Epiphanies of Rebirth Chapter 68 (Part 3)
Translated by Pure (ko-fi)
Chapter 68.3 Happy New Year
Lin Runsheng paced around the room, looking at the phone from time to time. Soon, he could not hold himself back and made another to his wife, Shen Juuying, "Can you call Jingzhe?"
Shen Juanying was helping the chief by spreading out the plates. When she heard him speak, she looked at her husband with an indifferent expression and replied, "I'll say it again, you must make this call yourself."
Lin Runsheng frowned and his eyebrows scrunched together tightly. There was a strong feeling of anxiety and fear in his heart– What was he supposed to say when the call connects?
Would Jingzhe be willing to come to their house for the New Year's Eve dinner? He didn't call them all day… Was this a tactful rejection? Lin Runsheng was worried that his thoughtless actions may anger his son. Therefore, even though he wanted to make the move several times, it was suppressed by the hesitation in his heart.
Shen Tiantian, who was sitting on the sofa, was so frightened by his scowling face that she didn’t even dare to breathe. When the doorbell rang, she took this opportunity to leave the suffocating living room to open the door. The cold wind hit her face as soon as the door was opened from the inside. Before she could see who was outside the house, something hot was stuffed into her mouth.
Subconsciously, she chewed two mouthfuls– the delicious stuffing of the dumplings filled her mouth. Before she could even express her happy taste buds, an unexpected face appeared in her line of sight. Shen Tiantian's eyes lit up immediately, she rushed forward, and hugged the other's arm. "Big brother!"
Lin Jingzhe pinched her cheek. "Happy New Year."
"Happy New Year!" Shen Tiantian completely forgot to close the door as she pulled Lin Jingzhe into the house. "Come in, big brother! You are covered in snow, don’t freeze yourself!"
Lin Jingzhe staggered from her pull and took a second to steady himself. He stuffed the two thermos boxes into the arms of the girl who was holding him. "I’m not staying, I'm just here to bring you something."
Shen Tiantian was stunned and immediately looked back at the room at a loss. Lin Runsheng and Shen Juanying had already run out to see him, they were equally surprised to see Lin Jingzhe.
Shen Juanying stepped forward, wanting to hold him in. "You’re already at our house, so let’s have dinner together. You aren’t allowed to leave!"
Lin Runsheng also expressed discontent on his face. "It’s snowing heavily outside, where else could you go?"
Lin Jingzhe showed a helpless expression from their enthusiastic besiegement, but his attitude remained firm. He smiled and confessed, "It's really impossible, they’re waiting for me to come back for dinner."
Seeing his earnest yet unyielding attitude, Shen Juanyin’s action of trying to hold onto Lin Jingzhe lightened. With this chance, Lin Jingzhe took the opportunity to slip away. "I’m leaving now! I will come to see you all again after the new years. Happy New Year!"
Lin Runsheng sighed while Shen Juanying had no choice but to compromise. She hurriedly ordered the chief to pack some dishes, and then took out a red envelope and stuffed it into Lin Jingzhe's pocket. "Happy New Year! We wish you great luck, great profit! Stay safe and be sure to come back for dinner tomorrow! Your dad and I won't go anywhere! We won't go out to see anyone and just wait for you at home."
After watching Lin Jingzhe leave, Lin Runsheng, who had not spoken much, flattened his lips.
Shen Juanying patted his back to comfort him, "Okay okay! What else do you want? Jingzhe personally came to send his New Year's greetings, what can you be dissatisfied with!?"
Lin Runsheng aggrievedly opened the thermos, glanced inside, and took out a single dumpling.
The dumpling did not look like a dumpling at all; the shape was weird and had patches all over, as if they were carelessly thrown into boiling water after being shaped by bear's paws.
"This dumpling is really ugly." He carefully stuffed this dumpling into his mouth and chewed it with care. After swallowing, Lin Runsheng said slowly yet firmly, "It was definitely not made by Jingzhe."
Shen Tiantian pursed her lips and sent Lin Jingzhe to the driveway. She was still grumbling, "Why can’t you stay here for dinner? I already told my friend to come and see you at home."
Lin Jingzhe didn't expect that she had plans to introduce himself to her friends, so he laughed at the unexpected news. He then gently pinched her pouting mouth and said, "Next time! Next time I free out a whole day and take you out to play."
