Free Web NovelChapter 62: Chapter 62: Fairer Than the Flowers
In an era with relatively few cultural activities, open-air movies were the main form of entertainment in the countryside and were immensely popular.
Whenever news of a movie screening spread, people would gather in groups, bringing their children along, and travel several kilometers—sometimes even more than ten—to watch. Each open-air movie was a grand occasion for the village.
"Mommy, let’s go to the movie too," Little Tang Mo said, beside himself with excitement.
"Okay," Su Li agreed readily.
Little Tang Mo’s face broke into a smile, and he called out in delight to the person ahead of them, "Brother Gousheng."
"Momo, hurry home and grab a stool to save a seat!"
Gousheng, who was a little older than Little Tang Mo, shouted once and then vanished in a flash.
When it came to open-air movies, bringing a small stool to save a spot was of the utmost importance.
Little Tang Mo grew anxious when he heard that. "Mommy, let’s hurry home and get our stools to save seats!"
With that, he grabbed Su Li’s hand and started running home.
The news of a movie sent a ripple of excitement through Xinghua Village. Every household bustled with activity, cooking and eating dinner. The commotion was comparable to a holiday celebration.
Little Tang Mo had wanted to grab his small stool to save a seat, but unfortunately, dinner was ready by the time they got home. That plan had to be put on hold.
Thanks to the movie, the elaborate tofu feast Tang Yuanxiao had prepared that evening was all but wasted. Little Tang Mo, desperate to see the film, just gobbled down his food.
As soon as they finished eating, Mrs. Tang waved them off.
"You all go on and watch the movie. I’ll take care of cleaning up here."
"Aren’t you going, Grandma?" Little Tang Mo asked.
"I’ll skip it. You guys go on," Mrs. Tang said with a warm smile. "Tangyuan, you take good care of Momo and Su Li. Don’t let them get trampled in the crowd."
"Okay," Tang Yuanxiao nodded.
"You’re going too?" Su Li frowned, looking at Tang Yuanxiao as he stood up.
"Of course," Tang Yuanxiao replied, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Su Li: "..."
’She had no desire to go to the movie with Tang Yuanxiao whatsoever.’
"Little Mo, maybe I should just—" Su Li began to tell Little Tang Mo that she wasn’t going, but she had barely started speaking when Tang Yuanxiao strode forward, suddenly scooped up Little Tang Mo, and set him on his shoulders.
"Whoa!" Little Tang Mo cried out in surprise, hugging Tang Yuanxiao’s head tightly and bursting into giggles.
"Let’s go." Tang Yuanxiao walked out with brisk, powerful strides.
"Mommy, come on!" Little Tang Mo only had time to shout that one thing before Tang Yuanxiao carried him out of sight, leaving Su Li standing there, utterly bewildered.
"Tang Yuanxiao, you played dirty!"
’How had she never realized Tang Yuanxiao was so sly? He didn’t even let her finish her sentence!’
Su Li was just about to decide against going when Little Tangyuan’s laughter drifted back from outside the courtyard gate. "Mommy, hurry up!"
Su Li: "..." ’That sly Tang Yuanxiao obviously ran back.’
"Mommy, Mommy, why haven’t you come out yet?"
Little Tang Mo called out nonstop, and from the kitchen, Mrs. Tang urged her on as well. Su Li had no choice but to reply, "Coming!"
"Mommy, hurry! Ah... a little slower, Daddy, slower..." Outside, Little Tang Mo got so excited he even called him "Daddy."
"Daddy, I’m scared..." As Su Li stepped out of the courtyard, she saw Little Tang Mo clutching Tang Yuanxiao’s head, shouting and laughing.
’He didn’t look scared at all,’ Su Li thought, seeing only his excitement.
Tang Yuanxiao’s steps faltered the moment he saw Su Li.
"Hold on tight," Tang Yuanxiao said, patting Little Tang Mo’s leg, his face wreathed in a smile.
’Little Tang Mo had called him Daddy. How could he not be happy?’
Su Li stared at Tang Yuanxiao’s smiling face, a little stunned.
’This was the first time she had ever seen such a radiant smile on Tang Yuanxiao’s face.’
’In her past life, the Tang Yuanxiao in her memory had always been stone-faced. The lines of his frown were etched between his brows like carvings, as if he’d forgotten how to smile. The one time he’d smiled at Tang Mo, right before he died, it had been so stiff it looked worse than crying.’
