It's a pity, Lin Chuan didn't take the bait.

"Sigh..." Fang Yuan let out a sigh, her graceful figure silhouetted against the floor-to-ceiling window, she gazed at her indistinct reflection in the transparent glass. She felt a bit disappointed and frustrated. It seems that Lin Chuan is a tough person to deal with, I'm afraid it will take a lot of effort to handle him.

.........

Upon leaving Fang Yuan's apartment, Lin Chuan conveniently hailed a taxi and returned to Changlin Factory.

"Chuan, what time is it?" Back at home, Mrs. Lin got up to use the bathroom. Just in time to see Lin Chuan returning from outside.

The clock on the wall had already told her that it was past three in the morning.

"Mom, I had some things to take care of," Lin Chuan said with a smile.

"Look at you, reeking of alcohol," Mrs. Lin frowned, and said, "You went out drinking again, right? You're a grown man now, sigh, it's time you had a wife to keep you in line. By the way, Zhou Rui came looking for you tonight. Actually, I think that girl Zhou Rui is quite decent. If you really don't want to wait for Xiao Xi, you might as well..."

"Mom, go to sleep," Lin Chuan interrupted her quickly, saying, "I'm... I'm going to sleep too."

Having said that, Lin Chuan turned and entered his room.

Mrs. Lin looked at Lin Chuan's back, helplessly saying, "This child, it's really time for him to start a family, or he'll never understand the concept of having one."

On the twenty-eighth day of the lunar year, Mrs. Lin finally had a day off, she welcomed a day of rest. For the older generation, Chinese New Year is the most important festival of the year. The tradition of celebrating the New Year has, however, gradually faded among the younger generation.

Of course, this doesn't change the festive New Year atmosphere that comes around once a year.

Most of the people from Changlin Factory were on break, and many young people who returned from other places were roaming around. Some new faces were seen around Changlin Factory. Naturally, there were gatherings in the factory. Quite a few young people from Changlin Factory who had returned from the coastal cities went to seek advice from Zhou Kai, who they heard had made a fortune, eager with curiosity.

Of course, many others were busy purchasing New Year goods, walking on the pitted concrete roads of Changlin Factory, it was common to see uncles and aunties from the factory carrying New Year purchases, coming back from outside in high spirits. The kids, having received some pocket money, were buying fireworks and crackers in the factory's department store. Walking along the road, one could occasionally be startled by the explosion of a thrown firecracker.

When he woke up, Mrs. Lin had already made plans with a few friends to go shopping for New Year goods. On the table, there were a few sticks of fried dough, a cup of cold soy milk, and two meat buns left for him. After washing up, Lin Chuan quickly finished his breakfast.

He stepped out cheerfully, humming a tune, wandering around the factory with a cigarette in his mouth.

Before he knew it, he found himself at Nuo Xiaoxi's place. Perhaps because of the worry in his heart for her, Lin Chuan made his way over. Arriving at Nuo Xiaoxi's home, it was still that dim, half-brick-built flat with most of a makeshift shed built outside. On the far west side of the yard, lived some of the poorest families in Changlin Factory, and Nuo Xiaoxi's family was among them.

Cough cough...

A series of violent coughs came from the room.

"Mom, are you feeling any better?" Nuo Xiaoxi asked anxiously.

"I'm fine, really fine," the woman reassured her, "Go on, don't worry about me."

"Mom, you are so sick now, we should see a doctor," Nuo Xiaoxi was clearly worried.

"No need, we don't have the spare money," the woman shook her head, "Besides, haven't I always been this way when I'm ill? Hospitals can't cure me, and it's not like I'm going to die."

"Mom!" Nuo Xiaoxi's voice raised considerably, clearly pained by her mother's words.

"Alright, alright, I won't talk about it," the woman smiled calmly, "By the way, has Lin Chuan been treating you well? He hasn't bullied you, has he?"

"No!" Nuo Xiaoxi shook her head, shyly saying, "Brother Lin has always been really nice to me, he would never do anything untoward."

"That's good," the woman nodded, "I can see that Lin Chuan is a kind-hearted boy. I'm at ease entrusting you to him. Even if I'm gone, I won't worry too much. And I'll be able to meet up with your father on the other side."

This time, Nuo Xiaoxi didn't say anything.

Lin Chuan couldn't bear to listen any longer, and he quickly walked inside: "Xiao Xi."

"Brother Lin, why are you here?" Nuo Xiaoxi hurried out. She was still so plain, even though he had bought her a few nice dresses, she never seemed to wear them. He asked her several times, and each time, she said she would wear them for the New Year.

"How can you not take your mom to the hospital when she's this sick?" Lin Chuan reproached.

"Brother Lin, I... I..." Nuo Xiaoxi bit her red lip.

"Lin Chuan, you're here?" the woman's voice came.

"Auntie, look at you, let me take you to the hospital!" Lin Chuan hurriedly suggested.

"No need," the woman refused.

"It's necessary, you must go," Lin Chuan said firmly.

