Chapter Fifty: The New Year

  Time flies so fast, and before I knew it, the 30th of the Lunar New Year had arrived. On this day, many people came to my home, all of whom were my uncles and aunts from my paternal side, as well as my cousins.

  My father and mother set up three tables in the living room of my house, inviting everyone to take a seat. We young people started serving tea and water, bringing out some fruit and snacks, and everyone was happily preparing for the reunion dinner together.

  Bai Feng didn't come out because she was helping my mother in the kitchen, and Zhou Hui and Li Huanhuan also didn't take the initiative to help because they weren't familiar with my family members. Dongfang Yu and I, as well as those young cousins of mine, took on the miscellaneous tasks like serving dishes and rice.

  A reunion dinner lasted for almost three hours, and everyone was satisfied with the gathering.

  After dinner, my father and Dongfang uncle, as well as two other uncles played cards together, some people also played Go, fought landlords, etc., everyone was playing together with abandon.

  I and Li Huanhuan, Zhou Hui, Dongfang Yuzhen found an opportunity to slip out, find a place where no one came to practice shooting.

  After several days of practice, we have all basically mastered the essentials of shooting, but we still can't achieve accuracy. Anyway, Li Huanhuan and I brought back enough bullets, so we're ready to use them to pile up "godly marksmen". Many people have said that practice makes perfect, while others say that bullets feed godly marksmen, so we've decided to do it this way.

  Dongfang Yu was originally very afraid of shooting, but under the encouragement of Zi Li Huanhuan, she actually learned to shoot too. However, she started a bit later than us, and so far, she can only barely fire a gun, let alone accuracy, which is not even worth mentioning.

  Zhou Hui made the fastest progress, she seemed to be born with a natural talent for shooting, no matter what Li Huanhuan taught her, she would learn it immediately and was very accurate. Even Li Huanhuan praised her as a genius and said she had great potential to become a sniper.

  Unfortunately, Zhou Hui has already passed the age of joining the army, otherwise he could really try to be a sniper.

  I was forced to learn shooting, probably because of the pressure, within 30 meters, I can now achieve a hit rate of 100%. Although not every shot hits the bullseye, I can still guarantee that every bullet will hit the target.

  Li Huanhuan was very dissatisfied with me, because I am nearsighted and have to wear glasses all the time. Without my glasses, I completely lose my sense of direction. Li Huanhuan also said that at thirty meters, my shooting is barely passing, but beyond thirty meters, I lose accuracy, which is a big taboo. He wants me to practice shooting with a handgun from fifty meters away and requires every shot to hit the target.

  The target we practiced with was self-made, that is, a target was drawn on the trunk of a large tree, and then a tape measure was used to measure the distance.

  I practiced at a distance of fifty meters, and at first I would always deviate very far. Li Huanhuan was anxious to the point where she almost hit me with the wooden stick in her hand. I was also anxious, and didn't expect there to be such a big difference between thirty meters and fifty meters.

  Li Huan glared at me with her eyes wide open and gritted her teeth, saying: "If you don't get serious, I'm really going to beat you up!"

  I'm so frustrated, I opened my eyes wide and stared at the target, both hands grasping the gun, feeling like my eyes were going to bleed, but still couldn't guarantee a hit every time.

  Li Huanhuan shouted loudly at me: "Concentrate, you'll know with your eyes, how can that be okay?"

  I also got anxious: "You just know how to talk, come and demonstrate it for me to see, I don't believe you can do it."

  Li Huanhuan smiled and pushed me forward with one hand, pulled out the pistol she was carrying with her, and fired three shots at the target without even looking.

  I opened my eyes wide and saw that all three bullets hit the target, with two of them hitting the bullseye. I no longer doubted Li Huanhuan's shooting skills, and quickly returned to my original position, starting to concentrate on my own shooting.

  Li Huanhuan was originally going to take the opportunity to scold me, but seeing how serious I was, she just looked at me for a while and then turned around to teach Dongfang Yu and Zhou Hui instead.

  It wasn't until almost evening that we returned home. At this time, my father said to me: "How come you guys went out to play for so long? You didn't even come back to help, and dinner still isn't ready yet!"

  We hurried over to help out, I was originally going to help with preparing the tables and whatnot, but Bai Feng called me into the kitchen.

  Mother and Auntie Guo were busy, Bai Feng pointed to the various dishes on the chopping board that almost filled the kitchen, saying to me: "Take them out, there will be more later."

  I hastily went to serve the dishes and also called out to my younger siblings to help. Bai Feng was too embarrassed to ask for their help, but I didn't mind.

  We played until 12 o'clock in the evening that day. After setting off firecrackers and welcoming the new year, everyone dispersed.

  At dinner time, Li Huanhuan brought out the red wine we had brought back, and Zhou Hui, Bai Feng, and Dongfang Yu all drank a bit too much. When it was time to take a bath, my mother and Guo Siniang had to go help.

  So after they fell asleep, Mother and Guo Fourth Aunt finally finished their busy work and had time to sit down and rest.

