Chapter 516: Chapter 312: Could This Be Comrade Li’s Assist?

The sun was setting and the sky was growing dark, casting a golden glow over the entire city.

Compared to the daytime, the New Year’s atmosphere seemed a little stronger at night.

The supermarkets and shopping malls were also much more crowded than usual.

Families with elderly members liked to buy everything in advance and start preparing dinner in the afternoon.

But some young people, whose holiday had just started today, would go to the supermarkets and malls to shop on the same day. Then they would cook a sumptuous feast, adding a sense of ceremony to the Lunar New Year.

At home, Shen Qingqiu groggily woke up on the couch. Her hair was a mess as she sat there, dazed for a good while before her mind cleared.

She stretched, revealing a sliver of her fair-skinned tummy.

Staring at the silent house, Shen Qingqiu’s eyes were filled with bewilderment.

For a moment, she didn’t know what to do.

She got up, put on her slippers, and walked to the balcony. She grabbed a small stool and sat down in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.

Shen Qingqiu rested her chin in one hand, watching the people pass by on the street below.

The cars on the road rushed to and fro, heading to their destinations.

There was a family of three, walking side by side...

A young couple walked with their arms linked, and she could even see the smiles on their faces.

It was the New Year.

All sorts of people, wearing all sorts of expressions, but they all shared the same destination: going home for the New Year.

Just like that, Shen Qingqiu watched quietly, her face blank. She was motionless, like a silent statue.

After an unknown amount of time, Shen Qingqiu stood up and opened the kitchen refrigerator.

She took out eggs, green vegetables, meat...

She hadn’t decided what to make for dinner yet, so she simply took out all the ingredients.

She wanted to cook everything, yet she wanted to cook nothing at all.

She stared at the ingredients for a long time but couldn’t decide what to make. Annoyed, she shoved everything back into the fridge and returned to the couch.

Then, she turned around, went to a shelf in the kitchen, and grabbed a packet of instant noodles.

She boiled water, opened the packet, and cooked the noodles. She couldn’t even be bothered to add an egg.

RING RING RING—

Just then, Shen Qingqiu’s phone rang. It was a video call from her aunt.

She turned off the stove, walked back to the living room, and answered the call.

"Auntie."

"Have you eaten dinner yet?"

"I just finished. I’m stuffed," Shen Qingqiu said with a smile.

For all these years, she had always been this way, only sharing good news and never the bad.

"Did you have dumplings?"

Shen Qingqiu was from the north, where eating dumplings for the New Year is a must.

"I did. I even made two different kinds of fillings."

"That’s just like you young people. You really don’t mind the trouble, making two kinds of fillings."

Shen Qingqiu’s aunt smiled so happily that her eyes crinkled into slits.

"You have work and couldn’t come home for the New Year. Now that I know you’ve eaten, I can stop worrying."

"I’m a grown-up now. You don’t have to worry about me. I’m fine."

"That kid Xiaojiang is a great guy. Now that he’s with you, I can really stop worrying. You two be good to each other. When you’re together, be considerate of one another. Date for a year or so, and if everything’s fine, get married soon. If you wait any longer, it might be difficult to have children."

"Auntie..." Shen Qingqiu whined playfully.

"Alright, alright, I’ll stop. As long as I know you’ve eaten, I can rest easy."

"Mhm, have you guys eaten?"

"It’s all ready. Your cousin is on his way. We’ll eat as soon as he gets back."

As she spoke, Shen Qingqiu’s aunt turned her camera to show the dining table at her home.

There were more than ten dishes in total, both meat and vegetarian, along with freshly boiled dumplings.

"The food looks pretty good, right? What did you guys have? Let your auntie see."

"I..."

Shen Qingqiu’s expression stiffened. "I was so focused on eating, I forgot to take any pictures."

"Fine, it’s okay if you didn’t. As long as you’re full, that’s better than anything."

Shen Qingqiu forced a smile and said, "Auntie, I have something to do, so I have to go now."

"Okay, okay, go on and get back to it."

After hanging up, she put her phone down on the table.

"Sigh..."

With a sigh, Shen Qingqiu stood up and went to the kitchen to continue cooking her noodles.

Her face was blank, and her body lacked any spirit. Lifeless was the perfect word to describe her.

A layer of mist clouded her limpid, autumn-water eyes.

Shen Qingqiu tilted her head, staring blankly at the noodles in the pot.

She had looked forward to this New Year for so long.

’I’ll bring Mom over during the holiday,’ she had thought, ’and we’ll live together from now on.’

But the New Year came, and her mother did not.

Large teardrops silently rolled down her cheeks.

The more Shen Qingqiu thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt, until she couldn’t stop the tears from falling.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK—

The sound of knocking was like an invisible pair of scissors, cutting off the stream of tears.

The noodles were ready. Wiping her tears, Shen Qingqiu turned off the stove and went to open the door.

But when she opened the door, she froze on the spot.

"Auntie..."

Standing outside were none other than Lin Jiang and Li Xiaoping.

"Don’t just stand there dazed. Be a little helpful, we’re carrying stuff," Lin Jiang called out with a smile.

"Oh, oh..."

Shen Qingqiu took the things from Li Xiaoping’s hands and welcomed them inside.

"Since you’re here by yourself, I bought you a few things. They’re all things you can use."

Li Xiaoping looked at Shen Qingqiu, her eyes full of affection, and said, "Have you eaten?"

"I... I have, Auntie..."

"The instant noodles aren’t even out of the pot. What did you eat?" Lin Jiang said, standing in the kitchen.

Shen Qingqiu’s expression was awkward. She stood there, too embarrassed to speak.

"It’s the New Year. Why are you eating instant noodles?" Li Xiaoping said.

"I wanted to invite you to spend the New Year with us, but you wouldn’t come, so I came to you. Let’s go now. Auntie will celebrate the New Year with you."

"Auntie..."

Li Xiaoping’s words struck a sensitive nerve in Shen Qingqiu.

The tears she had just managed to stop started streaming down her face again.

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