."

Lin Xiyu recalled the embarrassment at the old-town gathering and subconsciously glanced at Guben.

Guben happened to turn back at that moment, looking at her with a half-smile.

"What's there to know or not know about disco?"

Wu Meng, not knowing the truth, kept urging: "Just twist a bit to the beat, isn't that all?"

"No no no....."

Under Guben's death stare, Lin Xiyu kept shaking her head.

"I know how to dance....."

Xu Yi was a person of influence, sensing something was wrong, jumped off the horse stool, twisting his small body to help his sister ease the embarrassment.

"Actually....."

Guben smiled leisurely: "You can dance if you want to."

"No."

Lin Xiyu answered very firmly: "I've already said, I'll never attend any gathering again, no matter who asks me to go, I won't go."

"You'll lose a lot of friends like this."

Guben seemed to be thinking of her, but the smile in his eyes was obvious.

"Friends aren't as important as you."

Lin Xiyu answered decisively.

"I'm not that petty; I won't care if you dance with other men."

"You've been drinking; what you say after drinking can't be trusted."

"You doubt me?"

Guben raised an eyebrow, feigning displeasure.

"I don't."

Lin Xiyu denied it decisively.

"Are you worried I'll fight for you?"

"I'm not worried about you; I'm worried about that person..."

"So you think I'm petty..."

"No."

"Yes."

"You can't be so domineering, pinning something that didn't happen on me."

"Being so disobedient..."

Guben smiled teasingly: "How should I punish you?"

"......."

Lin Xiyu wanted to argue, but before she could speak, she was silenced by his domineering kiss.

Guben pulled away immediately, but even so, someone sharp-eyed caught them in the act; someone whistled and led the jeering.

"Xiao Yi, let's go home."

Lin Xiyu blushed, grabbed her younger brother, and turned to leave.

"I haven't eaten the baked shaobing yet..."

Xu Yi was thinking about the baked shaobing and stood there unwilling to move, but unfortunately he wasn't as strong as his sister and was forcibly dragged away.

Guben found it amusing, packed three baked shaobings, and strode after them.

"Hey hey, why are you leaving?"

After the three left, only Wu Meng remained at the wine table.

She found it boring to sit alone, and seeing Li Liang and the others playing with great enthusiasm and showing no sign of stopping, she simply squeezed in and joined them.

On the seventh day of the first lunar month, during the wild night, except for Guben and Lin Xiyu and her younger brother, everyone else went crazy, and even in the middle of the night someone was howling at the top of their lungs, drawing the dissatisfaction of the residents in the residential complex.

Wang Fan and the others had been carousing for most of the night and were sober now; hearing the reprimands from the residents upstairs, they stifled their laughter and fled the scene like flying.

The youth of nineteen, the most beautiful memories of four childhood friends, were frozen on this day.

——

On the eighth day of the first lunar month, Ding Sheng Decoration's main store opened for business; the female cousin, under the stunned gaze of her colleagues, efficiently completed her resignation procedures and walked out of the door with her head held high.

It must be said, she indeed had a knack for business; relying on the connections she had accumulated previously, she actually, in less than a year, led her guerrilla team to carve out a path of blood in the decoration market and win a place for herself.

The branch's business grew larger and larger, forcing the main store to have no way out, and it could only rely on a price war to compete for customers.

Malicious competition eventually caught Li Xiao's attention; after a series of suppressions had no effect, he had to admit that his initial decision was indeed somewhat rash.

She shouldn't have offended the female cousin and driven her beloved little dog out.

The female cousin didn't care whether Li Xiao repented; she was focused on making money. However, what she never expected was that her intersection with Li Xiao was far from over.

The two competed for a project and met at the client's company; unfortunately, Li Xiao happened to come down with acute appendicitis that day.

The female cousin bore no grudges and sent him to the hospital for surgery; fortunately, the rescue was timely and no tragedy occurred.

Grateful, Li Xiao's impression of the female cousin also changed; the love story of a pair of bickering lovers thus began its prologue.

——

Uncle and the female cousin did decoration work together, and the maternal aunt didn't want to be idle; she really went to the Small Commodities Market to sell clothes.

The female cousin's clothing shop had two sourcing channels: one was her high school classmate, whose family had long been in the clothing wholesale business; the clothes sourced from her family were not first-hand sources, only twenty percent lower than market price, with at most three to five yuan added per piece, leaving little profit margin.