  I poured a cup of tea for each of them, which was my way of thanking them. Then I took a bath and went to sleep, because tomorrow relatives would come over to pay their respects during the New Year, and I had to get up early to prepare.

  Chinese New Year is supposed to be lively and fun, so I didn't think it was a bother at all. On the contrary, I was very happy, and when I went to sleep, I walked while singing my favorite nursery rhyme.

  I don't know if it's because my voice is too bad, but when I walked past Li Huanhuan's room, she suddenly opened the door and stared at me, saying: "What are you making a racket about? If you have the energy to sing, then go get me a glass of water!"

  I knew she was drunk, though not severely, but definitely thirsty, so I nodded and went downstairs to get her a glass of water.

  Li Huanhuan sat on the bed, watching me bring water over, pointed to the bed she was sitting on and said: "Sit down and chat for a while."

  I felt a bit strange but still sat down.

  Li Huanhuan got a bit drunk at night and spoke differently from usual: "Why are you hiding from me?"

  I laughed after hearing her straightforward words: "What's with you saying I'm avoiding you? When have I ever avoided you?"

  Li Huanhuan shifted her body and leaned against me, saying: "You clearly know I like you, so why are you still entangled with Zhou Hui and the others? Aren't you afraid that I'll get angry and ignore you from now on?"

  I was stunned and whispered: "What are you talking about? Be careful that others might overhear and misunderstand..."

  Li Huanhuan suddenly hugged me, buried her head in my arms and said loudly: "I'm not afraid of others knowing! Let me tell you, I've decided on you for this lifetime, don't think about rejecting me... If you reject me, I'll rejoin the Wanlong Society and specifically target you alone!"

  I wanted to push Li Huanhuan away, but she hugged me tightly and I couldn't push her off no matter how hard I tried. I had to say carefully: "We're friends, others will misunderstand if they see us like this, can you not do that?"

  Li Huanhuan raised her head and looked at me, with tears slowly welling up in her eyes: "You don't like me? Then why do you still want to be good to me? You...you..."

  I was taken aback and couldn't help but exclaim, "When did I ever make up with you? You..." But here, I suddenly couldn't continue speaking, because I saw Li Huanhuan's tears streaming down her face.

  Li Huanhuan said with some sadness: "No matter what, I like you. I don't care, if you don't like me, I'll really go to the Wanlong Club, and then you'll regret it!"

  I feel that this matter is very serious, after thinking about it, I said: "You know, I'm still a student, the school doesn't allow students to get married, so..."

  Li Huanhuan suddenly interrupted me: "I can wait! Really... after you graduate, we can get married later!"

  I couldn't help but smile wryly, knowing she had misunderstood me: "That's not what I meant... you, I consider you my friend, so..."

  Li Huan smiled: "Friend? Now it's just friends, I also like being your friend. After you graduate, I'll marry you. As for your other friends, I won't care about them now, but after we get married, I won't allow you to do this again. Remember what I say, my words count."

  I was about to say something when Li Huanhuan suddenly seemed to remember something and said: "That Chen Jing, what is she to you?"

  I was taken aback and thought it must have been Dongfang Yu who told her, so I could only say: "It's someone I like, but she doesn't like me."

  Li Huanhuan pouted and said, "You're really something. I like you so much, but you're still picky. Chen Jing doesn't even like you, yet you won't let her go... This is called... being infatuated with someone who's out of your league."

  I was scolded by her and felt at a loss, indeed feeling that what she said wasn't wrong, could only bitterly smile and say: "Men like to be unfaithful, isn't this something you women often say? I'm also a man..."

  Li Huanhuan said disdainfully: "What's so good about Chen Jing? You tell me, I'll do better than her."

  I feel like I'm going crazy, what's the point of all this? How am I supposed to answer? And besides, different people are different in every way, so how can they be compared? Are you saying that if someone else has a duck egg face, your original melon seed face can just change and become a duck egg face too?

  So I just shut my mouth and didn't say anything, just staring at Li Huanhuan. Li Huanhuan was a bit drunk, with a flush on her cheeks, looking exceptionally beautiful and charming. As I stared, I couldn't help but be mesmerized, forgetting to speak or move.

  Li Huanhuan seemed to have noticed that I was staring at her, and surprisingly, she also stared back at me without moving, slowly revealing a hint of a smile. This hint of a smile made her look even more enchanting, and I couldn't help but exclaim: "So beautiful!"

  Li Huanhuan listened to my words and smiled even more charmingly, slowly raising her head so that I could see her more clearly.

  I caught a whiff of a very pleasant fragrance in my nose, and I also saw the beautiful eyes of Li Huanhuan with her pupils. All this made me feel so enchanted that I almost couldn't help myself.

  Li Huan stared at me for a while and suddenly said: "Is it good-looking?"

  I was startled and immediately hurriedly lowered my head, blushing and not daring to look at her again.

  Li Huanhuan laughed and stood up happily: "I thought you wouldn't be moved by me at all, but it turns out you're also... hehe... If you like watching me, I'll give you a chance. However, you should go to sleep now, or else that Hui Jie of yours might just have to deal with you."