The woman couldn't outmatch Lin Chuan, and in the end, Lin Chuan personally drove her to the hospital. On the 28th of the lunar new year month, the hospital was still packed with people. The cold weather had many people with colds rushing to the hospital, others had scalds from hot water, and still more had injuries from firecrackers.

Nuo Xiaoxi's mother's condition was not optimistic; her complexion was gaunt and sallow, devoid of any signs of life. She was able to get out of bed and walk around when they first saw her, but now she hardly had the strength to get out of bed and walk. Lin Chuan supported her through all the examinations.

Finally, the examination results were out, and faced with those complex and intricate reports, Lin Chuan didn't understand much.

When all the test papers were handed to the doctor, the doctor was taken aback. With a grave expression, he thoroughly went through all the papers and then said, "You should take your mother out to sit for a bit, the air here is murky, which is not beneficial for the patient's recovery."

"Okay." Nuo Xiaoxi nodded innocently.

However, Lin Chuan immediately realized the gravity of the situation. After Nuo Xiaoxi helped her mother out, Lin Chuan spoke up, "Doctor, you can speak frankly. It seems the condition is not very hopeful, right?"

"Yes." The doctor nodded and said, "Looking at the current condition, it's very likely that the patient is in the late stages of liver cancer, and it's terminal."

"Is there any way to treat it?" Lin Chuan asked.

"The late stage has already missed the optimal timing for surgery." The doctor shook his head and said, "Let the patient eat whatever she wants, take good care of her. Ensure the best possible quality of life for the patient's last journey. Don't tell her about her condition, as it would also be a blow to her. Rather than that, let her depart peacefully."

"Okay." Lin Chuan nodded.

The doctor's advice was bad news for Lin Chuan, something Nuo Xiaoxi could not accept. And for Nuo Xiaoxi's mother, perhaps it was a form of release.

Coming out from the doctor's office, Lin Chuan's face didn't look too good.

"Brother Lin, what did the doctor say?" Nuo Xiaoxi asked anxiously.

"Well, it's not too bad." Lin Chuan smiled and said, "The doctor prescribed some medicine. After taking it for a few courses at home, there should be improvement."

"Really?" Nuo Xiaoxi asked excitedly.

"Yes." Lin Chuan nodded and smiled: "Really. Let's go, let's head back."

"Okay." Nuo Xiaoxi smiled slightly.

Back at home, Lin Chuan sat quietly at the door, smoking alone. He hesitated, wondering whether to tell Nuo Xiaoxi the news or to share the truth with her. If he didn't tell her, she wouldn't know the truth until after her mother passed away. But if he did tell her, how could her young heart bear it? Lin Chuan took a deep breath and stood up.

"Brother Lin, thank you." After Nuo Xiaoxi settled her mother, she came out.

"It's nothing." Lin Chuan smiled and said, "By the way, your family hasn't started purchasing the New Year goods yet, right? When are you going to buy them?"

"How about... Brother Lin, you take me there?" Nuo Xiaoxi asked with a smile.

"Sure." Lin Chuan nodded.

After that, Lin Chuan drove Nuo Xiaoxi to the city center which was already imbued with the spirit of the Spring Festival. The streets were a sea of red, with every street lamp sporting a red lantern, happy smiles radiating everywhere, and the streets brightly decorated in various colors. Everywhere played Liu Dehua's "Happy New Year" song and other festive songs that one could never tire of hearing.

Nuo Xiaoxi had been taking care of her mother these days, so she hadn't been out on the streets at all. Now that she was out, she was as excited as a spirited young deer.

"Brother Lin, there are so many people on the streets today." Nuo Xiaoxi exclaimed excitedly.

"Right, it's New Year's." Lin Chuan laughed and said.

"Yes, it's the New Year." Nuo Xiaoxi giggled: "I'm about to turn eighteen."

"You've come of age." Lin Chuan parked the car.

"Yes, about to come of age." Nuo Xiaoxi said shyly: "In another two years, I will reach the legal marriage age."

"Thinking of getting married?" Lin Chuan said laughingly.

"Not really." Nuo Xiaoxi bit her red lip and said, "I just want to marry Brother Lin."

"Silly girl." Lin Chuan wrapped his arm around her shoulders and said: "Let's go, it's time for shopping."

When they entered the supermarket, it was overflowing with people, and many of the New Year goods were sold out, prompting the supermarket staff to immediately restock. As items sold out, more were replenished. Nuo Xiaoxi picked some candies and fruits she liked and also bought some couplets...

Lin Chuan was on the side, helping to carry things.

After shopping around, although not spending much money, they had a lot of items.

Lin Chuan carried the goods and paid with a card. Nuo Xiaoxi didn't care at all, as she already considered herself Lin Chuan's fiancée, so naturally, she had fewer reservations about spending Lin Chuan's money.

Of course, Nuo Xiaoxi didn't only buy goods for herself but also purchased some for Lin Chuan's family. The total cost was over two thousand. For Lin Chuan, this amount of money didn't count for much. The income from the transport company and the market management in the past month was in the hundreds of thousands, half of which went into Lin Chuan's pocket, and no one had any objections. With hundreds of thousands in hand, spending money naturally didn't hurt.

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