The other sourcing channel was to wholesale directly from the clothing market in Shanghai and ship them back by train.

The maternal aunt had children and couldn't get away, so she couldn't go to Shanghai and could only rely on Lin Xiyu to help her source goods.

Lin Xiyu shouldered a heavy responsibility; on the tenth day of the first lunar month, she bid farewell to her relatives and returned to Shanghai with Guben.

This time Wu Meng didn't go with them; Li Liang had to go to BJ after the New Year to join the Honor Guard for concentrated training, and it would be hard to see each other again.

Both were reluctant to part so soon; plus, Wu Meng's family matters were not yet resolved, and she also worried about her parents, so she had to stay until after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month before returning to school to register.

Before Lin Xiyu left home, Chen Xiulan gave her the five thousand yuan she had kept at the bottom of her trunk, so she would have sufficient funds for sourcing goods.

As for living expenses, Lin Xiyu still refused them, saying she had the ability to earn money and didn't need to make her mother work hard for her anymore.

——

The Shanghai Foreign Trade Clothing Wholesale Market and the Wool Sweater Wholesale Market were in the same area, not far apart, about one li away, just one bus stop.

The two wholesale markets were as crowded as ever, with merchants swarming in from all over the country gathering here.

Lin Xiyu had never been to the Foreign Trade Clothing Wholesale Market before and was unfamiliar with the environment inside, so on the first day she didn't rush to source goods but toured the entire wholesale market with Guben.

With experience sourcing from the Wool Sweater Wholesale Market, after touring for a day she also figured out the tricks.

The business models of the two wholesale markets were roughly the same: both hung the latest styles of this spring in the front row for people to snap up, while old styles from previous years were piled in the discount area, getting cheaper the further in you went.

A specific area for one-fold clearance was set up in the southeast corner of the warehouse; most of the goods piled there had minor flaws, were returned upon export, and were sold off cheaply here.

The Lao East Gate Small Commodities Market was suitable for mass consumption and famous for low prices; selling clothes in Lao East Gate, the price should not exceed 50 yuan, any higher would drive away the vast majority of customers, and just hearing the price would make people hesitate.

Lin Xiyu understood the market conditions in Lao East Gate very well and knew what she was doing; choosing clothes was also easy for her.

She and Guben toured the discount area for three days, stocked up on two months' worth of goods, and shipped them back to the maternal aunt by train.

——

The goods were ready, and the date had arrived at the fifteenth day of the first lunar month; with school starting on the sixteenth, only one day remained.

"No wonder they say the Oriental Pearl is Shanghai's money-printing machine—tsk, this price is truly expensive."

Beneath the Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai's most famous attraction, Lin Xiyu hesitated for a long time but still couldn't bear to spend money to go up to the tower top to see the night view.

"Expensive things have their value."

Guben patiently persuaded her: "The feeling of overlooking all mountains as small from the peak of a solitary peak is definitely different from sitting at the bottom of the tower and seeing only the sky."

"We've already climbed Mount Taishan, so let's not waste money."

Lin Xiyu still refused to give in: "If you have too much money, give me the ticket money; I don't mind your charity."

"Little money-grubber."

Guben affectionately pinched her nose: "Haven't you saved quite a bit in your little treasury? Can't you bear to spend this little money?"

"I gave Cousin ten thousand yuan to invest in her company."

Lin Xiyu said righteously: "I spent all the remaining money on purchasing goods; now my pockets are empty, and my living expenses are almost not enough."

"I'll support you."

Guben was extremely indulgent and gently pulled her into his arms.

"Hearing your tone..."

Lin Xiyu leaned against his chest and playfully blinked her eyes: "Just like Cousin raising her cola, raising her own pet cat or pet dog."

"I don't like raising pets; I only like raising you."

Guben leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"Hiss, it's so cold."

A cool breeze blew, and Lin Xiyu couldn't help but shiver.

Guben turned around and used his back to block the cold wind blowing from the river for her.

"Shanghai's winter is quite cold too..."

Lin Xiyu shrank her neck again, curling up in his arms like a small quail: "Although it hasn't snowed..."

The words had barely fallen when another cold breeze blew, and scattered snowflakes drifted down in the night sky.

"It's snowing?!"

"It's actually snowing."

"Wow, it's my first time seeing snow."

"Freezing to death, who said Southerners are cold-resistant and not afraid of the cold? I want to buy a down jacket to wear..."

