Free Web NovelChapter 283: Chapter 283: I’ll Hold You
That evening, they reheated the dishes and boiled some dumplings. After eating, Gu’er and the others said they were heading to the Sun Family’s house.
"Why don’t you all stay and watch the Spring Festival Gala here? You can head back after it’s over. If it gets late, Gu’er, you all can sleep over. There’s room for Jiaming and Xiao Zheng."
Chen Fengjiao urged them to stay.
"No, it’s okay. We already promised Grandma we’d go over tonight. My dad is coming back tomorrow, so I’ll come over again then."
Gu’er didn’t want to stay any longer. She had been careful all day not to give Chen Fengjiao a chance to speak with Sun Jiaming alone.
"Alright, then I won’t keep you. Be careful on your way. Gu’er, make sure you bundle up, it’s cold at night. Jiaming, why don’t you come along tomorrow too? You can have a couple of drinks with your Uncle Lin."
Chen Fengjiao invited Sun Jiaming.
"Okay. Don’t see us out, Auntie. We’re leaving now."
Sun Jiaming nodded in agreement.
They walked back. They hadn’t taken the motorcycle earlier because the roads were very slippery. Gu’er had been worried it was too dangerous; a fall would be no laughing matter. Now, she didn’t feel like taking a car either, so she preferred to walk with Sun Jiaming.
"What did your mom say to you?"
Sun Jiaming took one of Gu’er’s hands in his. He was afraid she might step on a patch of ice, and this way, he could catch her if she slipped.
"She wants me to talk to Li Zhi and set Sui’er up with him."
Gu’er didn’t hide anything; there was no reason to.
Sun Jiaming glanced at Gu’er.
"I mean, Sui’er is only sixteen! Yes, in some villages, girls get married in their teens, but this isn’t some remote village. She’s still underage. Nowadays, that’s considered dating too young. I have no idea what my mom is thinking. She even said that if the Li Family agrees, she wants Li Zhi to wait a few years for Sui’er. Let’s not even get into how Li Zhi doesn’t like Sui’er. Even if he did, who knows what would happen a few years down the line? Besides, you know what Sui’er is like. She and Li Zhi are not a good match at all. When I said I wouldn’t do it, my mom actually said... Ugh, it makes me so angry!"
Gu’er couldn’t help but feel a little resentful.
"Alright, don’t be angry. Your mom didn’t mean it like that. As long as I know you’re not that kind of person, that’s all that matters. Don’t take it to heart."
Sun Jiaming patted Gu’er’s shoulder, a pained look in his eyes. ’That mother of hers is really something,’ he thought. ’To say something like that to Gu’er just for her younger daughter’s sake... Gu’er is her own flesh and blood, and so filial. With Lin Shan away, Gu’er is always coming back to visit, and she even prepared and delivered all their New Year’s supplies well in advance. What more could Chen Fengjiao want? She’s so obviously biased. Thank goodness Uncle Lin is a good man.’
’No one’s perfect, I guess. It seems like every family is stuck with one or two difficult relatives. I just hope she changes her ways in the future, or Gu’er will have a lot to deal with.’
"Yeah, I know. It’s just... it hurt a little at that moment. She’s my mom, so I can’t really say anything back."
Gu’er nodded. She knew Sun Jiaming trusted her and wouldn’t doubt her, and she truly had no ulterior motives. But hearing those words from her own mother... ’Who wouldn’t be upset?’ she thought.
"Hey, don’t think about it anymore. Are you cold?"
Sun Jiaming asked.
"What if I am?" Gu’er retorted.
Gu’er shot back. They were both wearing thick down jackets, but the temperature at night was around thirty degrees below zero—cold enough to chill you to the bone in an instant. It was definitely cold.
"If you’re cold, I can put my arm around you."
Sun Jiaming said in a low voice, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Gu’er’s cheeks flushed. ’This guy is getting bolder and bolder with me.’
"I don’t need you to hold me."
Her face turned beet red as soon as the words left her mouth.
"Fine, I won’t. So why are you blushing?"
Sun Jiaming asked, deliberately teasing her.
"It’s from the cold."
Gu’er refused to admit it.