Shen Tiantian’s unhappy face did not change even after he had made some concessions. When Lin Jingzhe got into his car, she waved her hand slightly and bid farewell obediently, "Bye, big brother."
"It's cold outside, you should go inside now."
He then immediately drove into a certain community.
When his car was about to enter Xiao House’s courtyard, another car was driving the other way in midst of the wind and snow. That car quickly stopped at a certain distance, and Xiao Chi got out from inside, his eyes filled with surprise.
Lin Jingzhe got out of the car with the thermos boxes in his arms, and ran to him in a hurry against the heavy snow. "It’s already so late, where are you going?"
Xiao Chi opened his mouth to answer when he noticed two thermos boxes in his hand. A joyous laugh resonated from his lips as he reached out his hand and dragged him into the house.
The unique aroma of the Xiao Family mixed with the heating came rushing towards their faces. When she heard the door open, the busy Yu Shuyuan peeked outwards. Seeing that it was her son, she immediately asked loudly, "Didn't you say you wanted to send dumplings to Jingzhe? Did you forget something?"
Lin Jingzhe followed behind to enter the door, and was slightly taken aback when he heard her words. Xiao Chi's deep voice soon rang out in front of him, "Jingzhe is here."
"Wow!"
Xiao Chi's parents ran out together; Yu Shuyuan was wearing the dress Lin Jingzhe had bought for her. When she saw Lin Jingzhe and the thermos in Lin Jingzhe's arms, she couldn't help laughing. "You child! What are you running around for on such a cold day?!"
It took a couple of moments for Lin Jingzhe to wake up from his initial surprise. He glanced at Xiao Chi, who had a serious face, and quietly held his hand as he replied with a smile, "I was nearby, so I wanted to drop by and give my new years greeting. Happy New Year!"
Xiao Chi's fiery fingers intertwined with his, and turned his head to stare at him, "Your hands are freezing."
Yu Shuyuan was helpless at his willful actions."Happy New Year. Why are you wearing so little! Come in quickly."
The old lady came out of the Buddhist hall with a smile when she heard Lin Jingzhe's voice. She put a red string over his head. "Amitabha, you naughty child. I have been waiting for you all day."
Lin Jingzhe looked down, only to see an amulet hanging at the end of the red string.
This amulet looked handmade and each stitch looked uneven. Xiao Chi pulled out a similar looking amulet from his sweater. He explained to him, "Everyone in the family has one."
Everyone in the family.
Lin Jingzhe pursed his lips and laughed, "Thank you Grandma."
The old lady had already opened the insulated box he brought. She took out a bun to eat and smiled at him while chewing, "Delicious."
Xiao Shenxing, who was standing beside them, sighed. "The food’s almost ready. Don’t just stand by the door, come in quickly."
With his newfound experience of declining family dinner invitations, Lin Jingzhe just smiled and stated, "My family is still waiting for me."
Xiao Chi could hear that he was not just giving a random excuse, so before his mother continued to persuade, he said, "Then I'll see you off."
Mother Xiao could only pack a few dishes for Lin Jingzhe to take away. She looked at the backs of the two people going out and said to her husband with a helpless expression, "These two children are really..."
Just a moment ago, Xiao Chi packed a box of dumplings and said that he would send them to Lin Jingzhe. His gestures confused Mother Xiao, but she didn't expect Lin Jingzhe would arrive as soon as her son went out.
Sure enough these young lovers had a hard time parting. The two secretly held hands at the gate, thinking that the elders couldn't see it, causing Yu Shuyuan to feel endlessly embarrassed.
Father Xiao humphed; he never expected to be rejected by Lin Jingzhe. He had originally planned to introduce him to the guests who would come to pay New Year's greetings later.
Xiao Chi took Lin Jingzhe's hand and sent him to the car parked outside the courtyard. The two held each other's hands, reluctant to part. In the dimly lit night, their silhouettes became entangled, like an inextricable ball of wool.
Lin Jingzhe said softly, "Happy New Year."
Xiao Chi leaned forward, he didn't kiss him, but lightly touched his forehead with his.
"Happy New Year."
Lin Jingzhe drove much slower after he departed from the Xiao Family’s house. His next destination was the Fang Family's house– the food he brought included a portion for Elder Fang.
Fang Wenhao's parents were also at home during the New Year. After listening to the old man's introduction, did they realize that the batch of priceless antiques were actually donated by such a young man. Their attitudes were hospitable and courteous, generously giving him a rather thick red envelope and plenty of take out dishes. When Lin Jingzhe left, they even personally went out to see him off.
