Free Web NovelChapter 402: Chapter 277: New Year’s Eve
December 31st, the last day of the old year, the calendar is about to turn to the Dawn 153rd Year.
On this night of saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new, pure white messengers arrived, with snowflakes fluttering in the sky and gradually covering the city, dressing it in silver and white.
Against the backdrop of flying snow, the street lights were brighter, and the warm yellow light from each household’s windows softly glowed on the snow, casting a faint golden halo.
Pedestrians, dressed in heavy winter clothes, walked joyfully through the silver streets, children built snowmen and had snowball fights in the snow, chasing each other with the delightful aroma of New Year’s Eve dinners wafting from every home.
On New Year’s Eve, noise and warmth intertwined, it was both a farewell to the past year and a time for people to welcome the new year with beautiful visions.
In a neighborhood in the High-Tech Park, the lights of a small convenience store were on, illuminating an old grandma sitting on a wooden chair knitting a sweater.
The old lady’s last name was Zheng, she was in her sixties. Her husband died early, and her daughter passed away from illness a few years ago, leaving her lonely in her later years.
But on this night of reunion, she wasn’t lonely at all. She listened to the sound of cooking from the kitchen while knitting a sweater and smiling.
In the kitchen, Nuobai stood in front of the stove wearing an apron, stirring the ingredients in the pan with a spatula, creating sizzling sounds from the vegetables and meat as smoke rose.
Her cooking skills were very proficient. After stir-frying a dish, she plated it and then moved to a wooden counter to cut vegetables, each slice neatly and precisely before sliding them into the pot to cook.
Celery beef stir-fry, braised fish, stir-fried lettuce, sweet and sour ribs... each dish emerged, and the entire small room was filled with a rich fragrance.
Nuobai placed the dishes on the table, and Grandma Zheng put down her finished sweater, coming over with a kindly smile: "Oh my, it smells so good, Bai Yatou’s cooking skills get better and better."
Nuobai took out her phone, smiling as she typed:
[Grandma Zheng taught me well]
"Hahaha, Bai Yatou’s always had such a sweet mouth." Grandma Zheng said shakily, walking toward the rice cooker, "The rice should be done too, come, let Grandma serve you some rice."
Nuobai quickly went over to support Grandma Zheng, gesturing for her to sit down, then pointed to herself.
"Alright, alright, you do it," Grandma Zheng smiled, filled with happiness as she sat down.
Nuobai served two bowls of rice, both eating the New Year’s Eve dinner while chatting with Grandma Zheng through typing.
Grandma Zheng reflected, "Watching you cook in the kitchen today reminded me of when you first moved here, still a shy little girl, and now you’ve grown into a fine young lady."
"Time flies, it’s been years now. I really need to thank you for coming over to keep this old lady company for New Year’s Eve every year."
Nuobai smiled, typing:
[I have no one at home during the New Year, it’s perfect to keep you company]
Grandma Zheng curiously asked, "Hey, you never really told me what you did before. Why did you quit your job to watch my store this year?"
Nuobai helped Grandma Zheng with a few pieces of braised pork, accidentally dropping one piece on the table, which she shrugged off into her bowl, then typed: freewebnσvel.cøm
[I used to work outside for others, traveling frequently]
[It was too exhausting, I wanted a more relaxing life]
[You happened to need an extra hand here, and it was close to home, so I quit and came here]
"Oh, working outside before, huh..." Grandma Zheng nodded thoughtfully, suddenly remembering something and asking, "Hey, isn’t there a type of person called a... mercenary in our city?"
"Bai Yatou, I heard New Moon City’s mercenaries are causing quite a stir, and outsiders call us the Mercenary City... Did you ever encounter them when you were working outside?"
Nuobai held back a chuckle, typing:
[Mercenaries? Not really familiar]
[I’m well-behaved and won’t mess with those scary people]
Grandma Zheng reassuredly said, "That’s good then, we’re just ordinary citizens, we shouldn’t get involved in those violent matters."
"You may not be working outside anymore, but always be cautious when you go out. If you encounter bad people, just give way, the most important thing is your safety, understand?"
Nuobai obediently nodded.
Grandma Zheng mixed East Slope Pork sauce with her rice, another thought crossing her mind, she asked, "Oh, I’m getting forgetful, Bai Yatou, how old are you this year?"
Nuobai typed:
[21 years old]
[And I’ll be 22 after the new year]
Grandma Zheng mumbled, "Oh... 22, still very young, but it’s also time to think about settling down."
Nuobai almost choked on her rice, unable to help but type laughingly:
[Isn’t that way too early!]
Grandma Zheng earnestly rambled, "Hey! It’s not early! Grandma’s telling you, getting married isn’t something to rush into because rushing might get you into trouble with bad men, but you can’t delay it either!"
"You should start getting in touch with boys around you early, the earlier you get to know them, the better you’ll see what kind of people they really are."
"When you find someone suitable, don’t hesitate. It’s okay for girls to be a bit proactive. If you hem and haw, the good guys will be snatched away!"
Seeing Nuobai sheepishly rubbing the back of her head, Grandma Zheng curiously asked, "Bai Yatou, have you ever met a boy you fancy as you’ve grown up?"
Previously, Nuobai struggled in the mire of life, then joined the mercenaries, each day traversing through fire and warfare.
The men she met were mostly lofty employers and intermediaries, partners who parted ways after missions, or enemies who fell by the sword.
Not to mention a romantic interest, even the word ’emotion’ was a luxury beyond her reach in such a blood-licking lifestyle.
Now, after her retirement, she is far from her past life of conflict and noise, returning to a normal life.
When Grandma Zheng brought up the topic, a figure unexpectedly flashed in Nuobai’s mind.
It was entirely instinctual, so much so that when she jolted back to reality, she had to ask herself internally: Why did I think of him?
"Ding dong." At that moment, a text message interrupted Nuobai’s thoughts.
She picked up her phone to look.
It was a picture message from Su Mo.
It was a selfie-stick taken photo, facing a large dining table laden with sumptuous food and drinks.
Su Mo was looking at the camera, laughing with a peace sign.
Qi Ling leaned over Su Mo’s back, resting her head on his shoulder, smiling sweetly.
Dongdong and KK flanked them on either side, making comical faces.
Chu Nanyi had his shirt off, playfully showing off his muscles.
Future was being tackled by a black Labrador, enduring a face-licking attack.
The camera captured this lively scene, filled with happiness.
Below the photo, Su Mo sent two lines of text:
[Happy New Year, Nuobai!]
[We wish you were here too]
Seeing that warm scene, Nuobai couldn’t help but feel a little lost, some corner of her heart stirring.
Her fingers hovered unconsciously over the keys.
When she suddenly snapped back to reality, she found she had unknowingly typed in the input box:
[I wish so too]