Beneath the Oriental Pearl Tower, there were no few people as surprised as her; commotion rose on all sides, some played and frolicked in the snow, while more were blown beautiful yet frozen by the cold wind, shivering.

"Let's not save money anymore; let's stay at the tower top for a while."

Guben feared she would freeze and also wanted to take the opportunity to persuade her.

"No."

Lin Xiyu blinked her eyes and acted coquettishly: "I don't want to see the night view; I want to eat sweet dumplings."

"Alright, let's go eat sweet dumplings."

Guben smiled indulgently and agreed to everything.

—

The two came to a privately run Huaiyang cuisine small restaurant and ordered a double portion of sweet dumplings.

After coming to Shanghai, Lin Xiyu gradually adapted to the local taste and also ordered a portion of fermented rice glutinous rice balls, chewing them with delight, savoring every bite.

Guben was not like that; he had a typical Shandong stomach, liking salty food and not sweet food.

Black sesame sweet dumplings would get cloying after five or six at most, and he didn't even want to try the fermented rice glutinous rice balls.

Lin Xiyu acted coquettish and cute, wheedling and pleading, holding it to his mouth before coaxing the top scholar to give him face, and he tasted one with her spoon.

"Is it delicious?"

Watching him swallow it whole, she almost couldn't hold back and burst out laughing on the spot.

"It's passable; I can't taste anything special."

How could Guben fail to see her little scheme? He smiled helplessly and, for the sake of her being his fiancée, endured it.

"Hahaha..."

Lin Xiyu rarely saw him looking embarrassed and finally couldn't hold back, laughing out loud.

"Being mischievous again!"

Guben laughed in exasperation and gave her a rap on the head.

—

"In past years at this time, Grandma would always make sweet dumplings with us..."

Lin Xiyu ate sweet dumplings and recalled the past, full of regret written on her face: "Cousin was the clumsiest with his hands; the big sweet dumplings with filling were never wrapped well, so Grandma had him roll them into solid little dough balls."

"Little dough balls are tasty too, chewy and springy; add some brown sugar to the soup, and the taste is similar to fermented rice glutinous rice balls. What a pity—Cousin didn't come back for the holiday this year, I didn't even see his face, and we can't make sweet dumplings together with Cousin and the others."

—

"Making sweet dumplings isn't difficult; come with me..."

Guben doted on his wife to the utmost and immediately got up, pulling her to the small restaurant's kitchen.

The boss heard their intention, his gaze fell on their tightly clasped hands, and he smacked his lips a few times with some envy.

The boss's wife saw someone offering to work for free and agreed without thinking.

Lin Xiyu was dexterous, rolling sweet dumplings quickly and roundly, making the boss's wife smile with her eyes narrowed in delight.

Guben also tried rolling a few, his movements very clumsy.

The two helped in the kitchen, joking and playing while working, rubbing rice flour on each other's faces.

The boss watched with delight, grinning and laughing foolishly.

The boss's wife kept her head down and said nothing, tacitly permitting the two of them.

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Lantern Festival night, a couple deeply in love spent a day full of charm in a small restaurant in a foreign land.

At midnight, the diners gradually dwindled, and the small restaurant was closing time.

"Come visit often..."

The boss's wife's gaze toward the young couple had changed from the initial shrewd calculation to reluctance.

"Come again next time, Uncle will make something delicious for you..."

The boss carried a plastic bag filled with glutinous rice balls and forced it into Guben's hands.

"Goodbye, Uncle and Auntie. If we have the chance, we will definitely come to patronize your shop again. Wishing you prosperous business and good fortune in all things."

Guben couldn't refuse, so he accepted it, exchanged a few polite pleasantries, and waved goodbye to them.

"Achoo..."

As soon as she stepped out of the small restaurant, Lin Xiyu sneezed from the cold wind: "It's so cold outside. Fortunately, the boss was kind and took us in, otherwise we would have frozen by the river and surely caught a cold."

"At this hour, there are no more ships back to Puxi."

Guben held her in his arms and tried to negotiate: "Why don't we find a place nearby to stay for the night?"

"Mm."

Lin Xiyu thought of what would happen next, and her ears turned red.

Guben brought her to a hotel not far away and booked a room.

Without outsiders disturbing them, he finally got his wish, holding his soft and fragrant sweetheart, and slept soundly.