Finally, after delivering all the presents, Lin Jingzhe's car slowly drove towards home. In the darkness of the night, with only the headlights of the cars passing by would highlight the falling snowflakes dancing and fluttering from the sky, the sight almost too beautiful to behold.
A brisk song was playing on the car stereo, and Lin Jingzhe happily sang along. He looked straight ahead, unbothered by the occasional passing cars on the other side of the road.
"Wait!" Shi Nanxing, who was finally discharged from hospital on New Year's Eve, was sitting in a taxi driving to his family’s house. He stopped the driver suddenly, and then leaned on the car window to look out. He squinted his eyes, trying to use the minimal lighting outside to make out the car that just passed by. The more he looked, the more familiar it looked. "Isn’t that Lin Jingzhe's car?!"
"It seems to be." Qi Kai leaned on the rear window and took a look, "What is he doing here during the Lunar New Year?"
Could it be that he came to see Xiao Family? Hahahahaha! Shi Nanxing pondered this possibility, thinking this reason was a very likely one!
Shi Nanxing opened the car door with a sullen face and got out, using the headlights to analyze the traces of Lin Jingzhe's tires on the snow. However, there has been quite a lot of traffic in this area recently, so it took some time before he could barely make out a relatively fresh track.
From the direction Lin Jingzhe drove from, it stretched all the way to Fang Family’s House.
It turned out to be the Fang Family! He was taking advantage of New Year's Eve to bootlick, huh?
Shi Nanxing found out the truth and couldn't help showing a contemptuous expression on his face. He straightened up quite disdainfully and coldly snorted in the direction where Lin Jingzhe left.
Qi Kai was still in the dark, so he could only poked his head out and warned, "Uncle, why are you getting out of the car? It's so cold outside, your legs haven't recovered yet, be careful not to fall—"
Before he could finish his words, Shi Nanxing, who was walking back towards the car, slipped. The sudden fall caused his head to feel very dizzy.
Boom–—
It was a full fledged fall, surprising everyone at the scene.
Not long after, a loud cry broke through the sky and pierced into the night. Lin Runsheng, who was eating the dumplings brought by Lin Jingzhe, raised his head and looked out in the dark in surprise——
"What was that?"
Shen Juanying could only answer to the best of her abilities, "I don't know, maybe another house is slaughtering live chicken?"
As soon as Lin Jingzhe arrived home, his mobile phone rang. Xiao Chi's gentle voice was like a warm lamp in winter, "Did you arrive back safely?"
"Yes." Lin Jingzhe took off his coat with Hu Yu's help, and carried the thermos boxes of food he had received from the various families to the dining room. While listening to Xiao Chi’s breathing, Lin Jingzhe could hear some other noises in the background, so he asked, "Are there guests in the house?"
"Mhmm." Xiao Chi answered, "My uncles, my aunts, and a few other relatives."
An unfamiliar female voice in the background teasingly asked, "Oh~, who is Xiao Chi calling right now? What a gentle expression..."
Xiao Chi paid her no heed, and then Lin Jingzhe heard Yu Shuyuan ask, "Is he back?"
Xiao Chi answered his mother and Yu Shuyuan urged, "Tell Little Lin to quickly drink the hot soup we gave him. Really that child… It's so cold outside yet he was wearing so little."
Then Mother Xiao seemed to answer the question from the female voice just now, "Xiao Chi is calling his partner, that child just left after giving us some dumplings. Don't care about them! Let them chat by themselves, we can go eat first..."
Xiao Chi seemed to have left the brustling area, and the phone gradually became quiet. He then chatted with Lin Jingzhe, unwilling to hang up.
After their call ended, Lin Jingzhe fell into a daze. He took out the red envelope that Shen Juanying had stuffed into him just now from his pocket. After staring at the words ‘Peace and Joy’ printed on the red envelope, he sighed softly.
Father Zhou, who opened the thermos on the table, poured the food onto the empty plates. He looked at Lin Jingzhe curiously, "Where did you go just now? Who was on the call with you just now? You talked for so long."
"It must be his partner." Mother Zhou, who knew the inside story, squeezed out a teasing smile while drinking. "Am I right?"
Lin Jingzhe met the curious eyes of the people in the dining room. He put away the phone, and hummed back with a smile.