  Li Huanhuan's words were somewhat ambiguous, and I didn't dare to refute them. I quickly escaped from Li Huanhuan's room and rushed into my own room like a fugitive.

  Li Huanhuan is very beautiful and also a very mature woman, for a student like me, such a woman is the most attractive. Before I only escaped, and didn't pay much attention to this point, now that I'm in close contact with her, I find that she's really enchanting, and it makes me feel lost and selfless instantly.

  I don't know if this is what they call the feeling of being in love, but it's really a wonderful feeling and I'm getting quite addicted to it.

  I shook my head hard to clear it, then fell onto the bed and pulled over the covers to sleep...

  This night was destined to be a sleepless night. I had just fallen asleep at almost one in the morning, but Li Huanhuan made a ruckus and I ended up staring wide-eyed until dawn.

  So the next day when I got up early, I felt like my whole body was dull and heavy, completely losing the usual spirit, sitting by the stove didn't want to move.

  My mother thought I had a cold and hurriedly brought me some cold medicine, telling me to take it early to prevent it from getting worse. I knew I just hadn't rested well, so when my mother wasn't paying attention, I put the cold medicine back.

  Bai Feng was the second one to wake up. She looked at me with a strange gaze and a hint of complacency at the corner of her mouth.

  I know she still holds a lot of resentment towards me, it's just that because she was too close to my mother, she didn't do anything to me. Now seeing me in this weak and helpless state, she must be very happy.

  I didn't want to say anything to her either, so I just pretended I hadn't seen her and continued sitting in the chair dozing off.

  Dongfang Yu was the second person to get up after I got out of bed. She walked past me with a yawn, looked at me and said: "Brother, help me do things, just wake up and sleep again, are you ashamed or not!"

  I had no choice but to get up and help prepare breakfast.

  Dongfang Yu stared at me strangely, nodded thoughtfully, and then sneered, "Staying up late at night and sleeping during the day, that's a night owl."

  I felt like I had no energy left, and didn't want to talk either, so I quickly ran away. Dongfang Yu behind me said another sentence "You're a guilty conscience", which almost made me fall headfirst into the snow outside.

  The cold air outside made me sober up a lot at once. Thinking of what Dongfang Yu said earlier, I really felt a little guilty.

  I brought some firewood into the house, and unexpectedly, Dongfang Yu was still waiting for me. As soon as she saw me, her face turned cold with a sneer: "Done something you can't show your face about, huh? Can't even walk steadily?"

  I wanted to shout out loud, but I endured it and only said to Dongfang Yu: "Don't talk nonsense, I didn't sleep well last night."

  Dongfang Yu deliberately made a weird face: "What's going on? You're so young and already suffering from insomnia? Is it because Chen Jing called you and said she wouldn't care about you anymore, so you can't sleep?"

  I finally understood what Dongfang Yu meant, and I couldn't help but laugh: "What Chen Jing phone call? When did she ever call me? Stop guessing randomly, go help with breakfast quickly."

  Dongfang Yuleng smiled coldly and said: "I'm not going. I'm not hungry, if you're hungry, go make something yourself."

  I knew she was really angry, so I quickly thought of a way to persuade her: "Don't be like this, today is the first day of the new year, how can you be angry? You have to be happy, otherwise, you won't be happy all year round."

  People in the countryside attach great importance to the first day of the new year, and they must spend it happily and harmoniously, so that the whole family can live in harmony and happiness throughout the year.

  Dongfang Yu heard what I said and surprisingly didn't get angry anymore, turned around and went to help her mother make breakfast. However, when she left, she glared at me fiercely, as if I owed her tens of thousands of dollars and hadn't paid back yet.

  I sent off Dongfang Yu, and I secretly let out a sigh of relief. Just as I was about to go over and help, I saw Li Huanhuan walking over with sleepy eyes, and after seeing me, she said: "It's all your fault, you kept me awake all night."

  As soon as she said that, I quickly stepped forward and covered her mouth, hastily saying: "Can you keep your voice down? Do you want everyone to misunderstand?"

  Li Huanhuan was still half asleep, and in a daze, she pushed my hand away and said: "What's the big deal? What misunderstanding? We were just talking together last night, not sleeping together, what's so special about that?"

  I hastily covered her mouth again, afraid she would continue talking nonsense.

  Li Huanhuan suddenly pushed my hand away and shouted: "What are you doing? Are you trying to suffocate me?"

  Her loud cry immediately attracted the attention of many people. Dongfang Yu was the first to rush over, hastily asking: "What's wrong? What happened?"

  I was about to explain when Li Huanhuan already understood what had happened and said, "I was just playing a joke with Jin Cang, it's nothing."

  Dongfang Yu was very skeptical, but seeing me nodding in agreement, she didn't say anything else.

  Li Huanhuan also thought of something, and hurriedly pulled Dongfang Yu away, saying: "Yu'er, let's go help with breakfast, I'll make a signature dish for you to try later..."

  Dongfang Yu was dragged away by Li Huanhuan, and I was temporarily freed.