—

On the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, school started, and students from other places returned to school one after another to register.

Even though they were reluctant, they still had to part and return to their respective schools for classes.

School days were as dull and boring as ever; Lin Xiyu returned to the routine of classroom, dormitory, and library.

Li Qing went abroad to study and didn't cause much of a stir at school. Classmates who heard the news merely muttered a few words of envy, jealousy, and hatred, then completely forgot about her.

Lin Xiyu focused entirely on her studies and had no desire to explain anything for her.

School days passed quickly, and two months went by in the blink of an eye.

In late April, when the purple jade flowers were in full bloom—a beautiful time for couples to enjoy spring—a pair of lovers never expected to receive tragic news from their hometown.

—

Guben's mother was involved in a bribery case, and her name appeared on the gift list confessed by the suspect.

She didn't know the inside story and refused to plead guilty during the investigation.

Inspection officers searched the premises and found evidence at Grandfather's house: ten gold bars hidden in the tea gift box sent by that person.

Grandfather saw the gold bars, became anxious and angry, suffered a heart attack on the spot, and lost consciousness.

Guben heard the news and didn't have time to explain to Lin Xiyu; he took the train home that very night, but even so, he only managed to see Grandfather one last time.

Grandfather held his hand and said only one sentence, "Take care of your mother..." then closed his eyes and passed away.

Grandmother was also exhausted and fell ill, unable to get out of bed.

Guben settled Grandmother in, didn't even have time to see Grandfather off at the funeral, and immediately rushed to the city where his mother was.

Even so, he still arrived too late.

—

His eldest brother, Fu Zheng, was a fighter pilot and could not have any blemish on his record.

The Fu Family learned of this and immediately issued a public statement severing ties with his mother.

Gu Yuelan, just as Grandfather had predicted, had lived a smooth life since childhood without any storms, and could not withstand the blow.

She felt wronged, had already been greatly stimulated, her husband divorced her, she lost her most beloved son, and this became the final straw that broke her.

On the day she signed the divorce agreement, she suffered a nervous breakdown and went somewhat mad.

—

The case quickly escalated; all involved officials were arrested, expelled from the Party, and thrown into prison.

Guben did everything he could to defend his mother, proving she had not intentionally accepted bribes and knew nothing about the gold bars.

However, the reality was far crueler than he imagined.

Investigators could not favor his one-sided account; mother and son had no evidence and could not clear their names despite a hundred mouths.

Helpless, he had to go to BJ and beg Sixth Grandfather to intervene and plead for his mother.

"I, Gu Jianye, have never done anything against organizational principles in my life. This is the only time, and the last time. After this, I will not manage your mother and son's affairs anymore, and you must not come to me again."

Sixth Grandfather, out of regard for his late second brother, agreed to his request. The disappointment in his eyes was like a steel needle, piercing Guben's heart.

The case handlers, seeing that his mother had suffered a nervous breakdown, showed leniency and allowed her to be released on bail pending trial.

The Fu Family did not want their grandson to be implicated and persuaded him to sever ties with his mother.

Thinking of Grandfather's entrustment, Guben resolutely gave up his studies and accompanied his mother abroad for treatment.

—

Lin Xiyu's mother, Chen Xiulan, did not know the inside story of the bribery case; she only knew that Guben's grandfather had passed away, and the small courtyard that used to be bustling with visitors was now so deserted that not even a single person came to offer condolences.

As a mother, she also cared about her daughter. After much hesitation, she finally told her the gossip circulating among the neighbors.

Only now did Lin Xiyu learn that Guben's grandfather had passed away, and the panic in her heart reached its peak.

She had no way to inquire about the news; there was only one person she could think of.

She picked up the phone and dialed a number she hadn't called in a long time.

Wang Fan received the call, hesitated not at all, and flew to Shanghai from the scene of the incident that very day.

However, what he brought was not good news, but a piece of even more unacceptable bad news.

Guben was already on the flight to the United States; before departing, he gave him a Kraft Paper Bag, inside which were his handwritten letter left for Lin Xiyu, as well as thirty thousand yuan.

Lin Xiyu saw the letter, spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, and fainted on the spot.

Wang Fan, in a hurry, did not think much, and took her into his arms.

Wind and Cloud change, worldly affairs are unpredictable; a pair of lovers have a bumpy love Road, good deeds meet many obstacles.

Time quietly slips through the fingers; in a flash, another Five Years pass.