Chapter 182: Hooligan, Receiving a Letter
Chapter 182: Chapter 182: Hooligan, Receiving a Letter
Inside, Zhao Nuan Yang waited for his sister. When she didn’t come back, he went out to look for her, only to find her and Hua Yusen sitting on a bench, embracing as they gazed at the moon.
Zhao Nuan Yang started to call out, but he opened his mouth only to close it again. He turned and went back inside.
"Nuanyue, Nuanyue," Hua Yusen murmured to himself as he gazed at the moon.
"Hm?" Zhao Nuanyue turned her head. "Were you calling me?"
"Heh, I wasn’t calling for you. I was just thinking about your name. It’s wonderful," Hua Yusen chuckled, gently nipping the tip of Zhao Nuanyue’s nose. "The moon gives off a feeling of being bright and pure, but also cold and lonely. But adding the word ’warm’ in front gives that bright, cold moonlight a touch of warmth—just like you. You’re so kind, and you bring warmth to people. Nuanyang is a great name, too. The person who chose your names must have loved you very much."
Hearing this, Zhao Nuanyue’s eyes, which had stopped tearing up, grew misty once more. She spoke slowly, "My biological father gave us those names. He hoped I would be as beautiful, warm, and happy as the moon, and that my brother would be like the sun, bringing honor to our ancestors. I was only five then, so my memories are hazy, but... I remember Dad riding his bicycle with me sitting in the front, and Mom holding my brother on the seat behind him. We would go to the market together to buy delicious sweet-and-sour candied hawthorns, colorful pinwheels, kites of all shapes and sizes..."
These were the only childhood memories Zhao Nuanyue had, but they were also the most beautiful parts of her recollection.
Listening to Zhao Nuanyue slowly recount the origin of her name and the stories from her childhood, Hua Yusen’s heart ached for her all the more. At a time like this, anything he said would be meaningless. Perhaps the best he could do was stay by her side and listen.
Eventually, Zhao Nuanyue grew drowsy and drifted off to sleep in Hua Yusen’s arms.
Hua Yusen gently lifted Zhao Nuanyue and carried her into the house, only to see Zhao Nuan Yang and the Little Red Carp—one big, one small—staring at him with wide eyes.
Hua Yusen felt a bit awkward. Here he was on a date with their sister, and he’d been caught by her younger brother and sister.
"Heh, your sister is exhausted. Don’t disturb her," Hua Yusen said, trying to sound as if he had every right to be there. "Now, hurry up and go to sleep."
Zhao Nuan Yang and the Little Red Carp remained silent, continuing to stare at Hua Yusen, watching to see if he would do anything inappropriate.
But Hua Yusen was the type to grow bolder under pressure. After taking off Zhao Nuanyue’s shoes and pulling a sheet over her, he leaned in and planted a kiss on her forehead.
This time, Zhao Nuan Yang and the Little Red Carp didn’t just stare; their mouths fell wide open.
Amidst their stunned gazes, Hua Yusen stood up straight, turned, left the room, and even closed the door behind him.
As the door closed, the Little Red Carp stretched out a chubby little finger, pointing in the direction Hua Yusen had gone. "Brother, he kissed Sister! Hooligan! Hooligan!"
Zhao Nuan Yang dazedly snapped his mouth shut, looking utterly aggrieved. "Sigh," he lamented. "I can’t beat him in a fight!"
"What?" The Little Red Carp was dumbfounded. ’This brother is useless!’ she thought. "Even if you can’t win, you have to try! I’ll help you."
"Forget it. If we hit him, Sister’s heart will ache." Zhao Nuan Yang knew his sister liked Hua Yusen, so if she was happy, he wouldn’t interfere. With that, he turned to go to sleep. He understood now. His sister really liked Hua Yusen; otherwise, she would never have let her guard down enough to fall asleep in his arms.
The Little Red Carp was sullen. Another person had come to take a share of Sister’s affection. Still, she could only burrow under her blanket and go to sleep.
The next morning, Wang Yuan and Li Qiong were up early. By the time Zhao Nuanyue woke up, they had already finished making breakfast.
"I’m sorry, the Little Red Carp was being fussy, so I got up late," Zhao Nuanyue explained. "From now on, I’ll cook lunch so you two can rest."
Wang Yuan heard this and reached out to pinch the Little Red Carp’s small cheek. "You’re busier than us, taking care of a child. You don’t need to worry about breakfast. For lunch, whoever gets back first can make it. We’ve been living together for over a year now; we’re practically family."
Hearing Wang Yuan’s words, Zhao Nuanyue was filled with a mix of emotions. ’But since we’ve chosen to serve different masters,’ she thought, ’we can only continue to be on opposing sides.’
"Thank you," Zhao Nuanyue said. Although she now considered Wang Yuan an enemy, the girl had never targeted her personally, and for that, Zhao Nuanyue was still grateful.
Li Qiong overheard and said dismissively, "Alright, stop being so polite. Come on, wash your hands and eat."
After the meal, everyone went their separate ways to work.
After the Moon Festival, Wang Yuan’s personality changed dramatically. She became warm and cheerful, her eyes filled with hope.
As an insider, Zhao Nuanyue knew why Wang Yuan had changed, but Li Qiong didn’t. As Wang Yuan’s good friend, Li Qiong was just genuinely happy to see her friend’s transformation.
Although Liu Lanhua, Wang Dadan, Li Siming, and the others were extremely hostile toward the people of the Dragon King Temple, they didn’t dare make a move without orders from above. The entire Nianqiao Village was currently united as one; the moment they tried to stir up trouble, they would be thrown into the shacks.
Nianqiao Village was working hard on the final fish harvest, hoping to catch as much as possible before fishing season ended in September.
RING-A-LING... RING-A-LING... A man on a bicycle appeared, a military-green bag filled with newspapers and letters hanging from the rear rack. The postman had arrived.
The villagers weren’t interested in the postman’s arrival, as there were never any letters for them.
But for the young people from out of town, their families were elsewhere, and they exchanged letters. Every time they saw the postman, they always felt a little flicker of anticipation.
The postman didn’t deliver letters directly to the youths. Instead, he dropped them off at the village office, and the village would then notify everyone to come and get their mail. When things were busy, he would leave the letters at the village commune to be passed on to the volunteers.
Wang Yuan had just finished delivering fish when she saw the postman arriving. Her face broke into a wide smile.
"Li Qiong, you head back first. I’m going to the village office to see if I have any letters," Wang Yuan said with a smile, handing her things to Li Qiong to take back for her.
Li Qiong never received letters from home, so the postman’s arrival didn’t hold any particular significance for her.
"Alright, you go ahead," Li Qiong replied, taking the items and heading toward the Dragon King Temple.
At the village center, Zhao Nuanyue also saw Wang Yuan.
Zhao Nuanyue held a letter in her hand from her mother, Xia Yingyu, addressed to her and her brother. Three months ago, her mother had given birth to a son named Zhao Yu—the same name as the half-brother she’d had in her past life.
Because Zhao Jinghai had been the key figure in exposing Li Jianfeng, he had been criticized and received a demerit on his record. However, he hadn’t been completely ousted from his position. He was still a deputy manager, just without any real authority. Despite this, their family’s quality of life hadn’t been significantly impacted.
Xia Yingyu now sent money and ration tickets to Zhao Nuanyue and Zhao Nuan Yang every month, which was how Zhao Nuanyue had the funds and tickets to buy things.