"Well, the ’cold’ looks very pretty on you. I love seeing you like this, Gu’er."
As he spoke, Sun Jiaming leaned down and gently pecked Gu’er on the cheek.
"Someone might see!"
Gu’er pushed him away. ’We’re on a public street! It might not be a big deal, but if someone saw us, I’d die of embarrassment.’
"It’s fine. I already checked, there’s no one around. Come on, let’s go back."
Sun Jiaming knew she was just being shy, so he gently put his arm around her, and they continued on their way.
By the time they reached the Sun Family’s home, half an hour had passed. Nestled in Sun Jiaming’s arms, Gu’er hadn’t felt the cold too badly. ’Maybe it’s because my heart feels warm,’ she thought.
The Sun Family’s house was bustling with people. Besides Grandma Sun and Li Hua, Uncle Zhao and his whole family were there too.
Seeing them return, Aunt Zhao quickly asked if they wanted any dumplings. Gu’er and Sun Jiaming shook their heads; they were still full from dinner.
After chatting for a while, everyone gathered to watch the Spring Festival Gala.
The Gala from this era featured many celebrities, some of whom were just starting to become well-known. Gu’er noticed that many stars who would later become hugely famous still looked so young and inexperienced.
"Her singing is beautiful. What’s this song called?"
Aunt Zhao asked while cracking sunflower seeds.
"Dedication of Love."
Gu’er supplied the title, feeling a wave of nostalgia. ’It’s such an old song, but it’s still so beautiful to listen to now.’ Earlier, she’d also seen the Little Tigers. ’Such fresh-faced young men.’
"That comedy sketch earlier was hilarious too. The bald guy was really funny."
Grandma Sun chimed in with her opinion. As she spoke, Aunt Zhao handed her a partially thawed frozen pear. Gu’er quickly intercepted it, saying, "Grandma, you shouldn’t eat this. Frozen things are hard on the stomach, especially at night. I’m worried it will upset you."
"Alright, then I won’t eat it."
Grandma Sun nodded.
"I just saw that we were all eating and she couldn’t have anything, so I wanted to give her a frozen pear. I forgot her stomach is sensitive," Aunt Zhao explained.
"It’s alright, don’t worry. It’s not your fault." frёewebηovel.cѳm
Grandma Sun said, not wanting her to feel bad.
"That’s right, Aunt Zhao, we all know you had good intentions," Gu’er said, pointing at the TV. "Quick, look! Zhao Lirong is on! Her sketches are hilarious too."
"Oh, it’s an old lady! Can old ladies perform at the Gala?"
Grandma Sun said, having spotted Zhao Lirong on screen.
"Why not? Zhao Lirong is a fantastic performer."
Gu’er remarked with a sigh. ’Later on, it became impossible to see new performances from her.’ She thought that all the sketches Zhao Lirong had performed in her lifetime were genuinely brilliant. ’Even though these skits are old now, they’re timeless. Performers like Chen Peisi and Zhu Shimao, Ma Ji, Feng Gong, Huang Hong, and Song Dandan... they all had real substance.’
"That old lady is a really good performer," everyone commented as they watched.
Gu’er chimed in with agreement. In the meantime, she ate a frozen pear and a few crabapples. When she reached for a frozen persimmon, Sun Jiaming intercepted it with a smile. He whispered, "Why don’t you have the persimmon tomorrow? I don’t want you to get a stomachache."
Sun Jiaming’s voice was low, but a few people still heard him and chuckled. Gu’er felt a little embarrassed but nodded. It was true that her stomach was weak; back when she was with the Zhou family, her meals had been so irregular it would have been a miracle if her digestion was fine. Sun Jiaming was just looking out for her, and she wasn’t going to be unappreciative.
And so they watched the Gala, snacking and chatting, and in the blink of an eye, it was midnight.
At eleven-thirty, Aunt Zhao had put the dumplings on to boil. The moment the clock struck twelve, she called out for everyone to come eat.
Everyone started exchanging New Year’s greetings. Gu’er gave a red envelope each to Grandma Sun and Li Hua, and before they could refuse, she also gave lucky money to Aunt Zhao’s children.
Eating steaming hot dumplings, New Year’s Eve passed by just like that.
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