’She had known Tang Yuanxiao for two lifetimes, yet this was the first time she had seen him smile so radiantly and purely. It was a little dopey, but so genuine.’
Su Li stared blankly at Tang Yuanxiao.
Feeling a little uncomfortable under her gaze, Tang Yuanxiao cleared his throat. "Let’s go."
He waited for Su Li to draw near before walking beside her toward the threshing ground.
Behind them, Qin Shanshan, her eyes and nose red and swollen from crying, opened her door. She watched their backs for a moment, and after some hesitation, she couldn’t stop herself from secretly trailing after them.
It was still relatively early, but by the time Su Li’s group arrived, the threshing ground was already swarming with people. It wasn’t just villagers from Xinghua Village; people from neighboring villages had also come to see the movie.
The good spots up front were all taken, so they had to stand and watch from the back.
With his tall and straight posture, Tang Yuanxiao stood out in the crowd. People had been greeting him all along the way, and he was even more popular here at the threshing ground.
Everyone was friendly, and Tang Yuanxiao responded in kind, creating a lively atmosphere.
Su Li stood off to the side, looking detached. If someone spoke to her, she would offer a brief reply—polite, but with no real warmth.
’She had no desire to socialize with the people of Xinghua Village, but unfortunately... it was clear they felt differently.’
A crowd quickly gathered around Tang Yuanxiao and Su Li. Once the men had exchanged their greetings and fallen quiet, the women moved in.
With Little Tang Mo calling out "Daddy" and "Mommy," the three of them standing together made for a truly heartwarming sight.
Su Li and Tang Yuanxiao’s plan to divorce was a secret—not even Mrs. Tang knew, let alone the rest of the village. So, when the women saw Tang Yuanxiao and Little Tang Mo in their sweaters, their eyes lit up, and they started to tease them.
"I remember you have a green sweater too, Su Li. Why aren’t you wearing it? It would be so lovely for the three of you to wear them as a family."
Su Li: "..."
’Just the mention of sweaters made her want to spit blood.’
"Hey, Tangyuan, you like that sweater your wife knitted for you, don’t you? It’s one of a kind in our village; no one else has that skill."
"You two are doing so well as a couple..."
They teased and expressed their envy, bursting into laughter from time to time, clearly enjoying themselves.
Su Li didn’t want to listen to any more of it. Just as she was about to say she was heading back, cries of joyful surprise erupted from the crowd ahead. free𝑤ebnovel.com
The movie was starting.
"Mommy," Little Tang Mo said excitedly, tugging on Su Li’s hand.
"Mhm, go ahead and watch." Seeing that the women had fallen silent, Su Li swallowed the words she had been about to say.
The opening credits had just begun to roll, but the entire threshing ground fell silent. Everyone stared, transfixed, at the movie screen, their eyes unblinking.
For them, the film was endlessly captivating. But for Su Li, who had been bombarded by the television, movies, and internet of a future era, it held far less appeal. She wasn’t watching the movie; she was watching for the nostalgia.
So her gaze drifted to the horizon. The sun had set, and the sky was filled with fiery clouds.
The clouds looked as if they were ablaze, a stunning spectacle of crimson and gold. It was breathtakingly beautiful.
A sight like this was nothing special to the people of this era; they took it for granted. But to Su Li, who hadn’t seen it in a very long time, it was a precious rarity.
While everyone else was absorbed in the movie, she was absorbed in the fiery sunset, a smile unknowingly gracing her lips.
The evening breeze blew gently, gusting now and then, sending plum blossom petals from the edge of the threshing ground fluttering through the air.
A fiery sunset and a sky full of fluttering plum blossoms. It was an incredibly beautiful sight.
’A view like this belongs only in the heavens...’ Su Li tilted her head back, unwilling to even blink.
She was so captivated by the scenery she couldn’t bear to look away, unaware that she herself had become part of the scenery for someone else.
At some point, Tang Yuanxiao had turned his head and was now gazing at Su Li.
Amid the shower of blossoms, Su Li’s face seemed to be gilded with light, making her unbelievably lovely...
The flowers were lovely, but she was lovelier still.
Tang Yuanxiao found himself staring, completely mesmerized. The beating in his chest grew heavy, then quickened, one beat faster than the last...
